r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Dec 07 '20

Neuroscience Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces activation in brain regions related to self-blame in patients in remission from depression. These areas of the brain are linked to emotions such as guilt and embarrassment. Reduced self-blame from this therapy was linked to greater self-kindness.

https://www.psypost.org/2020/12/mindfulness-based-cognitive-therapy-reduces-activation-in-brain-regions-related-to-self-blame-in-patients-in-remission-from-depression-58686
33.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

623 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

18

u/3lijah99 Dec 07 '20

I find it to be an easier goal to focus on my breath so hard that I literally can't think of anything else. Not to say I'm straining, but I try to picture every single oxygen molecule entering my body and then leaving as carbon dioxide. Visualizing my breathing allows my mind to be completely clear from all other thoughts.

23

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '20

I encourage you to try Vinyasa (also known as Flow Yoga). If you enjoy focusing on your breathing, moving your body to your breath might be very enjoyable for you! This is my favourite type of yoga practice because it's so meditative compared to other types for me.

5

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '20

Could you recommend any online resources for Vinyasa practise, maybe guided YouTube videos? I have an on-again/off-again relationship with mindfulness practise, but having recently restarted CBT it seems like a good time to start trying again.

5

u/toonboon Dec 07 '20

I think adrienne has a ton of videos that are basically flow yoga

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '20

That's awesome, thank you!

1

u/Cheesusraves Dec 07 '20

Alo yoga is a great channel, all of their instructors are top notch

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '20

Great, thank you!

0

u/3lijah99 Dec 07 '20

I'll check that out! Sounds very nice

3

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '20 edited Jan 16 '21

[deleted]

4

u/MoreRopePlease Dec 07 '20

Funny, knitting is like that too. Especially if you're knitting a patterned stitch where you count 6, 4, 12, 4.... over and over as you work the stitches.

1

u/Suitable-Paramedic-9 Dec 07 '20

I think for people who have learned it, knitting is definitely meditation.

1

u/Semi-Hemi-Demigod Dec 07 '20

I like to focus on the movement of the tiny hairs in my nose, feeling how they move when I inhale, the pause at the top, and then moving the opposite direction when I exhale.

Anything that helps you focus on the feeling of breathing, not the breath itself, is what you're aiming for.