Another good reason to meditate

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Ellegria*
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I am reading a new book called "The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It" by Kelly McGonigal. Apparently the practice of meditation is REALLY good for the brain and at the very least, helps you to learn self-control to the point that your brain actually grows and creates more connections if you stick with it.
Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren't just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines. Regular meditators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, as well as regions of the brain that support self-awareness.

It doesn't take a lifetime of meditation to change the brain. Some researchers have started to look for the smallest dose of meditation needed to see benefits ... These studies take people who have never meditated before—even folks who are skeptical of the whole thing— and teaches them a simple meditation technique ... One study found that just three hours of meditation practice led to improved attention and self-control. After eleven hours, researchers could see those changes in the brain. The new meditators had increased neural connections between regions of the brain important for staying focused, ignoring distractions, and controlling impulses. Another study found that eight weeks of daily meditation practice led to increased self-awareness in everyday life, as well as increased gray matter in corresponding areas of the brain. It may seem incredible that our brains can reshape themselves so quickly, but meditation increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, in much the same way that lifting weights increases blood flow to your muscles. The brain appears to adapt to exercise in the same way that muscles do, getting both bigger and faster in order to get better at what you ask of it.
The meditation technique she teaches is very simple.

1. Sit quietly with your feet on the ground or sitting cross-legged on a cushion. Place your hands in your lap. Don't move or squirm or even scratch an itch if you need to. Observe the need but try to let it pass. The author states that this very act is part of willpower training and helps your brain's gray matter and connections to grow.

2. Pay attention to your breath and silently say to yourself "inhale" when you breathe in and “exhale” when you breathe out. If you notice your mind wandering, bring it back to the breath and continue as before. The author states that the practice of coming back to focusing on your breath, again and again,is important for quieting the stress and craving centers of your brain. Even if you think you are bad at this and you think your mind wanders more than anyone elses, proceed anyway. You and your brain ARE reaping the benefits of doing this and with practice, you will get better....it just may take a little time. But KEEP DOING IT.

3. During your meditation, after a few minutes of saying "inhale" and "exhale," stop and just focus on your breathe. How it feels going in, etc. If your mind wanders, go back to "inhale" and "exhale" for a moment or two. The author states that doing this trains you to be more self-aware and helps strengthen your self-control that will of course expand to other parts of your life.

Meditate for only five minutes a day. Expand to 10 to 15 once it becomes a habit. But dial it back to only 5 minutes if trying to do it longer creates a situation where you don't want to do it at all. Five minutes a day is better than nothing.


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Ruby
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I love this Ellegria. :) Thanks for sharing~

Meditation helps for the state of mind too. To be able to put everything aside for a moment's relaxation, a moment of "me" time and forget all of your troubles.


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Going to give that technique a try
Thanks for sharing. :thumbup:


Be totally vulnerable and Realize that you cannot be harmed.

–Bentinho Massaro
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