In this new blog we will be looking at some of the science in psychology, biology and neuroscience around training the mind in mindfulness, compassion and insight. If you want to investigate further, links are provided at the end of the blogs to the cited literature. This blog is partly inspired by our work with our colleagues from the University of the West of Scotland on the Masters Degree in (Teaching) Mindfulness and Compassion, and from the University of Aberdeen on the Masters Degree in Studies in Mindfulness, which are both run in partnership with the Mindfulness Association. If you have any recommendations of important scientific papers or books, then please contact Heather at hra@mindfulnessassociation.net. We look forward to hearing from you!

benefits of mindful movement

Benefits of Mindful Movement

Mindful movement is one component of a typical mindfulness course. It generally involves making gentle movements, often based on Yoga, qi gong or tai chi. The instruction is to notice how the body feels as it moves and the changing sensations that are experienced through movement. The instruction is to do this with curiosity, non-judgement…

the-benefits-of-self-compassion

Benefits of Self-Compassion

Benefits of Self-Compassion The Mindfulness Association approach to mindfulness training is unusual in that it incorporates training in self-compassion. In addition, we offer a training in compassion meditation, starting with self-compassion, for those who have completed mindfulness training. Self-compassion as formulated by Kristin Neff (2011) has three components. The first is to turn towards what…

secular-mindfulness

Secular Mindfulness

Secular mindfulness began in the clinical realm with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which was developed in the early 1980s by John Kabat-Zinn in the US for people experiencing chronic health conditions. This inspired the development of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in the mid-1990s by Mark Williams and others within the UK as an…

living-without-regret

Living Without Regret

I did the members teaching this week on this topic of living without regret. To prepare for it I looked at some research on this topic. Research by Gilovich et al (1995) looks into what people regret most in their lives and why, and indicates that mistaken actions generate more regret in the short term,…