Teaching Children Meditation and Mindfulness

In today's high-tech, fast-paced world, it's pretty easy to become over-stimulated. Busy schedules directing us to go, go, go and electronic devices constantly in our hands, sucking us into scattered digital directions make inner-peace a fleeting want. Enter tension and fatigue. This is true for us, as adults, so imagine children as they absorb the energy of their parents and of the environment which they live in. Then, we send them off to school, where they are expected to concentrate and focus. We all love our children and want the very best for them, so why not consider a tool that can help them become more mindful and better able to cope with all that is tossed into their world?

Meditation (or mindfulness practice) is a beautiful way to stay grounded. It teaches us to be in the present moment so that we can savor the good times while better managing the trying ones. It helps us to stay connected with our true essence, building our sense of self-love and worth. Studies have linked mindfulness to better concentration, increased focus, and boosts of memory.

As an adult, to be able to accomplish all of the above is a pretty remarkable feat. Imagine learning these tools as a young child and then being able to use them your entire life! What if an entire generation of children were blessed with this gift? While mindfulness is catching on and currently being taught in a handful of schools across the country, it is largely up to the parents to teach this powerful tool.

These tips that I'm about to share are my own experience as a parent and what has worked in our family and they are geared towards younger children, but much of it can apply to older kids as well. (If you are an adult looking to learn more about mediation, you may want to check out this blog.)
Introducing Mindufulness Meditation to Young Children

1. Lead by example. As a parent, it is most important to first develop your own meditation practice and then show your children the way. They will naturally become curious as they so often want to emulate the behaviors they see in their parents and others whom they look up to. My five year old daughter has grown up her whole life witnessing meditation and I even have many fond memories of her as a toddler coming out of bed in the morning and plopping herself down on my lap while I was in the midst of meditating! Once there is a genuine and natural interest, you can begin to help guide them into a better understanding and foster the growth of their own practice.
   
2. Make it relatable, on a child's level. There is a wonderful book about meditation called "Peaceful Piggy" that I've read with my daughter many times and would highly recommend. The story-telling approach is a wonderful way to connect with young kids. Above that, they suggest a really simple do-it-at-home experiment to demonstrate what meditation is all about. It says to take a jar and fill the bottom with a bit of sand. Then, cover with water. Shake the jar so that all the grains of sand begin swirling all around. Tell your child that each of those grains of sands represents a thought. It could be a happy thought, a sad thought, an angry thought. But, the grains swirling around represent all of the thoughts buzzing around our heads throughout the day. Next put the jar down and allow the sand to settle. See how the sand "thoughts" become calmer and the water becomes clearer? The thoughts are still there, but they are no longer all "crazy." Peace and stillness have taken over. Explain to your child that this symbolizes the effect of meditation on the brain.
3. Encourage discussion of their own feelings and emotions. Ask them for examples of different experiences: when something made them really happy, or really sad, a time they felt upset or their feelings were hurt, a time they felt scared. Give a few of your own examples to show them that we all feel this same array of emotions on a regular basis. Even young children, who seem to have such simple lives, still have a lot to sort through and deal with. They may share some emotions such as: happy on a fun family adventure, upset when mommy or daddy wouldn't let them do what they wanted, sad when a family member or pet became ill, or feeling hurt when a friend in school said something mean. For children that are a bit older, the standardized testing system seems to be a source of worry. Meditation can help settle the overwhelming feelings and bring them to a calmer place in their thoughts. Being able to get outside of the whirlwind to just observe instead of being engulfed is truly a powerful gift.
4. Realistic Expectations. It's important to cover that there is no way to do this right or "wrong." Like exercising, results become more apparent with repetition. Frequency is key to really seeing benefits over time. That being said, this should be an enjoyable experience for them and not feel like a chore or something they are being forced to do. Encourage their interest, efforts, and willingness. If you are into reward systems, this could be a good time to implement some small ones. "Let's practice a few minutes of meditation and then we can play a little game" or "have a little treat." This type of system is very encouraging for young children.
5. Make it special! Designate a specific area for them in the house that will be their meditation spot. Make it welcoming with their own pillow or special pillowcase. Encourage them to bring a few trinkets that have special meaning to them: perhaps a family photo, their favorite artwork, a remnant of the earth such as gemstone or even a plant.
6. Using a Timer. It's great to have a goal time, but start small. Depending on the age, 3-5 minutes can be a reasonable beginner goal. A timer is nice because it is finite and they know to expect an end time. There are many great meditation apps that you can download for your smartphone. I like ones that use singing bowl sounds for start and finish. Let your child start the timer and put it somewhere they can see it. Encourage them to not worry about the time. Instead, just relax and know their meditation is over once they hear the singing bowl ring again.
7. Guidance. Sitting down in lotus posture with eyes closed is not a must (although that is
   perfectly fine). Like I said, there is no right or wrong way. The point is to get them into a practice of settling their minds and become more mindful. Keeping the eyes closed allows for deeper relaxation, so would be suggested. Naturally, they will want to peek -- this is okay! Lying down while meditating presents an opportunity to become a little too relaxed and possibly even fall asleep, so some sort of sitting position is best. Small children will be fidgety. Just encourage them to try their best to sit still with eyes closed until the timer goes off. Most important is focus on breathe. Breathing is something we always take with us, so this can literally be practiced anywhere. Have them simply notice their breathing as their chest rises and falls. Then, start to encourage long, deep, slow breaths where their belly rises up on the inhale and contracts to small again as the exhale it all out.
   
(A fun visual: "Blowing out the Candle." Have them clasp their hands together and raise their two index fingers, holding them in front of their mouth. Inhale slowly and deeply. On the slow exhale, have them imagine blowing out a birthday candle. Blowing out a candle is something all children can relate to and it's pretty fun too! When my daughter is having a tough time with something, I can simply tell her "breathe, blow out your candle" and she knows exactly what to do to calm down.)

8. Let it be. Sitting still may not comes naturally at first. It is okay for minds to wander. It is okay to fidgety. As a matter of fact, expect it. Just encourage them to try their best to relax and refocus them back to focusing on their breath as often as needed. Know that over time and with regular practice, they will be able to sit still longer and they will begin to experience many of the other wonderful benefits of meditation and mindfulness. Don't push it, but gently encourage them to practice regularly.

Our children are the future and we have infinite love for them. What a beautiful gift to give them and to the world by teaching them to meditate. Namaste.

(For more by Dawn Gluskin visit www.dawnsense.com and join her inspiring Facebook community)
Follow Dawn Gluskin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dawngluskin
http://photo.minghui.org/selected-En/practice/235624149331.htm 

Tesla Battery Heralds the Begginning of the End For Fossil Fuels

Although wind, as well as solar power have made incredible advances recently, with renweable sources now accounting for 22% of electric energy generated, brevity remains to be the main concern holding them back. "How can we use solar energy at night if the sun doesn't shine? How can we use wind power if the wind doesn't blow year-round?" Those opposed to the progress of renewable sources of energy often ask these exact questions.

Now the renewable energy billionaire Elon Musk has completely blown away that last remaining defense.  Last Thursday in California he introduced the world to his streamlined revolutionary Powerwall – a wall-mounted energy storage device which is capable of holding 10 kilowatt hours of electric energy, and even deliver it at an average of 2 kilowatts, for approximately US$3,500.

That results in having an electricity cost (taking into consideration installation expenses and inverters) of around US$500 per kWh – lower than 50% current electricity costs, as approximated by Deutsche Bank.

That translates into produced energy at around 6 cents per kWh for the householder, which means that a residential system along with storage would likely still come up ahead of coal-fired energy delivered by means of the conventional grid.

Additionally, Musk will be manufacturing the batteries in the United States, at the “gigafactory” he is constructing just over the border from California in Nevada.

He's not waiting on some kind of groundbreaking new technology, but is scaling up the surefire lithium-ion battery that he is presently working with on his electric vehicles.

Not Only For Homes

That being said, the fossil fuel corporations – from fuel supplier distributors like coal miners, to coal-burning electric power utilities – will undoubtedly be on the defensive, combating the new standard of more affordable renewable supplies and reserve.

Rather than wondering “Can we have our own energy system?” people are going to be wanting to know “Why can’t we have it?”

The Tesla Energy program unveiled last week is comprehensive, with worldwide ramifications. The Powerwall system which offers 10 kWh is aimed at domestic consumers. It is complemented by an industrial system referred to as the Powerpack providing 100 kWh storage, along with a stack of 100 such units to form a 10 megawatt hour storage unit, which can be used at the range of small electricity grids.

Entire communities could possibly create micro-grid power supply systems around this kind of a 10 MWh energy storage system, fed by renewable power generation (wind power or rooftop solar power), at prices that clearly have become very competitive.

Last week at his launch, Musk maintained that the complete electric power grid of the United States could very well be replicated with only 160 million of these utility-scale energy storage units. Moreover, two billion of the utility-scale models would be able to provide storage of 20 trillion kWh – electric power for the world.

(Above: Elon Musk reveals a Tesla Energy battery for businesses and utility companies)                                                               

The Revolution Begins
It truly is revealing to understand these statistics in context. There are around 2 billion cars, trucks and commercial vehicles on the world’s roadways, in addition to almost 100 million new vehicles which are being added annually.

If it’s possible to create these exhaust-pumping complicated machines, it’s surely possible to create the storage units which can help make those machines unnecessary. Furthermore, Elon Musk has just affirmed that he plans to do just that.

Musk is a Henry Ford-style innovator who takes others’ advancements then scales them up, taking the spectacular entrepreneurial leaps that other individuals are only capable of dreaming about. Suddenly the realm of renewable energy has become the new standard – due to the fact that when coupled with cost-efficient storage it becomes unbeatable.

Musk most definitely is not without help. Already China appears is gearing up to be the world’s renewable energy superpower, with the most extensive applied base of wind power, and undoubtedly the world’s largest production operation for wind turbines and solar photovoltaic cells. Presumably by this year China will have the world’s largest established base of solar photovoltaic ( PV ) power.

There are currently Chinese businesses and organizations, such as BYD, generating their own energy storage units based on lithium ion technology for both residential as well as industrial application – while significantly less streamlined nor as affordable as the new Tesla contribution.

However, allow them to have time and they will likely be manufacturing at a relative scale and cost, or possibly enhancing it. This really is capitalist competition – and its propagation is what specifically has made Tesla’s announcement the commencement of the genuine renewables movement.

(A charging spot is seen at the stage of Chinese automaker BYD during the opening day of the Shanghai Auto Show April 19, 2011)

No Going Back

Have you considered Australia and the distressing circumstances where the Abbott government realizes nothing beyond coal exports, and therefore does everything possible to prohibit the conversion to renewables? Tesla’s announcement has just moved the earth beneath their feet.

No longer may someone in Australia argue that renewables would be “nice” if only they had storage. Presently, they do.

A wise government in Australia would definitely be seeking to ride this wave and advocate Australian renewable solutions as a method of obtaining prosperity for the country in a post-fossil fuel age.

Then we could proceed beyond the futile debates in Australia over whether to have a carbon tax or not, and shift to the more immediate and sensible subject of advocating renewable industry and technology.

China has supplied the planet with a major lesson in the business-like means it went about creating and endorsing its renewable power enterprises, importing scientific knowledge from around the globe (including enhancing it too) not to mention scaling up output in order to decrease costs.

Now Musk with his Tesla Energy has just taken that progression one fundamental step further, to incorporate storage together with renewable power generation. There is no going back from here.

Photo Source

Meditation Isn't Enough: A Buddhist Perspective on Suicide

The news of Robin Williams' passing is shocking and touching so many of us. I was waiting for a friend at a bar when I first heard. All around me people erupted in a variety of emotional reactions as the word quickly spread. In the time since, a common reaction has been deep sadness, often paired with a sentiment of "I never thought someone like him would kill themselves."

What we mean when we say "I never thought someone like him..." is that we can't wrap our minds around certain people whom we deem successful or joyful or wise suffering from the same sorts to the demons that we ourselves face. Studies have shown that one in ten people in the United States are afflicted with depression. Robin Williams is said to be one of these people. In response to the news of Williams' death his friend Harvey Fierstein wrote, "Please, people, do not f-- with depression. It's merciless. All it wants is to get you in a room alone and kill you. Take care of yourself."

Yet for anyone who has suffered from depression or had suicidal thoughts, you know that self-care is the last thing you want to do when you feel that down. I teach meditation, and write books about how it effects our everyday life. That is the form of self-care that I preach. The sort of people who want to learn about meditation aren't the "All is well and good in my world" type. They are people who have come to terms with the fact that they suffer. They are people finally looking at big transitions in their life, strong emotional states, and feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. So you would think that having taught meditation for thirteen years and worked with these people I would be a pro at this whole "take care of yourself" thing.

I have never publicly admitted this, but given the stigma around mental health issues and suicide I feel that I need to now: two years ago I was suicidal. I had written a best-selling Buddhist book and had begun working on the second one when the rug was pulled out from under me in a multitude of ways. My fiancé left me, quite out of the blue, without any recognizable reason. That set me down a self-destructive road which was only heightened when, a month later, due to budget cut-backs, my full-time job was eliminated. The straw that broke the camel's back came a few weeks after that; one of my best friends died of heart failure at the age of 29. I felt estranged from my family, and two major support structures, my fiancé and my friend were now gone, so I began to self-medicate in a destructive way. I knew better, but the vastness of my depression consumed any thoughts around self-care and regular meditation.

I cannot explain how fathomless my sadness was during that period. I had a roof I would go up to every single day and contemplate jumping. I convinced myself that my first book was out there helping people, so maybe I should finish the second one. I sat down and wrote the second half of that book, which oddly enough comes out next month. It gave me purpose, and during that short period of time friends started to catch on something was wrong with me.

I remember a day when I was particularly low. My friend Laura asked me to dinner but I could not stand to be in a restaurant, surrounded by people who seemed normal. We sat in a nearby park as it got dark, with homeless people urinating nearby and the rats slowly coming out to play. She was very patient with me, as I was not interested in leaving. Finally she asked the question, "Have you ever thought about hurting yourself?" I broke down in tears and within the week was guided by her and others into therapy. A week later I returned to the meditation cushion. A week after that I began eating regularly. A week after that I finally got a full night's sleep.
I mention my story because there's not just a social stigma around mental health issues, there's also a Buddhist one. I have seen some Buddhist teachers make remarks about depression as a form of suffering; that one should be able to meditate and have everything be okay, in lieu of prescription medication. That is not true; meditation is not a cure-all for mental illness. The Buddha never taught a discourse entitled, "Don't Help Yourself, Continue to Suffer Your Chemical Imbalance." If you have a mental illness, meditation may be helpful, but should be considered an addition to, not a substitution for, prescribed medication.

I write this article for two reasons. The first is to say that Robin Williams is a person. I am a person. And like all people, we struggle with a myriad form of suffering. And sometimes things feel like they are too much for us to handle. Just because Robin Williams was a comedian, a celebrity, or someone we viewed as a joyful person did not mean he wasn't fighting demons unknown to us. I share my story in the same vein; the fact that I struggled with suicidal thoughts does not negate my years of meditation experience or understanding of the Buddhist teachings, but shows that I am human and sway to suffering like all humans are. You can be well-practiced and still struggle like anyone else. Robin Williams ended up taking his life. I was lucky in that I was able to seek help and no longer feel the way I once did. In fact, that experience only deepened my appreciation for the practice of meditation and the Buddhist teachings. In many ways, my life has turned around.

The second reason I write this article is because my life turned around because I sought help. Buddhists can't just take everything to the meditation cushion and hope it will work out. When things get tough, as in to the point that you can't imagine getting out of bed in the morning tough, you need help. And there should be no shame in seeking it. If you even remotely feel like you are struggling with depression, or are going through an emotional time that simply feels out of control, the best way to take care of yourself is to seek guidance from trained professionals. Sure that can be a meditation teacher, but a therapist may prove more helpful at that time. Therapy in-and-of itself can be a mindfulness practice, where you bring your full attention for an hour each week to what is expressing itself in your body and your mind.

Don't feel like you have to go it alone. Meditation does not preclude or diminish the power of therapeutic methods. They are powerful in their own right. There are trained people out there who can work with you to navigate your suffering. Do not be scared to seek help.

Follow Lodro Rinzler on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lodrorinzler
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lodro-rinzler/meditation-isnt-enough-a-_b_5672580.html 

The Roswell Slides Finally Solved?

by Nick Redfern

Given the controversial events that went down in Mexico just a few days ago, an important question needs to be asked: are we getting any closer to the truth of the Roswell Slides and what they show or don’t show? Well…maybe. Consider the following points, and consider them very carefully. You may think that I’m onto something or you may not. But, at least, be open-minded and check it out.

The Roswell Slides probably originated with Bernerd and Hilda Ray, who lived in Midland, Texas. Hilda was an attorney, while Bernerd was a geologist who had undeniable, provable links to the state of New Mexico (the site of the controversial Roswell affair of July 1947, of course).

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

car??? (see this link).
 
Rather notably, the museum also held a number of preserved animal heads, including the head of the twelfth largest moose ever shot in Wyoming. As you may have seen in my previous article on the Roswell Slides, right behind the alleged alien body in the Roswell Slides is…the hair-covered head of an animal. Maybe not a moose, but I know you get my point.

Now, it’s very important to note that the so-called Roswell Slides do not show the same alleged alien body as that which is discussed in the YouTube link above. But, that scarcely matters, since the museum held dozens of mummies. So, with that in mind, consider what you are about to read as a potential scenario:

Bernerd and Hilda Ray

Decades ago, Bernerd and Hilda Ray visited the Carlsbad Caverns, specifically because of Bernerd’s work as a geologist, a person who spends significant time in caves and caverns. Before they headed home, the pair stopped off at the very nearby Million Dollar Museum in White’s City – where they photographed a few odd-looking items on display, including one of those child-mummies, and which showed one of the preserved animal heads directly behind it.

And, lo and behold, the whole thing – in a weird and strange fashion – has become part and parcel of the Roswell “crashed UFO” affair. Plus, the distance from Midland, Texas (where Bernerd and Hilda Ray lived) to the Million Dollar Museum in White’s City, New Mexico is only 163 miles.

Sure, this is simply a working hypothesis on my part. But the location (New Mexico), the issue of the Carlsbad Caves, Bernerd Ray’s links to the matter of caves, and the fact that just a few, short miles from the Carlsbad Caves stood a museum filled with certain things of a freak-show nature (including child-mummies and the heads of animals, no less – and which had hand-written, descriptive notes attached to them, too), should – at the absolute very least – encourage us to investigate this matter further. In fact, much further.

My recommendation: a deep search for any and all old photographs of the interior of the Million Dollar Museum in its early years. The town of White’s City was founded in the 1920s, by a man named Charlie White. He lectured in the museum, nearly every Friday night, until his death in 1962. Someone, somewhere, may have a few photos taken during those lectures. Just maybe, there is light at the end of the tunnel, finally, on the matter of the Roswell slides.

PS: Thanks to Adam Gorightly for bringing the matter of the Million Dollar Museum to my attention.

ource: http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/05/the-roswell-slides-finally-solvedhttp://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/05/the-roswell-slides-finally-solved//

David Lynch's Secrets For Tapping Into Your Deepest Creativity

By Carolyn Gregoire

If anyone knows a thing or two about creativity, it's David Lynch. Arguably one of the most brilliant film directors of our time, Lynch is best known for genre-defying, surrealist art-house films like Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, and Wild at Heart. His style is so original that it's even inspired its own adjective: "Lynchian."

Lynch is also an outspoken devotee of Transcendental Meditation, which he's practiced daily for over 40 years and brings to underserved populations through his work with the David Lynch Foundation. And the award-winning director says that meditation is his greatest secret to creative success.

"Transcendental meditation is for [all] human beings, and it transforms life for the good, no matter who you are or what your situation is," Lynch said in a Rolling Stone interview on Feb. 25. "It's a mental technique that allows [you] to dive deep within to the deepest level of life, which underlies all matter and mind. At the border of intellect, you transcend and experience that unbounded level of life: all positive, pure consciousness with qualities of intelligence, creativity, happiness, love, energy, and peace."

In 2006, Lynch penned a book illuminating his methods for achieving his greatest artistic visions. In Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity, Lynch likens ideas to fish: "If you want to catch a little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper."

For many of us who do creative work, lifestyles of stress, burnout, sleep deprivation and technology addiction can keep us from "going deeper." We multitask on texts, emails, news and social media -- without putting our full focus on anything we do -- and that can keep us on the surface of our thoughts and ideas. This can take a major toll on our creative thinking, which is never at its fullest potential if we're not accessing a deeper part of our consciousness. Lynch argues that meditation is the solution, the greatest tool we have for accessing our own brain power and diving into the subconsciousness where creativity resides.

Need a creative boost? Here are some of Lynch's best secrets to finding your personal vision from Catching The Big Fish. 

1. Meditate, meditate, meditate. 

Lynch is a longtime devotee of Transcendental Meditation, a practice that involves the repetition of a mantra during 20-minute, twice daily meditations. He swears that TM helps him to access a deeper level of consciousness, where all of his best ideas have come from. "Down deep, the fish are powerful and more pure. They're huge and abstract. And they're very beautiful," he writes.

But you don't have to take Lynch's word for it: The science has proven that mindfulness really can boost your brain power in a number of ways. A 2012 Dutch study found that certain meditation techniques can promote creative thinking. Mindfulness practice has been linked with improved memory and focus, emotional well-being, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved mental clarity -- all of which can lead to better creative thought.

Anyone can find time in their schedule to meditate, says Lynch -- you don't have to be sitting cross-legged in a special meditation room to enjoy the practice of mindfulness.

"You can meditate anywhere," says Lynch. "You can meditate in an airport, at work, anywhere you happen to be."

2. Slow down. 

Few things crush creativity faster than excessive busyness -- research in organizational psychology has found that environments with high levels of time pressure can stifle creativity, and many of us know personally that our best ideas don't happen when we're stressed out and rushing from one deadline to another.

The world will likely only continue operating at an increasingly fast pace, so we must take it upon ourselves to slow down. Accessing one's deepest creativity, for Lynch, pretty much boils down to a simple piece of advice: "Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole." As Lynch explains, "If you keep your eye on the doughnut and do your work, that's all you can control. You can't control any of what's out there, outside yourself."

In other words, slow down, find time for your creative work, and let go of trying to keep up with endless emails, social media updates, to-do lists and obligations. They'll always be there -- it's your job to find a way to slow down for long enough to do the work that's important to you.

3. Sleep. 

It's a simple equation: People who sleep better are more creative. Lynch explains that sleep is "really important" to his creative process. "You need to be able to rest the physiology to be able to work well and meditate well," says Lynch.

Writer Steven King also believes that sleep is crucial to the creative process and can help to release what he calls the "repressed imagination." King wrote in On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft:

In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives. And as your mind and body grow accustomed to a certain amount of sleep each night — six hours, seven, maybe the recommended eight -- so can you train your waking mind to sleep creatively and work out the vividly imagined waking dreams which are successful works of fiction.

The evidence that sleep deprivation disrupts creativity isn't just anecdotal: A number of scientific studies have found that sleep is essential for learning and creativity. Sleep helps the brain to consolidate memories so that we can later retrieve them more easily, and it also helps us reorganize and reconfigure memories so we can come up with new and original ideas.

4. Cultivate compassion. 

Meditation can seem like a selfish pursuit -- one that cuts us off from others and the world around us as we retreat into our inner selves. But Lynch argues that meditation is anything but selfish, and for that reason, it can boost your creativity.

"Compassion, appreciation for others, and the capacity to help others are enhanced when you meditate," writes Lynch. "You start diving down and experiencing this ocean of pure love, pure peace -- you could say pure compassion. You experience that, and know it by being it. Then you go out into the world, and you can really do something for people."

Research has found that love and creativity are closely connected -- a 2009 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin demonstrated that participants primed with thoughts of love had high levels of creative insights compared to those who thought of lust and control-group subjects. "Love enhances global processing and creative thinking," the researchers concluded.


Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/5-tips-from-david-lynch_n_4849537.html?ir=Books

From infants to Buddhist monks, UW research center studies science behind mental well-being

by Alex Arriaga 

Center for Investigating Healthy Minds studies neuroscience behind positive emotion

For 45 minutes, an infant is swaddled and snoozed into a cozy fMRI machine.

That’s all it takes for researchers at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds to observe how structures inside the child’s brain communicate with each other.

Nicole Schmidt, a research program manager at the Waisman Center, is among the researchers behind the Baby Brain and Behavior Project.

“It’s so neat because the babies are just such quiet little bundles, but there’s so much going on developmentally,” Schmidt said.

Courtesy of Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, Schmidt’s project investigates the effects of anxiety on early brain development. The project hopes to clear up how different experiences might affect a child at a cellular level and how stress shows up in people’s biology.

From one month and onward, researchers study the babies’ brains at different stages for developmental changes. At six months, Schmidt said the focus of the study is entirely on behavioral development and emotional style.

One way in which Schmidt studies this Temperament Assessment Battery is to study the child’s responses to everyday experiences.

Schmidt places the child in a chair and examines the babies’ response to a stranger in their environment.

“We measure the duration and peak intensities of different emotions during the experience,” Schmidt said. “Fear, anger, attention, activity level.”

The first babies will be turning one year old later this fall, Schmidt said.

The researchers use umbilical cords to gather genetic information from the baby, which avoids having to get more invasive blood tests from the mother or child.

“We’re over the idea that DNA is the only factor that goes into well-being,” Schmidt said. “The question is, ‘How can you uncover the role of experience?’ As a mother myself there’s just that enormous curiosity when you’re looking at a newborn child to really be able to understand their development.”

Schmidt’s project is still in its infancy, with funding from NIH for five years.


A challenge from the Dalai Lama

Marianne Spoon, a spokesperson for the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, said the project reflects the Center’s methods for studying mental well-being.

Jeff Miller

The Center began when its founder, Richard Davidson, met with the Dalai Lama and was challenged to further scientific research in positive emotions and mental well-being, as opposed to negative emotions that result from conditions such as anxiety or depression.

“He wanted to look at exactly what areas were active in the brain when we felt happiness or sadness or anger or fear or even bliss,” Spoon said.

Davidson’s research coincided with the idea that the brain is plastic, Spoon said. Different neurons and circuits in the brain that are active during certain behaviors, thoughts or emotions form pathways that become ingrained when people use them.

But Spoon said what research has found is that there are new pathways that can be built, and so the brain is malleable.

“This isn’t to say with individuals who have clinical or mental health disorders that this isn’t a challenge, but overall we are finding that the brain is plastic, and this is very exciting news,” Spoon said.

When Davidson set out to discover the brain activity of individuals who had consistently high levels of well-being, he studied Buddhist monks for their practice in intentionally cultivating healthy qualities of mind.

“They meditate but also practice compassion and gratitude toward each other,” Spoon said. “Rather than just internally, a lot of it plays externally in their behaviors to other people.”

Davidson’s research took a focus on long-term meditators, people who intensely meditate in isolation for many hours over many years.

When looking at the differences in brain activity between novice meditators and long-term meditators, studies found long-term meditators were able to rebound from stress more easily.

“Richie has really been a pioneer in this area in looking at the science of well-being, the science of mindfulness, how to learn about positive qualities in such a way where we can unearth whether they can be learned or taught,” Spoon said.

In his research, Davidson has outlined four key constituents of well-being: the ability to sustain positive emotion, response to negative emotion, mindfulness vs. mind wandering and pro-social behaviors, or the ability to empathize.

But for some with depression, the ability to shake the feeling after a negative experience is lessened, along with the ability to sustain positivity, Davidson outlined in the World Happiness Report.

Turning research into practice

Robin Goldman, one of the co-science directors at the Center, said many of the research projects, including Schmidt’s Baby Brain and Behavior Project, work to look at development of mental well-being in different age groups.

“Looking at different curriculum in school, at meditation practices in the workplace, we can teach short-term and lifetime well-being practices,” Goldman said.

For those who don’t want to take up the meditation lifestyle of a monk, the Center teaches several techniques to reach mental well-being.

The Center has developed the “Kindness curriculum,” which promotes social and emotional skills among four and five-year-old students.

These children are taught emotional self-regulation and the development of impulse control and kindness.

Practices such as sticker sharing, breathing techniques and compassion for the sound of a siren are taught to the children to promote positive well-being.

The Center also has online audio compassion training techniques on its website to further promote the well-being practices which involve external, pro-social behaviors.

“[Davidson] is very passionate about getting the work out there and making sure it can actually promote well-being and reduce suffering in the world,” Spoon said.

Source: https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/04/27/from-infants-to-buddhist-monks-investigating-healthy-minds-and-teaching-well-being/

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