Noticing: The Bicep Curl for Your Brain

[leosmith]

Here's one of the many articles using the "Bicep Curl for Your Brain" catch phrase:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/not ... 6aa658053e

Here's a brief description of the "curl"

In sum, bicep curls for your brain are pretty simple. Identify what you’re doing (inhale, pause, exhale, pause), notice distraction, mentally high five yourself, and actively bring your mind back to your breath — over and over again. This is your mental strength training.

My question is, is this process of noticing and coming back really what's doing all the good? I ask because I remember reading about a study that showed following your thoughts causes more change to your brain than quickly coming back each time. Unfortunately I can't find the article that said this. Am I way off base here?

[Matt Y]

Personally, I think the biceps curl (mental strength training) analogy is probably way off base. Your question: "Is this really what's doing all the good?" is a very good one.

There are numerous arguments and studies both for and against this idea, which seems to show that the researchers (unlike Bono) usually find what they're looking for.

My sense of it is that it's your mindset or attitude that does the good. In other words, good things come when you change your relationship with your experience (thoughts, emotions, sensations, sounds etc.) With greater acceptance, curiosity, kindness, equanimity etc. you 'train' your mind to respond with greater wisdom. This is what I believe leads to the good things: mental health, contentment, wellbeing...

[leosmith]

As usual, i like what I'm reading here. Thanks Matt.
What you said about mindset and attitude reminds me of something I saw on a Joe Rogan interview. I know, he's just an isolation-tank using mindful pot head, but he has some interesting interviews. One of his guests (Sam Harris maybe?) said the amount of suffering caused by pain is strongly regulated by our mindset or attitude. I can't remember the example he gave, but I always think of sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off. If they tell you it's going to be 20 minutes, you suffer a lot less than if they tell you nothing. So I agree that good things come with a better mindset.