Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness

by Rick Hanson

hippocampus can calm down the amygdala, so it’s not surprising that after a mindfulness training, people produce less of the stress hor...

with years of daily practice,

thicker layers of neural tissue in their prefrontal cortex, which supports their executive functions,

as planning and self...

more tissue in their insula, which is involved with self-awareness and empathy for the feelings of others. Their anterior (frontal) cingulate cortex is also strengthened. This is an important part of your brain that ...

corpus callosum—which connects the right and left hemisphere...

adds tissue, suggesting a greater integration of words and images,...

thousands of hours of lifetime practice.

demonstrate a remarkable calm before receiving a pain they know is coming, and unusually rapid recovery afterward. They also possess extraordinarily high levels of gamma-range brain-wave activity:

your mind takes its shape from what it rests upon.

Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ Deconstructing Yourself: https://deconstructingyourself.com/ Dharma Seed: https://www.dharmaseed.org/ Pariyatti: https://pariyatti.org/

When something is painful, stressful, or upsetting, try to slow down to observe your reactions to this suffering. Ask yourself if you are downplaying or denying the parts of life that are hard for you. See what happens if you simply name your reactions to yourself, such as, “This is tiring…that hurts…I’m a little sad…ouch.” Along with this basic acknowledgment, try to have feelings of support and compassion for yourself.

Be aware of how you might be adding suffering to your day, perhaps rehashing resentments in your mind or getting stressed about truly little things.

when you see yourself doing this, slow down and see if you can make a deliberate choice to stop fueling and re...