New Mindfulness Groups Offered

Mindfulness coping skills include increasing the ability to focus attention, persist in concentrating, calm oneself in the face of nervousness, and staying in the present rather than getting distracted by the past or future, and growing gratitude, contentment and happiness.

Learning these skills is like a workout routine for the brain. Although mindfulness has been around for centuries, current research methods are showing us that practicing mindfulness actually helps build more neural connections in our brains. Although we can see this change and growth on MRI scans, perhaps the most powerful indicator of improvement comes from children and adolescents themselves. Click here for a short video clip of children describing how mindfulness skills help them face discomfort and do well in their lives.

Research suggests that just 8 weeks of practicing mindfulness meditation creates increased activity in areas of the brain responsible for learning, memory, self-awareness, and compassion, and as well as decreases in activity in those areas associated with anxiety and stress.

The mindfulness curriculum used in the Decatur Recreational Center classes is developmentally appropriate, supported by research, and is not tied to any religion, leaving participants free to maintain their own belief system. For more information or to register, please visit www.AtlantaMindfulnessGroups.com.