How Mindfulness Affects Neuroplastic Change

There has been a lot of recent discussion on the positive effects of mindfulness on neuroplastic change - but what does that mean for you? How can you take advantage of mindfulness as an adult? How can you teach mindfulness to your child? And by the way, what the heck is “mindfulness,” anyway?

These days you are likely to hear about everything from “mindful eating” to “mindful dog-walking,” where the word mindful basically means intentional or meditative. In the realm of neuroplasticity, however, mindfulness refers to a variation on meditation during which the practitioner summons intentional, non-judgemental awareness of the present moment.

In order to reach a state of mindfulness, you would focus all your attention on your breath and your physical body. When you first start to practice mindfulness, your mind is likely to wander quickly - but that’s okay! Remain in a non-judgmental state, and simply bring your attention back to your breath and body. Over time, you will be able to keep your focus for longer and longer periods of time, making this a perfect exercise in attention training.

Additionally, studies of long-term mediators (when compared to control groups) show that practicing mindfulness also improves your meta-awareness (recognition of your own processes of consciousness), stress and anxiety, mood, sleep, selective attention, cognitive efficiency, 2-point descrimination, and executive functions.

The best news is that you don’t need any special gurus, training, or lengthy retreats to take advantage of the benefits of mindfulness. You can start today by just sitting with your child on the sofa for 15 minutes, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breathing.

It’s true! Anyone can become more self aware, less stressed, sleep better, pay attention longer, and spend less effort to solve problems using mindfulness - and all you need to do is breathe.