Deconstructing Yourself

Research has shown that mindfulness is effective at reducing pain, but the lingering question has been how does mindfulness practice achieve this? A new study from collaborators at Giessen University in Germany, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, and Massachusetts General Hospital sheds light on this process. During the practice of mindfulness, experienced meditators experienced the pain [...]

 Have you ever been so deep in a task or activity that you completely couldn’t hear somebody else talking to you? If so, you’re not alone. Scientists call this occurrence “inattentional deafness,” where people are so involved in a visual task that they involuntarily mute all sounds that might interfere with concentration. Though its sister [...]

Mindfulness may offer a way to cut down your weight. Sometimes getting a handle on things is just a matter of closely tracking what is going on. If you’re having trouble saving money, keeping a spreadsheet of all your purchases is a proven way to get your spending under control. The clarity and precision of [...]

  As you no doubt have already noticed, Deconstructing Yourself is undergoing a design change. We’re very sorry to see the Miro go, but we’re hoping that this new layout will make it easier to find all the great material we have on the site. This may take a few days to get right, so [...]

by Jessica Graham In self-help books, recovery programs, and spiritual communities there is a lot of talk about “letting go.” We are all urged to let go. But what does letting go really mean? The experience of being with my father’s dying forced me to cope with this question, and my meditation practice helped me [...]

A fascinating video about how mindfulness can help to train the brain away from depression.   

by Michael W. Taft I remember how painful boredom used to feel as a teenager. It was crushing. New television shows, movies, and music just felt like rehashings of old ones. New people reminded me of people who I already knew. Life felt like an endless rerun of the same stale old patterns, and nothing [...]

Story Source COLUMBIA, Mo. –Women recently diagnosed with breast cancer have higher survival rates than those diagnosed in previous decades, according to the American Cancer Society. However, survivors continue to face health challenges after their treatments end. Previous research reports as many as 50 percent of breast cancer survivors are depressed. Now, University of Missouri [...]