A writer always tries to be a part of the solution,to understand a little about life and to pass this on.
~ Anne Lamott
In Search of Happiness
by Vesela Simic
Shift Magazine
There has been an explosion of interest in happiness. What are scientists learning about it? Is the quest for happiness appropriate or useful in a time of global instability? And what's missing from the discussion? Expanding our understanding and experience of happiness beyond ourselves to include the collective is what our world is calling for and what the research supports. You can read the article here.
Recovery Comes Home
by Vesela Simic
Renew Magazine
When a loved one recovering from addiction leaves residential treatment and returns home to daily life, everyone needs to readjust. How does a family respond, reconnect, and sustain healing and growth when recovery comes home? I share what I experienced and learned in this article.
Evidence Adds Up to a Healthcare Revolution
by Vesela Simic
Shift Magazine
As scientists acquire more sophisticated tools to use in the studies they design, they continue to find ways to better measure the effects of alternative and complementary therapies. A close look at three such studies suggests a bright future for integrative medicine--a medical approach that considers the full range of physical, psychological, preventive, and social factors that support optimal health. Learn more here.
Science, Meditation, and Altruism
by Vesela Simic
Light of Consciousness Magazine
“How do we live meaningfully in the midst of worldview breakdowns and rampant ecological and social crises? How do we disengage from the stories that are running our lives so that a new story can begin to emerge?” Science is discovering the important roles that meditation and altrusim play in our personal well-being and in our collective evolution.You can read an edited excerpt of this chapter from IONS Shift Report in the article Light and Consciousness magazine published here.
The Challenge of Forgiveness
by Vesela Simic
Shift Magazine
"It’s not a matter of whether or not we will have conflict; it’s a matter of what we do with that conflict." The practice of forgiveness is a decision and a willingness to let go and reap the gifts of peace. As the science of forgiveness continues to mature, there is no question that the time we are living in calls for this not unfamiliar, radical, and transformative practice. Learn more about the science on forgiveness here.
Our Ethnosphere At Risk
An Interview withWade Davis
Shift Magazine
In this interview, National Geographic Society explorer Wade Davis warns us about losing the world's diverse cultures and languages. With that loss, we limit our evolutionary potential as a species. Preserving what he calls the ethnosphere--the rich cultural heritage humans have evolved on this planet--is an opportunity for us not only to rediscover wonder but also to realize humanity's highest potential. Learn more here.
An Interview withWade Davis
Shift Magazine
In this interview, National Geographic Society explorer Wade Davis warns us about losing the world's diverse cultures and languages. With that loss, we limit our evolutionary potential as a species. Preserving what he calls the ethnosphere--the rich cultural heritage humans have evolved on this planet--is an opportunity for us not only to rediscover wonder but also to realize humanity's highest potential. Learn more here.
The Populism of Jerry Brown
by Vesela Simic
Yoga Journal
When he was mayor of Oakland, California Governor Jerry Brown hosted local yoga classes at his waterfront property in Jack London Square. The way he sees it, every healthy citizen is another building block in estabishing a healthy community. You can read how Brown's own experiences with the seminary, meditation, and yoga paved the way for these free community classes here.
by Vesela Simic
Yoga Journal
When he was mayor of Oakland, California Governor Jerry Brown hosted local yoga classes at his waterfront property in Jack London Square. The way he sees it, every healthy citizen is another building block in estabishing a healthy community. You can read how Brown's own experiences with the seminary, meditation, and yoga paved the way for these free community classes here.
iShift, a monthly online newsletter for conscious culture
by Vesela Simic
As guest editor of IONS' online newsletter iShift, I was able to explore with readers the connections between the arts, the sciences, and cutting-edge studies in consciousness. If you'd like to take a look, you can read the newsletter here.
by Vesela Simic
As guest editor of IONS' online newsletter iShift, I was able to explore with readers the connections between the arts, the sciences, and cutting-edge studies in consciousness. If you'd like to take a look, you can read the newsletter here.
The Seeker by Sudhir Kakar
Reviewed by Vesela Simc
Shift Magazine
The Seeker is the story of Madeline Slade. She left her privileged life in England for the austerities of ashram life in India with Gandhi and became one of his closest disciples. Sudhir Kakar, who is both an author and a practicing psychoanalyst, blends imagination and historical fact into an account that elicits questions about spiritual devotion, the teacher-student relationship, personal responsibility, and freedom. You can read my review here.
Light on Life by B. K. S. Iyengar
Reviewed by Vesela Simic
Shift Magazine
Although thousands of books on yoga are being published today, B. K. S. Iyengar will always be one of yoga's preeminent teachers and innovators. In Light on Life, his last book, he shares an immense and intricate view of the way the body can be used to discipline the mind and reach the soul. Learn more about the book here.
Flower Essences: Catalysts for Healing
by Vesela Simic
Shift Magazine
This overview on flower essences and their healing effects begins at the beginning, with Dr. Edward Bach and the questions that led him to discover the healing potential of flowers. Learn what these essences are, how they are used, and how they are studied here.
Sweet Forgiveness
by Vesela Simic
Yoga Journal
Learning to handle pain skillfully won’t stop things from going wrong, but what will change is the way we feel. Fred Luskin's groundbreaking studies on forgiveness at Stanford University show how our capacity for letting go to free our hearts from pain also improves our physical health. You can read the article here.