Inspiration and Information

#RUBreathing?  Check out the relationship between breath cycles and behavior: Alertness, anxiety and panic are linked to accelerated or erratic breathing, while relaxation and calm are associated with slow, controlled respiration.  Thanks @Grace Bullock!

More empirical data on the benefits of connecting with nature….  Guess that explains the bird feeders outside my office window and my growing love of contemplative photography.  Want more?  Check out my personal nature savoring moments under Suzisit on Instagram.

Forgiveness as a Leadership Trait that Unites and Stabilizes? Yes!

Whether it’s called unconscious bias, implicit bias, or “gut instinct,” bias influences the way every one of us sees and treats other people every day.  Mindfulness practices build awareness and can help us get past minimizing differences to accepting, adapting to, and integrating differences into our life and worldview.

Check the connection between mindful breathing and leadership excellence in this video from the Mindful Leadership Summit. The Breath: The Secret Enabler for Agile Leadership, Connection and Happiness.

Yoga and meditation as the foundation for a  “trauma informed” approach to wellbeing, this practice is equally valid for other professions at risk for secondary trauma.   “Social workers are often over-scheduled, underpaid, exposed to traumatic stories and are therefore at risk of burnout and secondary trauma,” 

Insomnia breath intervention from Andrew Weil.  Tried this one and liked it almost as much as my own “Wave” practice of extended exhalation.

Dreaming of a holiday retreat but can’t quite get away?  Enjoy these audio practices from 5 of the country’s top retreat centers and get the best of the best at home!

Give and feel good!  New research shows that generosity changes the activity in people’s brains, increasing feelings of happiness even if the generous act is small or only imagined.

Different types of meditation have different effects on the brain.  More great research on the social, cognitive and behavioral effects of meditation from @Grace Bullock!