Train Your Brain To Let Go Of Habits – 10 Methods For Creating New Neural Pathways When you understand how neural pathways are created in the brain, you get a front row seat for truly comprehending how to let go of habits. Neural pathways are like superhighways of nerve cells that transmit messages. You travel over the superhighway many times, and the pathway becomes more and more solid. You may go to a specific food or cigarettes for comfort over and over, and that forms a brain pathway. The hopeful fact, however, is that the brain is always changing and you can forge new pathways and create new habits. That’s called the neuroplasticity of the brain. I used to drive with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator, and I wanted to train myself to drive with one foot only. Because of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ever-changing potentials, anything is possible. Whether you work with others on their habits or you work with your own (or both), you can apply these understandings to boost your success. Some Powerful Ways to Retrain the Brain 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
6 Magnificent Meditation Illustrations To Improve Your Practice Anxiety There is No Right Way to Meditate How to Be a Silent Witness to Your Thoughts Seven Simple Ways to Practice Peace Sometimes It’s Okay if the Only Thing You Did Today was Breathe 10 Ways To Get Rid of Your Bad Mood By Yumi Sakugawa. Republished here with permission. (She has many more amazing comics and illustrations, make sure to have a look!) Also be sure to check out her lovely book: I Think I Am In Friend-Love With You. Look Into Your Mind “Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.” - Alan Watts Tweet I am a guest here, so I’ll start with this. The mission of HighExistence says the site aims to… When I first started learning about Zen Buddhist philosophy, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you whether or not it encompassed all of these things. Now, I definitely can. Why? Mindfulness (always being in the here-and-now)Compassion (generally being a nice, open person)Honesty (both to others, and also to yourself)Health (exercise, good food, and genuine relationships) Zen values experience over intellectualization; while it’s of high importance to learn, read books, and read stuff like this, you mostly need to get off your ass and really exist! Your happiness, freedom, and understanding of the mind– these all rely on your ability to not resist. Historically, people have worked on doing this in various ways. Don’t fear your own mind.
How The Brain Works During The Two Main Types of Meditation During meditation the mind may wander, but is that necessarily a bad thing? A new study on what happens in the brain when you meditate finds that more thoughts and emotions may be processed in ‘non-directive’ forms of meditation. All the different types of meditation can be split into two main types: In non-directive types of meditation, people focus on their breathing or a sound, but also allow their mind to wander where it will.In concentrative types of meditation, people try to focus closely on their breath, or something else, in order to suppress other thoughts and feelings they experience. To examine the differences, a Norwegian study had some meditators practising concentrative meditation and others non-directive meditation, while their brains were scanned (Xu et al., 2014). One of the study’s authors, Svend Davanger, explained the results: “The study indicates that nondirective meditation allows for more room to process memories and emotions than during concentrated meditation.”
The Miracle of 528 Hz Solfeggio & Fibonacci Numbers Solfeggio tones create music to calm an overactive mind and send us towards connecting with the divine. According to Dr. Leonard Horowitz, 528 Hertz is a frequency that is central to the “musical mathematical matrix of creation.” More than any sound previously discovered, the “LOVE frequency” resonates at the heart of everything. The Love frequency is the “Miracle” note of the original Solfeggio musical scale. Math scientist Victor Showell describes 528 as fundamental to the ancient Pi, Phi, and the Golden Mean evident throughout natural design. 528 resolves to a 6, the icon for physical manifestation. 528 is known as the ‘Miracle’ tone which brings remarkable and extraordinary changes. 1. an extraordinary occurrence that surpasses all known human powers or natural forces and is ascribed to a divine or supernatural cause, esp. to God. The 528Hz tone alone is associated with ‘DNA Repair‘ They restored the water’s vitality as manifested by the return of fish, dolphins and even barnacles.
100 Possessions: How Giving Up Everything Can Make Your Life More Full It was seven years ago and I was tired when it happened. I don’t remember what put me on tilt. I had spent too much time in one place. All the stuff I had collected was holding me down. No person needs three George Foreman Grills. Eight pairs of snowboard boots. I deleted it all. That night, using my shoes as a pillow, I slept on the floor in my empty master bedroom. The next day I went to the department store because I needed a fresh pair of socks. I needed a dam. The problems started with my stupid toothbrush. The logic I decided upon is not important. The Cost of Carry Beyond the cost of purchase there is the burden of ownership. Ego-Depletion Everything I owned could now fit into one bug-out-bag. Limits Inspire Creativity Creativity exploded in my life. Six years have passed since I deleted all my stuff. So travel light and become humble strong. My list lives here You don’t need it, but you have a dozen or more of it.
Lucid Dreaming - Gateway to the Inner Self > Home Meditation and Neuroplasticity: Five key articles | Meditation Research Meditation not only changes our mind but also our brain – this is what more and more neuroscientific research suggests. Neuroplasticity – the change of brain structures as a result of experience – is considered to be one of the most important discoveries of neuroscience. Over the last 10 years evidence has been growing that not only the acquisition of navigational knowledge by London Taxi drivers (see video) or learning a new motor task like juggling (see article), but also meditation practice can lead to significant changes to brain structures. Here I respond to a recent request and list five key articles on that topic. Article 1: Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness To my knowledge this is the first study showing differences in brain structure between meditators and non-meditators. Lazar, S. doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19 Article 2: Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem Luders, E., Toga, A.
How to Respond to Negative People Without Being Negative “Don’t let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” ~Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama A woman with whom I once worked seemed to talk non-stop and loudly, interrupt incessantly, gossip about whomever wasn’t in the room, constantly complain, and live quite happily in martyrdom. It seemed nothing and no one escaped her negative spin. At first, my judgmental mind thought her behavior to be quite inappropriate. Her negativity was infectious. For a while, though, I listened to her whenever she followed me into the lunchroom or the ladies’ room. I’d excuse myself from the one-sided chit-chat as soon as possible, wanting to someday be honest enough to kindly tell her that I choose not to listen to gossip. And it was exhausting because whether I listened to her or not, or even managed to momentarily escape her altogether, I was still held captive by her negativity. I interacted with her only a handful of times a month, but her negative presence lingered on in my life. Photo credit: D.
5 Ways To Harness Neurogenesis: Boost Your Brain Neurogenesis is the birth of new neurons from neural stem or progenitor cells in the brain. It was long considered that the number of neurons was fixed and they did not replicate after maturity of the brain. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that neurogenesis was observed in the brains of humans, other primates and a number of other species that led to its widespread scientific acceptance. There are a number of behavioural, environmental, pharmacological and biochemical factors that affect this process, many of which we have considerable power to influence. Neurogenesis is also linked to changes in neuroplasticity, which is referring to changes in synapses and neural pathways in the brain. This area is an example of a complete scientific turn around. Neurogenesis has been found to occur in two brain regions; the subventricular zone and the hippocampus. To reverse this process we need to harness neurogenesis. Exercise Diet Diet plays an important role in brain health and neurogenesis. Meditation
The Nimatullahi Sufi Order Ommwriter 25 Documentaries Everybody Should Watch Sans Soleil This is not your average documentary. It is a fleeting memory, a sudden remembrance of times long past, a meditation on time and culture, a touch of an emotional diary. We follow the eyes of a world traveller who makes sharp observations and tries to convey them to his friend. The Corporation Corporate personhood is probably the elephant in the room when it comes politics. Watch The Corporation for FREE on Amazon Instant Video Cosmos: A Personal Voyage This list wouldn’t be complete without the documentary Cosmos. The Union: The Business Behind Getting High This is a must watch for everyone. Watch The Union on YouTube. The Century of the Self If I have to recommend one documentary to anyone, this is it. Life in a Day 1 day, 80.000 clips worth 4.500 hours of video, 192 nations and these three questions. Watch Life in a Day on YouTube. Food Inc. Where does your food come from? Watch Food Inc. for FREE on Amazon Instant Video Inside LSD Watch Inside LSD on YouTube. Taxi to the Dark Side