The following reflection by no means captures the totality of knowledge, wisdom, and relational experiences shared during Mind & Life’s 2023 Summer Research Institute (SRI) held from June 4-10. Rather, it is a reflection of what precipitated through the associative web of my thoughts and emotions during SRI this year. Precipitation in Chinese, my mother …
Perspective Type Archives:
Bridging Contemplative Practice and Climate Action: One Community’s Experience
If climate change, as many now assert, is a crisis of epic disconnection, then how do we go about rekindling our relationship with one another and the natural world? And what role can contemplative practice play in relieving climate grief, inspiring climate action, and reminding us of the interdependence of all life? A group of …
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Mind & Life’s New Digital Library and the Lost Art of Dialogue
The Dalai Lama has long implored humans to move beyond conflict and wars, calling for the 21st century to be one of dialogue. Twenty-three years into the century, it’s clear we have a long way to go. Violent conflict continues to be a defining characteristic of our age. What’s more, the digital media landscape has …
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An Unwavering Commitment to Compassion
At the Mind & Life Institute, we are saddened and dismayed by the allegations of impropriety that emerged from a viral video of our co-founder, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As many of you have seen, the issue concerns an exchange between the Dalai Lama and a young boy at an event honoring students at …
Combining Mindfulness Training with Climate Education: One Researcher’s Journey
In recent years, California has become ground zero for climate-related natural disasters in the U.S. from out-of-control wildfires and violent flooding to devastating drought. To equip students with the knowledge to better understand—and take action—in the face of climate change, the University of California (UC) launched a multidisciplinary curriculum, Bending the Curve, in 2017. The …
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Ed Taylor Honored with 2022 Mind & Life Service Award
For Ed Taylor, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington, being of service is not just an add on to a distinguished academic career but is integral to what constitutes a meaningful life. For over three decades, he has performed dozens of volunteer roles as a dedicated board member …
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Finding Meaning in Challenging Times: New Mind & Life Strategy Aims to Engage and Support Young Adults
I joined the Mind & Life Institute team in my early twenties as an intern. It was 2019 and I’d just spent two years traveling, working, and searching for my life’s purpose as a recent college graduate. A childhood of curiosity and awe for the natural world led me to study the sciences, and my …
In Your Dreams: One Mind & Life Grantee Has Big Hopes for Exploring the Past and Future of Tibetan Dream Yoga
Humans spend at least two hours a night dreaming. That’s more than seven hundred hours a year, and six years spent dreaming in a lifetime. While we all have our own struggles and patterns of successful sleep, dreams are a unifying factor of humanity. Whether you’re riding the subway to work, standing in line for …
How Mindfulness Helps Us to Build Meaningful Social Connections
The article below by Polina Beloborodova was recognized with an honorable mention by the Mind & Life Institute for its 2022 Award for Public Communication of Contemplative Research. Early last summer, I was in a Zoom room with a dozen people, who had enrolled in my workshop, “Here, now, and together: How mindfulness helps us …
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Happiness Education in India: Two Researchers Set out to Ask What Students and Teachers Think
Imagine students in nursery school through Grade 8 developing the skills to cultivate greater happiness in life—from the inside out. In daily half-hour happiness classes, students learn from teachers and engage in games, storytelling, guided mindfulness practices, and role-playing. Each is encouraged to reflect on their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and how these impact their …
