Research has shown that practicing mindfulness can improve sleep, better moods, enhance physical performance and have physical health benefits. This show provides information and practices for soldiers (and other listeners) seeking to learn more about mindfulness and make it a part of their life.
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
An exercise from the podcast
An exercise from the podcast.
An exercise from the podcast.
In this episode, an exercise to help you find that balance between activation and attention that helps support the state of mind sports psychologists call "flow." We also have a discussion between Maj. Allison Brager, PhD, and Prince Daniels. Daniels was a record-breaking running back at Georgia Tech and played for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. He is the author of "Mindfulness for the Ultimate Athlete: Mastering the Balance Between Power and Peace."
Introspection mindfulness practices can help us balance our responses to change and external stimuli by raising our awareness of how we're affected by them. In this episode, take part in an introspection exercise inspired by Martin Luther King's admonition that we must "stay awake" and find the balance between our inner and outer lives.
In this episode, a discussion with mindfulness teacher and researcher Shinzen Young, followed by WRAIR Minds host, Capt. Tom Nassif, guiding listeners through an exercise designed to help them hone and develop the skills they need to focus on tasks, even during times of stress, while maintaining balance under stress.
Presence exercises are a way to enable us to connect to others, even when we are physically separated from those people. For this strange holiday season, during which so many families will not be able to gather, WRAIR Minds offers a presence exercise to help you cultivate that feeling of connection. Music in this episode: "Lightning on a Blue Sky," by Twin Musicom (twinmusicom.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution.
In this episode, a singe exercise focusing on the practice of Yoga Nidra, a technique that helps one ride the line between sleep and wakefulness which has been shown to reduce anxiety and tension and their symptoms, including heart palpitations, headaches and others. It has also been demonstrated to help soldiers cope with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Join WRAIR Minds host Capt. Tom Nassif who will guide listeners through a progressive muscle relaxation exercise, which research suggests can enhance circulation, improve sleep, decrease headaches and improve the way you handle stress, among other things. WRAIR Minds also finishes the discussion between former WRAIR Commander, Col. Deydre Teyhen, and Director of the Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt. In this portion of the interview, Piatt talks about the way mindfulness helps deal with the mental stress of combat, the need to preserve one's values in combat and how soldiers need to learn to do "pushups for your brain." All statements in this podcast reflect the views presented are those of the host, producers or interviewees and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.
In this episode of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's new podcast, former WRAIR commander, Col. Deydre Teyhen, speaks with Director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt about his advocacy for mindfulness in the military, how mindfulness can help soldiers make better choices and the need to make time for mindfulness in the midst of chaos. Also, WRAIR Minds host Capt. Tom Nassif will guide listeners through a compassion exercise, which can help expand one's ability to show and share compassion which, as Lt. Gen Piatt has said, can be "more powerful than bullets." All statements in this podcast reflect the views presented are those of the host, producers or interviewees and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.
Welcome to WRAIR Minds, a new podcast by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. This podcast will provide mindfulness exercises soldiers (or anyone) can use to help optimize performance, regulate emotional response and improve decision-making skills, among other benefits. We will also speak with mindfulness researchers, teachers and students about the science and practice of mindfulness. In this episode, WRAIR Minds' host Capt. Tom Nassif will guide listeners through an "inner resource" exercise, which aids in decision-making and emotional control during stressful times.