Air Born For Father's Day

For all you fathers (and others) out there who could use a brain/body boost, here are four methods scientifically shown to create more brain cells and more energy.

Since you can listen to a meditation at bedtime with no physical output, MEDITATION gets the best performance return for your time.

Try it for FREE - Download my simple AWARENESS Meditation HERE

Look for more details on meditation towards the end of this article.

Do Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise has a very strong positive effect on the brain as well. For example, Dr. Laura Baker of the University of Washington studied older adults with mild cognitive problems. Her experiment involved one group doing aerobic exercise while the other group did stretching. The aerobic group improved brain function while the stretching group continued to decline.

Another study by Dr. Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic with 1,324 elderly adults found exercise helps avoid mental decline.

Dr. Rusty Gage of the Salk Institute showed that aerobic exercise increases the size of the hippocampus in mice. This is important in trauma and performance because the hippocampus is a part of the brain that trauma damages.

Smile

A smile is the universal expression of happiness. Besides building brain cells, a smile prompts your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins raise your level of optimism and reduce your stress. Optimistic people live longer. Try to laugh and smile as much as possible.

Even a fake smile is good for you. Dr. Fritz Stack of the University of Wurzberg in Germany tested volunteers by having them hold a pen in their mouth. The testing was done with the pen held by the teeth, which creates a fake smile or held by the lips which creates a frown. He found that their mood changed based upon how they held the pen.

When painting the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci hired jesters to amuse his model. Da Vinci captured a smile that has arguably made the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world, even 500 years later. The painting is important because something in that smile makes us feel good. As da Vinci’s famous portrait shows, people will find you more attractive and want to look at you when you smile.

Yawn

Yawning sends blood to the brain so it improves alertness and builds brain cells. Dogs will frequently yawn before attacking. Yawning also decreases stress levels so you feel relaxed. Yawn often, although social customs may frown upon it. Try it. After a few fake yawns, you will start getting some good ones. After about 12 yawns, your eyes will water and you will be very relaxed. Yawning is so contagious that even reading about yawning may stimulate a yawn.ny scientific studies show meditation improves brain function. Contemplative neuroscience is now a hot field of study. Meditation is a technique to focus your mind so that your thoughts are not jumping around. This focusing technique trains the mind to think clearly (remember, it is the second priority of the subconscious mind).

Although attitudes are changing, people in western culture generally perceive meditation negatively. As contemplative neuroscience continues to show the benefits of meditation, people are becoming more open towards it.

You can find many styles of meditation, divided into three general types: mindfulness meditation, focused meditation and meditation in motion. All three yield benefits. More study is needed to determine the relative merits of the different approaches.

Mindfulness Meditation

In 2010, the American Psychological Association put out a special issue on mindfulness meditation in their scientific journal Emotion. In recent years, scientists have undertaken considerable work using fMRI techniques on mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation has a direct effect on the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. These are two areas of the brain which trauma seriously impacts.

In mindfulness training, you are taught not to evaluate your thoughts but simply to observe them. If an emotion comes forward, you are simply to acknowledge it. For example, if anger comes forward, think “I am feeling angry” rather than identify with the anger and think “I am an angry person.”

This idea that you are to observe your thoughts and emotions is somewhat foreign to traditional western thought. Buddhist monks have done this kind of meditation for centuries. When tested with fMRI techniques, monks with many years of meditating showed a highly developed prefrontal cortex. They also were superior at recognizing someone in distress compared to an untrained western person.

One type of mindfulness meditation is a body scan. You start either sitting comfortably or lying on your back and then focus on your toes. It is not easy because your mind will wander. When your mind loses the focus, simply acknowledge the new thought or feeling and move back to the toes. Gradually, move up and stop at each body part until you finish at the top of the head.

Focused Meditation

Focused meditation involves voluntarily honing in on one specific item. It can be an object, a word, a short prayer or your breath. Zen, Transcendental Meditation (TM) and the Benson Henry protocol discussed in Chapter 7 are examples of this style. The Maharishi Foundation reports over 600 scientific studies at 250 universities validating the health benefits of TM. The intent of focused meditation is that the mind will not be distracted by other thoughts.

Structured Guided Meditation

In the meditation series we have produced, MEDITATE & THRIVE, you are introduced to 8 meditations that teach you the 8 specific behaviours that nurture the priorities of your subconscious. Your subconscious controls 95% of your human functioning. Your performance depends on your ability to manage it.

Meditation in Motion

Meditation can involve concentration on movement such as Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a martial art developed in China both for self defense training and for health benefits. The movements are performed slowly with an emphasis on control and precision. Dr. Chenchen Wang of Tufts University reviewed 40 studies of Tai Chi and found that Tai Chi improved psychological well-being and reduced stress.

?If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to try these techniques, either by yourself or with a group. This will help you keep your brain healthy and enhance your ability to think clearly.

Have a great day!

Download my free meditation Gift - The AWARENESS MEDITATION

Listen at bedtime, follow the suggestions, and become more aware        

The safest, healthiest way we can help another person.

1. Click - FREE to Download my First Book, Thriving in Transition, How to turn adversity into the opportunity of a lifetime. DougSmithPerformance.com
2. Click - FREE Download my brand new AWARENESS Meditation. Follow the suggestions.

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