A Mindful Life

Panic disorder is an incredibly intrusive ailment that can up-end one’s life. A recent study suggests it may result from abnormalities in the brain. From Panic Spells Are Traced to Chemical in the Brain:

People with panic disorder, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health, have drastic reductions of a type of [...]

From the NY Times article, Often, Time Beats Therapy for Treating Grief:

A major new “Report on Bereavement and Grief Research” prepared by the Center for the Advancement of Health concluded, “A growing body of evidence indicates that interventions with adults who are not experiencing complicated grief cannot be regarded as beneficial in terms of diminishing [...]

Man experiences heaven when conscious of his soul; he experiences the earth when conscious of his body. Man experiences that plane which is between heaven and earth when he is conscious of his mind.
–Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan, A Meditation Theme for Each Day;
selected and arranged by Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan

Love doesn’t come with a contract
You give me this I gave you that
It’s scary business
Your heart and soul is on the line
–Radney Foster, I’m In

Yesterday I heard this song for the first time in awhile, and it made me happy. It’s the kind of song that champions life. Sure, engaging love is scary. [...]

This year marks my tenth year living in Austin. I’m from upstate New York, a fairly agricultural area with small cities, towns, and farms dotting the lush green land. Unfortunately, it is also a location of economic depression as businesses move south. I left my hometown seeking a better economy, more sunshine, [...]

A gloomy, quiet, rainy afternoon. I sit
at my kitchen table, kept company by three cats,
each sleeping on a kitchen chair. One snores.
From another I hear moist noises as
she meticulously bathes herself.
Gazing outside at the Live Oaks, I witness
trees embrace a weeping sky, unable to catch
it all. Sorrow covers the earth. Does God weep?
A lit vanilla [...]

Yet another juicy title! From a review written in The New York Times:

Freud and Jung represent the twin therapeutic impulses of the modern age: neurotic self-scrutiny versus New Age spiritual redemption. Freud, the essential Enlightenment figure, meant for psychoanalysis to free man from the elements (the unconscious, superstition) that deprived him of autonomy. Jung, [...]

Social scientist David Allyn recently published a book about embarrassment: I Can’t Believe I Just Did That: How (Seemingly) Small Moments of Shame and Embarrassment Can Wreak Havoc in Your Life-And What You Can Do to Put a Stop to Them.
The New York Times featured Dr. Allyn’s work:

In a culture overpopulated with attention grabbers, [...]

I’ve often wondered what doctors tell pregnant women who take medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, or other illnesses that are potentially life threatening if left untreated by medication.
From Dealing With Depression and the Perils of Pregnancy:

About 75 to 80 percent of women who go off antidepressants will relapse during the pregnancy, said [...]

The New York Times published an article exploring the problem of insomnia and medications used to treat it. Apparently two new drugs will be released for prescription in the near future.

Estimates of the number of people with insomnia vary widely. About 40 percent of adult Americans have at least occasional trouble sleeping, [...]