Meditation is a tool that anyone can use to tap into a sense of calm. As and when they need it. You can think of meditation almost as a \u2018place\u2019 to get away from it all. The only difference is that this \u2018place\u2019 is always there, and you don\u2019t have to leave your house!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But meditation is just one example of a tool we can use to \u2018reset\u2019 our mental state as it were. Another that is just effective \u2013 though slightly less convenient \u2013 is to seek out moments of \u2018awe\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What do we mean by awe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essentially, any moment where you feel overwhelmed by the scale and beauty of what you\u2019re seeing. Perhaps the most classic example is when you emerge at the top of a mountain hike to discover a beautiful vista unfolding beneath you. That moment where the breath is taken away is the moment of awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what exactly is going on here? What\u2019s the brain chemistry? Why is it good for us? And what is the evolutionary function of such a mood? This sense of awe is triggered by numerous releases of hormones. Which in fact is due to a response of massive restructuring of the brain\u2019s neural networks. In short, you suddenly feel \u2018small\u2019, and what you\u2019re seeing is forcing you to rethink your position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why we can equally feel the same way when looking at something of supreme beauty, or when gazing at the stars. At this moment, the bar has been reset and we are forced to look at things differently. The need for such restructuring will come with a cascade of neurotransmitters and hormones that will support this change. And that\u2019s what makes us feel good in that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in the long term, this is extremely good for us, because it helps us to restructure neural connections that might otherwise have been negative \u2013 and to get out of our own heads for a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To put it another way, it\u2019s a great way to get your life in perspective and to remember the grand scale of the world and universe around you. It\u2019s harder to think that the interview you have tomorrow is the worst thing in the world when you\u2019re forced to remember that you are not even a speck on the cosmic canvas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, head out for a walk. And if you can\u2019t do that, then just spend some time thinking deeply about a topic that amazes you.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Meditation is a tool that anyone can use to tap into a sense of calm…..<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","pmpro_default_level":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"video_url":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"wpmdr_menu":2,"wpmdr_menu_extended":{"individualPostRemove":1,"individualPostRemoveDate":1,"individualPostRemoveAuthor":1,"individualPostYoastRemovePublished":1,"individualPostYoastRemoveModified":1},"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[51,69,45,70,71,72,28,68,42,58,44,43,25,57,47,29,39,55,52,59,40,41,48,54,53,46,56],"class_list":["post-177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-calm-mind-series","tag-abundance","tag-boost","tag-breathing","tag-energy","tag-exercise","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-immunity","tag-kung-fu","tag-law-of-attraction","tag-manifestation","tag-martial-arts","tag-meditation","tag-men","tag-mental","tag-mental-health","tag-mind","tag-mind-power","tag-mindset","tag-money","tag-power","tag-self-development","tag-spirit","tag-visualization","tag-wealth","tag-wellness","tag-women","pmpro-has-access"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t