Master Class with Rosa Schnyer
4 October
Monday at 6:30pm CT (120 minutes)
Mindfulness--often described as the process of attending to whatever is arising in the present moment, in a particular way, on purpose and without judgement—has gained great popularity in the past decade and has been increasingly integrated into contemporary society from education to private industry, to health care. Mindfulness involves self-regulation of attention and orientation of experience, which enables the cultivation of a different relationship with ourselves and the challenges we face. It produces beneficial effects on well-being and ameliorates stress-related symptoms. Evidence suggests that mindfulness practice is associated with neuroplastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, fronto-limbic network, and default mode network structures. Recent findings support the idea that mindfulness meditation exerts its effects through several mechanisms that work synergistically including (a) attention regulation, (b) body awareness, (c) emotion regulation (including reappraisal and exposure, extinction, and reconsolidation), and (d) change in perspective on the self. However, mindfulness meditation is not a panacea. Unfortunately there has been a lot of hype about mindfulness that claims to cure every ill, and the data doesn’t support that. It is important for mindfulness meditation practitioners to have a balanced understanding of findings, of the challenges in conducting research in this area, and of the limitations as well as potential of its application in contemporary society.
Defining Contemplative Science and Challenges to Research
Neuroplastic effects of mindfulness meditation.
Different effects of different contemplative practices.
Potential applications of mindfulness meditation in education, mental health, primary care and social change.
Don’t believe the hype: A balanced understanding the findings
Readings:
Rosa will provide several PDFs to reference
Rosa N Schnyer is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, Functional medicine practitioner, certified Dakini meditation and Dharma Yoga instructor and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches Science of Mindfulness, the Art of Attention, stress management, and cultivating resilience.
