#84: The Brain of a Mental Olympian - Elena Antonova, PhD The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology

Dr. Elena Antonova is a neuroscientist and senior lecturer in psychology at Brunel University London.
Her research focuses on the effects of long-term mindfulness meditation practice in the hope of promoting mental wellbeing in the general population.
On this episode, we dive into the different approaches to meditation and the 4 levels of meditation practice development. 
We also discuss what goes on in the brains of elite meditators and what it takes for the average person to reap the benefits from a meditation practice. 
FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.com
Show Notes
0:00 | Introduction to Elena Antonova, PhD
4:28 | Categorizing Meditation Practices
7:15 | Why Breath Focus is Fundamental
10:19 | Constructivist vs. Innateist Approach to Meditation
12:08 | 4 Levels of Meditation Practice Development
17:12 | Mental Fitness Defined
20:19 | Brains of Mental Olympians
24:10 | Default Mode Network Differences
32:00 | Field of Awareness Described
35:45 | Habituation of the Attention System
46:45 | Eye Movement Paradigm Study
54:00 | Balancing Brain’s Predictive Nature with the Present Moment
57:10 | Measurable Changes with Just 10 Minutes a Day
59:14 | Rapid Fire Questions