Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/329829
Proving mindFuLness In the past few years, mindfulness—paying attention to the present moment, without judgment—has garnered much attention. Google and Target offer mindfulness training for employees. The practice is taught to law-enforcement officers and military personnel to enhance performance under stress. Mindfulness has even reached prisons, where it aims to reduce anxiety and curb violence. Recent peer-reviewed studies show consistent mindfulness practice increases the density of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex (decision-making), the left prefrontal cortex (positive emotions), the hippocampus (memory) and the insula (empathy and self-awareness), building neural mass much as physical exercise increases muscle mass. "Mindfulness exercises strengthen certain structures in our brains, making them stronger, more efficient and easier to use," says Race, a nationally acclaimed mindfulness teacher who lives in Steamboat Springs. understanding mindFuLness "When I explain the brain to kids, I describe it simply in two parts: the prefrontal cortex, or the smart part of our brains, and the limbic system, where we find the alarm part of our brains," Race says. Stressors, large and small, can trigger the amygdala in the limbic system, which responds by flooding the body with stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Meant to promote survival, those hormones prompt a fight, flight or freeze response. This overrides the activities of the prefrontal cortex, like impulse control, problem-solving, and emotional regulation. A relic of a bygone era, that instinctive reaction is usually unwarranted. What's more, Race explains, a daily barrage of non- life-threatening stress shifts the amygdala into overdrive. "In the midst of our hectic lives, we're constantly sparking a false alarm in our brains," says Race, the mother of two young children. "And when that part of the brain is stimulated, we aren't able to use the prefrontal cortex for executive function." In children, fight, flight or freeze can manifest in a number of often-misinterpreted behaviors—tantrums, mood swings, defiance, anxiety, aggression, or even depression. nurturing mindFuLness Race says practicing mindfulness with children helps them develop new patterns of response, making them more resilient to stress. It also increases self-awareness, which teaches empathy. When children recognize their own feelings, it's easier for them to distinguish and relate to those emotions in others. "I have seen that, in order to have the greatest impact in helping the child, the whole family needs to be aware of and working on their own stress, emotions and communication." The Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM) is one of the nation's leading fertility clinics providing a wide variety of fertility treatments ranging from basic infertility care to the most advanced in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology available today. Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine Making Dreams Conceivable Lone Tree 10290 RidgeGate Cir., Lone Tree, CO 80124 (303) 788-8300 Denver 4600 Hale Pkwy., Ste. 490, Denver, CO 80220 (303) 355-2555 Louisville 80 Health Park Dr., Ste. 240, Louisville, CO 80027 (303) 665-0150 Bringing Together Innovation & Care (303) 788-8300 www.ColoCRM.com William Schoolcraft, MD • Eric Surrey, MD Debra Minjarez, MD • Robert Gustofson, MD • Jennifer Brown, MD To Bring You a Family n Evaluation and Testing n Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) n Minimally-Invasive Reproductive Surgery n Ovulation Induction n Genetic & Infertility Counseling n Andrology Laboratory Testing n In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) n Preimplantation Genetic Screening n Egg Freezing n Egg Donation n Gestational Surrogacy Basic Infertility Services Advanced Infertility Care H&W ad 3.85x9.7 2014_Layout 1 5/20/14 4:49 PM Page 1 56