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Some years ago, neuroscientists studied the brains of college students as they were taking a test. When the student was about 3-5 questions into a test for which they were thoroughly prepared, their stress levels went down as the student started to realize he or she had the test aced, but their alertness went up, as their brains were active, alive, and participating at a high level. The neuroscientists coined this particular brain wave pattern Relaxed Alertness. And lo and behold, this is exactly the brain wave pattern we cultivate in mindfulness meditation. As we let go of our thoughts, we begin to move into states of relaxation, but because at the same time we are practicing paying close attention, our brains activate into high levels of alertness.
3 Key Areas of the Brain Are Activated When We Meditate
The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC)- The CEO of the brain. It says what the task is at hand, plans and organizes the work to be done, calls everything to pay attention and keeps everything on track. In the practice of meditation, it takes the lead in orchestrating all the mental and therefore neurological activities required to do that task
The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)- Vital for controlling attention, detecting when the mind goes off track, monitoring how well you are doing tasks, and for integrating thoughts and feelings. In the practice of meditation, the ACC gets a workout by monitoring your level of focus
The Insula- Responsible for sensing interior states of the body, such as hunger and fatigue, and also for experiencing empathy. In the practice of meditation, that feeling of bodily relaxation is all processed by the insula
These 3 regions working together are what create the effect of Relaxed Alertness - that very rare experience of deep physical and mental relaxation, paired or coupled with a bright and resilient sense of alertness and awareness. Imagine moving through your days in a state of Relaxed Alertness; Able to stay focused and on task, but in a state of ease. This is what we practice in meditation.
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