Mindfulness meets Brain Plasticity
Throughout my own exploration of health and well being I have tried a lot of things in my search for balance and quality of life. My current focus is accepting a healthy outlook on life and being a better person. With the full catastrophe of work, commute, family life (3 kids), and the general day-to-day, my plate is full. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, but part of my own puzzle is that when the plate gets too full there is less chance for me to attend to myself. If I don’t attend to myself, then I cannot attend to my responsibilities.
A friend of mine recently turned me on to Dr. Daniel Siegel’s work around Mindfulness and the science behind it. The best way I can describe Mindfulness is paying attention to one’s intentions, being present, and being open and accepting. There is a certain simplicity to it, but people devote a lifetime to practicing it.
Dr. Siegel does a nice job in tying in advances in science related to brain plasticity—the ability for the brain to change or rewire itself based on experience. The latest research in Neuroscience is validating the idea of Mindfulness, Mindfulness Meditation and personal growth, which have been in practice for thousands of years. I think it is an interesting meeting of eastern and western philosophies. Google Talks has been hosting some fascinating speakers on this topic over the past few years. Here are links to two YouTube videos that feature talks of interest:
• Daniel Siegel with Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
• Richard Davidson with Transform Your Mind, Change Your Brain
Possibly Related posts:
Posit Science's corporate blog is the place where our employees share their thoughts about Posit Science and its products, brain fitness, breakthroughs in neuroscience, and any other topic they find interesting and relevant. 
