tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post6347576820318936440..comments2023-10-23T12:23:54.134-05:00Comments on Larry James' Urban Daily: Poverty and StressLarry Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-69614679712385067692009-04-14T18:44:00.000-05:002009-04-14T18:44:00.000-05:00In a laboratory setting, the test results are stri...In a laboratory setting, the test results are striking. BUT when you also factor in that a child in an inner city school is dealing daily with the stresses that induced the reduced brain functions, the idea of an even playing field is even further from reality. <br /><br />I wonder how many of the "Lazy" poor might be actually evidencing a very reasonable response to generations of failure/stress/failure/stress. When trying their hardest, these kids get outperformed. Why try?<br /><br />Pass the crack pipe, man...this is depressing me!Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000945683563344615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-81699729423741972952009-04-14T10:50:00.000-05:002009-04-14T10:50:00.000-05:00chad, thanks for this. I have known of a couple o...chad, thanks for this. I have known of a couple of efforts here in inner city East Dallas to teach meditation and Yoga. . .primarily in response to the large Buddhist population from SE Asia--especially a decade or more ago. Another movement that seems to be spreading is community gardening. The notion of embracing the discipline of meditation in the noisy, noisy world of our city is a fine one.Larry Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06124477733714017000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9827454.post-71630713925353938542009-04-14T10:27:00.000-05:002009-04-14T10:27:00.000-05:00Larry, I also saw this article in the Economist. C...Larry, I also saw this article in the Economist. Christi and I both went through a program at Mass General on healthy attitudes for dealling with illness and stress, and part of the course was learning the physiology of stress. It's astounding what happens to our brains. And when I think how difficult it has been for - living in relatively comfortable circumstances - to deal with the effects of stress...it only highlights the kinds of physical and social burdens the poor are carrying.<br /><br />I'm wondering, too, do you know of any efforts to teach urban poor communities to meditate? Building a daily meditation practice was part of MGH's *medical* solution to the negative effects of stress. I'm kind of curious if that aspect of the science has made any inroads into urban communities.Chadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06454196085219953943noreply@blogger.com