Índex per August 2018 a Mindful

Editor-in-Chief barry@mindful.org Our must-read story this issue: “30 Days to the Same Old Me” follows Stephanie Domet through a month-long meditation challenge, from anxiety to epiphany, and everything in between. On page 44. Mindfulness—where does it come from? Naturally, we hear this question a lot. We’ve addressed it on several occasions, including in a piece now online called “5 Things People Get Wrong about Mindfulness,” but it’s helpful to address core questions like this again and again. There is no final answer, no last word on the matter. The many mindfulness teachers and advocates who encouraged us to start Mindful—and whom we represent in everything we do—believe mindfulness is an inherent human capability that belongs to anyone irrespective of race, creed, gender, you name it. It is our birthright. What is…

Two men who beat their drug and alcohol addictions want to provide a safe, social space to ease the challenges of maintaining sobriety. They’re opening a café in Windsor, Ontario, for recovering addicts to hang out and support one another. Not sure how fresh your leftovers are? Scientists at McMaster University in Ontario used DNA molecules to create a sensor that could be added to food packaging (say, inside a milk carton). The patch will glow when it detects harmful bacteria. While camping with their children, members of a Scottish metal band donned facepaint and black clothing—just for fun. Fun, that is, until passersby feared the hardcore campers were in a suicide cult and called emergency services to “rescue” the group. The UK’s Chiltern Railways is encouraging passengers to stash…

WHEN WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE CYCLE OF STRESS, WE CAN STOP THE ESCALATION. Most meditation teachers recommend that you set aside any immediate expectation of gaining or solving something through the practice of mindfulness. Yet it’s not uncommon that we do find ourselves benefiting from it. In terms of both physical and mental health, regular mindfulness meditation can nudge us in the right direction. Medical researchers have associated meditation with many potential health benefits. But how does all that work? The mechanism through which practicing mindfulness affects us is not fully understood. From a medical perspective, it may relate to the impact of chronic stress. Some stress is inevi table, no matter what we do. And this is a good thing: Healthy stress can motivate and energize us to…

Q I suffer from asthma. How practical is it for me to focus on the breath during meditation? A Anyone with asthma has a love/hate relationship with the process of breathing. These are people who truly and completely appreciate the absolute importance and preciousness of each breath. Those who have had a fundamental aspect of life jeopardized often appreciate it the most. The challenge for meditators with a history of asthma, COPD, or other breathing problems is that the seemingly simple process of breathing is entangled with fear, anxiety, and other difficult emotions. The very act of breathing is inextricably bound to memories of episodes of shortness of breath, respiratory emergencies of various sorts, and threat of death. Seen from this perspective, mindfulness is the ideal practice for people who…

DAY 1 My meditation coach listens carefully to my description of my personality: “I’m really attached to outcomes. I am goal oriented. I have a lifelong desire to measure and to be measured,” I say. He nods. Smiles. Says: “This is going to be hard for you.” He chuckles, and I chuckle too, because that’s what I’m here for, right? Ha ha! But also, seriously now, I say, “How will I know if I’m doing it right?” He says, “You’ll just know.” I’m here because I’ve agreed to take on a 30-day commitment to practice meditation and write about it. And I’ve agreed to it because meditation is something I’ve been meaning to incorporate into my life for some time. I am, in addition to being goal-oriented, also quite anxious,…

Safety First Most of the time, you’re not in real danger, just uncomfortable, but it’s good to be as sure as you can about that. Rashes, blisters, serious bites, infections, concussions, dehydration, even hypothermia—these and more have happened to campers. Be prepared to use first aid and, if necessary, respond to a medical emergency. Follow Your Sensations Irritability and discomfort often come as a big, jumbled mess of emotions. Take a moment to just be with your feelings. Where are the actual sensations coming from? Ask: What is happening now? Repeat, What is happening now? Breathe Deeply Asking what’s happening now can ground you in the present and separate your fears and agitation from actual sensation. Breathe deeply and let any excess tension surrounding your pain release. It may not…

MINDFUL OF RACE Transforming Racism from the Inside Out Ruth King • Sounds True Long-overdue discussions around race in America are finally having a moment—one that needs to last a very long time. The Netflix series Dear White People recently released its second season, as did Donald Glover’s Atlanta on FX. Both were created by young African-Americans who have a lot to say, and unique and hard-hitting ways of putting problems of whiteness front and center. The “post-racial America” illusionary bubble has been burst. Put simply, to imagine we are (or even aspire to be) color-blind is just to be blind to reality. So, where is mindfulness in all this? Is the spread of this practice, touted as something truly transformational, making a dent anywhere in our understanding and our race…

When was the last time you noticed how your body was feeling? Not just when you have a headache or you’re tired or you have heartburn after that spicy taco you ate for lunch. But just noticing how your body is feeling right now, while you’re sitting or standing or lying down. How about noticing how your body feels while you’re sitting in an important meeting or walking down the street or playing with your children? In our busy, high-tech, low-touch lives, it’s easy to operate detached from our own bodies. They too easily become vessels we feed, water, and rest so they can continue to cart around our brains. We don’t pay attention to the information our bodies are sending us or the effect that forces such as stress…

• Jazz up your meals by sampling one new fruit or vegetable each week. This can mean just eating it on its own or adding it to a recipe. Or, mix things up with a new recipe featuring produce that you already like. • Did you do 10 minutes of exercise today? Five minutes? Any exercise boosts well-being, so no matter how long your session, give yourself credit for it. • Catch up with a friend you haven’t seen lately. Close relationships are powerful predictors of health. • To build a hydration habit, connect drinking water • with another activity. For example, after every bathroom break, fill a glass or top off your water bottle. • If you sit for most of the day, incorporate some standing. Options include using a…

TRY THIS One of my all-time favorite ways to prepare watermelon is also exceedingly simple, inspired by the classic fruta con chile y limón (or “fruit with chili and lime”), a preparation I fell in love with on my travels in Mexico. Cube or slice up a watermelon, sprinkle it with fresh lime juice, spicy red pepper flakes, and salt, let it marinate in the fridge for at least half an hour, and then toss the melon in the juices left behind. The tingle of the chili and tang of the lime add a little dazzle, while the sweet luscious fruit takes the spotlight. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Claire Ciel Zimmerman is Mindful’s Deputy Editor and Eater-in-Chief. NUTRITION INFO Both watermelon flesh and seeds are packed with antioxidant benefits and vitamin…

A gentle breeze lazily rocks the hammock I’ve been lying in for hours. My breath is low and slow, and I’m smiling for no reason. It’s vacation time. It feels so good to do nothing on purpose, to stretch out, curl up, and let myself rest. It is necessary, but it isn’t always easy to relax and stop being so busy, even just for a while. It requires a clear intention to make room for some nourishing downtime. Vacations offer important opportunities to rest, recharge, and put a spring back into our step. Even the word—vacation—seems to shimmer, doesn’t it? It may evoke palm trees and backdrops for perfect selfies. We fantasize about vacations, we save for them, and we hear that they are crucial to mental, physical, and social…