Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

I could not believe what was being said about Greg Mortensen, and chose not to believe the initial reports. After all, I was getting my news from Facebook, and even in this era of news-from-blogs, I'm disinclined to consider Facebook a reputable news source. The murmurs about the esteemed author of Three Cups of Tea continued, though, and I decided to investigate a bit further. What I found was most definitely troubling! That being said, this blog entry is not about the veracity of Mortensen's stories, nor the efficacy of his charitable organization; rather, it's about what I consider most in danger in this situation - our reluctance to dream big, and our skepticism that others can live big dreams, too . We eagerly build the pedestals we put our heroes on, and at the first signs of their fall, we're often the first in line to dismantle these pedestals. This enthusiasm to dethrone our heroes - what does this tendency say about our minds? We're often hesitant to emb...

Walking and running are among the most natural of all human activities. Children are generally up on their feet before they’re even potty-trained, and it’s not uncommon that they’re running, too! Running is a uniquely joyous human activity. Children at play can scarcely contain their joy in running after each other, and we often find joy watching others run. Witness the popularity of watching various athletic events – the human body in motion, and specifically running, is a joy to behold. Many of us hope to recapture that joy by running for fitness, yet how many of us have captured the ease and lightness we’re seeking? I witness the majority of runners on the trail, and their facial expressions indicate some sort of pain or discomfort. In my work as a Yoga Therapist , this observation is reinforced – many runners suffer injuries and often are in pain. This is unfortunate, as running is a natural movement of the human body . We don’t generally believe that walking will ultimately lead t...

While in New Delhi last Fall, I had the chance to hear Daniel Goleman moderate some of the fascinating discussions with His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Mind & Life XXII. The science continues to reinforce what practitioners have known for thousands of years - this stuff will positively change your life in a lasting way! To view an interesting article by Daniel Goleman about meditation and my teacher Mingyur Rinpoche, please click on the title Change Your Mind .

For the past few months I've been teaching monthly courses at the Yoga Center of Eau Claire . It's been a joy to share Alignment Yoga with such a capable group of students, and also to develop new friendships along the way. I've truly enjoyed teaching with YCEC owner Sandra Helpsmeet, and have treasured spending more time with her husband, Mark Helpsmeet. I've known Mark for several years, though only in the past few months have spent enough time with Mark to more fully appreciate his rich sense of humor and spiritual depth. When Mark invited me to appear on his radio show, Spirit in Action , I enthusiastically agreed. The interview is a little under one hour in length, and discusses a wide range of subjects related to Yoga, the spiritual path, and the Spectrum Yoga Therapy program. I hope you get a chance to listen! If you get a chance to listen to this interview, please feel free to share your comments - we'd love to hear your stories of the spiritual path, and ...

It has been about 16 years since I last crossed paths with BKS Iyengar. So much has changed since then – what would it be like to see my old teacher? The opportunity arose at the twenty-second meeting of the Mind and Life Institute in New Delhi, India. I had the great fortune of receiving an invitation (a big bow of gratitude to my friend, RD) and I eagerly added another week to my already-planned trip to India. "Building a scientific understanding of the mind to reduce suffering and promote well-being ." Quite a mission, isn’t it?! The Mind and Life Institute is a marvelous organization that brings masters of the contemplative traditions and scientists together to share their experiences and findings. With His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the catalyst, these meetings demonstrate how the techniques of various contemplative traditions can change lives for the better. In the here and now, and in means compatible with our secular cultures, there are techniques that have been pro...

Perhaps, like me, some of you read The Onion ? The Onion claims to be America’s greatest news source, though I’m not entirely sure their criteria. Regardless of whether The Onion is the ultimate or penultimate news source, its columnists rarely fail to deliver a unique worldview. A case in point is Jim Anchower. Anchower’s column rarely graces the pages of The Onion these days, though it’s not for lack of good intentions. In fact, the majority of Anchower’s columns describe the myriad reasons why he’s been unavailable. A broken car and/or job loss are almost always factors, though eviction and girlfriend trouble certainly are known to contribute, too. After a long hiatus from this blog, I am feeling vaguely Anchower-like. Thankfully none of the aforementioned distractions have been a factor, though it has been a long time since I’ve shouted out to y’all. I’ve been busy. I’d hoped to see my book released sometime last Winter. Daffodils came and went – no book. A warm Summer passe...

I never expected to hear a mindstate described by the term "Yada-Yada-Yada", nor was I expecting the twinkly-eyed Tibetan man to define "Yada-Yada-Yada" as "Blah-Blah-Blah". Imagine my surprise when the shorthand for this particular mindstate became Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah! Mingyur Rinpoche ( http://tergar.org ) was describing the constant stream of thoughts in our mind as the Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. Our reaction to the stream of thoughts tends to follow two paths. We either follow the directives of these thoughts (what he termed "Yes Sir"), or we fight these thoughts ("Get Out"). What are these thoughts, and how do we come to react to them by believing them ("Yes Sir") or rejecting them ("Get Out")? I recently had the chance to observe both reactions to Yada-Yada-Yada-Blah-Blah-Blah. Yes Sir I looked out the window at my yard this morning. Seeing the tall grass, I immediately thought of the per...