Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom is an Audible audiobook (unabridged) by Dr. Rick Hanson, PhD. He is the author and narrator and has 4.7 out of 5 stars with 1,984 ratings.
Change your brain, change your life with this essential classic from New York Times bestselling author Dr. Hanson—now celebrating 15 years in print with more than 500,000 copies sold.
Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built essentially like anyone else’s—and then they changed their brains in ways that changed the world.
Neuroscience now reveals how the flow of thoughts actually sculpts the brain. More and more, we are learning that it’s possible to strengthen positive brain states. By combining breakthroughs in science with insights from thousands of years of mindfulness (sati) practice, we too can shape our own “Buddha’s Brain” for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.
Buddha’s Brain draws on evidence-based neuroscience to show how to stimulate our brain for more fulfilling relationships, a deeper spiritual life, and a greater sense of inner confidence and self-worth.
Using guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, readers learn how to activate the brain states of calm, joy, and compassion instead of worry, sorrow, and anger. Most importantly, they will foster positive psychological growth that will literally change the way we live our day-to-day life.
This book provides an essential intersection of psychology, neurology, and contemplative practice, and is filled with practical tools and skills that anyone can use every day to tap into the unused potential of the brain and rewire it over time for greater well-being.
PLEASE NOTE: Purchase of this title is accompanied by a PDF in the Audible Library along with the audio. More: Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdomby Dr. Rick Hanson, PhD, and Daniel J. Siegel, MD, with foreword by Dr. Richard Mendius, MD and contributor Jack Kornfield for preface (Brilliance Audio)
Everyone knows ladies get "hysterical," right? They used to suffer from melancholy (chronic depression) and the nerves (high anxiety). It was so bad, husbands would complain to family doctors, who took matters into their own hands ("pelvic massages") -- until they developed repetitive work injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome). So one industrious quack medical professional got to work in his lab until he invented a wonder device (ad*lt toy) that changed the world. Only that's not how it happened! But we all believe it. Why? It was bad research that spread like wildfire. As with all things, there's a germ (speck) of truth to it. It's not so salacious as we've been led to believe. Sex historian Dr. Esme Louise James (esmeljames.com), explains what really happened.
WARNING: Needlessly vulgar sexual references that, though funny, are repulsive and disturbing!
Tim Walz was an utter calamity in the debate
(Link Lauren) Oct. 1, 2024 JD Vance decisively beat (whooped, slammed, destroyed) Tim Walz in the vice presidential debate on CBS tonight.  #jdvance #timwalz
Conservative Americans hate Haitians no matter how hard they work, treating them like slaves.
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Mounted border guard not whipping Haitian
Will the Haitian-Americans of Springfield be vindicated and apologized to or further maligned and lied about? They're not Americans! Who's to say? If an official allowed them in with acceptable paperwork then they are here legally and are, in a sense, Americans. Maybe it's only a temporary status but it is a status nonetheless. Will weird couch humping come up or Vance's history of crossdressing at Yale U come up? One would think he would take this opportunity to dispute it. Viewers are here to see a blood sport, a personal savaging of one another after months of buildup as the two name-call and talk about one another without ever having met. They were both in Congress and the military and the Midwest and Washington, one would think they would have met. Not so small world after all. One this is certain (if anything is because a comet may strike, a mass coronal ejection, a personal exhaustion of karma, a well-deserved military attack, a cyber strike, or the gods/devas may just bump into the switch and shut off the samsara simulation mid-game): One man will lose and we'll never hear from him again, and the other will become vice president, and we'll never hear from him again. Just ask Kosta; it's his joke:
VP Debate: Tim Walz and JD Vance’s biggest moments and misses
(The Daily Show) Oct. 1, 2024: Michael Kosta goes live after the first and only vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance. The stakes are as low as possible: one of these men will lose and we’ll never hear from them again, and one will win, become vice president, and we'll never hear from them again. #DailyShow #TimWalz #JDVance #Debate
WATCH LIVE: 2024 Vice Presidential Debate: Vance vs. Walz, hosted by CBS News (NBC News NOW)
(NOWNBC News) NBC News NOW is live, reporting breaking news and developing stories in real time. It is on the scene, covering the most important stories of the day and taking deep dives on issues cared about. Follow moment-by-moment updates on Live Blog: nbcnews.com/politics/2024... #JDVance #Debate #TimWalz
I'm so proud of my curry lover.
Sen. JD Vance won on style if not substance, keeping his cool, presenting meaningful answers in a down-home Midwestern style one would have thought was Tim Walz' specialty. CBS hosts seemed fair, attacking them both and keeping on them. But Walz looked terrible, grimaced, never smiled, looked away, staring at Vance, was nervous and amped up and scared. Trump beat Biden, Harris beat Trump, and now Vance beat Walz. One might disagree with everything Trump stands for. He's a horrible candidate and was an unbearable president, but Vance is nice, not weird, and not deserving of the criticism he has been receiving.
I got hairy legs, and Harris has hairy Walz. You know what I mean! - G-Joe Biden
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I tried. I'm a coach, not a player.
Vance sounded honest, had obviously prepared, and made an excellent presentation. Walz may be a better guy, more down-home, but he did not come across nearly as well. Because Harris' style is much easier to swallow, in spite of her gaffes, vacuity, and changeableness, it seems a better idea to vote Harris Walz (or Hairy 'alls), but if one could elect Vance independent of Trump, that does not seem like the worst thing.
Finally, it happened. I look better in comparison.
We cannot help but feel Vance has a future despite all the embarrassments and missteps so far. Walz needs polish or to be brought back to himself. Where's the guy who appeared at rallies and did such a great job? One would think Vance was a regal Nazi, all image and rugged, whereas Walz was a grunt, foot soldier, "old guy" as he kept calling himself. He's the same age as youthful Harris and much younger than actual old man Trump. Back to the drawing board, or send Walz to Yale for a little refinement. Democrats win, individual candidates not so much. Republicans may have a better position on some things -- if only it weren't for Project 2025, their stand on women, and if Harris loses, it has to be due to the Democrats not opening up the race to others. We were forced to go from a senile war maniac to a goofy cackler, while being threatened by an egomaniac and an odd bird who came out of nowhere to both impress and scare us.
It's sad that, according to the mainstream media, this is coming down to gender, men going red as women swing blue. Yay, blue! But blue isn't what it used to be. Now it's the war party. Now it's the mainstream. Now it's backed by the CIA and Pentagon and old-school Republicans. One has to wonder. What does analyst Jimmy Dore have to say?
Vagus nerve stimulation: 3 Tricks to Stop Anxiety Fast
(YOGABODY) Suffer from anxiety, stress, and strain? Dysregulated? "Wired but tired"? Overwhelmed with worry, overthinking things that are out of one's control? Download PDF: yogabody.com/vagus-nerve...
A flexible spine means youth.
This video is about how to use ancient yoga techniques to warm up the parasympathetic nervous system response to help calm down, relax, and find greater peace and balance in life.
The key is to stimulate the vagus nerve -- the vagabond or wandering nerve that runs down either side of the neck. It plays a key role in stimulating the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (self-soothing to get back to the "rest and digest" mode).
It is involved in a host of important bodily functions, including stabilizing mood, digestion, and heart rate.
When the vagus nerve is operating optimally, it’s referred to as high vagal tone. This doesn’t mean we’ll never feel anxious or upset, but it does mean that we’ll be able to "respond" rather than "react" in those moments.
And we’ll be much more adept at self-soothing and calming ourselves down when a situation arises.
Free dive: Hold breath underwater by staying calm
00:00 Stress & anxiety
00:53 Safety disclaimer
01:07 What is the vagus nerve?
01:40 Parasympathetic nervous system
03:42 High vs. low vagal tone
04:55 Test vagal tone
07:52 Stimulate vagus nerve
08:11 Bhramari practice
09:48 Triangle breathing
12:06 Ear massage
14:07 Further learning
DISCLAIMER: Please do not use this video to diagnose or treat an illness or injury. Check with a trusted healthcare provider before starting any self-care routine.
ANATOMY: What is the vagus nerve? The name vagus comes from Latin, meaning "to wander," like a vagabond. This tenth cranial nerve wanders throughout the thoracic cavity. It innervates some of the most important muscles and is responsible for some vital functions such as: breathing, speaking, swallowing, blood pressure, heart rate, orgasm, taste, circulation, digestion, gut health, and more.
The nerve itself sits within a fascial tube, called the carotid sheath. The carotid sheath is an important landmark in head and neck anatomy and contains several vital neurovascular structures, including the carotid artery, jugular vein, vagus nerve, and sympathetic plexus.
Once we understand what the vagus nerve is and why it’s important, this video offers some simple ways to stimulate this nerve to self-soothe and calm ourselves down when we need to.
What it FEELS like when our nervous system is dysregulated
(Crappy Childhood Fairy) Dec. 26, 2022. "Dysregulation" is a core symptom of Complex-PTSD, which usually occurs due to childhood traumas. If we had a rough childhood, we may have thought these symptoms were our fault -- personal failings that we're ashamed we haven't changed yet. Once we know the normal signs that childhood trauma has impacted us, we can drop the guilt and learn to adopt workarounds that help us re-regulate and resolve life's problems.
LETTERS: Want to submit a question for the Crappy Childhood Fairy to answer in a video?
Keep it short, not too explicit, and relevant to this audience:
bit.ly/3VVxqjm
How to reset a dysregulated nervous system (in under 60 seconds)
(Brain retraining program | re-origin®) Jan. 31, 2023. Stressful events from the past can have a lasting impact on the state of our nervous system in the present and even determine our reactions in the future.
Intense emotions, fearful thoughts, negative emotions, old (dysfunctional) behaviors, and past traumatic events can all build and contribute to a totally overwhelming stress load that can cause our nervous system to become "dysregulated" (out of control), causing us to feel constantly uneasy and on edge.
Western Theravada nun Ayya Soma (Buddhist Insights @ Empty Cloud Monastery, New Jersey, streamed live on August 26, 2022); CC Liu, Ananda, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Hey, Gays, come to New Jersey! We celebrate complete nonheteronormative diversity!
Wisdom Quarterly covered it years ago, focusing on the academic anthology entitled Buddhism, Sexuality, and Gender (1991, edited by the prolific author Prof. Jose Ignacio Cabezon) with an excellent Theravada contribution by Prof. Donald Lopez, Ph.D.
How are LGBTQIA+ identities viewed in Buddhism? How might one understand anatta (the teaching of all things being impersonal and not-self) in the context of transgender life stories?
The Buddha didn't judge. Why would we?
In this talk, Italian-American Theravada Buddhist nun Ayya Soma (who may have been bisexual, lesbian, questioning, gender-fluid, and/or a tomboy prior to ordination and is a celibate now) shares some reflections based on early Buddhist texts from those schools that preceded the major reformed or universalist Mahayana school (a syncretic Brahminical/Hindu tradition).
This valuable academic work, edited by University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) Professor of Tibetan Buddhism Jose Ignacio Cabezon, Ph.D., has garnered a 5.0 out of 5 stars (with 5 ratings).
The compilation explores historical, textual, and social questions relating to the position and experience of women and gay people in the Buddhist world from India and Tibet to Sri Lanka, China, and Japan.
It focuses on four key areas:
(BACK COVER)
Buddhist history,
contemporary culture,
Buddhist symbols, and
homosexuality.
It also covers Buddhism's entire history, from its origins to the present day. The result of original and innovative research, the editor offers new perspectives on the history of the attitudes toward, and of the self-perception of, women in both ancient and modern Buddhist societies.
UC Santa Barbara Prof. Jose Ignacio Cabezon
Prof. Cabezon explores key social issues such as abortion and examines the use of rhetoric and symbols in Buddhist texts and cultures.
This anthology discusses the neglected subject of Buddhism and homosexuality.
"It fills an important gap in the field -- a serious, textually close reading of gender's influence on Buddhist thought and vice versa." - Anne Klein
Gender panel at Empty Cloud Monastery
The unbearable nervous laughter of [gay?] Ayya Soma and Ven. Suddhaso
This illuminating talk between Wim "Iceman" Hof and Host Joe Rogan took place on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast of Oct. 20, 2015. "We can control happiness, health, and strength," claims Hof. The "Wim Hof Method" is reaching more people all over the world as he teaches breathing techniques for vibrant health, enduring and conquering cold, building the immune system, regulating the autonomic nervous system, adjusting the endocrine system, overcoming poison, climbing Mt. Everest in shorts, running marathons barefoot, and seeing the internal lights of the chakras (Min. 48:15). And he does it under scientific scrutiny that might throw off most yogis and meditators. Live happy, healthy, and strong. For more information about The Wim Hof Method, see: wimhofademhaling.nl.
Becoming the Iceman
This book is about a project inspired by Wim Hof and co-author Justin Rosales to show the world that everyone can adopt the ability to become an Iceman/Icewoman. The project's goal is to show that the ability to control the body's temperature is not a special ability only Wim Hof has. It is an ability that can be learned and practiced by everyone. For generations, we have been taught to fear the cold: "Wear a jacket! You don't want to come down with hypothermia, do you?" "Put your gloves on before you get frostbite!" These, of course, are consequences of exposure to extreme cold. But with proper understanding, anyone can learn to use the cold as a natural teacher. You may have seen Wim Hof on TV running barefoot through the snow or swimming in ice water. While performing such incredible feats, he remains completely warm and comfortable the entire time. He is the epitome showing what can happen if someone uses the cold to train the body. Like any new tool we must understand how it works before we can use it effectively and efficiently. This is how it is with cold. Readers may be wondering, "How can you prove that anyone can learn this ability? In the fall of 2009, Justin Rosales had no experience with cold whatsoever. He was a student at Penn State University. After his friend, Jarrett, showed him a Wim Hof video on YouTube, he became very interested in understanding this ability. He wanted to see if it was possible for anyone to learn. In spring 2010, after communicating with Hof for several months by email, he was invited to attend a Wim Hof workshop in Poland. After many weeks of working as a dish washer, Rosales was able to pay for the trip and learn the Iceman technique. With more training and experiences in the cold, Rosales began to adapt. The length of time he could remain exposed to severe cold increased dramatically. He realized that the technique that enabled him to withstand the cold is, indeed, an ability everyone can learn. This book tells the tale of becoming the Iceman.
(April 5, 2019) This full-length documentary by Sacha Stone exposing the 5G threat to humanity in ways never imagined possible. Do local bureaucrats, technocrats, health practitioners, local and federal government agents know about his? Do family and friends? Even NPR's "Science Friday" explains why the high-intensity bombardment by wi-fi microwave towers on every block is bound to do something to the human body that should not be done. But it's coming for the sake of phone reception, data transfer, and streaming convenience so we can be spied on more easily and more thoroughly.
In this documentary weapons experts, molecular and cellular biologists, blood screeners, activists, as well as a few good leaders on the frontlines have something to say. We know what this technology is. We know how it was conceived. And we know where it is intended to take people and the planet. So we are drawing the line here and doing so in full consciousness. Video attribution information: Source video by New Earth Project.
Science Friday: The Future of 5G
(NPR, April 19, 2019) The next generation of wireless is on its way. Experts explain the science behind the new technology. Why are some cautioning a slower rollout? Last week, Trump announced a new initiative to push forward the implementation of 5G, the fifth generation of wireless connectivity for smartphones and other devices. Under the plan, the FCC will auction off sections of high-frequency radio spectrum and put more money into rural broadband connectivity -- all in the name of an international race to build wireless networks to be up to 100 times faster than the current generation, 4G LTE. More + AUDIO
Downward Facing "Dog" -- Yoga for Pooches Bringing pets to the yoga studio has benefits for all Julia Mayes and Hasani Gittens, NBC New York, 9/22/09
On the path to enlightenment, yoga studio owner Kari Harendorf has a special guide -- her Husky Charlie. “One day I just brought him to class. And then I thought, if everyone loved having him in class, there's got to be other people who want to bring their dogs to yoga, who want to do yoga with their dogs. And that's how the whole movement started,” Harendorf told NBC New York. It’s a movement she calls “Doga” -- that’s Dog + yoga. From Great Danes to Pugs, pooches as partnering with their [human companions] for a combination of meditation, massage, and stretching. “It’s actually a really good thing for her,” said Erin Teague of her Pug. “She's a very anxious dog. She has a lot of nervousness.” More>>
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On the path to enlightenment, yoga studio owner Kari Harendorf has a special guide -- her Husky Charlie. “One day I just brought him to class. And then I thought, if everyone loved having him in class, there's got to be other people who want to bring their dogs to yoga, who want to do yoga with their dogs. 
And that's how the whole movement started,” Harendorf told NBC New York. It’s a movement she calls “Doga” -- that’s Dog + yoga. From Great Danes to Pugs, pooches as partnering with their [human companions] for a combination of meditation, massage, and stretching. “It’s actually a really good thing for her,” said Erin Teague of her Pug. “She's a very anxious dog. She has a lot of nervousness.” More>>
