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What They Don’t Tell You About Mindfulness
The lyra spun above me, its supporting steel beam strong and brown above it. The breeze from the fan muted my sweaty forehead as my heart sang out to the tune of endorphins. I felt like I was both far away from my body and inextricably tied to it. I thought of nothing except my own breathing, felt nothing except the beating of my heart, slowing to a rest in the wake of the flowing air, idly listening to the whirr of the fan, the subtle movement of air as the lyra happily turned on its axis.
One intrusive thought finally came to the surface: My mind is still. I acknowledged it and let it go, reclaiming the stillness.
Meditation is the preponderance of gamma waves in neural activity. It begins by the practitioner allowing the ever-talkative frontal lobe to shut off explicit thought, often by focusing on an object or mantra. After the frontal lobe slows down, other key parts of the brain follow suit: The thalamus shutters sensory signals, allowing a blissful numbness, and the parietal lobe lengthens one’s perception of time. Eventually, the meditator achieves deep focus and heightened self-monitoring. The different styles, stemming from different Buddhist traditions, emphasize object-focused concentration, attention to one’s inner state, feelings of compassion, or a combination thereof.Meditation has been much touted for its health benefits, many…
