People simply aren\u2019t taking the time to quiet their minds. One potential avenue that deserves more investigation is mindfulness. But what physical effects can mindfulness have on the brain?<\/p>\n
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What is Mindfulness?<\/h2>\n
Many folks have heard of the term, but how many people know exactly what mindfulness is and how can we achieve it? Psychology Today offers up three definitions<\/a>. The second definition of mindfulness is to \u201creturn to the present moment.\u201d Mindfulness isn\u2019t about constantly staying in the present moment. No one\u2019s mind can do that. But, your mind has the ability to return you to that moment.<\/p>\n Lastly, mindfulness is defined as the \u201cself-regulation of attention with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and acceptance\u201d. This definition is the scientific standard used when it comes to studying the practice of mindfulness.<\/p>\n Mindfulness is commonly referred to as meditation. And perhaps no group is more generally associated with meditation than Buddhist monks. Dr. Josipovic is seeking to determine how the monks achieve a state of \u201cnonduality\u201d and \u201coneness\u201d with the world as they meditate. He says that consistent meditation practice fosters a person\u2019s attention skills. And those improved skills can potentially lead to a happier way of life.<\/p>\n Josipovic theorizes that as a meditator relaxes into a state of oneness, the brain\u2019s neural networks change when the psychological walls between the person and their environments are lowered. This can lead to a deeper harmony between them and their surroundings.<\/p>\n A human brain functions in two different networks; the extrinsic and the intrinsic. The intrinsic network is also called the default network.<\/p>\n The extrinsic network functions when a person is focusing on an external task. The default network comes into play when a person is thinking about matters that involve themselves and the emotions connected to those matters. The two networks rotate between active and dormant depending on the situation. The EOC Institute also reported<\/a> on the scientific research at NYU involving the brains of Buddhist monks during meditation. In addition to the brain\u2019s ability to channel a sense of oneness, the studies revealed several other fascinating results.<\/p>\n Brainwave patterns of the monks were more powerful. The monks also showed no signs of depression, anxiety, or addiction. Abilities, including focus, memory, learning, and consciousness, were all enhanced in the monks\u2019 brains.<\/p>\n The monks\u2019 brains were functionally and physically superior to brains of folks who don\u2019t meditate. The conclusions drawn from the research is that it\u2019s possible to change your brain through mediation the same way you can change your body through exercise.<\/p>\n Stress, especially in the workplace, is a burdensome issue for American adults. Paychex conducted a survey<\/a> of over 2,000 full-time adult employees. The survey showed that 81 percent of those surveyed wish they could spend more time with their children. Almost half of the respondents \u2013 47 percent \u2013 work non-mandatory weekends. And 52.3 percent spend anywhere from three to five days of their workweek feeling stressed.<\/p>\n With so many people seemingly so stressed, how can meditation and mindfulness serve to neutralize the effects of stress and other conditions that affect the brain?<\/p>\n Jon Kabat-Zinn first used meditation in a stress-reduction study thirty years ago at the University of Massachusetts Medical School notes the San Franciso Gate<\/a>. People with chronic pain and depression practiced meditation for a six-week period.<\/p>\n Kabat-Zinn\u2019s stress reduction techniques pioneered practices now used by hospitals, clinics, and HMOs.<\/p>\n Meditation studies performed at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that people who meditate regularly have more left-brain dominance. That equates to a feeling of safety and being more comfortable in social situations as opposed to being wary and fearful; traits associated with right-brain dominance.<\/p>\n Meditation appears to also combat the aging process<\/a>. The results produced by the Shamatha Project<\/a> \u2013 performed by scientists at UC Davis \u2013 show that meditation improves perception while potentially affecting cellular aging.<\/p>\n Over a three-month span, volunteers in the meditation group performed better than the control group at detecting line lengths flashed on a screen. Those volunteers also had higher levels of telomerase in their blood. Telomerase is an enzyme that repairs the shortening of chromosomes, which is linked to longevity.<\/p>\n Depression is a mood disorder that causes a chronic feeling of sadness accompanied by a loss of interest, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>. It affects feelings, behavior, day-to-day living, and can even trigger suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n The Harvard Gazette reports<\/a> that Gaelle Desbordes, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), used fMRI images before and after eight weeks of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).<\/p>\n The theory is that MBCT can help those patients experiencing depression become more aware of being in the moment while breaking the patient\u2019s cycle of self-rumination.<\/p>\n Mindfulness can also be beneficial to the addiction recovery process, according to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation<\/a>. A person\u2019s brain is designed to be molded by experience and practice, such as engaging in behaviors that boost addiction. That said, practicing meditation can propel the brain toward a positive path. Most addicts are seeking an escape from stressful daily life situations. Meditation allows a person to cope with being in the moment. Negative self-talk by an addict is a common and destructive activity. Meditation allows you to recognize those thoughts and focus on maintaining a positive outlook. Lastly, each addict\u2019s recovery is a personal journey. Meditation allows an addict to open their minds to their own potential as they traverse the path of recovery.<\/p>\n Social anxiety disorder is a severe anxiety or fear of being negatively judged or rejected in a social situation according to the Anxiety and Depressions Association of America<\/a> (ADAA). People with social anxiety disorder often avoid social situations, or, they experience significant distress when they can\u2019t be avoided.<\/p>\n
\nMindfulness is \u201cletting go of taking things for granted.\u201d In other words, observe and appreciate all the little things in your life as opposed to the wash-rinse-repeat of your daily routines.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Mindfullness3-493x219.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBuddhist Meditation and the Mindfulness Practice<\/h2>\n
\nAccording to the BBC<\/a>, a professor at New York University (NYU), Zoran Josipovic, has been scanning the brains of Buddhist monks in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine since 2008. The machine scans blood flow in the monks\u2019 heads as they meditate inside the fMRI.<\/p>\n
\nJosipovic\u2019s research discovered that some Buddhist monks can keep both networks active during meditation. It\u2019s this ability that allows the monks to envelop themselves with the feeling of oneness with their environment.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Mindfullness4-493x219.jpg\")
<\/p>\nState of Stress<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMindfulness for Stress Reduction<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMindfulness and Meditation Effects on Aging<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nTreating Depression with Mindfulness<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMindfulness Practices in Addiction Recovery<\/h2>\n
\nMeditation can help support addiction recovery in five ways.<\/p>\n
\nStressful situations can cause self-defeating thoughts. Meditation provides a sense of calm and control.<\/p>\n
\nAddiction limits a person\u2019s ability to connect to others in meaningful ways. Meditation allows one to build happy and healthy relationships.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Mindfullness9-493x219.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMeditation and Mindfulness for Anxiety<\/h2>\n