Turning Point Q&A with Marsha Lucas

Marsha Lucas, PhD, a licensed psychologist and neuropsychologist, has been practicing psychotherapy and studying the brain-behavior relationship for more than 20 years. Her special interest is in the practice of mindfulness, and the neuroscientific research into its stimulation of the brain to develop new, more integrated circuits, which may be at the heart of well-being, emotional resilience, enhanced relationships, and greater connectedness. She is the author of Rewire Your Brain for Love: Creating Vibrant Relationships Using the Science of Mindfulness. Read more about Marsha here.

Describe what you do in 15 words or less.
I awaken others to our very real ability to change our brains, our relationships, and our lives.

Tell us about a turning point in your life.
I’ve been fascinated by neuropsychology—the study of brain and behavior—since I was about nine years old, when my dad told me why birds move in such a jerky way when they walk (it has to do with the size of the tectum in their brains). I ultimately spent a lot of energy and time studying the brain, but not so much the heart and soul. It was when I moved from behavioral relaxation techniques to mindfulness practice that I woke up from my ambivalence about exploring the deep ocean of emotions. I embraced a core aspect of myself for which there hadn’t been room in my pursuit of the scientific method, and dove into the all-important integration of the brain with the heart, and the mind with the body.

What do you love about teaching?
I love those moments when all of us in the room are attuned, “getting” one another, while learning new ways to be more vibrant and alive in the world that aren’t based just on belief or behavior, but on the actual, measurable integration of our brain and our self.

What are you passionate about right now?
While my first book, Rewire Your Brain For Love, is about using the science of mindfulness to change your brain and your relationships, the subversive child of the sixties in me just loves the potential in all of that for changing the world, for creating a global shift to the perspective that we’re all in this together. World peace!

What do you do in your downtime?
I practice learning from my kiddo about being here, now (and since he’s 10, I also get to learn all about the Baltimore Orioles). I breathe in as much nature as I can. I laugh with friends until I wet my pants. And, as often as I can, I rub the sweet belly of our dog, Bodhi Tzedakah.

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