Health Journal Online

Tag: World

  • Virginia Records Highest Measles Count on Record While Major World Cup Gateway Links to Mexico’s Growing Outbreak

    Virginia Records Highest Measles Count on Record While Major World Cup Gateway Links to Mexico’s Growing Outbreak

    A detail buried in the Virginia Department of Health’s June 3, 2026, clinical advisory for healthcare providers deserves much wider attention than it has received: Virginia has seen a record number of measles cases this year, with 77 reported cases as of June 2, 2026.

    That figure — 77 confirmed cases by the first week of June — establishes Virginia as a measles hot zone that is directly relevant to the World Cup’s public health trajectory for one specific and overlooked reason: Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia is the federally designated enhanced screening point for all U.S. citizens and nationals who have been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of U.S. arrival. Every traveler routed through Dulles for Ebola screening is moving through a state that currently has 77 active measles cases — the record annual total in the state’s modern surveillance history.

    The VDH advisory also notes that “many [World Cup fans] are likely to travel through international airports in northern Virginia” — capturing the second dimension of Virginia’s World Cup health relevance. Dulles is among the top 10 busiest international airports in the United States and serves as a major gateway for European, Latin American, and African travelers bound for East Coast World Cup venues, including Philadelphia (the closest host city, with matches June 14 through July 4) and the New York/New Jersey area (MetLife Stadium, including the July 19 Final).

    Fans arriving at Dulles from Mexico (10,920 cases), Guatemala (6,209 cases), or other measles-active countries, then connecting to domestic flights to Philadelphia or New York, are moving through one of the country’s most active measles states at a peak transmission moment.

    Virginia’s 77-Case Record in Context

    Virginia’s 77-case record requires context to fully appreciate its significance. The state was not previously considered a high-measles-burden jurisdiction — it was among the states with strong school vaccination compliance and relatively few exemptions. The appearance of 77 confirmed cases as of June 2, 2026, represents a significant outbreak driven primarily by vaccine hesitancy in specific community clusters, with the pattern seen in the VDH advisory consistent with the national picture: most cases occurring in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated individuals, with outbreak chains anchored in communities with lower-than-average MMR coverage.

    The national context as of the CDC’s latest dashboard: 1,983 confirmed measles cases across 40 U.S. jurisdictions as of May 28, 2026, with 30 active outbreaks and 93% of cases linked to ongoing outbreak chains. Virginia’s 77 cases place it above Pennsylvania (5 cases through early February) and most Northeast states, but below the outbreak epicenters of South Carolina, Utah, and Texas. The combination of a record state outbreak AND a major international gateway airport AND proximity to two World Cup host cities creates a public health exposure matrix that the VDH clinical letter addresses directly, urging providers to be alert for travel-related illnesses in patients with any connection to World Cup events, the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebrations planned for Washington D.C. this summer, or other large summer gatherings.

    The Dulles Ebola Screening Pathway — and the Measles Irony

    The designation of Dulles as the mandatory arrival airport for enhanced Ebola screening creates an unintended epidemiological dynamic that public health researchers have quietly flagged. The logic of the Dulles screening designation is sound: it concentrates enhanced health screening at a single, well-resourced airport rather than distributing it thinly across multiple airports with variable capability. But every traveler routed through Dulles for Ebola screening — who, under the current Bundibugyo outbreak’s transmission biology, is overwhelmingly unlikely to be infected — passes through a terminal environment in a state with 77 active measles cases, potentially sharing air space with other travelers who may be in the pre-rash, contagious phase of measles infection.

    The scientific irony is measurable: the disease being screened for at Dulles (Ebola) requires direct contact with blood or body fluids of a symptomatic person to transmit and kills roughly 1 in 3 of those infected. The disease circulating in the state surrounding Dulles (measles) transmits through the air, persists in enclosed spaces for two hours, and was present in 77 confirmed Virginians as of June 2. Ebola’s R0 is approximately 2. Measles’s R0 is 12 to 18. As Dr. Krutika Kuppalli wrote in STAT News: “Infectious disease threats during the World Cup will almost certainly look much more familiar than frightening headlines suggest.” Virginia’s 77-case record makes that observation locally specific and quantitatively concrete.

    What Virginia Residents and Dulles Travelers Must Know

    The VDH’s directive to clinicians operating near Dulles and across the state is direct: ask patients about travel history and World Cup event attendance; maintain high suspicion for measles in unvaccinated patients with fever and rash; report suspected cases immediately. For travelers transiting Dulles: the airport’s connection to international routes from measles-active countries, combined with Virginia’s active community outbreak, makes it one of the higher-risk indoor air environments for measles exposure in the country right now. Any traveler who cannot document two doses of MMR vaccine should receive vaccination before travel, as PAHO specifically recommends a single dose at least two weeks before traveling to areas with documented transmission.

    For residents of the Washington D.C. metro area planning to travel to World Cup matches in Philadelphia — the closest host city at roughly 140 miles — verify MMR vaccination status, ensure any children over 12 months have had at least one dose, and consider that the train corridors connecting Northern Virginia, Washington, and Philadelphia pass through and between multiple states with active measles cases. The public health advice has not changed since the PAHO emergency alert: travelers aged six months and older who cannot provide proof of two MMR doses should receive vaccination, preferably at least two weeks before attending any World Cup event or traveling to areas with active transmission. At this moment, Virginia is one of those areas.

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  • Six Days Before World Cup Kickoff, New York Confronts the Most Complex Public Health Alert Landscape Ever Seen in the U.S.

    Six Days Before World Cup Kickoff, New York Confronts the Most Complex Public Health Alert Landscape Ever Seen in the U.S.

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens in six days. The first match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is scheduled for July 14 — but the tournament officially begins June 11, and within days, New York metropolitan area transportation hubs, hotels, fan festival sites, and outdoor venues will begin absorbing the first wave of what officials project will be more than one million international visitors over the 39-day tournament. Into that moment, New York City is carrying a public health burden that no American city has faced in the context of a major international event in the modern era: five simultaneous, documented disease activations, each with its own monitoring infrastructure, response protocols, and resource demands, all competing for the attention and bandwidth of the same institutional public health workforce.

    State health officials and experts quoted in CNBC’s comprehensive June 4 World Cup health analysis emphasized that the United States is well-prepared, with “a very robust system” and health departments that have been scaling up surveillance, hospital coordination, and monitoring for months. Dr. Margaret Aldrich of NYU Langone said the U.S. is “better prepared, honestly, than we ever have been for high-consequence infectious diseases.” Infectious disease physician Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, writing in STAT News, noted that the most likely infectious disease threats at the World Cup will “look much more familiar than frightening headlines suggest” — not Ebola, but the highly transmissible respiratory viruses that thrive in exactly the conditions a World Cup creates.

    The Five Simultaneous Activations New York Is Managing

    The full complexity of New York’s public health posture requires enumerating all five concurrent activations: First, the hantavirus quarantine — two New York State residents under around-the-clock state trooper surveillance at residential addresses outside NYC through June 22, representing the only U.S. exposure to Andes virus, the only hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission, following the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak that killed three people worldwide. Second, the active measles situation — 11 confirmed New York State cases in 2026 (6 in NYC, 5 statewide), all unvaccinated adults linked to international travel, embedded in a national outbreak of 1,974 confirmed cases. Third, the Ebola preparedness posture — the WHO’s May 17 PHEIC declaration for the Bundibugyo outbreak in DRC (344 confirmed cases, 60 deaths) with the DRC national team entering the World Cup through Houston. Fourth, the NB.1.8.1 COVID-19 subvariant generating rising wastewater signals in the Northeast. Fifth, West Nile virus surveillance activation for the summer mosquito season.

    Each of these activations is, individually, a normal and manageable public health challenge for a city with New York’s infrastructure. Their simultaneous convergence, during the most intense international visitor period in the metropolitan area’s modern history, is what makes the summer of 2026 unprecedented. New York and New Jersey conducted a 50-agency simulation exercise in June 2025 specifically modeling a high-consequence infectious disease arrival via LaGuardia Airport during a mass gathering event. That simulation was designed for exactly this scenario. But simulations are conducted one scenario at a time. Reality is running five.

    The Measles Threat Is the Science Experts Are Most Focused On

    Of all the disease risks surrounding the World Cup, infectious disease experts have most consistently emphasized measles — not Ebola — as the pathogen most likely to cause a significant outbreak. As Dr. Kuppalli wrote in STAT, the reason is transmissibility. Ebola requires direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a symptomatic person. Measles’s R0 of 12–18 means a single infectious person can spread to 12 to 18 others in a susceptible population — through the air, in enclosed spaces, for up to two hours after the infected person has left the room. At a World Cup crowd of 82,000 people at MetLife Stadium, with international visitors from Mexico (10,920 cases in 2026), Guatemala (6,209 cases), and other Americas countries experiencing active outbreaks, the mathematical exposure potential from a single unidentified infectious case in an indoor concourse is not a model projection. It is a biological certainty.

    The Good News: New York’s Infrastructure Is Genuinely Ready

    In the interest of balance: the preparations New York has made are real and scientifically sound. Bellevue Hospital’s biocontainment unit has undergone additional training for the World Cup period. The Greater New York Hospital Association has conducted multiple video trainings on measles case identification. New York State’s infectious disease surveillance system is at heightened activation. The hantavirus quarantine infrastructure — deploying state troopers as monitors and state health officials for daily symptom assessment — is a demonstration that the system can respond to novel threats rapidly and effectively. Commissioner McDonald’s office has confirmed coordination across all five activations.

    The immediate actionable guidance: New York City Health Department immunization clinics offer MMR vaccination without appointment throughout the five boroughs. For anyone who cannot document two doses of MMR vaccine — or was born between 1957 and 1968 and received the early formaldehyde-inactivated measles vaccine that provided only short-lived protection — vaccination now is the single most important health action available before the MetLife matches begin. The World Cup Final is on July 19. The window to complete two doses — which require at least 28 days between them — closed this week. A single dose now still provides 93% protection against a disease whose R0 is 18. Get vaccinated.

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  • Inside the World of Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Harrison Lee

    Inside the World of Facial Feminization Surgery with Dr. Harrison Lee

    When it comes to facial feminization surgery, few surgeons in the world bring the depth of training, precision, and expertise that Dr. Harrison Lee does to the operating room. A triple board-certified facial plastic surgeon with practices in Beverly Hills and New York City, Dr. Lee has spent nearly three decades at the intersection of surgical science and aesthetic medicine. Nowhere is that more evident than in his work in Facial Feminization Surgery (or FFS).

    A Foundation Built on Bone

    What separates a skilled FFS surgeon from others in the field is not just technique. Dr. Lee’s educational background gave him exactly the foundational knowledge of the facial skeleton needed for this specialization. After graduating from Tufts Dental School in an accelerated three-year program, he completed a four-year residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, taught at NYU as a clinical assistant professor, and then returned to school to earn his MD. Continuing on, he spent five years completing a Head and Neck Surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and a Facial Plastic Surgery Fellowship under world-renowned surgeon Dr. Frank Kamer in Beverly Hills. This extensive path to expertise produced a surgeon with a comprehensive understanding of the face, from the underlying bone structure to the overlying soft tissue. A combination quintessential in FFS.

    Dr. Harrison Lee

    What FFS Actually Involves

    At its core, FFS is the process of reshaping characteristically masculine facial features into those that read as more feminine. That process begins with a clear understanding of the structural and traditionally visible differences between the male and female face.

    Dr. Lee specifically and carefully considers the particularities that these surgeries require. The male jaw, for instance, descends sharply from the ear and typically forms a near-90-degree angle. It tends to be angular and prominent, often accentuated by a well-developed masseter muscle. The male chin is generally wider and more square. The brow bone is frequently more pronounced, sitting lower and heavier above the eyes. The hairline is another key characteristic that is commonly distinguished by an M-shaped recession at the temples in men, while women tend to have a softer, more rounded hairline along the sides.

    Addressing these features requires more than surface-level work. For jaw reduction, Dr. Lee uses a measured, surgical approach that he distinguishes from less precise methods used by other practitioners. “We don’t grind the bone,” he explains. “Once you start grinding the bone, it turns to dust and you don’t know how much you’re taking. I actually measure it and cut it off. It’s a lot more exact.”

    For the chin, his preferred technique is the T-genioplasty, performed entirely through incisions inside the mouth. He cuts the chin horizontally, removes a central vertical segment, and brings the remaining portions inward, allowing the overlying skin to follow naturally. This method avoids a cosmetic complication known as a witch’s chin, which can occur when bone is simply shaved down and the soft tissue does not retract as expected.

    The forehead is addressed with equal care. Dr. Lee reduces prominent brow bones and, where needed, advances the hairline to correct the M-shaped recession at the temples. This can be performed with a simultaneous brow lift through the same incision, minimizing additional scarring and surgical time.

    A Comprehensive Approach in a Single Surgery

    One of the defining aspects of Dr. Lee’s practice is his ability to address the full range of FFS procedures in a single operative session, and on the clock. A complete FFS package under his care can include hairline advancement, brow bone reduction, brow lift, rhinoplasty, upper lip shortening, jaw reduction, T-genioplasty, tracheal shave for Adam’s apple reduction, and cheek augmentation through fat transfer and implants. His goal is to complete the full procedure within a six to seven hour window. Any longer becomes uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous for the patient.

    Dr. Lee approaches every case without applying a standard formula. They require reading each individual face carefully and making decisions that serve both the patient’s goals and the best possible individual and aesthetic outcome.

    Trust Built Through Experience and Results

    For transgender patients, many of whom have had complex or difficult experiences within the medical system, trust is a critical part of the patient-surgeon relationship. Dr. Lee has built that trust through a combination of credentials, experience, and results. His patients have included notable public figures such as Caitlyn Jenner, Nikita Dragun, and Dylan Mulvaney, and his reputation in the FFS community is grounded in consistently natural-looking, successful outcomes.

    He is straightforward about the broader landscape of FFS care. As demand for the procedure grew, many surgeons without adequate training in facial bone surgery began offering FFS. The outcomes in those cases were often poor. “Not every surgeon is well-versed in this type of surgery,” he says. “If you’re not well-versed in these techniques, you shouldn’t be doing these procedures.”

    For Dr. Lee, Facial Feminization Surgery represents both a technical discipline and a meaningful area of medicine. It offers patients the opportunity to align their external appearance with their identity, and it demands the highest level of surgical skill to do well. With 27 years of practice and a surgical background that few in his field can match, Dr. Lee continues to be one of the most trusted and sought-after surgeons in facial feminization surgery today.

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  • A 12-Minute Meditation to Approach the World With a “Don’t-Know Mind”

    A 12-Minute Meditation to Approach the World With a “Don’t-Know Mind”

    We can find strength and resilience in familiarity—and use those feelings to explore the unfamiliar.

    At the beginning of every meditation practice that I teach, I offer up a little bit of instruction for the posture, so that you can experience this practice as being as supportive as possible to your body.

    A Meditation to Approach the World With a “Don’t-Know Mind” 

    1. I would like to invite you to come to a place that is truly comfortable and supportive to your practice. For some of you, this may mean a seated position on a chair, on a sofa, or even on some cushions on the floor. This might mean standing up, if that’s more supportive to your back and your posture. And for some of you, this may mean lying down on the ground. Please take a moment to come to whatever place is going to feel most compassionate to your body.
    2. Some of you may want to fully close your eyes for this meditation practice. And others may want to employ what I like to call a “soft gaze,” which is looking down at the ground about two inches in front of the knees or the feet.
    3. When you’ve settled into a comfortable position, I would love to invite you to take three deep breaths with me. As you’re taking those three deep breaths, you may notice that your body may begin to relax naturally. You may start to feel a little bit more deeply connected to whatever place makes contact with the earth. For some of you that’s going to be your feet, and for others that may be your back. Notice whatever place comes into contact with the earth in this moment.
    4. Begin to draw your attention and awareness to the connection between your body and the earth. It might feel beneficial at this point to take another deep inhale and exhale here. When you’re finished, return your breath back to a natural cadence and rhythm.
    5. You may notice the quality of the sound in the room that you’re in. Maybe there are some ambient noises that are coming from inside of wherever you are, whatever building you’re in. Or maybe there are sounds that are coming from outside. Please feel free to make these a part of your practice.
    6. Begin to draw your awareness to the bottoms of your feet, wherever they are landing on the earth. What do you notice? Does the right foot or the left foot feel slightly heavier than the other? As you notice the difference between the right and the left foot, perhaps you might also become aware of other micro-adjustments inside of your body.
    7. You may notice that the mind continues to produce thoughts, and that’s OK. The point of a meditation practice is not necessarily to stop thinking the thoughts that you are thinking, but rather to just be aware of the thoughts as they flow through the body and the mind. As you draw your awareness to your thoughts, you can also bring your awareness to the rhythm of your breath as it flows in and out of your body.
    8. I would like to invite you to bring your attention to the muscles of the belly and notice if they’ve been drawn in a little bit tightly towards the spine. Is it possible to invite a sense of relaxation, and even vulnerability, to the muscles of the belly by allowing them to be soft? Don’t worry, no one is watching. How does it feel when you invite a sense of softness and relaxation to the belly? How does the rest of the body respond?
    9. While your attention is here, you might begin to imagine a person, place, animal, or object that is deeply familiar to you. Perhaps this animal, person, place, or object reminds you of what it feels like to be home. Can you bring them into the room with you right now?
    10. Notice if that invitation has an impact on your breath, as it rises and falls from your chest. You might even feel a bit more safe in the space of this practice as you invite the image of what reminds you of being home, of being held.
    11. What is familiar to you, deeply familiar, about this person, animal, place, or object, that makes you feel as though you really know them? What is the feeling of knowing? What is the feeling of familiarity, and how does it land inside of the body? The invitation is to bring your attention back to the breath anytime that you notice yourself getting caught up in the story.
    12. Now, bring to mind an image of something that reminds you of what it means to be strong and resilient. Maybe there’s someone who you really look up to, or a place you’ve been that made you feel truly strong and resilient when you were there. Can you bring into your mind’s awareness the embodied sensations of being strong and resilient? Does your body make slight changes and shifts as you recall how this feels?
    13. Now we’re going to do a little bit of experimenting. Hopefully this will be fun. There’s a term called “don’t know mind” that is sometimes used in meditation to invoke a sense of curiosity.
    14. What is it like to approach the world with a “don’t know mind?” You may find that this is a bit of a contrast to the feeling of familiarity that we began to explore in the beginning of this practice. The feeling of familiarity is the feeling of, “Oh yes, I know. I know this person. I know this place. I know this animal or this object. They are deeply familiar to me.” Perhaps the way we view things, which are seemingly familiar to us, can begin to shift and change ever so slightly when we apply the pure curiosity of “don’t know mind.” How does that land in the body? This exploration of not knowing, of not being quite certain?
    15. At this point in your practice, you may notice if there are places in the body that begin to contract when we explore the feeling of “don’t know mind,” and that’s OK. This is the body’s intelligence. Can we unite this exploration of “don’t know mind” with those same sensations of strength and resilience, so that we know that no matter what, when we encounter moments of uncertainty and not-knowing that we have all the strength and resilience inside of our body to meet with that moment? What does it feel like to meet strength and resilience with not-knowing? Can we be truly curious about what arises in our awareness with this practice? Let’s take just a few moments in silence together now and explore the way that this feels.
    16. When you’re ready please bring your entire body into your mind’s eye and notice the difference between the way the body feels now and the way the body felt when you first entered into this space of practice. Take the time to notice the way the feet feel slightly different in the way they connect to the earth.
    17. Let’s all take one more deep breath in here.
    18. When you’re ready, at your own pace and rhythm, please begin to, ever so slowly and gently, open up the eyes, without staring at anything in particular. Allow color and texture to flood back into your mind’s awareness.
       
    19. From here we can begin the process of reorienting to the room that we’re in. Gently begin to turn and rotate the head and the neck, and take in the colors and textures of the space you are in. Notice if there’s anything new or different or alive in the space. What has changed since you started this practice?



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  • Seven Strengths for an Uncertain World

    Seven Strengths for an Uncertain World

    I remember standing in my kitchen one morning, drawn to check my phone to find out what’s happening in the world before I’d even made my first cup of tea. A sad news story,  three urgent emails, and a text that seemed to be screaming for a response. I set the phone down on the counter, took a slow breath, and asked myself a question that has stayed with me: What kind of person do I need to be to live well in today’s world?

    That question isn’t abstract. It is, I believe, a key question of our time. Because the world isn’t going to slow down or untangle itself. And the uncertainty isn’t going to resolve neatly.

    The real work isn’t “out there,” just waiting for the right political leader or the right set of circumstances and then everything is fine. The real work begins inside each of us.

    So the real work isn’t “out there,” waiting for the right political leader or the right set of circumstances and then everything is fine. The real work begins inside each of us.

    Over many years of teaching mindfulness, in hospitals, boardrooms, community halls, and online, I’ve come to believe that there are a set of core inner strengths or qualities that help human beings not just cope with difficulty, but to grow and flourish from them.

    These aren’t personality traits you’re either born with or not. Think of them less like fixed features and more like seeds that grow into beautiful flowers. They just need regular watering. And they can grow. And when they do, everything changes. Not just for you, but for everyone around you. This inner garden is for all to enjoy and flourish within it.

    Strengths Aren’t Born. They’re Grown.

    Early in my mindfulness teaching ‘career’, I used to hear people say things like, “Oh, you’re just naturally calm” or “Some people are just more resilient.” I understood why they said it. Because when you’re in the thick of anxiety, inner peace can look like someone else’s birthright. But neuroscience, and thousands of years of contemplative tradition, tell a different story.

    The brain is neuroplastic. It changes with repeated experience. And you are the way your brain responds. Every time you pause before reacting, you’re literally reshaping neural pathways. Every time you choose gratitude over complaint, or compassion over judgment, you’re strengthening something real within you.

    The brain is neuroplastic. It changes with repeated experience. And you are the way your brain responds. Every time you pause before reacting, you’re literally reshaping neural pathways. Every time you choose gratitude over complaint, or compassion over judgment, you’re strengthening something real within you.

    The seven strengths I want to share with you aren’t ideals to aspire to from a distance. They’re capacities you can develop, starting today, starting with one minute if that’s all you have. Because watering seeds doesn’t have to take all day.

    The Seven Strengths: A Tour

    1. Compassion

    We often think of compassion as something we extend outward. To suffering strangers, to difficult relatives or to a fractured world. But the most important discovery in compassion research is that it has to begin closer to home. Self-compassion: treating yourself with the same warmth you’d offer a dear friend in trouble, isn’t selfish. It’s the foundation that makes caring for others sustainable. You cannot pour from an empty cup. When you’re stuck in a self-criticism loop, you don’t have the inner resources to meet others with kindness. Compassion, turned inward first, becomes the well the whole world drinks from.

    2. Flexibility, Growth, and Grit

    A willow tree doesn’t resist the storm. It bends and yet its roots hold. That image captures something essential about the strength of flexibility. Life will not cooperate with our plans. The pandemic reminded us of that. The question isn’t whether setbacks will come, but whether we can learn from them. A growth mindset, the understanding that our abilities and circumstances are not fixed, transforms even our worst moments into data points on the journey.

    3. Purpose, Contribution, and Harmony

    I once asked a group of executives what they wanted their legacy to be. The room went quiet in a way that surprised them. Most of us spend so much time living from task to task, that we rarely stop to ask what we’re actually building long term. Purpose is the compass that makes navigation possible. It doesn’t have to be grand. For many people, purpose lives in small, daily acts of contribution: being genuinely present for a child, creating something beautiful, alleviating someone’s pain. When you know why you’re here, the how becomes much less overwhelming.

    In a world brimming with bad news, choosing joy can feel almost irresponsible, like cheerfully whistling while the house is burning. But this misunderstands what joy actually is. Joy isn’t denial. It’s not turning away from suffering. It’s the capacity to remain open to beauty, connection, and warm-heartedness even while holding the weight of what’s hard.

    4. Happiness, Gratitude, and Joy

    In a world brimming with bad news, choosing joy can feel almost irresponsible, like cheerfully whistling while the house is burning. But this misunderstands what joy actually is. Joy isn’t denial. It’s not turning away from suffering. It’s the capacity to remain open to beauty, connection, and warm-heartedness even while holding the weight of what’s hard. Gratitude, its close companion, works like a muscle too. The more deliberately you notice what is good, the more naturally your nervous system orients toward it. Joy is not a luxury. It is fuel. Without it, even the most committed activist, caregiver, or teacher burns out.

    5. Wisdom and Mindfulness

    Mindfulness is sometimes framed as a stress-relief tool. A way to feel a bit calmer before your next meeting. And while it does that, quite reliably for some, it offers something much deeper: the capacity to see clearly. Most of our suffering comes not from circumstances themselves, but from the stories we layer on top of them. “This always happens to me.” “They don’t respect me.” “Things will never get better.” Mindfulness creates a tiny gap between stimulus and response, and in that gap lives wisdom. The chance to slow down for a moment and choose a meaningful action rather than automatically react in an unhealthy way.

    If you want to get started with your own mindfulness practice and have the support of exercises, guided meditations, and compassionate encouragement—you can sign up for my 31-Day Mindfulness Challenge anytime.

    6. Empowerment, Courage, and Resilience

    There is a particular kind of courage that has nothing to do with the lack of fear. It is the willingness to act consciously, even when fear is loudest. When the easy path and the right path diverge. Resilience is not the ability to never be knocked down. It is the hard-won knowledge that you can get back up. Every time we face difficulty and survive it, even messily, we build that knowledge. Empowerment follows: the growing trust that you have what it takes to meet what life brings you.

    7. Calm and Peace

    Calm or peace is not passivity. It’s certainly not indifference or the absence of feeling. Inner peace is the still centre of a spinning wheel. Everything can move around it, and yet the centre holds. When I’m calm, I listen better and I think more clearly. My calm creates space for others to be calmer. The research on co-regulation tells us that one grounded nervous system can literally soothe another. Calm is not just a personal joy, it is a gift to every person in your presence.

    Need a regular dose of support and encouragement? I’ve been sending out a weekly mindfulness newsletter for over a decade. Get mindfulness resources, meditations, stories, and tips—all for free.

    These Strengths Don’t Live Alone

    What I’ve noticed, both in my own practice and in working with thousands of students, is that these seven strengths form an ecosystem rather than a checklist. They are like instruments in an orchestra, each one distinct, but capable of something far richer in combination. Calm supports compassion; when you’re regulated, you can meet others’ pain without being overwhelmed by it. Compassion deepens purpose; caring about others naturally draws you toward contribution. Purpose fuels courage; when you know what matters, you find the willingness to act on it even when it’s hard. Gratitude feeds wisdom; a grateful mind is more open and less defended.

    You don’t need to develop all seven at once. In my experience, deepening any one of them creates a gentle pull toward the others. Start where you are. Start with what calls to you.

    TRY THIS: The One-Minute Strength Check-In

    You can do this anywhere – waiting for the coffee to brew, sitting in your car, or in the first quiet moment of your morning.

    1. Pause. Take one slow breath in through your nose, and let it out slowly through your mouth as if you’re blowing through a straw. Feel your feet on the floor.
    2. Now silently ask yourself: “Which strength do I most need right now?”
    3. Don’t overthink it. Notice what arises – perhaps it’s calm, perhaps it’s courage. Perhaps it’s a flicker of gratitude you haven’t allowed yourself to feel.
    4. Place one hand on your heart. Breathe. Say softly to yourself: “I am watering this seed within as best I can. It is enough to begin.”
    5. Take one more breath. Then continue with your day, a little more intentional than before.

    Inner Work Is World Work

    There is a misconception that inner work, watering those inner seeds, is somehow self-absorbed…a privileged retreat from the real problems of the world. I’ve heard this criticism, and I can understand it. But I’ve seen what happens when people try to change the world without doing any inner work: they burn out. Additionally, they can project their unprocessed anger onto allies. They can then replicate the same dynamics they’re trying to dismantle in the world.

    The person who has cultivated peace brings that calm into every relationship they engage in. The person who has done the work of self-compassion treats their colleagues with more humanity.

    The person who has cultivated peace brings that calm into every relationship they engage in. The person who has done the work of self-compassion treats their colleagues with more humanity. The self-compassion spills over into compassion for others. The person who has found their purpose acts with a consistency and groundedness that is, itself, a form of leadership. Inner work is not a detour from outer change. It is the prerequisite for it.

    This is the vision behind the Global Compassion Coalition. The understanding that a more compassionate and resilient world is built not through a single grand gesture, but through millions of ordinary human beings choosing, day by day, to develop the inner qualities that make genuine connection possible.

    Join Us: The Seven Strengths Global Event

    From May 13–19, 2026, I’ll be joining some of the most respected teachers alive – including Sharon Salzberg, Rick Hanson, Kristen Neff, Tami Simon, Mamphela Ramphele, and Melli O’Brien – for a free, seven-day online global event called The Seven Strengths.

    Each day, one teacher will focus on one strength: a short teaching and a guided meditation, designed to be genuinely accessible even in the middle of a busy life. This is not a passive summit you half-watch while scrolling. It’s a structured, daily practice, a challenge, in the best sense of the word.

    The event is hosted by Mindfulness.com in collaboration with Sounds True and DailyOM, and all proceeds support the Global Compassion Coalition’s work to build a more compassionate, resilient world. That means joining is both an act of personal growth and an act of collective generosity.

    On Day 7, I’ll be guiding the practice on Calm and Peace, the strength I believe underlies and supports all the others. I would love to meet you there.

    The world doesn’t need more anxious, exhausted people trying to hold everything together. It needs calmer, wiser, more compassionate human beings choosing to show up, day after day, from a place of genuine inner strength.



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  • A Meditation For When the Suffering In the World Feels Heavy

    A Meditation For When the Suffering In the World Feels Heavy

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pain, uncertainty, and suffering in the world right now, here is a practice to find courage, peace, acceptance, and connection.

    Many of us are carrying the weight of the world’s suffering right now. How can we acknowledge the immense suffering in the world, including our own—and still tend to our hearts, minds, and bodies in a way that keeps us grounded and able to take compassionate action?

    This week, mindfulness teacher and author Wendy O’Leary shares a guided practice that offers refuge and reminds us of our real and loving connection to one another.

    There are three main parts of the practice. First, stabilizing or grounding. Second, settling back, softening, and soothing. And third, the one for me, one for you practice, which is based on the giving and receiving compassion practice from the Mindful Self-Compassion Program.

    A Meditation For When the Suffering In the World Feels Heavy

    Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.

    1. I invite you to get into a comfortable seated position. You can close your eyes or gently look down and soften your gaze. Whatever works best for you.
    2. Begin by directing your attention into your body, allowing it to gently move in and drift down as it drops all the way down to your feeling the connection of your feet on the floor. If your feet aren’t on the floor, simply notice wherever the feet are connected. That experience of contact and pressure. Or you might feel the contact and pressure of the backs of your legs on the chair or cushion. Connecting with this felt experience of being grounded and rooted, supported and held here on earth. As you feel the somatic experience of those contact points, the feet or the seat. Rooted, grounded, steady and stable. Connected and supported by the earth.
    3. From this place of steadiness and stability, bring to mind someone you know who’s having a hard time. It could be someone you know personally or more generally someone or a group of people you are aware of who are struggling at this time. On a scale of one to 10, choose an example of someone who is somewhere in the middle. So not the most difficult situation.
    4. As you allow them to more fully enter your awareness, check in with your body. Often, when we’re focused on difficulty, ours or others’, there can be a habitual tendency to contract, to tighten, and to even lean forward. Check it out to see if this is true for you. Counteract this tendency. I invite you to gently lean back, physically or even energetically, just a little. Settle back.
    5. Now, invite the body to soften and even widen, creating space to hold whatever is there. So we aren’t forcing anything here. It’s a very gentle invitation to settle back and soften. If it feels supportive for you, you can place your hand on your heart center as a way to care for and soothe the body, heart, and mind. Settle back, soften, soothe.
    6. Now begin to gently direct your attention to rest with the breath, feeling the flow of the breath moving in and out of the body. Just this in-breath. And just this out breath. Connecting with this experience of the breath, moving through the body like a wave moves through the ocean. And bringing back to mind this person or group of people whom you know are suffering.
    7. Check in with yourself to see what would best support you in being with their struggles. So that could be, for example, patience or calm, strength, acceptance. Whatever you feel would best support you. On the in-breath, offering that to yourself, and then gently releasing on the out-breath. If no word comes to mind, that’s totally fine. You can simply think to yourself, one for me on the inhale, and gently release on the exhale. One for me, and gently release.
    8. If it feels right for you, you can now consider what it is that they most need. It may be the same thing you need, or it could be something different. And again, if a word doesn’t come to you, you could think, one for you.
    9. Continue to take in for yourself what you need on the inhale, and offer them what they need on the exhale. Taking in one for me on the in-breath and one for you on the out-breath. One for me. And one for you.
    10. As you feel ready, open your eyes or look up as we close this practice. As we practice this more formally, it becomes accessible to us in our daily life, more available for us to use these practices when we come in contact with suffering in our lives. 

    Thank you for practicing with me and may our practice benefit all beings.



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  • From Burnout to Bliss: How to Recharge and Revitalize in a Fast-Paced World

    From Burnout to Bliss: How to Recharge and Revitalize in a Fast-Paced World

    In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. With constant demands on our time and energy, it’s no wonder that many of us are feeling burnt out, exhausted, and drained. But what if you could break free from the cycle of burnout and find a sense of bliss and fulfillment? In this article, we’ll explore the signs of burnout, the importance of self-care, and provide practical tips on how to recharge and revitalize your mind, body, and spirit.

    Understanding Burnout

    Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, overwork, and lack of balance in life. It can manifest in different ways, including feelings of hopelessness, detachment, and cynicism. If left unaddressed, burnout can lead to serious health problems, including depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease. It’s essential to recognize the signs of burnout and take action to prevent it.

    The Importance of Self-Care

    Self-care is the practice of taking care of one’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It’s essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and preventing burnout. Self-care activities can include exercise, meditation, reading, spending time in nature, and connecting with loved ones. By prioritizing self-care, you can reduce stress, increase energy, and improve your overall quality of life.

    Recharging Your Mind

    Recharging your mind is essential for maintaining mental clarity, focus, and productivity. Here are some tips to help you recharge your mind:

    • Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment, without judgment. You can practice mindfulness through meditation, deep breathing, or simply paying attention to your thoughts and emotions.

    • Take breaks: Taking regular breaks can help you recharge and refocus. Try taking a short walk, doing some stretching, or practicing some deep breathing exercises.

    • Learn to say no: Learning to say no to non-essential tasks and commitments can help you free up time and energy for more important things.

    • Get enough sleep: Getting enough sleep is essential for mental clarity and focus. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and establish a consistent sleep routine.

    Recharging Your Body

    Recharging your body is essential for maintaining physical health and energy. Here are some tips to help you recharge your body:

    • Exercise regularly: Exercise is essential for physical health and energy. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.

    • Eat a balanced diet: Eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can help you maintain energy and support overall health.

    • Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated is essential for physical health and energy. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day and limit sugary drinks.

    • Practice self-care activities: Self-care activities such as massage, yoga, and tai chi can help you relax and recharge your body.

    Recharging Your Spirit

    Recharging your spirit is essential for maintaining a sense of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. Here are some tips to help you recharge your spirit:

    • Connect with nature: Spending time in nature can help you feel connected to something larger than yourself and recharge your spirit. Try taking a walk in the park, hiking, or simply spending time in your backyard.

    • Practice gratitude: Practicing gratitude can help you focus on the positive aspects of your life and recharge your spirit. Try keeping a gratitude journal or sharing three things you’re grateful for with a friend or family member each day.

    • Engage in activities that bring you joy: Engaging in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment can help you recharge your spirit. Whether it’s painting, playing music, or cooking, make time for activities that make you happy.

    • Connect with others: Connecting with others can help you feel supported, loved, and connected. Try reaching out to a friend or family member, joining a community group, or volunteering.

    Creating a Self-Care Plan

    Creating a self-care plan can help you prioritize your well-being and make self-care a habit. Here are some steps to help you create a self-care plan:

    • Identify your self-care needs: Take some time to reflect on what you need to feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled. Consider your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

    • Set self-care goals: Set specific, achievable self-care goals, such as exercising for 30 minutes per day or practicing meditation for 10 minutes per day.

    • Schedule self-care time: Schedule self-care time into your daily or weekly routine, just as you would any other important appointment.

    • Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to self-care. Try to stick to your self-care plan as much as possible, even when life gets busy.

    Overcoming Obstacles to Self-Care

    Despite the importance of self-care, many of us face obstacles that prevent us from prioritizing our well-being. Here are some common obstacles to self-care and tips for overcoming them:

    • Lack of time: If you’re struggling to find time for self-care, try scheduling it into your daily or weekly routine or breaking it down into smaller, manageable chunks.

    • Lack of motivation: If you’re struggling to motivate yourself to practice self-care, try finding a self-care buddy or accountability partner, or rewarding yourself for reaching self-care milestones.

    • Financial constraints: If you’re struggling to afford self-care activities, try finding free or low-cost alternatives, such as walking or practicing yoga at home.

    Conclusion

    Burnout is a common problem in today’s fast-paced world, but it’s not inevitable. By prioritizing self-care, recharging your mind, body, and spirit, and creating a self-care plan, you can break free from the cycle of burnout and find a sense of bliss and fulfillment. Remember, self-care is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be better equipped to handle the demands of daily life and live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life.

    FAQs

    Q: What are the signs of burnout?
    A: The signs of burnout include feelings of hopelessness, detachment, and cynicism, as well as physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and insomnia.
    Q: How can I prioritize self-care?
    A: You can prioritize self-care by scheduling it into your daily or weekly routine, setting self-care goals, and being consistent.
    Q: What are some free or low-cost self-care activities?
    A: Some free or low-cost self-care activities include walking, practicing yoga at home, meditating, and connecting with nature.
    Q: How can I overcome lack of motivation to practice self-care?
    A: You can overcome lack of motivation to practice self-care by finding a self-care buddy or accountability partner, rewarding yourself for reaching self-care milestones, or finding activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.
    Q: Is self-care a luxury or a necessity?
    A: Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. By taking care of yourself, you’ll be better equipped to handle the demands of daily life and live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life.

  • Heat Risks Force World Marathons And Race Walks To Start Earlier

    Heat Risks Force World Marathons And Race Walks To Start Earlier

    The marathons and 35km race walks at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo will start half an hour earlier because of health risks posed by unseasonably hot weather, organisers said Thursday.

    The energy-sapping race walks are scheduled to open the championships on Saturday morning, with the women’s marathon on Sunday and the men’s on Monday.

    Temperatures have been as high as 33C this week and, with the heatwave set to continue into next week, organisers have been forced to move the road race starts to 7:30 am.

    “Due to expected elevated heat conditions that could pose a health and safety risk to competing athletes, all road events on the first three days … will start 30 minutes earlier than scheduled,” said a joint statement from the organisers and World Athletics.

    “The start time for the road events had originally been set at 08:00 am in consideration of climate conditions, operational aspects, and maximising spectator attendance.”

    World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe admitted in Tokyo on Tuesday that the high temperatures would be an issue for athletes.

    Marathon and race walk events at the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which were held from July 23 to August 8, were moved to the cooler northern city of Sapporo because of heat concerns.

    However, this time round they have remained in Tokyo where the temperatures in mid-September “have remained at those of mid-summer”, the statement noted.

    “(The decision) has been communicated to the athletes as early as possible to allow them to prepare and adjust to the new start time.”

    Fears over the heat in Doha at the 2019 world championships resulted in the marathons beginning at midnight with the walks half an hour earlier.

    Japan’s average temperature between June and August was 2.36C above “the standard value”, making it the hottest summer since records began in 1898, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

    It was the third consecutive summer of record high temperatures, the agency noted.

    Coe said after Tuesday’s meeting of the World Athletics Council the future risks of global warming had been discussed.

    “These are not transient, they’re here to stay,” he said.

    “Governments have not stepped up to the plate and sport is going to have to take some unilateral judgments and decisions here.

    “And we have reflected in the past, if we are committed to athlete welfare, then we should probably be openly committed to that,” he added.

    In-stadium competition start times on each of the first three days remain unchanged.

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  • Wise Engagement with the World: What to Do When You Wish Things Were Different

    Wise Engagement with the World: What to Do When You Wish Things Were Different

    Summary

    • Wise engagement starts with caring for yourself through loving, patient attention.
    • Staying present with your difficult emotions is a form of wise engagement that changes how you relate to your pain.
    • Engaging wisely with the truth that everything changes can give our actions more wisdom and clarity, helping to benefit others.

    What should you do when you feel helpless, hostile, or outraged? Maybe your spouse betrayed your trust, a friend criticized you behind your back, or your child refuses to listen. Or maybe, like many of us today, you’re heartbroken and angry about the actions of political leaders, corporations, or governments—especially when they cause harm to people, animals, or the planet.

    You’re not morally wrong and you’re not a bad person to feel the way you do, but your emotions aren’t hurting the people causing harm. They’re hurting you. They cloud your mind, contract your heart, and make it harder to act with the wisdom and clarity the world so badly needs right now.

    That’s why it’s essential to take care of yourself—not by checking out or pretending things are okay, but by meeting your pain with loving attention, patience, and kindness. This is the practice of non-hatred—the profound and deeply wise choice to relate to suffering without fueling the fires of rage, despair, or blame.

    Choosing Presence and Acceptance

    Taking care of your difficult emotions means staying present with your body, heart, and mind, even when it’s painful. You might put your hand on your heart or belly and bring your attention to the sensations, thoughts, and energies arising in you. You can gently say to yourself, “I’m here for you,” or use Thich Nhat Hanh’s powerful words: “I see you, [name the feeling], and I’m not going to leave you.” This simple act of acknowledgment softens the edges of emotional pain. You’re not trying to get rid of it—you’re learning to relate to it with openness, understanding, and tenderness. That’s how healing begins and wisdom arises.

    You’re learning to relate to emotional pain with openness, understanding, and tenderness. That’s how healing begins and wisdom arises.

    It also arises through metta, or loving-kindness. In the Buddhist tradition, this quality is sometimes translated as “non-hatred.” When you’re feeling hurt or upset with people or policies, you might not be able to wish them well. But you can choose to not wish them ill. Non-hatred doesn’t mean approving of harm. It means not letting malice or aggression take root in your own heart. It’s the wisdom of protecting yourself from the corrosive effects of hostility and ill-will while still taking meaningful action.

    Non-hatred includes compassion for your own distress and for those who are suffering. It’s rooted in the recognition that sustained anger clouds judgment, causes deep inner pain, and often leads us to act in ways that perpetuate harm rather than stop it. Choosing non-hatred allows us to respond—rather than react—with steadiness, strength, and clarity.

    Choosing non-hatred allows us to respond—rather than react—with steadiness, strength, and clarity.

    Contrary to current cultural messages, responding in this way isn’t weakness. It’s strength guided by wisdom. It means we stop harm when we can, but we do it from an undisturbed mind and a compassionate heart.

    Taking Comfort in Change

    You can also ground yourself and steady your upset with the truth of change.

    Nothing exists in isolation, and nothing stays the same forever. Even a simple wooden table is the result of countless factors: the tree, the soil, the weather, the lumber mill, the delivery system, the craftsman. Each of those conditions has its own causes.

    The same is true for suffering—personal, cultural, and global. Everything harmful or broken exists because of specific conditions. That’s good news, because if we can change the conditions, we can change the outcomes.

    Everything harmful or broken exists because of specific conditions—and if we can change the conditions, we can change the outcomes.

    That’s why your actions matter. What you think, say, and do shapes the world. Even small acts—motivated by wisdom, compassion, and non-harming—contribute to the conditions necessary for unity, generosity, and harmony. When your actions arise from steadiness and goodwill rather than reactivity, they’re far more effective. Calm, clear, and courageous responses don’t just feel better—they do better.

    You may not be able to control the actions of others or the circumstances of the world, but you can always choose to respond with wisdom and clarity.

    You begin by turning toward your distress with openness and gentleness. Then you cultivate the practice of non-hatred. And finally, you commit to using your thoughts, words, and actions to contribute to the conditions that bring benefit and avoid causing harm. You make a choice to participate in the creation of a more just, generous, and loving world—for yourself, your friends and family, and all living beings.



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  • U.S. Halts Animal Imports From Mexico As Flesh-Eating New World Screwworm Sparks Alarm

    U.S. Halts Animal Imports From Mexico As Flesh-Eating New World Screwworm Sparks Alarm

    The New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that harms both cattle and humans and was once eradicated from the U.S. after more than three decades of effort, is raising new concerns amid an outbreak in Mexico. In response to the looming threat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a halt on imports of cattle, bison, and horses through the southern border.

    The New World screwworm produces larvae that feed on the flesh and blood of livestock, pets, wildlife, birds, and, in some cases, humans, causing painful infestations that can lead to potentially fatal damage to their hosts. It was eradicated in the U.S. in 1966 after billions of dollars were spent on an operation that involved releasing hundreds of millions of sterile adult flies, which would mate with wild females and ultimately prevent them from laying viable eggs.

    The recent threat emerged after the maggot fly was detected on remote farms in Mexico with minimal cattle movement, reaching as far north as Oaxaca and Veracruz, about 700 miles from the U.S. border.

    “Due to the threat of New World Screwworm, I am announcing the suspension of live cattle, horse, & bison imports through U.S. southern border ports of entry effective immediately. The last time this devastating pest invaded America, it took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover. This cannot happen again,” the USDA Secretary, Brooke Rollins, announced in an X post.

    The first case of infestation in Mexico was reported to the U.S. in November 2024, following which the USDA shut down the border for live animal trade. Trade resumed in February 2025, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Mexican authorities put in place a thorough inspection and treatment process to safely manage animal movement and reduce the risk of New World screwworm.

    The USDA announced that APHIS is deploying sterile flies by air and on the ground at key sites, focusing on southern Mexico and other parts of Central America.

    “The protection of our animals and the safety of our nation’s food supply is a national security issue of the utmost importance. Once we see increased surveillance and eradication efforts, and the positive results of those actions, we remain committed to opening the border for livestock trade. This is not about politics or punishment of Mexico, rather it is about food and animal safety,” Secretary Rollins said in a news release.

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