Episode notes

Find out how to reduce stress, anxiety and depression in this fabulous episode.

Knowing the benefits, I have personally experienced from a regular meditation practice over the last few years I recommend it to my family, friends and clients.  However, I’m no expert and although I’m enthusiastic about it nothing beats the voice of experience and knowledge.  In this episode Paul Goundry who has over 20 years of experience with meditation and mindfulness explains all about the why, what, how, where and when of creating a life changing meditation practice.

You can find out more from Pauls website http://www.watchfulness.org.uk which is a not-for-profit organisation that teaches resilience through simple meditation techniques.

Learn through Watchfulness to regulate your emotions, manage the impact of stress and deal with the inevitable pressures of life. Learn to watch life without reacting, worrying or regretting.

We also touch on the fabulous life of dogs and materialism and minimalism.  The films referred to that are available on Netflix are ‘Minimalism’ and ‘Less Is Now’ by the Minimalists Josh & Ryan. They also have a podcast titled ‘The Minimalists Podcast’ and a regular newsletter.

Paul also mentions in the episode research that has been carried out by the Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School

Cardiologist Herbert Benson, MD at Harvard Medical School conducted three decades of research into the befits of meditation.

He has concluded that any condition that's caused or worsened by stress can be alleviated through meditation. He found that the relaxation response helps decrease metabolism, lowers blood pressure, and improves heart rate, breathing, and brain waves.

Below are a few links to some of the research.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-meditation-can-do-for-your-mind-mood-and-health-

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-magic-of-mindfulness

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/less-stress-clearer-thoughts-with-mindfulness-meditation/

Paul also referred to a study about the stuff we worry about and here’s an excerpt from the study:

For the study, researchers at Penn State University asked people with GAD to write down everything they worried about for one month. The study participants also recorded the outcomes of their worries. The researchers found that 91.4% of people's worries did not come true.