The sauna life
Each cycle of steam and cold brought me closer to the land, my mother, and the version of myself I’d left behind
by Katja Pettinen
Cultural diversity
Whispers in the wind
How I learned to hear the voice of my ancestors and speak Lenape, a language silenced for generations
Krista Nelson, as told to Dawn Fallik
They keep the Hindu funeral pyres burning, but at what cost?
For the men and boys of the Dom community in Varanasi, sacred cremations demand a lifetime of exhausting, dangerous labour
by Radhika Iyengar
A little Japanese trick for saying ‘no’
If an outright refusal feels rude but you don’t want to have to explain, here’s how to say ‘no’ the Japanese way
by Richard Fisher
African proverbs provide the blueprint for a meaningful life
Incorporating ancient African wisdom into wellbeing interventions could push positive psychology beyond its Western roots
by Richard Appiah
The birthday gift
In the Soviet Union, you’d never wish someone ‘S dnem rozhdeniya!’ without a proper present
by Margarita Gokun Silver
Insularity can be a good thing, for creatures and cultures alike
The plight of threatened species can help us understand – and respond to – the endangerment of local ideas and practices
by Antone Martinho-Truswell
Restorative justice fits human nature more than retribution does
As recognised by ancestral wisdom and Indigenous practices, our need to repair relationships is a deep-rooted instinct
by Flavia Corso
What we lose by being overly scientific about healthcare
Empirical studies tell us about treatment outcomes, but they overlook the cultural dynamics that can help us feel better
by Ana Todorović
The tentacles of language are always on the move
An evolutionary biologist explains how human language can shift as slowly or rapidly as organisms adapting to life on Earth
by Klaus M Stiefel
To ancient Assyrians, the liver was the seat of happiness
Cutting-edge computational techniques are shedding light on how the emotional experiences of past cultures compare to ours
by Juha Lahnakoski & Ellie Bennett
Does embracing local customs help immigrants feel at home?
Moving from Belgrade to Toronto, learning the social ‘rules’ fostered my sense of belonging. But there’s an important caveat
by Ljiljana Radenović
Together forever: ‘at-home burial’ in southern Vietnam
What might a traveller along the Mekong Delta learn about the beliefs and traditions behind the country’s elevated tombs?
by Gina Elia
Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful
In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress
by Bhrigupati Singh
Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West
It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic
by Matt Huston
CBT is the ‘gold standard’, but is that just for white people?
CBT is supported by a strong evidence base. However, effective cultural adaptation of the therapy is a work in progress
by Shayla Love