Facing Fear (Part 1) – Awakening Your Fearless Heart

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Fear is a natural and universal part of our incarnation, and, when it goes on overdrive, we get imprisoned in the suffering of separation. These two talks explore how the RAIN meditation can help us face fear, and discover the boundless loving awareness that includes but is not contracted by currents of fear.

It’s the heart that begins to sense that if we want to be free, we have to come into presence. We have to face what’s here and we need to do it with the help and support of each other. ~ Tara

The mind creates the abyss. The heart crosses over it. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

How did the rose ever open up its heart and give to this world all of its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being, otherwise we all remain too frightened. ~ Hafez (Daniel Ladinsky, translation)

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One Week of Mindfulness Meditation May Help You Process Your Emotions

There is mounting evidence that mindfulness-based interventions can positively affect psychological well-being. But for some, the time and cost involved in mindfulness training can be a barrier. A new study finds that just one week of meditation may be enough to loosen the grip of negative emotions.

In the study, researchers in China assigned 46 college student volunteers to either a brief mindfulness meditation group intervention, or an emotion regulation education group. 

The meditation intervention, which was offered to 22 students, was based on core concepts of mindfulness and Vipassana breath meditation, combined with “knowledge gained from [the authors’] practical experience and from scientific reports on meditation.” The training involved a 30-minute lecture on theory of mindfulness meditation, followed by seven days of 15-minute audio-guided group meditation sessions. Students were instructed to close their eyes, relax, and focus on their breath. When thoughts came up, the students were to notice and acknowledge them, then “simply let them go by bringing attention back to the breath.”

The emotion-regulation education group also attended a 30-minute lecture on day one, which provided instruction on how to recognize and regulate their emotions. They were then asked to practice on their own for fifteen minutes per day for the next seven days.

Improved emotion management—in one week?

Before and after training, members of each group filled out questionnaires about their symptoms of depression and anxiety, and completed a number of computerized tasks to evaluate their emotion-processing skills.

Emotion processing was broken into three categories (intensity, memory, and attention bias). During the emotional-intensity task, students looked at 66 positive, negative, and neutral images one by one. After viewing each picture, they were asked to rate the strength of their emotional responses to it. In the emotional-memory task, students were presented with some of those same images, along with some new ones, and asked to recall which images they’d viewed previously.

In the attention bias task, participants were repeatedly presented with images of two faces. Each pair of faces contained either a happy, sad, or neutral person paired with another neutral face. Positioning of the neutral face varied from left to right. Face pairs were presented one at a time on the screen, then removed. Once the pictures disappeared, a dot appeared on either the left or right half of the screen, and students were asked to indicate which side the dot was on by pressing a key on a keyboard. Researchers assessed their accuracy and reaction time.

Meditators Were Better at Emotion Processing

After training, depression and anxiety scores didn’t change significantly for either group. This suggests that neither one week of brief meditation nor one week of emotion regulation practice are sufficient to meaningfully alter a person’s symptoms. 

Where researchers didfind improvement was in the meditators’ emotional processing. Specifically, people in the meditation group had better emotional memory and were less likely to pay attention to negative emotion after a week of group practice. They also reported experiencing less positive and negative emotional intensity than the control group. 

This study adds to what has, so far, been a mixed bag of evidence about the effects of a brief intervention on changes in mood. For example, in one study, researchers found that meditation was linked to greater peace of mind, but in another, no tie between meditation and increased positive emotion was found. More research will be needed to see whether brief interventions can reliably boost mood.

The silver lining is that a less time-intensive and costly form of group meditation training may be enough to help people to be less impacted by their negative emotions.

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Mental Health

The Real Danger of Suppressing Your Emotions 

A key element of emotional intelligence is the way you regulate your difficult emotions—But not all emotional regulation techniques are created equal. Read More 

• Margaret Cullen
• January 28, 2020

Guided Meditation

Practice the RAIN Meditation with Tara Brach 

In her new book, Tara Brach helps break a trail through the dense forest of anxiety with the practice of RAIN. Read More 

• Tara Brach
• December 18, 2019

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Meditation: Open-Hearted Presence (23:53 min.)

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This meditation establishes a kind attention by bringing the imagery and felt sense of a smile into the body scan and then, with the breath as a home base, opens the attention to changing experience. We end with a brief loving kindness reflection.

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Two Science-Backed Ways to Ease a Worried Mind

“Am I good enough?” “Am I parenting right?” “Why am I still single?” “Do people like me?” “Am I doing enough at work?”

This is what it sounds like when our worrying mind takes over. For many of us, these thoughts can fill up the unconscious background of daily life. They’re a lot like a soundtrack, an unnoticed but powerful emotional backdrop proclaiming what could go wrong, how things might not work out, and of all the horrible things that could happen.

From an evolutionary perspective, this ordinary worrying habit of the mind makes complete sense. If the goal is to avoid getting eaten by a predator (which it was thousands of years ago), then living in a state of continuous vigilance and low-grade anxiety is an adaptive trait, essential for survival. 

Of course, we no longer live in prehistoric times. The bulk of our worries have nothing to do with an unexpected saber tooth tiger attack. Instead, we have the uniquely modern luxury of worrying about things like the balance in our bank accounts, the fact that we weren’t included in a dinner party invite, or the fear that other people might not see us as constantly charming, impressive, and, well, even mindful.

This touches on a curious paradox of the modern human condition: even though most of us are safe, well-fed, and comfortable, we worry about future events, deadlines, and logistics as though our very existence were at risk.

Why We Worry

Long before modern neuroscience research, Mark Twain pointed toward the irrationality of this habit. “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life,” he declared, “most of which never happened.” Recent research on worry validates Twain’s wise observation. 

In a 2019 study at Penn State University, for instance, researchers examined the worries of patients with generalized anxiety disorder. They arrived at two striking conclusions: First, they found that 91 percent of the worries that tormented these patients never came true. Second, they found that simply noticing this fact – the fact that their worries rested mostly on make-believe – helped release people’s worry. 

But this raises a question: If the vast majority of our worries will never come true, then why do so many of us become seduced by this painful mental habit? If it’s so clearly irrational and counterproductive, why can’t we just put an end to this habit once and for all?

If the vast majority of our worries will never come true, then why do so many of us become seduced by this painful mental habit?

One of the answers offered by psychologists is that worry acts as a buffer against more intense negative emotions. It sounds crazy but here’s how it works: Imagine you’re about to give a speech in front of a large audience. In the hours before the event, you fear the fear you might experience once you walk on stage. So you start to worry. And while all of this worrying isn’t pleasant, it’s a way to gear up for this future state of discomfort. 

Worry, in other words, is like a negative emotional warm-up routine. It’s how your mind and body prepare for even greater fear and unease.

This kind of “preparation” worry can even have an upside. Researchers at UC Riverside have shown that worry can both motivate us and serve as an emotional buffer. Your worry about the speech, for example, might motivate you to practice it over and over, leaving you better prepared for the big moment when you walk on stage. 

Your worries about the speech also set up a largely positive and pleasurable experience that comes once the wait is finally over and you deliver the speech. The discomfort of worry, in other words, brings you down, which makes the euphoric experience of successfully delivering that dreaded speech all the more pleasurable. 

Two Science-Backed Ways to Ease a Worried Mind

Given that many of us are wired to worry, trying to get rid of or overcome worry is both unrealistic and counterproductive. The craving to eradicate worry, after all, only amplifies the suffering that comes from these looping thoughts whether we like it or not.

The science of worry, by contrast, offers a more skillful approach: Don’t try to get rid of worry. See if you can transform it instead. Recent research out of Case Western University points to two powerful, mindfulness-based, tools for doing just that.

1) Mindful Worrying: The first approach is to bring mindful attention to worrying. The key to this practice is to Notice-Shift-Rewire. The first step is to Notice. Notice that your mind has slipped into this seductive state. Once you Notice, you can then Shift your mind state by bringing your attention to worrying itself. It’s a shift from aversion to investigation – from fighting it or checking out to seeing your worries as thought forms arising in the present moment. The final step is to Rewire – to take just 15 seconds to stay with and savor this shift in perception.

The research shows that this simple shift leads to the experience of “decentering” – experiencing a slight disidentification with your worried mind. It’s subtle but this sense of space between you and your worries helps release the grip of worry.  You begin to see these “worry thoughts” simply as thoughts, and you can watch them come and go from a place of greater peacefulness and ease.

2) Practicing Gratitude: A second science-backed approach to transforming worry is grounded in the practice of gratitude. Unlike mindful worrying, this technique involves a more active response to worries. At its core, the practice is to notice when you’re caught in worry and then shift by bringing your attention to some present-moment source of joy or gratitude. 

When you’re worried about a difficult day ahead, for instance, notice your worried thoughts.  Then shift your attention toward what you’re grateful for right now – the morning light, a delicious breakfast, the taste of your latte. Finally, rewire by savoring the experience of gratitude for just a few seconds.

The research shows that both of these practices are powerful salves for a worried mind. Whichever practice you pursue, it’s worth remembering that the key is awareness. The ability to choose to Notice-Shift-Rewire is a proven skillful means for integrating mindfulness practice into your daily life. 

Read more

Health

Being with Stressful Moments Rather Than Avoiding Them 

When we use mindfulness to get rid of stress, we’re no longer being mindful. Try this practice for being with and reimagining stressful moments. Read More 

• Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp PhD
• July 26, 2017

Daily Practices

Unhook From the News and Stay Informed 

How simple mindfulness practices can help you remain active and engaged in society while steering clear of news addiction. Read More 

• Nate Klemp PhD and Eric Langshur
• June 20, 2017

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Embodied Presence (Part 2) – Planting Our Roots in the Universe – Working with Pain

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In describing our human predicament and dis-ease, D.H. Lawrence says we are like a great tree with our roots in the air. We need to replant ourselves—in our bodies, hearts and spirit. These two talks are guides to replanting ourselves. In Part 1, we explore how we are so often dissociated from the life of our body, and the pathways home. Part 2 looks at the challenges of pain, fear and trauma, and how we can gradually and skillfully reconnect with a wholeness of being.

May we be blessed to live from embodied presence… to realize the love and creativity and freedom that are our essence. ~ Tara

This very body that we have, that’s sitting right here right now… with its aches and it pleasures… is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive. ~ Pema Chödron

Go with the pain, let it take you. Open your palms and your body to the pain. It comes in waves like the tide and you must be open as a vessel lying on the beach, letting it fill you up and then, retreating, leaving you empty and clear… with a deep breath – it has to be as deep as the pain – one reaches a kind of inner freedom from pain, as though the pain were not yours but your body’s. The spirit lays the body on the altar. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

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Meditation: A Listening Presence (20 min.)

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The receptivity of listening awakens us to the living stream of life. This meditation guides us in listening to sounds, and then listening to and feeling the aliveness of our bodies and the movement of the breath. We close with a simple offering of lovingkindness to our inner life and our world.

Resting with the breath as a raft might rest and move with the waves… ~ Tara

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Preventing Stress-Related Mental Decline in Soldiers

Active-duty soldiers experience highly stressful mental and emotional demands that can take a toll on their brains over time. New research finds that mindfulness instruction delivered by professional military trainers may help to lessen these effects.

In the study, Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT) co-developers Dr. Amishi Jha, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Contemplative Neuroscience Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative at the University of Miami, and Scott Rogers, founder and director of the Institute for Mindfulness Studies and the University of Miami School of Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program, were curious to see whether professional trainers who work with military personnel but have no background in mindfulness, could successfully teach MBAT to soldiers. MBAT combines fundamental mindfulness principles and practices with skills relevant to military service members with the goal of reducing stress and building mental resilience. 

Prior research with active duty service members has shown that periods of stress, pressure, and uncertainty can take a toll on soldiers’ mental health. Although mindfulness interventions that emphasize focused attention and open monitoring have been found to bolster resilience and protect against declines in attention and memory, none have been delivered by professional military trainers with no prior background in mindfulness.

Before beginning the study, professional military trainers with no history of mindfulness practice completed a formal, 12-week MBAT training practicum. This included first-hand experience practicing mindfulness exercises, and eight weeks of instructor training that prepared them to teach these skills to soldiers. At the same time, several trainers with prior mindfulness experience but no history of working with soldiers also completed the MBAT practicum. 

Delivering Mindfulness-Based Attention Training to Soldiers

Next, 180 healthy, active-duty, male, US Army volunteers from three different companies were randomly assigned to receive MBAT instruction from either one of the professional military trainers (military trainer group), or an experienced mindfulness trainer (mindfulness educator group). Soldiers from a fourth company, who did not receive any mindfulness training, were included as a control group.

Both mindfulness training groups received the MBAT program, but with different trainers. Instruction was delivered in weekly, two-hour sessions over four weeks. Training involved mindfulness instruction and practice using weekly themes: concentration, body awareness, open monitoring, and connection. All participants were asked to complete daily exercises at least four days per week that corresponded to the weekly theme, and were given an MP3 player with 15-minute guided practices.

Soldiers from both the mindfulness training and control groups also completed a series of computerized cognitive tests and questionnaires before and after the training period, and again four weeks later. Computerized tasks included an attention memory recognition task where participants had to recall pictures of faces or shoes, while being distracted by combat-related or non-military-related images. 

Slowing Cognitive Decline

At the end of the study, performance on the attention and working memory tasks declined for all three groups. However, the military trainer group showed the smallest amount of change immediately after training and four weeks later.  They also had less of a drop in working memory than those in the mindfulness educator and control groups. For all groups, accuracy on the tests was lowest when respondents were distracted by emotionally-charged images. 

There were also differences in how much time each group spent practicing mindfulness on their own. During training, members of the military trainer group formally practiced mindfulness nearly one day more per week on average than those in the mindfulness educator group. This trend persisted during the four weeks of follow-up. Dr. Jha, one of the study’s authors, believes that this occurred because “context-familiar trainers were better positioned to motivate soldier engagement in and out of class. Perhaps soldiers felt that these trainers were more attuned to their goals, demands, and challenges, compared to the context-unfamiliar trainer,” she concluded.

Jha also feels that the results of this study are hopeful: “The findings suggest that it is possible to improve accessibility of effective mindfulness training programs for groups like soldiers, firefighters, police officers, surgeons, and teachers”—in other words, groups that regularly experience high on-the-job pressures, demands, and challenges. 

“What we learned,” says Jha, “is that the key to successful scalability [of mindfulness programs] involves having members of these groups learn how to deliver training to their peers. And our results suggest that trainer ‘train up’ time need not take years. It can be achieved in as little as 12 weeks,” she says.

All told, results of the study suggest that soldiers who received instruction from a professional trainer who understood the military context were more inclined to practice mindfulness on their own, and more likely to be protected against stress-related cognitive decline.

Read more

Meditation

A Mindfulness of Breathing Exercise with Neuroscientist Amishi Jha 

The sequence of events in this practice are: focus, sustain attention, notice, and redirect attention back to the breath when it wanders. This is what we might call a “push-up” for your attention. Read More 

• Amishi Jha
• June 19, 2019

Mindfulness Research

Why The Army is Training in Mindfulness 

Standing at attention isn’t the same as paying attention. Mindfulness trains soldiers to regulate their stress and learn how to stay in the moment. Read More 

• Mindful Staff
• November 12, 2019

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