Mindfulness is certainly a hot topic right now. But what exactly is mindfulness, how do you become more mindful, and what can you expect to gain? The next few tips for Well-Being will focus on mindfulness; looking at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits.
Mindfulness is essentially your ability to bring your attention fully to the present-moment experience, moment-by-moment. Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life, says by practicing mindfulness you will be “Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
Whether you join a meditation group, attend a meditation retreat, or begin to learn from books or audios, mindfulness is a way of life that takes practice. When you think about other skills or hobbies that you might practice, such as playing a musical instrument or running or playing golf, the idea of practice makes perfect sense.
In addition to reducing chronic pain, treating heart disease, and alleviating gastrointestinal difficulties, one of the greatest physical benefits is an improved immune function. We also know that you will likely experience healthier blood pressure and your mindfulness practice may also very quickly change your brain!
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital followed 16 participants in an eight week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program that included weekly meetings of mindfulness meditation. Participants also participated in additional sessions on their own and kept a record of their efforts. MRIs were taken of their brains two weeks prior to starting the program, and participants also filled out a mindfulness questionnaire.
Participants reported a weekly average of 27 minutes of meditation.After the program, the participants’ brains were imaged again and compared to a group that did not participate in mediation. The analysis of the MRIs showed significant physical changes in the brain. Increased gray-matter density could be seen in the hippocampus, known to be important for “learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.” It also showed a decrease in the amount of gray matter in the area associated with stress and anxiety. There was also significant improvement on the mindfulness questionnaire after the eight week program.
None of these changes were recorded in the control group that did not participate in any meditation during the eight weeks.
This week, become curious if you are new to mindfulness and committed if you are not yet. Let me know how I can be of assistance. For sure, mindfulness is a movement we can all get behind!
This health tip originally appeared online at https://scs-matters.com/
Mindfulness-Physical-Benefits/. Send email or call or text to schedule a private session with Debra.
Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips
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Rev.Debra Basham
Voice or text: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.info Small Changes … Infinite Results™
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~Mother Teresa |