Your Brain on Meditation

Confluence of Four Themes

• Neuroplasticity

• Epigenetics

• Bidirectional Communication between Mind & Body & Brain

• Innate Basic Goodness

-R. Davidson, CCare Stanford Talk, 2016

Four Neuroscientifically Investigated Constituents of Well Being

• Resilience

• Positive Outlook

• Attention/Awareness

• Generosity

Neuroplasticity

• Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is an umbrella term that encompasses both synaptic plasticity and non-synaptic plasticity—it refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses due to changes in behavior, environment, neural processes, thinking, emotions, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury

A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind

The Brain’s “Default” State

The Default State

What does the default state do?

Problem-solving: Consolidate learning, free association, predict and plan for future.

Self-reflection and autobiographical memory: Establish a sense of identity.

Social cognition: Understand and relate to others; moral reasoning; social judgment.

A Wandering Mind = An Unhappy Mind

2250 adults (58.8% male, 73.9% in U.S., mean age =34) receive text messages at random intervals:

• “How are you feeling right now?”• “What are you doing right now?”• “Were you thinking about something other than what• you’re currently doing?”

People were less happy when their minds werewandering than when they were not.

What people were thinking was a better predictor ofhappiness than what they were doing.

Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010Harvard University

An alternative default:Embodied, present moment awareness

Attending to the present: mindfulness meditationreveals distinct neural modes of self-reference

Insula

Interrupting the Default• Investigated brain activity in

experienced meditators and matched new meditators as they practiced concentration lovingkindness and mindful awareness meditations.

• The default-mode network was more deactivated in experienced meditators during all meditations.

• Functional connectivity analysis revealed stronger connections between sensory regions and attention network among experienced meditators during meditation and at baseline. Brewer et al. 2011Yale University

Compassion and the Brain

• Brain Default & Mind Wandering

• Neural Integration – Connectivity

• A mindful brain is an integrated brain

• Compassion a organizing system in the brain

• Mindfulness and loving compassion are the techniques that integrate our mental systems.

Self-Appreciation ExerciseFacing your Partner, Begin by closing your eyes and focusing on the Breath

BELL

Open your Eyes, look softly into each others and silently acknowledge their presence

“Tell me something about yourself that makes you feel good about yourself “

BELL

“Thank You”

What is Self-Compassion?Kristin Neff: “treating yourself with the same type of kind, caring support and understanding that you would show to anyone you cared about.”

Three components: self-kindness, remembering imperfection is part of the shared human experience, and mindfulness

Self Compassion vs Self Esteem

Self Esteem

• Global evaluation of self-worth• Need to be special & above

average• Social comparison• Leads to Narcissism• Bullying & prejudice to build

self esteem• Contingency of self-worth• Feeling of inadequacy

Self Compassion

• Not based on self-evaluation• Or having some particular set of traits

(pretty, smart, talented, and so on)• People feel compassion for themselves

because all human beings deserve compassion and understanding

• This means that with self-compassion, you don’t have to feel better than others to feel good about yourself.

A Self Compassion is a practice of suturing my present self to lost and disconnected moments of my past. I spoke a continuously revised dialog to younger versions of myself to scale; singing, soothing, warning, screaming messages that are both salient to me as an individual and relatable as common experiences of growing up. A Self Compassion evolved through photography, video, and performance. I will continue the practice at ten year intervals. Carrie Marie Schneider

Self Compassion

• Just how self-compassionate are you? Try Dr. Neff’s Test…

• http://self-compassion.org/test-how-self-compassionate-you-are/

• Become your own Best Friend, changing critical self talk• Using sympathetic rather than judgmental language,

when we talk to ourselves• Reframe our inner dialogues so that they express

empathy for our basic needs

Self-Compassion Break

Mindfulness – Recognition: This is a moment of difficulty, stress, suffering”

“Suffering [difficulty, stress] is a part of life” - seeing you’re not alone/common humanity

Place one or both hands over the heart - embodiment/enhancing self-regulation• connect with the felt sense of the hands• warmth, pressure, movement of the chest, any comforting qualities• “May I be kind to myself” - kindness• “May I accept myself just as I am” - acceptance/non-judging• “May I be happy and free from suffering”• “May I find peace and joy”

Cultivating Self Compassion Exercise

Take a moment to think about how you already care for yourself in each of these areas, and whether there are some new things you might like to try. Here are some examples to get you started:Physically (soothing the body): taking a bath, sitting in the sun, doing some gentle stretching, going for a walk, having a massage, taking a nap.Emotionally (comforting emotional distress): cooking, writing in your journal, patting the dog.Mentally (reducing mental agitation): watching a funny movie, meditating, reading a book.Relationally (connecting with others in a way that feels nurturing): playing a game, phoning or writing a letter to a dear friend, being affectionate with loved one.

Spiritually (aligning with your values, engaging in meaningful activities): help others, connect with nature, pray, meditate, practice yoga.

- Christopher Germer PhD

Closing Thought