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  Article At a Glance: The work of Dr. Stephen Porges explains the role and functions of the Autonomic Nervous System in detecting cues of threat and safety. The Autonomic Nervous System is adaptive, responding to changing internal and external experiences, supporting both “connection” and “protection” to ensure our survival. Traditional forms of psychotherapy may fail because they do not account for Autonomic Nervous System functioning. We can hack our Autonomic Nervous System, to optimize wellness and performance, and here is how to do it. I received my doctorate in educational psychology with a specialization in neuropsychological assessment and intervention.   I spent 7 years in graduate school accumulating around 170 graduate school units studying psychology, behaviorism, and neuropsychological assessment (i.e., assessing brain-behavior relationships).   It was not, however, for another decade after my formal education ended that I came across the piece of ...

    Article At A Glance What mindfulness meditation is How mindfulness meditation works   The neuroscience behind mindfulness meditation and it’s benefit Avoiding a common pitfall In the coaching work I do with my clients, mindfulness meditation is the foundational practice to everything else that we do.   I started my mindfulness practice about 12 years ago though it was very inconsistent until perhaps 4 or 5 years ago.   The reason I was not able to stick with it for so long was that despite the wonderful benefits of mindfulness meditation I was reading about, it was extremely difficult, I was filled with doubts as to whether I was doing it right, and I was not noticing the benefits.   However, all of that changed over the last 4 or 5 years and I can not overstate the benefits daily mindfulness practice has on my wellbeing, relationships, and performance levels.   And because of these benefits, I work with clients to better understand min...