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A review by sarahtonin_
The Neuroscience of Mindfulness: The Astonishing Science behind How Everyday Hobbies Help You Relax by Stan Rodski
2020 non fiction book 1 out 12
I decided that in 2020 I should diversify my reading by including more non fiction books. I saw this audiobook was available from my library and only 5 hours so I bit the bullet. I don't really know yet how to rate non-fiction, and so I think I will approach this review by saying what I learnt from the book, and help you decide if it is something you will benefit from.
My Main Takeaways
➽ Why we get stressed
"Your stress is not not caused by an event. It is caused by your perceptions or beliefs about that event."
I'm not sure why this was so revolutionary to me, but it just made me see things from a different perspective. Using the example of public speaking, you can see that the act itself is not inherently stressful- but you believe it is because of past experiences, the media or insecurities. This unnecessary stress has flow on consequences due to MBC, or Mind Body Connection- possibly even contributing to physical manifestations of the stress in forms of illness.
➽ Neuroplasticity
Mindfulness can not only change the way you think, but the physical structure of your brain. It does this by creating new neuron pathways, neuroplasticity. There have been many studies on how mindfulness and meditation can reshape you brain, showing how the mind can re-wire brain circuits that boost mind and body health.
I would recommend this book if you want to find out more about:
➽ what the difference is between the unconscious, subconscious and conscious brain is
➽ what implicit and explicit memories are
➽ different methods for practising mindfulness
➽ the science behind how those techniques work
➽ easy to comprehend psychology without a bunch of Latin jargon
➽ actionable approaches rather than just theory
I decided that in 2020 I should diversify my reading by including more non fiction books. I saw this audiobook was available from my library and only 5 hours so I bit the bullet. I don't really know yet how to rate non-fiction, and so I think I will approach this review by saying what I learnt from the book, and help you decide if it is something you will benefit from.
My Main Takeaways
➽ Why we get stressed
"Your stress is not not caused by an event. It is caused by your perceptions or beliefs about that event."
I'm not sure why this was so revolutionary to me, but it just made me see things from a different perspective. Using the example of public speaking, you can see that the act itself is not inherently stressful- but you believe it is because of past experiences, the media or insecurities. This unnecessary stress has flow on consequences due to MBC, or Mind Body Connection- possibly even contributing to physical manifestations of the stress in forms of illness.
➽ Neuroplasticity
Mindfulness can not only change the way you think, but the physical structure of your brain. It does this by creating new neuron pathways, neuroplasticity. There have been many studies on how mindfulness and meditation can reshape you brain, showing how the mind can re-wire brain circuits that boost mind and body health.
I would recommend this book if you want to find out more about:
➽ what the difference is between the unconscious, subconscious and conscious brain is
➽ what implicit and explicit memories are
➽ different methods for practising mindfulness
➽ the science behind how those techniques work
➽ easy to comprehend psychology without a bunch of Latin jargon
➽ actionable approaches rather than just theory