MindfulnessMeditation

What is Mindful Meditation?One pointednessBeing in the here-and-nowZen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.Shunryu Suzuki

Knowing what you are doing while you are doing it is the essence of mindfulness trainingJon Kabat-Zinn

What is Mindful Meditation?One pointednessBeing in the here-and-nowIn this training of the mind, we learn to let go of the thoughts and feelings that pull us out of the present moment, and to steady our awareness on our immediate experience.Tara Bennett GolemanA psychological needThe gift of the presentMental hygiene

Lama OserLeft-to-right ratio in prefrontal cortex

Lama OserLeft-to-right ratio in prefrontal cortexRecognizing emotions in othersThe startle response

Lama OserLeft-to-right ratio in prefrontal cortexRecognizing emotions in othersThe startle responseGiven that the larger someones startle, the more intensely that person tends to experience upsetting emotions, Osers performance had tantalizing implications, suggesting a remarkable level of emotional equanimity.Daniel Goleman

Lama OserLeft-to-right ratio in prefrontal cortexRecognizing emotions in othersControl over the startle responseSocial contagionI couldnt be confrontational. I was always met with reason and smiles; its overwhelming. I felt somethinglike a shadow or an auraand I couldnt be aggressive.

Growing Tip StatisticThe process itself has some extraordinary qualities, but not necessarily the subject. The important idea is that this process is within the reach of anyone who applies himself or herself with enough determination.Lama Oser

From the perspective of neuroscience, the point of all this research has nothing to do with demonstrating that Oser or any other extraordinary person may be remarkable in him-or herself, but rather to stretch the fields assumptions about human possibility. Some of these key assumptions have already begun to expand, in part due to a revolution in neurosciences supposition about the malleability of the brain itself. Daniel Goleman

Meditation for the Masses (Kabat-Zinn)Decrease in anxietyMood changePre-frontal cortex activationImmune response

Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem

Meditation in the Work Place

IntelligenceCreativityCognitive flexibilityMemoryReaction timeIQ

Being Mindful: Let Me Count the WaysBreathingIf I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.

Andrew Weil

Being Mindful: Let Me Count the WaysBreathingMantraMusic and danceIt happens that music and rhythm and dancing are excellent ways of moving toward the discovering of identity. We are built in such a fashion that this kind of trigger, this kind of stimulation, tends to do all kinds of things to our autonomic nervous systems, endocrine glands, to our feelings, and to our emotions. It just does.Abraham Maslow

Being Mindful: Let Me Count the WaysBreathingMantraMusic and danceProgressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)The five sensesFlow Yoga

Reduces stress and depression (Taylor, 2002; Berger & Owen, 1992)Increases self-acceptance and self-esteem (Valente & Marrota, 2005; Harrison et al., 2004)Helps overcome ADHD and asthma (Jensen & Kenny, 2004; Jain and Valecha, 1991)Reinforces attitudes through persistent behavior (Body feedback hypothesis)A caveatBenefits of Yoga

The riches banquet, the most exotic travel, the most interesting, attractive lover, the finest homeall of these experiences can seem somehow unrewarding and empty if we dont really attend to them fullyif our minds are elsewhere, preoccupied with disturbing thoughts. By the same token, the simplest of lifes pleasureseating a piece of fresh-baked bread, seeing a work of art, spending moments with a loved onecan be amply rich if we bring a full attention to them. The remedy to dissatisfaction is inside us, in our minds, not in groping for new and different outer sources of satisfaction.Tara Bennett Goleman

Bibliography and Recommendations

Bennett-Goleman, T. (2002). Emotional Alchemy. Three Rivers Press. Benson, H. The Relaxation Response. HarperTorch. Carrington, P. et al. (1980). The Use of Meditation: Relaxation Techniques for the Management of Stress in a Working Population. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 22, 221-231. Derezotes, D. (2000). Evaluation of Yoga and Meditation Trainings With Adolescent Sex Offenders. Human Science Press, 17, 97-113. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta. Hall, S. S. (2003). Is Buddhism Good for Your Health? New York Times Magazine, September 14. Shapiro, S. L. et al. (2002). Meditation and Positive Psychology. In C. R. Snyder and S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology, 632-645. Oxford University Press.