Greetings from Arizona!

I’m currently at the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (NANOS) meeting.

I love the opportunity to connect and collaborate with friends and colleagues at such meetings.

And yay for this joyful moment at another recent meeting, when a friend and colleague came up to me to say, “I love your Mindful Cup of Tea audio guide!”. Yay! ❤️

Since reading my Mindfulness for Brain Health book, she’s been having a Mindful Cup of Tea daily and finds it creates a noticeable shift in her day.

This (and other) mindfulness audio guide comes as a free bonus with this popular book 😊

I wrote Mindfulness for Brain Health, inspired by the huge benefits of mindfulness seen in my research studies. With this book, I show how mindfulness can be easily accessible and how you can create Mindful Moments throughout the day.

I’ve also just finished writing a research paper on mindfulness and brain networks – which has inspired this week’s Thursday Tips!

📍How Mindfulness Shapes Your Brain Networks

Even brief mindfulness practices can create powerful shifts in how you feel and function.

How so? This relates to 3 key brain networks:

🌟1️⃣ Attention Network

This network helps you direct and maintain focus.

During mindfulness practice, you strengthen this network every time you notice your mind wandering and gently bring it back.

Or even if it’s just noticing the present moment as you drink you mindful cup of tea 😊

It’s like doing bicep curls for your brain’s focus muscles!

Regular mindfulness practice can even increase gray matter density in brain regions for attention, helping you stay present with greater ease.

🌟2️⃣ Salience Network

Think of this as your brain’s priority-setting system.

This network helps you determine what deserves your attention and what can fade to the background.

Mindfulness training helps this network function more efficiently, reducing reactivity to minor stressors while maintaining appropriate responses to what truly matters.

This explains why regular practitioners often report feeling less bothered by small daily hassles – their salience network has become more discerning!

🌟3️⃣ Default Mode Network

Remember last January when I wrote about your brain’s “screensaver”?

That’s your default mode network!

This network activates when you’re not focused on specific tasks – often leading to mind-wandering, worrying, or ruminating.

Mindfulness practice helps create healthier patterns in this network, reducing its dominance and creating more balanced brain activity.

The result? Less time caught in unproductive thought loops and more present-moment awareness.

📍Question for you today

Interested in a brief moment of mindfulness? Take 5 slow deep breaths, noticing your posture, gentle movement of your abdomen and chest, following your inhale and exhale for 5 cycles.

Wishing you mindful moments amid the busy-ness,

Dr Sui Wong

Yes, that’s three “yay”s in this post 🤣

PS – interested in learning how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life for managing stress and improving focus and wellbeing? Join me in my upcoming

~ BRA(i)NS® Method Masterclass ~
From Stress to Strength: Balancing Your Nervous System for Calm, Clarity, and Peak Performance

When? Tues March 25, 2025, 5pm GMT (1pmET, 10am PT)
Can’t attend live? Register for LIFETIME ACCESS to masterclass recordings and to SECURE YOUR BONUSES!

PPS – photo here from the NANOS meeting where I was awarded a prize for my Mindfulness research, yay for this surprise!

Dr Sui Wong

Books: Mindfulness for Brain Health , Break Free From Migraines Naturally, Sleep Better to Thrive, Quit Ultra-Processed Foods Now, Sweet Spot for Brain Health

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