Category: Stillness
-
We do not need another life.
“There is truly a place in the life of the human animal for wonder, curiosity, and openness to the fathomless otherness of the universe. This spirituality is found in the artist when she suspends her ego controls and paints the images that rise from unknown zones. It is found in the scientist reflecting on the…
-
Flipping switches.
It is never too late to turn on the light. Your ability to break an unhealthy habit or turn off an old tape doesn’t depend on how long it has been running; a shift in perspective doesn’t depend on how long you’ve held on to the old view. When you flip the switch in that…
-
The reasons some people dont stick with a meditation practice (and why others do).
This paper looked at factors affecting meditation persistence in a population of 953 people in the United States (via online surveys). The authors framed “persistence” within two categories: the number of lifetime practice sessions and current practice frequency. The authors of the paper found that people who were first exposed to a meditation practice through…
-
Podcast: Why and How to Meditate.
In this latest podcast from The Huberman Lab, Andrew looks at the latest scientific evidence about meditation: [In this podcast I look at] the state changes that occur during different types of mediation and describe how to develop the mediation practice optimal for you. I explain key meditation principles, such as using specific breathwork patterns…
-
Physiological benefits of slow breathing.
It is no coincidence that most of the world’s spiritual and contemplative disciplines involve some form of breathing focused practice. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the scientific literature concerning the beneficial effects of slow breathing on our physiological systems. Including: Enhances ventilation efficiency and arterial oxygenation via alveolar recruitment, and distension and reduction…
-
How best to approach nature.
“When you perceive nature only through the mind, through thinking, you cannot sense its aliveness, its beingness. You see the form only and are unaware of the life within the form – the sacred mystery. Thought reduces Nature to a commodity to be used in the pursuit of profit or knowledge or some other utilitarian…
-
Podcast: Gratitude.
Another deep dive podcast from the Huberman Lab exploring the empiric, evidence based benefits of developing your own gratitude practice. The regular activity of ‘counting your blessings’ or writing down a list of things you are grateful for in your life is now fairly well recognised as a wellness tool. But it turns out the…
-
Mindfulness and Zen
The continuing public interest in meditation has led to a huge marketing growth industry supporting mindfulness (estimated $1 Billion industry in US alone) and secular mediation teaching through apps (eg Sam Harris Waking Up app), online guided meditations, corporate workshops and even colouring books. Mindfulness practice may indeed be a useful tool to help individuals…
-
Consciousness and the medical profession.
In a short editorial article for the journal of wellness, Dr Anoop Kumar explores the topic of consciousness as it is generally held in the medical profession. That is… a product of the interactions of material elements ( eg neurons, the brain etc). Dr Anoop writes: At first glance, the assumption of the primacy of matter may…
shojiwax.com 