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Eight weeks to a better brain

Eight weeks to a better brain
Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. In a study that will appear in the Jan. 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reported the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain’s gray matter. “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says study senior author Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology. Subscribe to the Daily Gazette Sign up for daily emails with the latest Harvard news.

What Does Mindfulness Mean To You? Insights from key players bringing mindfulness into society. Mindfulness. It's a pretty straightforward word. It's the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us. To answer this question, we look to the key players bringing mindfulness into different aspects of society. So what does mindfulness mean to them?

BEGINNER'S GUIDE ... © 1995 Dharman Craig PressonAll Rights Reserved “Zen is not what you think!” -- anonymous Preface The purpose of this little book is to assure that all studentsunderstand the mechanics of Zen practice and the basic teachings ofBuddhism. Part 1: Practice Sitting, Breathing, Walking Seated meditation (J. zazen, Ch. The Sitting Posture (asana) There are several good postures for zazen: four cross-legged, onekneeling, and one using a straight chair or camp stool, as illustrated[Add illustrations of full lotus, half-lotus, sukhasana, Burmese, seiza,and chair sitting]. Breathing One may be given specific instructions by a teacher regarding theproper focus of awareness during zazen. Do not force or control the breath in any way. Walking (Kinhin) Walking meditation may be practiced between sessions of sitting.This relieves the legs of cramps and “pins and needles”, andallows one to begin the process of carrying one’s practice off thecushion and into daily activity. Part 2: Theory The Buddha The Dharma

What Happens to the Brain During Meditation? Meditation provides experiences that the mind can achieve no other way, such as inner silence and expanded awareness. And as the mind gains experience, the brain shows physical activity as well—sometimes profound changes. Beginning in the 1970s, studies showed that something was happening in the brain during meditation. The Science Measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress start to appear in subjects who practice mindfulness meditation for only eight weeks. What makes this finding so important is that it links how people feel when they meditate, with their physiology—the kind of proof that neuroscience demands. Another study compared long-term meditators with a control group. Loss of grey mat­ter (brain cells) and their con­nec­tions is a com­mon part of aging. What You Can Do to Promote Brain Health But what you can do right now is what counts the most.

24 Human Character Strengths and Core Virtues | Creative by Nature Strengths of Wisdom and Knowledge: Cognitive strengths that entail the acquisition and skillful use of knowledge.1. Creativity & Imagination [originality, ingenuity]: Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things.2. Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience]: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; exploring and discovering.3. Open-mindedness [holistic judgment, critical thinking]: Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; weighing all evidence fairly.4. Strengths of Courage: Emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external and internal.6. Strengths of Humanity: interpersonal strengths that involve supporting and befriending others.10. Strengths of Justice: strengths that underlie healthy and harmonious community life.13. Strengths of Temperance: strengths that protect against unhealthy excess and egotism.16. Like this: Like Loading...

Every-day Solutions to Staying Organized source: peter lee This post was originally published several years ago but continues to be one of our most popular. If you’re looking for simple, effective strategies to get organized, start here! The number one question I get from my readers is “help, I’m so overwhelmed with my home, where do I start?” Maybe you can relate? Sometimes it isn’t so much about starting with this pile here or that pile over there but more a matter of introducing a few daily organizational habits to help keep the clutter and chaos from becoming more than you can manage. Here are 10 things you can do today to help you stay organized. 1. Often chaos ensues because we are trying to juggle too many things in our brains. Grab yourself a notebook and just start brain dumping all that needs to be done. source: organizing junkie 2. Now take your list to your calendar (and if you don’t have a central family calendar, get one quick!) 3. You may not be menu planning for the whole week yet, but you can menu plan for TODAY.

¿Por qué ayuda meditar? | Centro de Tranquilidad Por algún tiempo, la meditación fue considerada un ritual extraño, practicado sólo por gurús o budistas. Ha sido estudiada científicamente y se han reconocido sus beneficios realmente tangibles, porque ayuda a calmar el cuerpo, la mente y las emociones, reduce la presión sanguínea, mejora el sistema inmunológico y aporta una mayor salud física en general. La meditación es un ejercicio mental que nos hace conscientes del momento presente; es decir, de lo que hacemos o sentimos a cada momento. Nos ayuda a alcanzar tal estado de concentración que podemos enfocarnos en un objeto determinado, un pensamiento o en la conciencia misma; por ejemplo, ser conscientes de nuestra respiración y nuestras palabras. Al vivir plenamente cada situación o sensación podremos verlas desde la perspectiva de un observador, aprendiendo manejarlas y que no nos afecten. Para evaluar tus niveles de ansiedad y pánico, y conocer otras estrategias para neutralizarlas, ¡toma nuestra prueba gratuita!.

Forget Positive Thinking – Try This to Curb Teen Anxiety | Stress Better “I didn’t get invited to Julie’s party… I’m such a loser.” “I missed the bus… nothing ever goes my way.” “My science teacher wants to see me… I must be in trouble.” These are the thoughts of a high school student named James. You wouldn’t know it from his thoughts, but James is actually pretty popular and gets decent grades. Here’s the thing, all kids blow things out of proportion or jump to conclusions at times, but consistently distorting reality is not innocuous. Fortunately, in a few steps, we can teach teens how to fill in their thought holes. We Create Our Own (Often Distorted) Reality One person walks down a busy street and notices graffiti on the wall, dirt on the pavement and a couple fighting. Why don’t we just interpret situations based on all of the information? Shortcuts keep us sane by preventing sensory overload. Eight Common Thought Holes Not only are we susceptible to errors in thinking, but we also tend to make the same errors over and over again.

Addiction and Zen A handbook for addicts and those in recovery, and their families. Foreword I warmly recommend Mary Heath's article on The Benefits of Zen Meditation in Addiction and Recovery. It shows a sensitive awareness and understanding of the difficulties that people face when they decide to come off drugs and gives a range of strategies for helping this process, ranging from traditional Zen work with the breath and mindfulness and walking meditation, to her own discoveries. .......... About Zen Zen practice is about having time for yourself in a special way. One method of training comes down to us from Sakyamuni Buddha, who lived in the sixth century B.C. in Northern India. Despite its development in very different cultures, the essence of Zen practice remains vital and immediate, since it relies on personal encounter not on scriptures or dogma. As well as the Zen Group's evening at Palmerston Farm, we run meditation evenings and retreats at our centre in Claremont. Where and when to practice Zen

David Lynch Foundation Television | The Online TV Channel that celebrates consciousness, creativity and bliss. DLF.TV showcases videos from David Lynch Foundation events, compelling documentary profiles, exclusive content from David Lynch, and all aspects

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