Melissa Rosenkranz – Mind, Body, World

In this episode, Wendy speaks with contemplative scientist Melissa Rosenkranz. Melissa's work examines the mind-body connection with a focus on how inflammation interacts with our brains and emotions, and how meditation might help. This conversation covers many topics, including:

• her interest in the mind-body connection;

• pros and cons of inflammation in the body;

• bidirectional links between inflammation in the body and our emotions;

• how inflammation can lead to hypersensitivity in the brain;

• inflammation and dementia;

• misperceptions around stress causing asthma;

• meditation's effect on inflammation and our immune response;

• meditation in asthma management (emotional and physical);

• studying whether mindfulness can protect against inflammatory damage to the brain;

• integrating meditation with medication;

• polarization in society and the power of building weak ties;

• increasing the safety signal to our bodies;

• seeing the fuller humanity of the people in our world;

• lovingkindness practice in action;

• links between inflammation in society and in our bodies;

• and a reminder that there's always a place to start when making change.

Full show notes and resources (podcast.mindandlife.org/melissa-rosenkranz)