Rick Hanson: The Power of Concentration

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) The Neurology of Awakening, with Rick Mendius: The latest brain research has begun to confirm the central insights of the Buddha and other great teachers. And it's suggesting ways you can help your brain to enter deeper states of mindfulness and concentration, love, and happiness. Suffering, joy, and freedom all depend on what happens within your nervous system. Skillful practice thus means being skillful with your own brain. This experiential workshop offers user-friendly information with lots of practical methods. No background in neuroscience or mindfulness is needed. We'll cover: --- The relationship between the mind and the brain; --- Strengthening neural factors of mindfulness; --- The role of concentration in Buddhist practice; --- Practical help from brain research for steadying the mind...quieting it... and bringing it to singleness. Learning Objectives for participating health care professionals- This workshop is designed to help you: a) Name two mechanisms of experience-dependent neuroplasticity; b) Give clients two examples of how repeated mental activity changes brain structure; c) Describe temperamental variations in the control of attention; d) Teach clients two ways to practice mindfulness.