You can't miss this episode if you want to know what a major health system is doing to train their physicians and medical staff in culinary medicine and contemplative practices such as mindfulness?

Join Dr. Werner, co-creator of the Mindfulness Skill Training in Medicine for an interview with Dr. Kristi Artz. Dr. Kristi is Spectrum Health's Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine, Spectrum Health MedNow, and Lead Physician for the Culinary Medicine program.

Spectrum Health is a major health system in West Michigan with 31,000 employees and 4,200 physicians. Their portfolio includes 14 hospitals and 220 ambulatory sites.

Research:Health care professionals (HCP) are vulnerable to stress and empathy fatigue. HCP face exposure to suffering patients and an emotionally exhausting work environment.

Dr. Werner presents evidence that loving-kindness meditation, may be an essential pathway to effective emotion regulation. Contemplative practice may be a necessary tool for a humanistic, effective, and satisfying practice of medicine.

In an era in which many HCP suffer from professional burnout, engaging in regular contemplative practice may be a way in which HCP not only heal themselves but heal their patients as well.

Opinion: An application of Shakyamuni Buddha's philosophy on dukkha in the modern world (physical and psychosocial ailments such as chronic stress, job burnout, chronic pain, and chronic illness and so forth) and evidence-based, western mindfulness practice for the cessation of suffering and better quality of life.

Practice: Practitioners from our Monday evening meditation group asked if I could help them time their meditation practice. In this episode, you won't hear much talk. Sure you'll listen to a brief intro.

The meditation practice is bookended by three strikes of the gong at the beginning to help you settle. You'll hear two strikes of the bell, marking the end of formal meditation practice.

Between the gongs is silence to allow for your intrinsic (non-guided) meditation practice to unfold.

Opinion: My goal today is to talk a little about how my experience with the finiteness of life directed me toward meditation and mindfulness at the Absenger Cancer Education Foundation. At ACEF we help survivors and loved ones deal with quality of life and existential issues surrounding living and dying by delving into contemplative practices.

Practice: Dr. Werner introduces you to a mindfulness meditation exercise called "Counting your Breath." He also provides some helpful tips on how to get a regular contemplative practice such as mindfulness meditation started and stick with practice on a regular basis.

Opinion: In this episode, Dr. Werner introduces the "Mindfulness Unfiltered Podcast." He also talks about "Filters of Consciousness" and how they helped conceive the name "Mindfulness Unfiltered."

The Bottom Line? The "Mindfulness Unfiltered Podcast" was created to help clinicians and patients figuring out whether or not contemplative practice such as mindfulness and meditation can support unique personal wellness and healthcare situations and goals.