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Paula’s
Update This past month I’ve been=
thinking
about the human brain. Yes,=
I am
an odd sort – just ask my family;-) A couple of things pointed me in=
this
direction. One is a recent
article I read on neuroplasticity=
,
the ability of the human brain to re-sculpt or structurally rearrange its=
elf
in response to a wide variety of positive and negative events. More about that later̷=
0; The other thing that’s fu=
eled
my fascination with the brain is my recent craniosacral class. We learned techniques for balanc=
ing
the membranes inside the head, along with the lateral ventricles. The ventricles are curve-shaped
cavities in the cerebrum that protect the head from trauma and provide a
pathway for the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Which is all very interesting if=
you
like anatomy, but… the really cool thing is that when you work with
these structures, you feel as if your hands are deep inside the head, and=
you
experience a sense of oneness, peace and expansion of consciousness, both=
as
a practitioner and as a client. News on Health & Wellness The article on neuroplasticity led me to a very interesting
book “How God Changes Your
Brain” by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman. Newberg=
, a
neuroscientist, is also apparently fascinated with the brain, and has bee=
n taking
pictures of living brains in action.&nbs=
p;
He describes a research study published in 2007 and funded by the
Alzheimer’s foundation that looked at how meditation changes the
structure of the brain and affects cognitive function. In this study, the subjects had never meditated before, but
were experiencing memory loss, and motivated to try something new. They were introduced to a simple
meditation called Kirtan Kriya that integrates the elements of breathing,
sound and movement. Brain s=
cans
and cognitive evaluations were done before and after the 8-week study. For
eight weeks, subjects meditated for 12 minutes daily. Guess what!? Participants enjoyed their morni=
ng
meditation and planned to continue after the study. Their scans showed significant
positive changes in the areas of the brain involved with emotional
regulation, learning and memory.
And subjects demonstrated an average of 20% memory improvement. If you’d like to re-sculpt your brain with this
meditation, click here<=
/a>
for a simple description. I=
n his
book, Newberg also encourages you to design your own memory-enhancing
meditation, with mantras and movements that are meaningful to you, and
incorporate these elements:
Set a specific goal
Stay focused on your intention and goal Regulate your breathing, posture and body movements<= o:p>
Practice the meditation over a period of time I don’t know about you, but I’m willing to dev=
ote
12 minutes a day to keeping my neural circuits lively and happy. If you’re on facebook, ple=
ase
check out my Inner Balance page and let me know your
thoughts and/or experiences with meditation. |
June 2010
"Every man can, =
of
he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain." — |
|
June Special **Save 20% on a Craniosacral Ther=
apy
treatment** $60 for a one-hour treatment,
regularly $75 Schedule before the end of the mo=
nth
and mention this ad |
Upcoming Events R=
eiki I
Training, Saturday, August 7th, 9:30 to 4:30 in |
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