The Mindful Month
Week Two
WEEK TWO
An interview with SARA LAZAR
How regular mindfulness can change your brain
Sara Lazar’s research findings into mindfulness are some of the most highly quoted. In this interview with me, Sara shares some fascinating details about which parts of the brain changed through an 8 week mindfulness training course.
In this video you’ll learn
- Which areas of the brain change with regular mindfulness meditation and why this is important
- How these brain changes could enhance your mental health
- The powerful effect mindfulness can have on the stress centre of your brain.
About Sara Lazar
With a PhD in microbiology at Harvard University, Dr. Lazar has led numerous scientific studies. Her most notable research observes changes in the brain, also known as neuroplasticity in long-term meditators under Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Dr.
Lazar’s research has been covered by numerous news organizations including The New York Times, USA Today, Time Magazine, CNN, ABC Evening News, National Public Radio, WebMD, and the Huffington Post.
Week Two Meditation
This week we move into a new practice which brings us to more sharply focussing on the breath.
The body scan from last week invited you to move your attention around the body, whereas this breath practice is about starting to stabilise your attention to stay in one place.
Practising the new breath meditation today will help you train your brain to become better at focussing and observing. This is a skill that will translate into everyday life as you become better at noticing what is happening from moment to moment, both in relation to your inner emotional world and in relationship with others.
Noticing, is the first step to freeing ourselves from automatic habits and finding more skilful ways of navigating through life.
Just like physical exercise, which requires muscle to meet resistance in order for strength to develop, the distraction you experience in meditation can be likened to the resistance you experience at gym. It’s the ability and discipline to bring your attention back when it has wandered, that is the key to strengthening your mental muscle of attention and focus.