Meditation

Two ways to meditate: focused attention and open monitoring

In some meditations we keep attention on a single point, such as the breath. In others we open attention to everything that arises. Researchers distinguish these as two styles with different effects.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

Observe and accept: the two parts of mindfulness that make it work

Mindfulness meditation has two parts: noticing what is happening and accepting it without fighting. Studies suggest the second part is as important as the first.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

Mindfulness against the return of depression: what MBCT is

For many people, depression does not come only once. An eight-week programme combining meditation with cognitive therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of it returning.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

The body scan and MBSR: the eight-week programme that brought mindfulness into hospital

In an American hospital at the end of the 1970s, a molecular biologist began teaching patients with chronic pain to lie down and notice the body part by part. From this experiment came one of the most studied mindfulness programmes.

2 November 2026 / 3 min read

Meditation without myths: what helps and what does not

Mindfulness meditation slightly reduces anxiety, depression and pain. It is not a cure for everything, but it is a skill that can be learned.

24 October 2026 / 3 min read