Simply Put: The SCIENCE and The PRACTICE!

THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS…

Life is full of challenges.  We often have no choice over what challenges we encounter but we do have control over how we respond.  Mindfulness is the practice of a moment to moment awareness, whereby one pays attention, on purpose, without judgement. This practice trains our minds “to observe” a situation rather than “reacting” to a situation.  When we react to a situation, it causes negative emotions (worry, fear, frustration, anger) vs the opportunity to respond to a situation with greater wisdom or equanimity. The practice of Mindfulness helps us to see situations in a less reactive manner, remaining in a calm, positive emotional (joy, happiness, contentment, ease, calm, love) state where we can see the situation with greater clarity and many times maintain equanimity.  

THE SCIENCE BEHIND MINDFULNESS…

~Stress has significant adverse effects on one’s health and is a risk factor for many, if not all, disease! (Pearson, 2013).

~Mindfulness practices have been shown to counteract the stress-response and induce a relaxation-response (Benson, 2010).

~Our telomeres (DNA) shorten with aging and stress; practicing mindfulness/meditation lengthens the telomeres. (Epel, 2009)

~Neuroimaging studies reveal areas of the brain which are changed as a result of meditation practices in as little as 20 minutes/day over 6-8 weeks. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is enhanced, improving executive function, emotion regulation, attention control and increased self-awareness;  Alternatively, the amygdala (the fear center) is less enhanced (Tang, 2015) when we practice meditation.

Why not give it a try?

It really can’t hurt! Can you find 10-20 minutes per day to better your life?