Neuroplasticity Rule #1: Awareness, Mindfulness, & Meditation

Awareness is a big deal! It's the first step.

But be aware that awareness coupled with self judgment keeps you stuck.

In this episode we explore awareness, mindfulness, and meditation - and how they can help us begin to create lasting change.


Check out the Healthy Minds App mentioned on this episode.

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Transcript

Neuroplasticity Rule #1: Awareness, Mindfulness, & Meditation

[00:00:00] Here we are rule number one for neuro-plasticity. If you missed the introduction episode to, the seven rules of neuro-plasticity. They are based on the book by Shad Helmstetter, it's called "the power of neuro-plasticity". And while I am using that as a framework, I'm pulling in a lot of different information from different sources to help us deepen our understanding of each of these rules.

[00:00:30] So when we think of awareness and mindfulness and meditation, they're very similar, but different at the same time. Awareness can happen with judgment, still coupled with it, which can keep us stuck. But awareness can also happen with curiosity attached to it, which creates an openness and space for growth.

[00:00:55] For me when I think of mindfulness, I think of [00:01:00] awareness coupled with curiosity. And then we also have meditation and we've all heard of meditation before ,we know we should be doing it. I encourage you not to "should" on yourself though. And in meditation, there is an aspect of mindfulness, but the reason it's separated out for this episode specifically is because mindfulness can be practiced, whether you're sitting in meditation or whether you're walking around your house, taking care of laundry, it's something that we can cultivate.

[00:01:32] In either situation actively or passively. And when we're practicing mindfulness, it helps us break. The bond or break the connection or the identification that we have with our thinking, because we literally become the observer instead of being identified with the thoughts. 

[00:01:57] So when we're practicing mindfulness, it's the [00:02:00] opposite of experiencing cognitive fusion. And cognitive fusion is when we believe the thoughts we think are factually true, were identified with the thinking as who we are so mindful helps us become the observer, creating that awareness so that we can start to make the changes that we want. 

[00:02:22] Because like I've said before awareness increases our choices. When we are aware of what is happening, we are able to consciously choose instead of having our programs in our brain, be running on autopilot. So a big picture of view, of mindfulness is paying attention to paying attention. It's called metacognition, which when we look at the brain, it's actually a function of the prefrontal cortex and it helps you manage your own thinking.

[00:02:57] It helps you become more conscious about [00:03:00] what you're thinking about, and it expands our ability to make choices instead of being on auto-pilot. When we really break it down into the basics, the past is the past. It's represented in our brains as memories, but it's not tangible. It's not something we can change.

[00:03:21] Then we have the present moment. The only moment that we actually have control over. And I don't really like using the word control because it doesn't really articulate the big picture idea. Um, this present moment being in the now is essential in order to move forward in the way that we want. 

[00:03:42] And then there's the future. That's where we end up worrying. That's where we end up planning. It could be in a negative sense or it could be in a positive sense. The only thing that we really have is the now. We think about the past and the now we project the future into the now and the [00:04:00] now is the only place that mindfulness can happen.

[00:04:03] So one of my favorite books of all time is called "the power of now". And it's by Eckhart Tolle or Eckhart Tolle. Depending on who you're talking to, I've heard it pronounced both ways. Something in his book that I wanted to share with you, because it really illustrates what this is. And I quote: 

[00:04:25] "So deal with the past on the level of the present, the more attention you give the past, the more you energize it. And the more likely you are to make a self out of it, don't misunderstand. Attention is essential, but not to the past, as past. Give your attention to the present. Give attention to your behavior, to your reactions, moods, thoughts, emotions, fears, and desires as they occur in the present. If you can be present enough to watch all those things, not critically or analytically, but non-judgmentally, [00:05:00] then you are dealing with the past and dissolving it through the power of your presence. You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You find yourself by coming into the present." 

[00:05:13] And I, I love the way this is stated, because it brings in this larger idea of being present in this moment is more about holding space for the past holding space for worries that maybe you're having and projecting into the future and dealing with it in the present moment.

[00:05:37] And if you already have a practice of mindfulness, Number one way to go high five. That's amazing. But number two, it's easy to feel like we're failing at it because of how quickly we can go into autopilot mode with those subconscious programmings, making our choices for us instead of being mindful and being in the present.

[00:05:58] So just know that as [00:06:00] you play with this, it gets easier as you practice. And there's no such thing as failing. There is no such thing as failing. There is no such thing as failing. I hope you really hear me on that. That's why I said it three times. Another quote I love is by Byron Katie. And she's talking about the feeling that we need to control our thinking. And I love how succinct and to the point this quote is, and she says: 

[00:06:31] "No one has ever been able to control his thinking. Although people may tell the story of how they have, I don't let go of my thoughts. I meet them with understanding. Then they let go of me."

[00:06:47] I adore this quote, mainly because it opens up this doorway to acceptance, to taking a look at what's going on. And meeting, [00:07:00] whatever is under there with understanding, with love, with compassion, and then how she says at the end, then they let go of me. It's a very powerful experience. If you've never played with this before I invite you to play with it and see what happens when you meet your thoughts with understanding and not with identification, not with believing, they are true. That would be cognitive fusion, which we don't want to be happening. 

[00:07:26] Meet them with a sense of curiosity, with understanding. So that they can let go of you instead of you feeling like you have to push and shove and ignore, and that whole entire conglomeration. I want to make sure that you're also aware of a free app that you can use that helps you build mindfulness.

[00:07:47] And I love this app because it's based on neuroscience and meditation experts. It is called healthy minds. If you go to your app store, search, healthy [00:08:00] minds, it's a little blue app that has a uppercase H and a lowercase m. I will do my best to see if I can find a link for you and make sure that that's in the show notes.

[00:08:09] A great way to begin a mindfulness practice is to pick an activity that you're so good at that it's automatic and you practice mindfulness with that activity. So for me, things that I love to do practicing mindfulness is taking a walk, doing the dishes, vacuuming the house, uh, things that are so natural and automatic, you have the mental space to be able to use this metacognition or mindfulness to observe and get curious about what's going on within yourself. 

[00:08:47] And that brings me into meditation. And just know that if you're rolling your eyes right now and thinking, "if one more person fucking tells me to meditate, I am [00:09:00] out, I'm done this personal growth thing is for the goddamn birds".

[00:09:05] If that's you it's okay. It's okay. You don't have to sit cross-legged. And do meditation. Is it beneficial? Yes. And I will share some of those benefits here in a moment, but if all you do is begin with mindfulness, then you are doing your brain a favor. You are strengthening your prefrontal cortex so that you can have more conscious choice.

[00:09:33] So if you feel blocked, when it comes to meditation, don't worry. I'm not going to make you meditate. I would like you to, but I'm not gonna make you. So let's look at what we're actually finding about meditation. So the word meditate actually means to become familiar with. So it's this self observation as well as self development, because when we are able [00:10:00] to observe our mind, observe our thoughts, our behavior.

[00:10:05] We create more consciousness around it, which creates more choices. A book that I am currently listening to is by Rick Hanson, it's called "Neuro Dharma". And in this book, he talks about what meditation is actually doing in the brain and how it can benefit us. And he breaks it down into a few different sections. What happens in three days of training. What happens within a couple months. And then what happens with years of a meditation practice. 

[00:10:40] So the first one, after three days of some formal training in meditation, the prefrontal cortex is able to have more control over the rest of the brain. And I really want you to let this sink in three days. That was it. [00:11:00] Was it formal training? Yes, but we have so many free resources available at our fingertips that you can get that shit for free. So three days of really diving in and understanding and practicing it, you start to get more control over the rest of your brain because more energy is going to your prefrontal cortex. You also end up experiencing less habitual mind, wandering and less preoccupation with the self. 

[00:11:27] And then after a couple months of a meditation practice, you begin to have more control over your amygdala. And if you don't know what your amygdala is, it's a little part in your brain that is responsible for the fight and flight mode. So within a couple months of meditating, you have more control over your stress response, which is what your fight and flight mode is. It reduces the overreaction of those responses. They've also found within a couple months of meditation that you grow more [00:12:00] tissue in your hippocampus and your hippocampus helps you learn from your experiences and also helps to calm the amygdala.

[00:12:10] And then when they've looked at people who have meditated for years, they've measured the neural tissue in the prefrontal cortex and it becomes thicker. And what does that mean to become thicker? It means there's more there. It's like you go to the gym and you pump some iron and you're trying to build up your biceps.

[00:12:32] Right? If you do that over time, that muscle starts to get larger and firmer, the same thing happens in your brain with your prefrontal cortex. When you meditate long term, and that actually helps you have more control over your executive functions. So that means more self-control in general, more abilities to plan and think things through you have more clarity in your mind.

[00:12:56] Now there's other parts of the brain that also get thicker with tissue [00:13:00] because of the energy that is going there. But I'm not going to dive into anything that's too deep in the science, because I want to make sure that this podcast is understandable. And the science is finding out more about the benefits of meditation and something in the book, the power of neuroplasticity I wanted to read to you so that we really understand how much they're finding out.

[00:13:25] So we have a big picture of you, of why you might consider taking up a meditation practice, even if you feel resistant to it. And I quote: 

[00:13:33] "Because of what science is continuing to prove about meditation and its physical and mental effects on the neuron structure of the brain. In a few years from now, there won't be a health and wellness program that does not include some form of meditation. The bottom line is this meditation creates positive neuronal growth in your brain. If you want to think better, live better, have more. Be more alive each day and get more in touch [00:14:00] with the real you, then you will want to create the time to meditate." 

[00:14:04] So when we're creating awareness, we're practicing mindfulness and we're practicing meditation. We are laying the foundation. We are able to begin the process of making change with our consciousness, running the show, instead of being stuck in an autopilot mode. And just in case you need a little bit more encouragement about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. Here are just a few: it improves your focus, it reduces your stress, it enhances your ability to have empathy for others, gives you freedom from automatic responses, increases your cognitive flexibility, it boosts your memory, makes you less sensitive to pain, and gives you a better brain. 

[00:14:59] So [00:15:00] those benefits that I just listed to you came from a book called the mindful geek. By Michael w Taft. And I've had this book for years. It's one of my favorite meditation books because of how approachable he makes it. 

[00:15:17] And these benefits I just shared with you are for mindfulness as well. They're not just for meditation, so you can pick your poison. You can choose what works best for you. You don't have to be a Yogi and sit cross leg- ed for hours to figure it out. You can practice mindfulness in an active state to help you with your brain growing in the ways that you want as well. If you don't have something built in your life right now to practice mindfulness and to practice meditation, I highly, highly recommend, they don't know I'm recommending this app, but it's the healthy minds app because it's based in neuroscience and it can take you as little as five minutes a [00:16:00] day.

[00:16:00] And if you're still saying I don't have time, I don't have time. You've got five minutes. You can do that for yourself. I believe in you. You've got this.