We all think we know the story of the first Thanksgiving—the Pilgrims and Puritans who emigrated from England celebrated a bountiful harvest with the Native Americans who’d taught them how to farm essential crops. However, what’s not often mentioned is that the New England colonists didn’t just have one Thanksgiving Day—they had many! It was common practice among Pilgrims to…
Everyone does it: from the Burmese and Balinese to the Inuit and Icelanders. In the United States, almost half of us do it, making it one of the most common of our shared rituals. We give thanks for our food with prayer, with rituals and dance, before meals, after eating, and in praise of a bountiful harvest. We thank someone,…
You may have noticed I write a lot about veterans’ issues here on Rewire Me—it’s a topic I’m very passionate about. The recent statistics that demonstrate the overwhelming prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcoholism, drug addiction, unemployment, and homelessness among veterans in the United States indicate a problem with the quality and types of care they receive. Thankfully there…
It is a whisper of feeling, almost intangible. Yet it is powerful. Suddenly you are in a different space. You feel almost weightless. The air is still, your breathing is slow, but what you are experiencing is clean and clear. You have been touched by a moment of pure grace. One recent summer evening I was eating dinner with my…
By Seth Adam Smith “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal…
By Douglas LaBier, Ph.D. In a previous post I described new research showing that a sense of purpose in life is linked with greater longevity. That’s just one of an increasing number of studies that add to the recognition that we are biological-psychological-spiritual-social beings. All dimensions—internal and external—interact with each other and shape our total experience of life: our overall health, level…
In 2009 the New York Yankees were in the World Series, and I was lucky enough to attend one of their home games. While shopping for souvenirs in the gift shop I couldn’t help but notice a young man in uniform. I looked through so many items, unsure of what to buy for my son and daughter, but no matter…
Balancing spirituality and science, the lineup for last week’s FACES conference in Washington, D.C., was remarkable: Roshi Joan Halifax, Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Kristin Neff, Barbara Fredrickson, Frank Ostaseski, Christine Courtois, Tara Brach, John Briere, and Chris Germer. I was worried that mindfulness had been talked about a bit too much of late, but the speakers brought fresh insights and research to…
