The Six Rs

The Six R’s work as a gentle mental, physical, and psychological reset that can be applied both in meditation and daily life. Each cycle helps reduce unwholesome states of mind—such as anxiety, anger, or craving—while strengthening wholesome qualities like calm, clarity, and joy. With consistent practice, the mind naturally develops the seven awakening factors, dissolving craving and moving toward the true goal of meditation: peace, freedom, and liberation.

Neurologically, the Six R’s activate the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which regulates rest, digestion, healing, and emotional balance. As the practice interrupts stress-driven patterns from the sympathetic nervous system (“fight, flight, or freeze”), the brain reorganizes itself through neuroplasticity—the ability of neural pathways to rewire and form new, healthier connections. Over time, this reduces the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline while encouraging dopamine and serotonin production, creating greater emotional resilience.

Physically, the activation of the PNS brings sensations of warmth, openness, lightness, and relief, signaling that the body is moving out of survival mode and into healing mode. Neurologically, this shift quiets the sympathetic nervous system—the body’s “fight, flight, or freeze” response—allowing the brain to disengage from habitual craving, compulsions, anxiety, or anger. In this calm state, new neural pathways can form, supporting healthier emotional regulation and balanced cognitive function.

Psychologically, the Six R’s fosters a gradual release of negative thought loops and sticky emotional states, creating a pause and the feeling  of relief to naturally arise. By training both the brain and body to return to balance, the practice integrates science and meditation into a balance of  resilience and clarity.

Summary, the science behind the Six R’s demonstrates that each cycle acts as a gentle mental, physical, and psychological reset, whether practiced in meditation or daily life. With consistent application, wholesome states naturally strengthen while unwholesome states de-condition and fade. Consistantcy in practice nurtures the seven awakening factors, allowing craving to dissolve and the true goal of meditation—peace, clarity, and liberation—to be realized.