THREE PILLARS

The Mindful City Project framework is built on three pillars based on critical, foundational components of neuroscience that have been scientifically researched and proven to be key components of healthy living.  We uniquely integrate these concepts into a transformative, comprehensive and easy-to-use framework and certification process that goes beyond any model used today in public health and the workplace.

Awareness

This pillar is designed to enrich an individual’s daily life and experiences by focusing on awareness of our thoughts (mindfulness practices) and awareness of our emotions (emotional intelligence).

Why?  We have thousands of thoughts every day.  Most of those thoughts are based on a negativity bias and subconscious patterns.  Our brain is programmed to continuously scan for danger and not trained to seek out the good or happiness.  In addition, most people agree that we are walking through our daily lives half asleep, on automatic pilot.  The key to experiencing life more fully, positively, and resiliently is to retrain our brain.  We all know about physical fitness and the numerous benefits of leading an active life.  What we often don’t realize is the brain is a muscle and needs to be exercised as well.  We need to build our brain’s muscles around positivity, happiness, and focused attention.  The way to exercise the brain (mental fitness) is to learn and practice mindfulness and emotional intelligence.  Rewiring our brain, strengthening our resiliency muscle and emotional responses will help lead to overall positive brain health and increased well–being.

Compassion

In today’s world, we need more understanding, support, connectedness and love. But it starts with each of us.  Focusing on and building skills around self-compassion and self-love is the first step.

Then expanding upon self-compassion and being able to understand other people’s perceptions and feelings and want to take action to help them is the outward compassion we need to foster and demonstrate.  It can lead to more effective and supportive responses of other others’ experiences and interactions.  In addition, science has shown that practicing compassion has additional health benefits such as decreased heart rates and increased “good” hormones.  Taking that self-compassion and self-love, and outwardly sharing it with your neighbors and your community is ultimately what builds a connected, compassionate community.  Compassion is collective wisdom, understanding and action.  It’s the building blocks of a Mindful City community.

Generosity

The final pillar incorporates neuroscience and behavior economics and builds upon the skills and practices of mindfulness, emotional intelligence, compassion by focusing on and promoting selfless acts of giving.

In our comprehensive framework, the generosity incudes:

  1. Generosity of spirit
  2. Generosity of wealth
  3. Generosity of time/expertise/knowledge

Giving back and wanting to selflessly help improve the lives of others is the secret ingredient and essential pillar of the Mindful City Project.  Research shows engaging in various acts of generosity has numerous health benefits and increases one’s overall well-being.   It takes a generous, compassionate community to have a healthy, united community.