--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Recently, we uncovered an important…" description: "\"“Recently, we uncovered an important mechanism by which a month of mindfulness meditation (about 11 hours of practice, 0.5 per day, 5 days a week) impr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/elkhonon-goldberg-41265_focus_recently-we-uncovered-an-important-mecha_1268365.jpg" --- # Recently, we uncovered an important mechanism by which a… ![“Recently, we uncovered an important mechanism by which a month of mindfulness meditation (about 11 hours of practice, 0.5 per day, 5 days a week) improves attention and self-regulation (Tang et al 2010; 2012). This mechanism is a change in the white matter that conducts signals into and out of the…” quote by Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/elkhonon-goldberg-41265_focus_recently-we-uncovered-an-important-mecha_1268365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/elkhonon-goldberg-41265_focus_recently-we-uncovered-an-important-mecha_1268365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27f/elkhonon-goldberg-41265_focus_recently-we-uncovered-an-important-mecha_1268365.jpg) > ““Recently, we uncovered an important mechanism by which a month of mindfulness meditation (about 11 hours of practice, 0.5 per day, 5 days a week) improves attention and self-regulation (Tang et al 2010; 2012). This mechanism is a change in the white matter that conducts signals into and out of the anterior cingulate gyrus. The anterior cingulate is an important part of the system by which we can voluntarily regulate behavior. After two weeks of meditation the improvements seemed to involve the number of fibers conducting information. This improvement was related to more positive and less negative mood self-reports. After 4 weeks of meditation improvement in white matter involved changes in the myelin that provides insulation to the fibers and thus further increases the efficiency of the network involved in self-regulation.”” [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mindfulness meditation changes brain white matter, enhancing attention, self‑regulation, and mood through improved neural signaling **In simple terms:** Meditation rewires brain pathways for better focus and emotional balance Key Takeaway Practice regular meditation to boost brain efficiency Themes neuroscience mindfulness self‑regulation mental health Mood reflective optimistic Type scientific educational When to use this quote - clinical therapy - education - stress management - personal development Key Concepts white matter plasticity anterior cingulate function myelination Questions to Reflect On - How does meditation alter your daily focus? - What mood changes have you noticed after consistent practice? A Different Perspective Effects may vary by individual baseline and practice consistency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anterior Cingulate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anterior-cingulate-1799975/) [Cingulate Gyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cingulate-gyrus-2206389/) [Cingulate Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cingulate-important-4056509/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditation Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-improvement-4056507/) [Meditation Improvements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-improvements-4056508/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) ## Related quotes > [The anterior cingulate fires up as the end result of a series of events. First, estrogen levels fall. Meanwhile, serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter, also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-anterior-cingulate-fires-up-as-the-end-result-of-a-series-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you get the news that everyone else disagrees with you, there is also activation of the (emotional) vmPFC, the anterior cingulate cortex, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/when-you-get-the-news-that-everyone-else-disagrees-with-you-there-is/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“also severely degenerated the tissue of his rostral anterior cingulate cortex, an area in the front of the brain that acts as a kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/also-severely-degenerated-the-tissue-of-his-rostral-anterior/) [Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/) > [“This coping skill is essentially a protective reaction against threats to the ego. Neuropsychologists have identified the ventral anterior cingulate cortex and the medial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fitzgerald-matt/this-coping-skill-is-essentially-a-protective-reaction-against/) [Fitzgerald Matt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fitzgerald-matt/) > [“in adults the anterior cingulate cortex activates when they see someone hurt. Ditto for the amygdala and insula, especially in instances of intentional harm—there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/in-adults-the-anterior-cingulate-cortex-activates-when-they-see/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [Free will is located in or near the anterior cingulate sulcus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/free-will-is-located-in-or-near-the-anterior-cingulate-sulcus/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [“For example, the sound of the telephone can make us irritated and anxious. That is the sound of the telephone which comes as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/for-example-the-sound-of-the-telephone-can-make-us-irritated-and/) [Thích Nhất Hạnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [Life is a collection of moments. Mindfulness is beautification of the moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-ray/life-is-a-collection-of-moments-mindfulness-is-beautification-of-the/) [Amit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-ray/) > [“Good morning,” one of the soldiers said. “I’m Captain Joseph Walker and this is Sergeant James Vanetten. We are members of the One-Hundred-and-First Airborne…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shafter-bailey/good-morning-one-of-the-soldiers-said-i-m-captain-joseph-walker-and/) [Shafter Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shafter-bailey/) > [“Mindfulness is an invitation to change that pattern and to become aware of where we are and how we got here. Mindfulness gives us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maia-duerr/mindfulness-is-an-invitation-to-change-that-pattern-and-to-become/) [Maia Duerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maia-duerr/) > [Mental health is an issue close to my heart - an issue, indeed, I've covered repeatedly for Channel 4 News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-newman/mental-health-is-an-issue-close-to-my-heart-an-issue-indeed-i-ve/) [Cathy Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-newman/) > [If you have time to be mindful, you have time to meditate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/if-you-have-time-to-be-mindful-you-have-time-to-meditate/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Elkhonon Goldberg > [“A consequence of the brain’s plasticity is that it may change with every experience, thought and emotion, from which it follows that you yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/a-consequence-of-the-brain-s-plasticity-is-that-it-may-change-with/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) > [“Cognition and emotion are both critical parts of normal functioning. As neatly summarized by Dr. Robert Sylwester (whose interview can be found at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/cognition-and-emotion-are-both-critical-parts-of-normal-functioning/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) > [“Other studies show that plastic changes in the brain can even be observed after just a few months. For instance, in 2006, researchers imaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/other-studies-show-that-plastic-changes-in-the-brain-can-even-be/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) > [“Such networks of neurons are built following the principle that “cells that fire together, wire together” (Hebb’s rule). In short, neurons that are frequently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/such-networks-of-neurons-are-built-following-the-principle-that-cells/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) > [“Working memory is the type of memory that allows us to both hold information in mind and work on it as needed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/working-memory-is-the-type-of-memory-that-allows-us-to-both-hold/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) > [“collaborator of our lab, Dr. Yiyuan Tang, studied the impact of mindfulness meditation with undergraduates to improve executive attention, finding significant improvements as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elkhonon-goldberg/collaborator-of-our-lab-dr-yiyuan-tang-studied-the-impact-of/) [Elkhonon Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) [Explore all 7 Elkhonon Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elkhonon-goldberg/) ## More Focus quotes > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [Music is a job, but I figured out ways to get my mind into a place where I could be creative. I actually discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flume/music-is-a-job-but-i-figured-out-ways-to-get-my-mind-into-a-place/) [Flume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flume/) > [“If you're focused, you can't get bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-focused-you-can-t-get-bored/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [There are more important things to focus on in life than how you look.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/there-are-more-important-things-to-focus-on-in-life-than-how-you-look/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [“This is Galileo,” said Aristotle. “He advocates understanding the world through observation and experiment. He is an unimaginative thinker, but his results demand our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/this-is-galileo-said-aristotle-he-advocates-understanding-the-world/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [Too many times we flitter our energy into too many goals and in the process don't achieve much. Focus is very important in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaishali-kasture/too-many-times-we-flitter-our-energy-into-too-many-goals-and-in-the/) [Vaishali Kasture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaishali-kasture/) > [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [All I'm focused on is playing my game. Everything else will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/all-i-m-focused-on-is-playing-my-game-everything-else-will-take-care/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Focus on being productive instead of busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/focus-on-being-productive-instead-of-busy/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) [Browse all 11,734 Focus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Recently, we uncovered an important mechanism by which a month of mindfulness meditation (about 11 hours of practice, 0.5 per day, 5 days a week) improves attention and self-regulation (Tang et al 2010; 2012). This mechanism is a change in the white matter that conducts signals into and out of the anterior cingulate gyrus. 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