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Mar 9, 2023

"We can think of attention as the leader of our brain. Wherever our attention goes, the rest of the brain follows. Whatever we pay attention to the brain amplifies." --Amishi Jha

Amishi Jha: Pay Attention to Your Attention

Amishi P. Jha came to her pathbreaking work studying the neuroscience of mindfulness and attention when, as a young professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, she lost feeling in her teeth. She had been grinding them as a profound stress response to burnout from her responsibilities as a wife, mother, and tenure-track professor. Knowing from her academic work that the brain can change, she told herself at the start of summer, "before I quit my own career, lets see if I can get my own brain to change." Fast forwarding to present day, Amishi is one of the first scientists to research the links between mindfulness and attention, she is known for her pioneering mindfulness work with soldiers, firefighters, medical trainees, and more.Her new book, Peak Mind uses fascinating research to debunk widespread assumptions, and surface powerful insights into where purpose and presence really stem from. The book offers accessible 12 minute-a-day exercises to disperse mental fog and strengthen focus to experience more of one's own life. Learn more about her journey, and work here.