meditation

Vacation can mean different things to different people. You can tour foreign cities, soak up artistic culture, veg out at a beach resort, or relax at a spa. And while all of these are wonderful ways to spend precious leisure time, you can also use your vacation to take away something more than a tan or a ton of scenic photographs.

With summer coming to a close and shorter, darker days ahead, you might be wondering how to cope with the negative thoughts that often accompany the season’s change and can lead to depression. A recent study found that age-old meditative techniques and more modern cognitive therapy can help alleviate symptoms.

I sat cross-legged on the living-room rug, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to quiet my mind. Alas, random thoughts persisted, flickering about like fireflies on a summer evening. After five minutes, I abandoned my Zen pose. I would have rather folded laundry or gone on a 3-mile run—anything with more tangible results.