I first became aware of Mindfulness Meditation as a graduate student when a colleague recommended the book Wherever You Go There You Are by John Kabat-Zinn. As someone who tends to be skeptical, I was not convinced of the validity or practicality of meditation. However, I am also a curious person, and so I gave the book a chance. Just reading the book slowed my heart-rate, made me feel more relaxed, and helped me realize that although I cannot control the events that create stress in my life, I can control how I respond by simply recognizing the stress and practicing mindful non-judgment. It is not always easy to remember these practices, but every time I come back to them, I feel that same sense of relaxation and peace.
As an experimental psychologist, perhaps the connection that I appreciate the most is the one between meditation and attention. Recent research has demonstrated how meditation alters functioning in areas of the brain associated with different processes of attention. Scientific America's Street Science does a great job summarizing this research...
The connection between meditation and attention is made clear in Kabat-Zinn's summary of mindfulness as, "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment." You can purchase several of Kabat-Zinn's audiobooks through iTunes. In addition, here are two sessions in which he describes the importance of breathing in meditation Part 1 and Part 2 .
Finally, for more references to research on mindfulness meditation and its connection to attentional processes and well-being, continue reading...
Chambers, R., Chuen Yee Lo, B., & Allen, N. B. (2008). The impact of intensive mindfulness training on attentional control, cognitive style, and affect. Journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32, 303-322 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-007-9119-0.
Shapiro, S. L. et al. (2008). Cultivating mindfulness: Effects on well-being. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64, 840-862 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.20491.
Tang, Y. et al. (2007). Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation. PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104, 17152-17156 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0707678104.