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THE BENEFIT OF BEING PRESENT Garrett Hooper Body Mind Wellness Challenge March 2010 How Mindfulness Practice Positively Impacts Our Health and Well-Being
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“Mindfulness is a moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specific way, that is, in the present moment, and as non- reactively, as non-judgmentally, and as openheartedly as possible.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, Coming to Our Senses
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What is Mindfulness? Present moment awareness Non-judgmental Non-reactive Openhearted Challenge to the monkey-mind
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Mindfulness is not…. Thinking Daydreaming Spacing out Repeating affirmations Self-hypnosis Sleeping
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Mindfulness Is… Stopping our automatic, habitual pattern of reactivity A space between one’s perception and response Reflectivity, not reflexivity Investigative awareness Observation, discrimination, causality
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Orientation to Experience Attitude of curiosity Where the mind goes… What is the object of experience? Everything is relevant Not trying to produce a “state” Acceptance of each moment
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The Stress Response Good stress, bad stress Life on the Serengeti Life commuting on the 405 Chronic stress shutdown Immune system Digestive system Reproductive system
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Predictions Reduced use of strategies to avoid aspects of experience Increase dispositional openness Change of psychological context Improved affect tolerance Emotional awareness Relationship between thoughts, feelings, and actions
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Predictions Insight into the nature of thought Passing events of the mind, NOT inherent aspects of the self Awareness of thoughts as… Contextual Relativistic Transient Subjective
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Origins Most cultures have some form of mindfulness practice: Breath meditation Mantra Yoga T’ai Chi Contemplative prayer
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Why Mindfulness? Physiological Benefits Decreased heart-rate during meditation Lower blood-pressure in normal and moderately hypertensive individuals Quicker recovery from stress Increase in alpha rhythms (relaxation) Increase in synchronization (hemispheres) Reduced cholesterol levels Reduction in the intensity of pain
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Why Mindfulness? Psychological Benefits Greater happiness and peace of mind Less emotional reactivity Increased empathy Enhanced creativity Heightened perceptual clarity Reduction in acute and chronic anxiety Enhanced self-actualization
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Therapeutic Interventions Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Reduction of symptoms: Chronic Pain Anxiety Depression Eating Disorders Fibromyalgia Psoriasis ADHD
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MBSR 8-week program: meditation, body scan, hatha yoga Baer’s Meta-analysis: MBSR effective in reducing stress, increasing well-being Research: reduction of stress in medical students Shapiro, et al., 1998; Rosenzweig, et al., 2003 Research: reduction of stress in cancer patients Carlson, et al., 2004; Tacon, et al., 2004.
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The Science of Mindfulness Reduction of negative affect Increase in left-side activity of the prefrontal cortex Increase in immune-system functioning Increased gamma-wave oscillations (synchrony) Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., et. al. (2003). Alterations in brain function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65, 564-570.
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Everyday Mindfulness Breath Meditation Walking Meditation Eating Meditation
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Making Time for Mindfulness Set aside 5-10 minutes per day Find time before, during, or after one of your regular activities: Add 5 minutes of mindfulness during mealtime Meditate for a few minutes before watching TV Meditate before work begins, during your lunch hour, or at the end of the workday
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References Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143. Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230-241. Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822-848. Rosenzweig, S., Reibel, D. K., Greeson, J. M., Brainard, et. al. (2003). Mindfulness- based stress reduction lowers psychological distress in medical students. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 15(2), 88-92. Shapiro, S. L., Schwartz, G. E., & Bonner, G. (1998). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on medical and premedical students. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21, 581-599.
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References Tacón, A. M., Caldera, Y. M., Ronaghan, C. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction in women with breast cancer. Families, Systems, & Health, 22, 193-203. Teasdale, J. D., Williams, J. M., Soulsby, J. M., Segal, Z. V., Ridgeway, V. A., & Lau, M. A. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 615-623.
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