Susan L. Smalley

“A large and growing body of research demonstrates that mindfulness practice changes subjective and physiological states. The immune system gets stronger, as reflected by an increase in the number of cells fighting infection. Brain activity changes, moving toward patterns that coincide with calm yet focused states of attention. Brain structure itself seems to change: Among longtime meditators, gray matter (the tissue containing neurons) is thicker in certain brain regions compared with nonmeditators. Lastly, even gene expression patterns seem to differ with the induction of a mindful state of mind. On a more subjective level, feelings of anxiety and depression lessen, well-being improves, and relationships toward self, others, and the planet are healthier. Taken together, this evidence indicates that mindfulness can be learned like any other skill and that the practice of mindfulness may be a powerful way to affect neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections in response to the environment—as well as epigenetics, the regulation of genes (turning on and off their expression) in response to the environment.”
― Susan L. Smalley, Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness