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<\/a>From Cite Universitaire to Versailles<\/p><\/div>\n
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When we arrived to Versailles, Maria, Beatrice and I were so fascinated by the immense beauty of the castle that we immediately pulled out our phones to snag some photos. We hardly realized that the line was growing to get inside! Once our photo-op fix was satisfied, we joined the line and waited approximately 1\u00bd hours to get in.\u00a0Once we were in, we received our maps and set out on a mission, our goal was to see the palace, mainly the Hall of Mirrors (historically where the Treaty of Versailles was signed), Marie Antoinette\u2019s estate, and virtually everything else in between. There was so much to see! I could not believe it. The palace was huge, and the gardens were vast!<\/p>\n
The chateau!<\/p><\/div>\n
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By the time we walked throughout the palace, my feet were tired and we still had to cross from one end of the garden to the next to see Marie Antoinette’s estate! In all we walked at least 5 miles by the time we got to the estate; by this time it was around 4pm (We entered around 11AM, I blame it on our multiple photo-ops…) and my legs were crying! Maria and Beatrice however encouraged\u00a0me to engage in positive thoughts and that my pain was all in my head. The art of mindfulness which is bringing attention to the state of your present being and having a nonjudgmental attitude towards it, is something that I’ve started practicing at the start of this year to help me cope with the daily stresses of life. Once I\u00a0regrouped, I became\u00a0mindful of the present so that I could take in the pleasures of Versailles appropriately and Voila!\u00a0my leg pain vanished and my mood and energy increased.<\/p>\n
<\/a>From left to right: Me, Maria, Beatrice<\/p><\/div>\n
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Interestingly enough, a study done in 2011 looked at the effects of how practicing mindfulness attenuates pain. Gard et al. hypothesized that modulation through mindfulness involves decreased activity in the brain pre-frontal cortex (PFC), and increased activation in regions involved in sensory processing of pain, such as the posterior insula and the prefrontal cortex. To perform this study, the researchers recruited experts on the practice of mindfulness and individuals who had no experience with this sort of meditation. They placed an electrode in participants left arm. Two conditions were observed, a mindfulness condition and a baseline condition. During the mindfulness condition, participants were asked to bring their attention to the skin surface underneath the electrode on their forearm and to observe the sensations related to the stimuli, making sure to be mindful of the stimuli.\u00a0During the baseline condition, participants were instructed\u00a0to not engage in any form of meditation. Three transcutaneous stimuli were randomly delivered. At the end of each test, participants were asked to rate the intensity, unpleasantness, and anxiety of anticipation for the stimuli.<\/p>\n
Pain (a) intensity (b) unpleasantness (c) anticipatory anxiety ratings for mindfulness practitioners and control.<\/p><\/div>\n
The researchers found that experts in mindfulness had statistically significant lower reported scores for unpleasantness when they implemented their mindfulness technique as opposed to when they did not implement their technique. For controls there was no significant difference in their self-reported unpleasantness scores for baseline and mindfulness. For pain intensity, there was no observable significant difference between controls and mindfulness practitioners. This suggests that for experts they are able to perceive their pain differently which becomes their reality.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Activation of brain due to stimulation. A) Experts B) Control<\/p><\/div>\n
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The researchers also found\u00a0increased posterior insula activity and decreased lPFC activity when participants (both experts and control) were administered the sensation and practiced mindfulness. They\u00a0proposed that focusing attention on the sensory\u00a0aspects of the stimulus is related to increased activation in the\u00a0posterior insula, which is thought to be involved in \u00a0sensory processing.\u00a0The second component of mindfulness, the nonjudgmental\u00a0and accepting attitude, could be described as cognitive\u00a0disengagement, and thus an absence of cognitive control,\u00a0which is why\u00a0there is a \u00a0decrease in the lPFC.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Me, being mindful.<\/p><\/div>\n
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My ability to be mindful of my weary feet and to accept my circumstance for what it was, allowed my perception of my pain to diminish drastically! Who knew that this coping technique I have so recently learned could positively affect my body such a way? Because of this technique, I was able to enjoy all of Versailles and felt pretty accomplished in the end. Versailles was totally worth it!<\/p>\n
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References<\/p>\n
Gard T, Holzel B, Sack A, Hempel H, Lazar S, Vaitl D, Ott U (2011) Pain Attenuation through Mindfulness is Associated with Decreased Cognitive Control and Increased Sensory Processing in the Brain.\u00a0Cerebral Cortex 22(11): 2692-2702.<\/p>\n
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Versailles, the site of which the Treaty of Versailles was signed and which was home to arguably the most talked about French royal couple, King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, is a beautifully constructed piece of art located about\u00a0an hour … Continue reading