Thinking

Mindfulness is a very effective tool to help you thrive in all areas of your life. It can help give you the power to live your life to its full potential. When you look back over the last few weeks and months what defining moments can you actually remember? Imagine if you could learn to make a small shift in your thinking that could have a major effect to your life…..to enable you to have the discernment and focus, to choose where you place your attention and to realise you have the option to make wiser choices in every moment.

Secular mindfulness training started to become available in the States in the 1970s – through the ground-breaking work of Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMass. Since then, there has been considerable research into Mindfulness including assessments using control groups that point to its efficacy. MRI scans of the grey matter of the brain’s hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with learning, memory, compassion, introspection and self-awareness, have been shown it to increase in participants of Mindfulness programs. Conversely, the grey matter of the amygdala, which is known to play an important part in stress and anxiety, has been shown to decrease. The US Marines have a Mindfit program which has been evaluated by Jha et al with some very positive findings around working memory under stress, as well as physical and mental resilience. Cutting edge companies such as Apple and Google offer mindfulness at work training for employees. In the workplace, individuals have reported that it has helped them to build teamwork, enhance creativity & communication and resolve conflict.