Book Summary:
The recent cutting edge scientific research into the effects of meditation and how it can help you cope with the stress of modern life.
Related Book Summaries:
Philosophy For Life – Jules Evans – Book Summary
Mindset – Carol Dweck – Book Summary
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind – Shunryu Suzuki – Book Summary
Quotes:
If you can get past the cultural baggage you’ll find meditation is simply exercise for the brain.
Book Summary Notes:
- Have you ever become overwhelmed by emotions? Perhaps leading you to make decisions you regretted later?
- You can manage your emotions with meditation. Recent studies have shown that mindfulness and mediation can both have positive effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.
- Your ego is your inner narrator, it gives you the sense of ‘I’. It is the voice in your head.
- The ego is hard to satisfy, it will always want and never be completely content. When it is given more or a new thing it simply resets its baseline. This is turn leads to hedonic adaptation.
- Learn to control your ego by practicing mediation and mindfulness. The practice of mediation leads to the development of the skill, mindfulness. This is the ability to respond but not react to our surroundings and impulses.
- Mindfulness doesn’t just improve our decision making it can also affect our biology. A Harvard study showed with as little as 8 weeks of training subjects showed increases in grey matter density in areas of the brain associated with self awareness and compassion. It also appeared to shrink areas correlated to stress.
- Controlling your ego does not mean you have to lose your edge or become ineffective in society.
- Meditation is a simple way to increase your everyday mindfulness. When a person meditates they sit and focus on their breath. Once your mind starts to wander you gently bring it back to focus on your breath.
- According to buddhists we have three habitual responses to most things; we want it, reject it or zone out. Mediation can teach us a fourth option, which is to observe without judgement.
- Mediation practice can help to reduce the impact and affects of stress. It can teach you to simply observe the feelings of stress or tension you may have and simply acknowledge them for what they are without letting them change your mood.
- Buddhists teach that instead of denying ugly emotions or feelings we should just let them be, without judging ourselves for having them.
- According to Tara Brachs teachings there are four stages to accepting your feelings. First recognising the feeling, then allowing it to exist, investigate its effects and finally separate yourself from it.
