Mindfulness and Self-compassion with Melanie Lown | S5E30

Welcome to Living Well with MS, where we are pleased to welcome Melanie Lown as our guest. Melanie is a mindfulness teacher, has an M.A. in Psychology, and follows the Overcoming MS Program. She talks to Geoff about her MS diagnosis, the power of mindfulness and the importance of self-compassion.

Watch this episode on YouTube here. 

Topics and Timestamps:

01:30 Melanie’s introduction and MS diagnosis.

03:58 Balancing self-advocacy with compassion for healthcare professionals.

07:07 Using a diagnosis to discover your purpose.

09:48 Discovering Overcoming MS.

12:02 Our lived experience is as valid as datasets.

13:29 DMTs and COVID.

16:31 The growing popularity of mindfulness in Western medicine.

21:45 Meditation physically changes the brain.

23:33 Depression and spiritualism are opposite sides of the same neural pathway.

27:54 The awakened brain vs. the achieving brain.

29:39 Activating the parasympathetic nervous system with self-compassion.

33:39 Emotions are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

35:44 Mindfully choosing your healthcare team and treatment.

42:22 Tips to incorporate mindfulness into your lifestyle.

47:54 Non-judgmental awareness.

More info and links:

• Visit Melanie’s Website or follow her on Instagram: @welcometothemat.
• Melanie’s Recommended Meditation teachers and guides:
  • Vinny Ferraro
  • Amanda Gilbert
  • Elisha Goldstein
  • Tara Branch
  • Davidji
  • Insight Timer
• New to Overcoming MS? Visit our introductory page 
• Connect with others following Overcoming MS on the Live Well Hub
• Visit the Overcoming MS website

Melanie’s Recommended Books:

• The Awakened Brain by Dr. Lisa Miller
• Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
• How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
• Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
• Cured by Jeffrey Rediger
• Learned Hopefulness by Dr. Dan Tomasulo

Melanie's Recommended Scientific Articles:

• Fredrickson, B. L., & Losada, M. F. (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. American psychologist, 60(7), 678.
• Miller, L., Bansal, R., Wickramaratne, P., Hao, X., Tenke, C. E., Weissman, M. M., & Peterson, B. S. (2014). Neuroanatomical correlates of religiosity and spirituality: a study in adults at high and low familial risk for depression. JAMA psychiatry, 71(2), 128-135.
• Miller, L., Wickramaratne, P., Gameroff, M. J., Sage, M., Tenke, C. E., & Weissman, M. M. (2012). Religiosity and major depression in adults at high risk: a ten-year prospective study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(1), 89-94.
• Portnoff, L., McClintock, C., Lau, E., Choi, S., & Miller, L. (2017). Spirituality cuts in half the relative risk for depression: Findings from the United States, China, and India. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(1), 22.

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