This article is part of a series called Turning Points, in which writers explore what critical moments from this year might mean for the year ahead. You can read more by visiting the Turning Points series page. We prize something because it brings us joy, it is imbued with deep significance, or it transports us to a particular emotion. Perhaps […]
You can’t get to sleep. You’re tossing and turning. You want someone to read you a nice, wholesome bedtime story. And you want that someone to be the actor Jimmy Stewart. The sleep and meditation app Calm on Tuesday released a new story for premium users told by Mr. Stewart, the beloved actor who starred in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” […]
Sleepiness: Many people get sleepy when they try to meditate. This may be because our minds are simply overstimulated, or it may be because our bodies are tired and need some rest. Either way, there are skillful ways to wake ourselves up so we can engage in meditation. Straighten your posture. Open your eyes. Try walking meditation. Instead of using […]
Below is an excerpt from author JB Minton’s article about his journey learning the TM technique. You can read the original article on Medium here. I was nearly run off the road and it was my fault. I flipped the guy the finger. I looked at him across the lanes of highway traffic, looked him right in the eye, and […]
About one in four adults in the United States develop symptoms of insomnia each year. In most cases, these are short-lived, caused by things like stress or illness. But one in 10 adults are estimated to have chronic insomnia, which means difficulty falling or staying asleep at least three times a week for three months or longer. Sleep deprivation doesn’t […]
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. It was a little after 5:30 a.m., a cold dawn in June, and I was sitting on a meditation cushion in a big red barn in the Hudson Valley. A dozen other people sat with me in deep silence. Hundreds […]
There are some things we all know we’re supposed to do to feel better: drink more water, take more walks, go on fewer tequila benders. Meditation is another — research has shown it to help with everything from anxiety and depression to better sleep, lower stress levels and chronic pain relief. But if you’re new to meditating, it can be […]
Sally Kempton, who was once a rising star in the New York journalism world and a fierce exponent of radical feminism, but who later pivoted to a life of Eastern asceticism and spiritual practice, died on Monday at her home in Carmel, Calif. She was 80. Her brother David Kempton said the cause was heart failure, adding that she had […]
Marc Hamer was “the gardener,” someone who — for a portion of each day, over a career’s worth of years — knelt for hire, often pulling weeds. He knew that his employers in the big house, wine glasses in hand, would look out and see him in his posture of humility and perhaps say, “The gardener is here,” as if […]
And research suggests it’s good for your health, too. Awe can help calm the nervous system, reduce inflammation and foster a sense of community (even if you experience the emotion alone). People who took awe walks, one study found, felt more upbeat and hopeful than walkers who did not. These walks also have restorative benefits, said Dr. Keltner, who has […]
