By Kimine Mayuzumi In Part I, I discussed why it is (even more) important to be mindful, trust the process and let go of outcomes in this unique context, especially in the neoliberal culture with the pandemics (i.e., virus and social unrest) added. Then, a question I ask here is “what are the conditions and the mindset to create (or at least try to create) within ourselves so that we could more effortlessly be mindful,…
By Chikako Nagayama Loneliness is a name of my suffering. Until recently, I had thought loneliness is a mistake, something that I had to recover from, or a problem to solve. Where is my friend? With whom should I have dinner after a long day of work? To whom should I speak about my heartbreak with a charming but troubled colleague? I was grieving for my lost connections with friends who had left me or…
By Kimine Mayuzumi “How was your summer?” This is a question you may be asked by your friends, colleagues, and neighbors this time of the year. But have you really asked yourself the question? Oftentimes, it is hard for me to transition from summer mode to work mode unless my kids go back to school. When they are around, I tend to get distracted and procrastinate. So I create boundaries by going downstairs and putting…
By M’Balia Thomas Aches and pains are the body’s way of getting our attention. My body has been trying to get my attention for the past five years. I have had a year-long recurring cough, unexplained aches in my joints, wonky blood pressure, and a persistent sense of dis-ease. On more than one occasion, I have spent the night in the ER with symptoms I was sure were signs of a heart attack, but ultimately were…
By Soko Starobin Once I was a busy academic who did not even pause for a minute to think of myself. The moment I woke up in the morning (see my previous blog post), the external expectations that I brought into my life, such as getting a promotion and tenure, as well as external research funding, kept me running all day until I went to bed. I would wake up the next morning, then repeat the…
