An integrated self - keeping it all together

Each summer we select audience favourites from The Gist archives to share with all of you. This year we are doing a throwback to our early days with a series on the senses and their impact on our collective well-being. Not just our five physical senses but also our awareness which allows us to develop better habits of mind, feel more compassion for others and practice grateful living. Given the degree of upheaval and hyper-partisanship around the world there is no better time to revisit how we can think about and respond more critically to everything going on within and around us. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or are new to The Gist, we hope you enjoy this summer selection.

Recently we have been examining the writings of Jon Kabat-Zinn on the power of our senses and how they keep us grounded in the present moment. But it is easy for us to think of our senses, and in fact our whole body, as disconnected from our minds. Jon often refers to a funny quote from James Joyce's book the Dubliners where one of the characters, Mr. Duffy, is described as living 'a short distance from his body'. While funny, this statement isn't too far from the truth for most of us. We think of our minds as the command centre of our lives, with our bodies tagging along. But what if we could have a more integrated sense of self? See full transcript.

Photo Credit: Gabriel Crismariu