Spiritual Scandals

Here's a piece on some of the crucial ingredients in spiritual scandals: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/09/cooking-a-spiritual-scandal-jeffrey-rubin/

Doing Self Better: Pitfalls of Unliveable Spiritual Ideals

Here's a post in Elephant Journal with my friends Joel Kramer and Diana Alstad on a crucial pitfall of spiritual ideals: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/08/doing-self-better-dr-jeffrey-rubin-joel-kramer-dr-diana-alstad/

Flourishing, Positive Psychology, and Torture: Is Happiness a Warm Gun?

If you have questions -- or doubts -- about Positive Psychology and the Happiness Movement you might find this interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-rubin-phd/flourishing-positive-psyc_b_1584840.html

Beauty and Flourishing

It is important that we stay connected with the beauty in the world, even as we confront the challenges: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-rubin-phd/mindfulness_b_1591901.html

It Would Be a Pity to Waste a Good Crisis

Here's a blog in Psychology Today -- It Would Be a Pity to Waste a Good Crisis -- that might be of interest: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-art-flourishing/201205/it-would-be-pity-waste-good-crisis

Ernest Callenbach's Ecotopia

My friend Jesse Kornbluth--creator of HeadButler.com-- alerted me to a fascinating post by Tom Engelhardt on Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia, a visionary novel published in 1975 that could still enlighten us today. Please take the time to read it: http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175538/ Who was he? http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/the-ecotopiast-who-glimpsed-the-future/?hp

David Foster Wallace's This is Water

Here's a link to a very thoughtful and insightful meditation by David Foster Wallace on how to flourish in a world that threatens to crush us: http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/david-foster-wallace-in-his-own-words

Review of The Science of Yoga

Here is a link to my review of William Broad's The Science of Yoga: http://www.headbutler.com/

Radio interview on The Art of Flourishing

Here is a link to an interview on The Art of Flourishing with Dr. Michael Finkelstein on businesstalkradio.net: http://sunraven.org/index.php/2012-2/

Scandals in the Yoga World

In the face of the recent round of scandals in the yoga community it is tempting to rationalize and deny what happened or vilify those involved. One of the important-- and neglected--aspects of the yogic eight limbed path is self-study (svadhyaya). Members of the yoga world would do best to explore the scandals with a spirit of curiosity about what they can learn.

Meditation and Psychoanalysis

The all-day workshop on meditation and psychoanalysis in Tucson, Arizona on March 3rd went extremely well. The audience-comprised of psychotherapists and meditators, yoga teachers and lay people-was very excited about the possibilities of cross-pollination.

Yoga and Psychoanalysis

The workshop on yoga and psychoanalysis in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday went wonderfully and the audience was very excited about the potential of each to enrich the other. I also enjoyed meeting and speaking with Frank Jude Boccio, author of Mindfulness Yoga.

Yoga and Psychoanalysis

I am giving a talk on yoga and psychoanalysis on March 1st in Tucson, Arizona. There will also be a dialogue between me and Frank Jude Boccio, the author of Mindful Yoga. The talk is sponsored by the Southwest Psychoanalytic Society.

Bringing Your Meditative Practice to Life

The audience at the Interdependence Project seemed to resonate with my talk on Bringing Meditative Practice to Life. We explored various aspects of bringing meditation into their lives including working with the body, emotions and relationships. I really enjoyed their curiosity and openness and learned some vital things.

Bringing Your Meditative Practice to Life

If you come to the talk tonight on Bringing Your [Meditative] Practice to Life please feel free to ask questions and say hello afterward. The talk is at 7 PM at the Interdependence Project: 302 Bowery, New York City; 3rd Floor (Ring Middle Buzzer) http://theidproject.org/calendar
Phone: 917.675.7151

Flourishing in Washington, DC

The people I worked with today at UDC TV in Washington, DC -- Dr. Sislena Ledbetter, Dr. Makon Fardis and Ed Jones -- were wonderful collaborators...I'll put up a link to the interview as soon as it is available.

Flourishing and the Wisdom of Aging

The workshop on The Art of Flourishing at the Longboat Key Educational Center on Sat. went very well. The audience -- who ranged in age from late sixties to late eighties -- were very thoughtful and asked great questions. It reminded me that our culture wastes a precious resource when we don't value the potential wisdom of aging. We need to seek out opportunities to support, draw on, and nourish this.

Talk on The Art of Flourishing

I am speaking on the Art of Flourishing tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at the Columbia University Club of NY (15 West 43rd Street). There is a reception at 6:30 followed by my talk at 7. There will be an opportunity to ask questions, followed by a book signing: http://www.columbiaclub.org/events-pages/2011/Events-current_month.html

Flourishing and Idleness

A thought-provoking blog by Alex Gallo-Brown that might inspire us to try to create more space in our harried, financially-strapped lives to dream and play: http://therumpus.net/2011/11/the-devilishness-of-idleness/

How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body

Here's a link to an article that focuses on the potential injuries that can occur practicing yoga. (How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body: www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can). While one-sided, it illuminates dangers that are worth paying attention to. What it doesn't say -- and people need to consider -- is that all activities and systems of thought from meditation and religion, to running and psychotherapy are two-sided: they have the power to help or harm, depending on how awarely they are practiced...

Animals and Humans

Here's an article on the emerging interest in animals and their relations to humans: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/animal-studies-move-from-the-lab-to-the-lecture-hall.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=fb-share

Animal Studies Move From the Lab to the Lecture Hall
www.nytimes.com