Mindfulness Changes the Brain
On this page, you will find a brief overview of brain-based research to support the use of mindfulness in our own lives, as well as in the classroom.
As mentioned on the previous page (What is Mindfulness?), these practices are not arbitrary; they are supported by scientific research. In fact, mindfulness programs like MindUp or Smiling Minds are built around neuroscience.
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Our brains have the capacity to change. This capacity to change is called neuroplasticity which means our brain can reorganize itself and form new connections as we learn new things and grow (Riopel, 2020). Our brains can essentially be “re-wired” as we engage in the prolonged practice of a skill.
As mentioned on the previous page (What is Mindfulness?), these practices are not arbitrary; they are supported by scientific research. In fact, mindfulness programs like MindUp or Smiling Minds are built around neuroscience.
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Our brains have the capacity to change. This capacity to change is called neuroplasticity which means our brain can reorganize itself and form new connections as we learn new things and grow (Riopel, 2020). Our brains can essentially be “re-wired” as we engage in the prolonged practice of a skill.
In this video, Dr. Dan Siegel talks about how mindfulness is like “Brain Hygiene.” Just as we would use a toothbrush and toothpaste to care for our teeth, we use mindfulness to care for our minds. Dr. Siegel uses a vital distinction between the brain and the mind- every organ in our body has its own “brain,” but our “head brain” controls a lot of the things our body does- but our mind ultimately controls our brain. If we have a healthy mind, we have a healthier brain.
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We still don’t know everything about the impacts of mindfulness on the brain, but there are many positives worth celebrating from what we do know. We know that mindfulness can help us become more empathetic, understanding, focused, resilient and flexible in our thinking; by practicing these skills intentionally, we can re-wire our brain to respond to situations in positive ways automatically.
Four Pillars of a Healthy Mind
The following TedTalk is from Richard Davidson, a research professor in Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Founder & Director of the Centre for Healthy Minds. In this TedTalk, he focuses on why some people are more resilient and others are not. Through his research, he has come to look at how kindness and compassion, found through mindfulness practices, can predict resiliency.
He states that our brains can change quickly- mindfulness is a learned skill, something we all have the capacity for, and with learning the skill of mindfulness, you are changing the way that your brain processes things happening in the world around you. Davidson says that there are Four Pillars to a Healthy Mind, which you can access through mindful practices.
He states that our brains can change quickly- mindfulness is a learned skill, something we all have the capacity for, and with learning the skill of mindfulness, you are changing the way that your brain processes things happening in the world around you. Davidson says that there are Four Pillars to a Healthy Mind, which you can access through mindful practices.
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4 Pillars of a healthy mind1) Awareness- focus and meta-awareness: recognizing and returning to baseline
2) Connection- nurturing relationships 3) Insight- a narrative about ourselves: a constellation of our thoughts and self-image 4) Purpose- our life is headed somewhere; we all have to belong and a bigger purpose |