After all these years, I finally fell into the arms of vulnerability and compassion for self. Six months ago, I found myself telling my now partner all the reasons he wouldn’t want to date me. I am needy; I will…
Have you ever met someone who goes on and on about the awesomeness of meditation and how it can cure all of your problems? I certainly have. In fact, I’ve occasionally been that person. It can be incredibly frustrating when…
“My side’s right, your side is wrong.” “The state of our country’s health depends on this one moment!” “We can’t have THAT monster in office!” Sound familiar right now? These are the same thoughts we referenced four, eight, 12, 16,…
Are you tired of pretending to be calm and compassionate when inside you really feel like kicking and screaming? In my life-long meditation training I was often told to "breathe in love". I so desperately wanted to do this, but…
How can you connect to others if you can't connect to yourself? When we are in reaction or in our limbic response, otherwise known as fight-or-flight, we have disabled the medial prefrontal cortex--this is the area that allows us to…
What if meditation and thoughts of compassion could rewire our reactions to others? If you could heighten your empathic abilities and connection to others, would you? A recent neuroscience abstract in PlosOne indicates we actually can do this very…
Professor Kristin Neff of the University of Texas is considered a leading researcher in the field of self-compassion. Her research is showing that those who cultivate self-compassion by exercising gentle and non-judgmental self-talk bounce back more quickly during crisis. The…
In the foreword to New Beliefs, New Brain, Dr. David Perlmutter notes "When His Holiness the Dalai Lama counseled that 'The brain we develop reflects the life we lead,' it is important to understand that his statement reflects not only…
Recent neuroscience is showing that the more we move into fear and threat response, the more we exercise and strengthen the neural pathways around the limbic brain which is our fight -or-flight center. We also end up shrinking or pruning…
"At Standford University, the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, under the direction of Neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty is doing studies and conducting courses that show that compassion and altruism can be cultivated through disciplines and practices that…
