Scientific research supports and documents the benefits of mindfulness to improve not only health and well-being, but also our brains!

 

Brain science tells us that the brain actually has a ‘plastic’ quality called neuroplasticity that allows the brain matter to change under certain conditions.  Scientists previously thought the brain was fixed, especially by a certain age, but now know that, with mindfulness practice, the grey matter in the brain changes to foster improved function in the areas of the brain that regulate learning, memory, compassion, empathy and stress.

 

Our bodies were designed to respond to stressful situations in our lives with  the “fight or flight (or freeze)” response. When we are in ‘fight or flight’ our muscles tense, our breathing and heart rate increases as our blood pressure rises.  This worked very well when we were hunters and gatherers, running for our lives from dangerous prey, but activation of the ‘fight or flight’ response on a daily basis, often multiple times throughout the day, leads to unhealthy stress levels.

 

Dr. Herbert Benson, of Harvard coined the term ‘relaxation response’ to describe an antidote to ‘flight or fight’. Practices such as mindfulness and yoga help us activate the relaxation response and when we practice, our muscles relax, breathing and heart rates slow down and our blood pressure tends to decrease. When we are relaxed,  our bodies create less cortisol, the stress hormone, which further promotes a sense of calm and well-being.