## TL;DR

Meditation trains attention and awareness. Mindfulness: non-judgmental present-moment awareness. MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Kabat-Zinn 1979, UMass): 8-week program — reduced anxiety, depression, chronic pain in clinical trials. Meditation changes brain structure (increased gray matter in hippocampus, decreased amygdala size).

## Core Explanation

Types: focused attention (breath, mantra), open monitoring (observe thoughts without engaging), loving-kindness (metta), body scan, transcendental meditation. Neuroplasticity: consistent meditation increases prefrontal cortex thickness, decreases default mode network activity (mind-wandering). Starting: 5-10 minutes daily, apps (Headspace, Calm). 'You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf' (Kabat-Zinn).

## Further Reading

- [Full Catastrophe Living (Jon Kabat-Zinn)](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/289133/full-catastrophe-living-by-jon-kabat-zinn/)