How I Rewired My Brain In Six Weeks, The True Purpose Of Meditation + The New BBC Video
The Purpose Of Meditation
In recent years, there has been a lot of scientific research into the purpose of meditation and mindfulness. This is a modern, secular strand of meditation that is often defined as cultivating a sense of moment-to-moment, non-judgemental awareness. It involves paying attention in a specified way to the present moment.
Many of the practices in my books draw on mindfulness, because it is an approach that works well ‘on the go’ and alongside daily activities such as washing up or cooking a meal.
Research in neuroscience suggests that simple mindfulness practices can create real change in the brain, reducing anxiety and fear, and improving compassion, cognitive ability and creativity. For much of the twentieth century, it was thought that neuro-plasticity – the brain’s ability to reinvent itself – was purely a feature of prenatal and early childhood development, but this is now understood to last well into adulthood. This means, for example, that the brain can develop positive new programmes throughout adult life.
It is never too late to be happy.
Physical, Social and Psychological Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
For many of us the purpose of meditation is health and wellness. Improvements such as greater peace of mind, less anxiety, better focus, happier mood, increased capacity for joy and improved creativity and relationships.
And when coupled with a mindful movement practice such as Yoga, benefits expand to include a supple and vibrant body, less aches and pains, better tone and shape, improved sleep, blood pressure and breathing.
But for those of us keen to go a step further, meditation offers not only a complete system of wellbeing but a method of self discovery to go with it.
The purpose of meditation is to find the meditator
What’s The Purpose Of Meditation For You?
I am 100% here for the typical healthy mind, healthy body benefits of yoga and meditation. But I am also a big advocate for self discovery and encourage all my students in that direction in one way or another. Be it with with physical yoga, mindfulness lessons or my work with poetry and art.
Self discovery is a learning journey that’s always evolving in wonderful ways. And just like studying anything else, be it guitar, tennis or math for example, over time and with practice, your understanding deepens and something new flowers. A new awareness of who and what we are.
And so how to begin?
Each day for a few minutes, be quiet and turn your attention from the outside world to your own inner presence. Pay attention, what’s happening within you, with a little viewing, is fascinating.
Change Your Mind, Change Your Life?
I recently watched the latest offering from The BBC ‘How I Rewired My Brain In 6 Weeks’
In this episode we get to see a series of brain imaging studies take place, and the results suggest regular meditation and mindfulness practice can create real changes in the brain.
Those changes are thanks to neuroplasticity, which put simply means our brains ability to change and adapt. In the episode, the busy mum and BBC presenter discovers that by practicing a little meditation with her teacher each day she was able to create real positive changes in her brain, indicative of less mind wandering and rumination.
How I Rewired My Brain In Six Weeks – BBC NEWS
Mini Mindful Moments During The Day
It’s important to make time for our mindfulness practice if we want to keep the good work going. And, let’s face it, sometimes finding the time in our busy schedules is the trickiest part isn’t it? But the good news is there are lots of interesting ways to make your practice fun and realistically doable. For example, finding a mindful moment in each corner of your day, be it on a morning walk, or while having a cup of tea mid morning, or while riding the train home or drifting off to sleep.
I hope you enjoy this short episode documenting the benefits and purpose of meditation. And if you’d like more inspiration for making mindful living part of your day-to-day, you might also enjoy my 24 hour meditation guide book ‘Inhale. Exhale. Repeat’.
About The Book ‘Inhale. Exhale. Repeat’
A Meditation Handbook For Every Part Of Your Day by Emma Mills
We’re all living faster, working harder, and often so busy we forget to take a moment to sit back, close our eyes and just, breathe. Yet this hectic lifestyle can get us down, making us lethargic, stressed and burnt out. So how to break the cycle? Inspired by traditional eastern lessons of meditation and mindfulness, neuroscience and insights from literature, Emma Mills offers fresh and simple tools to keep our minds healthy, from that early morning coffee through to the moment you climb into bed, without having to invest in expensive detox courses or far-flung retreats. She guides the reader through a course of a single day, with easy tips, meditations, recipes, literary recommendations and practical takeaways that can be completed in a matter of minutes.
So just inhale, exhale, and repeat – and let a sense of calm and focus transform your day. – Link
