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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hey, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about something called the hope circuit. Have you ever heard the phrase learned helplessness? This was coined by the psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Steve Mayer.
And it's the idea that if an animal or person is exposed to difficult experiences over and over, but they don't feel like their actions can stop the experience from arising, they'll start to shut down. They'll get depressed and they won't feel more motivated. The idea is that they've learned that there's nothing they can do, so why try. Learned helplessness. And maybe you've experienced this in your own life at times.
Going through repeatedly difficult experiences and not feeling like there's anything you can do to, to help yourself. It can be demoralizing, and it can lead to a sense of helplessness. However, there's new research that has just come out by Steve Mayer that shows learned helplessness is not actually learned. Instead that state of feeling helpless, helplessness is our default response to a threatening situation, which is, to curl up in a ball, protect ourselves, get quiet and do nothing. It's a protective mechanism that we have as humans and as animals, our default response in the brain to threatening events.
But what Dr. Mayer's research now shows is that there's actually a circuitry in the brain that overrides this helplessness response. Stimulating a part of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus, research suggests this circuitry is associated with hope and is now being termed the hope circuit. So when we fall into that state of helplessness, which a lot of us are familiar with, especially around difficult events. It's not because we've learned to be helplessness, helpless.
It's because we're not activating our hope circuit that overrides the helplessness response. One simple way to work with this in your life is to simply ask, what part of the situation can I control? What do I hope that I can change? Where do I feel like maybe this moment can get better or seeing a positive future that feels very hard to access? Once you feel like you can influence the ,experience you activate that circuitry in the brain. And it overrides that helplessness response. Hope is powerful. And at what, it's what makes us unique as human beings.
We'll talk some more about this in the meditation. And as always thank you for your practice. I'll talk to you shortly and take care.
The Brain's "Hope Circuit"
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hey, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about something called the hope circuit. Have you ever heard the phrase learned helplessness? This was coined by the psychologist, Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Steve Mayer.
And it's the idea that if an animal or person is exposed to difficult experiences over and over, but they don't feel like their actions can stop the experience from arising, they'll start to shut down. They'll get depressed and they won't feel more motivated. The idea is that they've learned that there's nothing they can do, so why try. Learned helplessness. And maybe you've experienced this in your own life at times.
Going through repeatedly difficult experiences and not feeling like there's anything you can do to, to help yourself. It can be demoralizing, and it can lead to a sense of helplessness. However, there's new research that has just come out by Steve Mayer that shows learned helplessness is not actually learned. Instead that state of feeling helpless, helplessness is our default response to a threatening situation, which is, to curl up in a ball, protect ourselves, get quiet and do nothing. It's a protective mechanism that we have as humans and as animals, our default response in the brain to threatening events.
But what Dr. Mayer's research now shows is that there's actually a circuitry in the brain that overrides this helplessness response. Stimulating a part of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus, research suggests this circuitry is associated with hope and is now being termed the hope circuit. So when we fall into that state of helplessness, which a lot of us are familiar with, especially around difficult events. It's not because we've learned to be helplessness, helpless.
It's because we're not activating our hope circuit that overrides the helplessness response. One simple way to work with this in your life is to simply ask, what part of the situation can I control? What do I hope that I can change? Where do I feel like maybe this moment can get better or seeing a positive future that feels very hard to access? Once you feel like you can influence the ,experience you activate that circuitry in the brain. And it overrides that helplessness response. Hope is powerful. And at what, it's what makes us unique as human beings.
We'll talk some more about this in the meditation. And as always thank you for your practice. I'll talk to you shortly and take care.
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The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
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Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
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I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
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