As a Mind & Life Fellow who received the Francisco J. Varela Research Grant in 2007 and the Mind & Life 1440 grant in 2013, Dr. Eric Garland has gone on to become the developer of an innovative, multimodal mindfulness-based intervention founded on insights derived from cognitive, affective and neurobiological science, called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement …
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ISCS 2016 marks coming of age for Mind & Life
For those who recently attended Mind & Life’s International Symposium for Contemplative Studies (ISCS) in San Diego, the experience provided an unusually intimate and affirming sense of connection and possibility — amid 1200 attendees. This was partly due to its timing, immediately following the presidential election, which prompted some of the speakers and panelists to …
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“Prayer is action”: Contemplative practice and social justice in Standing Rock, ND
On my first morning at Standing Rock, after a cold sleep punctuated by the sound of a helicopter in the night sky, a camp leader addressed newly arrived people in these words: “I see many of you who are new to camp walking around looking for action. Let me remind you that prayer is action.” …
The Mind & Life community remembers Cathy Kerr
Consider the amazing life of Catherine Kerr, who began her career as an historian, was retrained as a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School, and went on to present scientific research on neurophysiology to the Dalai Lama. For those who knew Cathy, this capacity for transformation through focused purpose was just one of her remarkable qualities. …
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A Call for More Compassionate, Equitable Education
What’s Equity Got to Do With It? Recently I presented at a workshop for educators interested in the science of social and emotional learning (SEL) and prosocial education. After leading a half-day session on cultivating compassion, in which I also highlighted common blocks and obstacles — like stereotype, bias, prejudice and racism — to cultivating …
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Community and Conversations on Context in Contemplative Studies
The Mind & Life Summer Research Institute at Garrison The Mind & Life Institute continues the tradition of hosting its signature program, the annual Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (MLSRI) at the Garrison Institute every year in mid-June. Over the course of a week, a community coalesces. In a rich and intimate retreat-like setting, …
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President’s Message: New Vision and Priorities
During my first few months as president of the Mind & Life Institute, I have spoken with many members of our community. I am inspired to see how you care about Mind & Life and want to be involved in our ongoing efforts to foster individual and societal flourishing through thoughtful interdisciplinary conversations, research, and …
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Mindfulness and Racial Bias: Resources For Deeper Understanding
In early December 2015, Mind & Life was honored to host a live chat with MLI Fellow and Law Professor Rhonda Magee that explored the following theme: Many who examine the growth of the field of contemplative practice see it as coming only from straight, middle-class whites and corporate America. How might we work to …
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Developing Measures of Compassion, Empathy, Care, and Kindness
As contemplative approaches are being applied in educational settings with increasing frequency, early studies using self-report and academic outcomes suggest that these programs hold promise for the well-being of both teachers and students. However, the field currently lacks empirically rigorous measures to evaluate important real-world behavior and psychological change due to the cultivation of compassion, …
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The contemplative path: How do we learn?
In my own experience with meditation, I’ve often wondered about the difference between reading a thoughtful analysis or set of instructions, listening to an inspiring teacher, and sitting on the cushion to practice. These varied activities represent different ways of integrating information into our minds and bodies—in short, different ways of learning. Is one mode …
