Mindfulness ― one of the fundamental teachings by the Buddha, has being highly valued practice for the last 2,500 years in many Asian countries such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Japan, Korea and China. As historical records shows, mindfulness has helped many people to live a meaningful life in this region. Finally, the advancements of technology such as fMRI machines, EEG studies and empirical studies have enable scientists to show the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation for the human wellbeing as a scientific fact. This scientific knowledge has made mindfulness accessible for millions of people through out the world and made available for a broader audience as a secular tool for improving human wellbeing. Therefore, mindfulness has being actively promoted in various places such as schools, governments and workplaces. In this talk we will introduce mindfulness and the scientific research made it popular among a wider audience. Further, we will introduce Rakuten Mindfulness Clubs activities and briefly touch upon the potential application to Human Computer Interaction. https://tech.rakuten.co.jp/

1. Introduction to Mindfulness
Oct. 22, 2016
Udana Bandara
Rakuten Institute of Technology, Rakuten Inc.
http://rit.rakuten.co.jp/

2. What is Mindfulness?
2
Samma Samadhi
(Correct Concentration)
Samma Sati
(Correct Awareness)
Uphekka
(Equanimity)
“Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment,
and nonjudgmentally”

3. 3
Let’s Practice

4. 4
PannaSamadhi
Sila

5. Pioneers of Scientific Inquiry
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Jon Kabat-Zinn Richard Davidson
Mindfulness as a Clinical Treatment
Professor at University of Massachusetts
From 1979 ~
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
(MBSR)
Completive Neuroscience
Professor at University of Wisconsin
Madison
From 1992 ~
Applying neuroscience to prove the
effectiveness of meditation ( specially
works on Neuroplasticity)

6. Not Just Psychological but also Physiological Change
for Better
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Lazar, Sara W., et al. "Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical
thickness." Neuroreport 16.17 (2005): 1893.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/
Hölzel, Britta K., et al. "Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain
gray matter density." Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 191.1 (2011): 36-43.
http://www.psyn-journal.com/article/S0925-4927(10)00288-X/abstract
Wielgosz, Joseph, et al. "Long-term mindfulness training is associated with
reliable differences in resting respiration rate." Scientific reports 6 (2016): 27533.
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep27533

7. Secularizations of Mindfulness
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Healthcare
Workplace
Sports
School Government

8. Mindfulness Club at Rakuten
8

9. Mindfulness/Positive Psychology Influence
on Computer Science (CHI)
9
The design and development of technology to support psychological
wellbeing and human potential.
Positive Computing
New research area in Computer Human Interaction

10. Mindfulness is Beneficial for You!
• Importance of Learning
• Having a Daily Practice
• Becoming a Scientist of Yourself
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11. Thank You!
11
udana.bandara@rakuten.com