Marsha Lucas - Nine Ways That a Meditating Brain Creates Better Relationships

Another good article . . . As near as I can tell, the more mindful we are in relationships, the better those relationships will be. And meditation is the best way I know to improve mindfulness skills.

Nine Ways That a Meditating Brain Creates Better Relationships

by Marsha Lucas, Ph.D.

Nine Ways That a Meditating Brain Creates Better Relationships

It's never too late to have a (brain that's wired as if it had a) happy childhood²

Therapists get this question a lot: "Okay, so now that I understand how my history made me a mess when it comes to relationships, what now? It's not like I can go back in time and change my childhood."

The "what now" is that there's increasing evidence that the simple practice of mindfulness meditation can re-wire your brain. In key areas, you can literally change and grow neural connections which support finding and creating better relationships. And in nine different ways, your brain can become more like those who grew up knowing how to love and be loved in healthy, sustainable ways.

As a psychologist helping others find their way to greater emotional well-being, I find that the most compelling benefits of a regular mindfulness meditation practice are a set of nine documented results.¹ (I mentioned them in my previous post, Mindfulness Meditation + Neuroscience = Healthier Relationships.) I've seen the results confirmed through my psychology practice, in myself, and in the lives of my friends and colleagues.

At least seven of these nine benefits bear a remarkable resemblance to the characteristics of people who grew up with healthy, attuned attachments. Childhood attachment experiences have a huge impact on how we are wired for relationships, throughout our lives.

So, if we can change our brain to work more like those people with healthy attachment histories, we too can have a brain that's wired as if it had a happy childhood.

Go read the rest of e article to see the nine ways meditation helps in our relationships.

Tags: Psychology, meditation, relationships, Marsha Lucas, Nine Ways That a Meditating Brain Creates Better Relationships, Psychology Today, blogs, Dan Siegel, Rewire Your Brain For Love