mindful magazine april 2014 sampler

DIGITAL SAMPLERView selected pages from Mindful’s April 2014 issue. Subscribe at mindful.org

2 mindful April 2014

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Features 34 The Captain Steers the ShipWhat children need, says parenting expert Susan Stiffelman, is the security of knowing that someone capable and loving is nearby to help them pilot their way through life. And the difference that can make—even when it comes to the little things—will amaze you.

Sidebar: A handy guide to figuring out who’s in charge in your household. p. 38

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42 How to Meditate: Start HereLots of us think about trying mindfulness meditation, but it can be hard to know where to begin. We’ll show you how to start, feel better, reduce your stress, and enjoy your life a little more.

Q&A: Sandra Oh: The Joy of Being Mindful. p. 51

52 A Kinder, Gentler WorldIs compassion something we only have so much of? Or can we be trained to love more people more of the time? Jennifer Campbell reports.

Sidebars: Sociologist Christine Carter shares her kindness rules; Google’s Chade-Meng Tan offers a 10-minute exercise to help shift perspective. pp. 57, 58

60 Finding My WayWhen all of our lives are so similar and yet so different, where can we look for guidance? As Jessica Morey has learned—and what she now teaches to teenagers—the best guidance is discovered in ourselves.

First installment of our new Getting Started series

“Mindfulness meditation gives us a time to suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind.” From “What is Mindfulness?” p. 44

April 2014 mindful 3

On our coverActor Sandra Oh shares her experience of mindfulness meditation. page 51

Photograph by Lever Rukhin

Departments

65 In Practice

66 TechniquesEat, Drink, Be Mindful Eating mindfully isn’t about resistance or restriction. It’s about enjoying more.

67 At WorkHow Do I Get Noticed Around Here?How to run a meeting and keep everyone’s attention; how to help your boss see the value of a particular employee.

68 Ask Ms. MindfulDon’t judge parenting styles—lend a hand instead; be more relaxed on a first date; and enjoy sex even when you’re out of your depth.

70 InsightA Higher EducationWe’re learning every minute, says Mirabai Bush. Taking more time with everyday details makes each situation a chance for discovery.

4 Your ThoughtsReaders write, tweet, post.

6 Our ThoughtsEditor-in-chief Barry Boyce looks ahead as Mindful begins its second year.

11 NowNews from business, technology, education, neuroscience, and psychology, including a roundup of current research.

20 Bookmark ThisThe writings, recordings, and apps that are capturing our attention now.

22 Mindful/MindlessCookie Monster learns to say no and Axe Body Spray clears out a grade school. Our take on who’s paying attention and who’s not.

24 Body MindWeightlessElla Ackley decided at 65 that it was time to get back in the pool. But winning national swim meets? She didn’t see that coming.

26 Mind ScienceYou Are Where You LiveHow did you end up living where you do? Is it all an accident? Likely not. Sharon Begley points to new research that suggests we live in places that fit our personality.

30 Mindful EatingChopping Away DistractionIn the course of making leek-and-potato soup, Andrea Miller finds that ingredients—no matter how humble— sing when they get her full attention.Recipes by Béatrice Peltre

80 MindSpaceGuest illustrator Lisa Congdon meditated for 15 minutes. Here’s what she found.

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your thoughts

To learn about future issues and upcoming events, sign up for our email newsletters at mindful.org. To share your feedback on this or other issues, email us with your full name, city, and state or province at [email protected]. You can also visit facebook.com/mindfulorg or tweet us @MindfulOnline. For subscription questions, email [email protected]. Letters chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions and manuscripts become the property of The Foundation for a Mindful Society.

you answeredWhat are some of the ways you consider mindfulness related to money?

I posed a “nothing new in November” challenge for myself. Being mindful helped when I saw a desirable object that I might normally “treat” myself with. Janine HillsWarwick, Queensland

I find I don’t need much. I pause when I have an impulse to buy something. And often, I just enjoy the feeling of plea-sure in fine craftsmanship or artistry without carrying anything home from the store.J.D. ElderNew York City, New York

Though money is a means of feeding, clothing, and hous-ing, some think it defines our worth. NOT!Diane Baldree LancasterVirginia Beach, Virginia

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you wrote inIt was difficult not to cry while reading, “A Matter of Death and Life” (February 2014). I get chills just thinking about how these lessons will be carried forward in the lives of the teens who participated in the hos-pice class. Thank you to those wise people and young people who took the chance to connect and foster healing in each other.Heather H. LospinosoLebanon Borough, New Jersey

“Instead, we befriend ourselves as we are. We learn how to drop in on ourselves, visit, and hang out in awareness.” Beau-tiful words. Jon Kabat-Zinn never ceases to amaze me (“No Blueprint, Just Love,” February 2014). Maryellen CharbonneauMcFarland, Wisconsin

Wow, I can’t even imagine how much dif-ferent life would have been as a teen trying to navigate the social media sphere! Just as Tristan Gorrindo (“W.A.I.T. a Minute,” December 2013) talks about part of the problem stemming from parents being hesitant to learn how to use the Internet, I have definitely found it easier to keep an eye on my kids by being online myself. That way, I can watch from the sidelines and not really interfere. You have to be the safe zone if you want them to feel comfort-able talking to you.Samantha Studebaker-Carl Columbus, Georgia

Great thoughts on mindfulness and Star Wars from Jeremy Adam Smith (“Luke, I’m Your Dad,” December 2013). I have two daughters, and in the last year we have watched a lot of movies from Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, as well as Star Wars. The overriding theme in all of these films is that the world is out of bal-ance, and it is up to the hero to restore it. In Star Wars, the destruction of the Death Star does not represent the triumph of good versus evil but instead a restoration of balance between the two. This balance is restored via mindfulness, as you so aptly point out.Michael GalinskyChapel Hill, North Carolina

A: It’s tempting to think that being mindful equates with floating along in a peaceful cloud spreading beams of joy and light wherever you go. Not quite. Humans dis-agree. Humans have a lot of passion. The two of these can and do come together. If you find yourself in the middle of an argu-ment that gets heated, it’s helpful to let the heat heighten your awareness rather than diminish it. Notice what’s going on in your body and mind as momentum builds. Leave gaps. Listen. And resist the temptation to demonize and stray into meanness. If that occurs, note it, let it go, and move on. The aftermath can be quite rewarding. Lots of great things come from heat.

Q: Can you have a heated argument and still remain mindful?CHRIS WATSON New York City

VOLUME TWO, NUMBER 1, Mindful (ISSN 2169-5733, USPS 010-500) is published bimonthly for $29.95 per year USA, $39.95 Canada & 49.95 (US) international, by The Foundation for a Mindful Society, 1776 I St, NW, #90046, Washington, DC 20006 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mindful, PO Box 469018, Escondido, CA 92046. CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Send undeliverable copies to Mindful, 1660 Hollis St, Suite 701, Halifax, NS B3J 1V7 CANADA. Printed in U.S.A. © 2014 Foundation for a Mindful Society. All rights reserved.

Ian Podniesinski, 8, reading the February 2014 issue of Mindful.

Can you have an argument and still remain mindful?


Barry BoyceEditor-in-Chief

Jessica von Handorf Art Director

Carsten Knox Associate Editor

Stephany TlalkaAssistant Editor, Digital

James GimianPublisher

Alan Brush Associate Publisher, Circulation

Melvin McLeodEditorial Director

Board of Advisors

Susan Bauer-Wu, Ph.D., R.N., University of VirginiaJeffrey Brantley, M.D., Duke Integrative MedicineMirabai Bush, Center for Contemplative Mind in SocietyRichard J. Davidson, Ph.D., Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-MadisonRich Fernandez, Ph.D., Founder, Wisdom LabsSoren Gordhamer, Wisdom 2.0Patricia Jennings, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State UniversityJon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and SocietyTim Ryan, United States Congress, Ohio, 13th DistrictDiana Winston, Mindful Awareness Research Center, UCLAOrganizations included for identification purposes only.

Tracy Picha Editor

Megumi Yoshida Associate Art Director

Jane Doucet Copy Editor

Beth WallaceAssociate Publisher, Advertising & Partnerships

Andrew KarrFinance Director

Daniel Scott Publishing Office Associate

www.mindful.org

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our thoughts

What do a policeman, a congressman, a new mother, a clothing designer, and a microbiologist have in com-mon? They’re all mindful—and all on the cover of Mindful in our first year.

There’s a message there: being mindful is not about being any particular type of person. There is no meditative personality. Our ability to be aware and caring is a funda-mental characteristic of being a human being, and it can be cultivated.

At Mindful and Mindful.org, we didn’t invent this message. We’re here to pass it on. Based on the results of our first year, it seems a growing number of people are interested in hearing and sharing stories of mindfulness in action, and in getting sound advice on how to enrich their lives with more mindfulness.

Mindful readers envision a more attentive and car-ing world. But they are also practical. Lofty visions are never realized when our feet are not touching the ground. No activity, in our view, is more practical and grounding than mindfulness meditation. That’s why this year, we’re launching a six-part series called Getting Started. It will serve as a primer for anyone who wants to start mixing mindfulness practice with everyday life. If you’re new to mindfulness, it will indeed help you get started. If you’re familiar with mindfulness, it will serve as a reminder, and as something you can share with friends or family.

May you enjoy Mindful as much as we enjoy putting it out there for you. And please con-tinue to let us know what being mindful means in your life.

Starting Again

—Barry Boyce, [email protected]


now

ContentsNews 12Research Roundup 19Bookmark This 20Mindful–Mindless 22

Photograph by Béatrice Peltre

News and Reviews from the Mindful World

Esther Sternberg advises a number of federal government and green-building committees, as well as the American Institute of Architects. “These organizations are rushing to add human health and well-being standards to their requirements. It’s going to change the landscape of health.”

END YOUR WORKDAY a few minutes early. Sit and recall someone who did something you appreciate. Let the warm feeling infect your evening. Find more on Twitter @mindinterrupter

Exploring the Next Health Frontier“We need to improve the physical environment—the buildings and spaces we inhabit—to enhance health. It’s the next frontier.”

This is Esther Sternberg’s current agenda, as laid out in her book Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being. She is a professor of medicine and the research director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Sternberg’s more than 30 years of mind–body research has established, among other things, a direct correlation between emotions and health. Her work has demonstrated that positive emotions enhance health, while negative emotions and stress contribute to and exacerbate illness. She became interested in the con-nection between the brain and the immune system when she was studying rheumatol-ogy at McGill University’s medical school. After finishing her studies, she did research at the National Institutes of Health on how reducing stress levels not only supports health but can also slow the aging process.

“When you can prove and understand the mechanisms and pathways of how the brain and the immune system talk to each

other in rats,” says Sternberg, “and when you can prove that when this communica-tion is broken you get disease and when it’s intact you have health, this supports the idea that stress can make you sick.”

Sternberg, along with her colleagues in integrative medicine, have found that prac-tices such as meditation and yoga, which have long offered anecdotal evidence of benefits, could now be validated through rigorous science. “We call it integrative medicine, rather than complementary or alternative,” she says, “because it’s not about using treatments that ‘complement’ or offer ‘alternatives.’ Our aim is to integrate ancient practices into modern therapeutic practice to promote genuine healing.

“Have we come back to fully under-standing these ancient principles, which people have known for thousands of years, in the language of science?” asks Stern-berg. “The answer is, yes we have.”

Of her latest initiative, she says, “We also know that physical environment can very powerfully affect emotions. Therefore, changes in the physical environment also impact the mind–body connection.”

At the University of Arizona, Stern-berg founded the Institute for Place and

Wellbeing, which fosters links between the colleges of medicine, architecture, and the environment. “This is incredibly excit-ing,” she says, “because we’re develop-ing ways to understand how much our environment—whether it’s office buildings, schools, urban spaces, or the natural envi-ronment here in the desert—can impact healing. Research shows that hospital patients who are exposed to natural sur-roundings heal faster. This understanding is having a big impact on how buildings, especially hospitals, are being planned.

“We need to change the standards for building and urban design,” says Stern-berg, who advises a number of federal government and green-building commit-tees, as well as the American Institute of Architects. “This year, all these organiza-tions are rushing to add human health and well-being standards to their require-ments. It’s going to change the landscape of health.”

Currently, the Institute of Place and Wellbeing is working with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Wash-ington, D.C., to reclaim part of a local park as a sanctuary for wounded military per-sonnel and veterans. The park will be used to study the effect that spending time in natural settings has on healing. Sternberg has even met with the Pope to discuss how Roman Catholic-affiliated hospitals—there are 120,000 worldwide—can become bet-ter places for healing.

“It’s amazing how these principles are being accepted on a global scale,” she says. “We’re talking about working with organizations as different as the Depart-ment of Defense and the Vatican, and everything in between.” ●

“We know that a physical environment can very powerfully

affect emotions. Therefore, changes in our environments

also impact the mind–body connection.”

Esther Sternberg


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Read the rest of this article in Mindful’s April 2014 issue. Subscribe at mindful.org

body mind

Name: Ella Ackley Age: 71 Activity: Swimming Location: Troy, Montana

WeightlessElla Ackley decided at 65 that it was time to get back in the pool. As expected, floating freely still feels great. Winning national swim meets? That comes as a surprise. As told to Carsten Knox Photograph by Woods Wheatcroft


I swam as a kid but took it up again more seriously about six years ago. I’ve run marathons, which put me in good cardiovascular shape and made it kind of an easy switch to swimming. Now I travel to swim meets all across the country.

Being back in the water turned out to be very satisfying. When the grandkids and I go to a hot springs or some other place to take a dip for fun, I can just play—diving under, holding my breath. I love being underwater—it’s the most wonderful feeling.

What do I like most about swimming? The weightlessness.

Good TechniqueWhen it comes to swimming, the number one thing is technique. When I took it up again, my technique was outdated. Now I know much better what I’m doing. When I first get in the pool I wear a snorkel, so I can see and focus on my body position before I start thinking about my breathing. When I push off the wall, I make sure my arms are stretched

out in front of my head and my body is in a totally neutral streamlined position, so I go through the water with as little resistance as possible.

I check my head to make sure it’s in the right position, with forehead down and chin tucked. I start with arm strokes, and when my arm is above my head and entering the water, I make sure it’s bent at the elbow, with an emphasis on the palm of my hand, pulling and rotating at the same time and pushing all the way back to my thigh.

FocusI can only think about one thing at a time. My brain just can’t do more than that. I’ve never thought multitasking was a very good idea. I’m intense, so I can focus. When I was studying in college, there could be a party going on behind me and I wouldn’t even know it was there.

I like competition, but I don’t have a killer instinct. I love doing well against the clock, and I get great satisfaction beating my best time. But I don’t have

that “I’m going to beat you if it kills me” thing that an Olympic gold medalist like Michael Phelps has.

I love practicing and improving my ability to move through the water. The women I compete against—holy moly!—they’re fantastic. But I haven’t peaked yet.

CompetitionI was competing in Cleveland in August and there were two swimmers in my age group who are really good. I thought if I did a pretty good time in the backstroke, I’d probably get third place. I’d be happy with that.

So I just went for it. And when I touched the wall and looked up at the board, it said first place. I thought, that’s got to be a mistake!

The other two were swimming lanes away from me. They couldn’t see me and I couldn’t see them. I had whizzed by them and they didn’t know it, and neither did I. It’s the first time I took first place in a major meet. ●


Recipes and photographs by Béatrice Peltre. Find more of her work at latartinegourmande.com

Don’t Fear the PotatoAn average (about 5.3 ounces) potato with the skin contains:

• 45% of the daily value for vitamin C• 620 mg potassium, comparable to

bananas and spinach

• trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate and magnesium

• all for only 110 calories and no fatSource: potatoes.com/nutrition


In the course of making leek-and-potato soup, Andrea Miller finds that ingredients—no matter how humble—sing when they get her full attention.

Whether I’m making a new recipe or whipping up an old standby, I always begin with the same first step. And I don’t mean getting out the cutting board or preheating the oven or even washing my hands. All that comes later.

For me, step one is dialing a friend’s number or tuning into a podcast. That is to say, I never just cook. Steaming, bak-ing, frying—they’re all opportunities for me to do something else simultaneously.

Last month, I was preparing a meal while on the phone with a friend who was telling me about mindful cooking— cooking without distraction. It sounded like drudgery, like it would be lonely and dull. Yet there was something about the idea I couldn’t shake. So when I got my hands on the leek-and-potato soup recipe (see page 33), I decided to experiment.

Chopping Away DistractionThis time my first step was different.

I inhaled and exhaled until I wasn’t in a hurry. Only then did I take the leeks out of the fridge. They felt cold. And also firm. It was like they were small onion-scented trees. I stripped off the outer layers, trimmed the ragged tops, and chopped. Traces of dirt were hidden in the green crevices, and this reminded me of where the leeks had come from and all the people who’d helped get them from the farm to my kitchen.

Next, I selected three potatoes. The bag said “red” in big rosy letters, but holding one of the tubers up to the light, I decided it was closer to fuchsia. Peeling the skins, I liked how the flamboyant color looked against the creamy flesh.

Meanwhile, I had two tablespoons of butter sizzling on the stovetop, and within five minutes the leeks were softening and shrinking. I cubed the naked potatoes and added them to the pot. Then the stock. The coriander stems. The bay leaves. And since I was paying attention, I noticed that my bay leaves did not actually smell like bay leaves. Having been too long in my spice cupboard, they smelled like curry and

cardamom. I made a mental note to replace various small fragrant bags.

After pureeing the soup and stirring in the crème fraîche, I ladled generous portions into two bowls and topped them with crumbled blue cheese. So far, the colors were subtle—the soup’s pale yellow-green and the cheese’s white and slate gray. But with the addition of freshly grated red peppercorns and bright-green cilantro, everything sud-denly popped.

Leaning in to smell the soup, I picked up the dominant scent of pepper. Nice. Bringing a spoonful to my mouth, I enjoyed the full complexity of the flavors. This was comfort food brought to its edge with the punch of a sharp cheese.

As my husband and I sat down for lunch with steaming bowls of soup, I realized that cooking without distrac-tion hadn’t left me bored or tired. Quite the contrary.

That evening, when it was time to make dinner, I didn’t pick up the phone. ●

Serves 4

32 small new potatoes or fingerlings

1½ cups Greek-style yogurt1½ tbsp lemon juice1 shallot (or ¼ red onion),

finely chopped2 tbsp chopped chives Dash of ground cumin Sea salt and pepper2 tbsp olive oil + more to drizzle

Potatoes with Yogurt Sauce and Fresh Herbs

In a pot, add the potatoes and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool before peeling them; set aside.

In a small bowl, beat together the yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, chives, and ground cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil. Serve the potatoes whole or halved, lukewarm, with the yogurt sauce and a drizzle of olive oil.

Andrea Miller is the editor of the anthology Right Here with You: Bringing Mindful Awareness into Our Relationships.

mindful eating


Sandra Oh on the joy of

being mindful (see page 51)


getting started: how to meditate

Lots of us think about trying mindfulness meditation, but it can be hard to know where to begin. In this first installment of our new

Getting Started series, we’ll show you how to start meditating, feel better, reduce your stress,

and enjoy your life a little more.

Photographs by Lever RukhinIllustrations by Jason Lee

HOW TO MEDITATE

and why

THE MINDFULNESS REVOLUTIONEdited by Barry BoyceMore than 40 short pieces by as many authors who present how mindfulness works and how they’ve put it into practice in their lives and livelihood.


getting started: how to meditate

Mindfulness. It’s a pretty straightfor-ward word. It suggests that the mind is fully attending to what’s happening, to what you’re doing, to the space you’re moving through. That might seem trivial, except for the annoying fact that we so often veer from the matter at hand. Our mind takes flight, we lose touch with our body, and pretty soon we’re engrossed in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future. And that makes us anxious.

Yet no matter how far we drift away, mindfulness is right there to snap us back to where we are and what we’re doing and feeling.

If you want to know what mindfulness is, it’s best to try it for a while. Since it’s hard to nail down in words, you will find slight variations in the meaning in books, websites, audio, and video. Here’s an all-purpose definition that treats mind-fulness as a quality that every human being already possesses, rather than something we have to conjure up.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we

What is Mindfulness?

are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques, particularly seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation (it’s also possible lying down but often leads to sleep); short pauses we insert into everyday life; and merging meditation practice with other activities, such as yoga or sports.

When we meditate it doesn’t help to fixate on the benefits, but rather to just do the practice, and yet there are benefits or no one would do it. When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and aware-ness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.

Mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.

We hear the word a lot these days. 2014 has even been called The Year of Mindful Living. What exactly are people talking about?

OVERHEARD

“Mindfulness—our capacity to pay atten-tion, moment to moment, on purpose—is an immediately accessible ally.”

Saki Santorelli, executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society

FULL CATASTROPHE LIVINGBy Jon Kabat-ZinnFrom explanations of the bene-fits of mindfulness to stories of those who started practicing in midlife to how-tos, this book comes from the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction himself.

REAL HAPPINESS: THE POWER OF MEDITATIONBy Sharon SalzbergA 28-day program of guided instruction in “three key skills” for living: concentration, mindfulness, and compassion. An accompanying audio CD contains guided meditations.

Books to Get You Started

Getting Started was compiled by Barry Boyce, editor-in-chief of Mindful, in consultation with:

Elisha Goldstein Ph.D., psychologist, author of The Now Effect

Tara Healey program director for Mindfulness-Based Learning at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Steve Flowers director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California

Christiane Wolf MD, Ph.D., director of MBSR Programs, InsightLA


1

Sounds Boring!

Sure, but it also happens to be a big relief to have some time when you’re not obligated to be somebody or do something.

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My Mind Is Too Fast

So, let it go fast. If you sit there awhile, it will slow down…and speed up again. You don’t need to try to find an ideal rate for your mind.

2

I Can’t Sit Still

It’s just fine to fidget. Meditation is a process that develops over time. No one starts out sitting like a rock statue.

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I’m Scared to Be Alone

You’re not alone in that. Our culture has devalued taking time for solitude. It hasn’t always been that way. And it’s not as scary as you think.

3

I Don’t Have Time

Time crunches are stressing us all out these days. But tak-ing a pause from the rush-rush-rush may just help you use your time better.

5 Excuses Not to MeditateYou want to spend some quiet time with your mind, but you have excuses. Take a moment to examine them. They might not be such a big deal.

1

Understand Your Pain

Mental pain and anxiety are a background noise that can underlie much of what we do. Here’s a chance to see firsthand what’s causing it.

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Reduce Brain Chatter

The nattering, chattering voice in our head seems never to leave us alone. Isn’t it time we gave it a little break?

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Lower Stress

There’s lots of evi-dence these days that excess stress causes lots of ill-nesses and makes other illnesses worse. Mindfulness decreases stress.

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Improve Focus

It can be frustrating to have our mind stray off what we’re doing and be pulled in six directions. Meditation hones our innate ability to focus.

3

Connect Better

Ever find yourself staring blankly at a friend, lover, child, and you’ve no idea what they’re say-ing? Mindfulness helps you give them your full attention.

5 Reasons to Give It a Try AnywayWe can easily find excuses about why we can’t meditate, but it turns out it’s just as easy to find lots of reasons to do it. Here are just a few.


A Kinder,Gentler World

By Jennifer CampbellIllustrations by Julia Rothman

Can We Learn to Be More Compassionate?

compassion

April 2014 mindful 53Read the rest of this article in Mindful’s

April 2014 issue. Subscribe at mindful.org

A Higher Education

Every minute of our lives serves up something new and gives us an opportunity to learn. But when it comes to the usual ways of learning—reading, writing, and listening to others—we often lose the freshness of direct experience and instead just shovel information into our brains. Mirabai Bush suggests how to learn more deeply and with more enjoyment.

in practice insight

April 2014 mindful 71Illustrations by Malin Rosenqvist Read the rest of this article in Mindful’s April 2014 issue. Subscribe at mindful.org

When you subscribe to Mindful, you will:• Discover practical, effective

tools for everyday living

• Learn about the latest brain science and the many ways mindfulness is changing our society

• Enjoy better health and relief from stress

• Improve your performance and capacity at work

• Deepen the relationships in your life

• Be inspired by stories of other mindful people like you

Mindful is the groundbreaking new magazine dedicated to helping you live mindfully.

It’s who you are

Don’t miss the next great issue of Mindful. Mail the attached card or call toll-free 1-855-492-1675. Subscribe online at www.mindful.org.

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the simple practice of being in the moment brings out the best in who you are.

You are mindful. And this is your magazine.

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mindful magazine april 2014 sampler

Documents

mindful eating

org2 mindful

new research

everyones attention

malin rosenqvist opposite

batrice peltre opposite

teenagersthe best guidance

lever rukhindepartments65