Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

A few months ago I mentioned my back-to-school plans, and I’ve been meaning to provide an update on this decision. In brief – it’s full speed ahead! Just a few days ago my application was fully submitted. While applying for grad school may seem like falling off a log, there were actually a few steps involved. One of the first steps in applying to grad school was taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Many of my friends expressed condolences about this step, though I actually rather enjoyed the studying process. I hadn’t thought about algebra, trigonometry or geometry for a couple decades, and it was kind of fun to dust off this knowledge. The dusting off didn’t prove entirely fruitful, though. My written scores were pretty high but my quantitative analysis scores were, shall we say, good enough. But good enough is just that, and I crossed the GRE off the list last August. With the GRE in the rearview mirror, I spent the next couple of months working on my applicatio...

India is a feast for the senses. Subtlety may be part of the backdrop but the intensity of colors, sounds and fragrances frames the experience. Beyond the kaleidoscope of sensory inputs, the people you encounter create the most lasting memories. From the helpful porter who lugs your bag (often bigger than he is) to the merchant insisting both “best price” and “best kwality ,” the experience of India is the connection to a remarkably hearty, resourceful and resilient population. On a trip to India a few years ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting Maya Narayan and Didi Contractor at their home outside of Dharamsala. Through the generosity of my friends Jonathan and Lynn, I received an invitation to meet this fascinating duo for dinner. After teaching my afternoon yoga class at the Pema Thang guesthouse, I immediately jumped into a cab for the circuitous 45- minute cab ride to Lower Dharamsala. The baby monkeys that cling to their mama’s fur were clearly the inspiration f...

In a previous entry I described my challenges with hearing loss. What was an ongoing challenge has since shifted to the management of a chronic condition. I still remain open to the possibility that my hearing may improve, though I have shifted more of my focus to managing the condition and making the most of what I have. And what I have is pretty darned good. While some days congestion still makes it hard for me to hear high frequencies (i.e. some women’s voices), my Oticon hearing aids allow me to function about as well as ever. What I’ve found interesting is my shifting definition of as well as ever . As a small boy I had a lot of ear infections, and I’m now thinking my hearing loss has, more or less, been a lifelong condition. I first considered the possibility that I had hearing loss a couple years ago, and at the time my focus was on resolving what I considered an acute onset of hearing loss. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I am seeing that my hea...

Stretching joints is a bad idea. I used to express this idea more delicately, as many people LOVE their Yin Yoga and other techniques that cultivate greater joint mobility. Here is a great article that outlines the very real risks of "spraining" the body. Here is an excerpt from this excellent article by Charlotte Bell: I know a number of serious practitioners who are now in their 50s—including myself—who regret having overstretched our joints back in the day. All too many longtime practitioners now own artificial joints to replace the ones they overused. Those fancy poses way back when were not worth their consequences.