Yoga citta vritti nirodhah. “Yoga is the ending of disturbances of the mind.”
There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain, the same number of stars in our galaxy…maybe!
As babies, we start off with about 100 billion brain cells. They don’t all last obviously. The brain weighs about three pounds and is the size of two fists. In order to stay conscious, it needs 20% of the body’s oxygen. That’s another reason to breathe deeply! It’s so satisfying to the brain.
The living brain is soft and mushy. The left brain (logic, reasoning, critical thinking) controls the right side (yang) of the body and the right brain (expression, intuition, creativity) controls the left side (yin).
What we do and how we think literally changes the chemical composition and firing patterns of our brains. Yoga increases GABA in the brain. Low activity of GABA is linked with chronic pain, depression, anxiety and PTSD. Yoga is supported by loads of scientific research. It’s not new-age bull, it’s neurobiology!
“It is your attempts to remain calm during times of stress that create yoga’s greatest neurobiological benefit.”
When we learn to breath slower (like during yoga time) the brain moves away from the stress response and towards a more relaxed way of thinking.
“One of the main purposes of yoga is to retrain this habit so that your brain stops automatically invoking the stress response.” -Psychology Today
Stress literally shrinks the brain and yoga totally improves nervous system imbalances. Simple encouragement can also change the chemistry of a brain through raised serotonin.
Meditation has extreme positive effects on our brains. It helps move us away from our egos and towards our souls. It controls our attention, manages emotions, and assists in making kind, mindful choices.
Therapeutic massage also improves neurological function and stimulates the flow of vital energy to the brain. The reflex point for the brain in located on the tip of the big toe.
Thank you for not sniffing paint. And please don’t shake your head around violently as you would in a mosh pit. This tears the axons and destroys brain cells. Dehydration, chronic negative thinking, junk food, alcohol over-use, cigs and pesticides are also not recommended for a happy brain.
Dr. Seuss said, “I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells.” There you go.