However, once I give some thought to where stress exists, or
is experienced, and the sequence of events leading to the
physiology of stress, a body full of hormones and
neurotransmitters more appropriate to combating an attack
than the board room or the living room, I can recognize that
there are some interventions I can work on to change the
chemistry inside my body.

I can change my thoughts, which will change my feelings,
which will give me more time to make choices about my
behavior.

And according to Dr. Daniel Amen, relaxation actually
activates the higher perceptual centers of my brain for
better decision making.

That is a good payoff for learning a stress management
technique.

Perhaps the most important stress management technique to
learn is that my thoughts, my interpretations of sensory
data, are what brings the chemistry of stress into my body.

And that process happens very fast, about twice as fast as I
can blink my eyes.

And one stressful thought can bring on another and another,
and before a second has elapsed, (that is right, one second)
I may have generated a sequence of thoughts that leave me
filled with enough adrenalin and cortisol to move me into
distress rather than eustress, and then I can keep myself
there long enough to begin to impact my brain fitness, my
heart fitness, and the rest of my body too.

My first really successful stress management technique was
to say the phrase; “Gratitude is the attitude” to myself,
and that worked, because someone always has it worse off
than I do, but the relief I felt when saying that phrase to
myself was short lived.

Somewhere I had picked up the idea that I was supposed to
have long periods of contentment, sort of like a drug
experience, and that is not how your body normally works.

In other words, I need to practice gratitude frequently,
starting with thoughts (and/or breathing) and my body will
eventually follow along and learn that the physiology of
contentment is what I want it to learn, and stay near.

In my early days of seeking a seeking a stress management
technique, I looked at many different tools, and there are a
lot of good meditative and cognitive tools out there,
including Open Focus, Transcendental Meditation, working
out, but for my money, I want a tool that does not require
me to stop what I am doing and sit quietly meditating.

In other words it has to be usable while I am going about my
daily business, and of all the tools I have tried, the one
that has worked best for me is learning how to do the heart
rate variability biofeedback.

I can feel the change using heart rate variability
biofeedback, and since I learned the skill on a computer, I
know that my physiology changes when I do the Quick
Coherence Technique.

So when I feel myself getting critical or judgemental or
snappy, (and I still use gratitude thoughts by the way) I
can switch my thoughts to the area around my heart, place my
children’s faces there, and feel my heart become more
coherent, and since I have some experience with Heartmath
heart rate variability biofeedback, my body switches back to
a cooperative and affiliative physiology within a heart beat.

Not quite the speed of thought but close, and that tool has
saved me a lot of regrets over the years. I have been able
to operate from a heartfelt cooperation and affiliation more
and more often.

In fact, the practice of heart rate variability has given
me a felt experience of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
concept that you do not have to accept thoughts as truths.
You can dispute them. In other words, I can fill myself with
love and then think one distressing thought and fill myself
with the feeling of stress or despair, and then think the
loving thought, and feel the love come right back into my
body. You can even dispute the thoughts that make you feel
good, if you want.

So we have managed to move ourselves from the realm of the
external making me feel stressed, because it is my thought
about the external that brings on the adrenalin and cortisol
inside my body, and using and some mindfulness coupled with
some practice, I can steer my physiology like I steer my car
with thousands of small adjustments.

In fact, I may get so good at heart rate variability
biofeedback that it runs in the background of my brain,
popping into the foreground for a heart beat’s worth of
attention on an as-needed basis.

It is important to recognize for some folks that heart rate
variability biofeedback is a learned skill and does not
override any basic biological process. In other words, I can
still activate my fight or flight chemistry if needed for a
real attack.

If you want to check out the benefits of having your own
personal stress management technique for your neurogenesis,
or the growth of new brain cells, then read Brainfit for
Life by Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D.

Hope you enjoy your coherence!

About the Author:

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, counselor, a
student of Chi Gong, and a licensed one on one HeartMath
provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and
psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and
Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing.
http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

To find really effective panic cures, you simply must begin
by analyzing yourself, and everything you have to do in
order to get over the attacks as fast as possible. Nobody
needs to be prone to the difficulty breathing as well as
wooziness, and if you are among the many individuals who
wants a solution right now, then you should explore deep
into your matters to obtain the solution. Anxiety and panic
attacks can often be reduced by first figuring out which
kind of instances cause you to be the most stressed and
prone to have an anxiety attack. Once you start to do this,
you’ll be much closer to finally stopping your attacks
completely.

To begin with the process of naturally conquering panic
attacks, think about one specific scenario that may be
causing your blood pressure to skyrocket sending you into a
real anxiety attack. This is usually done by someone who
really wants to prevent their anxiety attacks before they
happen. As you observe yourself giving in to pressure,
breathe deeply and think about the worst type of possible
end result of what can happen by allowing the stress to take
over. You are the one in control always, and it’s critical
that you know and understand this. With repetition like a
mantra or an affirmation, you begin taking over the power
over your body and mind, as a result defeating these attacks
forever.

Employing different inhaling and exhaling exercises can
easily put you into a much more peaceful and soothed state
of mind. Doing this you’ll create a good breathing technique
of your own which you can make use of in a scenario which you
know will cause a panic attack. You want to have many methods
of letting you conquer panic attacks, which are nothing more
then our own interpretations of what happens to us. You can
also try counting to ten or twenty while you’re deep
breathing. This could be a very effective method to calm you
down in the moment if you feel like you haven’t any control
over yourself.

Whenever contemplating every one of the ways of controlling
anxiety attacks efficiently, you must additionally look at
the power of meditation. You’ll quickly see that the signs
and symptoms of emotional stress and uneasiness begin fading
away when you get into a more calm state of mind. Give
thought to the internal conversation you might be having, in
order to develop a plan of coping with them, in the course of
and prior to starting feeling weighed down . and anxious.
Often times panic attacks emerge because of the subconscious
fears, so it’s always a good idea to focus on just what
bothers you in most aspects of life in the time of
meditation sessions. The most effective methods to cure just
about any anxiety or anxiety and panic attacks is to to take
some time to think about all the amazing things in your life
that you love, get pleasure from and enjoy. Doing this is a
natural way to remove tension, nervousness, and panic
attacks.

About the Author:

Find out more about overcoming panic attacks and anxiety
cures on our blog at http://overcomingpanicattacks4good.com

Fast, rapid breathing is one side effect, heart feeling like
it’s beating too fast is another. Feeling an almost
overwhelming sense of doom is how some sufferers describe
what they’re going through while battle a tense, nauseated
tightness in the pit of the stomach.

Tense muscles and having trouble paying attention and
focusing on even simple tasks are some of the problems that
anxiety can cause. You can have all the symptoms or a few
and they can come when a trigger that flips the anxious
feelings is tripped.

There are many health problems that can cause anxiety so
before you assume that yours is normal anxiety, go see your
doctor. Health problems that can make anxiety develop are
trouble with the heart-an undiagnosed heart condition or
disorder, anemia, diabetes and problems with the thyroid
gland. Once you’ve been checked and ruled those out, then
you can take herbal remedies for anxiety and find successful
treatment.

For hundreds of years, herbs have been used to help heal a
variety of ailments. While many over the counter and
prescription drugs have dangerous side effects, when used
the right way, herbs can be safely ingested.

If you’re not sure which herb to use for anxiety or how much
of it to use, seek the guidance of a doctor who specializes
in alternative medicine. You’ll find numerous doctors who
practice naturopathic medicine and you can look them up
under holistic practitioners too.

Anxiety and stress are bonded together much like a circle of
metal. You can’t see where one part ends and the other
begins. Stress is not bad as long as it’s not overpowering.
Some stress that can be helpful for you is the stress of a
project deadline. It keeps you steadily working toward
meeting that goal and that’s not a bad stress to feel. But
relentless stress can be counterproductive.

Herbal remedies for anxiety can relieve you not only of the
anxiety but also of the stress you might be feeling. Herbals
can help you to relax and put you in a better frame of mind
as you seek to find the underlying reason that’s causing the
trouble.

Biofeedback is another very powerful tool to have in your
anti-anxiety tool box. Biofeedback technology has grown more
and more sophisticated in the last 30 years, and it is
possible now to train both brain waves and heart rate
variability using computerized programs.

Biofeedback is learned, so it is much more permanent than
binaural beat tones for example, or visualizations.

I have been using the emWave heart rate variability
biofeedback tool personally and professionally for quite
some time, and I think it is an excellent tool to use with
herbal remedies like green tea, with l-theanine.

When I first bought the heart rate variability biofeedback
tool, I had no idea how long it would take for me to learn
how to use it.

Turns out it took 6 one-half hour practices for me to feel
confident that I could induce the relaxation (and is it
relaxing) physiology without being hooked up to the
computer. In other words, whenever I feel stress or anxiety,
I can use my cue thought and breathing tools, and feel the
relaxation replace the stress and anxiety.

The important thing to remember is that I need to continue
to pay attention to the eustress/distress continuum and
adjust my breathing and thinking tools regularly, sort of
like how I steer a car, with many tiny adjustments.

In the background of your thinking, you might remind
yourself often that too much adrenaline and cortisol
inhibits your brain’s ability to grow new brain cells daily,
which is called neurogenesis.

As far as I am concerned, bigger is better when it comes to
brains, so I will learn to pay attention to my thinking and
feeling, and I will use herbal remedies for anxiety, like
green tea, which is also full of antioxidants, another
important part of the brain fitness continuum.

So remember, you can impact anxiety with herbs used as
directed, and they are really effective when included in a
brain fitness lifestyle. Here is to a bigger brain.

About the Author:

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, counselor, a
student of Chi Gong, and a licensed one on one HeartMath
provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and
psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and
Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing.
http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

Spas use them regularly as part of their therapeutic
services, such as during massages, scrubs, and facials. But
you don’t need to go to a high-priced spot in order to get
the benefits of aromatherapy. In fact, you can use essential
oils right in your own home and turn it into a relaxing
retreat from the world. The trick is, you need to know how
to choose the best essential oil diffuser for your purposes.

Candle diffuser – this version uses a bowl with a candle
inside. A few drops of oil are placed in the bowl, and the
heat from the flame causes the oil to evaporate into the
air.

Lamp rings — oil is dropped onto the ring and placed over
the lamp, and the heat from the electric bulb causes the oil
to evaporate and disperse through the air. However, these
types of diffusers should be used with caution because they
are hard to monitor and can lead to fires if too hot of a
bulb wattage is used.

Fan diffuser — this diffuser does not need heat. In order
to release the oil aroma, the oil is absorbed by a small
pad. The fan diffuser blows cool air across the pad,
dispersing the oils through the air.

Nebulizer – this diffuser has a motor at its base that turns
the oil into a vapor that wafts into the air. Like the fan
diffuser, no heat source is used in this method.

Electric nebulizer — this diffuser uses both a fan and heat
to give off oil aromas to the entire room.

Your choice of diffuser will depend somewhat on the
environment you plan to use it in. For instance, you might
not want an extra heat source if you live in an extremely
dry, hot area. Also, if you have small children or are
unable to continuously monitor the diffuser, it might be
best to avoid the diffusers with open flames or heat
sources.

On the other hand, heat diffusers offer one of the easiest
and most practical ways to disperse essential oils through
the air. If you don’t have an electrical source, then the
nebulizer that plugs into a wall socket isn’t going to do
you much good!

Now that you know the various types of diffusers available,
you can make an informed choice and start to fill your house
with the relaxing or energizing aromas you like best.
Purchase a diffuser today, start to experiment with
essential oils, in turn your home into a relaxing retreat
from the stresses of everyday life!

About the Author:

Check out this site for the best essential oil diffusers:
http://essentialoildiffusershop.com/

Singing different tones attributed to each chakra makes it
easy to feel where they are located. The seven different
tones are sometimes arranged in a chromatic scale, generally
that of C major. This is a Western precept gained from
measuring the frequencies of the rainbow colours attributed
to each chakra. There are varying thoughts regarding the
notes of each chakra, some saying the Root chakra is an A
note and others saying it is a B note. Staying with our
Western idea that the chakras are in C Major, the First
chakra would be the note of C, the Second would be D, the
Third an E, the Fourth an F, the Fifth a G, the Sixth an A
and the seventh would be a B note.

The Chakras

The First or ‘Root’ Chakra (MULADHARA) is located at the
base of spine. Its element is Earth and it is Red in colour.
The sense this chakra represents is smell and, energetically
it represents grounding and security. The tone that
resonates with this chakra is ‘UH’, or in the Vedic
tradition LAM. Crystals and Gemstones for this chakra are
Smoky Quartz, Garnet, Alexandrite, Ruby, Agate, Bloodstone,
Onyx, Tiger’s Eye and Rose Quartz.

The Second or ‘Sacral’ chakra (SVADISTHANA), also known as
the Hara, is located between the root and navel. Its element
is Water and it is Orange in colour. The sense this chakra
represents is taste, energetically it represents sexuality
and life energy. The tone that resonates with this chakra is
‘OO’, or in the Vedic tradition, VAM. Crystals and Gemstones
for this chakra are Amber, Citrine, Topaz, Aventurine,
Moonstone and Jasper.

The Third or ‘Solar Plexus’ chakra (MANIPURA) is located at
the navel. Its element is Fire and it is Yellow in colour.
The sense this chakra represents is sight and, energetically
it represents ego and self esteem. The tone that resonates
with this chakra is ‘OH’, or in the Vedic tradition RAM.
Crystals and Gemstones for this chakra are Yellow Citrine,
Apatite, Calcite, Kunzite, Rose Quartz, Iron Pyrites (Fool’s
Gold), Topaz and Malachite.

The Fourth chakra (ANAHATA) is located at the heart. Its
element is Air and it is Green in colour. The sense this
chakra represents is touch and, energetically it represents
love. The tone that resonates with this chakra is ‘AH’, or
in the Vedic tradition YAM. Crystals and Gemstones for this
chakra are Emerald, Green Calcite, Amber, Azurite,
Chrysoberyl, Jade, Rose and Watermelon Tourmalines.

The Fifth chakra (VISUDHA) is located at the throat. Its
element is Ether and it is Blue in colour. The sense this
chakra represents is hearing and, energetically it
represents communication. The tone that resonates with this
chakra is ‘EH’ (or sometimes ‘MEM’), or in the Vedic
tradition HAM. Crystals and Gemstones for this chakra are
Lapis Lazuli, Aquamarine, Sodalite, Turquoise and Sapphire.

The Sixth chakra (AJNA) is located at the Third eye. Its
element is Light and it is Violet in colour. The sense this
chakra represents is light and, energetically it represents
insight and imagination. The tone that resonates with this
chakra is ‘EE’, or in the Vedic tradition SHAM. Crystals and
Gemstones for this chakra are Amethyst, Purple Apatite,
Azurite, Calcite, Pearl, Sapphire, Blue and White Fluorite.

The Seventh or ‘Crown’ chakra (SAHASRARA) is located at the
top of the head. It is Indigo in colour. Energetically this
chakra represents transcendence. The tone that resonates
with this chakra is ‘I’ (EYE) or in the Vedic tradition AUM.
Crystals and Gemstone for this chakra are Diamond, White
Tourmaline, White Jade, Snowy Quartz and Celestite.

Journeying through the Seven chakras

We start with the Root chakra; this is all about survival,
food and shelter. Once we have this sorted in our lives we
move onto the second chakra where we experience sex and life
energy. So having moved from a state of survival we then move
into a state of sexuality. We then move up into a sense of
‘self’ with the Third chakra. This is an ‘I will’ or ‘I
want’ mentality. Having connected with our ‘selves’ and our
ego’s, we can then to move to the heart chakra where we can
love and move beyond our selfish motives. Moving up to the
throat chakra we experience communication, not only spoken
but also telepathy. Naturally we then move up to our Third
eye which is all about insight and meditation. This is the
point where we transcend our physical and emotional needs
and move beyond to experience meditation. This leads nicely
onto the crown chakra where we experience Nirvana or
enlightenment.

Experiencing Your Chakras

By singing the chakra tones we are literally singing
ourselves back in tune with existence. To feel and
experience your chakras, you will need to sit in a quiet,
meditative space and chant the relevant tones for each
chakra. It is a good idea to start at the First or root
chakra by chanting ‘UH’. Some find it easier to visualise
the colour of the chakras while chanting. Repeat the ‘UH’
chant for several minutes before moving on to the Second
chakra, chanting ‘OO’. Continue to move up through all the
chakras, and after several minutes chanting the ‘I’ for the
Crown chakra, move back down through all the chakras to the
First or Root chakra.

You will experience each chakra as a swirling, circular
energy, hence the name ‘the wheel of light’. After chanting
up and down through your chakras, it is a good idea to sit
quietly. This is a fantastic meditation that relaxes and
replenishes our being.

About the Author:

For chakra and meditation music please visit
http://www.SoundsOrange.com We also have a vast collection
of Free downloads, an online radio station and our new
Holistic Life TV, showing concert videos, Reiki videos and
seminars ranging from vaccination talks to Tai Chi.

The most important action that a sufferer can take is to
source and understand as much information as possible about
colitis, including personal knowledge from fellow sufferers
who have the exact priceless advice that is so useful. When
a clear understanding of how the disease affects the
sufferer is possessed then there will always be a better
chance that the correct action is taken when symptoms do
unfortunately appear. This includes the notion that a
sufferer should ensure that they take responsibility for
their illness and how they deal with their daily living. By
undertakeing such actions, the sufferer will have greater
confidence and avoiding stress which results from being
unaware of what is actually happening to them.

By becoming more knowledgeable about colitis you will have
greater awareness of the influence and role stress can play.
Part of this is to anticipate the daily occurrences that can
lead to a build up of stress and try and mitigate such
factors that can be responsible. You should look to
introduce greater flexibility and adaptation into your life
in order to avoid scenarios that could induce short sharp
bouts of stress or events that may feed a slow but dangerous
build up.

Controlling stress can also take the form of actions to
alleviate it. The cry of “just let it all out” can be a
valid one when worry and tension requires to be given an
outlet rather than being suppressed, to the detriment of the
bowel. As an alternative, the acknowledged medicine of
laughter is a great way to relieve the tension of a
difficult situation or to sooth the stresses built up over
the day. Increasing levels of stress that do not have an
effective relief outlet is a recipe for future trouble.
Patients of colitis have a major bowel weakness and stress
just loves such a scenario to exploit if afforded the
chance.

It is normally the obvious actions such as the taking of
medication that is used to try and control colitis symptoms.
They, of course, have their place and are effective but other
means to try and control or reduce the chances of symptoms
happening in the first place should always be tried. Methods
to try and reduce the levels of stress are often easy to
implement and can have a lasting effect on overall health,
not just to defend the sufferer against the challenge that
colitis brings.

About the Author:

Don’t miss out as the author has the exact knowledge you want
for living with colitis. It’s your chance to uncover the real
experiences that only a survivor can offer. It’s your
opportunity to find the practical colitis answers to manage
your daily colitis symptoms better, to ease the pain and
anxieties. Why miss out on the real life knowledge that your
doctor most likely can’t provide you with?
http://www.thecolitisexperience.com

The thing to know is that this is nothing to be ashamed of
and that you are not alone in going through this experience.
Are you aware that Winston Churchill suffered depression
throughout his life, as have many men in the public eye over
the years?

Chronic stress is what leads to male depression with the
warning signs being anger, frustration and aggression.
Recognising and acting on these early warning signs means
you can prevent this situation.

The problem is that most men do not heed these early warning
signs,choosing to either dismiss or ignore them in the hope
that they will vanish on their own. But, this is rarely the
case.

What happens if you choose to take no action to resolve the
chronic stress? According to Dr Nick Allen, a professor of
Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and the Orygen
Youth Health Research Centre, the hormone cortisol is
released into your body and parts of your brain are
sensitive to high levels of this hormone and are actually
changed if these levels remain high for too long.

In fact, chronic elevation of these levels of cortisol can
lead to male depression by actually interfering with the
storage of serotonin, a vital hormone that contributes to
your feeling of well-being, helping to lift your mood.

According to some authorities, you are more likely to fall
victim to depression if you have a family history of
anxiety, depression or substance-abuse problems. If it runs
in your family and you suffer a relationship breakdown in
your early twenties then that is the time to pay attention.

However, as males tend to avoid or ignore their feelings, it
is more likely that you will drown them in alcohol or turn to
drugs as a distraction which can have devastating effects on
your long term health.

You may deal with chronic stress by overworking, gambling,
being promiscuous or taking risks such as driving under the
influence of alcohol and drugs because these things act as a
distraction and activate another hormone called dopamine,
providing you with feelings of enjoyment.

The thing is, whilst it is natural to want to seek pleasure
in life, not only are you putting yourself at risk now with
all these behaviours, you are avoiding the problem that
created them in the first place, leaving you open to all
manner of problems later on in life.

What really needs to occur if you want to avoid male
depression is for you to face what you are running from,
find a solution so that your stress levels can decrease and
help yourself become more resilient to stressful events and
situations in the future.

About the Author:

MALE DEPRESSION – If you want a way to cure your depression
in the comfort of your own home without medication or
therapy, you can learn more here:
http://www.stoppanicattackspermanently.com

Sign up now for our regular Newsletter at
http://WWW.CureAnxietyAndDepression.Com – full of
motivational tips and suggestions, helping you take your
next step towards a calmer life!

There is no doubt people are thrilled to become parents and
that they absolutely love their children. However, society
has conditioned parents to couple that happiness with fear
and anxiety, stress and worry.

Parents have been misled since the beginning of time into
thinking parenting is the most difficult job in the world.
Parents fall victim to a mindset that says they are solely
responsible for this new life in every sense of the word.
And if that were true, raising a child most definitely would
be a daunting undertaking.

But thank goodness we have progressed enough to know that is
not the truth. Many have come to realize that we are not 100%
responsible for our children.

Now, I am sure that may seem ridiculous to some. The thought
of a parent having an attitude that they are not responsible
for their children probably sounds like the most
irresponsible thing a person can believe.

The truth is that we have come full circle in our culture in
large part due to the recent awareness that has been brought
to the forefront concerning the universal law of attraction.
Based on the principles of the law of attraction, parents not
only have a village to look to for support and guidance, they
have the whole darn Universe! And here’s the best part, all
you have to do to receive the help of the Universe is to ask
for it and allow it.

Unfortunately, this is where many parents are missing out.
While millions of people are thrilled beyond measure to
study the law of attraction, put the principles into action
in their lives to attract and manifest things and
situations, they are hesitant in accepting the fact that
those same principles when applied to relationships
(including those with your children) will have just as much
of an impact as when you focus on achieving a better job or
receiving more money.

I hear everyday from parents of children of all ages and the
majority shares the same mindset about parenting. In fact,
usually one of the first comments they make is, “Parenting
is the hardest job in the world!” And so what do you think
their experience as a parent is like? For them, it IS the
hardest job in the world!

They have no problem accepting and practicing the principle
that states what you think and focus on will expand and
become your reality when they desire a new car or a nicer
home but when it comes to raising their children they
believe it is all up to them. The truth is that the law of
attraction is in effect all the time in all areas of our
life.

Changing your mindset to one that sees parenting as a
blessing to be honored and shared and full of joy will bring
a joyful, blessed experience. The hesitancy of many parents
to let go of over-parenting their children is what gets in
the way of having a positive experience.

It all starts with you, the parent. And it begins in your
mind with your thoughts. The Universe is working for you and
with you. All you need to do is allow and trust.

About the Author:

About the Author:
Denny Hagel was raised with an understanding of the
principles of the law of attraction long before it became a
household word. She has purposefully studied and practiced
these principles for over 20 years and is dedicated to
helping parents empower their children with an understanding
of these principles, thus providing them with the skills to
create the life they were born to live.
=>http://www.missingsecrettoparenting.com

(For example, I will not have stress when I earn more money.
That is not necessarily true).

In order to manage that physiology I am going to have to
manage my inside chemistry, which is linked to my
perceptions, what I think, how I breathe, my heart rate
variability coherence, how I eat…any number of variables.

When I am advocating a stress management plan to my clients,
I like to use the brain fitness model, which is based on
enhancing the recently discovered capacity of the human
brain to grow more neurons.

That capacity is called neurogenesis, and neurogenesis is
hampered if not stopped by an exposure to stress hormones,
according to Simon Evans,Ph.D. and Paul Burghardt,Ph.D.,
authors of the excellent book Brainfit for Life. Evans and
Burghardt talk in clear language about the necessary steps
to enhancing neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, which is the
brain’s ability to form new connections subsequent to
learning new information, sometimes within minutes.

And Evans and Burghardt emphasize the need to review that
new information so your brain solidifies the new circuits
and keeps them.

The brain is a big user of energy, and the brain is very
efficient at eliminating unnecessary circuits in order to
conserve energy.

But back to the plan to enhance neurogenesis by following a
brain fitness program.

The Pillars of Brain Fitness and Your Stress Management
Program

We know by now that the reward for following a lifestyle
based on attending to the four pillars of brain fitness is a
bigger brain through neurogenesis, and I lean to the side of
the discussion that says a bigger brain is a good thing.

So what are the pillars of brain fitness?

They are physical exercise, nutrition including lots of
omega 3 fatty acid and antioxidants, good sleep, stress
management (!), and novel learning experiences.

Physical Exercise and Your Stress Management Plan

Evans and Burghardt go into great detail about how physical
exercise is the most important brain fitness pillar.

And there is good news for you if you think that you will be
required to throw around heavy barbells and buy expensive gym
memberships just to have new neurons. After all, how
important can new brain growth be?

Well, actually the physical activity required for your
stress management program and your brain fitness is exercise
of the deep breathing kind, and if you are walking around the
block, walk a little faster for a little longer to signal
your brain that your are serious about the growth of new
neurons.

Nutritional Pillar of Your Stress Management As you might
expect, nutrition is very important to both your stress
management program and your brain fitness. It is imperative
that you quit eating processed food. No way around it, you
need the phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals,
fiber, ect. from real food, not food that is designed to
outlast the effects of a nuclear war.

Your brain uses about 20% of the fuel you burn daily, so
there are a lot of chemical reactions in your head, all of
which can release free radicals, which cause the aging
process.

Antioxidants sop up those free radicals for you, so eat a
lot of fruit and vegetables to keep antioxidants available.

Omega 3 fatty acid is important to your stress management
and brain fitness because your neurons are about 70% omega 3
fatty acid and if that supply of fatty acid is not
replenished, those neurons get brittle and do not
effectively communicate.

Garbled chat between neurons is not good. The best source of
omega 3 fatty acid is fish, or you can supplement.

Stress Reduction By Heart Rate Variability?

I have been a user and teacher of heart rate variability
biofeedback, now called emWave, for about ten years. I love
it. Regular practice has given me the ability to manage the
inside of my body heart beat by heart beat when I choose to
pay attention to the brain in my heart.

What I mean by that is there are still times when I choose
to stress myself unnecessarily, and even to keep that
distress when I could have the heart rate variability
biofeedback eustress. Progress not perfection.

But I was really amazed to see the endorsement of this
biofeedback tool by Alvaro Fernandez, who is the author of
the SharpBrains blog which tracks all things brain fitness.

So if you want to explore a heart beat by heart beat stress
management plan, then then by all means try out heart rate
variability biofeedback.

What Can Possibly Be Stress Reducing About Novel Learning
Experiences?

Novel learning experience is important for bringing those
new neurons into existing circuits, where they can begin to
help out building cognitive reserve, which is very important
if your brain happens to be one of the Baby Boomer brains, or
really important if your brain is a Senior brain.

Novel learning experience is usually catagorized for our
brain fitness purposes as the kind of learning that happens
when you learn a new language or a new instrument.

If you are like me, you do not have time to put into a
language or instrument, so using one of the newly minted
computerized brain fitness programs could be beneficial.

Can you imagine yourself following a stress management
program based on the four pillars of brain fitness?

I can. I will take relaxation and a bigger brain as an
worthy endgame.

About the Author:

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, counselor, a
student of Chi Gong, and a licensed one on one HeartMath
provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and
psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and
Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing.
http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

No matter what label we use, the fact is, as Benjamin
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2. Exercise. Apparently doing aerobic exercise such as
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just 3 times a week can be just as effective in treating
depression as taking antidepressants.

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omega 3 fatty acids can cause depression. Cooked salmon
provides omega 3 which the body can absorb well. If cooked
salmon is not an option try taking omega 3 oil capsules.

4. Change Your Mind Set. It has been found that when
optimistic people face a problem, they believe it is
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So, change the way you look at things by realising there is
nobody to blame but just a problem to be solved and there
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learn how to perceive crises as opportunities to grow from
and to focus on the positive meaning of situations to create
positive results in life.

6. Foster Calm In Your Life. Learn some relaxation
techniques and practice them daily even if just for 10
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7. Accept Change. Though it may be hard to let go of pride
and of the role you are used to playing, learning to accept
that all things change and that change is can be a good
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rather than resist it and stress yourself out.

Male depression can be prevented and cured if you invest in
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About the Author:

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