Mindfulness Interventions and Emotion Regulation

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Mindfulness Interventions and EmotionRegulation NormanA. S. Farb AdamK. Anderson JulieA. Irving zindelV. Segal

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NIir(lfuTrcssrraining(MT) represeDrs the secular rdapration of Budclhistconremplative pracrices aimed ro reduce suffering and fosrer\vell-berng. Over the pasr rhreedecader,MT inrerventions la!e bcen lnc.easinglyrecognizedfor lheir ability ro rcclucepsychologicaldistressacrossa variety of cliuicaldisorders(!acf,2003; Bohf n e i i c r .P r e n g e rr,r . l , & C u , j p e 1 5 , 2 0 i 0 ; Grossmln.Niemlnn, Sclm,dr,& W:rtrch. 2004). They havebe€nparticularlyelfective D pfomotingadaprileenolon rcguhrion rn aliecn\e dtsorders sUchas anxiety and (Hoim,rnn,S:wyer,Wrrt, & Oh. depresrion .2010jpiet & HougrJrd,2011),.rndappear ro promoteself-regulated behaviorand positive emotionalsrateslBrown, Ryan, &are swell, 2007). Our understandingof mind iul emotion regr aiion is impcrfecr,but it is supported b1 a recentgroundswcll of exper imentaland clinrc:l re'earch\for deritcd revie$s.q.c Holzel er r1., 2011i ShiDiro. Carlson,Astln, & Freedman, 2006). This chapterourlinesrhe theoreticalfoundations oI nindfulness, rhe mechanismsby which MT appearsto supportadaptiveemonon regulation,and irs most prevalentforms ofdelivery.Ve beginby exploringdefinitions

of mindfu cmorionfes!latron.inrcsLatine conr(iburionsfrorn Vcsrern psvchoioercaj reseircficnd Buddhistcontemplrrir e rhiorl. r rn'r theseperspecrivcs. mindfulness can bc vrewed,s !Lreg!rlxro(y snrregyrh:rroperares prDn,flly it thclevelot.t$ention deploy menr, suDs€quenriy promoring a unlclueblend of regulatoryrechniques. Next. we cliscuss how mindlulnex.h developedrhrough atrenrion uarnlng)revlewrngemergenrresearchon rhe cognitiveand nerrnl mecbanjsnsassocirted with MT intervenrions.psychologicrlly,the pflmary mechanismin MT inrervenrionsis the promotionof present-moment alvareness. wLisL is reaiizedthrough the cuttivationof rrteroceptrvearrenriou and an arritnde of acceprancetowafd experience.Neurosci, entifically, rluee nechanisms of rriininE are evident: (1) increasedaccessto sensor| representarjon; (2) dec(eased actjvarionof a netvork for habitLralself-elaboratiol;and, rn rongcr rerm pracriti{rners.(3) incrersed attentionalsrabilityand decreased reactivity tc, er.orron provocarion.Iin,rlly. rve review someofrhc besFvrlid.ted MI inrerrentic,ns. discussingrheir clinical benciitsand limitrtrons, and exploring furur€ diredions for researchin this field.

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lUndfulness lntetuentions andEmotionRegutaron

Whatls Mindful EmotionRegulation?

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