Exiting new Start Up.

August 4, 2019August 4, 2019 by Mindpanda1

A Conscious Start Up

MindPanda is an exciting new Scottish start up, with the goal of helping people of all ages to enjoy better mental health and greater emotional awareness, by practicing mindfulness in their daily lives.

The high growth Glasgow-based start up was launched in 2018, and within a short space of time, they have already attracted over 20,000 users, as they set their sights on a global audience.

MindPanda came into being, following from the founder, Ian Millar’s appreciation of mindfulness and meditation practice in his daily life. While he understood its benefits and valued the difference it could make, he also recognised that integrating mindfulness into the lives of a busy family was another question. With busy lives every day, either at work and school, cultivating a regular habit of mindful living was far more challenging to stick to.

Looking for solutions to address this, he knew that another app was unlikely to help.

The mindfulness community has grown rapidly across the world in recent years, with hundreds of apps, instructors and courses available at the touch of a button. But while mindfulness can be an enormously beneficial practice, it’s much harder to cultivate appreciation for the present moment by relying on apps and smart phones to access it.

As practical as they are, smartphones and mobile devices are also one of the biggest causes of stress and distraction in most people’s lives, and completely counter-productive to mindful practice.

While users might enjoy the feeling of a calming ten minute guided meditation through a smart phone, the storm of notifications and alerts that follow afterwards can undo all that hard work. It’s also far more challenging for users to stick to a mindfulness practice, when there are countless distractions just a swipe of the screen away.

MindPanda aim to address this contradiction by providing customers with a truly mindful experience, when using their products. Through simple tools, guides and products, they help customers to develop the practical knowledge they need to build the skills of mindful living into their daily lives, delivered through a distraction-free environment.

In March 2017, they created their first product, designed to help carry a little mindfulness to work or school, to remind users to stay present and grateful, with a simple and practical solution: Mindfulness Stress balls.

Stress balls have always been an effective fidget toy to help release stress and anxiety, but by looking at them through the lens of mindfulness, MindPanda added a little extra touch. Created in packs of three, entitled mindfulness, positivity and gratitude, these simple but effective balls provide a physical reminder to return to these qualities, and can be used anywhere. They are combined with aromatherapy, infusing each ball with its own scent. By engaging all the senses, the balls can help bring the user’s attention back to the present moment. They can be taken to work, kept in the car, or at home, for a helpful reminder to breathe and be present, practice gratitude and stay positive.

MindPanda have also focused their attention on the development of effective mindfulness programmes for younger people, and across schools. With the rise of mental health issues amongst the younger generation, the start up developed a mindfulness pack, with this audience in mind.

Currently, schools across the UK are making huge movements towards promoting mindfulness in class. Schools will often pay upwards of £200 for an in-person visitor to provide a talk to students, and guide teachers through exercises.

MindPanda’s mindfulness pack is designed to simplify this, by helping teachers to learn whilst teaching. The pack guides both teachers and students through a month of different mindfulness exercises, broken down into 10 minute daily exercises, that help to build a powerful and lasting positive habit. The pack also offers a wide range of different exercises, so that they can choose what works best.

Traction

MindPanda have donated free sets to over 200 schools across UK and the US. They also supply free resources to schools to help promote mindfulness in the classroom, such as mindful colouring PDFs, word search games, and other printable materials.

In their first 18 months, MindPanda have grown rapidly, with over 20,000 customers across the US and UK. The team has expanded to three employees, and they continue to help promote mindfulness in educational institutions, with a percentage of their profits towards mental health charities. The company is now looking at how they can bring the benefits of mindfulness to a wider audience.

The success of the brand has been recognised with numerous awards. In 2018 they were awarded the Young Scottish Edge Award for a successful start up. they were also part of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Accelerator Programme, Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway. The programmes gave the brand a solid foundation to grow the business, by connecting with mentors, influencers and investors, as well as providing legal and financial support.

The start up is continuing to grow and make a wider positive impact, and their goal is to help change the lives of over 100,000 people by 2020, with a variety of new products for both adults and children, in development.

In June 2019, MindPanda launched their latest product – a 30 Days of Mindfulness pack, designed to help people of all backgrounds to enjoy a variety of mindfulness exercises, and discover how they can bring the benefits of the practice into their lives in a simple and effective way. The pack is perfect for anyone who has come across meditation and mindfulness – and wanted to find a simpler and easier way to bring it into their lives as a regular activity.

Focusing on helping people to build a positive daily habit by practicing just 10 minutes a day, this pack helps people learn how to use mindfulness in a more practical, accessible and enjoyable way.

With the traction this young Scottish start up has had so far, we are looking forward to seeing the impact MindPanda will have on the mindfulness community in the years to come.

Author :- Elizabeth Frail

Originally posted from Mindfulness in Schools. Org

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How to stay mindful during a busy day

August 19, 2019May 17, 2019 by Mindpanda1

How To Stay Mindful During A Busy Day

We know that practicing mindfulness can help you feel calmer, happier and more productive, but what if you’re just too busy to fit it in? Being mindful during a busy day can often be the least of your concerns, when your thoughts are pre-occupied with the 1,001 things to do on your list.

While longer practice sessions can certainly be helpful, practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean that you have to take out precious chunks of your busy schedule. In fact, it’s easy to stay mindful during a busy day, and by weaving in simple activities to bring back your attention, you can enjoy a more stress-free and focused state of mind.

Focus on one thing at a time

Multi-tasking might seem like a sign of efficiency and productivity – but in actual fact, it’s the complete opposite. Instead, focusing on one task at a time is a far more mindful – and effective – way of getting things done.

The human mind isn’t designed to focus on multiple tasks at once – even though we might sometimes feel like we are doing it successfully. Even the simplest tasks, when done in parallel with something else, end up taking valuable attention and focus from the main activity at hand.

Instead, focus yourself on completing one key task at a time. You’ll find that you are able to put all your attention on the activity more mindfully – and most likely, work though it more quickly.

Tune into your senses

One of the most beneficial ways of trying to stay mindful during a busy day is tuning in to how your body and breath are feeling, in the moment.

This is something that can be done virtually any time, in any place. Simply pay attention to how one part of your body is feeling. Notice if any parts of you feel tense, and invite those parts of your body to relax.

For example, if you are walking through somewhere, pay attention to how each step feels. Notice if your shoulders or chest feel tight or hunched, and allow them to relax.

Practice gratitude

Busy-ness can often feel stressful and lead to a host of negative feelings, as we become exhausted, worried or worn out. Practicing gratitude in a mindful way is a great way to boost your positive feelings, and can have a hugely beneficial on our overall health.

During your busy day, take time to notice the many different activities you have to do and notice what you are grateful for in each of them. Bringing our attention to the small, everyday aspects of our hectic daily lives can often shed a new perspective on them.

You can also practice gratitude with and for the people you have in your life. This might include gratitude for other colleagues, whose activities make your role possible, family members who support us in a myriad of ordinary ways, and even the strangers we encounter everyday without much thought, who help make our day to day lives run a little more smoothly.

Find a Mindful Anchor

Often our mindfulness practice is hindered purely because we get lost in our busy schedules. We rush through our day forgetting to centre ourselves and take mindful breaths.

Find yourself a mindful anchor. Go a walk along the beach and pick out the nicest stone/shell that you can find. Spend a bit of time with it there and then in mindful awareness.

Take this anchor with you every day and keep it somewhere where you will touch it regularly, like a purse or your pocket. Each time you put your hand in your pocket and feel your anchor, stop whatever you are doing for a few seconds and simply take a few deep belly breaths and tune into your surroundings.

“Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.”
Sharon Salzberg

Want to learn more?

Check out 10 life changing benefits of Mindfulness.

Tell us your favourite ways to stay mindful during a busy day!

How to meditate in under 2 minutes

July 30, 2019May 17, 2019 by Mindpanda1

How To Meditate In Under 2 Minutes

Practicing meditation can be a great way to help enjoy a greater sense of calm, focus and wellbeing every day – and the good news is, you can enjoy these benefits with just a short daily practice. First time practitioners often approach us with statements like “i just don’t have time to meditate every day”. Meditation is more about quality rather than quantity, so if you are one of these people, we have some good news for you. It’s possible to meditate in under 2 minutes! And here’s how.

Focus on your breath

Focusing on your breathing is a simple but powerful technique, that is a great way to meditate in under 2 minutes. Especially when you are out in public or have a busy day. Bring a little extra calm to your mind, by stopping any other activities you are doing, and pausing to pay attention to your breath.

Start by feeling the pace of your inhale and exhale, noticing if it feels fast or slow. Without worrying about trying to control it, pay as much attention to how your breath feels in your body as possible. Perhaps you will notice how your chest or stomach moves as you breath.

As you focus, allow your breath to gently slow down. If you feel comfortable, you can also begin to time your breath. Breathing in for a set number and breathing out for a set number. Work with what feels comfortable and notice that as your breath becomes more focused, calmness begins to spread throughout.

Practice awareness

This meditation is ideal for commuters, and a great way of bringing calm during that hectic rush-hour journey. Instead of trying to close yourself off in a bubble of headphones and music, try to bring as much mindful awareness as possible to your surroundings.

You can work on practicing awareness in small steps. A simple, visual technique to begin with, is noticing the different shapes, colours and sights that pass you by, without trying to hold on to them in anyway. As your bus, taxi or train moves through your environment, bring as much focus as you can to just seeing the many different sights that move through, noticing the feeling of change and transition.

Body scan meditation

Another great technique to meditate in under 2 minutes, is the simple body scan. This works by bringing mindful attention to each part of your body in the moment, noticing how and what you feel, before moving on to the next part. You can do this in any position, and in any place, spending as much, or as little time as you like on each part.

Start from the top of your head, noticing what you feel within your body as you work your way down. Don’t forget the smaller, subtle parts, such as your fingertips or joints, moving all the way down to the parts in contact with the ground. Don’t worry if you can’t notice or feel anything specific, or if you don’t know how to label a particular sensation. Simply bringing your attention to a focused part, before moving on, can have a profound, calming and grounding impact.

“Meditation is more about quality rather that quantity”. This is not to say that you should reduce your meditation time to 2 minutes each day. However its common come out of a 20 minute silent meditation where all you have done is think about your work for 20 minutes straight. What we mean by this is that you can still re-centre yourself, quite your mind and become more present if your 2 minutes is met with intention.

What are your go-to meditation techniques when you’re in a hurry?

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5 Easy mindfulness exercises for kids

June 21, 2019May 3, 2019 by Mindpanda1

5 Easy Mindfulness Exercises
For Kids

Learning mindfulness at an early age can definitely be one of the best gifts for young people of all ages. Especially as they navigate the tricky changes that come with growing up. From dealing with pressures at school, homework and exams, to discovering their emerging identities, and exploring friendships and peer groups, these 5 easy mindfulness exercises for kids can be a wonderful way to help them feel happier and more confident.

Try these 5 easy mindfulness exercises for kids

Mindful breathing

One of the simplest and most powerful mindfulness exercises for kids. Mindful breathing is the perfect way to begin to connect with the benefits of meditation.

Mindful breathing can be a great tool to promote calmness, especially when feeling stressed, anxious or upset.

A simple way to teach and practice this is by encouraging children to sit or stand in a comfortable position, close their eyes, and begin to notice how their breath feels. Directions such as noticing if their breath tickles their nostrils, flutters in the belly, or other parts of their body, can be a great way to start.

As they start to pay attention, you can also add counting the breath. Such as breathing in and out for a 5-count.

Mindful eating

While meal times can often be a battleground with children, adding a mindfulness practice to the dinner table can make it a novel experience.

It’s often better to start small and simple. With a simple snack such as fruit, encourage children to investigate the many different sensations they can experience – from the colours, shapes and textures they encounter, to the smells, tastes and feeling of eating and drinking something.

To add an extra dimension of focus and attention, you can even try doing this blindfolded. This can be a fun and enjoyable way to discover surprising things about everyday foods!

Mindful colouring

Perfect for children of all ages, mindful colouring is the ideal rainy day mindfulness activity.
While many children enjoy colouring activities, you can use this to explore more mindfulness and creativity every day, by encouraging them to pay attention to the colours they choose, and how they feel.

A great to do is by inviting them to choose colours that reflect their feelings and emotions.
This can be a helpful way to encourage children to express their emotions in a safe and guided way.

Mindful walking

As the weather improves, why not mix up your mindfulness exercises for kids with a simple mindful walking practice?

Mindful walking can be a lovely way to encourage more attentiveness and awareness to our environment. A great way to begin to explore this is by taking outdoor walks. It encourages children to explore and be curious about the sights, sounds, smells and experiences they encounter as they walk. Encourage periods of silence, where children are invited to pay attention, imagine and day dream.

It’s worth starting small, to encourage building attention and awareness skills over time – try shorter walks on a regular basis, before going on to longer sessions.

Mindful guided meditations

Guided mediations can be a great way to relax. Especially for children who are experiencing difficulty in winding down.

Simple and uncomplicated guided meditations often work the best, such as those featuring easy to follow instructions, or relaxing music.

Exploring guided meditations together can also be great to practice mindfulness together. It can be used to establish a daily routine. Why not try choosing a daily guided mindfulness meditation that can be practiced every evening, to help create an atmosphere of calmness and relaxation before bed time?

Check out some of our Guided Meditations here at MindPanda.

We hope we found some useful exercises to help your young ones practice mindfulness. Please comment below the techniques that have helped you.

Check out some easy ways on how to introduce mindfulness to your children – Click HERE.

How to introduce meditation to your children

June 12, 2019August 15, 2018 by Mindpanda1

How To Introduce Meditation To Your Children

It’s so easy in today’s hectic whirl wind of modern life to become distracted from the moment and lost in a stream of habitual thinking. We are worrying about future problems that may or may not ever happen or dwelling on past mistakes. With the explosion of research validating its many benefits, it’s no surprise that meditation is bringing a calm to the storm. This short article will show you 4 easy ways to introduce meditation to your children.

We have over 20,000 thoughts everyday which our emotions reflect upon. One minute we are happy, the next angry, the next anxious and the next depressed. Meditation helps us to quieten the voice in our heads and become aware of what is really going on inside. It allows us to appreciate the good times even more and manage the bad with a calm approach. If you haven’t been exposed to the power of mindfulness and meditation, you can check out some studies done by Harvard university here.

As adults, having the commitment and patience to stick with meditation is no small feat. Imagine being taught this wonderful gift as a child and how easy it would be to pick up and how much of a better place the world would be if we were all present, caring and compassionate.

While mindfulness is now being taught as extra curriculum in some schools across the world, children follow their parent’s guidance more than anything else. Which is why, as a parent you should help to enforce this wonderful habit. I do understand that this is easier said than done! From my own experience I have found some subtle tips and techniques that have worked for myself and friends which I would love to share with you.

4 Ways To Introduce Meditation To Your Children

1. Create a special place

Children love fantasy, they love using their imagination. I remember when I was a kid, we would make pillow forts and cover dungeons. Any place in the house that I decorated with my toys would be classed as my special place and you needed a special passcode to get in. Designate a special place for your kids to meditate and allow them to name it. Encourage them to decorate it with things that are meaningful to them. Maybe even buy them a ‘special’ meditation cushion and let them know that this is a sacred place for them to come and quiet their mind.

2. Lead by example

Children emulate their parents. At a young age all they want to do is be like them and to do the “adult” things. Lead by example by first developing your own practice. Make sure you are committed to your practice and that your kids see that this is a non-negotiable for you each day. Once there is a genuine interest built up on their part, they will be so much more open to developing their own practice.

3. Make Meditation simple

It’s best not to cloud your young ones with the 101 different types of meditation practices there are out there. Instead put yourself in their shoes and break it down for them. Let them know what to expect. It could go something like this, “Focus on your breath and feel the sensation as you inhale and exhale. Feel the air flowing through your body. The reason we do this is to focus our attention, which helps quiet our minds. After a couple of minutes you might find that you are no longer focusing on your breath and you are lost in thought. Don’t worry! This is natural. As soon as you catch yourself lost in thought just bring your attention back to your breath.”

This does a number of things. It lets them know what to expect and avoids frustration arising when they inevitably get lost in some thoughts throughout their practice.

4. Use guided meditations

Guided meditations come down to personal preference. Some people like having that sense of direction throughout their practice and some prefer total silence. For your children I would definitely recommend trying some different guided meditations because it allows them to choose for themselves. Guided meditations will help give them some guidance through the early stage of their practice and prevent them getting disheartened at the early stages of their journey.

The more we can encourage our young ones to become more mindful and aware of what is going on inside, the more compassionate, caring, focused and driven they will be as they flourish into adulthood.

Mindfulness will make the world a more peaceful place, and where better to start than our children.

We hope you enjoyed this post and that you have discovered a few helpful tips to help you introduce meditation into the lives of your young ones. Check out some of the benefits of teaching your children the art of mindfulness and meditation here.

Please let us know your thoughts or if you have any more useful tips to share with the community.

5 reasons why your children should be practicing mindfulness

June 21, 2019June 15, 2018 by Mindpanda1

Mindfulness Meditation Practices Children

5 Reasons To Get Your Children Practicing Mindfulness

Adults in all walks of life have been practicing mindfulness for decades and the benefits are near endless (Benefits). Research on mindfulness for children however is not yet as extensive, but the amount of studies are rapidly growing and some show that kids can get more from mindful living than adults.

Over the past 10 years, mental health issues with young children has reached an all-time high. The most common of these mental health problems are anxiety, depression and hyperactivity (ADHD). Such disorders in young children do not have a single definite cause, although a lot of people believe that the rapidly growing social media channels and the young adoption of these platforms play a big part. Studies show that social media can run the risk of promoting low self-esteem, poor body image and a tendency to self-criticise.

Mindfulness teachings in schools are becoming more widespread.
According to recent research conducted by the university Of California, the benefits of mindfulness teachings in schools include:

Decreased stress
Increased peer interactions
Improved focus
Increased grades

5 Key Benefits Of Teaching Your Children To Be Mindful

1. Increases peer awareness and compassion

Mindfulness has been proven to increase empathy and compassion for others by giving us that extra second before we say something that may offend or belittle another person.
Mindful children show more awareness over one and others feelings and are more likely to be kind to and respect their peers.

2. Improves attention

Children’s mindfulness training begins with focusing on something specific, like taste, sound or breath. This focus helps them come out of the constant mind activity and become more rooted in the moment. After practice, children are more capable of being attentive and focused for longer periods of time.

Better attention skills, in turn, help them do better in school, sports or art. It helps them retain information better and achieve higher scores on tests. After all, we all perform better when we pay more attention to what we are doing.

3. Improves self-regulation & control

Mindfulness allows us to become aware of what our minds are really up to which helps us to deal with tough emotions and give us control over our impulses. A key tool for any youngster.

Without mindfulness, children are more reactive and allow situations to control their emotions. With mindfulness they tend to respond to situations in a more balanced and rational way.

4. Mindfulness reduces Stress & Anxiety

The main cause of anxiety tends to be future thinking, meaning to think ahead of time. For children this could be thinking forward to starting school, meeting new people or taking a test. Mindful practices for children gives them more control and awareness over their thoughts, giving them that reminder to breathe and relax.

Researchers from the John Hopkins University combed through over 18,000 mindfulness studies and concluded that the number one benefit of meditation was anxiety relief.

5. Reduces Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity the result of our children having excess energy and no were to direct it. This energy is then expelled at what feels like the worst times possible. Ironically, Mindfulness and meditation has been proven to give us more energy throughout the day. So how can this help reduce hyperactivity? Being mindful gives us the awareness and focus that is required to be more efficient with our energy. Allowing children to go full out when the time is right but remain calm and focused when in class or sitting down to a meal.

At the core of all mental health issues is compulsive overthinking. Mindfulness is the practice of reducing these thoughts and in turn becoming more aware of what goes on inside our heads. Giving us more control over our minds rather than our minds controlling us.

Mindfulness is a skill, and like all other skills it takes time and practice for them to become effective. It can be frustrating when you don’t see immediate results but give it time, stick with the practice and you will start seeing results in no time.

Stay tuned this week for some fun and exciting techniques for teaching your young ones the art of being mindful.

It would be great to hear your thoughts on this article as the only way for us to provide you with better information is to know what you like and what you don’t.

Have a wonderful day wherever you are.

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What is Mindfulness? How can you benefit?

June 21, 2019April 10, 2018 by Mindpanda1

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a very simple form of meditation that was little known in the West until recently.
A typical meditation consists of focusing your full attention on your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Focusing on each breath in this way allows you to observe your thoughts as they arise in your mind and, little by little, become more at peace with them. You come to realise that thoughts come and go of their own accord; that you are not your thoughts.

You can watch as they appear in your mind, seemingly from thin air, and watch again as they disappear, like a soap bubble bursting. You come to the profound understanding that thoughts and feelings (including negative ones) are transient. They come and they go, and ultimately, you have a choice about whether to act on them or not.

Mindfulness is about observation without criticism; being compassionate with yourself.
When unhappiness or stress hover overhead, rather than taking it all personally, you learn to treat them as if they were black clouds in the sky, and to observe them with friendly curiosity as they drift past. In essence, mindfulness allows you to catch negative thought patterns before they tip you into a downward spiral. It begins the process of putting you back in control of your life.

Over time, mindfulness brings about long-term changes in mood and levels of happiness and well-being. Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness not only prevents depression, but that it also positively affects the brain patterns underlying day-to-day anxiety, stress, depression and irritability so that when they arise, they dissolve away again more easily. Other studies have shown that people who meditate, see their doctors less often and spend fewer days in hospital. Memory improves, creativity increases and reaction times become faster (see What can mindfulness do for you?).

Mindfulness Myths

Despite these proven benefits, however, many people are still a little wary when they hear the word ‘meditation’. So before we proceed, it might be helpful to dispel some myths:

Meditation is not a religion. Mindfulness is simply a method of mental training.
Many people who practise meditation are themselves religious, but then again, many atheists and agnostics are keen on meditating too.
You don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor (like the pictures you may have seen in magazines or on TV), but you can if you want to. Most people who come to our classes sit on chairs to meditate, but you can also practise bringing mindful awareness to whatever you are doing, on the bus, train or while walking to work. You can meditate more or less anywhere.
Mindfulness practice does not take a lot of time, although some patience and persistence are required. Many people soon find that meditation liberates them from the pressures of time, so they have more of it to spend on other things.
Meditation is not complicated. Nor is it about ‘success’ or ‘failure’. Even when meditation feels difficult, you’ll have learned something valuable about the workings of the mind and thus have benefited psychologically.
It will not deaden your mind or prevent you from striving towards important career or lifestyle goals; nor will it trick you into falsely adopting a Pollyanna attitude to life.
Meditation is not about accepting the unacceptable. It is about seeing the world with greater clarity so that you can take wiser and more considered action to change those things which need to be changed. Meditation helps cultivate a deep and compassion- ate awareness that allows you to assess your goals and find the optimum path towards realising your deepest values.

Start Practising Today!

Mindfulness will bring many benefits into your life, that many that i cant list them all but here are some of the key benefits. Reduces stress and anxiety, increases sense of awareness, increases intuition and mental clarity, better health and relationships.

The most difficult part about being mindful is remembering to do it! Allocate a specific time each day, preferably in the morning and spend just 5-10 minutes concentrating on your breath. At first this might seem slightly difficult or uncomfortable but keep at it. As the weeks pass you will find it easier to sit at peace with your thoughts. Get something to remind you to focus on your breath throughout the day. For me i use a small unique rock which i keep in my pocket at all times. Every time i put my hand in my pocket i am reminded to centre myself and focus on my breathing. Even if its only for a minute each time, if you can bring yourself to have a minute of mindfulness 5-10 times throughout the day it will bring an abundance of benefits to your life which you will start seeing immediately.

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10 life changing benefits of Mindfulness

June 21, 2019February 14, 2018 by Mindpanda1

Mindfulness, What Is It?

Mindfulness, the practice of staying aware and in sync with yourself and your surroundings is often characterized by sitting in total silence with legs crossed, eyes shut and palms facing upwards. Would seem like something only monks would appreciate. But mindfulness is a practice that all of us could use, especially in our stressful, fast-paced, 9-to-5 city lifes.

Science actually suggests that the benefits of mindfulness-based meditation can be phenomenal. Here are ten amazing benefits of mindfulness backed by science you should know about.

1. Mindfulness eases aches and pains

If you struggle with back, neck or other body aches and pains, part of that pain may be in your head. That’s according to a 2011 study published in the April issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The study found that just 80 minutes of mindful meditation could cut pain perception nearly in half.

This study corroborates with another study conducted at the University of Montreal that studied 13 Zen meditators. All of whom had at least 1,000 hours of practice, compared with a group of non-meditators to see whether regular meditation practice would affect perception of pain.

The results were overwhelming—the Zen meditators had a higher pain threshold than the non-meditators.

2. Enhances our sex life

How, you ask? By helping bring our thoughts back into the present moment. Research published in 2011 in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine that mindfulness meditation training – where a person learns how to bring thoughts into the present moment – can enhance a woman’s sexual experience (and by extension some men’s sexual experience).

Apparently, self-judgemental chatter often fills a woman’s mind during sex, preventing her from enjoying the full sexual experience. However, college women who meditated were quicker to become aroused when viewing erotic photos compared with non-meditating women.

3. It makes us smarter and improves decision-making

A 2012 UCLA study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification, or folding of the brain’s cortex than people who don’t meditate. The extra folds may allow the meditators to process information faster than others and avoid ruminating on past events. This can distort our thinking and decision making process.

Practicing as little as one 15-minute focused breathing meditation can get you out of your head, remove the bias from your brain and help you think more clearly.

4. Mindfulness improves moods

In another eye-opening study, a group of U.S marines preparing for deployment spent two hours each week practicing mindfulness meditation training for a period of eight weeks. These marines showed marked improvements in moods and working memory. This allows for short-term retrieval and storage of information, compared to marines who did not meditate.

The researchers observed that practicing mindfulness meditation in highly stressful and emotional situations allowed meditators to stay alert and in the moment without being overly emotional. It gave them a kind of “mental armor.”

5. Increases the ability to feel empathy and benevolence for others

Have you ever wondered how the Dalai Lama remains kindhearted and compassionate despite the raging violence tearing apart his home country? The secret to the exiled Tibetan leader’s unwavering magnanimity may lie in mindfulness-based meditation.

A study conducted at Northeastern University College of Science showed that even a brief meditation intervention made participants 50% more compassionate. In yet another study published in 2008 in the journal PLOS ONE, both experienced and non-experienced meditators who practiced compassion meditation. It is widely practiced by Tibetan leaders and showed more brain activity in regions linked with empathy while meditating than when not meditating.

6. Boosts attention span and focus

The seemingly nonsensical Zen practice of “thinking about not thinking” has been shown to boost people’s attention span by liberating the mind from distraction. A brain-scan study published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2008, shows the Zen-meditation training where a person stays alert and aware of their posture and breathing, while dismissing wondering thoughts revealed different activities in parts of the brain linked with spontaneous burst of thoughts and wondering minds.

It was observed that brains were quicker to return to the “Zen mode” even after being distracted for a considerable amount of time compared to brains that had not done any meditation training. People’s ability to focus and hold attention even on boring stimulus improves significantly with mindfulness.

7. Mindfulness increases resilience and equanimity

Richie Davidson who is a neuroscientist, and Paul Ekman – one of the world’s leading researchers on emotions – performed a series of studies on The Dalai Lama’s right hand man Lama Oser – a European monk with over 30 years of meditative experience.

The researchers found that Lama Oser’s left-to-right prefrontal cortex activity ratio (measured with an MRI scanner and compared to a sample of 175 people) was quite literally off the chart. His prefrontal cortex activity ratio asymmetry indicated insane levels of equanimity, well-being, and resilience to setbacks, all of which were largely attributed to his discipline of mindfulness.

8. It slows down neurodegenerative diseases

A pilot study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests that the positive brain changes associated with mindful meditation like stress reduction may be the answer for slowing the progression of age-related cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Alzheimer’s patients who took part in the study showed less cognitive decline after an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program than a second group who did not take the program.

What’s more, patients who took part in the mindfulness-based program reported higher levels of well-being, which incidentally also helps accelerate recovery.

9. Enhances creativity

The two main factors that determine levels of creativity are: divergent thinking (coming up with lots of ideas) and convergent thinking (solidifying those ideas into one brilliant concept.)

Researchers at Leiden University led by Cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato studied the effects of two different types of meditation practices on divergent and convergent thinking. They found that mindful meditation significantly improved both divergent and convergent thinking.

Interestingly, the type of meditation performed had an impact on which type of creative thinking was improved. For example, free association meditation improved divergent thinking more than focused attention meditation.

10. Mindfulness reduces feeling of loneliness

A recent study at Carnegie Mellon University led by J. David Creswell looked at 40 older adults and found that just 30 minutes of meditation a day for eight weeks decreased their feelings of loneliness. That’s significant because decreased feelings of loneliness coupled with increased compassion and resilience can lead to an incredibly happy, content and fulfilling life of meaning.

Remember that, as important it is to relax your body after a heavy workout, you must also calm the mind after a hard day of thinking.

We hope you enjoyed this article.

For more information, check out our recent blog What Is Mindfulness.

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