1. Haverford Public Library
April 16, 2014
7:00 pm

2. Introductions
• Welcome and Introductions
• Soji Zen Center in Lansdowne
• Plan for the evening
• Presentation, instruction, practice, review

3. A little neuroscience
• States of consciousness – Meditation and
brain activity, EEG brain wave patterns –
What happens when we meditate ?

7. • Brain regions – Meditation and brain
activity, prefrontal lobe and parietal lobe
differences
• General observation that practice
weakens “reactive” pathways, increases
plasticity, flexibility.

10. Brain regions – long term structural
changes in brain tissue

11. Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging
• Mindfulness practice leads to increases in
regional brain gray matter density
M.R.I. brain scans taken before and after the
participants’ meditation regimen found increased
gray matter in the hippocampus, an area
important for learning and memory. The images
also showed a reduction of gray matter in the
amygdala, a region connected to anxiety and
stress. A control group that did not practice
meditation showed no such changes.

12. • "We found that brain regions associated
with attention and sensory processing
were thicker in meditators than in the non-
meditators," says Lazar. "Also, in one of
the regions, the differences in thickness
were most pronounced in older subjects,
suggesting that regular practise of
meditation might reduce normal age-
related thinning of the brain."

14. Other reported benefits
• More empathic
• Reduced emotional reaction to pain
• Greater patience
• Better focus and concentration
• Decrease in blood pressure and
reduced risk of coronary disease
• Reduction in addictive behaviors

15. What are some core elements of
Zen ‘philosophy’ and practice?
- Connectedness
- Mindfulness
- Seeing things clearly
- “Beginner’s Mind”
- Letting go of conditioned thinking
- Direct experience

16. • “The heart of Zen is the practice of zazen
— seated, silent meditation — which is
based predominantly on bringing your
attention to the present moment (often via
concentrating on your breath) and then
doing your best to keep it there. The
extension of that practice to life off the
cushion is fairly straightforward: When
you’re listening, really listen; when you’re
eating, just eat. Pay attention to what
you’re doing.”

18. ➔ Mental aspects
◆ Most important!
➔ Physical aspects
◆ Sitting postures
Mechanics of Meditation

19. ➔ Mental aspects
◆ Goal = stay present in moment
● Slow down Monkey-mind
◆ Counting your breath
◆ Thoughts that come up = let them go!
Mechanics of Meditation

20. Mechanics of Meditation
➔ Physical aspects
◆ Goal = remain still to help calm your mind
◆ Sitting in chair
◆ Floor
● Kneeling on cushion or bench
● Cross-legged
◆ Physical discomfort (itch, pain, etc.)

23. Practice Period

24. • Additional aspects of a center, a
community, a teacher
• Teacher can help us with obstacles, when
we get stuck
• Retreats allow much deeper practice
period

25. • Mechanics and instruction
• Physical aspects, posture, body , stillness
• Chair, bench/seiza, cushion
• Mind / attention / consciousness
• Breathing, thoughts
• 10 – 15 minutes of Practice
• Check-in – what did you notice
• Q&A
• Follow up – to learn more….
• WEBSITE address
• If you’d like to be on our mailing list…