Our brains have evolved powerful tools for coping with threats and danger—but in the face of modern stresses like information overload, money worries, and interpersonal conflicts, our survival reflexes can do more harm than good. To help you adapt your nervous system...

We spend a lot of time giving to others. It’s the most natural thing in the world. Most giving is small, in passing, hardly noticed, the breath and wallpaper of life. It’s not hard to overlook. And with all the attention paid in the media to images and words of...

At this year's Empathy and Compassion in Society Conference I offered a keynote presentation on Feeling Loved. I hope you like it!

"How do I develop an inner protector?" "You’ve said that love and compassion can combat anxiety. How do they do that—and how can we access those feelings more readily, particularly when we feel threatened?" "Once an uncomfortable pattern has developed, bad...

Ira Glass Speaking on being creative and why it takes so long to reach the level you will finally achieve.

This is the first post in the series on developing mindful presence. Let’s unpack those two words, mindful presence. Mindfulness is simply a clear, non-judgmental awareness of your inner and outer worlds. In particular, it’s an awareness of the flow of experience in...

The specific meaning of “dana” is giving, which is related to the quality of “caga” (in Pali), or generosity. The one involves doing, while the other involves being. While this distinction is useful in its comprehensiveness, in actuality generosity and giving, being...