Two of the most common questions I receive from meditation students:
- How do I know meditation is actually helping me?
- Will meditation help with my depression/anxiety/PTSD?
Today, I am bringing you a fascinating conversation with one of the world’s experts on what meditation actually does for your brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg, and he is going to help me answer these very questions!
Dr. Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine and nuclear medicine, but what is most interesting to me is that he is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field known as “neurotheology.” His research includes taking brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, in an attempt to better understand the nature of religious and spiritual practices and attitudes.
In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute Dr. Newberg talks to us about
- What happens to our brains with as little as 8 weeks of practice
- Some of the different types of meditation and which ones ‘work’ {hint: they ALL do!}
- A myriad of ways to address the stress and anxiety of pandemic living
- How to build the healthiest brain possible
His new book Brain Weaver shows that optimal brain health is achievable by successfully weaving together a tapestry of our bio-psycho-social-spiritual dimensions. I loved his book, and truthfully, I could have chatted with him for hours. His work is fascinating and so inspiring as we all endeavour to take better care of ourselves.
Enjoy this conversation!
You can learn more about Dr. Newberg and his book, Brain Weaver, here: http://www.andrewnewberg.com/
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.
Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute
You can learn more about my:
*Shoreline: my new meditation app
*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training
*Live, virtual meditation classes with me
*Upcoming events
All by visiting merylarnett.com.
You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***
Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/
#meditatewithmeryl
Our Mindful Nature: Meditations Inspired by Nature to Soothe the Overwhelmed Mind and Ease Anxiety