Personal growth

People demonstrate generosity in myriad ways, from gifts of time and money to everyday acts of kindness toward loved ones—and even to deeds that involve substantial self-sacrifice, like donating a kidney to a stranger. But we are often nowhere near as generous as we could (or even aspire to) be. In short: although we have the capacity to be generous, we don’t always act generously. The John Templeton Foundation did an extensive study of “The Science of Generosity,” answering many important questions.

Generosity with self is no small feat. We can be more dedicated to giving to others and overlook the importance of tending to our own needs. Generosity with self is essential to transform, especially through our ITP practice. In this essay, Pam Kramer describes her take on the topic.

Josh Brahinsky is a Psychological Anthropologist, working over the past few years in Anthropology at Stanford University, Psychology at UC Berkeley, and now in Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University. He joined a team of researchers to examine ITP and its effect on its practitioners. This project took him beyond academia.

Putting together all aspects of our integral being is a practice itself. Conscious, embodied integration of our many parts reinforces wholeness, balance, and integrity—much of what ITP promises for practitioners. Rather than focusing awareness on one aspect of ourselves, such as the heart with its vast array of feelings, the staying current practice prompts us to pay equal attention to all aspects—the totality of who we are – to mine our deeper truths for self-understanding, growth, and mindful action.