meditation

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! If you are new to mindfulness, you might want to know more about it. From the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, mindfulness is about: “ maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.” How powerful it is to focus on the present instead of a past that’s finished, or a future that hasn’t yet arrived! Being present in the here and now can encourage kindness and compassion that we benefit from extending to ourselves as well as to others. See many resources about mindfulness at Greater Good Science Center here: https://ow.ly/F6CJc I’m very interested in research showing that mindfulness meditation can positively influence the brain, increasing the density of its gray matter in key areas. A dear family member of mine is struggling with cognition issues, and I’m helping him to learn about meditation in the hope that it may increase his ability to utilize concentration and memory. For a list of reasons to practice mindfulness from Greater Good Science Center, click on the link