This briefing covers the mind, body, and soul from a few excerpts and articles I came across that are worth sharing. On a personal note I am currently at the tail end of a spiritual retreat filled with yoga, meditation, and reflection in South East Asia starting with Ubud in Bali and ending in a mountainside resort in the Kamala district of Phuket, Thailand. During this trip, I focused on relaxing my mind and driving out negativity from my thought process. Though I have not found all the answers during this short week-long retreat, I believe I have found some tools that I plan on applying in 2020. The important thing about the mind, body and soul is that progress is slow and can be fickle so one has to maintain focus and understand that change will happen gradually. The most memorable moment for me during the whole trip was when I was having lunch at the restaurant in Blue Karma resort in Ubud and it started to rain. The rain slowly grew with intensity, crashing against the leaves of palm trees coupled with bouts of thunder. I sat there for more than an hour just watching and listening to the rain as it cradled me into a state of trance. Such was the connection with nature I had traveled so far to experience. So there, while most holiday makers dread the idea of rain, for me it was a blessing in disguise.
Excerpts from noteworthy sources:
Will Meditation help you become a better leader? The Chief Science Officer, Dr. Megan Jones Bell, of the popular meditation app, Head Space, thinks yes. Headspace conducted a study of circa 1,300 participants with the College of Policing in the United Kingdom and found that meditation is associated with improved job performance, increased well-being and resilience. Meditation doesn’t provide immediate answers but helps leaders manage challenges with greater authenticity without the stress spilling out on others. “You can more easily toggle between putting out the fire of the moment and the bigger picture,” says Jones. “That dual focus is really important for a leader, and to guide the team, help people through the day-to-day challenges while anchoring to that bigger goal.” In addition “when we’re better able to notice our thoughts to kind of quiet the mind, we can create the right conditions for creativity to happen” Jones adds (Forbes by Bryan Collins).
Mounting evidence has found that aerobic exercise can boost brain health but is that sufficient? One of the ways that physical activity leads to birth of new neurons and increased connection of existing neurons is by helping increase production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes neuron growth. “Cognitively engaged exercise may augment neuroplasticity by exploiting physiological pathways between the body and the brain that were forged in our hunter-gatherer forbearers, who had to multitask to find food”. In our modern society, we do not need to find food for survival by engaging in aerobic exercise. The cognitive declines that commonly occur during aging may be partly related to our sedentary habits but simply exercising more may not yield the full potential of keeping the brain decay at bay – exercise that is cognitively stimulating may benefit the brain more than exercise that does not make such cognitive demands. So its time to rethink of your exercise routines (Scientific American by Raichlen, and Alexander).
Meditation has experienced a rapid ascent in popularity in America. The push toward ancient practices of meditation has attracted app developers and investors alike. Wave, a guided meditation app that mirrors the Peloton model of subscription and hardware, secured $5 million in funding. Wave’s close competitor, Calm, secured a staggering $27 million, catapulting its valuation to over $1 billion. Calm also launched bedtime stories featuring Mathew McConaughey, alright alright alright! The rising levels of anxiety and stress will further promote a push toward greater mindfulness and meditation (Skift by Leslie Barrie).
Getaway is the first alcohol-free bar in Brooklyn New York that serves non-alcoholic beer, wine, and cocktails. Sans Bar is another establishment in Austin Texas, that aims to take the stigma out of living sober by creating a fun space. Sleep-based products are expected to grow to a $101 billion business by 2023 and in 2020 food-based solutions are expected to grow to address that market. Chamomile, lavender, turmeric, and dark chocolate based products are some alternatives to melatonin. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods experienced explosive growth by riding the wave of ethically raised meat that is better for the planet. Scandinavian company, Halsa (meaning health), launched an organic ‘oatgurt’ adding to the litany of plant-based yogurt products. Fruit flour and powders are facilitating access to exotic fruits such as the anti-inflammatory pomegranate during off-season (Today by Frances Largeman-Roth).
Where does consciousness come from? Coined the “hard problem”, one thinker believes consciousness does not come from the brain and is in fact the basis of all reality and the brain simply filters or restricts consciousness. Mark Gober summarizes the evidence for consciousness beyond the brain by examining phenomenon such as telepathy, precognition, mediumship, and children with memories of previous lives. “When we acknowledge the substantial limitations of our senses and brainpower, a radical humility arises: there is so much in existence that we don’t perceive and couldn’t possibly comprehend”. Gober sits on the Board of Directors at the Institute of Noetic Science (IONS) which is one of the few groups in the world to scientifically study phenomenon such as mind-matter interactions, energy healing, and telepathic communications. IONS even got the attention of mystery writer Dan Brown who referenced it in his controversial book, the Da Vinci Code. “The biggest problem in the world today is a misunderstanding of reality. There is a prevailing view that we are all finite beings who die when the body dies and who are separate from one another”. That view is now being challenged by emerging science which points to the idea that we are interconnected and if we were to internalize that idea as a society, many of the negative behaviors we see would no longer make sense (Thrive Global by Claudia Navone).
References: Forbes, Scientific America, Skift, Today, and Thrive Global. Please note that this briefing contains paraphrased summaries and attributes the original content to the news sources. We encourage readers to visit the links to access the full article in its original form for a thorough and complete view. You may need to subscribe to the news agency and source for access.