REPROGRAMMING YOURSELF

Your brain and mind are the most powerful instruments you will ever encounter. The statement that we only use 10% is wrong. The brain is actually always working. It works hard enough to power a ten-watt light bulb, 24/7. 

The statement that we (the human race – we) under utilize our brain is mostly true. I have read scientific articles about Buddhist monks who meditate in 39 degree (F) rooms. They not only keep themselves warm, but also when wrapped in semi-frozen wet blankets, are able to dry the blankets within an hour. That truly is mind over matter.

Now, you may not want to learn mediation to dry your laundry. But, think about all the things that could improve you and your life if you had better use of your brain.

At many hospitals, there are Mind-Body studies. Out of these have come the “relaxation response” techniques to overcome stress and many illnesses. As the name implies, you teach your body to relax in the face of a stressful event. It has been used to treat anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heartbeat irregularities, excessive anger, insomnia and even fertility problems. It works by producing changes in metabolism; breathing rate, heart rate and thermoregulation. These Mind-Body centers are studying other ways meditation can help the mind control physical processes once thought to be uncontrollable.

Brain 101
There are three main parts to the brain. There is the mid-brain. This is where the brain stem resides. There is a lot of “stuff” here. It is from this area that most of your unconscious bodily functions (or autonomic processes) are controlled (breathing and heartbeat for example). This is also the seat of your emotions. The cerebrum (the large gray mass of wrinkles we see in pictures of the brain), controls our conscious actions via the central nervous system. It also controls cognitive and conscious functions such as memory, language and motor function. Then there is the cerebellum. This works with both of the other systems to fine-tune your responses. For example, I think, “write my blog article” which becomes hundreds of thoughts and instructions (lift hands, hover over keyboard, push down over appropriate keys, etc.), of which I am only aware of a few. All those thoughts and instructions involve the entire brain. (Does this mean I'm a brainiac?)

Placebos
“One of the major contributors to maintaining health and removing disease is the attitude of the patient”, says Professor Oakley Ray, a psychologist from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. “Words can have the same effect as drugs.”

The healing properties of a positive expectation are widely accepted today, because of the use of placebos in drug trials. Volunteers react physically to substances that contain nothing, as if they contained the actual drug. The responses elicited by placebos indicate a mind/body interaction that is guided by subjective factors, such as expectation, beliefs, meaning and hope for improvement. The effect is very specific and depends on the information given to the recipient. Tell me this pill will help me, and it usually will.

The next time you are cut-off in traffic. Think about all your responses, reactions and feelings. There is the danger response. The adrenaline flowing through your veins, your heart rate speeds up, your breathing quickens, you may get angry, and so on. What if you had a different response? What if, we can make the unconscious and the conscious brains tune-into each another and produce a different, a better, response?

A Better Response
The brain learns and it can unlearn and relearn. This ability to ‘change its mind’ is called neuro-plasticity in neuroscience. We learn to get angry at being cut-off in traffic. We can learn to take a more detached response and say to ourselves, “That fellow must not have seen me.” And, then we continue on our way without the adrenaline flowing, heart palpitations and heavy breathing.

You can also retrain your brain to be happier. Simple techniques can retrain the brain and body. Traits that appear fixed (mood, temperament, personality) are not permanent. Experiments have shown that experienced mediators have more activity in the left frontal lobe of their brain. It is in that part that happiness and other positive emotions reside. These findings imply that happiness is something we can cultivate through mental training, such as meditation. Mind over matter, intentionally.

Meditation
“One of the most basic mental trainings is the cultivation of mindfulness, especially performed on the basis of observing one’s breathe.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said this in his book, “The Universe in a Single Atom.” He went on to say, “One of the most crucial elements of training in mindfulness is the development and application of attention. ... In Buddhist psychology, attention is defined as the faculty that helps direct the mind to a chosen object among the variety of sensory information we experience in any given moment.”

Meditation is a practice. That means the more you do it, the better you become. It also means even master monks (who can dry wet blankets in cold rooms) have “off” days. Be gentle with yourself and be patient. Take a class or two. A ritual, such as setting out and lighting a candle, can very helpful in telling your self and your body – time to meditate.

Essentially, meditation is sitting comfortably in a quiet place. Place your hands in your lap. Focus your eyes on an object (e.g., the burning candle), or close your eyes. Breathe. Count to five between your first several breathes. Breathe in for a count of five and then out for a count to five. When that becomes comfortable, just breathe normally. In the beginning, or when you feel overwhelmed, just observe your thoughts. Observe without judgments. Not even a, “why am I thinking about that?” Just observe. The more you just observe, the less activity there will be. Later, focus on a single object. You are going for prolonged attention and a clarity or vividness of which you perceive the object. In the beginning, only sit for ten minutes. Increase the sessions at a pace that is comfortable for you.

Et Voilá! You are meditating. Meditative practices provide a settled and disciplined mind. As a bonus, you are creating happier neurons. More happy neurons mean you become happier. You can retrain your brain to be happier. To make meditation a habit, tie it to something else that you do every morning. For me, I began by tying it to my morning coffee. Make the coffee, turn it on, and go meditate while it brews. Pour the coffee and get on with my morning routine. I often find my cat has curled up in my lap when I go to get up. She meditates too!

This Week’s Coaching
Try meditation. Take a class. Google it and learn more detailed information. I cannot emphasize the benefits enough. Things that bothered you in the past will cease to bother you. By letting go of morning traffic, you'll work better and be in a better mood at work. You'll respond to situations with a more appropriate response. Appropriate for you.

Try it! You’ll like it!

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund
Executive and Life Coaching
Telephone: 916 • 803•1494
E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com