AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
**Meditation and the Amygdala growth with stress and lessened with mindfulness. **
The practice of mindfulness involves staying with fear and not escaping it, which helps to increase the capacity to be with anxiety rather than trying to make it stop. Over time, anxiety disorders tend to lessen in intensity through mindfulness practice. Neurobiological evidence shows changes in the brain associated with mindfulness practice, particularly in the amygdala. In meditators, the amygdala tends to shrink, while in stressful environments, such as in rats, the amygdala grows. Studies on mindfulness training for anxious patients have shown decreased amygdala activation and anxiety levels, along with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex and connections between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. Different meditation practices like walking, eating, or nature meditations can be beneficial for those who find it challenging to sit still and follow the breath in traditional meditation practices.