MB Mindfulness

The panel event explored the role of mindfulness in situations where stakes are high and where conventional ways of managing personal and organisational well-being and performance are stretched to the limit. By Shamim Quadir What can individuals and teams do when they find themselves in extreme situations, where information can quickly become outdated and irrelevant, when there is no time to relax and regroup, and where the risks are high and the consequences incalculable? This could be in the context of a military operation, whilst delivering healthcare, or in many high-pressure business environments today. Questions about these complex issues were posed to a panel of experts from industry and academia at the panel event on ‘Mindfulness, Wellbeing and Performance in High-Stakes Contexts: The New Frontier’, recently hosted at City, University of London. Excellence in mindfulness research The event was organised by the University's new Centre of E

Muchos filósofos han asegurado que pensar y meditar son ejercicios que deberíamos realizar continuamente, para evitar el estrés del día a día.   Pensar y meditar es una actividad que cada vez más personas de Occidente introducen en su rutina diaria ya que consigue aportar mucho bienestar general a quien la práctica, con la ventaja de que no sólo se logra ese bienestar en el momento en el que se medita, sino que se logra de manera general en el día a día, aumentando también la calidad de vida. Si ya tienes claro que quieres empezar a practicar la meditación, pero no sabes muy bien cómo hacerlo, no te preocupes, te resultará muy sencillo si realizas los ejercicios que te proponemos y sigues nuestras recomendaciones. Beneficios que aporta la meditación Uno de los motivos por los que hay gente que medita es para superar sus miedos o terrores, ya que es una fórmula que da buenos resultados.  Con el fin de que conozcas un poco mejor qué te va a aportar el pensa

Initial studies with young adults show dramatic drops in stress, cravings, impulsivity and risk of relapse after practicing mindfulness.  By Eric Lindberg Mindfulness might offer more than relief from daily stress. Research now suggests it can boost recovery from addiction and trauma. Investigators at USC believe the contemplative practice could represent the next major breakthrough in the treatment of substance use and major mental health issues. “It’s a very different way of doing therapy and being in therapy,” said Jordan Davis , an assistant professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. “But it’s like the Wild West right now. We just don’t know that much yet.” That is slowly changing, thanks in part to the work of Davis and other experts at USC. Results from their recent studies are encouraging. In one project at an inpatient drug treatment program for young adults, Davis found that completing just eight weeks of mindfulness tra

La meditación hoy en día es una práctica cada vez más recomendable debido a la vida tan ajetreada que tenemos. Es un momento para reencontrarnos con nosotros mismos, cuidarnos y conectar con nuestro interior. Estamos en el momento presente, sin preocuparse por lo que vendrá o lo que ha pasado, es estar en el ahora y permitirse estar alerta. Beneficios de la meditación Estudios realizados durante casi 15 años por la Universidad de Wisconsin, en colaboración con otras universidades en más de 100 monasterios budistas, han observado el comportamiento del cerebro en personas que practicaban meditación, obteniendo conclusiones muy interesantes. - Reduce niveles de ansiedad, estrés y depresión. - Ayuda a bajar la presión sanguínea, reduce el riesgo de padecer úlceras, cefaleas, insomnio, o problemas musculares. - Aumenta la eficacia de nuestro sistema inmunológico. - Incrementa el grado de concentración y eficiencia en el trabajo. - También es utilizad

  Jess Cording Meditation has been shown to have numerous benefits to our mind and body such as stress and anxiety management, emotional wellbeing, improved focus and better sleep. Many successful people cite meditation as a valuable tool. For years I’ve recommended it to my clients, and yet, I struggled to make it part of my own routine.   There was always some excuse: an unpredictable schedule, events, deadlines, lack of time. Probably the sneakiest excuse for me of all was that I did yoga so did I really need to meditate on top of that? I’d interview people and hear them talk about their meditation routine and think, “That sounds nice, but I could never do that. I’m too busy—and besides, I do yoga.” My studio was like my second home. Aside from being a place where I’d made friends and even business contacts, it had given me a safe place to go work things out in my head. Yoga had seen me through break-ups, career shifts a

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, making it a useful tool for those who find traveling taxing. Here are a few ways it can make your trips more enjoyable. By Justin Sablich When it comes to mindfulness and meditation, you may think it takes years of training — or a spiritual journey — to derive any benefits. But the essence of the practice is actually quite simple, and its techniques can bring a little relief to many stressful situations, including travel.  “We’re talking about a sort of a slightly more sophisticated version of the advice that your mom gave you, when you were a kid, of ‘take a deep breath,’ ” said Dan Harris, the co-anchor of ABC’s “Nightline” and the weekend edition of “Good Morning America” who has authored two books about mindfulness and meditation. “You don’t have to believe in anything. It’s a really simple, secular exercise for your brain,” continued Mr. Harris, whose “10% Happier” smartphone app

La terapia de la risa cuenta con abundante respaldo científico. Las investigaciones de Lee Berk comparan sus efectos a los de la meditación.   Por Claudina Navarro para Revista Cuerpo Mente.- Una persona que medita y otra que ríe parecen estar en estados muy diferentes. Sin embargo sus cerebros pueden presentar en esos momentos una actividad muy parecida en que ambos comienzan a emitir ondas gamma. Estas aparecen durante el sueño profundo y en el estado meditativo, y ahora se sabe que también al soltar una carcajada. El doctor Lee Berk, experto en inmunología e investigador de la Universidad de Loma Linda (Estados Unidos), monitorizó los cerebros de 31 personas mientras veían videoclips con tres tipos de contenidos: de humor, espirituales o perturbadores. Solo los solo los humoristas lograron despertar las ondas gamma. La risa favorece la claridad mental y la integración de los pensamientos Este tipo de actividad eléctrica se caracteriza por involucrar a t

Positions that take you out of your head and into your body can ease symptoms.      By Jake Panasevich Treating depression can be complicated, and may involve a whole lot of trial and error with different medications, types of therapy and lifestyle changes. But one relatively straightforward – and basically side effect-free – management option is yoga , which recent research has shown can improve mood and anxiety measures in people with depression such that they match those of non-depressed individuals. If you have depression and you practice yoga consistently, have faith the yoga will work and develop a home practice, it can work for you too, either alone or in conjunction with other therapies. But not just any yoga may do. The study used a particular sequence of poses developed by Patricia Walden, a world-renowned teacher of Iyengar yoga, a method that focuses on alignment, safety and specific modifications with clear steps to advance in a pose. According to

You need intention to start your journey into self-reflection and transformation Just as you need a lighter or a match stick to light something, similarly to get the best out of your meditation you need to set an intention. When you sit with a spark, you are ready to stoke the fire of transformation. Meditating with intention brings the best out of the time invested in the practice. Just as in a journey, you have a destination in mind to avoid unnecessary wandering, similarly, in meditation you place an intention to make your self-reflective journey fruitful. Your meditation could be to get rid of fear or pressure. It could also be for enhancing creativity or being infused with inspiration. Intention creates a platform on which you build the practice of meditation. Meditating without intention is akin to climbing a fruitless tree just to experience the tree. When you sit with intention, you know what you want or you

El yoga es una disciplina que se ha practicado desde tiempos remotos.  La lista de beneficios de esta práctica es infinita, por eso se ha convertido en la opción predilecta de aquellos que buscan el bienestar integral. Y tú… ¿ya sabes todo lo que el yoga puede hacer por tu salud? Si tu respuesta es no, te lo contamos a continuación: >  Fortalece los huesos.  Las distintas posiciones y movimientos permiten conseguir mayor flexibilidad y movilidad articular. >  Fortalece el sistema inmunológico.  Diversos estudios sostienen que las técnicas de respiración ayudan a liberar el estrés, un hecho que se traduce en una mejora en el sistema inmunológico. >  Ayuda a conciliar el sueño.  Permite dormir mejor cada noche, pues mejora nuestra capacidad pulmonar con los ejercicios de respiración profunda. >  Combate el estrés.  Gracias al yoga se puede experimentar un increíble estado de relajación y tranquilidad, lo cual permite anular la ansiedad y el estrés. >  Pr

By  Moris Beracha .- Currently, there is evidence that the immune system can be improved through stress reduction, or the so-called mind-body medicine. You can use techniques that, after a long-period practice, produce soothing and anti-inflammatory effects for mind and spirit. The brain under polar circumstances (i.e., calm and happiness versus stress and depression) produces a dramatically different set of chemical mediators, including cortisol, one of the master switches of inflammatory responses. In addition, the brain transmits nerve signals consisting of two alternative parts: the sympathetic system, designed to accelerate acutely, but at a chronic cost; and the parasympathetic system, designed to calm. Experiments have shown that it is associated with anti-inflammatory properties. The hint is to learn how to control them to achieve optimal immune health. However, although these exercises are available to everyone, they require diligence and hard work to achieve lastin

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. You’re all-too familiar with the cracks and indentations of your bedroom ceiling. Because you’ve spent one-too-many sleepless nights staring at it. And staring. And staring. And staring some more. You likely don’t struggle with insomnia or another sleep disorder, but on some nights, it’s simply tough to fall asleep–and stay that way.  Psychotherapist Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT, noted that it’s tough to slow ourselves down when our minds and nervous systems have been going, going, going all day long.  “Our brains, which have been computing and having input all day, may be overloaded. We may feel overwhelmed,” she said. “Our nervous systems can also get revved up during the day with so many things to do or managing pieces of our lives we find stressful.” So when it’s time for our heads to hit the pillow, we feel anything but relaxed or ready for sleep. What can help in lulling us into slumber is having

How our greatest gains in productivity are often derived from less productivity, not more.    By Larry Alton What would you say is your greatest productivity tool? Most professionals or entrepreneurs would probably cite an app--a project management platform, a time tracking tool, or some other tech gadget designed to help you get more done in a day. However, there may be something better to increase both your efficiency and your total level of production--and it doesn't require a device, an app, or a subscription. Enter the world of mindfulness meditation . Mindfulness meditation is a practice of clearing your mind of distracting thoughts, and existing in a decompressed state of self, even if it's just for a few minutes. The idea is to sit somewhere comfortable, preferably free of distractions, and focus your attention on something benign, like the rhythm of your breathing or a point on the wall-- not the latest app or distracting alert from your phone .