The Science
Science and Resources
As the popularity of Mindfulness Based Interventions continues to rise, so does the body of evidence validating the benefits to human health and well-being.
In the 10 years from 2003 to 2013, the published research went from 52 to 549.
By the end of 2019 there were 6000 research articles exploring the application of mindfulness for various different cohorts.
What The Science Reveals
Developing a regular mindfulness practice, weaving mindful moments into the fabric of everyday life, has been shown through research to have a beneficial affect on the many ills of modern life. Including high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, chronic pain and illness. Improvements have been seen in sleep quality, relationships, immune system function, clarity of thought, information processing, ability to regulate emotions, ability to maintain attention and cognitive function.
Mindfulness programs are taught to people across the lifespan, from school aged children to those at the end of life perhaps experiencing palliative care.
The science demonstrates positive the changes in mood, relationship with self and others, ability to cope with challenging life circumstances, along with those things that can be measured physically like reductions in levels of stress hormones, changes in the structure and function of the brain, the healing power of mindfulness seen in reductions in inflammatory markers in the body.
There is a lot that has been written and many documentaries made about mindfulness. I strongly believe the most benefit is gained through learning mindfulness with an experienced teacher and taking that learning into your own life.
Resources to Support You
If you'd like to explore further, check out some of the links on this page:
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My Year of Living Mindfully - This is a documentary created by Health Journalist Shannon Harvey who conducted a self-experiment living mindfully for a year. She not only practiced mindfulness daily but underwent scientific testing to uncover the effects of practicing mindfulness on her own physical health. She did all of this while traveling the world to talk to the experts.
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The Mindfulness Experiment - ABC Catalyst followed a group of people as they participated in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course led by my colleague and teacher Timothea Goddard from Openground Mindfulness Training.
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Jon Kabat-Zinn - Creator of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course which has proliferated across the world. This program provides the foundation for many of the mindfulness programs now found in schools, workplaces, sport, the military, health systems and the community in the Western World, with Eastern countries who have their own culturally significant mindfulness practices also taking up MBSR and its off-shoots like Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
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Mindfulness in Schools Project - developed in the UK through the Centre for Mindfulness at Oxford University.
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Mindful Schools - developed by Mindful Schools in the US.
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Smiling Mind Education Program - developed in Australia by psychologists, educators and health professionals.
There are hundreds of books, videos and apps about mindfulness. I
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My Mindfulness Resource List - You can download this for a more extensive list of all things mindfulness.
May your mindfulness practice support you to live with more happiness, peace and ease.