9/4/2024
University of Virginia Compassionate Care Initiative (CCI) Learning Series Lecture with Dr. Courtney McCluney, EquiWell Partners "Making Room for Rest and Recovery in Healthcare" Tuesday, September 10, 12-1 PM McLeod…
9/4/2024
Registration is currently open for three fall Mindfulness Center courses, including Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the eight-week in-person Mindfulness for Healthcare Employees course, and the six-week virtual Introduction to Mindfulness for…
9/4/2024
Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Symptoms in Trauma-Related Disorders and Exposure to Traumatic Events Interoception is the sense of the internal state of the body. Alterations in interoception are often…
9/4/2024
The Olympics recently ended, and there were many amazing performances. One of the things that inspired me the most was Simone Biles comeback from the “twisties” that derailed her in Tokyo in 2021. Because of the sudden onset of difficulty with spatial awareness she experienced then, she only won one medal instead of the four or five that were expected. She has since spoken openly about her experience, and how she needed to address her own history of trauma in order to be able to perform at the highest level again. I think there are lessons for many of us in how she responded. When faced with obstacles that may be manifestations of our own internal issues it is often easiest to turn away or to blame factors outside our control. Rather than do this, Simone undertook difficult inner work, seeking to better understand the factors leading her to be unable to perform. She engaged a therapist for help and guidance, and has stated that she doesn’t feel she could have returned to high level competition without doing this. Sometimes it is in our mindfulness practice when we become aware that something is amiss, and it is important to understand that this can happen.
8/28/2024
The In-Person Mindfulness for Healthcare Employees Course Will Start in September An in-person eight-week Mindfulness for Healthcare Employees course will be offered starting in September. This course is held in-person…
8/28/2024
The Impact of Telehealth Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Compared to Usual Care among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and Pain These investigators evaluated the efficacy of methadone treatment as usual (usual care)…
8/28/2024
Many of us try to exercise regularly to maintain fitness and for the general health benefits. Exercise can also be a great opportunity to practice mindfulness. If we choose to do this, it is important to do it in a safe environment, like a gym or a pool, and if outside somewhere where there is not a lot of traffic or other activities that we need to be aware of. I have been running regularly for many years, and when I go on a run I practice mindfulness for a period of time, usually not the whole run, as often as I can. There is a lot that we can pay attention to while we exercise. We can notice all that is happening in the body- where we feel the exercise, and we can be aware of our breathing. If we choose to, we can notice sight. If we are exercising outside, walking, running or biking, we can notice our surroundings. We can also notice our thoughts. Are thoughts arising about how well we are doing, or how much we are enjoying the experience? Or are thoughts arising about how hard the workout is, and perhaps how much we are not enjoying it?
8/28/2024
Spring Introduction to Mindfulness for Healthcare Employees Course Ends The latest online Introduction to Mindfulness for Healthcare Employees course offered by the Mindfulness Center ended recently. Half the participants were…
8/28/2024
The Mindfulness Traits of Acceptance and Describing Are Associated with Lower Levels of Acute and Chronic Stress These investigators from Germany studied whether facets of trait mindfulness, prior to any…
8/28/2024
I was reading a column this week by Amy Dickinson (“Ask Amy”) in which she responded to a letter from a woman who was having difficulty being around her son-in-law. In the letter, the writer stated “While I am visiting, I find his behavior so unpleasant that I find excuses to retire early. Is there any way for me to understand my son-in-law’s behavior and make peace with it?” Part of Amy’s response was ”Peace” (or acceptance) is a choice”. (The Daily Progress 6/23/24). I agree with her that acceptance is a choice. Acceptance is one of the foundational attitudes that underlies mindfulness practice. In this context, it means seeing things as they actually are in the present. We can cultivate acceptance by taking each moment as it comes and being with it fully, as it is. We try not to impose our ideas about what we should be feeling or thinking or seeing on our experience but just remind ourselves to be receptive and open to whatever we are feeling, thinking, or seeing, and to accept it because it is here right now.
