An ancient practice, now backed by Ivy League research. Improvements in attention span, sleep quality and learning retention are a few of the well-documented benefits. 60 seconds of Mindfulness a day is enough to have positive impacts on countless quality-of-life metrics.
What’s Mindfulness/Meditation?
mind·ful·ness
/ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/
noun
1. The quality or state of being conscious or aware of the present moment.
med·i·ta·tion
/ˌmedəˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
1. The action or practice of meditating.
Despite clear definitions; both words have a variety of interpretations throughout the scientific community and the world in general. One specific behavior demonstrated and practiced during our Science of Habits event is a type of meditation known as Mindfulness Meditation. The goal of this practice is to achieve presence of mind by actively listening to the sounds around you. By actively listening with full attention to detail; your mind has no choice but to be present. It’s important to note that not all forms of meditation involve the practice of mindfulness; although the active practice of mindfulness is considered by many to be a form of meditation on its own.
How’s Mindfulness/Meditation useful?
The practice of Mindfulness Meditation has been shown to increase gray matter in areas of the brain related to attention, emotional regulation, and learning. This means that the brain’s capacity for paying attention for extended periods, regulating emotional turmoil, and retaining new knowledge are all generally improved with regular practice of this habit.
Says who?
The Harvard School of Medicine for one: We encourage you to read the study here; we did! This study is only one of dozens of Ivy League entries into the topics of Mindfulness and Meditation. Check out this PDF we put together of 100 more university studies that pertain to the habits in our Science of Habits event; including 20 Ivy League entries. Here’s Vanderbilt Cognitive Neuroscientist Dr. David Vago explaining some of the finer scientific details regarding the processes in which Mindfulness and Meditation use to benefit the brain over time:
How can students make it a habit?
People of any age can begin the practice of Mindfulness Meditation with as little as 30 seconds per day. Simply find a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down, and listen closely to the sounds around you with as much attention to detail as you can manage. It may be helpful to turn on a fan, or a recording of nature sounds to listen to. When you can comfortably listen calmly for 30 seconds without being distracted by your thoughts, you may want to increase to 1 or 2 minutes; continue to increase your time each day and experience the incredibly powerful results.
“It’s like having a charger for your whole body and mind. That’s what meditation is!”
– Jerry Seinfeld