Spherical resilience: electrophysiological and molecular changes following movement meditation
Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation,
Via Cristoforo Cecci 2, Santa Maria degli Angeli, 06081 Assisi, Italy
At this historic moment, which is characterized by exponential stress due to COVID pandemic, we need tools to help us cope better and enhance our immune system, sense of security, awareness, and information processing. What may be required in order to optimize them are internal tools such as meditation and sensorimotor training paradigms, through which people can enhance their cognitive, emotional, and physical wellbeing and to become more resilient. In the current talk, I will discuss the underlying neurobiological mechanisms mediating improved cognitive and emotional functions following a specific movement meditation called the Quadrato Motor Training (QMT). QMT has been found improve neuronal communication, attentive relaxation, and creativity, all of which are important factors related to resilience. QMT was also found to increase proBDNF, and enhance brain function, information processing, and reflectivity, thus underscoring the utility of integrating training in various meditative practices such as the QMT across the lifespan. I will further share another meditation protocol (OMM: One Minute Meditation) that we are currently studying, which aims to increase coping during COVID pandemic among high school and university students. In this conext we will emphasize the importance of narration, the search for meaning and prefiguring the future that may aid in coping with stress and increase physical, immunological and emotional well-being. Our current research findings will be dicussed in light of the Sphere Model of Consciousness.
MBM .................................. 