Buddha's Brain
Today I am grateful for laughter among friends and the peace of a beautiful summer evening at dusk. I am also grateful for the work and writings of researchers and experts that I can learn from.
My friend Jenny has given me the reading suggestion of Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson, Ph.D. and Richard Mendius, MD more than once. When she suggested it again more recently, I followed up. The book, first published in 2009, was an interesting read and served to give me more evidence-based reasons for the benefits of gratitude practice.
The full title of the book is Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Love, Happiness, and Wisdom. Practical neuroscience. Practical is a great word. It means we are taking information and putting it into practice. We are doing or using something, not just studying or talking about theories and data. Do something today.
It does help to have some science to give us insights and motivations as to why our practical actions may be a good idea. A full definition of neuroscience, courtesy of Merriam-Webster, is a branch of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissus and especially with their relation to behavior and learning. It starts with the brain, the control center of our amazing nervous system. And since it is our behavior and learning that are the most obvious and observable, it is worth looking at how the whole system impacts those.
I have proven to myself, beyond any doubt, that practicing mindful gratitude is one of the best things that I do for my overall health. I can tell others my views and experiences on the topic, and write about them as well.
It doesn't hurt to have a deeper understanding of what is actually happening in our minds and bodies though. That is where books like Buddha's Brain come in. That is where an understanding of the idea of "negativity bias" is a good place to start. More on that tomorrow.
My friend Jenny has given me the reading suggestion of Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson, Ph.D. and Richard Mendius, MD more than once. When she suggested it again more recently, I followed up. The book, first published in 2009, was an interesting read and served to give me more evidence-based reasons for the benefits of gratitude practice.
The full title of the book is Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Love, Happiness, and Wisdom. Practical neuroscience. Practical is a great word. It means we are taking information and putting it into practice. We are doing or using something, not just studying or talking about theories and data. Do something today.
It does help to have some science to give us insights and motivations as to why our practical actions may be a good idea. A full definition of neuroscience, courtesy of Merriam-Webster, is a branch of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissus and especially with their relation to behavior and learning. It starts with the brain, the control center of our amazing nervous system. And since it is our behavior and learning that are the most obvious and observable, it is worth looking at how the whole system impacts those.
I have proven to myself, beyond any doubt, that practicing mindful gratitude is one of the best things that I do for my overall health. I can tell others my views and experiences on the topic, and write about them as well.
It doesn't hurt to have a deeper understanding of what is actually happening in our minds and bodies though. That is where books like Buddha's Brain come in. That is where an understanding of the idea of "negativity bias" is a good place to start. More on that tomorrow.
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