Mindfulness–is just an overused buzzword, or could it be the key to mastering our brains and living a more connected and fulfilling life? As told by Dan Siegel, “Mindfulness in its most general sense is about waking up from a life on automatic and being sensitive to the novelty in our everyday experiences.” On a neuroscience level, mindfulness is so much more. In fact, Laine and I were so in awe of how intentional thoughts can not only strengthen our brains but also encourage empathy and connection with others, we couldn’t help but make this a two-part episode. Most findings in this episode come from Dan Siegel’s The Mindful Brain, as he’s spent decades studying this topic and founded the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA. Additional resources can be found below. Knowing how practical this topic is as well, be sure to stay tuned for Part 2 next month where we’ll walk you (and a special guest) through some mindfulness practices that you can incorporate into your daily life! Resources: Dan Siegel, The Mindful Brain Yi-Yuan Tang, The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation P. Zelazo, K. Lyons - “The Potential Benefits of Mindfulness Training in Early Childhood: A Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective“