THE BENEFIT OF BEING PRESENT

How Mindfulness Practice Positively Impacts

Our Health and Well-Being

“Mindfulness is a moment-to-moment, non-judgmental

awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specific way, that is, in

the present moment, and as non-reactively, as non-judgmentally, and

as openheartedly as possible.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn, Coming to Our Senses

What is Mindfulness?

Present moment awareness Non-judgmental Non-reactive Openhearted Challenge to the monkey-mind

Mindfulness is not….

Thinking Daydreaming Spacing out Repeating affirmations Self-hypnosis Sleeping

Mindfulness Is…

Stopping our automatic, habitual pattern of reactivity

A space between one’s perception and response

Reflectivity, not reflexivity Investigative awareness

Observation, discrimination, causality

Orientation to Experience

Attitude of curiosity Where the mind goes… What is the object of experience?

Everything is relevant

Not trying to produce a “state”

Acceptance of each moment

The Stress Response

Good stress, bad stress Life on the Serengeti Life commuting on the 405

Chronic stress shutdown Immune system Digestive system Reproductive system

Predictions

Reduced use of strategies to avoid aspects of experience

Increase dispositional openness Change of psychological context Improved affect tolerance Emotional awareness Relationship between thoughts,

feelings, and actions

Predictions

Insight into the nature of thought Passing events of the mind, NOT

inherent aspects of the self

Awareness of thoughts as… Contextual Relativistic Transient Subjective

Origins

Most cultures have some form of mindfulness practice:

Breath meditation Mantra Yoga T’ai Chi Contemplative prayer

Why Mindfulness?

Physiological Benefits Decreased heart-rate during meditation Lower blood-pressure in normal and

moderately hypertensive individuals Quicker recovery from stress Increase in alpha rhythms (relaxation) Increase in synchronization (hemispheres) Reduced cholesterol levels Reduction in the intensity of pain

Why Mindfulness?

Psychological Benefits Greater happiness and peace of mind Less emotional reactivity Increased empathy Enhanced creativity Heightened perceptual clarity Reduction in acute and chronic anxiety Enhanced self-actualization

Therapeutic Interventions

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

(MBCT) Reduction of symptoms:

Chronic Pain Anxiety Depression Eating Disorders Fibromyalgia Psoriasis ADHD

MBSR

8-week program: meditation, body scan,

hatha yoga

Baer’s Meta-analysis: MBSR effective in reducing stress, increasing well-being

Research: reduction of stress in medical students

Shapiro, et al., 1998; Rosenzweig, et al., 2003

Research: reduction of stress in cancer patients

Carlson, et al., 2004; Tacon, et al., 2004.

The Science of Mindfulness

Reduction of negative affect Increase in left-side activity of the

prefrontal cortex Increase in immune-system functioning Increased gamma-wave oscillations

(synchrony)

Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., et. al. (2003). Alterations in brain function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570.

Everyday Mindfulness

Breath Meditation

Walking Meditation

Eating Meditation

Making Time for Mindfulness

Set aside 5-10 minutes per day Find time before, during, or after one of

your regular activities:

Add 5 minutes of mindfulness during mealtime

Meditate for a few minutes before watching TV

Meditate before work begins, during your lunch hour, or at the end of the workday