8/8/2023
These investigators studied the effect of short, practical meditation practices on emotion and cognitive functioning in meditation-naive participants. They randomized subjects (aged 18-45) who were non-experienced meditators to either 13-minute…
8/8/2023
Summer is here, which can often be a good time to practice mindfulness. There may be more time to practice formally by meditating regularly. With meditation practice we often say that more is better, and it is also important to remember that any practice is better than none. This can apply to even a few minutes a day, perhaps pausing before getting out of bed in the morning to do a short body scan or attention-focused meditation, noticing breathing, sounds or other sensations arising from the body. If more time is available, there is good evidence that meditating for 15 minutes a day can have positive effects on stress and emotion regulation. The evidence for benefits increases further with longer periods of meditation. In addition to practicing formal meditation, summer offers many opportunities to practice mindfulness in everyday life. Many people take vacations during the summer and, if so, we may notice the anticipation that arises when thinking about returning to a favorite location, or traveling to a new destination. Some of the anticipation may be positive, related to old memories or excitement about going somewhere new.
7/7/2023
Mindfulness-Based Habit Change Class to be Offered this Fall Mindfulness-Based Habit Change is a six-week, 90-minute Zoom course that combines mindfulness practices with the neuroscience behind how habits are formed and…
7/7/2023
Efficacy of a Mindfulness and Compassion-Based Intervention in Psychotherapists Mindfulness and compassion-based interventions (MCBI) have been shown to positively influence psychotherapy skills and have the potential to improve therapists’ relationships…
7/7/2023
When we practice attention-focused meditation, we choose an object to focus on, like the breath, and place our attention there. We may follow a few breaths, then the attention wanders, often to thoughts and we get caught up in thinking. Eventually we will notice the thinking, and we can choose to return the attention back to focusing on breathing again. We do this over and over again. With time, the period of time between thoughts might begin to increase, and we become aware of awareness, of paying attention without thoughts arising. In this space without thoughts, we can just be aware of our present moment experience. At first we may only be aware of wherever we have chosen to place our attention, perhaps noticing the sensations of breathing or the points of contact from sitting. We can also pay attention to the mind, noticing the absence of thoughts. How is this absence of thought experienced? With no thoughts there is no judging, no worrying, no wanting things to be different than they are. There are no thoughts of the future or of the past, there is only the present moment. In the space between thoughts, everything is just as it is.
6/2/2023
Mindful Eating Class to be Offered Again this Fall Along with a Range of Other Courses The Mindful Eating Class is designed to help people alter their behavior and improve…
6/2/2023
Mindfulness Meditation and Self-Monitoring Can Reduce Maladaptive Daydreaming Symptoms Maladaptive daydreaming is a type of compulsive daydreaming that causes distress and can interfere with functioning. These investigators studied the impact…
6/2/2023
Thinking is obviously necessary to accomplish many tasks- around the house, at work, for hobbies and leisure activities. Yet our minds continue to generate thoughts at other times, thoughts that often distract us from our present moment experience, and often increase our stress as negative thoughts or worries arise. We live our lives in the present moment, and if we are caught up in thinking about the past or the future, we may miss what is unfolding right now. Humans have an innate negativity bias, so the thoughts that arise are often worries about what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future. When thoughts arise, recognizing whether they are about something over which we have some control or whether they are focused on something beyond our sphere of influence is important. If the thoughts are about something we have control over, we can focus on how to address the issue. For instance, if we are worried about money, we can look at our budget and see where we might spend less or earn more. If the thoughts are about something over which we have no control, perhaps an event in the past that had a negative outcome that is still bothering us, we can first recognize this.
5/12/2023
The Second Annual Nancy McDaniel Lectureship on Women in Leadership to Be Given by Dorrie Fontaine Ph.D., RN, FAAN on April 17 at 4 pm Dorothy “Dorrie” Fontaine is the…
5/12/2023
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Treating Hypertension These authors reviewed studies of the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on systolic and diastolic blood pressure among individuals with prehypertension or hypertension.…