Meditation and

Mindfulness

Noor-E-Nazneen
110037437
What is mindfulness?
Human minds are easily distracted, habitually examining past events
and trying to anticipate the future.Becoming more aware of our
thoughts, feelings and sensations may not sound like an obviously
helpful thing to do, however learning to do this in a way that
suspends judgment and self-criticism can have an incredibly positive
impact on our lives.
a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present
moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings,
thoughts, and bodily sensations. It helps us recognize and step away
from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological
reactions to everyday events. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be
fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.
Mindfulness can be achieved through the practice of meditation.
1. Overcome stress (University of
Massachusetts Medical School, 2003)
Meditation helps fight post traumatic stress disorders
effectively.
MRI scans showthat after an eight-week course of
mindfulness practice, the brains fight or flight center,
the amygdala, appears to shrink. This primal region of
the brain, associated with fear and emotion, is involved
in the initiation of the bodys response to stress.
2. Boost your creativity
(ScienceDaily, 2010)
Two ingredients of creativity
Divergent thinking and convergent thinking.
It is scientifically proven that open monitoring
meditation helps improve control over both these type of
Two forms of thoughts: First, there is
thinking and improve creativity. the stream of consciousness that
we associate with the mind. This is
the voice in our head that provides
us with judgments, worries, and self-
criticisms. The second form of
thought (or rather, awareness) is
the awareness that is aware of the
voice in the mind.
3. Cultivate healthy habits that lead to
weight loss (Journal Emotion, 2007)
Meditation helps create -
A Natural, Focused, Calm Mind
The Right Balance
Rational Thinking
A Strong Mind
Intuition, Perception and Observation
Our overall eating habit changes for the best as we are
capable of making the right choices. Meditation will help
you learn to handle food cravings with greater
awareness and intention.
4. Increase your focus and attention
(University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2007)

Study shows that intensive meditation can help people

focus their attention and sustain it even during the
most boring of tasks.
5. Help overcome anxiety, depression, anger and
confusion (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2009)
Globally, 1 in 13 suffers from anxiety. (University of
Queensland, 2012)
We get anxious because we buy into our thoughts and
feelings. We take them at face value and get
overwhelmed. Meditating helps us stop over attending to
our thoughts and feelings and allows us to get off the
wheel, catch our breath, and get some perspective.
6. Decrease your risk of heart attack
(The Stroke Journal, 2009)
In an independentstudy researchers found a 48%
reduction in the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, and
death from any cause among members of the
meditation group compared to those from the non
meditative group. The meditating group enjoyed an
average drop of 4.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure
compared to the control group and also reported
lessstressand less anger.
7. Increase the size of your most important organ
your brain! (Harvard University Gazette, 2006)
astudyfrom UCLA found that long-term meditators had
better-preserved brains than non-meditators as they
aged. Participants whod been meditating for an average
of 20 years had more grey matter volume throughout the
brain.
Other physical benefits include
Meditation boosts natural antibodies
(Psychosomatic Medicine, 2003)
Meditation decreases hormone levels due to
stress (Medical association of Thailand, 2013)
Meditation alters gene expression (Psych
neuroendocrinology, 2014)
Meditation reverses inflammation (Brain, Behavior
and Immunity, 2013)
Meditation beats depression, boosting the
immune system naturally (Lund University in
Sweden, 2014)
Highly successful people meditate
Bill Ford, Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
Oprah Winfrey, Chairwoman & CEO, Harpo Productions, Inc.
Arianna Huffington, President & Editor-in-Chief, Huffington
Post Media Group
Angelina Jolie, Actress, director, author, philanthropist, and
humanitarian.
And Companies like Google teaches their employees about
mindfulness and meditation.- (Forbes, 2012)
Meditation is the future of preventive medicine and
treatment.
HOW to meditate?
Be in a comfortable position. Make no effort in
controlling your breath. Relax, feel your natural bodily
sensations. Simply focus your attention on how your
breath feels on a specific region, eg: ribs, nose. If your
mind wanders, simply return your focus.- continue for 2-3
minutes a day.
Meditation reprograms your brain for your best.
Start your mindful journey today.

Thank you!