Mindful Compassion

Breathworks meditations Body Scan Breathing Anchor Mindful Movement Three minute Breathing Space Breathworks meditations Mindfulness

Breathworks meditations Compassionate Acceptance Treasure of Pleasure Open Heart Connection Breathworks meditations Compassion

Regulate Three major emotional systems Aim of MBPM Regulate Three major emotional systems SOOTHING ACHIEVING THREAT FROM PAUL GILBERT

Three major emotion regulation systems THREAT Fight/flight/freeze Anxiety, anger, aversion, isolation HORMONES: Adrenaline, cortisol DOING MODE Three major emotion regulation systems FROM PAUL GILBERT

Three major emotion regulation systems ACHIEVING Striving, succeeding Drive, excitement, pleasure, ‘buzz’, vitality HORMONES: Dopamine DOING MODE Three major emotion regulation systems FROM PAUL GILBERT

SOOTHING & CONTENTMENT CALM & CONNECT REST & DIGEST Feeling safe, relaxed, fun, play, kindness, compassion Content, connected, peaceful HORMONES: Oxytocin, endorphins BEING MODE Three major emotion regulation systems FROM PAUL GILBERT

Three major emotion regulation systems SOOTHING ACHIEVING Three major emotion regulation systems THREAT FROM PAUL GILBERT

Three major emotion regulation systems People with pain/LTC often bounce between achieving and threat ACHIEVING Three major emotion regulation systems THREAT FROM PAUL GILBERT

SOOTHING & CONTENTMENT Need to cultivate soothing system Hang out in the green zone SOOTHING & CONTENTMENT CALM & CONNECT REST & DIGEST Three major emotion regulation systems FROM PAUL GILBERT

Importance of compassion Tenderness and kindness is crucial

The Science of Loving Kindness Meditation Vagal tone Oxytocin Neural and cellular plasticity The Science of Loving Kindness Meditation (Barbara Frederickson) Vagal nerve: 10th cranial nerve that relays info between brainstem and most of the internal organs, including the heart Oxytocin circulates throughout brain and body Plasticity – everything is changing!

Vagal tone Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Connected to PNS. High vagal tone builds a strong immune system Vagal tone = Frederickson’s research demonstrated that generating love through LKM raised ‘vagal tone’, a central component in the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), increasing feelings of calm and relaxation and allowing your body to repair itself. The strength of the vagus nerve can be measured simply by tracking your heart rate in conjunction with your breathing rate, known as heart-rate variability (HRV). If the vagal tone is high, the heart rate increases a little on the in-breath and slows down on the out-breath in a smooth and steady rhythm. High vagal tone can improve glucose levels, slow a racing heart after stress and stimulate the ‘calm-and-connect’ System. It also helps build a strong immune System.

Oxytocin Cultivating LK stimulates PNS and green zone. Releases oxytocin - reduces inflammation and boosts immune system. Can also reduce pain. (endorphins also part of green zone) Oxytocin Levels of oxytocin, also known as the ‘cuddle’ or ‘love’ hormone, naturally increase in women during childbirth and breastfeeding; a time when mothers need to bond with their children. It also increases when we have physical intimacy through experiences such as hugging and cuddling. When oxytocin is high, the threat-perceiving parts of the brain are muted, and the parts that tune into positive social connections are amplified. Raised oxytocin enables you to deal with stressful social situations much better, which reduces the production of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol. This, in turn, curbs stress-induced rises in blood pressure and heart rate, reduces feelings of depression and even raises pain thresholds. As we’ve seen, experience-dependent neuroplasticity means that your brain can change and evolve, depending on what you do with it and what you pay attention to. Love and compassion produce structural changes in the brain, making it more sensitive to the calming influence of oxytocin. And, as the brain changes, it becomes more receptive to healthy habits and healthy social bonds. Now, that’s a virtuous circle worth cultivating.

Experience-dependent neuro-plasticity (Donald Hebbs) Experience-dependent neuro-plasticity (Donald Hebbs) Given that your body is continually building neural and cellular structures, if your mental and emotional activity is cultivating positivity, then you will be moulding your brain and cells accordingly. This shows how important it is that you ‘wake up’ to what is going on in your mind and take steps to guide your thoughts and emotions in a positive direction.

What we dwell on we become Experience-dependent neuro-plasticity What we dwell on we become

There is hope CHANGE IS POSSIBLE! Awareness and kindness are key We can learn to choose what we attend to with our awareness to cultivate well-being There is hope