The Power of Mindfulness

What you practice grows stronger

reflect on the following

Shauna Shapiro, PhD

arriving

1) What is mindfulness

2) Is mindfulness helpful
transformation
3) Integrating mindfulness

1
 Intention

Model of Mindfulness
Shapiro, Astin, Carlson, Freedman, 2006

mindfulness

Attitude Attention

see clearly intention

intention intention
knowing why we are paying attention.

attention personal vision, goal, aspiration.

intention sets the compass of the heart.

attitude

2
the most important thing is to remember
the most important thing
attention
present moment awareness

12,000 - 50,000 thoughts per

day, 95% are the same.

I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body.
Then I realized who was telling me this. Emo Philips

One Pointed Attention

Intention A body of scientific evidence demonstrates fairly
conclusively that multitasking makes human beings
less productive, less creative, and less able to make
good decisions.

Why are you here?

attention
mindfulness practice
trains and stabilizes the
mind so we can see
attention clearly.

an unstable mind is like an

unstable camera; we get a
fuzzy picture. Germer

3
 47%
Killingsworth and Gilbert, 2010

You are terrible at this!

Whats wrong with you?
Why are you even here?
You are a fake.

what you practice grows stronger

4
 cortical thickening attitude

openness
acceptance patience

meditating with judgment = growing judgment curiosity Mindfulness trust

nonjudging equanimity
kindness

mindfulness isnt just about attention,

its about how we pay attention

5
 1995-2015
Mindfulness
Journal
Publications
American Mindfulness Research Association, 2016

mindfulness and health

Medical Benefits Psychological/Behavioral
Psoriasis Decreased Depression
Chronic pain Decreased Anxiety
Fibromyalgia Decreased Panic Attacks
is mindfulness helpful?

Cancer
Multiple Sclerosis


Decreased Insomnia
Decreased Binge Eating
Tension Headaches Decreased ADD
Hypertension Decreased OCD
Immune Functioning Decreased Substance Abuse
Increased Telomerase Smoking Cessation

positive psychology
self-awareness (Shapiro et al 2006)
empathy (Lesh, 1970, Shapiro et al 1998)
self-efficacy (Kabat-Zinn, 1996)
yes! happiness (Smith, Compton, & West, 1995)
sense of control (Shapiro, 1998; Astin, 1997)
compassion (Neff, 2010, Shapiro, et al, 2008).
moral development (Nidich et al 1983)

6
 cognitive capabilities
higher activity in left PFC
attention (Jha et al, 2007; Slagter et al, 2007) relative to right ~ optimism,
creativity (Murphy & Donovan, 1996) creativity, joy, vitality,
reduces mind wandering (Mrazek 2013) alertness.
memory (Jha, Stanley 2012; Cranson et al, 1991)
higher activity in right PFC
academic performance and test scores (Mrazek 2013, Hall 1999) relative to left ~ depression,
reduces cognitive rigidity (Greenberg et al, 2012) anxiety, distress, worry.
ethical decision making (Shapiro, Jazzeri, Goldin, 2012) (Urry, et. al, 2004)

mindfulness in the workplace In the laboratory,

Tibetan meditator
had highest left to
right ratio compared
In addition, mindfulness has to over 175 subjects
real, measureable effects in
the bottom line outcomes in
tested, and this ratio
corporations: decreased increased while he
absenteeism and turnover, was meditating on
enhanced job satisfaction, compassion.
enhanced productivity and
innovation (Good et al, 2015,
Shapiro, 2015).

meditation and the brain

is this just a random artifact?

or a result of thousands of hours

of practice?

7
 a randomized controlled trial

Although changing our exterior circumstances

does not change our levels of happiness,
changing our interior landscape, through
training the mind, can.

happiness can be trained because the very

structure of our brain can be modified.

a hopeful message

happiness set point neuroplasticity and mindfulness

mindfulness practice increases grey matter

density in areas associated with attention,
win lottery learning, self-awareness, happiness,
paralyzed for life empathy and compassion.

cortical thickening correlated with practice.

YR: 0 1 2 3 4 5
(Lazar, 2005; Britta Hlzel, 2011)

8
 superhighways of habit

integrating mindfulness

country road of compassion essential themes

slowing
acceptance
down

suspend
judgment kind attention

slowing down

9
Good Samaritan Study

suspend judgment

acceptance

kind attention

10
shame. doesnt. work. kind attention

your brain on shame

first, kindness gives us the courage to look at those parts

of ourselves we dont want to see.

second, it bathes our system with dopamine, turning on the

learning centers of the brain, giving us the resources we
need to change.

Petra Michl et al. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2012; scan.nss114

11
 a clinical example Good morning
I love you

drshaunashapiro.com

we lose more veterans to suicide each year

than to actual combat

transformation is possible

12