The techniques are based on simple meditation and yoga practices that are thousands of years old and which have been refined by expert psychologists. It doesn’t require any religious or spiritual beliefs. Mindfulness is suitable for and can help people with any religious beliefs, or people with none at all.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to affect the workings of the brain and even its structure. People undertaking mindfulness training have shown increased activity in the area of the brain associated with positive emotion – the pre-frontal cortex – which is generally less active in people who are depressed.
More than 100 studies have shown changes in brain wave activity during meditation and researchers have found that areas of the brain linked to emotional regulation are larger in people who have meditated regularly for five years.
Research shows that Mindfulness can help with:
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recurrent depression
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anxiety disorders
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addictive behaviour
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stress
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chronic pain
There is evidence to show that people who have suffered from depression can benefit from a treatment called Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). This treatment has been shown to cut relapse rates in half for recurrent depression.
MBCT is a weekly course of classes taught over 2 months – it teaches people how to manage their thoughts and feelings in a way that makes depression less likely to occur.
Find out more about mindfulness and it's benefits by visiting the Be Mindful website, where you can:
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watch videos
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listen to podcasts
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find out about courses in your area
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purchase a report or a toolkit
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share your experience of mindfulness
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lend your support for increased access to mindfulness on the NHS.
Written in 2010
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