How does mindfulness work?
Key to the beneficial effect of mindfulness meditation is the notion of "neuroplasticity". Neuroplasticity refers to the constant re-modelling of the brain, both in terms of structure and functioning, in response to experience. This is really important good news! Since our brain is being changed all of the time anyway, we may as well take advantage of this to enhance our health, happiness and psychological wellbeing.
|
"Whatever we do, for better or worse, leaves a trace on our brain; what flows through the mind sculpts the brain"
- Rick Hanson, Neuropsychologist - The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed; the deed develops into habit and habit hardens in to character. So watch the thought and its ways with care...
- The Buddha - |
We now know, from scientific studies, that it is possible for mindfulness training to change both the structure and functioning of our brains for the better, enabling us to become more flexible and adaptable in our daily lives.
Meditation can help us to be happier, and more resilient, to feel more connected with others, and to improve our physical health.
|
It is possible for us to be aware of where and how we choose to place our attention and this very process (over a relatively short period of time) appears to be associated with structural changes in the brain.
Research so far suggests that mindfulness meditation may be helpful in maintaining the health of both the grey and white matter in the brain. A possible mechanism for this change is thought to be the particular sort of brain activity that is learned in meditation, one that involves attention training, a focus on awareness and the ability to concentrate. In addition, mindfulness meditation has also been associated with an increase in the amount of grey matter in the brain of meditators; this is a healthy change as we tend to lose brain volume as we age.
Mindfulness meditation has also been associated with a reduced stress response from the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with emotion. Inflammation at the cellular level also appears to be reduced in meditators and some sorts of healthy immune responses are also enhanced by meditation.
The ways we use our brain: the difference between "being" and "doing"
All mindfulness-based courses involve helping people to cultivate the ability to step out of "doing" mode of mind and into "being" mode of mind: a place of potential where our relationship with all experience, including the difficult can be transformed for the good.
Doing mode of mind is, on the whole, our usual way of operating in the world. It is a mode of mind or highly evolved way of using our brain that is associated with doing things automatically and without thinking, as well as planning, discrepancy resolving, problem solving and learning from our mistakes.
It is not that doing mode of mind is a bad thing; in fact it is a vital and highly developed way of functioning that allows us to run our lives in an ordered and efficient way.
Vertical Divider
|
Problems arise for us when we try to use the doing mode of mind exclusively, and in areas of our life that it is not intended to help with. For example, if we are feeling unhappy, it is not possible to simply "think" ourselves out of unhappiness.
When we have exhausted all reasonable options for solving a difficult problem and need to "switch off" to go to sleep at night, if the doing mind continues to try to problem solve, it causes difficulties for us. We can't stop thinking and may feel as though we are "going round in circles".
|
|
In both of these circumstances it is helpful if we can "step out" of doing mode and in to being mode, a place of greater ease and wellbeing. Doing and being modes of mind involve using different neural circuitry in the brain. When we meditate we cultivate the development of neural circuitry that supports being mode.