Mind & Life periodically invites guest writers to contribute to the blog. Below, Sevim Kalyoncu, Executive Director of Green Muslims, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, shares work her organization is doing to connect Islamic spiritual practices to the environment with the support of a Mind & Life Contemplative Changemaking grant. Growing up Muslim in Alabama, surrounded …
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In 2024, booksellers in the United States saw the first annual increase of print book sales in three years. It was a reminder that even in our increasingly digital age, books remain a powerful, and popular, force—not just for entertainment, but for personal growth. Social psychologist Rémi Thériault of New York University isn’t surprised by …
Continue reading “Reading and Repair: Tackling Social Division Through Contemplative Research”
Mind & Life periodically invites guest writers to contribute to the blog. In this post, a Mind & Life Contemplative Changemaking grantee shares her experiences and insights gleaned through the grant. In 2018, I was diagnosed with cancer. From then on, I chose to complement my medical treatments with a deep connection to nature and …
Continue reading “Connecting with Nature’s Healing: Forest Therapy for Cancer Patients in Chile”
Mind & Life periodically invites guest writers to contribute to the blog as a way of deepening dialogue and understanding around key themes related to our mission. In this post, a participant at our 2025 Summer Research Institute reflects on her experience. I have performance anxiety. I thrive in groups of two—me and one other …
Today, it is with great joy that we celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. This milestone invites us to reflect on an extraordinary life of compassion, wisdom, and enduring curiosity in exploring profound questions about what it means to be human and our responsibility to the planet and all lifeforms that share this …
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For nearly four decades, the Mind & Life Institute has illuminated the dazzling potential of the human mind to foster inner transformation and catalyze lasting, positive change in the world. Inspired by the vision of our co-founders—His Holiness the Dalai Lama, neuroscientist Francisco Varela, and social entrepreneur Adam Engle—we forged the now-thriving field of contemplative …
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In the face of mounting climate crises, a growing number of contemplative researchers are exploring the connection between mindfulness practices and our relationship with the natural world. While writers, mystics, and sages have long described moments of profound connection with nature, less is known about how to cultivate such experiences and their impact, not only …
Contemplative research is a field bridging academic inquiry with contemplative wisdom traditions to explore the nature of the mind, human flourishing, and the potential for personal and societal transformation. Rooted in disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, contemplative research investigates the roots and contexts of contemplative traditions, and examines the effects of …
February 24 marks the grim three-year anniversary of the Ukraine War. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country, more than a million people have been killed or wounded on both sides. The conflict has devastated critical infrastructure and shattered livelihoods, precipitating an environmental crisis that will take decades to remediate. Those working to serve their …
Continue reading “Cultivating Resilience: The Power of Mindfulness Training in War-Torn Ukraine”
The Mind & Life Institute is pleased to welcome Michael Potts to our Board of Directors. With decades of leadership experience spanning the technology and nonprofit sectors, Michael brings a thoughtful approach to strategy and a long-standing dedication to the power of contemplative practice. For Michael, joining the Mind & Life Board feels like a …
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