Psychology Holzel (mindfulness and brain scans) Cheat Sheet by Zmodak27

This study focuses on the effects of mindfu­lness, a stress­-re­duction technique used to improve wellbeing. This technique develops awareness of the present moment and encourages compas­sionate and non-ju­dge­mental attitudes

It has also been incorp­orated into treatment programmes for people with conditions including anxiety, chronic pain and substance abuse due to the increasing amount of evidence supporting its positive impact on wellbeing

1) – the ability to observe

3) - the ability of passing thoughts and feelings in a non-ju­dge­mental way

5) - awareness of actions

Certainly, here's a simpler explan­ation: The study also looks at how different parts of the brain do different jobs. For example, one part called the hippoc­ampus helps with memory and emotions, and another part called the insula helps with being aware of things. One way to understand what these brain parts do is to see how they change when you practice a skill over time.

To learn about the link between mindfu­lness and locali­sation of function, Britta Hölzel and her colleagues used MRI scans to create detailed models of the human brain. These models can then be used to measure micros­copic changes that occur in specific brain structures following mindfu­lness practice

Studies have shown that experi­enced meditators have signif­icantly more grey matter in some key brain structures compared with non-me­dit­ators. Findings are unclear, but the hippoc­ampus and insula have each been identified in at least two studies.

1) Mindful Yoga: It's like gentle exercises where you move slowly and breathe, focusing on what you're doing right at that moment. You also learn to be kind to yourself and accept your body's abilities and limits.

3) Body Scanning: This means paying attention to how different parts of your body feel, one at a time, until you're aware of how your whole body and mind feel.

A "­vox­el" is like a tiny 3D pixel used to measure the size of things in the brain. Scientists use it to compare the sizes of brain parts in different people, like those who meditate and those who don't. They can also see how these brain parts change over time. To do this, they first figure out what kind of brain tissue they're looking at, like gray matter or white matter. Then, they put all the brain images on a standard template to make sure they're comparing things properly. Finally, they use a special math trick called "­smo­oth­ing­" to make their data more accurate.

Hölzel and the resear­chers found that doing mindfu­lness exercises regularly for just eight weeks can change the structure of important parts of the brain. These parts are respon­sible for things like learning, memory, contro­lling emotions, and unders­tanding others' points of view. This might explain why people who do mindfu­lness often feel better. However, they didn't find the same changes in a part of the brain called the insula. It might need more than eight weeks of mindfu­lness practice to change that area.