#acceptance

Read more about the article Do we have free will – can we change?

Do we have free will – can we change?

"You can do as you wish but you cannot wish as you wish." I have spent this weekend engrossed in the work of Robert Sapolsky, neuroendocrinologist, primatologist and biologist − specifically his book, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. As much as we like to think of ourselves as free thinking rational beings, as much as we like to believe that our actions are based on choice, on free will, Sapolsky argues quite convincingly that among all the neurochemical, hormonal, developmental and evolutionary factors, rational thought and free will count for much less than we would like to imagine, if at all. The key question, to…

Read more about the article Responding to anxiety (rather than reacting to it)

Responding to anxiety (rather than reacting to it)

Anxiety provokes an instant reaction “get me out of here”. This is called aversion. The appearance of anxiety feels like a set-back but fighting it is much worse. Beyond anxiety lies acceptance which is the greater gain. We feel fear, even a sense of panic as we sense the arrival of this familiar uncomfortable visitor, we feel it rising  from the abdomen to the chest or throat. We notice our desire to move away from it but instead of reacting with avoidance we respond with our attention:  we observe, and accept our body and mind ─ just as they are in that moment;  no running away, no believing that it…