Young minds matter

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's first ever composition - Minuet and Trio in G major - was created when he was just five years old. Those that began training at a younger age - such as Mozart - have stronger brain connections than those who picked up their instrument later in life … [Read more...] about Musicians who began training at a young age have ‘super connected’ brains compared to those who don’t play instruments, study finds

I don't know about you all, but I rarely enjoy activities I rush through. I likewise rarely produce anything of quality when I'm rushing. That's not life or happiness. Rushing through tasks stymies enjoyment, pleasure, and possibly creativity too. It also makes us even less productive. How do you feel when people try to rush an interaction with you or rush through sex with you? Have you tuned in to the look in your child's eye when they sense you're rushing through your interaction with them? Odds are, if you did, you would drop everything. Doing things slowly, mindfully, and ontologically is how the tortoise beat the hare. It seems like we haven't really learned from this fable as a capitalist, consumerist culture that places productivity above all else.  … [Read more...] about Slower Really is Faster: Mindfulness and “Habit Energy”

Illegal drug use among youngsters is double official estimates, according to research published last week by Bristol University. A third of people aged 16 to 24 admitted to using drugs including cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines last year. We’ve basically decriminalised drug use in this country by the back door. It’s the worst of both worlds — we’re in a situation where people openly smoke cannabis on the street with the police turning a blind eye, and yet no tax is paid that could offset the cost of caring for people when they experience mental health problems as a result of these drugs. I’ve spent years working in drug services and have always felt these substances are dangerous and should remain illegal. However, in recent years my view has changed slightly. Drug use is here to stay, and I think it would make much more sense to allow certain drugs to be legalised, so they are regulated and taxes are paid. What is clear is that we can’t allow … [Read more...] about DR MAX PEMBERTON: Food shops are open — mental health services should be, too

Baseball, after all, was anointed America's pastime, no matter that it imitated the worst of this country by segregating itself by race. As French American cultural essayist Jacques Barzun observed, "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." And Ruth, whom sportswriters once recalled with glee being chased naked down the aisle of a train car by an equally naked and knife-wielding woman, was as wildly representative of white masculinity on the baseball diamond as was Jeffries in the ring. … [Read more...] about Babe Ruth’s home run record a mythical monument of white superiority till Hank Aaron tore it down.

This practice consists of focusing one’s attention on the actual experience of walking. Generally, the person starts very slowly, focusing attention on sensations of the feet, the legs, and finally the entire body. This can be combined with awareness of breathing. Attention is given to the intrusion of any thoughts or emotions and returning attention to the bare sensations of movement. Transformation and change occur by using walking as a connection or bridge between periods of practice and daily life. … [Read more...] about Meditation as Medicine: It’s Not What You Think