PSYCH Mindfulness and meditation

mindfulness (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

mindfulness is a practice to focus and calm the mind where one notices what’s happening nonjudgmentally, full presence to one’s experience and acceptance for things as they are

meditation (Salzburg)

“training our attention so we can be more aware of our own workings and what’s happening around us in the world right now”

why meditate?

• the more we do it, the more we benefit

• trains three skills:

1. concentration

2. mindfulness

3. lovingkindness

concentration

steadies and focuses attention to free us from distraction

mindfulness

focused, refined attention so we can see clearly without judging

lovingkindness

compassionate awareness that opens our attention and makes it inclusive

brain effects of meditation

• thicker tissue in left, pre-frontal cortex

• more gray matter

• growth in hippocampus

• shrinkage of amygdala

psychological effects of meditation

• equanimity

• stability

• compassion

• inner calm and concentration