Reporting earlier this summer in the journal Science, Nuno Sousa of the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute at the University of Minho in Portugal and his colleagues described experiments in which chronically stressed rats lost their elastic rat cunning and instead fell back on familiar routines and rote responses, like compulsively pressing a bar for food pellets they had no intention of eating.

Moreover, the rats’ behavioral perturbations were reflected by a pair of complementary changes in their underlying neural circuitry. On the one hand, regions of the brain associated with executive decision-making and goal-directed behaviors had shriveled, while, conversely, brain sectors linked to habit formation had bloomed.

In other words, the rodents were now cognitively predisposed to keep doing the same things over and over, to run laps in the same dead-ended rat race rather than seek a pipeline to greener sewers. “Behaviors become habitual faster in stressed animals than in the controls, and worse, the stressed animals can’t shift back to goal-directed behaviors when that would be the better approach,” Dr. Sousa said. “I call this a vicious circle.”

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Happily, the stress-induced changes in behavior and brain appear to be reversible. To rattle the rats to the point where their stress response remained demonstrably hyperactive, the researchers exposed the animals to four weeks of varying stressors: moderate electric shocks, being encaged with dominant rats, prolonged dunks in water. Those chronically stressed animals were then compared with nonstressed peers. The stressed rats had no trouble learning a task like pressing a bar to get a food pellet or a squirt of sugar water, but they had difficulty deciding when to stop pressing the bar, as normal rats easily did.

But with only four weeks’ vacation in a supportive setting free of bullies and Tasers, the formerly stressed rats looked just like the controls, able to innovate, discriminate and lay off the bar. Atrophied synaptic connections in the decisive regions of the prefrontal cortex resprouted, while the overgrown dendritic vines of the habit-prone sensorimotor striatum retreated.

According to Bruce S. McEwen, head of the neuroendocrinology laboratory at Rockefeller University, the new findings offer a particularly elegant demonstration of a principle that researchers have just begun to grasp. “The brain is a very resilient and plastic organ,” he said. “Dendrites and synapses retract and reform, and reversible remodeling can occur throughout life.”

Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

I started doing a meditation practice.  So far, I have noticed that it helps relieve my anxiety.

Does anyone here do meditation or guided imagery?

If so, what do you do?  Do you suggest using any particular books or CDs for a new meditation practice?

Calm Down: Slow Breath
What you'll need: A timer or stopwatch; a folded blanket or firm cushion.

What it does: This practice calms the mind and the central nervous system, helping put the brakes on a frenzied pace. "When you slow your breathing down, you slow your life down," says Strom. Plus, it can spark your creativity. "I've had students stop in the middle of class and grab a pen. When the mind chatter stops, the ideas fly in."

How to do it: Set the timer for 3 minutes so you don't have to keep track. Be sure to keep your spine erect. (Slouching can inhibit deep breathing.)

+ Begin to lengthen the inhalation and exhalation (breathing slowly through your nose). First try inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 4, then lengthen (aim for a count of 7 on the in breath and 7 on the out breath).

+ Be careful not to hold your breath. You want to slow it down, not stop it.

+ When the timer goes off, return to a normal breathing pace.

After you've had a particularly stressful day, energy tends to concentrate in the head, making you feel overwhelmed. This relaxed walk can release that "stuck" energy, helping you get centered and regain awareness of your body. The emphasis is on relaxation, so don't think of it as a fitness walk.

How it works
This approach synchronizes a slower pace with a calming, centering breath to ground you.

Duration
20 to 30 minutes, or longer if you feel you need more time.

How to do it
Become aware of your posture. Straighten and lengthen your spine and open up your chest to breathe more easily.

Find your breathing rhythm. I suggest pacing your breath so that you inhale for a count of 6 and exhale for 6.

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Direct your energy downward. As you inhale, feel your chest filling with calming energy; as you exhale, track this energy as it moves down your spine and your legs and flows through the bottoms of your feet. By directing your qi down the body, you help redistribute and balance your energy while giving your mind something to do. Try this whenever you want to "cleanse your mind" of stress and confusion by putting your attention into your body, as far from your head as possible.

Go at your own pace. When you begin to feel yourself slow down and unwind, you'll know it's working. Feel free to pause during your walk and take in the scenery or sit on a park bench. Let this Calming Walk become a method of returning to your body and your senses.