Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, and is co-author, with Susan Smalley, of Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness, and the CD “Mindful Meditations.” Here she talks with UCLA Today’s Judy Lin about dealing with gifts and consumption in a more mindful, saner way than some of us, at least, might be used to. So many of us tend to think that everything about the holidays and gift-giving has to be fantastic and fun....

Childhood trauma has been linked to smaller brain size, diminished IQ, anti-social behavior, aggression and emotional numbness. “Trauma is the residue of what those experiences leave in your body,” says Bessel van der Kolk, the president of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. “People’s brains change because of trauma.” Yet recent studies show that mindfulness practice helps children connect with positive emotional and social experiences, often things that a traumatized brain struggles to do....

“As a healthcare professional you hold this identity of: I am the caregiver, not the caretaker. I’m meant to be the ‘strong one’—the one who’s got it all figured out,” she says. The Importance of Self-Care By chance, she met a woman who became her meditation teacher, and from there everything began to shift. “When I first sat down with her, I just cried for the first 20 minutes,” she recounts....

What is the Henna Hair Dye Craze? 1. Okay, so what is henna hair dye? Henna hair dye is a natural hair dye alternative for people who want to color their hair without the subsequent damage associated with the traditional coloring processes. Without all the chemicals, think of this dye as a hair safety measure that can still deliver beautiful results. 2. What is henna hair dye made of? Henna is actually a plant....

The holidays are here! Are you ready? I would like to think that I am…but there is always A LOT to get done! Every holiday season, my husband and I have a list of things we love to do! The oh-so amazing Aileen from Lil’ Buckaroo Designs created the darling printable, “Holiday Bucket List” using our list. Aileen can take anything ordinary and make it extra-ordinary. Thanks Aileen! So, there you have it!...

Using a Hot Oil Treatment 1. Dry and Damaged Hair The most obvious time that your hair needs some TLC is when it is seriously dry and damaged. This could be due to a host of issues from hard brushing to tugging at that ponytail. Whatever the problem may be, you’ll need a solution to help you repair your hair. Hot oil treatments can work to make your hair moisturized and hydrated....

Turn Heads with a Shaved Head This look, simple as it is, is easier to achieve than most. You’ll want to head to a professional for the initial big chop as this is quite a leap as far as drastic haircuts go. Make sure to gather inspiration photos so that you can ensure that you and your stylist are speaking the same language, and head to the salon with your photos and confidence in tow....

This sudden dizziness and nausea—food poisoning, I thought— arrived in the midst of a prolonged period of physical dismay. Months earlier, I’d become suddenly intimate with infirmity thanks to a stubborn and seemingly irresolvable pain in my knee. A sprain, my physiotherapist thought. One I got by sitting at my desk for too long and with not enough attention to my body, over the course of too many pandemic days made sedentary by circumstances and dread....

Now that we’re all in work-from-home mode until further notice, we think it’s the ideal time to start skill-building. Where better to start than with the at-home blowout? Although not a lot of steps go into learning how to blow out hair at home, there are proper, more efficient ways to do it to maximize time, effort and payoff. Scroll down for our cheat sheet: Easy Styling Tips: How to Blow Out Hair at Home 1....

No updos to the rescue here, ladies: Ironically, this short ’do can sometimes be harder to maintain than longer hair because you’re basically stuck with dealing with it, bad hair day or not. So, if you’ve finally committed to the fabulous, concave bob haircut, the easiest way to rock it is to learn how to never have a bad hair day in the first place! Read on for tips and tricks on the best way to style your new super-short pageboy:...

Long-distance relationships are soooo hard. We know, and we commiserate! Sometimes people try to make you feel better by saying yours isn’t as bad/long/hard as what they had to do… we’re not going to do that. No matter the days/weeks/years apart, we just want to help you get through it! The Divas have put their brains together for their best advice and the best tips and tricks to keep the love burning across the miles....

The Invite I placed the invite and his “trick or treat” bag on our coat hook, so when he got home it would be the first thing he’d see! The invite read “Why hit up the neighborhood to trick or treat, when I have all the goodies right here! Grab your bag and head to “house” number 1.” The AMAZING ladies of Merrymint Designs created these beautiful printables, so you too can have the invite, room numbers and fun sayings that go along with this CREATIVE “at home” date!...

For day six of our Instagroom series, Luke is demonstrating how he mastered the art of creating his clean combover hairstyle in just a few minutes. For the purpose of showing you how quickly this hairstyle can be achieved (and well, your super short attention span), Luke’s style is completed in just 15 seconds. In reality, all you need is about five to ten minutes and you’re all set. Read on as we walk you through every second of Lukes styling routine to help you recreate this look at home when you’re short on time....

What Causes Hair Loss in Women? Why is Your Hair Falling Out? Firstly, it’s important to note that your hair will shed regularly everyday. According to Peter, “Hair grows in cycles. Approximately 50 to 150 hairs can fall out daily, this is considered to be normal hair shedding.” But to understand the main causes of hair loss, you first need to know what causes your tresses to grow (or not) in the first place....

Keratin Hair Straightening Treatments Read on how find out more about keratin hair straightening treatments to help you figure out if they are right for you. 1. They help to eliminate frizz. Keratin hair straightening treatments work to fill the porosity in hair, which leads to smoother hair. Long story short, when hair is extra porous it makes hair poof up fairly easily which means something as little as letting your hair air-dry could cause the pores to expand and create unwanted flyways....

We are positive you will be able to keep your family not only busy, but laughing and making tons of fun memories together! These active games for kids, especially, will make EVERYONE happy. 🙂 Additionally, we broke things up into three different categories to make browsing this list a little easier for you! Sporty Active Games for Kids Simple Supplies for Fun Indoor Games for Kids DIY Inside Games for Kids & Adults...

Last summer, my husband and I were hooked on watching TLC’s show “Cake Boss“. In this show, bakery owner Buddy Valastro takes unique cake requests to create ah-mazing works of art with cake. I am talking about 4 foot tall cakes, cakes with fireworks, cakes with moving pieces etc. INCREDIBLE! As my spouse and I watched Buddy and his crew whip out these masterpieces, in our minds we thought “we can do that” and wanted to give it a try!...

But the great thing about everyday household tasks is that they’re slow, repetitive, and physical, which makes them ideal for settling into mindfulness. In fact, a study at Florida State University found people who washed dishes while attending to awareness of their mind and body experienced a 27% reduction in nervousness and a 25% increase in feelings of inspiration (and those who washed the dishes like they normally would saw no such benefits)....

13 Long Shag Haircuts to Obsess Over 1. The Runway Long Shag Haircut This runway look is a must-have if you’re looking for something that has a fresh and easygoing vibe. Ed’s tip: Rub hair between your hands to wake the texture up a bit and to create that lived-in appearance. 2. The Faux Shag Not ready to get long layers? Fake the look to see how it would look by creating long and short waves on your hair with a flat iron....