Physiological Effects of Mindfulness and Loving Kindness Meditation
Antonia Rupert
Warren Wilson College For years, people have practiced meditation and mindfulness techniques to manage stress, improve mood and to boost their overall sense of wellbeing. With new advances in technology and medicine, we are now able to understand the physiological changes occurring in the body and the brain when engaging in these techniques. This paper will look specifically at the effects of loving kindness meditations and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Loving kindness meditations are meditations that use words, images, and feelings to evoke a sense of goodwill, kindness, warmth and friendliness toward oneself and others. Similarly, mindfulness-based stress reduction is a tool used to assist with and reduce the effects of physical and mental illnesses. This paper will highlight the effects of these two tools on overall feelings of wellbeing and on their neurological effects. Many studies have found that regular engagement in loving kindness meditations and mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques lead to a wide array of benefits. Loving kindness meditation has been shown to increase positive emotions, compassion, empathy, feelings of gratitude and …show more content…
Through the modification of cognitive-affective processes, mindfulness-based stress reduction is believed to alter emotional responding. Goldin and Gross examined the MBSR-related changes in the brain and in behavior of emotional reactivity and regulation of negative self-beliefs in individuals with social anxiety disorder. Sixteen participants with social anxiety disorder engaged in a mindfulness-based intervention which included a weekly 2.5 hour small-group session for eight sessions, one half-day meditation retreat and CDs to support formal practice at