Mindful

what is calling you this year?

As an old year ends and a new one begins, I like to find a few quiet moments for a simple practice that helps recognize this transition and honor all that has happened and all that awaits. I’d love to invite you to join me. You might want to have a tissue or a journal handy. I find this practice brings so many emotions to the surface, making me teary and grateful and excited to be alive all at once. Sit comfortably, relax your body, and close your eyes. Slowly, gently, breathe in through your nose, imagining that you are breathing in all of 2019 and what transpired for you, holding the whole year in your lungs for a couple of seconds. Survey your memories as they come in on your breath,…

getting to know your inner critic

How do you tend to respond to your inner critic? “I RECOGNIZE what is going on and WHY—am I tired, hungry, sad, angry?” “I WAIT for it to pass.” “I have a SHORT RANT, then look at what’s happening more holistically.” “I STOP COMPARING myself with others, and allow myself to forgive me.” “I WRITE DOWN what the inner critic says and respond to myself with the truth as I see it. It usually works well when I do it in the moment.” “I FOCUS on the good things I have done, and the things I did right.” “With a meditation practice, I am LISTENING more.” “I go to my art room and START PAINTING, drawing, or doing mixed media.” “With compassion. I pretend the inner critic is a dear friend who has lost her way, and I try…

mindful

Did you know Mindful is a nonprofit? We are dedicated to inspiring and guiding anyone who wants to explore mindfulness to enjoy better health, more caring relationships, and a more compassionate society. By reading Mindful and sharing it with others, you’re helping to bring mindfulness practices into the world where the benefits can be enjoyed by all. Thank you! Print magazine & special topic publications 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge FREE! Guided meditations & podcasts Mindfulness video courses Visit online at mindful.org Get More Mindful…

mindful

• mindful.org Founding Editor Barry Boyce Chief Executive Officer Bryan Welch Content Director Anne Alexander Executive Editor Heather Hurlock Senior Editor Nicole Bayes-Fleming Contributing Editors Sara Altshul Teo Furtado Katherine Griffin Creative Director Jessica von Handorf Managing Editor Stephanie Domet Associate Editor Amber Tucker Associate Art Director Spencer Creelman Editors-at-Large Kaitlin Quistgaard Hugh Delehanty Director of Operations Julia Sable Director of Finance Terry Rudderham Accountant CPA, CMA Paul Woolaver Graphic Designer Christel LeBlanc Consumer Marketing Director Leslie Duncan Childs Marketing Coordinator Janice Fuller Administrative Assistants Sarah Creelman Jen Schwartz…

top of mind

EMOTIONAL LABOR If you’re caring and emotionally tuned in, you may adapt better to the evolving demands of the job market, a study finds. Researchers from the University of Maryland and National Taiwan University found that between 2006 and 2016, day-to-day tasks for US workers trended from “analytical and thinking”— increasingly handled by artificial intelligence—towards “interpersonal and empathetic”: Think a financial analyst who’s reassuring clients through stock-market dips, says lead author Roland Rust. In the shift to a “feeling economy,” says Rust, emotional intelligence will gain respect. WAVE BETTER Surf therapy has emerged as a recent alternative to traditional therapies for a number of groups, including children with autism, survivors of cancer, and veterans and emergency workers with PTSD. Hosted by organizations around the world, including in the United States, Australia, and the…

research news

EASING PAIN AND CRAVINGS A new study from the University of Utah and Rutgers University finds that people who crave opioids and are in chronic pain may benefit from adding mindfulness to a traditional methadone treatment (MMT) program. Thirty adults with opioid use disorder and acute or chronic pain undergoing MMT were assigned to either a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) group, or a treatment-as-usual control group. The MORE participants learned mindfulness, thought-reappraisal, and savoring skills, in two-hour weekly group sessions, in addition to receiving four hours of individual/group therapy per week. The control group received six hours weekly of individual/group therapy, and no mindfulness education. All participants used a smartphone app to rate their stress, pain intensity, mood, and opioid cravings. At the end of eight weeks, MORE group members said…