Meditation: Retraining the Brain

I just got back from the Dr., my 5th visit this year I believe. Everything we talked about, my seemingly never-ending list of symptoms & problems, it all seemed to point back to the big "S" = STRESS. Bah. She talked about the depletion of the adrenal glands when we live lives high in stress, that years of demanding them to function at high levels leads to adrenal fatigue, & an onslaught of other problems.

She did a fascinating test where she looked turned off most of the lights in the room & shined a bright light in my eyes, much like at the eye Dr. After looking in both eyes at different times she nodded & said it was just as she suspected. She explained that normally the pupil should shrink with the bright light, but people who experience adrenal fatigue have pupils that get small then dilate, then get small again - like a spasm of the muscle.

So the top of my to list? DE-STRESS. One of the best ways to do this? Meditation. So many people have a false idea of what it really is & the implications of it seem too bizarre for most conservative American minds. I want to compel you to strip away any ideas of religion when you consider it. I'm not talking about becoming Buddhist - I'm talking about retraining your brain cells to communicate properly.

When we live stressed lives, our brain cells will react to certain things in such a way that sets off an entire series of neurological firings that ultimately lead to disease over time. Heart attacks, hormonal imbalances, the list goes on. But when we sit in meditation/silence/stillness, we are teaching our brains what it is like to simply be present moment to moment in what I like to call a "noise free space." free from the white noise we live in 24/7, whether it's dreams, people, conversations, sensory experiences, movement, computers, ads, etc etc. Getting rid of that stuff for a designated time, ALL of it, will literally retrain your brain to not fire off under stress, under the pressure of the noise.

I recently went to a meditation & movement workshop, an integration of yoga & seated meditation with visualizations (I like to visualize the beauty of solid & rooted trees, something that doesn't MOVE - b/c I tend to do a lot of moving, especially my restless mind when I am sleeping). I swear that the rest of my day I felt a lightness, less reactive to normal things that would stress the hell out of me - driving on the highway, crowds of people, too many noises all at once. I was able to be focused on what my friends were saying when we were talking, because I wasn't hearing things racing through my head about what I had to do that day & what time the meter on my car was going to run out & how my skin might be looking today or what I was going to eat for dinner. My mind was at rest & I was PRESENT with our engagement.

I've read that monks who meditate for years have been recorded as not flinching when gun fire was shot. There are endless studies done on how stress & stress related diseases are reduced when patients meditate. Stress is a CHEMICAL & not natural to a state of internal balance. Meditation acts as a reversal of this process, with such results as reducing the plaque build up in the coronary arteries & increasing the number of immune cells that fight breast cancer.

How to meditate:
-I recommend looking for groups to meditate with when possible - Zen centers, or yoga centers often have free & open invitation sittings. There's a discipline involved when you have schedule time & drive somewhere :) I find this to be the most productive way.

-At home, you can find a stress free spot, a room or space you find peaceful. Sit on a blanket or a pillow to open your hips so your back does not fatigue. Avoid distracting noises/ bright lights, & sit. Focus on deep breaths in & out, & use images that work for you that ground you & create a sense of stability. Artists - you should use this to your advantage!! Trees, mountains, oceans - they all have something to teach us! Stillness, vastness, strength - what would it be like to think on them in this way, as teachers to US?

Meditation is not like sleeping in that the act of stillness while remaining conscious is a completely different physiological & spiritual experience than conking out in bed. It's present, real, & focused in the most ambitious of ways. Apart from the TREMENDOUS spiritual benefit (which I will blog about later) I highly highly recommend it purely for the physiological nurturing it provides those overworked, Americanized brain cells!

Goji Berry Superfood!

I was having lunch with a dear friend the other day and we were chatting about diet secrets and healing foods, and she mentioned she is buying monthly supplies of goji berries now. Tonight I picked some up from the natural food store in the bulk section where you can buy as many or as few as you want.

Goji berries, like other superfoods, work a number of wonders for our bodies:

• Antioxidants to enhance functioning of the immune system, contribute to the wellness of the kidneys and liver, and help guard against free radicals associated with cancer and the aging process.
• Carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, which helps prevent cataracts and heart disease, plus zeaxanthin, a dietary carotenoid aiding eye function.
• Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, all essential to a range of good body health from processing amino acids and fats, to converting carbohydrates to energy.
• 11 amino acids and 22 trace minerals including zinc, iron, copper, calcium, and selenium.
• Polysaccharides to fortify the immune system, treat inflammation, and help reduce some forms of skin disease. PCC Natural Food Market

Historically, the berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly 2,000 years. An old Chinese tale told about a village where people never got sick. A bush with spreading vines grew beside the village well, dropping its berries into the water. Village elders determined the berries added healthful elements to the drinking water, keeping everyone healthy. PCC Natural Food Market

How to eat them?

• Mix into cereal or oatmeal
• With a handful of nuts
• Mix with rice
• Stir into favorite dishes, casseroles, pies or soups
  

AND another reason to eat them - I just found out they are also known as the Wolf Berry. Doesn't get much better than that!

Fish Oil Dreams

Over a year ago I started taking cod liver oil supplements at the recommendation of my naturopathic doctor. At the time I had been experiencing some periodic heart palpitations (PAC's) that had plagued me on and off for several years. In college I had seen a cardiologist who had no recommendations for them except to de-stress and of course some prescription mystery medications to pop when I felt them coming on.

After starting the cod liver right away I noticed an improvement in my PAC's. It felt like a miracle. About 6 months later I up-ed my dosage, and noticed another phenomonal change- my dreams became incredibly vivid and my memory of detail in them was shocking and in some regard disturbing. It really shook me to think that instead of checking out at night I started living this psuedo alter life and waking up feeling almost as if it had really happened. I had heard that fish oils and essential fats were candy for my brain and heart health, but I had no idea I would see the immediate benefits of them.

A friend sent me an article last spring written by the Stuart Tomc - former consultant to the Chief Medical Officer of the World Health Organization:

"The brain and nervous system are comprised mostly of fat, so their function becomes impaired to the degree than they do not get adequate amounts of high-quality dietary fats, specifically the omega-3 fats."

Tomc says that omega-3 began rapidly disappearing from the dinner table about 50 years ago when ranchers stopped feeding cattle omega-3 rich grass and began feeding them grains. Adding to the problem of adequate omega-3 intake is the fact that these nutrients are destroyed by heat; so, baked, fried, or barbecued meats and vegetables provide no omega-3 benefits to those who eat them."

In a nut shell, essential fats such as Omega 6's and Omega 3's are not produced in our bodies, but are essential for proper cell function and cell communication. They are important in preventing a number of conditions and diseases, such as:

• cardiovascular health
• diabetes
• rheumatoid arthritis
• skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis
• brain function
• infant development
• immune function
• cancer prevention

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/introduction/about.php

A lot of people have a misconception about good fats - they think they will gain weight with them. My nutritionist explained to me in layman's terms that when we feed ourselves good fats that our body can actually use it will release the bad fat that it has been storing for back up - the fat that makes us, well, fat! So you can actually LOSE weight adding essential fats to your diet.

So how do I explain why my dreams are so vivid? Considering that kids with ADHD and ADD are often treated with fish oil supplements I can only imagine that these oils are allowing their brains and mine to focus.

So look for added Omega's and essential fats when picking out your foods - and take some fish oil! Get the good kind, you don't want to take in high levels of mercury:

http://www.carlsonlabs.com/product_detail.phtml?prodid=00207&categid=0014

http://www.nordicnaturals.com/