Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation and Neuroscience

One of the core practices for everyday readiness that I write about in my book, Standing in the Fire is mindfulness meditation. I and several of the veteran leaders and facilitators I interviewed have used mindfulness meditation to cultivate calm and clarity – especially in preparation for high-heat meetings.

According to researchers at UCLA people who are more mindful are able to turn down the emotional response to anger.  Mindfulness is a technique in which one pays attention to his or her present emotions, thoughts and body sensations, such as breathing, without passing judgment or reacting. When people see a photograph of an angry or fearful face, they consistently have increased activity in a region of the brain called the amygdala, which serves as an alarm to activate a cascade of biological systems to protect the body in times of danger. However, people who have the mindful ability to name their emotions (e.g., “I am feeling fearful”) are able to bring prefrontal cortex resources to regulate the amygdala response.

In the simplest terms, this research provides support for the idea that having a consistent mindfulness practice in your life strengthens your ability to make wise choices and take deliberate action in situations where others may be caught up in the emotional intensity of the moment.