‘Turn down the volume’ The positive effects of mindfulness meditation on pain and working memory may result from an improved ability to regulate a crucial brain wave called the alpha rhythm. This rhythm is thought to “turn down the volume” on distracting information, which suggests that a key value of meditation may be helping the brain deal with an often overstimulating world. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report that modulation of the alpha rhythm in response to attention-directing cues was faster and significantly more enhanced among study participants who completed an eight-week mindfulness meditation program than in a control group. The study will appear in the journal Brain Research Bulletin and has been released online. Brain cells use particular frequencies, or waves, to regulate the flow of information in much the same way that radio stations broadcast at specific frequencies.
Resources « Beth Meeker LMHC Experiment #1: An experimental ongoing Sunday series to share information and processes that move us more deeply into our relationship with life. This series of gatherings is intended to work/play with our personal and collective stories calling for transformation. Facilitated by: Beth Meeker Sundays 4-6 PM starting 2/23 Location: Platypus Studios 205 5th Street N Saint Petersburg, FL, 33701 Fee: Love and Appreciation Offering The Inner Dance: Movement by Healing & TransformationFacilitated by Movement Guide: Joy Thompson Small Group Series Saturdays 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 1-3:30 PM more information, click HERE Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), South County, Pinellas School BoardPaying Attention: Cultivating an Attentive Mind 8 Week Course Thursday evenings 1/31/13 – 3/14/13, Saturday full day 3/16/13 Location: 1432 MLK Street N (9th St N) Saint Petersburg, FL, 33704 Friday mornings 1/11/13 – 2/22/13, Saturday full day 3/09/13 Location: Melrose Elementary Saint Petersburg, FL
Wellness Vision "The success of our students can only be accomplished through the efforts of our dedicated staff. To that end we are committed to providing you the support and tools you need to ensure a healthy learning environment and promote lifelong wellness." Welcome to the Wellness Program web page. You'll find information about promotions, events and programs with the links below. Click here for wellness reports and additional info Current Wellness Programs and Promotions Preventive Health Guide Care Programs Wellness Champions Websites & Apps. Humana Wellness Program Employee Assistance Program Smart Start Wellness Newsletters Pregnancy Resources Financial Wellness Uninsured / Needy Assistance Fitness Center Weight Loss Discounts Traveling Bandanas Wellness Success A-Z Wellness: What's available to me as a PCS employee
The Power of Concentration Time Life Pictures/Mansell via Getty Images A drawing of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from 1891 in The Strand Magazine. More often than not, when a new case is presented, Holmes does nothing more than sit back in his leather chair, close his eyes and put together his long-fingered hands in an attitude that begs silence. He may be the most inactive active detective out there. His approach to thought captures the very thing that cognitive psychologists mean when they say mindfulness. Though the concept originates in ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese traditions, when it comes to experimental psychology, mindfulness is less about spirituality and more about concentration: the ability to quiet your mind, focus your attention on the present, and dismiss any distractions that come your way. Now we’re learning that the benefits may reach further still, and be more attainable, than Professor Langer could have then imagined. But mindfulness goes beyond improving emotion regulation.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in Boston | Mindful Purpose Life Coaching Stressed out and overwhelmed? Feel like life is whizzing past you? Living with chronic pain or illness, depression, anxiety, or other medical conditions? Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) helps you find your natural capacity for ease and confidence. Based on Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s pioneering work in mind-body medicine, this program introduces you to the practice of mindfulness as the way to a more fulfilling life. What is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction? In this eight-week face-to-face program, you’ll learn how to develop the life skill of mindfulness. The MBSR program centers on the ancient practice of meditation, presented in a pragmatic, common sense way. MBSR was created by Dr. The program is challenging and life-affirming. (Click here for videos of Jon Kabat-Zinn speaking about MBSR)(Click here for testimonials from Sunada’s past students) What you’ll gain In numerous published studies on MBSR, the majority of participants report: About the program It includes:
The Impact of Mind Wandering on Chronic Pain I have written in the past about the power of the mind in the fight against chronic pain: When there is some sort of injury or insult causing pain, the signal conveying pain travels to the brain via a sensory pathway and an emotional pathway. This emotional aspect of the experience of pain travels to the parts of the brain known as the amygdale and the anterior cingulated cortex. The mind-body treatments that involve such activities as meditation and relaxation likely affect these emotional networks. I have also discussed how researchers have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to allow chronic pain patients to "visualize" pain. The issue that has not been addressed is the strength of mind when confronted with such arduous tasks. Daydreaming appeared to lead to unhappiness, not unhappiness leading to daydreaming. But then do we risk becoming automatons? Fear not, the psychological literature comes to the rescue, as does the adage, "moderation in all things".
Functional MRI Shows How Mindfulness Meditation Changes Decision-Making Process : Sleep Compass You are here: Home / Gus / Functional MRI Shows How Mindfulness Meditation Changes Decision-Making Process ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2011) — New research shows that Buddhist meditators use different areas of the brain than other people when confronted with unfair choices, enabling them to make decisions rationally rather than emotionally. If a friend or relative won $100 and then offered you a few dollars, would you accept this windfall? The logical answer would seem to be, sure, why not? “But human decision making does not always appear rational,” said Read Montague, professor of physics at Virginia Tech and director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. According to research conducted over the last three decades; only about one-fourth of us would say, “Sure. Using computational and neuroimaging techniques, Montague studies the neurobiology of human social cognition and decision-making. Journal Reference: Kirk U, Downar J and Montague P.
Evidence builds that meditation strengthens the brain Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit. Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification ("folding" of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. The article appears in the online edition of the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue. "Rather than just comparing meditators and non-meditators, we wanted to see if there is a link between the amount of meditation practice and the extent of brain alteration," said Luders. Of the 49 recruited subjects, the researchers took MRI scans of 23 meditators and compared them to 16 control subjects matched for age, handedness and sex.
evolve... Seven Lessons in Six Weeks: Learning to be Mindful in the Workplace - UMass Medical School Finding an MBSR Teacher Don't live near the UMASS Center for Mindfulness? Find the best-trained, most experienced MBSR teachers worldwide with our certified MBSR Teacher Search. Search now Fall Teaching Institute 2017 Four continuous months of exciting mindfulness-based professional education and training starting in September. MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine Participate in a deep immersion in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and join in a global network of healthcare professionals and educators from more than 80 countries learning to practice and integrate mindfulness into their everyday lives at work and at home. Mindful Eating Integrating mindful practices with the science behind eating habits and weekly in-person group education Break the cycle of Depression: MBCT at CFM Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines mindfulness meditation practices and mindful movement with elements from cognitive therapy. Becoming an MBSR Teacher Start your journey