Meditators Have More Willpower and Self-Control, Study Shows

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People who practice meditation regularly are better at tasks requiring self-control because they are open to their own emotions, according to new research from the University of Toronto, Futurity.com reported.

“These results suggest that willpower or self-control may be sharpest in people who are sensitive and open to their own emotional experiences. Willpower, in other words, may relate to ‘emotional intelligence,’” Michael Inzlicht, associate professor of psychology at the University Toronto said in the report.

In a paper scheduled for publication in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, the researchers looked at Error Related Negativity (ERN), which is an electrical signal that shows up in the brain within 100 ms of an error being committed, well before the conscious mind is aware of the error, the report stated.

“It’s kind of like an ‘uh-oh’ response, or cortical alarm bell,” Rimma Teper, co-author of the paper and PhD student said.

For the study, participants were asked about experience mediating and took a test to measure how mindful they were of the present moment, and how aware and accepting they were of their emotions. They were hooked up to an electroencephalograph and given a Stroop test, which shows them the word “red” spelled in green letters, and asked to say the color of the letters. This requires them to suppress the tendency to read the word, and instead concentrate on the actual colors, the report stated.

Meditators were not only generally better at the test than non-meditators, but also had stronger ERN responses. Also, those who did the best on the test were those who scored higher on emotional acceptance.

According to the study, the ERN may have a motivational or affective component, meaning it gives a bad feeling about failing a task, motivating someone to do better. Because meditators are more in tune with their emotions, they may pick up on this feeling more quickly and improve their behavior, according to Teper.

“Meditators are attuned to their emotions. They’re also good at regulating their emotions. It fits well with our results.”

Comedian Russell Brand Joins Dalai Lama to Speak on Peace

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On Saturday, June 16, 2012, in Manchester, England, comedian and practitioner of transcendental meditation, Russell Brand will join Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to address thousands of young people on finding peace and purpose in their lives, Contactmusic.com reported.

Brand will serve as the master of ceremonies, and was chosen by Tibet HouseTrust officials because he turned to spirituality to beat his addictions, including drugs and alcohol.

“We are delighted to have Russell Brand as master of ceremonies for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Russell has demonstrated the power of spirituality to effect change in his own life,” the Dalai Lama’s representative for Northern Europe, Thubten Samdup, said in a statement.

“Change begins from within, from the grassroots up, one person at a time. So, in addition to meeting Presidents and Prime Ministers, His Holiness the Dalai Lama believes that it is essential to inspire ordinary citizens – especially young people – to find meaning and purpose in their lives.”

VIDEO: Hanging Around with AntiGravity Yoga

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Taking yoga to a new level, dancer, choreographer, gymnast Christopher Harrison created AntiGravity Yoga, which is catching on in a number of health clubs around the world, according to a recent Voice of America report.

Silk cloth hangs from the ceiling in the shape of a hammock to assist practitioners in the yoga poses, and while at first glance it looks strange, many who try it enjoy the practice.

“When I first saw people hanging upside down from hammocks and calling it yoga I thought they were crazy,” Marie Bice told Voice of America. “But it ended up being a lot of fun and just swinging it felt very playful. I don’t have a lot of flexibility in my back and doing this work has really helped my back with that.”

Harrison first created this form of yoga for athletes, and then modified it so it could be taught to the public in the U.S. in 2009, the report stated. Now, several countries offer the practice, including China, Indonesia, Russia and Brazil.

“I created it so even my mother can do it,” said Harrison, who explained the practice still offers the same benefits as traditional yoga. “You can expect still to be studying yoga because it is a practice of awareness, of body, mind and spirit,” he said. Each class ends in meditation, where practitioners relax in the cocoon of the cloth hammock.

Heather Blair, an AntiGravity instructor told Voice of America that hanging upside down helps the body in a way that regular yoga does not offer. “You actually have spinal decompression so when you’re upside down your vertebrae actually open up so the space in between the vertebrae opens naturally and gently,” she said. “You literally can be of any fitness level. You can have injuries. It doesn’t matter how old you are – anyone can take the class. So it’s been a huge draw for us.”

She also explained the practice is a combination of yoga, pilates, aerial arts and suspension training, “so it’s not just yoga,” she said in the report.

For more information, visit www.antigravityyoga.com.

Watch the below video of a Good Morning America report on AntiGravity Yoga:

VIDEO: Madonna Pleas for Peace at MDNA Tour Opening Night in Israel

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On the opening night of her MDNA world tour in Tel Aviv, Madonna addressed the audience, explaining there was a reason she chose to start the tour in Israel.

“As you know, the Middle East and the conflicts that occur here, and that have been occurring for thousands of years, they have to stop,” she said. “You can’t be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world.”

She spoke about peace, equality and unity, pointing out that everyone gathered at the concert, including those taking part in her show may be from different, but in essence are all the same.

“There are people from all walks of life here and even in my show. We are all on different paths, but we are all sons and daughters of the universe, and we are all human beings. And whether we are Muslim or Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Atheist, gay, straight, black, white, Asian – we are all human beings … we all bleed the same color. We all want to love and be loved.”

While it’s easy to say we want peace, “it’s another thing to do it,” she said. “If we could all rise above our egos and our titles, and the names of our countries, and the names of our religions, if we can rise above all of that and treat everyone around us, every human being with dignity and respect, then we are on the road to peace.”

She continued saying: “No matter how many laws we change, no matter how many percentages of land we give back, no matter how many talks, no matter how many wars, if we don’t treat every human being with dignity and respect, we will never have peace. So start today. Start now each and every one of you. You are the future. We are the future, and if there is peace here in the Middle East, then there can be peace in the whole world. Please remember this.”

See the whole speech in the video below taken by a fan at the concert:

Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday: Sarah Ban Breathnach

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Every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, Oprah Winfrey brings audiences a new inspirational interview on her OWN Network with the show Super Soul Sunday, and this Sunday she interviewed the New York Times best-selling author of “Simple Abundance” Sarah Ban Breathnach.

Although she sold 7 million copies of the book worldwide, the author shares with Oprah how she found herself completely broke and on her sister’s doorstep with only one suitcase and her cat.

While she had appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show nine times, and Oprah credits her for being “the reason I write in my gratitude journal to this day,” 15 years after her success she lost it all. “It took moving everything to help her find herself,” Oprah said.

She shares her experience and the lessons she learned in her book “Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity.”

“I think that I speak truth, and I speak it lovingly, and that I acknowledge my own mistakes,” Breathnach told Oprah about writing the book. “I’ve made every money mistake a woman could make personally and in business.”

Once a freelance writer living paycheck to paycheck, she wrote “Simple Abundance” about finding gratitude in every moment, and it spent more than two years on the NY Times best-seller list.

“What simple abundance did for me is to ritualize, to bring into my life on a daily basis the experience of practicing gratitude,” Oprah shared.

But one day, after 119 weeks on the NY Times list, the call that came every Wednesday to report she had made the list again … did not come.

Looking back, as wealth hit Breathnach, she realizes she was not prepared for it, and also admits she never thought it would all go away. “I really thought it would continue because I was putting out the best that I could do. I did not slack,” she told Oprah.

She now says “wild spending,” including the purchase of Isaac Newton’s Chapel as a home for her to write, bad investments and a costly divorce contributed to her downfall.

When she wrote “Simple Abundance,” she explained she was only looking to change her own life, and had no idea she would touch the lives of so many women. She took the same approach with her book “Peace & Plenty.” Her goal was to save her own life. “It was written to be a healing to myself,” she said.

Breathnach also shared how her tumultuous and emotionally abusive marriage contributed to her downfall. “He told me I was no good with money… he was very forceful and he said his background was in money, but he wasn’t earning any money… I didn’t realize it. He said he was an independent businessman.”

She admits she started to believe the “angry, vicious” things he would say to her, and she “didn’t want to admit that I had made a disastrous mistake.” Once she finally asked him why he was being so cruel, he admitted the money was gone, and she realized that was the reason he was with her.

Finally, her daughter came over and surprised her for Christmas and told her she was worried about her. She said: “Mom he is sucking the life out of you. He is not making you happy” Breathnach explained. When she responded “I don’t know how to help myself,” her daughter said, “Mom, you’ve helped millions of women. I’ll help you help yourself.”

That is how she ended up on her sister’s doorstep. “I have really learned about surrender. I have really learned that lesson now,” she said to Oprah.

So what is her greatest spiritual lesson? “Guard your heart. Watch your treasures. For what is your treasure will be your heaven on earth,” she said.

Oprah ended the interview with a the Q & A segment transcribed below:

Oprah: What is the soul?
Breathnach: The soul is the spiritual essence of who we really are.

Oprah: What is your definition of God?
Breathnach: Everything.

Oprah: What is the difference between spirituality and religion?
Breathnach: Religion says there is only one way to heaven, spirituality says choose the one that brings you joy.

Oprah: What does prayer mean to you?
Breathnach: Prayer is simply a conversation with God. Prayer is the constant conversation with God. And it is the most passionate conversation I have with anybody?

Oprah: Where do you feel most at home or at peace with yourself?
Breathnach: With my animals.

Oprah: What do you think we happens when we die?
Breathnach: I hope I get to say “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow,” – for me that is the greatest gift (Steve Jobs) has given to me personally because I thought if Steve Jobs could say “oh wow” as he is going towards heaven, then wow.

To watch clips from the interview, visit the Super Soul Sunday Web site, and tune into OWN next Sunday for Oprah’s interview with DeVon Franklin.

New Jersey Hospital Employees Institute Mindful Eating Program

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A group of employees at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., started a program where employees gather in a conference room once per week to eat together in silence, based on Buddhist meditation practices, NorthJersey.com reported.

Linda Buckley, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at the hospital, who started the program, told the newspaper it took her more than 30 minutes to finish half of her chicken salad sandwich.

“Eating quietly is a different experience. It’s really slowing down and noticing each bite. You can really be attentive to the flavors, textures and smells,” she said.

Buckley also shared the following tips on practicing mindful eating:

– Before taking the first bite, take one deep breath.

– Chew slowly. It doesn’t have to be 40 times, but remember to breathe and take your time while chewing your food.

– Practice eating in silence, with no television, music or conversation.

– What should you be thinking about? Nothing in particular. Just focus on the moment and the sensation of tasting the food.

– It takes 20 minutes until your stomach sends the message to your brain that you’re full. Eating slowly will allow you to better intuit when you’re full.

For more information, visit The Center for Mindful Eating, which offers online seminars and more.