For many people the everyday stress of life has become hard and for some even unmanageable.

Life has its ups and downs and often we try to find ways to “escape,” but we soon find that escaping isn’t the answer and at times even makes things worse.

Fortunately, mindfulness is a way of staying with our experience in a way that we are able to observe, without judgment, in the moment what we are thinking and feeling. When we are able to do this, we are in a much better position to make choices that lead to happiness.

Research is showing that practicing mindfulness leads to growth of integrative fibers in the pre-frontal cortex. The following qualities are outcomes of mindfulness practice.

• Bodily Regulation
• Attuned Communication
• Emotion Regulation
• Response Flexibility
• Fear Modulation
• Insight
• Empathy
• Morality
• Intuition

Articles:
Conquering Fearl To help patients, therapists often counsel either changing behavior to address their fears or denying fears as irrational. Now, a third approach argues that accepting fears can loosen their grip.By MELINDA BECK