Mindfulness on the Heart

Dr Elizabeth Sparkes&Laura Allen

What mindfulness is and what it is not.

Importance of compassion

Compassion is the recognition of another person’s suffering (or our own) and the authentic desire to reduce suffering.

What you resist persists

Difficult emotions and healing

Primary and secondary suffering

Mindfulness and Health

8 week courses Increase activity in the prefrontal cortex, reduction in amygdala(Gotink et al. 2016)

Regulates emotion, awareness, concentrationSubsequently reduces our responses to stress and painImpacts on our blood pressure, heart rate and immune system

Mindfulness and BP

Blood pressure & the ‘relaxation response’.

Benson et al (1971) conducted research on monksto investigate if blood pressure was affected byextensive mediation practice. Findings showedthat blood pressure was low and stayed low.

Mindfulness and Heart Rate

Mindfulness and controlling Heart Rate(Delizonna et al. 2009)

All participants exposed to mindfulness.

Those assigned to high attention groups werebetter at controlling their heart rate.

Mindfulness and heart disease

Controlled trials around mindfulness and heart disease have demonstrated improved outcomes, (Parswani, Sharma & Iyengar. 2013)

BreathingMeditationMindful living3 month follow up – therapeutic gains maintained.

My Research

To investigate the relationship of a Mindfulness and Compassion programme and, EEG, blood pressure, heart rate, perceived stress, mindfulness, compassion,

wellbeing, and motivation.

• 8 week course VS. Short Course (3-4 days)

Heart Rate

8 week course Means SD

Pre course 75.4 8.7

Post course 68 8

Short course Means SD

Pre course 75 13

Post course 77.2 10.8

• 8 week course VS. Short Course (3-4days)

BP-Systolic

8 week course Means SD

Pre course 131.7 11.3

Post course 126 14.8

Short course Means SD

Pre course 135.1 17.4

Post course 131.6 18.9

• 8 week course VS. Short Course (3-4days)

BP-Diastolic

8 week course Means SD

Pre course 84.1 12.9

Post course 79.9 11.2

Short course Means SD

Pre course 78.4 12.7

Post course 78 15.7

Meeting the Challenges of

Current Practice

Key Messages:

Mindfulness supports physical health and recovery. The mind and body

connection acknowledged and research is supporting it.

Participation in research – incentives, the way forward?

Support from NHS

#bacpr2017

Guided Meditation

References• Delizonna, L., Williams, R., E, Langer. (2009) The effect of

mindfulness on heart rate control. Journal of Adult Development 16(2): 61-65.

• Gotink, R.A., Meijboom, R., Vernooij, M.W., Smits, M., Hunninck M.G., (2016) 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction induces brain changes similar to traditional long-term meditation practice – A systematic review. Brain and Cognition 108:32-41.

• Parswani, M.J., Sharma, M.P., Iyengar, S.S. (2013). Mindfulness based stress reduction program in coronary heart disease: A randomised control trial . International journal of yoga 6 (2): 111-117.

• Wallace, RK., Benson, H., Wilson, AF. (1971) A wakeful hypometabolic physiologic state. American Journal of Physiology;221(3):795–9

Any questions?