2/26/2020
I found myself chuckling as I read this prologue in my mindfulness exercise last week. I’m a teacher of MBSR, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and I teach awareness. However, my life gets filled up with professional duties and personal responsibilities. During these times, I can find myself reacting more when operating in the fast lane, rather than showing up, pausing, and being present. Days can turn into weeks, weeks into months and before I know it, 6 months to a year have gone by. I wonder, where did the time go? When I think back over these months, I can’t tell you what I did most of that time. I can tell you what I didn’t do. I didn’t write that thank you note. I didn’t make the effort to get together with friends. I didn’t get that garden planted, visit my brother, or plan to go barn dancing or play music. I also know this can be a sign of “burnout”.
2/26/2020
Save the Dates May 12 and 13 Noted author, psychologist and meditation teacher Rick Hanson will be visiting the University of Virginia on May 12 and 13. He will be…
2/25/2020
Mindfulness training improves post-operative pain and function in patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery. Individuals with underlying psychological distress are at greater risk of increased pain and decreased function after…
1/29/2020
Jordy Yager of the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center will present “Examining Equity Through History,” an examination of the racialized historic landscape of the Charlottesville area. Mr. Yager and…
1/29/2020
Changes in Mindfulness and Post traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Veterans Enrolled in Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Healthcare System and the University of Washington…
1/29/2020
Almost all of us have suffered trauma during our lives—that is, a time or times when we were unable to effectively meet a threat, whether physical and/or emotional, and were not supported by others. Sometimes such experiences result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PTSD include the fight, flight or freeze responses in which a person reacts to a situation reminiscent of the original traumatic event by leaving, shouting, or going numb. Often, however, trauma results in symptoms that are not as severe, such as an increase in anxiety when one returns to the site of a near-serious accident. The complex relationship between trauma and mindfulness has become better understood over the last several years. Mindfulness can be helpful in dealing with trauma. The practice of mindfulness can increase awareness of the effects of trauma and may lead to the recognition of additional choices in how to respond effectively.
Tong-len Workshop with Pamela Gayle White
12/16/2019
Saturday, January 25, 9am-12pm McLeod 2010 The UVa Compassionate Care Initiative is offering this free workshop which is open to people of all spiritual paths and suited to beginners and…
12/16/2019
In this study, the effects of one day empathy and compassion trainings among a group of 25 volunteers were compared. A similar size control group received only memory training. The…
Stopping to Practice Compassion
12/16/2019
I’ve been talking to medical students this week about empathy and compassion before they begin their clinical rotations. One of the points I’ve made is that humans’ brains are wired so that helping others who are experiencing difficulty activates areas associated with feeling positive emotions. This contributes to why practicing compassion, being aware of another person’s suffering and having the desire to alleviate it, is protective of burnout for those in the helping professions. Another important point is understanding the difference between empathy and empathic awareness. Empathy, feeling what another person is feeling, arises spontaneously as a result of similar areas of the brain being stimulated whether we are experiencing an emotion ourselves or witnessing someone else who is experiencing it. Empathic awareness, being aware of the feelings we are experiencing in the presence of another, is different than empathy.
Psychological Mechanisms Driving Stress Resilience in Mindfulness Training
11/19/2019
Many mindfulness-based interventions include two principal components, both monitoring present moment experience and cultivating an attitude of acceptance and equanimity. In this study, the investigators evaluated the effects of a…