Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing attention to calm and unthreatening experiences occurring in the present moment. Research has shown that rumination and worry contribute to low mood, anxiety and other unhelpful behaviours and emotions. This occurs when we allow our lives to be unduly governed by the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates how we respond to events that are potentially threatening. Regular practice of mindfulness curbs the influence of the amygdala and, instead, raises the influence of the prefrontal cortex, the conscious part of the brain that is capable of regulating unhelpful automatic reactions to sensory inputs.