What brings you joy?

This week I put down my phone and laptop and joined a meditation retreat for five days. On the third day of the retreat, I joined a breakout room session. And someone said something in the room that touched me. It was something quite ordinary and familiar experience for all of us, but I guess in its sincerity it hit the chord. I suddenly noticed tears rolling down my cheeks.

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Making Mindfulness a Part of Your Day: How to Support Wellbeing amid Changes

As the nation takes steps to open after what seems like an eternity in lockdown, and restrictions are gradually being removed, it can feel both exciting and scary at the same time. I rounded up a few tips on how to bring mindfulness moments into your day to increase wellbeing and navigate with the uncertainty and anxiety that might result from the world opening. 

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Coping with Quarantine Mindfully: A sample of free Mindfulness and Meditation Resources for Managing Mental Health during Self-Isolation

Free and easy to access online meditation and mindfulness resources for maintaining resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation. The resources from well-known meditation teachers can benefit anyone regardless of previous experience in practicing meditation.

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4 Mindful Attitudes for the New Year

Finding a rhythm and getting back into routines in the beginning of the year can feel challenging on its own. If you are looking into making changes in your life but are not quite sure how to go about it, it might be useful to start by pausing and reflecting.

Here are my 4 tips for making changes in a mindful way. How about making 2020 a kinder year for yourself? What would that look like?

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Why self-compassion matters

Research has demonstrated consistently that people who are self-compassionate tend to suffer less from depression and anxiety. They experience fewer negative emotions like fear, irritability, hostility or distress. Why is being kind to oneself so difficult and how can we learn it?

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Two new mindfulness events published →

I have just announced the next 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction course that starts 24th October in Southsea and runs until 19th December. An evening course, including an all-day practice day on the 8th December.

Early birds get 10% discount (book by 27th September)!
Sign up as usual through email: info@southcoastmindfulness.com.

Don’t miss it, the next course will be in January!

As a new thing, I am offering Mindfulness Taster Sessions - the first one on 10th October at Eastney Community Centre, 7.15 - 8.45 PM.
This is for anyone who is interested in mindfulness, but would like to try it before committing to a longer programme.

Bonus: You will receive discount too; I will deduct the taster session’s cost from the MBSR course price when you book within 7 days from the taster.
Sign up at: info@southcoastmindfulness.com.

Hope to see you in one of these soon!

You have been warned: Practising mindfulness may change your brain

I have always found it fascinating how meditation affects our brain. The research has soared in recent years and ongoing clinical trials will hopefully shed light into many things we don't yet know. But there already are reliable results from well-designed and managed studies about the effect of regular mindfulness practice on people suffering from stress, anxiety and chronic pain. (There are also other conditions, but according to Harvard Gazette's article the sample sizes have been too small to draw conclusions yet).

Amygdala.png

The Harvard University study, described in the aforementioned article, uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which not only takes pictures of the brain, as a regular MRI does, but also records brain activity occurring during the scan. In a study from 2012, it was demonstrated, that changes in brain activity in subjects, who have learned to meditate in the period of two months, hold steady even when they’re not meditating. The fMRI scan recorded changes in amygdala which is a part of limbic system of brain and primarily responsible for memory, decision-making and emotional responses. It also plays the key role in our reactions towards things that are not in our control; that we interpret threatening or dangerous (the so called 'fight' or 'flight' reaction).

It looks like meditating actually changes our brain. What do you think about it? I think it is brilliant. Basically it means that by meditating we are able to quicker bounce back from stressful events due to increased resilience. As a result we may spend less time ruminating, worrying and stuck in negative thoughts - just to name a few favourite pals of stress.

The article reminds rightly about the importance of not getting carried away with these results. “There are a few applications where the evidence is believable. But the effects are by no means earth-shattering,” ... “We’re talking about moderate effect size, on par with other treatments, not better. And then there’s a bunch of other things under study with preliminary evidence that is encouraging but by no means conclusive. I think that’s where it’s at. I’m not sure that is exactly how the public understands it at this point.”

The massive 'hype' around mindfulness can cause a perception that it is some kind of 'miracle cure' (which it is not!) that replaces the traditional treatments. Then again, many people have personal experience on how mindfulness practice has permanently changed the way they view the world. Even bouncing back from anxiety or depression, where antidepressant medication and talking therapy has not helped. So perhaps rather than removing one treatment from the palette for good and replacing with another, we should talk about the complementary effects. Keeping our minds open to alternatives.

Nevertheless, I find the science of mindfulness very inspiring, and also motivating to my own practice. I can almost hear my brain buzzing and creating new connections!

 

 

 

Source: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/201...