Once regarded principally as a tranquilizer for the restless mind, meditation is now being shown by the latest researches to affect structures of the brain and the well-being of individuals much more deeply. For Sara Lazar, meditation is as essential to keeping her alive as breathing. Her research associate position in the psychiatry department of Massachusetts General Hospital and her assistant professorship at Harvard Medical School had made her one of the pioneers in the growing disciplines of neuroscience studying the meditative processes and their relation to brain structure.
At the core of her daily practice is what is called open awareness, which she believes is a primitive form of meditation that can teach us tremendous insights regarding our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions of even the grossest kinds of sensation.
Lazar may characterize it, however, deceptively simply. “I just become aware that I’m aware, with really no particular thing that I focus on,” she says. “This practice helps me become more aware of the subtle thoughts and emotions that briefly flit by, that we usually ignore but are quite useful to tune into.” In fact, one of the main purposes of meditation is to open that awareness to the present moment and the internal experiences that frequently go ignored.
Meditation not only alters our mindset in that particular moment but has irreversible effects that endure on the mind and the brain. The findings of Lazar’s own research suggest that certain meditative states can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, relieve chronic pain, and reduce some symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. The benefits reached far beyond psychological effects: meditation can actually change the makeup and connectivity of the brain. These changes in the brain, according to Lazar, may help us deal with unpleasant emotions like fear and anxiety. “It has become really clear that all of our experiences shape our brain in one way or another,” she says. “A lot of people say meditation is a mental exercise. Just like you build your physical muscles, you can build your calm muscles. And meditation is a very good way to do that.”
What Counts as Meditation?
Despite gaining tremendous popularity, confusion still exists on what meditation constitutes. Most everyone is acquainted with such practices as awareness or deep breathing exercises, yet meditation includes many different methodologies. Lazar points out that whereas there are clear definitions of what is not meditation, there is no single agreed-upon definition for meditation itself.
The essence of most meditation practices revolves around the idea of attending to the present moment-whether within the breath, a mantra, or bodily sensations. Open awareness, Lazar’s favorite method, requires simply being aware of the witnessing process itself, without attention being paid to the object or thought-state of awareness. That non-judgmental awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations is common among meditative traditions.
That is the beauty of meditation-in that it allows for so much variation. Be it focusing on a glowing candle, reciting a mantra, or concentrating on breath work, this offers an opportunity to slow and centre oneself to the present moment. All of these, according to Lazar, involve the same act of attending. Meditation is a process that starts with a purposeful act of attention wherever distractions or so-called intrusions might lead the conscious mind.
How it Works-the Science of Effect on the Brain
For the last decade, researchers such as Lazar have been researching how meditation is able to physically change the structure of the brain. A major influence of meditation is the amygdala, which is an almond-like structure deeply located in the brain and has an important role in processing fear, anxiety, and other emotions. Studies have shown that the regular practice of meditation may actually decrease the size of the amygdala, particularly in persons who tend to be under a lot of stress or anxiety.
Research pioneered by Lazar and her colleagues has shown that mindfulness practices, such as MBSR, are capable of altering the structure of the human brain. In one study on the most stressed subjects, reductions in perceived stress after eight weeks of MBSR training were accompanied by a decrease in size of the amygdala. In another study on generalized anxiety disorder, MBSR training for eight weeks seemed to increase connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Such connection is significant concerning the emotional regulation that prefrontal cortex is assumed to exert, thus possibly aiding in the regulation of the anxiety response to neutral faces with greater connectivity to the amygdala.
Such findings suggest that meditation may be an emotional regulator primarily for fears and anxiety. With people facing chronic stress or anxiety, mindfulness practice can bring about structural brain changes aiding with calmness and emotional resilience.
Meditating in Daily Life
With all the benefits of meditation, one certainly, does not have to be an expert to benefit from its many possible effects. Even a few minutes of meditation daily will help one’s focus, lower stress, and enhance feeling good. Lazar suggests starting with a simple Three-Minute Breathing Space Meditation. The purpose of this brief activity is to give you a taste of meditation through three phases: pausing for a moment to notice your thoughts, being aware of your breath, and bringing attention to the present moment.
If you want to build up the minutes of your meditation practice, Lazar advises to go slowly, just like with a workout routine. “One way to do this is to meditate outdoors, where the natural environment adds a grounding element to your practice,” she continues, “It is also very positive to think about how you feel after meditating, reinforcing the good effects.”
Another good way to bring mindfulness strategies into meditation in the course of the day is to sneak it in with other everyday moments. For example, when you reach for a doorknob or step outside, take a brief moment to notice the sensations in your hand or feel the air around you. Consciousness could be applied as you take steps from your office to your car to focus on the experience of walking: the feeling of your feet on the pavement, the sound surrounding you, and what you see.
The use of mindfulness in unexciting, repetitive tasks gradually builds a meditation practice that seems comfortable and useful. The style may be sessions of longer meditation or brief, mindful moments scattered throughout every day, but the important part is consistency.
Conclusion
A form of mental workout, meditation is also one of the best means to rewire the brain for the best. Stress relief, emotional stability, and heightened awareness of thoughts and feelings-these are some of the universal benefits of meditation. Just a few minutes every day will set one on the road to changing one’s relationship with thoughts, feelings, and the world around. In the beginning-it calls for meditation to be simple; in time-to grow slow; a trip well worthwhile.
