Category: Mindfulness

The Oracle of Oyster River

Dr. Dean

(Hakai Magazine)

The old logging road near the Oyster River was made to haul away timber when the land was logged back in 1931. Today, it is surrounded by rainforest towering up to 38 meters high. The hermit-priest still at work here is older than all of these trees. Recently, Brandt enlisted the help of the Comox Valley Land Trust to help him save this forest as a place where people can come to commune with the natural world. He has also established the Hermitage Advisory Committee to ensure that Merton House remains a refuge for another hermit, contemplatives from other religious traditions, writers, naturalists, or others in need of solitude for their work.

This guy puts the “Awe” in “Awesome!”

Rewilding the American Child​​

Dr. Dean

(Outside)

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Children are much more likely to enjoy outdoor activities—and stick with them—if they start out at the right moment in their physical and cognitive development.

This months Outside contains more than a dozen articles about”Rewilding the American Child” but that is not what this site is about. It’s about cataloging and sharing good resources. It’s definitely not about click​ bate. I have not read through all of these articles yet. As I do I will be adding links below. My addition of a link only means I have read it and it has something​ to offer to my larger project. ALL of the articles are available​ here.

Finding silence online is difficult, but the pursuit is worthwhile

Dr. Dean

(The Verge)

What silence looks like online is hard to describe, because it’s necessarily individual: I have a different threshold than you, for example, for dealing with Twitter trolls or rogue Instagram commenters. But I do think there are a few rules. First, quiet is found in considered spaces — think @everycolorbot or #cloudtwitter. Second, if silence is found through listening, then peaceful places online are more generative (like Glitch or Codecademy, or one of my favorites, Twine) and, generally, focused on maintaining small, healthy communities (like Metafilter). Silence pools like the tides. It’s hard to find at high tide, and immediately obvious where the pools are when the tide are out.

True silence​ online​ can only be found at Zombocom

How Compassion Can Make You More Successful

Dr. Dean

(Knowledge @ Wharton)

You don’t have to be a jerk to get ahead — in business and in life, according to David DeSteno, a Northeastern University psychology professor. Instead, positive emotions lead to bigger wins. He spoke with Knowledge@Wharton about this concept, which he wrote about in his book — Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride.

Podcast and Transcript at the source above.

 

Study suggests meditating can prevent age-related mental decline

Dr. Dean

(Salon)

In a recent and notable study, “Cognitive Aging and Long-Term Maintenance of Attentional Improvements Following Meditation Training” published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, researchers found more evidence to suggest that meditating has the potential to prevent age-related mental decline and increase one’s attention span. The study is the most extensive longitudinal study to date, according to researchers, and examines how meditation increases a person’s ability to focus–especially later in life, so as long as the meditation practice continues. (source)