The Surprising Link BetweenBrain Science and Strong, Healthy RelationshipsAmy Banks, with Leigh Ann Hirschman • Tarcher PerigeeRelationships happen between individu- als, but also between neural pathways in your brain. Left unchecked, old habits and thinking patterns affect the way you inter- act with your closest friends and partners. Using a system called “C.A.R.E.” that identifies various brain regions, Banks offers a way to investigate those patterns and lay down new tracks that support healthier, happier relationships. GRATITUDE Oliver Sacks • KnopfFew people can claim to have changed the way large numbers of people think about themselves and their fellow humans. Neurologist Oliver Sacks did so repeatedly. By bringing a child’s curiosity to brains that veered from the “norm,” he asked us to think of them not as defective but as unique worlds of per- ception. This tiny book of four essays, written as he faced death, overflows with joy. It is we who must be grateful. SELF-COMPASSION IN PSYCHOTHERAPY Mindfulness-Based Practices for Healing and TransformationTim Desmond • W.W. Norton Self-criticism is pervasive, and harmful. “Researchers have that found self-criti- cism is one of the biggest predictors of serious mental health problems,” writes Tim Desmond. “Relating with kindness,” as Desmond puts it, helps us shift gears. Desmond’s book integrates self-com- passion practices into therapy—for cli- ents and therapists. The book explores the science behind self-compassion and its clinical applications. WHY CAN’T I MEDITATE? How to Get Your Mindfulness Practice Back on TrackNigel Wellings • Tarcher PenguinEven long-time meditators can carry a lot of resistance to actually meditating. Wellings, a psychotherapist and mind- fulness teacher, unpacks this conun- drum in all its many dimensions, offering practical advice about both the simple and deep-seated obstacles that can keep us from doing something we know is good for us and those around us.

read more

Mindful Staff July 22, 2020

Mindful Staff May 26, 2020

Mindful Staff June 23, 2020