In this video, Philippe Goldin, PhD, delves into the topics of mindfulness and compassion. Viewers will gain insights into the connectivity of the brain, the importance of mental resilience, and the benefits of meditation practices. The video covers how mindfulness meditation can improve self-regulation, emotional awareness, and psychological flexibility, as well as methods to build emotional resilience and overcome negative self-beliefs. Professor Goldin also discusses the physiological effects of a wandering mind, the concept of focused attention, and the cultivation of compassion through intentional practices.
This video is perfect for individuals interested in enhancing their mental well-being, understanding the science behind mindfulness and meditation, and learning practical techniques to cultivate compassion and resilience in their daily lives.
Quick insights
- Brain Plasticity: Dr. Goldin explains that our brains have the capacity to change and adapt through interventions like meditation, exercise, and therapy. This plasticity is a source of hope for those suffering from anxiety and depression.
- Mindfulness Practice: Regular mindfulness practice, including techniques like body scan, loving-kindness meditation, and mindful breathing, may help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing emotional regulation and attention control.
- Psychological Flexibility: One of the key goals of mindfulness and compassion practices is to cultivate psychological flexibility, helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and resilience.
- Compassion and Connectivity: Compassion training enhances empathy and interconnectivity, improving relationships with others and fostering a deeper sense of well-being.
- Biological Impact: Research shows that mindfulness practices may improve not only emotional health but also physical well-being, including immune function and telomere length, which are markers of cellular aging.
Featured expert: Philippe R. Goldin, PhD
Philippe R. Goldin, PhD, is a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis, specializing in clinical psychology and cognitive-affective neuroscience. His research uses neuroimaging to explore how interventions like cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness -based stress reduction impact brain correlates of different emotion regulation. techniques in adults with anxiety disorders. With over 120 published articles, he teaches courses on evidence-based clinical practice and leadership. Before UC Davis, he led a neuroscience group at Stanford University and co-founded the Search Inside Yourself leadership program at Google and Compassion Cultivation Training intervention at Stanford University. He is currently the co-Director of the UC-wide Climate Resilience Initiative.
Google Scholar Profile | Research Gate
Video highlights
00:00 – Introduction
Professor Philippe Goldin introduces himself and his topic, which centers on mindfulness and compassion. He invites the audience to fully arrive and be present for the session.
01:01 – Connectivity and mindfulness
One key takeaway from contemplative science and practicing meditation is connectivity—connectivity in the brain, with other people, and with the entire planet. He discusses the challenges of modern life and how we can transform a cluttered mind into one that is curious and open. He explains the brain’s plasticity, highlighting our ability to alter neural pathways and connectivity through our daily choices.
06:30 – How can we become more resilient mentally?
Dr. Goldin discusses his research using meditation, psychotherapy, and physical exercise to address stress, depression, anxiety, and pain. The goal is to reduce suffering and optimize performance by fostering psychological flexibility. He uses the metaphor of WD-40 to illustrate how loosening mental “grime” can improve mental states.
20:15 – Meditation practices
Meditation is presented as a technique to train the mind, cultivate positive qualities, and gain familiarity and insight into mental processes. Dr. Goldin references Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness and stresses the importance of non-judgment. He notes that while many mindfulness practices exist, only a few have been extensively studied. Regular meditation practices can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, while enhancing the immune system and supporting cardiovascular health.
12:10 – Why does mindfulness meditation help?
Studies show that mindfulness meditation improves self-regulation through attention control, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. These qualities are associated with specific brain regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex for attention control and the insula for self-awareness.
14:42 – Studying emotional response and negative self-beliefs
Dr. Goldin discusses how our brains interpret threats and trigger emotional reactions before conscious awareness. He examines negative self-beliefs like “I am not worthy of love” to study emotional stimuli in the brain, mapping their responses in specific brain areas.
15:30 – How do we build emotional resilience and overcome negative self-beliefs?
Emotional regulation, an essential aspect of wellness, involves modifying emotional reactions through cognitive and attention regulation. Dr. Goldin references Marcus Aurelius’s “Meditations” and discusses how mindfulness can enhance emotional regulation. An 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program showed positive impacts on emotional regulation, suggesting increased psychological flexibility.
21:00 – To what extent are we living in the present moment or in the past or future?
Dr. Goldin highlights the importance of training the brain to be more present, leading to optimal performance and attention balance. He references studies showing that a wandering mind is often an unhappy mind and discusses the physiological effects, such as the association between mind-wandering and shortened telomeres.
25:55 – What is focused attention?
Focused attention involves gently concentrating on an object in a sustained manner, while open monitoring observes thoughts, emotions, and sensations from moment to moment. Training the mind to shift from the default mode network to the attention regulation network can enhance focus and mental clarity.
27:00 – What about focusing attention in our bodies?
Dr. Goldin explores how attention manifests in the brain and body. Research shows that different emotional states manifest in specific body areas, and enhanced bodily awareness is linked to higher emotional awareness and empathy.
28:30 – How emotional resilience and compassion can lead to a sustainable well-lived life
Emotional and bodily awareness can build compassion and empathy. Dr. Goldin defines compassion as insight, courage, and understanding, and explains that it can be cultivated through intentional practices. Compassion involves awareness of suffering, sympathetic concern, a wish to relieve suffering, and readiness to help.
34:36 – Compassion cultivation training (CCT)
Developed at Stanford, CCT is a program designed to help people build compassion skills. Dr. Goldin cites a study showing that meditation increases the likelihood of self-caring and other-caring behaviors, highlighting the daily connectivity of meditation practice and compassion.
36:40 – Closing remarks
Dr. Goldin concludes with a quote from Einstein and tasks the audience with developing profound, deep wellness.
Resources
- Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
- Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)
References
- Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
- Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, 10(1), 83-91. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018441
- Hoge, E. A., et al. (2013). Mindfulness meditation improves immune response in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. Psychosomatic Medicine, 75(4), 364-371. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e31829f23e7
- Appel, A. (2015). Mind-wandering and its impact on telomere length in healthy adults. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8823-8827. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1508895112