In therapy or meditation, is it normal to feel worse at first?
A ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality might make sense when striving for change – but don’t confuse discomfort and distress
by Nicholas Van Dam
Mindfulness and meditation
How to make your life feel more meaningful
Existential psychology offers specific ways to find meaning, giving you a buffer against despair in these anxious times
by Steven Heine
You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain
The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals
by Bryony Tolhurst
Learn to tune into birdsong – respite and fascination await
Listening deeply to the sounds of birds is a powerful form of meditation and a first step towards a rewarding new hobby
by David M Logue
What if we learned contemplation like we do arts or sports?
As with football or violin practice, young people could gain versatile life skills through routine contemplative training
by Michael R Sheehy
A whimsical ode to the reparative power of knitting, rendered in wool
Directed by Samantha Moore
Here’s what to know about using meditation to be a better person
Meditating has long been thought to enhance morality. But the type of meditation – and the aspects of morality – matter
by Jakob Hohwy & Kevin Berryman
When mindfulness meets capitalism, it loses its way
The modern business of mindfulness strips the practice of both its spiritual meaning and much of its practical value
by Chris Wheatley
If you don’t fancy mindfulness, then try cooking instead
When overwhelmed I schedule in a cooking day: playful, daring and full of memories. Beats any other stress-reliever for me
by Chloe Faure
What happens to the brain during consciousness-ending meditation?
Psychologists are studying a form of meditation known as ‘nirodha-samāpatti’ that reportedly ceases all mental function
by Shayla Love
I swim to think and to stay afloat in an ever-wetter world
‘The Beames my Bones, my flesh the plankes’: in pools, I glimpse the future of our terrestrial bodies in an ocean world
by Steve Mentz
How to think like a phenomenologist
Doing Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological reduction will transform your view of the world and your own consciousness
by D J Hobbs
China’s young people who trade parties for peace at a mountainside hermitage
Directed by Ellen Xu
To experience Zen-like awakening, try going the headless way
Try to point to your true self as you’d point to a brick wall, and other experiments in Zen-like awakening
by Brentyn J Ramm
How to be useless
Follow the Daoist way – reclaim your life and happiness by letting go of the need to produce, strive or serve a purpose
by Helen De Cruz & Pauline Lee
Meditation is like mountaineering: approach it with care
We speak of meditation as exercise, something that’s good for everyone. But, like scaling a mountain, you must use caution
by Nicholas Van Dam