Underlying rising temperatures and climate emergencies lies a quieter rupture: our growing disconnection from the living systems that sustain us. Earth awareness practices—contemplative practices that cultivate a lived sense of interconnection with the natural world—offer promise for rekindling the reciprocal relationship between humans and the Earth. Yet without a stronger evidence base, their potential to …
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A New Chapter for the Mind & Life Podcast
Since its launch in April 2020, the Mind & Life podcast has been a space for deep inquiry—where rigorous science meets lived wisdom, and where fundamental questions about the mind, human experience, and our shared humanity can unfold across many lenses. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, anthropology, and first-person experience, the show has created a …
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Welcoming Tsewang Namgyal to Mind & Life’s Board of Directors
The Mind & Life Institute is pleased to welcome Tsewang Namgyal to our Board of Directors. With nearly two decades of leadership in global finance and a lifelong dedication to Tibetan contemplative traditions, Tsewang brings a rare ability to bridge ancient wisdom with the modern world. For Tsewang, joining Mind & Life’s community is deeply …
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Walking in Awareness: Indigenous Wisdom and Nature Connectedness
Ask a farmer in the Ecuadorian Andes how they know if the soil is healthy, and they might tell you they can feel it. Press further, and you may not get a rational explanation. You’ll likely hear about the humidity visible in the earth, the number of worms beneath the surface, and the smell of …
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Between Questions and Answers: Exploring Intelligence, Ethics, and AI at the 39th Mind & Life Dialogue
High on a mountain carved by winding paths, the Himalayas opened before us. It was an image so startlingly beautiful it almost felt like hands had reached out to shake me awake—an invitation to pause in wonder, to breathe, to remember the stillness we carry within but so often lose in the rush of our …
Mind & Life Institute Appoints Sona Dimidjian as Incoming Board Chair and Honors Thupten Jinpa’s Visionary Leadership
The Mind & Life Institute Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Sona Dimidjian, PhD, will become Board Chair effective January 1, 2026. A valued member of the Board for the past eight years, Sona will succeed Thupten Jinpa, PhD, whose visionary leadership and deep dedication have guided the Institute since 2011. Under Jinpa’s …
Faith and Ecology: Connecting Islamic Spiritual Practices and Nature Awareness
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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Reading and Repair: Tackling Social Division Through Contemplative Research
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 …
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Connecting with Nature’s Healing: Forest Therapy for Cancer Patients in Chile
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 …
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Why We Need Contemplative Education More Than Ever: An Unfolding at Mind & Life’s 2025 Summer Research Institute
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 …
