By Dr. Ron Passfield
Patrick Chan used mindfulness to excel at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. His first round performance for the team figure skating event was badly hampered by nerves and he did not score well. However by talking to himself, confronting the expectations of his team and his own debilitating emotions, he was able to achieve the … Continue reading “Mindfulness and Meditation for Elite Athletes”
In the previous post, I discussed mindfulness for postpartum depression and shared the story of Kristi Pahr and a range of relevant mindfulness resources. In this post, I want to focus on the research that has been conducted on the use of mindfulness in preparation for childbirth. Research in the area of mindfulness for mothers … Continue reading “Mindfulness for Childbirth”
Kristi Pahr, freelance writer and mother, discussed how mindfulness helped her to deal with postpartum depression (PPD). One of her problems, experienced by many mothers, was that she did not recognise her systems as PPD but put them down to hormonal change. Unfortunately, PPD can get a hold of you very quickly and its effects … Continue reading “Mindfulness and Postpartum Depression”
In an earlier post, I discussed mindfulness for school children and explained the ground-breaking work of Goldie Hawn in providing training in mindful awareness and brain science to hundreds of thousands of teachers and children. In this post, I want to focus on mindfulness for university students and highlight the mindfulness resources that are now … Continue reading “Mindfulness for University Students”
Norman Doidge, in his book The Brain That Changes Itself, explained that early brain researchers discovered what became known as “neuroplasticity”: They showed that the brain changed its very structure with each activity it performed, perfecting its circuits so it was better suited to the task at hand. If certain “parts” failed, then other parts … Continue reading “Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity”
Amanda Sinclair, in her book Leading Mindfully, cautions against the endless chase of authenticity or of the holy grail of authentic leadership. In the first place, Amanda notes that “authenticity” is not a personal attribute or characteristic; it is an attribution by others. People may deem you to be an authentic leader by your words … Continue reading “Leading Mindfully: Stop Chasing Authenticity”
People who experience loneliness as a constant state are prone to all kinds of issues such as disinterest, disengagement and depression as well as physical illness. The feeling of loneliness is a serious issue today, not only for older people but also the young, including school children. People can feel lonely even in a crowd … Continue reading “Savor The Space Of Being Alone”
Recently, I was watching some video presentations and podcasts on mindfulness, including a number available on YouTube. I passed over a number of offerings for one reason or another. However, in a conversation with myself about overlooking one presentation, I was suprised to realise that my decision was impacted by my unconscious bias. I was ashamed … Continue reading “Conversations with Ourselves Can Remove Blockages to Learning and Performance”
Jon Kabat-Zinn maintains that we spend so much time removed from ourselves through thinking, that we need to “dial up ourselves” occasionally. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche suggests that the art of conversation begins with having an honest conversation with ourselves on a regular basis. Sakyong is the author of a number of books, including, The Lost Art of Conversation: … Continue reading “Conversation with Ourselves”
In her presentation for the Mindfulness & Meditation Summit, Kelly McGonigal discussed The Neuroscience of Compassion. Kelly is the author of The Science of Compassion and The Upside of Stress. Kelly maintains that for compassion to be realised and sustained, the following six conditions must be present: awareness and recognition of suffering feeling of concern for, … Continue reading “Compassion and Neuroscience”
