MyLifeYoga

Understanding Neuroplasticity can be key to good health and well-being. Here are six things to know:

1. The brain is flexible: Till recently it was standard dogma taught in medical school that there are fixed regions of the brain reserved for certain functions that cannot be replaced. There is a region in the brain that processes vision for example, and another region processes speech, and so on. If there is damage to say the region that services speech then we lose the ability to speak. What scientists are now discovering is that when there is damage to specific region, new regions can “learn” its tasks and take over that function. This ability of the brain to grow, adapt, and learn new things is known as Neuroplasticity.

2. It works both ways: The brain can both “learn” and “unlearn” based on the stimulus we provide. If we stop using a hand for long time then our brain loses its ability to control that hand for example. However if we challenge our brains with a task, then our brains grow in response to the needs of the challenge. The hippocampus of cab drivers of London is much bigger than that of the bus drivers. This is because the bus drivers go on the same route every day while the cab drivers rely more on their knowledge of the roads to do their tasks. The hippocampus stores spatial representations and its use is required to a greater extent by cab drivers, and it expands in response.

3. Brain decline can be reversed: Decline in brain functioning and shrinking of the brain due to aging are not a given any more. Age related shrinkage can be slowed down and in many cases it can be reversed. A key aspect of doing this is to first “calm the brain down” by doing meditation and/or yoga. This shrinks the portion of the brain associated with the stress response. When this happens it allows us to grow regions of the brain associated with reasoning and memory more easily.
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Guy Winch, a psychologist, makes the case for giving the same importance to our psychological health as we do to our physical health. He provides statistics that poor “emotional hygiene” can make our lives miserable, it can shorten our lives, and can make it difficult to fulfill our potential. He believes it important that we all learn and also teach our children the simple techniques to deal with:

1. Loneliness- Understand our feelings when lonely and learn to counter it.
2. Failure – Know how our mind reacts to failure and learn to overcome these feelings.
3. Pain – Treating ourselves compassionately when in pain.
4. Adverse events – Ruminating over and over, thinking of adverse events.

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Ramana Maharshi

The two lady visitors were visiting the Saint known as Sri Ramana Maharshi.

The younger one asked: “Is the experience of the Highest State same to all? Or is there any difference?”

Maharshi (M): The Highest State is the same and the experience is also the same.

Devotee (D): But I find some difference in the interpretations put on the Highest Truth.

M: The interpretations are made with the mind. The minds are different and so the interpretations are different.

D: I mean to ask if the seers express themselves differently?

M: The expressions may differ according to the nature of the seekers. They are meant to guide the seekers.

D: One Seer speaks in the terms of Christianity, another in those of Islam, a third of Buddhism, etc. Is that due to their upbringing?

M: Whatever may be their upbringing, their experience is the same. But the modes of expression differ according to circumstances.

Credit: Talk 595, 16th December, 1938. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Related: Yoga’s Ultimate State