How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains: Sara Lazar at TEDxCambridge 2011
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- Опубликовано: 22 янв 2012
- Neuroscientist Sara Lazar's amazing brain scans show meditation can actually change the size of key regions of our brain, improving our memory and making us more empathetic, compassionate, and resilient under stress.
Learn more about TEDxCambridge at www.tedxcambridge.com. 
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One of the best ways to meditate is to gently become aware of your breathing. Just become aware of it. When your mind wanders just gently bring your attention back to becoming aware of your breathing again. Don't judge how well you did. Or whether it is "working". You always did well. And it always works. If thoughts or feelings arise and you lose conscious awareness of your breathing, just gently and without judgement bring your attention/awareness back to your breathing.
nfcoard 💯👍👏😇
This helps 😀
Sahaj yoga
Yesss, many people misconstrue desire with aspire. Aspirations turn INTO desires when expectations develop. Know your intentions ALWAYS.
Wow. I've been meditating for alot of years and your advice is spot on. Meditation is not perfected, it is practiced. 🧘♂️
I meditated 30 mins daily for 2 months a year ago and it REALLY worked for me. Since then I've found it much easier to deal with stress and difficult people, I gave up on bad habits, I'm less needy/more independent, I'm much more compassionate, a lot less selfish and FAR more altruistic than I used to be and best of all I've had a lot more spiritual experiences. As for the meditation itself, wow, I saw things I never knew existed. Meditation is the gift you never knew you had, give it a chance.
Love this!!
@@josejuarez5846 - One question can you recommend me a book that can guide me in mindfulness meditation and help me master it from the book ?
absolutely. more spiritual experiences* yes and better able to deal with people and their ways. resilient absolutely. and increased focus, awareness, steadiness
The mind illuminated is the best book on meditation
So what exactly you do during a meditation...
She was nervous (who wouldn't be). But did what she set out to do in a clear, convincing, and intelligent manner. This is a contribution to your well being. Take it to heart and appreciate it.
Agreed. And her (slight) nervousness actually makes her message MORE authentic. She is clearly a scientist presenting data - not a salesperson with the latest snake oil.
She should have meditated before the presentation 🧘♂️
@@intelbro3097 lmfao. Then it did what I intended.
Very impressive! The sophomores who are mocking her nervousness seem to forget that not everybody is comfortable on the stage, addressing people. She is herself. Let us respect that. More importantly, she communicates her point.
a round ofaplause to her and the courage she takes to go on stage
Bring this into schools, prisons, workplaces, aged care homes and more!
That is why Im here
start a meditation habit today! seriously stop watching vids about it and just go for it
Wich type of meditation you do?
@@tomascardenas2699
Take up a 10 day course in Vipassana meditation. If anybody asks you money to teach you meditation, it most probably is not genuine.
Vipassana changed my life, forever grateful! With metta :)
Or see this video with complete attention
@@darshangowda9347 a ten episode youtube series of how to meditate? 😂
Meditation has changed my life!
@DD DD how did it change ur life?
Why so many negative comments about her speech? I think she done a great job, public speaking isn't as easy as people think
I started meditating beginning of this year, I wish all human being start to meditate, it helped my depression from losing my dog, improved my sleep, I become a happier person, I am more aware of my thoughts, easier to control bad emotions and stress, it’s all what she said in the video
I firmly believe that meditation and pranayama can change your brain, your thoughts and ultimately, your life. So many fantastic benefits to breath work!
Weight lifting💪 and meditation 🧘♂️ is helping my anxiety big time
💪🏾💪🏾👍🏾
Amen brother. Weight lifting is in it's own way a form of meditation. Focusing on your form, engaging the correct muscles to push the weights, counting your reps.
💜
and emojis
@@yomer355
👍👍👍👍😜😜😜😁👀
If you've never tried public speaking before, don't think you're authorized to judge her speech.
FBGM
She did fine , there was nothing wrong
Where do I get an authorization to judge people? I need one to answer your comment.
This simple ‘trick’ reverses Alzheimer’s in 14 days twitter.com/3a000d80820f32e35/status/804578733948444672 How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains Sara Lazar at TEDxxxCambridge 2011
Max Đỗ I would have to say that as a listener, or an audience, her talking in such a fast pace tends to make a person feel nervous. Her voice is not soothing I almost can not finish the video even though she seems to be very knowledgeable.
I love those kind of ted talks. Just straight to the point, no jokes inbetween. Super clear and easy to follow&understand. Well done Sara
I used to be an addict for 10 years, I tried to practice mindfulness meditation and it really helped me, I am no longer an addict 😊
Hey great to hear you succeed. How did you start? Did you make a gradual start to it? How long should I meditate for as a beginner - please give me some advice.
@@Vayanovic when I first started my goal was to meditate for 10 minutes everyday then after I noticed that I could exceed 10 minutes, I had to increase to 20 - 30 minutes. You know how to meditate right?
What I felt when I was meditating was that I was feeling a lot more happier and I could feel lot of sensations through out my body. Stopped overthinking. No judgement issues. Acceptance and a lot more.
Also become positive but above all the sudden 'wisdom' arise from peaceful is the most mysterious part:)
It's fantastic to see that this is backed by science. It has to be one of the most under-rated ways to balance so much in our lives, especially with the stress and anxiety that we face everyday. Brilliant video tbh!!!
Hey, try this: if you don't like how fast she talks, put the playback speed to 0.75x. Works like a charm!
Man 🙏🙏
Seriously, you are a problem solver. Not a complainer. Thanks
Baron Sledjoys was watching in x2 lol
Baron Sledjoys How do I do that?. Thank yo.
cool x1.25 can still follow it but it's finished sooner
Simple, concise and effective talk. Gave the well grounded proof, peppered with the speaker's own initial doubts, and backed it all up with proof from brain scans. I loved this talk.
comments about her presentation skills possibly show lack of empathy and compassion. Perhaps take up meditation.
I agree.
well, I have to disagree , she is trying to tell us that meditation can affect your life and make u less nervous and it relieves anxiety and depression, while she ( a miditator ) is looking very anxious and nervous , which make us disbelief in her presentation as meditation didn't affect her at all in a very stressful situation , bottom line is that her nervous performance debunked what she was trying to proof
How can one judge her performance? It needs to be evaluated without meditation and with. Also, its more about personal style of speech. Some people like and some don't
The more presentations she gives, the better she will get. That demonstrates how neuroplasticity works. I don't think she is trying to convince you that meditation alone fixes everything.
Janine Cahill haha!!! Yes!!! Love it!!! ❤️
Am glad scientists are now able to PROVE what some of us just already experience and feel ;) Thank you Sara.
This is amazing, we've been telling our students this for a long time, and now there is proof! Excellent! Thanks, Sara Lazar!
Loved the talk. I'm new to meditation but I already feel like I'm feeling more clarity in my thoughts. Sure, could be placebo but whatever works works.
I have an “irreversible” movement disorder from a bad car accident and meditation is shredding the disease down to nothing. I used to struggle to walk, now I run with bliss! Even deadlifted 315 lbs recently!
I cannot use my body the way it used to work but that doesn’t seem to matter. Meditation has disabled the fear center and disabled my seizure like tremor. Its opened my mind up to all sorts of new ways to move. I don’t know that I’ll ever feel the same as I used to but I feel 100x better already!
How are you now brother
I meditate several times a week for 30 mins. I've stopped taking SSRI's. The video is interesting. I may increase to daily. Thx.
Hi, I take ssri. Whenever I quit I suffer some serious consequences. Pls help me.
@@chandanuu
It is not bad to take them! Don't think you have to stop, it just fixes the serotonin levels. It's nice if one can handle his/her life without it but first and foremost if it helps you, take it.
I suffer unbelievable without my SSRI & I think it ist very important to not stress myself about living without them.
Try to meditate and when you think it helps you than talk to your doctor about a smaller dose but don't glforce it or worry if it doesn't work
@@livegedreht Hi, Thank you for your advice. What is the common problem that you get when you quit taking ssri? For me it is digestive issues
@@chandanuu
I take them because of my depression, they come back when I quit
It is horrible I suffered so long but since I take them (1 Year) I can handle myself much better.
I have physical Symptoms too like dizziness but I don't recognize them that much because of my mood
@@livegedreht thank you for your reply.
Meditation has truly changed my life. It blows my mind that more people don't know about it/try it! Whenever someone opens up to me and tells me they're going through a hard time, I tell them to meditate. I encourage you all to do the same!
Is guided meditation good for a beginner ?
@@SRBOMBONICA86 I would suggest a Vipassana course as a beginner, which is free of cost. You get to learn the technique thoroughly under a teacher. Good luck!
I wish everyone the happiest lives they could live. You deserve it. You’re worth something, don’t ever doubt it.
:)
This is excellent, very well explained.
I love your studies, thank you Dr. Lazar for your work!!!!! It has helped me convinve even the most skeptical person that meditation and yoga really are incredible for brain health & overall wellbeing!
meditation helped me combat my sexual addiction alongside smoking and xanax addiction. but i still procrastinate and feel mildly anxious at social gatherings.
Such a brilliant talk Sara. Thank you.
Meditation takes time and patience, but everyone can do it! Don't feel alone or frustrated, we were all in that same place.
This was so interesting and it really confirms more scientifically some of what I have thought for many years, just based on personal experience and what I've observed in others. It makes sense really. I enjoyed the video and to anyone that criticized her delivery, I thought she spoke really well. I doubt that she's a professional speaker and she seemed to just be enthused and excited about sharing this very interesting information.
( If she did have some stage fright -- big deal. Even professional speakers and entertainers can experience stage fright -- and even after many years. ) To the speaker, if you read this, thank you for sharing your time and your knowledge.
Thanks so much for your research which substantiates what yogis and meditators have known, but haven't had the scientific proof, for thousands of years.
She was amazing. She did not need a script. She knew every part of her topic and just freestyled. Impressive.
I love Sara's talk. Thank you.
She convinced me with science to actually start meditating. I'm a stressed out stroke survivor and I've been stuck in fight-or-flight mode for a few years now. I still have a hard time meditating and I don't really like it, but before I start I think about what she said and I do it anyway.
Tamara my heart goes out to you. I know what it feels like to be in fight or flight mode it sucks. It takes a toll on you. But its also teaching you something as well if you can tend to it. I hope you will get clear. Good luck on your journey.
Thanks! I hoped meditation would help me, but I'm just too restless to do it. With lots of effort I can do 10 minutes and afterwards I don't feel relaxed, but just more frustrated.
listen to guided meditation videos
I don't know what kind of technique you use to meditate, but in some cases it's a trial and error process. There are those who meditate on their own (like me), those who attend meditation groups, and those who listen to guided meditations. But in this last example, you could be overloaded with random thoughts: "Did I disable the automatic reproduction? Is the sound very loud?" etc etc, which ends up becoming a negative stimulus that takes you out of the right state of meditation. In addition, in many guided meditations they use visualization as a vehicle, which is wrong for someone who's just beginning (besides, they're different things).
Just find your own way, the one that best suits you. If you suffer from chronic stress or from anxiety syndrome, you must understand that they involve a conscientious task in which you must reeducate yourself, in many aspects, and learning to relax is one of them (I mention this one in particular because it's a requirement to meditate).
I think you don't like it because *maybe* you had created a structure of preconceptions around this, but you must evade them. Besides,
it's a slap in the anxiety's face and it's quite expected that you have some inner resistance to do it. Meditation simply "is", don't think of it, don't try to rationalize it. Just be there -present-, do what you're supposed to and let yourself be.
Sometimes we must force ourselves to do what is good for us, we like it or not, because only through experience can we learn to appreciate it. I believe that once you get into that special state and begin to really feel its benefits, then you'll begin to like it and you'll do it with greater enthusiasm.
It takes time and patience, but you can do it! And please, don't feel alone or frustrated, we were all in that same place. Like everything new, you should give yourself time to explore it at your own pace :) And I'm sorry, english isn't my native language and it's pretty rusty.
How's the meditation going? Did it help? Are you still practicing it?
India🇮🇳 has given many things to the world including YOGA and MEDITATION👐🏻❤️
It's not india brother it's nepal .buddha was the one who spread it and the yogi in himalayas were one who invented it.Go read veda.
@@shashwatpoudel7273 you should read history before talking like this
lol lundians didnt give anything except gomutra😂
One of the most lucid videos about the neuroscience of meditation . Super Sara Lazar
This was a awesome video. Very informative and provided great evidence to back it up. 10/10
Very informative! I have been meditating for years and have heard this many times. Interesting to hear it from a neuroscientist.
Meditation is everything. We would drive the pharmaceutical companies out of business if we practiced it everyday.
Life-changing....so grateful...thank you so much.❤️
This is an extremely helpful video. Thank you!
This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you thank you thank you
Video Summary:
1.Stress from environment (in terms of finance, friends family and work) is always there.
2.When you meditate your neuronal network changes which results in growth of frontal cortex or Neo brain which increases consciousness, compassion, awareness and distinction between right and wrong. This is called neuronal restructuring mediated by neuroplasticity (ability of neuronal networks to rewire).
3.When you don't meditate you reflexly respond to stress like animals (rats) do with fear anxiety stress and restlessness. In these individuals neuroplasticty is increase in size of fight or flight primitive subconscious brain namely amygdala. Amygdala volume increases.
4. Even when stressors go amygdala remain large in size, this shows brain has been rewired permanently, (until of course new stimulus like meditation undoes the previous damage).
5. Meditate more everyday to fight reflex stress generated emotional responses like anger greed despair anxiety and depression, replaced by compassion, kindness and awareness.
Our reflex natures are revelatory signatures of our past experiences.
thank you so much for sharing your honest life experience, i really appreciate it
Thank you again. Such a brilliantly simple, real and evidenced based presentation.Hope that you are still enjoying the benefits of yoga, Sara.🙏
Tq for this... The science behind medidation... Exactly working... I am experiencing it from past 4 months... Awesome work.... Medidation- the most essential need for today's hurry burry world.... 100% i recommend this...
Amazing indians who found yoga are freaking awesome!
Thank you for your answer, dear.
Such important work and contribution. thank you
Very interest. I have been meditating for more than 25 years and I can identify with some of the changes she mentioned.
Whoa you sure have witnessed a lot of positivity over these 25 years
@@aratrikroy380 I can't talk for Carrie, but my experience is that there is a lot of unwanted/subconscious stuff hidden in ones mind, and when one meditates, this things will float to the surface and might not but you in a happy positive mood. Through meditation, extended awareness though will give you the space to deal with this things in a calm way, all though tears might be rolling.
Meditation is not so much about becoming happy, which is only a side effect. The goal is peace, content and fullfilment.
When you are in peace, content and fullfiled, who needs happiness :)
A common misconception is that meditation "clears your thoughts". In mindfulness meditation, which is what this woman is speaking about, the instruction is to *pay attention* to anything that occurs in the moment. Rather than chasing thoughts away, in mindfulness you acknowledge them and then let them go and return to the point of focus, like the breath. You are never in any way in a trance. Quite the opposite, you are more fully awake and aware of the present moment, not "switching it off".
You can't turn off your brain you can only change it's focus. If you try to turn off your brain you will turn on the stress response.
@@adielwilson8749 i know a few people who turned their brains off.. 😂
@@adielwilson8749 This is my first response for a question I ask myself everytime I try meditation: 'Why am I so stressed and become angry, why I can't focus, when I try to meditate and it never feels like an ease but rather like sth I am forcing?" Thanks for the light. It's clearer now for me.
@@olaapekala you’re welcome.
Thank you very much Sara. Very well explained. 👏
Thank you for the bettering of humanity!
if you find the speed of the speaker's speech too fast for your comfort, you can slow the playback speed of the video to .75 or even slower (youtube has that option!)
That was a lot of awesome information to fit into 8 minutes! great talk :)
Wow lovely presentation! Thank you!
Love her work
I loved the scientific info I got from this
It's pretty conclusive the benefits of Meditation. It works!
To the people who think she's talking too fast, slow the speed to 0.75. It's that easy. Then go meditate.
Thanks for sharing your story and presenting how you verified fundamental neuroplasticity occurs thru mediation with research.
If you know someone who suffers from depression/anxiety, my channel could be a resource for them ( a guided meditation as well)
. No one should suffer in silence.
I need you in my life. . .
saw your welcome video and you had me crying!
Hoe to access your chanel?
I've been meaning to give this a try for years. I''m still skeptical but I will finally go for it, and see how it goes after a while.
how did it go
+Marcello Capone How did it go?
+Marcello Capone How did it go?
How did it go, Marcello Capone?
*WHAT DID YOU SEE?!*
Marcello Capone how did it go?! Its been months!!
This was very helpful with understanding meditation. Thank you!
awesome information , learning scientific reasons behind the meditation externally encourage me to follow it .
Meditation and positive thinking certainly do help! I love it
Excellent presentation and key to attracting non-meditators to the power and benefits of mindful meditation. Sara is honest about her resistance to meditation and other researchers as well, but instrument based analysis illustrates how healthful the practice is for the brain. Dan Shanahan
Compelling and informative.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much!!
I appreciate this talk of Dr. Lazar of Harvard medical School as I am putting my CGIE interns into a regiment of prayer and meditation followed by discussion on they see the application of the prayers they heard in their daily life. we call this Meditation with Intention. i am preparing a blog on it
I meditated 5-8 hours a day for 3-5 months and I was able to live a anxiety and depression free life. But not all meditation techniques are for all..you have to choose your convenient ones
That’s impressive! 8 hours in a day?!! Glad it solved your anxiety and depression 👍
@@skippy7208 right meditation can cure you from certain diseases too.. Google phakyab Rinpoche.. his recovery is worlds first documented case
@@User-ef3zw seems like you have no knowledge about both diet and meditation. thanks
Very good info. I never heard it explained as well and in lay men terms :)
Amidlifewoman,
I agree. The speech was givien and I left understanding what was talked about. However I wonder if they considered what time of the day the subjected mediated during. We all have different times of the day that are more stressful than others. I wonder if that makes a difference.
-Troetta
-Women's Health Issue Class
thanku so much tedx and sara
I love meditation. It's so healing for your brain.
What are the implications of these studies in regard to the very popular materialistic view of most scientists which leads to the theory that consciousness is some kind of epiphenomenon that arises as an effect of material processes? If actions that are performed strictly within ones awareness have a measurable effect on material structures it appears that the materialistic/epiphenomenon model is outdated and that the Buddha's statement that "All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner; they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made." may have merit.I find these studies on how mindfulness rewires and strengthens the brain very interesting to say the least. I've practiced Satipatthana for a number of years and many people are astonished at how well and clearly I remember, how calmly I handle heavy loads of stress, and solve problematic situations peacefully; so I know first hand from years of experiences the powerful benefits that arise from regular practice. Peace.
JudoMateo
I saw 2 people who stated that consciousness is physical on YT, I almost shot myself.
It's more like "body-mind plasticity" than "neuroplasticity" because it's not just the brain. The body is a holistic system.
There are about 4 input channels: stomach e.g. for recycling RNA, small intestine e.g. for absorbing water-based nutrition, the colon e.g. for fermentation of solid waste by gut bacteria, and the lungs e.g. for the absorption of airborne nutrition. There are a couple of output channels: solid waste elimination, liquid waste elimination, skin (sweat), and the lungs.
The Rain Shimmers But the topic of study was just the brain. Expanding on this is for another discussion on another day.
The importance of the Enteric nervous system is only now being appreciated in the West. Excellent points.
Fantastic video! Bravo!
Wow it's 2011 and... Ted is talking about Meditation !!!!!!!!!!! congratulations on this amazing discovery... Ted
Too short. But awesome
lol i had to slow it down to .75 speed. still good
Yoga has changed my life completely. I started yoga over 20 years ago.
Great and impactful speech
sure judge her i would love to see you facing that crowd
Mastrubation leads to depression and degredation of brain !
This talk is really very helpful for me. Here I have got some new key points about how meditation can reshape our brains.
I love changing, I think that I've done a big change in my life so far but I still need to change a lot. I'm anxious, depressed, I have problems speaking, understanding concepts and memorizing. I have started meditating four months ago so let's see how good this will be for me in the long run.
Any update??
POV: You're in Homeroom
lol
1:56 Scientifically Validated Benefits
3:59 Areas with more Gray Matter
5:36 Left Hippocampus
6:11 Temporo-Parietal Junction
6:27 Change in Stress Correlates with change in Amygdala Gray Matter
Thank you so much
Thanks for sharing! Very intersting!
Will meditation help me to conquer the world?
of course it will! when you achieve highest plain you will see your enemies driven before you and hear the lamentations of the women. Seriously, if you're a martial arts practitioner meditation can drasticly shorten reaction time.
It'll help u "conquer" yourself.
If you can control your mind, then you can control reality.
Will meditation help me to conquer the world?
Yes.
Yes my son .Meditation and Satan !
Don't knock these studies, kids. We need these empirical studies to prove how legitimate and efficacious so-called 'metaphysical' processes actually are. They're actually doing us a favor... :-)
thank
Perfectly explained!
Very good information, I can tell she really did her research. This is very interesting.
It's so hard to sit still for 30-40 minutes without falling asleep. :)
I'm gonna learn how to mediate....#ooommmmm :)
Lou Curelop You don't need to absolutely to 30-40 minutes of meditation, unless you are 30-40 years old.It's normally recommended to meditate for number of minutes equal to our age in years.And no, you don't fall asleep especially if you're also chanting.
Stella Deli Where did you read that? I'm a Vipassana meditator thats why I ask
stardelic well I'm only 21 and I can meditate for 40 minutes at a time and do it twice per day! Age is not the problem!
You won't fall asleep if you're really focused.
Okay I'm convinced, but she forgot one thing... How do you meditate?
Google that, bro! Countless guided meditations, i think preferably you would want to go for "Zen meditation" They're all fairly similar but Zen is the art of simply meditating whereas others such as "Mindfulness" go a little deeper.
There are basically two types in buddhism: vipassana and samatha. Vipassana is a training in focusing on daily activities, and samatha is a training to unfocus, to abstract from reality and to try to see what's behind our thoughts. Samatha is close to yoga, but yoga also has a exercising component, but in both you are trying to pay attention to your body (or abstract concepts if you are doing the arupyajhanas) and to derive insight and immersion in the experience. Many indian dances, like bharatanatyam and mohiniyatam, are also considered types of meditation, but they are very heavy physical exercises, and old people may find it difficult to go on with the practice. They are very good to train our discipline, focus, coordination, and body conscience. Basically, there are many types of meditation, and you could technicaly meditate anywhere, with vipassana, but the main characteristic is that some types of meditation are intended to make you aware of your environment, and other types are more introspective and intended to gain insight.
Meditation is more a disposition of the mind than a specific practice. You can meditate all day long, while doing whatever chores you need to do. Enlightened people are said to meditate constantly, and to have a very deep focus and insight all the time. It's necessary to say that meditation is not the same thing as relaxation. Some practices may be relaxing, others may require a lot of focus and discipline. It's about equilibrium, not pleasure. People usualy make this mistake, and think that meditation is equivalent to relaxing and numbing activities like entertainment, but it's very different.
those aren't kinds of buddhism, should be kinds of meditation in buddhism. Anyway, what you wrote is very usefull and interesting, Thank you
Incredible news to hear. I've been doing it for a year and a half.
Awesome. Thank you