Dr. Judson Brewer MD, PhD, is a thought leader in the “science of self-mastery,” and an associate professor of psychiatry and medicine at University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, where he is director of research at the Center for Mindfulness. In this TEDMED, he talks about using mindfulness to tame cravings of all kinds. A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit When I was first learning to meditate the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath, and when my mind wandered, to bring it back....

While we cannot always eradicate pain, practicing mindfulness can help us change our relationship to it. In this video, clinical psychologist Elisha Goldstein demonstrates a practice to welcome pain from his book, The Now Effect. Explore This Guided Meditation for Pain “We spend much of life resisting and fighting with our pain and this is often the cause of further suffering,” says Goldstein. “In this practice we begin to sample a radically different approach that evidence shows cultivates greater healing and makes us more present, focused, and effective to pay attention to what matters....

6 Ways to Help You Air-Dry Hair Perfectly in the Winter 1. Wash and Dry at Night To avoid getting a cold, never air-dry your hair in the morning. Chances are your hair will take longer to completely dry than the amount of time you’ll have in the morning. If you happen to step out in a polar vortex with damp hair, your hair can literally frost (true story!). Avoid that issue altogether by air-drying at night in the warm comfort of your home....

Our Editors Chat About National Hair Day Eunice Lucero, Editor In Chief “I grew up with stick straight hair and I didn’t really have many issues with manageability. Now though it’s more of experimenting with different textures and lengths—how I can realistically have fun with variety, but also remember that I don’t have a professional stylist on the ready. I need a style and routine that is fashionable, for sure, but one that’s also sustainable....

We’ll take you through everything you need to know about Aloe vera for hair and how this plant’s natural gel is great for many different hair care needs. Keep reading to learn how to use this plant to repair dry hair, and even get a hair mask recipe to try out for yourself. Read on: How to Use Aloe Vera for Hair The best way to use Aloe vera for hair is to use the raw gel that comes directly from the plant’s leaves....

The piece is by two business school behavioral scientists, Kathleen Vohs and Andrew Hafenbrack, who conducted research to test, among other things, whether “the mindfulness condition would reduce task motivation.” In other words, because mindfulness practice asks you to bring your attention to the “current moment” and “accept things as they are,” you’ll be less likely to “strive to obtain a more desirable future.” When you look under the hood, you find that the subjects in their initial experiment, about 100 people, were divided into two groups and paid $1....

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about ’em, click here. Before we get started, we HAVE to give a shoutout to Diva Elizabeth for designing these printables for us. In short, she rocked it! Printable Invite for all your book club buddies Reading Group Discussion Questions Bookmarks to pass out How fabulous are those?! Simply print as many copies of each item as you need and you’re on your way to hosting the perfect book club....

Trying many different products on the market until you find the best one for your hair is time-consuming and costs a lot of money. We’re here to help you narrow down your search for the best cream for curly hair with just one: That’s right, we’ve got one product we currently swear and think you should too. Read on to learn all about our favorite cream for curly hair types:...

Here’s a helpful guide on how to choose the right rollers to achieve the results you want. Read on: The Best Hot Rollers for Long Hair 1. Flexi Rods Versatile and perfect for natural hair, flexi rods have been around for what seems like forever, but they’re still super effective for creating well-defined spiral curls without having to rely on pins or clips. Equally easy to use on a wide range of hair types and distinguishable by their long, bendable, cushioned rods, they’ll allow you to achieve high-impact, bouncy ringlets that are both super cute and on-trend....

If having an epic bonfire group date isn’t enough, we added in these adorable and FREE printables made by the amazing Elizabeth from The Dating Divas! Bonfire Party Invite Start your bonfire party off right by sending out a free digital invite to your friends and family. This adorable invite says, “What happens around the bonfire, stays around the bonfire. We warmly invite you to join us for an epic Bonfire Group Date with fire, s’mores, games, and more!...

Want to learn how to do box braids on natural hair? Then check out our steps and tips below, and make sure to also take a look at the amazing styles we hand-picked just for you to try out with your new natural box braids. How to Create Box Braids On Natural Hair Step 1. Start with clean hair. First off, you’re going to want to start with clean hair....

And that show, Derek, is the creation and star vehicle of an even unlikelier source: Ricky Gervais, who rose to fame through the did-he-really-say-that cringe comedy of the original British version of The Office. Derek uses the same “documentary filmmakers on-site” device as The Office, but that’s where the similarities end. Swinging far away from the pathologically self-absorbed office boss David Brent, this time around Gervais plays Derek Noakes, a likely-autistic caregiver at the Broadhill retirement home whose true joy come from doing good for others (well, that and YouTube hamster videos)....

To listen to a sample track, click here.* This web extra provides additional information related to an article titled, “Minding Your Health,” which appeared in the October 2013 issue of Mindful magazine. Subscribe to Mindful‘s print edition or digital edition. * Brian Eno and Opal Ltd., London, kindly gave Mindful permission to host a four-minute sample track from the Quiet Room for one month. Starting on September 12, 2013, this link will redirect to a shorter sample track on the BBC website....

It should be no surprise then, that the man who fills this role is a temple of stress tolerance, handling the demands of his job with such steadiness that his 35-plus years in the Army have taken him from a standard enlistment all the way to the Pentagon. So, how, between high-level assignments and operational deployments, is he able to maintain his composure under such pressure? To date, stress reduction in the military has been based on theory more than research: If we give time off, if we encourage fun group activities, we can provide stress-free moments to cushion the stressful ones....

Create a Soft, Brushed Out Curls Look 1. Blow Dry Your Hair First Achieving the soft aspect of these brushed out curls is going to require a soft and smooth base. Starting out with hair that’s been blown out will give you that smooth look you want. If you don’t want to apply that much heat on your hair in one day, try blowing it out the night before. Get that perfect blowout look by using some TRESemmé Thermal Creations Blow Dry Accelerator Spray before styling....

5 Chic Bun Hairstyles for Dirty Hair 1. Top Knot The top knot is the boldest of buns and is perfect if your hair gets particularly greasy before a wash. Top knots have a lot of height and look best when the bun is tightly wound. It’s crucial that the style looks sleek and shiny—any bumps or flyaways can be distracting. Use Suave Professionals Natural Hold Micro Mist Hairspray to smooth out and stick any potential baby hair strands down and ensure that your bun won’t budge throughout the day....

5 Butter Blonde Hair Ideas Because this trend combines a unique blend of blonde hues, you will find that each look is completely unique. No matter how you choose to style your freshly colored strands, you’ll want to upgrade your hair care routine to sustain your new color. Consider opting for Nexxus Color Assure Shampoo and Conditioner to keep your color as bright and bold as the moment you leave the salon....

For me, it’s the smell of squash roasting in the oven, years ago, and my father avoring it with a large pat of butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. We ate the tangerine esh with two forks straight out of its skin, a spontaneous meal that was always served at odd hours of the night. It was one of the few dishes I remember him making. I remember preparing it for myself, many years later, in a manner far more savory than sweet....

A case in point: It was the last class of a seven-week mindful leadership course and I had invited the class to share an impression or intention from our work together. One manager, in a quiet voice, shared his discovery with us. He said, “All my adult life I have been striving to change fear into hope. And what I discovered in these weeks is that what is truly important is not the fear or hope in the future, but the work to be fully present for now....

Conditioner for Frizzy Hair and Other Humidity-Shielding Products 1. Wash and Condition We always suggest using a nourishing duo when it comes to an in-shower conditioner for frizzy hair. Right now, our favorite is TIGI Copyright Custom Care Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner. We love how this formula helps leave your hair shiny, soft and more manageable. 2. Frizz-Defying Mask For a weekly treatment, opt for a hair mask with deep conditioning qualities, like Bed Head by TIGI Recovery Treatment Mask....