When we practice mindful meditation, we learn to turn off the outside world for a period of time. We can go from a state of dysregulation to regulation. Meditation leads us away from distraction and helps us focus, alleviating anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness means simply, “focused attention”. Practicing mindful meditation is simple and easy, and in just a few short sessions, one can achieve amazing results.
Mindfulness calms the amygdala in our brain, improving our working memory. When we experience anxiety, we don’t have to “do” anything. The practice of Mindfulness will teach us how to navigate through anxiety.
Mindfulness is a way of doing things. It is a way of thinking, and it’s a way of being. We can bring it to everything we do.
Eight minute mindful meditation introduction by Martin Rickler, MA, PhD. Visit Marty’s website for more meditation resources: www.martinrickler.com
Articles
Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain (Washington Post)
Walking Meditation (www.jackkornfield.com)
Why Being Present Is So Difficult (And What You Can Do About It) (www.mindbodygreen.com)
The basic nature of the mind is to dwell in the past or to worry about the future. Our uneasiness about what’s to come is actually our strategy to prepare for the future – our mind’s ingenious way of ensuring that we’re equipped to survive.
The Body Scan Practice (www.mindful.org)
Body scans are a way to get in touch with the body, let go of feelings of needing to get stuff done, and release pent-up emotions. Just like other forms of meditation, the body scan also trains attention.
Meditation’s Antianxiety Effects Visible on Brain Imaging (www.medscape.com)
Individuals with no experience in meditation who participate in mindful meditation training sessions for as little as four days show changes in specific brain mechanisms that correlate with a reduction in anxiety, a new imaging study shows.
Santa Barbara Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation Group Sittings with Radhule Weininger, PhD
Carefully guided Mindfulness meditation and Metta/Loving Kindness meditation along with talks and monthly gatherings for discussion and mingling. Weekly free group meditation sittings at St. Michael’s Church in Isla Vista (7pm-8:15pm), the Museum of Natural History in Santa Barbara, CA (6pm-7pm), and La Casa de Maria in Montecito, CA (6pm-7pm).
La Casa de Maria Program Schedule
La Casa de Maria, located in Montecito, CA, hosts retreats, mindfulness meditation, weekly centering prayers, and yoga.