Page 8 - Wellbeing E-Book IV - Mindfulness
P. 8
Mindfulness:
Science and Practice
Mindfulness has found its place in the fields What we know about the practice of
of psychology and medicine, with particular mindfulness is that the more we do it,
focus on using mindfulness as a preventative the greater the impact. Often we turn to
tool for relapses in certain mental health tools such as mindfulness when we most
conditions. The MBSR and MBCT courses need them, for exampem during times of
have been accepted over the last decade extreme stress, uncertainty or change.
as effective tools for treating patients who However, all evidence points to regular
struggle with a variety of disorders such as; practice, particularly when things are good,
panic, PTSD and depression. In fact, Western leading to the best results.
science has even been able to constructively
evaluate the effectiveness of practicing As humans, we have a habit of ‘keeping on’
mindfulness through the use of equipment until things get to a point where they are no
such as functional magnetic response imaging longer manageable at which point, we need
(fMRI) machines, making it difficult for even some kind of intervention. Enter healthy
the greatest sceptic of Eastern traditions to and unhealthy habits of all description, such as
deny the impact of mindfulness on the brain holidays, healthy food, meditation and
and body. exercise, or, caffeine, excessive food, alcohol
and drugs… the list goes on.
In just one of many rigorous pieces of research
led by Gaëlle Debordes of Harvard Medical Even with the supposedly ‘healthy’ options
School, fMRI scanning machines were used there is an issue with waiting until the
to take images of the brains of frequent need is so strong that we feel there is no
meditators and record their brain activity alternative but to act fast and implement
during the scan. This method demonstrated a care strategy. This behaviour is a clear
that changes to the brains of people who indication that until this point we are not
have developed a mindfulness practice not truly living but only existing. If we are using
only exist but they are evident even when mindfulness on a regular basis we can live,
these individuals are not meditating. This was even just for short moments at a time, in the
particularly marked in a part of the brain called present moment, as it is, but really be in touch
the Amygdala - our stress centre – where the with what is real for us.
response patterns were different to those of
non-meditators. This evidence suggests that Each day we brush our teeth and wash
meditating can provide us with a different way ourselves because we have made time in
to respond to stressful life events and we do our routines for these basic acts of self-care.
not need to be in a present state of meditation However, how much time are we carving out
to do that if we are well practiced at the skill. in our daily routine in order to provide for the
long-term benefit of our mental health? Like
