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…
Another Mindfulness for Health System Employees Course Has Finished
11/19/2019
The fourth Mindfulness for Health System Employees course finished last week. These eight-week classes are supported by the UVa Be Wise program. They are open to anyone who works in…
Thanksgiving and President Lincoln
11/19/2019
Thanksgiving will once again be here soon. It is a time that promotes pausing to take stock of those things we appreciate and are grateful for. Like many people, I learned the origin story of the pilgrims’ Thanksgiving in grade school. However, I only recently discovered that Thanksgiving was not established as a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln did so in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War. Even in that time of hardship and sacrifice for many, Lincoln believed there were reasons to give thanks, and he also acknowledged “all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged”
10/28/2019
Medical Center Hour: The Moore Lecture of the School of Medicine Co-presented by the Center for Health Humanities and Ethics, Center for Contemplative Sciences, Compassionate Care Initiative, Center for Appreciative…
10/28/2019
Mindfulness Fosters Professional Quality of Life and Mindful Attention among Emergency Medical Technicians Healthcare workers often are exposed to psychologically intense and physically exhausting stimuli during their work that can…
10/28/2019
All of us have certain things that tend to trigger strong emotional reactions like anger. When they occur, we often externalize their causes. If feeling a lack of respect from others is a trigger, we can be quick to rationalize our reaction as being justified because other people “should” be respectful. If we just feel that respect for others is a desirable but not necessary quality, we might note its absence, yet might not be triggered by it. Someone else might not be angered by lack of respect, but would be by perceiving someone else as lazy. These strong reactions often feel natural and justified, and we may not question them. They are our reality, like the water in this David Foster Wallace story: “There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says ‘Morning boys. How’s the water?’ And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes ‘What the hell is water?’...
