The Neuroscience of Now | Brian Shiers

Even as we wash our hands or measure out six feet from the nearest human, there is a need to work to guard the mind from undue fear, conditioning our awareness, thinking, and action towards resilience, adaptation, and connection. The paramount skill to accomplish this project of mind during the current extraordinary conditions we find ourselves under is Mindfulness. Brian Shiers is a senior mindfulness teacher for the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and a psychotherapist specializing in mindfulness-based interventions at WestSide DBT. Listen in as Brian shows us how to build skills in awareness, compassion, and action in an unprecedented time of need. Timestamped show notes 03:53 - Brian begins his presentation 6:00 - What mindfulness is not 07:39 - The idea of paying attention 09:12 - We are really scattered 11:53 - The antidote is being more present 14:42 - Using mindfulness to monitor habits 16:20 - Reducing stress reactivity 21:37 - Relating to the moment, the neuroscience of now 27:06 - Seize fear and let it be a moment 31:11 - Brian begins a mindfulness exercise. Follow along! 43:00 - Coming out of the exercise and reflection time 45:58 - The concept of the first and second arrow 49:05 - Relaxed vigilance 51:17 - Brian provides some resources for mindfulness 54:17 - Brian’s recommendation on practicing 55:16 - Meditation and children 57:57 - You must embody mindfulness first before applying it to your organization Links Ten Percent Happier: https://www.tenpercent.com/ marc.ucla: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/ Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn: https://amzn.to/2U7LA3n