The power of small pauses

Two minutes seems too short to matter. It isn't.

Neuroscience now confirms what contemplative traditions have known for millennia: regular, brief moments of presence compound dramatically over time. The brain literally rewires itself — a process called neuroplasticity — in response to consistent attention training.

A 2011 Harvard study found that mindfulness meditation increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, the anterior cingulate cortex and the cerebellum after just 8 weeks of practice.

You don't need an hour a day. You need consistency.

The habit of returning to the present moment, however briefly, trains your default mode. Over the weeks, the present becomes your base of operations rather than a foreign country.