Want to knit stronger neurons? Crafts can help. Being in the zone, or a state of flow is the latest positive psychology terminology for having energized focus, full involvement and enjoyment. Although it is an ancient idea, entire books are now being written on this rather specific state of mind. Certain tasks may enable you to reach a state of flow. I propose that it is good brain exercise. Being in the flow is good for us. What puts you in a state of flow? Read more →
The process of being aware of what you are doing—thinking about the past, present or future—and doing it consciously, being able to move from one state to the other at will, that is the skill that is worth exercising. It is about not getting stuck in the past, the future, or even the glorious now. Read more →
"...people were less happy when their minds were wandering than when they were not and this was true during all activities, including the least enjoyable." Read more →
If you have ever been held captive by a talking person, you have been pinned. The standard Pinner holds you firmly in place with this distinctive zombie-like stare. While pinned, you are force fed a steady stream of words that you feel obliged to swallow and digest. The irony here is that the root of your suffering is your instinctive politeness, a personality trait that in any other situation you should have every reason to boast about. Read more →
Most people think of heart arrhythmia as something they don't want. Indeed, atrial fibrillation, extra beats, and excessively slow or fast heart rates should have you seeking the advice of a cardiologist. But respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or RSA appears to be an exception. Read more →
Cells—the basic constituent of life—recycle and reuse their constituents, and they have survived on Earth for over three billion years. All cells do this. Three billion years. They are on to something. Read more →
The answer, researchers are finding, is helping people at risk for burnout. This research surprised me. Compassion and empathy activate different brain structures. Read more →
I am fascinated by the mechanism required for us to sense the bottoms of our feet. This simple exercise will increase the resolution of the sensory map in your brain. Read more →
iI is human nature to want instant results, be it from diet, exercise, or meditation. When we don't get instant results we get discouraged. It doesn't have to be that way. Read more →
Especially after a meal, focus on the memory of the meal, and how you are not hungry, immediately after. The Not-Hungry-Contentment feeling is a real sensation that I believe you can become more and more sensitized to. Read more →
During your lifetime, many of your atoms go through multiple hosts. We just borrow them, rearranging them into our particular configuration. Read more →
Possibly several ancient stars contributed to making your heavier elements, stars that existed prior to the formation of our solar system, and that's over five billion years ago. You are ancient. Read more →