The Meditating Brain

The Meditating Brain: Express Version By Wray Herbert

in the Journal of the Association of Psychological Science

I have been experimenting with mindfulness meditation recently. Originally a Buddhist practice, mindfulness meditation focuses on moment-to-moment awareness, of one’s body and its sensations and one’s immediate surroundings. When thoughts intrude on this aware state—as they always do—you gently let them go as you return to the moment.

It’s very calming—and really hard. It’s hard because the mind does not want to stop churning out thoughts. I’m told that with time and practice, meditation becomes easier, and what’s more that it brings a variety of emotional and health benefits. Those testimonials are why I’m doing this, but I confess the prospect is daunting. Expert Buddhist practitioners log some 10,000 hours of training, and even neophytes should expect to log 70 or more hours of training, over months, before seeing any noticeable benefits. So imagine how encouraged I was to come across a recent study that seems designed for impatient souls like me. Psychological scientist Christopher Moyer, and a large group of colleagues at the University of Wisconsin—Stout, designed a brain study to see if there might be at least some benefit after a very brief period of meditation training. It’s a small study, and the first of its kind.

The scientists recruited a group of volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 73, all interested but inexperienced at meditation practice. The volunteers completed an emotional inventory before starting the study, and they also closed their eyes and tried to meditate for 18 minutes on their own. All they were told was to focus on their breathing, and if thoughts intruded, to re-focus their attention on their breathing. During this trial, they were hooked up to an EEG, which measured their baseline brain activity. The participants had volunteered in exchange for training by experienced instructors, and half were immediately enrolled in such training. The others were wait-listed; they received training later on, but served as controls for the brain study. In the actual study, the meditation trainees were offered nine 30-minute sessions over five weeks, each session consisting of a short lesson and five to 20 minutes of “sitting.” After the five weeks, all of the volunteers—trainees and controls—repeated the 18-minute meditation trial, again hooked up to the EEG.

The results got my attention. As reported on-line in the journal Psychological Science, the trainees ended up averaging fewer than seven sessions, and meditated at home just a couple times a week—so they only got about six hours of training and practice in all over the five weeks. That comes to minutes a day, not hours. But even with this very modest commitment of time, the novices showed a significant shift in brain activity from their right to their left frontal hemispheres over the course of the study. Such brain asymmetry is associated with a shift to more positive emotional processing. In short, the promised benefits of meditation may be much more accessible than previously thought. It’s not clear from these results whether these brain changes are lasting, or if they are limited to actual meditation and its immediate aftermath. I also anticipate that some purists will object to the whole idea that beginners would want to get something for nothing. But really, for newcomers to a practice so unfamiliar, even evidence of a temporary shift away from negative emotions is something to build on, and keep us coming back.

Wray Herbert’s book, On Second Thought, is out in paperback.

Excerpts from his two blogs—“Full Frontal Psychology” and “We’re Only Human”—appear regularly in The Huffington Post and in Scientific American Mind. Published September 21, 2011Tags: Brain, brain asymmetry, health psychology, meditation, positive emotions

Ride a Bike!

Cycling is good for you. Start now, even if you’ve done nothing for years says Lloyd Lemons, author of Cycling Nirvana blog.

I’m not a light-weight guy, but I am lighter than I was, say five years ago, because of cycling. Thirty pounds lighter. I’m not getting any younger either. But today, I feel like I’m the fittest I’ve ever been in my life.It’s not easy to start exercising when you’ve done nothing for years. It’s tough… damn tough. And cycling is no different. I witnessed a conversation a couple of years ago when I was working in the local bike shop. The sales clerk, a tall, slender, athletic looking woman, who probably weighed about 105 pounds soaking wet, was helping this middle-aged guy make his first bike purchase since he was a kid. He was average height, and looked like he might weigh about 230 pounds. He was not an athlete. He looked tired, overwhelmed by the technological advances made in bikes over the years, and somewhat intimidated by the environment he found himself in. He knew he was out of shape, and wanted to do something about it. But here was this svelte young woman trying to sell him a high-end road bike, while preaching to him about the benefits of cranking it up every day. He walked out of the store that day without buying a bike and I’m guessing, today he’s still overweight and tired, because he saw his quest for fitness as insurmountable.

Your fitness goals are not insurmountable. You just have to take one step at a time—your step—not a step patterned after someone else. Here are a few tips to get you started on the bike, even if you haven’t exercised in years. There’s nothing scientific here, just a method that has worked for many. If you’re not sure of your health, see your doctor first and take her advice.

1. Cleanse the mind Get rid of all the imagery you may have of the strong, skinny, fit people that haunt your subconscious. Also, forget about all the cool new equipment that’s on the market today.
2. Get a bike Virtually any bike will do. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be ugly. It can be rusty. It could be a model designed for the opposite sex. It doesn’t matter at this point. Borrow one, buy one from the police auction, buy one from eBay, rent one, but get a bike that fits you comfortably, and ride it.

3. Ride your bike 3 times a week Wear a helmet, and ride around the neighborhood for 20 to 30 minutes. Don’t push it, ride at a pace you’re comfortable with, and (this is important!), pay no attention to the skinny/fast cyclists passing you. How’s that feel? Makes you feel like a kid again, doesn’t it?

4. Go farther By the third week you will be able to ride longer. Maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Try to pedal more and coast less. Try to push your limit a little. You’re feeling stronger already. You’re sleeping better. Weigh in. You’ve probably already lost a pound or two. You’re even considering a venue change from the neighborhood to an area with more open spaces, and you’re already thinking of getting a better bike.

5. Don’t stop now! By the fifth week, you’ve added a longer weekend ride to your regimen. You ride to the coffee shop on Saturday morning, and meet some friends who share your fitness intentions, and you talk about bikes, safety and rules of the road. And you can’t explain it, but your mind seems to be thinking a little clearer these days. You’ve been looking at the bikes owned by other riders and you’ve learned a lot. There are all types of bikes for all types of riding, and you’re getting close to finding one that suits you better than your old clunker.

6. Have fun! You’ve discovered that cycling is good, and good for you. After two months of your bicycle adventure, you’ve discovered that you’re really having fun. You’re riding dozens of miles a week. You’ve lost weight, you’ve met some really nice folks… and you’re old bike just isn’t keeping up with your adventurous spirit. And that’s a good thing. Now is the time to visit a respectable bike shop. (Your cycling friends gave you a recommendation.) Explain to the sales person the type of riding you want to do. Share with him your cycling ideas for the coming year, your fitness objectives, and the budget you’ve established for your new bike. A good shop will measure your body and sell you the bike that best suits your wishes. He may offer a class on safe riding. Take it. He may offer a class on bike maintenance. Take it too, both are invaluable.You are now a cyclist. Go ride with your friends. Conquer the roads and trails. Your couch potato days will soon be a distant memory. And remember the wise words of the Chinese philosopher, Lao-tzu: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sign up now for Early Evening Bicycling through Community Education.