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In eight weeks, you may be able to nail a challenging yoga pose, start marathon training, or become a regular at a new fitness studio. But changing your brain structure through聽聽(MBSR)? New research says that鈥檚 not likely.
滨苍听聽published on the program to date, researchers found no brain changes in participants who completed an eight-week MBSR program. These new findings are in contrast with聽, which highlighted the ability of the eight-week MBSR program to lead to substantial brain changes.
In their analysis, the study鈥檚 authors point specifically to the participant pool as a potential cause for the disparities between studies. While previous studies relied on participants who sought out a MBSR program, this study examined a randomized group of participants. The study鈥檚 authors believe that this motivation (or lack thereof) among participants is important to consider. Those who elect to sign up for a MBSR program may do so due to a high amount of self-identified stress. In contrast, those who didn鈥檛 seek out the course may not share these elevated stress levels. As a result, the former may have more space for neurological changes, compared to the latter, the study authors say.
So, does MBSR still result in any brain changes? Potentially, but it may be less likely in people who aren鈥檛 already experiencing high stress levels.
What Does This Mean for MBSR Programs and Practices?
The eight-week MBSR program teaches聽.听聽And while not every MBSR program may lead to permanent structural changes in your brain, that doesn鈥檛 mean the practice isn鈥檛 impactful. A previous study published in 2020 found that聽the program聽.
Time may also be an important factor to consider.听聽found that the brain regions controlling attention, sensory perception, and sensory processing were thicker in participants with a long-term meditation practice, signifying a lower risk for cognitive decline.
础诲诲颈迟颈辞苍补濒濒测,听, researchers associated long-term meditators with increased emotional regulation when viewing negative imagery. In the same study, short-term meditators demonstrated this regulation only when presented with positive imagery. This is one sign that聽the key to reaping the benefits of MBSR may not be in completing the program itself, but in integrating the tools into your life for the long haul.
Students in an MBSR class often have a realization that they operate in a never-ending state of pressure,聽, a qualified teacher of MBSR, says. A MBSR program brings this type of low-level, constant stress to the surface, allowing students to develop effective coping strategies, she says. Gallagher says she views MBSR as a toolkit. In addition to focusing on the present moment, the course is about preparing for the longterm. In her experience, she says she sees students gain an understanding what may trigger their anxious thoughts, as well as how to counter and reframe such thinking.
Why Is a Consistent Practice Important?
While you may not be training for an endurance race or聽, mindfulness meditation abides by the same principle: practice, practice, practice. 鈥淓xercises have the most exponential return if you do them daily, rather than once in a while,鈥澛, a yoga teacher, author, and breathing teacher, says. Strom focuses on the formation of a toolkit when it comes to a daily breathwork or meditation practice. Instead of waiting for your breaking point, he says that integrating these practices into your life on a daily basis聽will equip you for those more perilous moments. He equates the necessity of a regular practice to knowing (and practicing) CPR before the time comes when you need to administer it.
What If I鈥檓 Struggling to Maintain a Consistent Practice?
Unfortunately, there鈥檚 no secret formula to help you stick to a regular mindfulness meditation. (Sorry!) However, if you鈥檙e having trouble finding the time to commit to it, Strom says it鈥檚 critical to frame it as an intentional decision, rather than a chore. 鈥淟earning to make the commitment is part of the practice,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ecause it鈥檚 not just with bodily habits, it鈥檚 our entire way of life.鈥 It has to be something you prioritize. That may mean rising out of bed a little earlier or skipping that second episode of your favorite show. But, hey, ultimately, you鈥檙e committing to your long-term well-being.
A MBSR program comes with a 40-minute daily time commitment, and Gallagher says she encounters participants who struggle to fit that into their routines. In response, she suggests setting a routine of sorts by practicing meditation in the same place (yes, even the same chair) at the same time every day. This type of consistency can help you stick to a regular regimen. It also may mean slowly increasing your practice time. When she first started meditating, Gallagher says she only sat for five minutes a day, before gradually extending it to 10聽minutes, and eventually longer sessions.
While meditation is often seen as an individualized practice, it doesn鈥檛 have to be. Gallagher says she recommends connecting with others who are also committed to a regular mindfulness session. By checking in on a regular basis through group texts or in-person classes, you鈥檒l be held accountable (in a good way!) for your daily regimen. Because, ultimately, no one wants to face the wrath of the group text.