With unfailing curiosity, Barasch poses vital questions: what can we learn from exceptionally empathetic people? Can we increase our kindness quotient with practice? How do we open our hearts to those who do us harm? What if the great driving force of our evolution were actually “survival of the kindest?” And he comes up with challenging, ultimately inspiring answers. Drawing on science and spirituality, history and popular culture, he creates a smart, provocative argument that a simple shift in consciousness changes “pretty much everything”.

In 2015, preeminent theologian and bestselling author Matthew Fox was invited by the Thomas Merton Center in Louisville, KY, to give a lecture to honor the centennial year of the legendary Catholic monk and writer’s birth. In preparing for the talk, Fox re-immersed himself in Merton’s work and revisited the correspondence he had with him while he was alive. As Fox read through Merton’s journals, poetry, and religious writings, he realized that his exploration was inspiring far more than just one talk. The result is A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality, a powerful book about Merton’s pioneering work in deep ecumenism and interfaith; about his essential teachings on mixing contemplation and action; and about how the vision of thirteenth century mystic Meister Eckhart profoundly influenced both Merton and Creation Spirituality, which Fox has long espoused and written about.

Do animals have spiritual experiences? Yes they do! We’re not the only spiritual beings by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. in Animal EmotionsIn conjunction with Psychology Today blogger, Steven Kotler, I’ve been pondering whether nonhuman animals (“animals”) have spiritual experiences and are they religious.

“Indeed, there is nothing too little, or too great, for inclusion in a journal. If you are not already keeping one, I entreat you to start today. Write whatever is passing through your mind, or whatever catches your eye in the passing scene around you. If you remember your dreams, start with them. If you don’t recall your dreams, start with whatever thoughts and feelings are first with you as you enter the day, or that interval between two sleeps the French used to call dorveille (“sleep-wake”), a liminal space when creative ideas often stream through.”

You did everything right: you quarantined, wiped down your groceries, stayed out of restaurants and did your best to reduce risk; and yet, you still got Covid. What do you do now? Well, in addition to everything your doctor recommends, you might want to add Qi Gong to your regimen to speed up your recovery. One of my favorite Qi Gong masters, is Lee Holden at www.holdenqigong.com.  He studied with Master Mantak Chia, an early teacher of mine. Master Holden recently wrote about some interesting research highlighting the benefits of using Qi Gong in the fight against Covid.

Many of us wear a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but could eye protection such as a face shield also help? Science is close to proving connections between coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the eye….

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is not just an issue of lack of dopamine production but in fact a multi-faceted neurological disease with many factors contributing to or causing PD. This applies as well to other brain diseases resulting in dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Red Reishi (Ganoderma Lucidum), commonly known as Ling Zhi in Chinese, is a herbal mushroom known to have miraculous health benefits… Regular consumption of red Reishi can enhance our body’s immune system and improve blood circulation, thus improving better health conditions. Generally, Reishi is recommended as an adaptogen, immune modulator, and a general tonic. Red Reishi is also used to help treat anxiety, high blood pressure, hepatitis, bronchitis, insomnia, and asthma.

This is a hard time to watch what you eat, much less be on a diet. People are stuck inside the house, farmer’s markets are closed, and the desire to fill up on comfort food is strong. Unfortunately, the same virus that has us locked up and stressed out makes it more urgent than ever that we carefully monitor what we are putting into our bodies. Your diet affects your immune system, and if you want to stay healthy and give yourself the best shot at defeating Covid-19, you must give your body the best tools for the fight.