DEMYSTIFYING MEDITATION

Mindfulness meditation is the very intentional awareness of the present moment in a nonjudgmental fashion. In mindfulness meditation you focus on a specific thing, oftentimes your breathing, and try to bring attention to that anchor. It can strengthen areas of your brain responsible for memory, learning, attention and self- awareness. The practice can also help calm down your sympathetic nervous system. Over time mindfulness meditation can increase your overall cognition. It can also decrease emotional reactivity, stress, anxiety and depression. You can't go in expecting to experience enlightenment or to have a mystical revelation. While mindfulness meditation can cause incredible changes in your brain and outlook, this doesn't happen overnight, and it isn't a cure-all.