Mindfulness Research Papers

True happiness means to being present in the here and now…to be mindful.
The mind is dragged down by worries and stress. We become so fixated on the trials of yesterday and the concerns of tomorrow that we forget about the little moments that are taking place all around us.
What about today? Today is the most important day of all.
This month, embrace mindfulness. Focus on the small moments that happen around you… the tiny blips that mean so much but are often overlooked. This month, take the time to enjoy the little things.
Mindfulness & the Brain
Mindfulness isn’t just a state of mind—mindfulness CHANGES the mind. By adopting a lifestyle focused on mindfulness, an individual may alter the brain’s physiological responses to emotions and stress.
A 2010 study revealed that an eight-week session on mindfulness positively impacted the way study subjects handled stress and emotions (which was tested by having all participants watch a sad film). According to the study, the group who participated in the mindfulness training showed “less anxiety, depression and somatic distress compared with the control group.” Results were backed by MRI data. Individuals who participated in the mindfulness sessions “had less neural reactivity when they were exposed to the films than the control group, and they displayed distinctly different neural responses while watching the films than they did before their mindfulness training.”
Meditation also has been shown to reduce the impact of aging on the brain. As the body (and the brain) ages, physical and mental changes occur that affect daily activities. One of the most frustrating aspects of aging that most everyone experiences is changes in memory...or, rather, we become a bit more forgetful.
A study conducted in 2007 explored mindful meditation and its role in aging. In particular, the researchers looked at attention and the quantification of healthy gray matter within the brain. Gray matter helps process information in the brain, and often declines with age. The control group showed a decline in both attention and a decrease of gray matter. However, individuals that practiced meditation did not display the negative age correlation related to gray matter on the brain.
Mindfulness & Tantra
Mindfulness not only benefits the brain, but it also benefits the body…in unlikely ways.
Former frontman of The Police and Grammy Award-winning solo artist Sting once admitted to practicing Tantra. Of course, his proclamations were taken to the extreme and most believed his practice of Tantra meant that he was some sort of sexual marvel.
Tantra is nothing perverse or even mystical. Mindfulness is Tantra, and Tantra is mindfulness. To practice Tantric Yoga is to be mindful of the partner. Being aware of the body, the breath and each other enhances intimacy and the experience of act. Janaka Stagnaro writes that mindfulness in Tantra means not focusing on or worrying about pleasure—of yourself or your partner—but relaxing and letting all else fall away. While it might at first seem uncomfortable, Stagnaro emphasizes that the couple should make eye contact.
Mindfulness & Relationships
There is no perfect equation for relationship success. But finding balance, focusing on positivity and nurturing the love and romance is vital for any healthy relationship.
Training the mind to find a center and appreciate the moment positively affects romantic relationships. Ideally, the couple should enter into mindful meditation and training as a partnership…each practicing his or her own desired form of meditation.
At the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, researchers studied how mindfulness practices affect romantic relationships.
The UNC team discovered that couples practicing mindfulness positively improved their “levels of relationship satisfaction, autonomy, relatedness, closeness, acceptance of one another, and relationship distress.”
Mindfulness for Kids
Children and teens may benefit from the stress-relieving and cognitive effects of mindfulness. Training the mind allows the brain to alter its response to stress and stimuli. Individuals who meditate also enhance their brain’s ability for memory tasks and attention.
With sports, school and the multitudes of other extracurricular activities, this generation of children and teens are scheduled to their limit. And many of them are stressed and unsure how to balance their many roles. For parents who have children who are multi-taskers, mindfulness training helps them to learn how to focus on and enjoy the moment…instead of thinking about tomorrow’s test or game.
For children who are prone to worries—especially children who have trouble sleeping because of a busy, worrisome mind—mindfulness teaches serenity. Sitting quietly to focus on one thought and learning to appreciate the small moments provides children with running minds with a break from their concerns and their
stress.
Most importantly, mindfulness also carries over into the classroom. When the mind is able to focus more clearly, tuning out other distractions becomes easier. Mindfulness isn’t just a sense of calm and clarity, mindfulness also helps to train the mind to learn more efficiently.
This month, adopt mindfulness and explore the many ways that training the mind can enhance the body and everyday life. The art of mindfulness boosts the brain, enhances the joys of physical intimacy, improves relationships, and helps kids and teens cope with stress and learning. Practice mindfulness to enjoy the small moments that make life worth living. Namaste.