Key to happiness - cultivate our capacity for kindness!

I am a big fan of Krista Tippet and her National Public Radio program Being (formerly called “Speaking of Faith”). Krista interviews a wide range of experts on topics ranging from religion, spirituality, human brain and learning.   In a recent interview, Krista talked with Sylvia Boorstein – a professional psychotherapist (who combines her professional knowledge with the compassion of a spiritual teacher and the wisdom of a grandmother!).  Boorstein indicates that the secret to happiness lies in cultivating our capacity to connect with kindness with ourselves, family, friends . . . and even with people who may not like.

If you would like to learn more, check out her book “Happiness is an inside job”. I love that book for its simplicity and power of its message.

I recently tried the following set of phrases in a meditation group and many of the participants found it to be very effective to relaxing them. You can try its effectiveness on you by reading these phrases aloud or writing it in your journal multiple times:

• May I be happy and peaceful
• May I be free from fear and suffering
• May I live with love and compassion
• May I fully awaken and be free

(You can repeat the phrases above with a blessing to people around you – May you be happy and peaceful . . . )

(You can repeat the phrase above with a blessing to all being – May all beings be happy and peaceful . . .)

References:

Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life (Hardcover)  Published December 4th 2007 by Ballantine Books

You can find the interview with Sylvia Boorstein here

http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2012/what-we-nurture/

Check out the 7 min video on Loving Kindness Meditation here

http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2012/what-we-nurture/video_lovingkindness-meditation.shtml

Mindfulness Meditation may help MS patients cope with fatigue, depression and anxiety

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease, where nerves (brain, spinal cord and optic nerves) are attacked and the patient may often be disabled. I have close friends who suffer from this disease and I raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society through Illinois MS Bike ride. http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sudesh2012.

I came across two interesting research projects – in Cleveland Clinic and in Switzerland. Researchers in University Hospital Basel (Switzerland) studied about 150 people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis. They assessed two groups – one control and one study group who additionally took part in eight-weeks mindfulness meditation training course (2.5 hours/week + all day retreat + 40 minutes daily – homework assignments). At the start of the study - about 65% of participants in the meditation group had serious levels of depression, fatigue, or anxiety. The patients in the meditation group reported reduced fatigue, depression, and anxiety as also improvements in overall quality of life, compared to the control group, who received the usual routine medical regimen. The positive effects of the training, lasted for at least six months, as reported by the Researchers.

Check out this fascinating blog article about the work being done at Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Jinny Tavee and her team (assisted by mother – a Buddhist monk Venerable Kong Dow). The work at Cleveland Clinic also appears to show that meditation practice appears to reduce pain and improve quality of life measures among MS patients.http://blog.cleveland.com/health/2009/03/medical_community_explores_med.html
- Videos and article about Jinny Tavee, her mother and other details of meditation for MS patients.

Do you know anyone who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis? Ask them to check with your physician/ hospital and see if meditation/mindfulness practices are an option for them.
References
Effects of meditation on pain and quality of life in multiple sclerosis and polyneuropathy: a controlled study J Tavee, M Rensel, S Pope Planchon… - Neurology, 2010
MS quality of life, depression, and fatigue improve after mindfulness trainingP Grossman, L Kappos, H Gensicke, M D'Souza… - Neurology, 2010

http://www.mscare.org/cmsc/images/journal/pdf/IJMSC_Winter_11_final_effects-of-meditation.pdf

Keep checking this blog. I will keep posting any research updates I get on this fascinating topic.