Boost Your Brain-Power

Have you ever been sitting at the table with family, when something comes on the television that causes you to whip your head around so fast that you realign your neck?  This recently happened to me, while having dinner with my in-laws.  They love to watch the news during dinner.  Generally I ignore the news, as each time I watch it, I need to meditate on the goodness of man in order to counterbalance what the depressing reports of doom and gloom and violence.

So we were sitting there, when a report came on that spoke about increasing your brain functioning.  Actually, I think it may have been some sort of marketing piece, as it was produced by Sutter Health; but hey, if it's good information, who cares if they hope to make a sale out of it, right?  ;-)  Anyhow, what I found most interesting is that their top 5 things to increase brain functioning are all things that Mindful Measures focuses on with our product line.  Without tooting my horn any more than I have to (and you all know how much I like to toot my own horn) let's look at what they recommended:

1. Use It or Lose It - Sutter Health recommends that we challenge our brains in order to keep them performing optimally.  They suggest puzzles, brain-teasers, learning a new language or taking a class.  As the strength comes from establishing new neuro-pathways and strengthening new ones, I would also add learning new habits to that list as well.
2. Brain/Body Work-Out - They recommended exercising as a means of increasing blood-flow to the brain.  30 Minutes or more of aerobic exercise helps bring much needed oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
3. Veg Out - Sutter Health points out that the brain needs a balanced diet in order to function optimally.  They recommend increasing your vegetable intake, while decreasing the amount of animal protein you eat.  I generally qualify this by stating that everyone's lifestyle and work requirements are different, so you should visit a qualified nutritionist to evaluate your particular dietary habits.  But certainly eating more vegetables never hurt anyone (except perhaps that guy who choked on a baby carrot).
4. Keep it Friendly - They pointed out that socially connected individuals are less likely to experience dementia as they get older.  I would add to that, that it is our relationships with others that stimulate the emotional registrars in the mammalian part of the brain.  The strategies that we employ to keep those around us happy incorporate the outer layers of the neocortex.  But most importantly, by creating and nurturing healthy relationships with others, we experience more profound levels of joy and happiness which are required for optimized learning and brain functioning. 
5. Good Chemistry - Sutter Health actually placed this as their 4th item on their list.  Whether that was an attempt to tame down the self-serving nature of their video, or whether it was considered as more important than good relationships, I do not know.  Their point was that feeling depressed or regularly down is often an indication of a chemical imbalance.  They recommend seeking help from a qualified professional.  I would as well, though I am generally reluctant to recommend prescriptive drugs to counteract the imbalance (except in rare cases for short-term results).  Our brains and bodies naturally produce the bio-chemicals that we need in order to feel good, assuming we are following the rest of this list.

So there you have it.  Sutter Health and Mindful Measures have been suggesting the same tips for optimal brain functioning.  That's two highly qualified sources, with no agenda to sell you anything ;-).  If you would like to see the Sutter Health video in full, please visit https://mylifestages.org/sites/MyLifeStages/videos/video_brain.page

If you would like to see what I have had to say on the subject, then please feel free to browse through my earlier postings and visit my Youtube Channel for Vlog posts.  We will continue to provide more content, so please feel free to follow our blog, subscribe to us on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

Bejeweled: 12 Essential Life Lessons of an iPhone MMO Game:

After many nights of me lying in bed trying to go to sleep, while my wife endlessly swiped away on her iPhone, she has finally convinced me to try her favorite addiction: Bejeweled 2 Blitz.  For those of you who have already tried your hand (or fingers) at this narcotic, you know just how addicting the game can be.  For those of you who have not yet tried it, I am not sure if I recommend it or not.  I have only been playing it for one night see, and I am not sure what the long-term effects may be.  However, if you would like to try it, I will give you a free sample, but you must pay me $1 each time you play thereafter.  See, I did learn something from New Jack City. 

If you have never played the game, it really isn’t much different from many of the other casual games out there; save that in this version, each game is only one minute, and your score will be compared with the scores of all of your Facebook friends.  After one night of playing, here are some of the Life Lessons that I have picked up:

1.  I am not nearly as brilliant as I seem to think I am.  Perhaps I should not put myself up on a pedestal.
2. My friends are far smarter than I give them credit for.  Perhaps I should tell them sometime.  Unless of course, they already know, and have put themselves up on the pedestal I just vacated.
3. Never look at flashy lights; they are only there to distract you.
4. Sometimes things line up perfectly, but we just don’t see it; damn those flashy lights!
5. When stuck, sometimes it helps to change our depth of focus from short to long, or long to short. 
6.  Don’t fixate on color; we must be open to the full spectrum, else we miss rewarding opportunities.
7. While we may not be able to get a lot done in a minute, we can waste a lot of time in 60 second intervals.  Be mindful of every moment.
8. While some playing fields may be easier to navigate than others, we must do the best with what we've been given.
9. Sometime it’s ok to ask for help.
10. Sometimes help that is offered is not the best solution.
11. Sometimes, we just need to put the game on hold so that we can sleep.  Recovery is essential to performance.
12. In the end, it doesn’t matter what your score was; it’s just a game.

Music for Memory Enhancement

In the midst of global Cold War, two forces are locked in an epic struggle for power. The stakes are high. The winner will dominate the world economy for decades to come. Deep within the heart of the Soviet empire, a scientist made a discovery which would come to change the world of learning.

Georgi Lazanov, MD, was charged with the task of uncovering ways to improve the education of Soviet children. His work would lead to a break-through revelation. Although his discovery would not enable the Soviets to win the Cold-War, his contribution to education would serve the World.

Pulling on his expertise in Raja Yoga, Georgi Lazanov, MD had discovered that certain styles of music could enhance brain functioning. Vedic teaching, the source of Yogic practices, has pulled on the use of music to create enhanced mental states for thousands of years. Dr. Lazanov drew from this tradition when he published his studies that showed that certain pieces of Baroque music could boost memory retention dramatically. The pieces that led to dramatic improvements in memory were noted to pace at 60 beats per minute. Later studies would demonstrate similar memory enhancement with other genres of music that also contained a 60 beats per minute structure.

Some of the brightest minds in Western culture made it a habit to listen to Classical music regularly. Most of us have heard that listening to Classical music while studying can improve grades in school. The key though, is not just to listen to Classical music. It is to listen to specific pieces of Classical music. In order to dramatically increase your memory proficiency, you should listen to music with 60 beats per minute. This is one of many critical tools we utilize in Mindful Measures in order to boost retention rates by nearly 10x's. Try our products today and you will join a new wave of people who are experiencing remarkable results.