Neuroscience

Amygdala

The amygdala is one of the most primitive brain structures and regulates primarily negative emotions, such as anger, fear, and anxiety. Consistent mindfulness practice is associated with decreased activity in the amygdala, which helps explain why mindfulness is associated with improved mood (Grecucci et al. 2014; Hölzel et al., 2011; Tang, Hölzel, & Posner, 2015).

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Hippocampus

The hippocampus is primarily associated with learning, attention, controlling emotions, and processing events into long-term memory. Consistent mindfulness practice is correlated with increased thickness in the hippocampus, which helps explain how mindfulness improves attention, memory, and emotional control (Hölzel et al., 2011).

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Insula

The insula helps regulate awareness, especially physical awareness, as well as "gut-level" instincts. Consistent mindfulness practice increases activity in the insula, as well as the thickness of the insula. This helps explain why mindfulness results in improved body awareness and increased ability to focus on the present, as opposed to the past or the future (Grecucci et al. 2014; Hölzel et al., 2011; Tang et al., 2015).

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Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is involved with regulating emotions, choosing responses to situations, selective attention, working memory, and executive functioning (executive functioning refers to managing yourself, such as planning, organizing, and staying on-task). Consistent mindfulness practice shifts how the prefrontal cortex communicates with other brain structures. Mindfulness decreases the prefrontal cortex's connections involved with over-reactions to minor situations and strengthens the prefrontal cortex's connections involved with logical, rational thinking. This helps explains how mindfulness improves emotional regulation, and increases the ability to emotionally detach from upsetting events and solve problems more effectively/logically (Gladding, 2013; Grecucci et al., 2014; Hölzel et al., 2011; Tang et al., 2015)

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Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

The ACC assists with attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, and decision-making (detecting errors, monitoring actions, and selecting responses to situations). Consistent mindfulness practice causes increased activity and thickness in the ACC, which helps explain how mindfulness improves attention, emotional regulation, and executive functioning (Grecucci et al. 2014; Hölzel et al., 2011; Tang et al., 2015; Waters et al., 2014).

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Brain Waves

Theta waves are associated with attention and alertness, while alpha waves are associated with relaxation. Mindfulness is accompanied by an increase in theta waves in the frontal regions of the brain, along with increased alpha waves in the rear of the brain. This helps explain the alert, yet relaxed, state of being that mindfulness promotes (Hölzel et al., 2011; Waters et al., 2014).

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Explaining the Neuroscience to Students

Many teachers who practice mindfulness share developmentally-appropriate explanations of its neuroscience with students to help them understand the benefits. This explanation can happen in many different ways. The following link below is one such way that one of our teachers makes the neuroscience more kid-friendly: Mindfulness & The Brain Made Easy

References

Gladding, R. (2013, May 22). This is your brain on meditation [Web log comment]. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-your-brain-meditation

Grecucci, A., Pappaianni, E., Siugzdaite, R., Theuninck, A., & Job, R. (2014). Mindful emotional regulation: Exploring the neurocognitive mechanisms behind mindfulness. BioMed Research International, 2015, 1-9.

Hölzel, B.K., Lazar, S.W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D.R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 537-559.

Tang, Y., Hölzel, B.K., & Posner, M.I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225.

Waters, L., Barsky, A., Ridd, A., & Allen, K. (2014). Contemplative education: A systematic, evidence-based review of the effect of meditation interventions in schools. Education Psychology Review, 27, 103-134.