The Science Of Mindfulness A Research Based Path To Well Being

Mind, Brain and the Path to Happiness presents a contemporary account of traditional Buddhist mind training and the pursuit of wellbeing and happiness in the context of the latest research in psychology and the neuroscience of meditation. Following the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen, the book guides the reader through the gradual steps in transformation of the practitioner’s mind and brain on the path to advanced states of balance, genuine happiness and wellbeing. Dusana Dorjee explains how the mind training is grounded in philosophical and experiential exploration of the notions of happiness and human potential, and how it refines attention skills and cultivates emotional balance in training of mindfulness, meta-awareness and development of healthy emotions. The book outlines how the practitioner can explore subtle aspects of conscious experience in order to recognize the nature of the mind and reality. At each of the steps on the path the book provides novel insights into similarities and differences between Buddhist accounts and current psychological and neuroscientific theories and evidence. Throughout the book the author skilfully combines Buddhist psychology and Western scientific research with examples of meditation practices, highlighting the ultimately practical nature of Buddhist mind training. Mind, Brain and the Path to Happiness is an important book for health professionals and educators who teach or apply mindfulness and meditation-based techniques in their work, as well as for researchers and students investigating these techniques both in a clinical context and in the emerging field of contemplative science.

"Did I sound stupid?" "Should I have sent that email?" "How do I look?" Many of us spend a lot of time feeling self-conscious and comparing ourselves to others. Why do we judge ourselves so relentlessly? Why do we strive so hard to be special or successful, or to avoid feeling rejected? When psychologist and mindfulness expert Dr. Ronald Siegel realized that he, as well as most of his clients, was caught in a cycle of endless self-evaluation, he decided to do something about it. This engaging, empowering guide sheds light on this very human habit--and explains how to break it. Through illuminating stories and exercises, practical tools (which you can download and print for repeated use), and guided meditations with accompanying audio downloads, Dr. Siegel invites you to stop obsessing so much about how you measure up. Instead, by accepting the extraordinary gift of being ordinary, you can build stronger connections with others and get more joy out of life.

Mindfulness in Positive Psychology brings together the latest thinking in these two important disciplines. Positive psychology, the science of wellbeing and strengths, is the fastest growing branch of psychology, offering an optimal home for the research and application of mindfulness. As we contemplate mindfulness in the context of positive psychology, meaningful insights are being revealed in relation to our mental and physical health. The book features chapters from leading figures from mindfulness and positive psychology, offering an exciting combination of topics. Mindfulness is explored in relation to flow, meaning, parenthood, performance, sports, obesity, depression, pregnancy, spirituality, happiness, mortality, and many other ground-breaking topics. This is an invitation to rethink about mindfulness in ways that truly expands our understanding of wellbeing. Mindfulness in Positive Psychology will appeal to a readership of students and practitioners, as well as those interested in mindfulness, positive psychology, or other relevant areas such as education, healthcare, clinical psychology, counselling psychology, occupational psychology, and coaching. The book explores cutting edge theories, research, and practical exercises, which will be relevant to all people interested in this area, and particularly those who wish to enhance their wellbeing via mindfulness.

FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- INTRODUCTION -- I What Is Mindfulness? And How Is It Applicable to Clinical Work? -- 1. What Is Mindfulness? -- 2. The Mindful Therapist -- 3. Mindfulness-Informed Therapy -- 4. Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy -- II Does It Help? And How Does It Help? -- 5. Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Mental Health Populations -- 6. Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Medical Populations -- 7. How Is Mindfulness Helpful? Mechanisms of Mindfulness -- III Expanding the Paradigm -- 8. Mindfulness and Self-Care for the Clinician -- 9. Exploring the Farther Reaches of Human Potential -- 10. Future Directions -- APPENDIX A: BODY SCAN INSTRUCTIONS -- APPENDIX B: SITTING MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS -- APPENDIX C: WALKING MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS -- APPENDIX D: RESOURCES -- REFERENCES -- ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Offers advice for achieving happiness and dealing with life's obstacles through mindfulness, with strategies for cultivating this state of mind and setting up a formal daily practice routine.

This empirically robust resource examines multiple ways mindfulness can be harnessed to support self-regulation, in part as a real-world component of therapy. Its authoritative coverage approaches complex mind/brain connections from neuroscience, cognitive, personality, social, clinical, and Buddhist perspectives, both within and outside traditional meditation practice. In domains such as letting go of harmful habits and addictions, dealing with depression and anxiety, regulating emotions, and training cognitive function, contributors show how mindfulness-based interventions encourage and inspire change. In addition to scientific coverage, experts translate their methods and findings on mindfulness mechanisms in terms that are accessible to students and clinicians. Included in the Handbook: Mindfulness and its role in overcoming automatic mental processes Burning issues in dispositional mindfulness research Self-compassion: what it is, what it does, and how it relates to mindfulness Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mood disorders Mindfulness as a general ingredient of successful psychotherapy The emperor's clothes: a look behind the Western mindfulness mystique Heralding a new era of mind/brain research--and deftly explaining our enduring fascination with mindfulness in the process--the Handbook of Mindfulness and Self-Regulation will enhance the work of scholars and practitioners.

Drawing on cutting-edge research, friends and Harvard collaborators Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson expertly reveal what we can learn from a one-of-a-kind data pool that includes world-class meditators. They share for the first time remarkable findings that show how meditation - without drugs or high expense - can cultivate qualities such as selflessness, equanimity, love and compassion, and redesign our neural circuitry. Demonstrating two master thinkers at work,The Science of Meditationexplains precisely how mind training benefits us. More than daily doses or sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious worldview. These two bestselling authors sweep away the misconceptions around these practices and show how smart practice can change our personal traits and even our genome for the better. Gripping in its storytelling and based on a lifetime of thought and action, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.