Self-awareness meditation. Meditationfest: Jeda Mali - Awareness in the Present Moment. Mindfulness meditation. Execution details

For thousands of years, meditation has been used to help the body, mind and spirit expand the existing boundaries of consciousness. Today meditation is recognized as a stress reliever, it helps lower blood pressure, reduces the effects of negative emotions, and calms the mind. As Deepak Chopra likes to emphasize, "Meditation is not a way to calm your mind. It is a way to release inner peace and quiet." What are the benefits of meditating people?

1. They are much happier

Psychologists believe that meditation increases positive emotions, reduces negative ones, and strengthens the mechanisms of survival and self-preservation. Meditation is one of the tools that some schools and employers use to improve the well-being of students and employees.

2. They see the world from a creative perspective

People who meditate on a regular basis report that they feel a lot of creativity and a feeling of "direct loading" from the universe after meditations. Where was the song before the composer wrote it? Where was dance before the choreographer invented it? Although scientists may not find scientific answers to these questions, we know that people who meditate experience an increase in creativity and a surge of innovative ideas.

3. They are closely related to each other.

When people meditate, they seem to temporarily isolate themselves from the whole world, being alone with their inner energy, but one of the paradoxes of meditation is that when they spend time with themselves, they feel a greater sense of connection with others. They often come together in groups for deeper practices, and they also feel unity with all people, perceiving them as brothers and sisters or as a part of the divine in every manifested being.

4. They let go easily

Such people do not hold resentment, fear or pain to themselves. By taking time to reflect, they use their useful ability to be compassionate and empathetic, and spend less time critically castigating and judging others.

5. They are less sensitive to pain

When people who experienced chronic pain due to illness were taught meditation, they reported a decrease in pain and an increase in pain tolerance. Meditation actually changes the brain and teaches it to masterfully self-generate positive emotions.

6. They are more persistent

People who meditate have a healthier response to stress than non-meditators. Brain scans of meditators show that they use different areas of the brain to deal with stressful situations than other people. Sitting silently for a few minutes every day actually means changing the density of gray matter in the right and left hemispheres. This means that when things go wrong, our brains will better figure out their own way out of the situation and deal with stress. This will increase many of the skills needed for self-preservation.

7. They are guided by intuition.

People who meditate for a long time notice that their inner voice, intuition, is more developed than other people. Accordingly, they learn to trust themselves and intuitively make the right decisions that positively affect their destiny.

8. They take everything as it is

Meditators learn to accept all the good and bad things that come into their lives with gratitude or at least acceptance. They note that everything is relative, so you shouldn't divide it into black and white, bad and good. They do not ask: "What is it for me, why me, etc.", they rather reflect on the fact "What is it for me, that this is what the Universe wants me to do, etc."

9. They accept change easily.

There is nothing permanent in life, especially in the life of meditating people. While meditating, they change from within, which means they also change the world around them. Changes only mean movement and we must strive for this movement to be forward or up, but not backward (degradation).

10. They know what the meaning of life is.

Being engaged in spirituality and meditation, meaning appears in their lives, they know what their soul aspires to and what needs to be done for their own realization. Therefore, their life is more fulfilling and harmonious.

I once heard that daily meditation sessions noticeably improve the quality of life in the first 2 months. I have often come across information that many successful people start their day with ten minutes of meditation.

When I wanted to know better what meditation is and how to learn it from scratch, I read Swami Sivananda's book "Concentration and Meditation". This is an impressive work of the world respected Indian yogi. I read the entire book with interest, but did I understand what meditation is? No.

It takes practice to learn to meditate. Therefore, first read the article carefully, and then get down to practice.

Imagine someone describing the taste of honey in three volumes. Would anyone who read this book know the taste of honey if they had never tasted it before? The taste of honey is a very simple thing, but nevertheless it is impossible to describe it. You can only get this experience.

Likewise, it is impossible to describe the state of meditation or the state of liberation from the mind. This is a very simple thing, but it takes practice and experience. And then no books and no theory will be needed. You will simply enjoy the taste of meditation.

Nevertheless, theoretical instructions can serve as a kind of navigator, pointing the way to the desired state. If you have no idea what honey is, but want to try it, you can come to the store and stand in confusion in the middle of the trading floor, not knowing which department to go to. But the store employees will easily point you to the shelf with honey jars. And if you decide to get it yourself and build an apiary on your site, you will need more complicated instructions.

There is nothing magical about meditation. Meditation is a simple exercise to train your ability to control your attention.

There are two main ways to meditate.

• Focusing on one object: internal or external.
• Observing what is happening at the moment, not allowing attention to get stuck on something specific (streaming state of consciousness).

Meditation is an individual practice, although it is often practiced in groups. Usually the practitioner sits in a motionless posture with a straight back. But you can practice meditation while moving or lying down. It's just easier to concentrate in a sitting position with a straight back, so this position is recommended at the beginning of training.

In fact, the word "meditation" is translated from Latin as "reflection". But when the eastern practices of self-improvement began to penetrate to the west, the word meditation began to call all the techniques for working with consciousness. Such as Japanese Zen, Chinese Chan, Vietnamese Thien, Yogic Dhyana. It is customary for us to combine all these practices of developing the mind and training attention with one word "meditation".

In fairness, I want to note that not only the process is called meditation, but also the end result of this process, that is, the achieved state of peace can be called meditation.

How often do you catch yourself thinking that you want to take a break from constant anxiety and fatigue? Many people feel they need to dive into an ocean of tranquility to restore vitality and mental clarity. Meditation is the best way to do this. You can learn meditation from scratch in a few minutes. Let's take a closer look at what meditation is and then move on to the practical exercises.

Meditation is the art of achieving inner peace. When the long-awaited silence comes inside, the mind calms down, and the body relaxes, a powerful reboot of the psyche occurs. Just a few minutes of this state a day effectively contributes to the healing of the body, normalization of blood pressure and heart rate.

5 myths about meditation

In fact, there are several opinions on what meditation is. What is not called by this word. Here are some common misconceptions.

- Meditation is a ritual to attract money, love and other benefits

- Meditation is something from the field of religion

- Meditation is something related to sects

- Meditation is a long-term asceticism and withdrawal from society

- Meditation is difficult, boring and useless.

I think it is wrong to associate meditation with magic or mysticism. My approach to meditation is not sectarian and has nothing to do with "secret knowledge".

Meditation for me is a practical psychological tool for developing my mind. The practice of meditation gives a clear mind, trains concentration of attention, creates conditions for the development of inner peace. All these qualities contribute to improved health and success in ordinary earthly affairs, work, family.

In this article, I will explain what meditation is and show you how to learn it. Also at the end I will give simple exercises for beginners that you can start practicing today.

Why Meditate?

If you look closely, you will notice that all of our actions have only two reasons: an attempt to alleviate suffering and the desire to enjoy. We call the absence of suffering and the presence of pleasure happiness.

It is sometimes interesting to catch yourself in any action during the day and ask yourself the question: why am I doing this? If at this moment, for example, you are preparing yourself a sandwich for breakfast, ask yourself: "Why am I making this sandwich?" The answer will be related to getting rid of hunger and enjoying delicious food.

Likewise, the reasons why we want to meditate will be some variation on the theme of getting rid of suffering and getting pleasure.

Meditation gives a person strength. First of all, during meditation, the ability to concentrate consciousness develops. A focused mind is able to quickly find solutions to complex problems. The ability to concentrate the will promotes effective action. Peace of mind will help you everywhere: at business meetings, on the sports field, on stage and at home with your family.

I think everyone has negative thoughts and feelings that haunt us all our lives. By reason, we understand that there is no sense from them, you can get rid of them, and it will only get better. But we cannot do this. These include irrational fears, bad habits, discouragement, or depression.

From this we can conclude that our mind is not always our best friend. And sometimes it is better not to follow his lead, but to learn how to manage him. Who is directing your attention? Do you manage it yourself, or does it walk by itself like a lamb escaped from a paddock?

Try sitting for 10 minutes with your attention focused on your breathing. You will notice that your attention is not really listening to you. How many times have you caught yourself thinking about the past or worrying about the future? Don't worry, this is completely normal for an untrained person.

But such disordered thoughts waste a lot of energy, cause unconscious tension in the body, and this, in turn, can be the cause of health problems.

Agree, feeling calm and relaxed is much better than worrying about every little thing. In addition, a relaxed, healthy psyche is the key to health. Those your illnesses that are caused by nervous tension, stress or an offense stuck ten years ago will go away along with the stress.

I am very glad that recently Western science has turned its attention to the beneficial properties of meditation. In general, meditation has become very popular in the United States in recent years. Of course, science does not recognize subtle energies and chakras, but it has been empirically proven at least that meditation normalizes blood pressure and lowers the stress hormone cortisol.

Monkey thoughts

When you sit down in meditation and look inward, you will surely come across what Buddhism calls "monkey thoughts." Thoughts, images and emotions will jump around like a flock of excited monkeys jumping from branch to branch, each with its own agenda.

You might be surprised and a little discouraged when you find such chaos in your mind. Remember that this experience is very common, almost all meditators experience something similar, at least at the beginning of their practice. Awareness and familiarity with “monkey thoughts” is an important first step.

If you pay more attention to observing this incoherent stream of thoughts, images, and sensations, some patterns will become apparent. You will probably notice that most of these thoughts revolve around the past and the future.

These are reflections, regrets and memories of the past, mixed with fears, expectations and plans for the future. You may also find that a significant portion of the monkey's mind contains:

1) thoughts about things that you don't have right now, but which you want to have and thoughts on how to get them (for example, a new car)

2) thinking about the things you have but don't want them and thinking about how to get rid of them (the hateful job you have to do every day).

Again, this is completely normal. You also need to understand that thoughts in themselves are not bad. There are useful thoughts that are associated with the implementation of practical tasks. For example, calculating the time of your trip home and wondering if you can get to the post office before closing time.

There are creative and beautiful thoughts, for example, the thought process of home improvement, solving scientific problems, philosophical reflections on life.

There are pleasant and inspiring thoughts that support us, for example, the recollection of a good deed that we have done or someone has done towards us.

There are thoughts that are useful for meditation, such as recalling instructions or counting in and out breaths.

But none of this has anything to do with monkey thoughts. Monkey thoughts are mental chatter that appears to be disordered, devoid of intelligence.

Monkey thoughts go around in circles like an endless replay of a bad movie. If you look closely, you will notice that some thoughts are repeated over and over. Some may be helpful, but some are just obsessive monkey thoughts. It is better to get rid of obsessive useless thoughts by making room for creative thinking or just silence.

How will meditation help?

Habitual thought patterns correspond to pathways in the brain's neural networks that have become deep grooves. Meditation helps replace these old, boring ruts, these endlessly repetitive thoughts, with new and fresh ways of thinking.

Think of it as a path through a grassy meadow. When used frequently, the path becomes deep and wide. But when not in use, it quickly becomes overgrown with grass and merges with the rest of the field. Likewise, habitual ways of thinking, such as judging people, dissolve when you start walking down a different path. Meditation helps create these alternative paths.

Read also:

How to learn meditation

Getting started in meditation training is like going on vacation - say, a two-week trip to Paris. In preparation for the trip, you create a general plan: where you will go and what you will see. You can also prepare maps and indicate routes on how to get to the Eiffel Tower and see its surroundings.

The route and maps are useful things to do while traveling. The real joy, however, is the direct experience of walking through Paris.

The real pleasure comes from the aroma of almond croissants in the morning pastry shop, where you eat breakfast as the sun rises over the city, as people of all ages pass by, speaking languages ​​you don't understand.

The joy comes from finding a field of sunflowers, which you decide to wander through, eating delicious almond croissants.

Joy comes from warm spontaneous conversations with your travel partner, mutual feelings, and unexpected moments of intimacy.

The firsthand experience of having breakfast in a pastry shop and walking through a sunflower field cannot be seen on the map. The specificity of this and any other experience cannot be envisaged by the itinerary. In fact, the true richness of life, that deepest pleasure occurs at the moment when we put aside maps and routes, postpone our expectations and completely immerse ourselves in what is really happening.

The same is true for the practice of meditation. The information space is littered with books and articles with meditation lessons. We have no shortage of instructions and maps. But the real experience happens when we put off studying theory and immerse ourselves in practice.

Exercises to help you learn meditation

1. Observing what is happening

The easiest way to meditate is to just sit and do nothing. There is no need to concentrate on anything here. Just watch what is happening in the moment without making any effort.

Breathe naturally as you are used to. Let your thoughts run in your mind, let your mind go where it wants to go. Remember that internal dialogue is a normal natural process for every person, do not suppress it. Do not control your feelings, let feelings and thoughts come and go, like the weather outside the window.

The task in this meditation is to observe the flow of thoughts and feelings without clinging to them. Just watch how it appears on the inner screen and how it disappears. Listen to sounds around you without trying to pay attention to them.

The present moment never stops. It is impossible to catch and keep in mind, every moment is new. Before you have time to realize what is happening now, you already need to free your mind for the next awareness. Consciousness is constantly flowing, and you constantly keep your attention at its edge.

This meditation is called mindfulness. Or, as it is commonly called in the West mindfulness - mindfulness.

Its usefulness can hardly be overestimated. Scientific research is being conducted to normalize blood pressure and improve hormonal levels in people who practice mindfulness. But it is better to conduct such a study with yourself and be convinced of this by your own experience.

2. Concentration of attention on breathing

Another simple meditation. Sit with your back straight. You can sit us a chair, in lotus position or hero pose. The main thing is that the back is straight, since we need free breathing.

Concentrate on your breathing. Observe and be aware of the breath. First, you can direct your attention to the tip of the nose, how cool air passes through the nostrils, then how the air fills the lungs, how the diaphragm descends and the abdomen puffs out.

Then watch as you exhale as the breathing muscles relax, pushing the air out. How warm air travels through the respiratory tract and how it is felt at the tip of the nose.

Count each exhalation. Take 10 breaths in total. If you get lost, start over. When you notice that your attention is distracted by extraneous thoughts, very gently, with a kind smile, return it to your breath. Do not in any way scold or blame yourself. This is the normal process of training and learning meditation.

3. Mantra meditation

Our attention can be directed to only one object at a time. If you think you are able to think about several things at the same time, then it only seems to you. It's just that your attention very quickly switches between different objects.

This property of attention is used in mantra meditation. The essence of this meditation is that we occupy our inner dialogue with some sound that does not carry any meaning. For example, the sound "ommm" or any mantra. In this way, we can stop the chaotic chatter of the mind and just calmly observe the mantra being repeated in the mind. After a while, the desired state of rest comes.

Here are some good meditation mantras:

- Om Mane Padme Hum

- Om Namah Shivaya

- Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

- Sat Chit Ananda

- Om Vajrapani Hum

• The body should be rested. It is best not to meditate after grueling physical training. Also, meditation is much more effective in the morning after a good sleep, when you are not yet physically or mentally tired.
• The mind should be alert. In the morning, you need to find a suitable way to cheer up. For example, take a cool shower or do a simple physical exercise. Three rounds of Yoga Sun Salutation work well.
• The stomach should be empty. After a heavy meal, 2-3 hours should pass. After a light snack, wait 40 minutes before meditating. On an empty stomach, clarity of mind is more easily achieved, but, of course, you do not need to starve yourself. Again, in the morning, while the appetite has not yet woken up, and eight hours have passed since the last meal - a good time for meditation.
• Set your phone to silent mode so that nothing distracts you from your practice. Ask loved ones not to disturb you, and try to arrange with pets to leave you alone for a few minutes.
• Do breathing exercises for a couple of minutes before practice, if you know any. This will help clear your mind and cheer up.
• Wear loose clothing, accessories and jewelry. Breathing should be free, nothing should squeeze the body in the abdominal region of the chest.

Output

You can only understand what meditation is and how to learn it from your own experience. No books or articles can show this amazing feeling of ease and liberation that meditation brings. Do not be afraid to try, do not be afraid that you are meditating in the wrong way. The main thing is to start, and with experience you will learn this great art.

See you later!

Yours Rinat Zinatullin

When in 2005 the Neurobiological Society invited Tenzin Gyatso (14th Dalai Lama) to its annual meeting in Washington, among 35 thousand people present, several hundred people demanded that the invitation be canceled. They believed that there was no place for religious leaders at a scientific meeting. But it turned out that it was he who asked the audience a provocative and useful question. Tenzin Gyatso asked: "What connection can there be between Buddhism, ancient Indian and religious-philosophical traditions and modern science?"

Before starting a conversation, the Dalai Lama had already done something to find an answer to this question. In the 1980s. he initiated a discussion of the prospects for cooperation between science and Buddhism, which led to the creation of the Institute "Mind and Life" aimed at the study of meditative sciences. In 2000, he set a new goal for the project, organizing the direction of "Meditative Neuroscience," and invited scientists to study brain activity in Buddhists who are seriously involved in meditation and have more than 10,000 hours of practice. Over the past 15 years, more than 100 Buddhists, monks and lay people, as well as a large number of recent meditators, have taken part in scientific experiments at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and at 19 other universities. The article you are currently reading is the result of a collaboration between two neuroscientists and a Buddhist monk who originally trained as a biologist. By comparing the patterns of brain activity in people who have meditated tens of thousands of hours in their lives, and those who have been doing it recently, we began to understand why such methods of mind training can provide great cognitive benefits.

MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ARTICLE:

• Meditation is found in the spiritual practices of almost all major religions. In recent years, it has begun to be used in secular society to calm down and improve well-being.
• The three main forms of meditation - focus, mindfulness, and compassion - are now ubiquitous, from hospitals to schools, and are increasingly becoming the subject of research in scientific laboratories around the world.
• During meditation, physiological changes occur in the brain - the activity of some areas changes. In addition, meditation has a good psychological effect: it increases reaction speed and decreases susceptibility to various forms of stress.

The goals of meditation overlap with many of the goals of clinical psychology, preventive medicine, and education. A growing body of research suggests that meditation can be effective in treating depression, chronic pain, and overall feelings of well-being.

The discovery of the benefits of meditation is consistent with recent findings by neuroscientists that the adult brain retains the ability to change significantly with experience. Changes in the brain have been shown to occur when we learn to juggle or play a musical instrument, for example, in a phenomenon called neuroplasticity. As the violinist's proficiency increases, the areas of the brain that control finger movements increase. Apparently, similar processes occur during meditation. Nothing changes in the environment, but the meditator regulates his mental state, creating an inner experience that affects the work and structure of the brain. As a result of ongoing research, evidence is accumulating on the positive effects of meditation on the brain, thinking, and even on the entire body as a whole.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation is found in the spiritual practices of almost all major religions, the media. When referring to meditation, this word is used in different meanings. We will talk about meditation as a way of developing basic human qualities, such as stability and clarity of mind, peace of mind, and even love and compassion - those qualities that sleep until a person makes an effort to develop them. In addition, meditation is the process of getting to know a calmer and more flexible lifestyle.

Meditation is simple enough and can be done anywhere. This does not require special equipment or uniforms. To start "training", a person must take a comfortable position, not very tense, but not too relaxed, and wish for changes in himself, well-being for himself and relief of suffering for other people. Then it is necessary to stabilize consciousness, which is often disordered and filled with a stream of internal noise. To control the mind, it must be rid of automatic thought associations and internal absent-mindedness.

TYPES OF MEDITATION

Attention meditation. This type of meditation usually requires you to focus on the rhythm of your own inhalation and exhalation. Even with experienced meditators, attention can slip away, and then it must be returned. At Emory University, brain scans have identified different areas involved in switching attention in this type of meditation.

Mindfulness meditation. It is also called free perception meditation. In the process of meditation, a person is exposed to various auditory, visual and other stimuli, including internal sensations and thoughts, but does not allow them to carry him away. Experienced meditators have decreased activity in areas of the brain associated with anxiety, such as the islet and amygdala.

Empathy and loving-kindness meditation. In this type of meditation, a person cultivates a feeling of benevolence towards another person, whether they are friend or foe. At the same time, the activity of the areas associated with the representation of oneself in the place of another person increases, for example, the activity in the temporo-parietal node increases.

Advances in neuroimaging and other technologies have allowed scientists to understand what happens in the brain during each of the three main forms of Buddhist meditation: concentration, mindfulness, and compassion. The diagram below allows you to see the cycle of events occurring during attention meditation and the activation of the corresponding brain regions.

Consider what happens in the brain during three common types of meditation that originated in Buddhism and are now used outside of a religious context in hospitals and schools around the world. The first type of meditation is the so-called meditation concentration: consciousness at the current time is limited and directed, developing the ability not to be distracted. The second type is mindfulness meditation (clear mind) or free perception, during which a person seeks to develop a calm understanding of his own emotions, thoughts and feelings that he is experiencing at the present time, so as not to allow them to get out of control and bring him to a mental disorder. In this type of meditation, a person retains attention to any of his experiences, but does not focus on anything specific. Finally, the third type is known in Buddhist practice as compassion and mercy and promotes an altruistic attitude towards others.

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF INSTRUMENTS

Neuroscientists have only recently begun to study the phenomena that occur in the brain during various types of meditation. Wendy Hasenkamp of Emory University and her colleagues used tomography to identify areas of the brain that are more alert during meditation. While in the tomograph, the subjects focused on the sensations when breathing. Usually, attention begins to slip away, the meditator must recognize this and regain focus on the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation.

In this study, the subject had to use a button to signal a loss of attention.

Researchers have determined that there is a cycle of four stages: withdrawal of attention, moment of awareness of distraction, reorientation of attention and renewal of focused attention. Each of the four stages involves different parts of the brain.

• At the first stage when distraction occurs, the activity of the areas that form the network of the passive mode of the brain increases. It unites areas such as the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, the precuneus, the inferior parietal lobe, and the lateral temporal cortex. It is known that these structures are active at a time when we are "in the clouds". They play a leading role in creating and maintaining an internal model of the world based on long-term memory of themselves and those around them.
• In the second stage when a distraction is recognized, other parts of the brain are activated - the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex (the structures form a network responsible for cognitive and emotional functions). These areas are associated with subjectively perceived feelings, which can, for example, contribute to distraction while completing an assignment. They are thought to play a key role in detecting new events and switching between different networks of neurons during meditation. For example, they can bring the brain out of a passive mode of operation.

• In the third stage additional areas are involved, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the inferolateral part of the parietal lobe, which return attention by “detaching” it from the distracting stimulus.

• And finally on the last one, fourth stage a high level of activity is maintained in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which allows the meditator to keep the meditator's attention on a given goal, for example, on breathing.

Later, in our laboratory in Wisconsin, we observed differences in brain activity depending on the experience of the subjects. Paradoxically, people who had serious experience of meditation (more than 10 thousand hours), compared with beginners, showed less activity in the areas related to the restoration of attention. As they gain experience, people learn to hold attention with less effort. A similar phenomenon is observed in professional musicians and athletes who perform actions automatically with minimal conscious control.

In addition, to investigate the effects of mindfulness meditation, we studied volunteers before and after a three-month intensive period of at least eight hours a day. They were given headphones, from which sounds of a certain frequency were heard, and sometimes slightly higher sounds. For ten minutes, people had to focus on the sounds and respond to the resulting higher tone. It turned out that people after a period of prolonged meditation had fewer differences in reaction speed from time to time compared to those who did not practice. This means that after prolonged training of consciousness, a person retains attention better and is less likely to be distracted. People with meditation experience had more stable electrical activity in response to high-pitched sounds.

MINDFLOW

In the second, also well studied form of meditation another type of attention is involved. In mindfulness meditation, and free perception, the meditator should notice all sights or sounds and keep track of his feelings, as well as internal dialogue. A person remains aware of what is happening, not focusing on any one feeling or one thought. And he returns himself to this detached perception as soon as consciousness begins to wander. As a result of these exercises, the usual daily annoying events - an aggressive colleague at work, an annoying child at home - lose their destructive effect and a sense of psychological well-being develops.

Awareness of discomfort can help reduce maladaptive emotional responses, help overcome discomfort, and can be especially helpful in dealing with pain. In our laboratory in Wisconsin, we studied people with extensive meditation experience while they were engaged in a complex form of mindfulness meditation called open presence. With this type of meditation, which is sometimes called pure perception, the mind is calm and relaxed, not focused on anything, but at the same time, a vivid clarity of mind is maintained without agitation or inhibition. The meditator observes without trying to interpret, change, get rid of, or ignore the painful sensations. We found that when meditating, the intensity of pain does not decrease, but this worries the meditator less than people in the control group.

Compared to beginners, people with extensive meditation experience showed less activity in the anxiety-related areas of the brain in the period before pain exposure. - islet and tonsil. With repeated painful stimuli in the brains of experienced meditators in areas associated with pain, more rapid addiction was observed than in novice meditators. In other tests conducted in our laboratory, mind training has been shown to increase the ability to control and mitigate basic physiological responses, such as inflammation or the release of hormones in social stressful situations, such as public speaking or verbal counting in the face of a rigorous commission.

Several studies have shown that mindfulness meditation is beneficial for symptoms of anxiety or depression, and also improves sleep. By being able to consciously observe and track their thoughts and emotions, depressed patients can use meditation in anxious situations to manage spontaneously arising and obsessive negative thoughts and feelings.

Clinical psychologists John Teasdale of Cambridge University and Zindel Segal of the University of Toronto in 2000 showed that patients who had previously experienced at least three periods of depression after six months of mindfulness meditation in When combined with cognitive psychotherapy, the risk of recurrence is reduced by about 40% within a year. Segal later showed that meditation worked better than placebo and was comparable in effectiveness to standard antidepressant therapies.

COMPASSION AND MERCY.

Dalai Lama. Dialogue with scholars about compassion (Emory University). Part 1

Dalai Lama. Dialogue with scholars about compassion (Emory University). Part 2

The third type of meditation develops feelings of compassion and mercy towards people. At first, the meditator is aware of the needs of the other person, then he feels a sincere desire to help or alleviate the suffering of others, protecting them from their own destructive behavior.

Upon entering a state of compassion, the meditator sometimes begins to experience the same feelings as the other person. But for the formation of a compassionate state, it is not enough to have just an emotional resonance with the feelings of the other. There must still be disinterested desire to help to the one who suffers.

This form of love and empathy meditation is more than just a spiritual exercise. It has been shown to help preserve the health of social workers, teachers and others who are at risk of burnout due to the experiences they experience, deeply empathizing with the problems of others.

Meditation begins with the fact that a person focuses on unconditional benevolence and love for others and silently repeats a wish to himself, for example: "May all living beings find their happiness and be free from suffering." In 2008, we studied the brain activity of people who practiced this type of meditation for thousands of hours. We let them listen to the voices of the sufferers and found them to have increased activity in some areas of the brain. The secondary somatosensory cortex and islet are known to be involved in empathy and other emotional responses. When listening to the suffering voices, these structures became more active in experienced meditators in comparison with the control group. This means that they were better at sharing other people's feelings without feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Experienced meditators also showed increased activity in the temporo-parietal node, medial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior temporal sulcus. All of these structures are usually activated when we mentally put ourselves in the place of another person.

Recently, Tania Singer and Olga Klimencki from the Institute for Human Cognitology and Brain Science of the Society. Max Planck, together with one of the authors of this article (Mathieu Ricard), tried to understand the differences between ordinary empathy and compassion in the meditator. They showed that empathy and altruistic love are associated with positive emotions, and suggested that emotional exhaustion or burnout is, in fact, the "fatigue" of empathy.

In accordance with the Buddhist traditions of contemplation, from which this practice came, compassion should not cause fatigue and despondency, it strengthens inner balance, strength of mind and gives determination to help those who are suffering. When the child is admitted to the hospital, the mother will be more beneficial if she holds his hand and soothes him with gentle words than if, overwhelmed with empathy and anxiety, unable to bear the sight of the sick child, she rushes back and forth along the corridor. In the latter case, the case may end in burnout, from which, according to studies carried out in the United States, about 60% of 600 people interviewed who looked after patients suffered.

To further explore the mechanisms of empathy and compassion, Klimecki and Singer divided about 60 volunteers into two groups. In the first group, meditation was associated with love and compassion; in the other group, they developed a sense of empathy for others. Preliminary results showed that a week of loving-kindness and compassion-based meditation resulted in participants, although they had no previous experience, experiencing more benevolent feelings while watching videos of people in distress. Participants from another group, who only trained in empathy for a week, experienced the same emotions as the suffering people in the video. These emotions evoked negative feelings and thoughts, and the participants in this group experienced intense stress.

After identifying these devastating effects, Singer and Klimecki conducted a compassion meditation session with the second group. It turned out that additional exercises reduced the negative consequences of empathy training: the number of negative emotions decreased, and the number of benevolent ones increased. This was accompanied by corresponding changes in areas of the brain associated with empathy, positive emotions, and maternal love, including the orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and anterior cingulate cortex. In addition, researchers showed that training compassion for a week increased prosocial behavior in a computer game specifically designed to measure willingness to help others.

Meditation not only causes changes in certain cognitive and emotional processes, but also helps to enlarge certain areas of the brain. The study found that people with more meditation experience had increased gray matter in the insular lobe and in the prefrontal cortex.

DOORS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Meditation helps to study the nature of thinking, giving a person the opportunity to explore his own consciousness and mental state. In Wisconsin, we studied electrical brain activity in Buddhist meditators by recording an electroencephalogram (EEG) during compassion meditation.

It turned out that experienced Buddhists could voluntarily maintain a state characterized by a certain rhythm of electrical activity of the brain, namely high-amplitude gamma oscillations with a frequency of 25-42 Hz. This coordination of electrical activity in the brain can go a long way in creating temporary neural networks that combine cognitive and emotional functions in learning and conscious perception, which can lead to long-term changes in the brain.

During the meditation, the high-amplitude oscillations continued for several tens of seconds, and the more the meditator's experience was, the more they were. First of all, such EEG features were expressed in the lateral region of the fronto-parietal part of the cortex. They may reflect an increased awareness of the environment and internal thought processes in humans, but more research is needed to understand the role of the gamma rhythm.

Brain Grows

Researchers from several universities studied the ability of meditation to induce structural changes in brain tissue. With the help of MRI, it was possible to show that in 20 people with extensive experience in Buddhist meditation, the volume of tissue in some areas of the prefrontal cortex (fields 9 and 10 according to Brodmann) and in the insular lobe is greater compared to the brain of people from the control group (graphs). These areas are involved in the processing of information related to attention, gut sensations and sensory signals. Further long-term studies are required to confirm the data.

Meditation not only causes changes in certain cognitive and emotional processes, but also helps to enlarge certain areas of the brain. This is presumably caused by an increase in the number of connections between neurons. A preliminary study by Sara Lazar and colleagues at Harvard University showed that people with extensive meditation experience increased gray matter in the insular lobe and prefrontal cortex, more specifically in the Broadman fields 9 and 10, which are often activated with various forms of meditation. These differences were most pronounced in older study participants. It is speculated that meditation may slow the rate of thinning of brain tissue that occurs with age.

In further work, Lazar and his colleagues showed that those subjects who, as a result of mindfulness meditation, had the greatest decrease in their stress response, also decreased the volume of the amygdala, an area of ​​the brain involved in the formation of fear. Later, Eileen Luders of the University of California, Los Angeles, together with colleagues, discovered that meditators differ in the number of axons - fibers that connect different parts of the brain. This is thought to be related to an increase in the number of connections in the brain. This observation supports the suggestion that meditation actually induces structural changes in the brain. An important drawback of these works is the lack of long-term studies in which people would be observed over many years, and the absence of comparative studies of people of the same age and similar biography, which would differ only in whether they meditate or not.

There is even evidence that meditation, and the ability with it to improve one's own condition, can reduce inflammation and other biological reactions that occur at the molecular level. As shown in a study conducted jointly by our group and a group led by Perla Kaliman of the Institute for Biomedical Research in Barcelona, ​​one day of intense mindfulness meditation is enough for the experienced meditator to reduce the activity of genes associated with the inflammatory response and affect the work of proteins that activate these genes. Cliff Saron of the University of California, Davis studied the effect of meditation on a molecule involved in regulating cell lifespan. This molecule is an enzyme called telomerase, which lengthens DNA at the ends of chromosomes. The ends of the chromosomes, called telomeres, keep the genetic material intact during cell division. During each division, telomeres are shortened, and when their length decreases to a critical value, the cell stops dividing and gradually ages. Compared to the control group, the meditators had a more effective decrease in psychological stress and a higher telomerase activity. Sometimes practicing mindfulness meditation can slow down the cellular aging process.

THE WAY TO WELL-BEING

Over 15 years of research, it has been shown that prolonged meditation not only significantly changes the structure and function of the brain, but also significantly affects biological processes that are critical for physical health.

Further research is needed using clear randomized controlled trials to separate meditation-induced effects from those associated with other psychological factors that may also influence research results. These are, for example, the level of motivation of the meditators and the roles that teachers and students play in the group of meditators. Further research is needed to clarify the possible negative side effects of meditation, the desired duration of the sessions and how to adapt them to the needs of the individual.

But with all the precautions taken, it is clear that as a result of meditation research, we have gained a new understanding of psychological preparation methods that have the potential to improve human health and well-being. Equally important, the ability to cultivate compassion and other positive human qualities lays the foundation for creating ethical norms that are not tied to any philosophy or religion. It can profoundly and beneficially affect all aspects of human society.

Richard Davidson(Richard J. Davidson) - Director of the Weisman Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Behavior and the Center for Mental Health Research at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was the first to begin the scientific study of meditation.

Antoine Lutz(Antoine Lutz) - Research Fellow at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Fellow at the University of Wisconsin and Madison. He led neurobiological research on meditation.

Mathieu Ricard(Matthieu Ricard) - Buddhist monk. He studied cell biology, and then, about 40 years ago, left France and went to the Himalayas to study Buddhism.

We know perfectly well what life is on a knurled track, on “autopilot”. The usual morning routine, shower, coffee on the go, kissing others, driving to work, checking mail, likes on social networks, work ... Almost always, with rare exceptions, the "autopilot" is turned on. More often than not, we are ruled by others.

This state is also called the "trance of everyday life", a state in which our attention is narrowed to the primitive "yes-no", "can-not" and "good-bad". Few of us consciously devote our lives to the management of others; rather, it turns out that way. Somehow by itself, and it seems that we did nothing for this.

That's right: we didn't do anything, we just lived unconsciously. Mindfulness is the opposite state of "autopilot"

When we direct our attention to ourselves, we are aware of ourselves and can control ourselves, our lives. Sounds tempting. Let's try?

RESULT: GENUINE PRESENCE
We often face complex tasks that cannot always be solved on “autopilot”. Negotiations and presentations, projects and innovations that can change our own life and the lives of loved ones. Conversation with a child is also a difficult task.

What is needed for full awareness:

• see- first of all, people and their conditions;
• hear- everything that is said and as it is said;
• feel - attitude and emotions, your own and those of others;
• feel- our strength and confidence in what we do;
• be aware- your thoughts and choose the most correct ones;
• know- the situation in general and the state of affairs in particular.

We are able to control our perception, thinking and actions

The goal and result of awareness is genuine presence, a state of concentration and total engagement, which in itself evokes respect and attention. Then you need to act and act actively. Mindfulness meditation gives you the opportunity to get out of the trance of everyday life, turn off the "autopilot" and be included in the participant or leader of the process.

KEY IDEAS OF AWARENESS PRACTICES
Several important ideas that describe the essence of mindfulness practices:

• a person in his usual state is not a very conscious being, more often we live on "autopilot";
• we are able to control our perception, thinking and actions;
• non-judgmental observation of what is happening in the mind and in the external world allows you to objectively and adequately perceive what is happening;
• awareness allows you to more meaningfully respond to the challenges of life, makes life rich and successful;
• mindfulness develops through gradual, daily, regular practice.

Mindfulness develops gradually, daily, with regular practice.

Basic mindfulness tools:

• breathing meditation;

ATTITUDE TO SELF IN AWARENESS MEDITATION
In order to actually practice mindfulness, there are several important conditions. Mindfulness involves getting real, truthful information about ourselves and the world. Therefore, how we relate to ourselves and to the experience we get in meditation is extremely important. Here are the key principles of mindfulness:

Valuelessness ... Observe what you are experiencing as it is, without being classified as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant.

Non-aspiration ... Allow yourself to experience whatever happens instead of setting goals and trying to achieve them.

Adoption. Acceptance does not mean humility and submission; it is acceptance, not denial, of how you feel right now. Acceptance first, and change will come later.

Patience. It takes time for change to manifest. It is necessary to try over and over again to do what is supposed to, as flawlessly as possible, without paying attention to the frustration and irritation that not everything works out perfectly.

It takes time and practice for change to manifest.

Confidence... Trust yourself as you practice, let your "inner self" guide you.

The beginner's mind. Cultivate your "beginner's mind" as opposed to the usual "expert" filters. In the open mind of the beginner, in contrast to the mind of the connoisseur, there is a huge number of possibilities.

Letting go. Let go, you don't have to hold on to anything. There is no need to cling to a pleasant experience and push away an unpleasant one.

Interest... Be curious about your experience: How am I feeling now? What thoughts are in my head now? What's going on in my body?

Kindness. Bring warmth and compassion into your every second experience. Be aware of your experience - not only with your mind, but also with your heart.

Bring warmth and compassion into your every second experience

Some points may seem strange (how this is non-judgmental, we always appreciate), but these are really important things in the process of meditation. These conditions are the essence of mindfulness practices. Whether to apply or not, you decide for yourself, but try it first. The criterion here is the result, and everything else is a waste of time and words. Try to practice this way!

A FEW FACTS ABOUT AWARENESS MEDITATION
1. Mindfulness meditation develops the ability to control attention, thinking and emotions.

2. Mindfulness meditation is clarity and full contact with reality, it is inclusiveness and true presence.

3. In meditation, you can just sit on a pillow or on a chair, the recommended duration of meditation is from 2-3 to 20-30 minutes.

4. Mindfulness meditation has its roots in the Buddhist contemplative practice (where it is called shamatha-vipassana), its essence is attention and self-awareness.

5. Mindfulness meditation is a scientifically based technique that has been successfully used in medicine, business, education and social work for over 30 years.

THREE LEVELS OF AWARENESS MEDITATION PRACTICE
The skill of meditation develops gradually, over several months, subject to regular practice.

1 LEVEL... Combined meditation of "concentration" and "mindfulness (clear mind)". We learn to contact with ourselves, develop clarity and sensitivity, train attention, achieve calmness and confidence.

2 LEVEL(after 1-2 months of practice). We are investigating our defense mechanisms. We understand how we close ourselves off from the world, how fears and behavioral strategies arise, and gradually we begin to manage them.

3 LEVEL(after 3-4 months of practice). We develop a connection with the world and relationships with people. We learn empathy, understanding of other people, open and clear communication with others.

SELECTING A PLACE FOR PRACTICE
You can practice mindfulness wherever you can breathe. At the very beginning, to master mindfulness meditation, you need a quiet space. Therefore, mindfulness meditation is best started in specially equipped classrooms with an instructor, or at home, sitting on a pillow or chair in silence. In just a few weeks of classes, stability will appear and you can continue to practice anywhere.

You can practice mindfulness wherever you can breathe.
Halls, walkways, recreation areas, and parks are good options for meditation. If you have no choice - start right where you are!