1.1Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Presented by Rev.Dr. Sean H. Thompson

2. What is Mindfulness? Working definition of mindfulness in Neuroscience A mental mode characterized by attention topresent moment experience without conceptual elaboration or emotional reactivity. Buddhist definition: Samadhi: The mental state of being firmly fixed on a single object, (Concentration) The scientific definition of mindfulness involves self regulation and curiosity The self regulation of our attention along with.. An attitude of curiosity, openness or acceptance.2Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 3. Finding mindfulness Mindfulness is found in ALL the worlds majorreligious practices St. Teresa of Avila emphasized mindfulness as away to experience God. Recollection is the term closest to mindfulness in Christianity. Zikr is mindfulness in Islam Kavanah is mindfulness in Judaism Samadhi is mindfulness in Buddhism and Hindusim.3Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 4. Now for meditation Meditation is defined as.. A family of mental training techniques that canpromote specific mental skills and qualities of the practitioner (Jha) The object of meditation and mindfulness is NOT tobecome a robot, but to open ourselves to the whole open universe and experience it 4Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 5. McMindfulness Mindfulness is becoming a catch word for5anything that helps with stress and anxiety. Meditation is about gaining insight and wisdom to reduce suffering(the three poisons; greed, hatred, delusion) Meditation goes hand in hand with Sila (moral actions) Meditations goal is to be here now and have that practice spread throughout our lives Many therapists are using mindfulness as a way to quiet the mind. Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 only one part of meditation Quieting the mind is 6. Changing your mind Meditation improves long term well being and 6peace. Meditation can beat Morphine (lowering activity in the Somato-sensory cortex) by 24% Meditation improves wisdom, insight, understanding. Practicing meditation makes your brain tissue more pliable, and changeable. Meditation increases gray matter, (ages slower) Meditation increases Telomeres size (and therefore longevity)Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 7. Brain facts The brain weighs about 3 pounds Mostly fat tissue, (60%) which holds it all together Over 75% of its weight is water The brain uses 20% of the oxygen in blood, even7at rest. The brain structure changes with each memory. We have successfully mapped much of the brain (yes, we use way more than 10%) The brain creates enough electricity to power a light bulb Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 8. Brain function. The smell of chocolate stimulates Theta8brainwaves which are relaxing Estrogen promotes memory Olfaction (smell) is the best memory retrieval sense When eyes are more open we are more in Beta waves. The brain is more active when you are asleep and dreaming than when you are awake. Brainwaves are measured in Hertz or cycles per Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 second 9. 9Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 10. Mind speed The mind can process 126 pieces of informationevery second. Most of what our brain does is eliminate static orwhat we feel is useless information. Eventually the brain LEARNS what is important and what is not (or what I it likes and what it doesnt) This is the basis of addiction (brain physiology) Chemistry is closely related to this10Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 11. Studies on mindfulness and meditation Overcome stress (University of Massachusetts Medical School,112003) Boost your creativity (ScienceDaily, 2010) Improve your sex life and increase your libido (The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2009) Cultivate healthy habits that lead to weight loss (Journal Emotion, 2007) Improve digestion and lower blood pressure (Harvard Medical School) Decrease your risk of heart attack (The Stroke Journal, 2009) Help overcome anxiety, depression, anger and confusion (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2009) Decrease perception of pain and improve cognitive processing (Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2010) Increase your focus and attention (University of WisconsinMadison, 2007) Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 Increase the size of your most important organ your brain! (Harvard University Gazette, 2006) - 12. Brain structure and function The brain has four lobes Frontal for planning and higher thinking, behavioralcontrol, personality. Parietal (sides of the head)making sense of the world, perceptions of things. Motor cortex for movement. Sensory cortex for tactile senses. Temporal for hearing, memory, and understandinglanguage. Occipital for vision. Cerebellum for balance and proprioception 12Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 13. Your brain Im scaredWho Why Im hungry is is Pin 8646 that? that? Who am !!! Where am I? 12539 East Vine I? License 125348 Why ?? What When will I Wher Im bored is is ? e am that? When can Im hungry that? Who Im scared I? !!! I? What is Im fat When can is ?? going on? I? that? 254-99-65588 ? Pin 8646 Who #@$#!* #@$#!* !!! is When can I? hungry Im that? !!! 254-99-65588 ?? Im stupid ? Im hungryWhen can I? #@$#!*???Where am I? Why is that?Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Wh ere am I?13 14. Effects on the brain itself. Parietal LobeFrontal Lobe:Occipital LobeCerebellum Brain stem, Midbrain, Pons, Medulla Oblongata14Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 15. Effects on the brain itself. Limbic SystemParietal LobeFrontal Lobe:Occipital LobeCerebellum Brain stem, Midbrain, Pons, Medulla Oblongata15Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 16. Effects on the brain itself. Motor functions, sensoryPlanning, higher thinkingSightBreathing, heart rate, temperature16Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Balance and proprioception 17. Effects on the brain itself. Decreased activity during meditationIncreased activity during meditation17Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 18. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area18Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 19. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area (blue)Prefrontal cortex (green)19Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 20. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area (blue)Prefrontal cortex (green)20Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Orientation and visual association areas 21. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area (blue)Orientation and visual association areasPrefrontal cortex (green)Hippocampus (memory organizing and sharing) 21Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 22. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area (blue)Orientation and visual association areasPrefrontal cortex (green)Amygdala (regulates fight or flight, emotional reactions)22Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Hippocampus (memory organizing and sharing) 23. Effects on the brain itself. Attention association area (blue)Prefrontal cortex (green)Amygdala (regulates fight or flight, decreases sympathetic influence) 23Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Orientation and visual association areasHypothalamus (regulates sensory info.)Hippocampus (memory organizing and sharing) 24. Effects on the brain itself. Orientation and visual association areasAttention association area (blue)Hypothalamus Prefrontal cortex (green)HippocampusAmygdala Mid brain, Regulates heart rate, pressure etc.. 24Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 25. Spinal/Vagus nerve The Vagus nerve is called the wanderer or vagabond from the hypothalamus, it sends info to organs and receives info as to how they are workingSense of guilt, butterflies, doom all are related to the Vagus nerve25Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Meditation tunes this nerve and helps us understand its messages 26. The rest of the nervous system Autonomic Nervous System Parasympathetic: Rest and digest, feed andbreed Sympathetic: Fight or Flight26Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 27. Mindfulness gone bad The more our minds wander aimlessly, the more27unhappy it can become. Studies show that the mind wanders 47% of the time. This is called Perceptual decoupling. (not having your mind on your task) We are the main character of this wandering I am bored In mindfulness meditation we break that down to boredom, where the I and am are no longer present. Only then we can see the nowness of the statement Boredom as opposed to a permanence of I am bored Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 28. Mindfulness, all gone in a contemplative relationship with our mind we maybecome friends with it (William James 1890) The process of mindfulness should be interesting and fun. Constructive day dreams Free running of mind (a constructive internalreflection)28 practice 5 minutes of following the breath 5 minutes of free running of the mind, just be aware of it Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 5 minutes of taking focus off the thoughts 29. Technique time! Breath counting (helps with concentration) Awareness of movement Awareness of stillness Awareness of an object Awareness of a process (eating, standing, sittingetc.) Openness of the heart and eyes Gazing Free running day dream 29Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 30. Mindfulness The first step in mindfulness isCatch AP-ASAP Catch your auto pilot as soon as possible Most planes that are flying to a destination are offcourse most of the time, the purpose of a pilot is to re-correct the planes direction. This is the same as mindfulness. The idea of watching (awareness) is essential indetermining what the mind is doing. 30Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 Executive control allows us to get back on track 31. Attention!31Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 32. Attention!32Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 33. Attention! arising thought33Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 34. Attention! existing thought34Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 35. Attention! Dissolving thought35Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 36. Attention! Dissolving thought36Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 37. Attention!37Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 38. Practices. Sitting meditation Movement Single hand. Double hand. Sitting from standing. Pranayama Alternate nostrilbreathing Body Scan Tense and relax 38Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014 Eating mindfully Sitting up Free flow day dream Awareness ofawareness Focusing on light. Object to observe Stone etc Gentle waves Body movement 39. Basics of mindfulness meditation FocusReengagerealize39Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014Driftdisengage 40. Rocks Put rocks on floor and have participants chooseone. Hold rock in hand, be with this rock Many times old memories arise How was it that the mind did or did not stay ontarget with rock? How did you relate to the rock? How you relate with the world or other40Rocky Mountain Dharma, Copyright 2014