Meditation: thinking about thinking.

Meditation is a practice of thought whereby an individual can focus and train the brain's attention and awareness (Neuroplastic), thus calm the emotional Amygdala and activate the resting state (Me Center).

Our brain, once thought incapable of repair and believed to sustain permanent damage, is actually neuroplastic. That means it has an extraordinary and lifelong ability to reorganize its structure, functions, and neural connections in response to learning, experience, or injury. This ability means the brain can repair itself from damage. Our brains are always learning and adapting. Even learning a new word, skill, or meeting a new person involves the brain organizing structure and function to learn.

The Amygdala is the body’s response center located in the brain. It is the Fight or Flight center, and it responds to fear, aggression, and anxiety by activating the SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) – the increased heart rate, rapid respiration, sweating, and dilated pupils. 

The Me Center, the DMN (Default Mode Network) within the brain, processes information about the self. It is active when we are not focused on the outside world and during internal thought.

SUMMARY:

The function of Mediation, through its effects on the Amygdala and the Me Center, may play a role in overall health, wellness, and healing through the brain's Neuroplasticity.

The many forms of meditation include, but are not limited to, body-centered (body scanning), mantra, body movement (yoga), and mindfulness. Through rigorous medical reviews of brain imaging, all types of meditation have shown to benefit brain health. 

The meditative aspect of yoga exists in the movement, breath, and focus on the here and now. While the physical aspects of yoga improve body health, its focus transforms physical exercise into a form of moving meditation, benefiting brain health as well.

Mindfulness meditation focuses on maintaining awareness of the here and now without the mind wandering to past or future thoughts or events. Mindfulness meditation can be self-directed or guided. It is sometimes body-centered, focusing on a specific body area or scanning the body as a whole.

At Taspen’s, we are committed to supporting healthy bodies, balanced minds, and whole-person wellness. We offer a variety of yoga classes, healing sessions, and special events that incorporate meditation in its many forms.

By: Carrie Bergener,  https://carriebergenerwriting.com/