Thursday, March 31, 2016

BUDDHA'S BRAIN, PART 3.

OK.  Might as well stop reading this book right here.  Equanimity.  That's the point, right?

Chapter 7 is an exploration of the state of being that we all seem to want -- equanimity, or "steady mind".  As we've learned, our brain is often on high alert, looking for danger or chasing pleasure.  But equanimity, according to the author, acts as a circuit breaker, neutralizing the emotions and physiological responses to thoughts such that we can let the vagaries of every day existence pass right through us without a ripple.

How does one achieve such a state.  Oh!  Surprise!  Meditation!  Just as asana (the poses) is a practice, so is meditation and with practice (a little bit every day) we can train our minds to let the constant stream of thoughts pass like the clouds in the sky.  Our brains may put out the same signals but we do not respond with the same freak-out!

Just like when the alarm goes off in the morning, you might awaken with a jolt, heart pounding, leap out of bed with brain yelling all manner of instructions:  "Ohmygod!  I gotta get up!  I'm gonna be late!  Where's my coffee? How much traffic is there today?  Hope my meeting goes OK.  Will Frank be a jerk to me again?" And on and on...  Equanimity gets us this response:  "Loud tone coming from the clock."  Then either roll over and go back to sleep or get up calmly letting thoughts flow without attaching to the story, since none of the things your brain wants you to worry about are even real in that moment.

"But wait, my heart did start to pound; I did feel something,' you say!  Yes, and Buddha's brain will also help us work with that.  We can dampen the Stress-Response System, which gets totally out of whack when we are in a constant state of stress.  There is a feedback loop in there that goes like this:  you are frightened by something (real or a mere thought of something bad), your body responds with the heart racing, sweaty palms thing which your body interprets as proof of a threat, which then triggers the fear response again!  Vicious cycle ensues.  Your own body is telling you to be afraid (or stressed).  You are not responding anymore to an external threat but to your body's own warning system.   This can be interrupted by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.  How?

Remember from the previous post we talked about ways to stimulate this parasympathetic nervous system?  Diaphragmatic breathing.  Progressive relaxation.  Imagery.  Body awareness.  It's why when people are freaking out we tell them to take a deep breath.  It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a state of calm.

Every day, even if for a minute or two (or best yet, during savasana at the end of yoga class!) begin to practice equanimity.  Notice the thoughts in your mind; notice if you are responding to them with "story" or a physiological response, then take a deep breath, feel your body as it touches the floor or the chair, let the thoughts pass through your mind without any attachment to what they are telling you.  Recognize and acknowledge them and maybe even say to yourself, "Thinking".   There is no need to try to stop thoughts -- they won't listen to that and you'll just frustrate yourself.  But don't let them hook you either.  They are just passing clouds.

With this daily practice you are moving closer and closer to equanimity.  Peaceful mind.©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

Friday, March 18, 2016

BUDDHA'S BRAIN. PART 2.

Second Darts.  They are the ones that do us in....

I'm back with more to report from this book I'm reading (see previous post), called "The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha's Brain: Happiness, Love, and Wisdom".   It may take me a few blog posts to get through this; I hope you are still with me.

So the darts -- the "First Dart" is a like when you stub your toe -- it hurts!  It causes pain.  The "Second Dart(s)" is when you tell yourself a story about what happened -- "Why can't those kids pick up their toys?"  "I'm so clumsy!" "Now I will probably have to go to the walk-in clinic, where there will be a long wait, and I'll be late for coffee with Sally...if I can even walk at all!"  Those Second Darts cause suffering.

Can you relate?  I sure can!  Have you heard the saying that "pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional"?   Yes, we will stub our toes as we go through life.  But the story we tell, the conflict we create, the emotional baggage we pack around each stubbed toe is what will cause us to go on suffering over and over as similar "stubbed toes" accrue -- or even if we just imagine they might.

As much as is possible, just feel the hurt; let go of the suffering by understanding that the story you tell yourself is likely to have a longer-lasting impact on your life's "pain".

But what about our memories?  They are created explicitly -- the actual memory of a specific event.  But they are also hidden implicitly -- the feelings and emotions that remain after the memory itself has faded.  And that trickster brain, again, seems to have a "thing" about tilting implicit memories" in a negative direction, even when most of our experiences are actually positive."  Do you find this to be true?  I'm sure I had a very normal and comfortable childhood, with loving parents and a puppy.  So why do I sort of feel like things were "not good"?  Well, because there were some not so very great incidents, as is true for all families, and those want to push their way to the forefront of my memory bank, leaving the happy struggling to be seen, like the good kid who is ignored cuz the troublemaker gets all the attention.

What to do?  Again, when conjuring up memories and getting that vague sense of "not good", tell that troublemaker to take a seat in the corner and call on the good kid to show you a delightful new card trick.  We can help our brains overcome the propensity toward the negative by consciously focusing on the positive.  Meditation is a great time to do this and Mindfulness Meditation (basically being aware of every moment as you go about your day) is even better.

Now on to mind-body connection -- that which we focus upon in our Yoga Practice.  How does our mind and body communicate?  Well, we have the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the parasympathetic nervous system.  They are like an orchestra playing and each has an important role.  But it's the parasympathetic nervous system we want to nurture to keep us on an even keel and feeling safer and at peace.  It's the one that we want to train to relax us.  How?

Come to Yoga class!  Those who practice Yoga should find the following parasympathetic nervous system stimulators familiar:  diaphragmatic breathing, progressive relaxation, mindfulness of the body, imagery, breathing to balance the heartbeat, meditation.  All of these are a part of almost every yoga class as we use the asana (poses) linked to the breath to open and focus the relaxation response. All of these, whether you are in class, flying on a airplane, sitting in traffic, or walking down a dark street alone, will help calm your fears.  This is not to say you won't respond when a REAL threat comes your way -- your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, or freeze) will rev up in a heartbeat.  But with these tools in your toolbox, imagined threats will fade and your Buddha Brain will get stronger, more resilient, and less anxious and overwhelmed with stress hormones.  Peace and equanimity will be yours.

As a person who seems to have acquired Anxiety as a roommate, I'm still working on all of this.  As always, it's a practice, yet one worth pursuing if ya wanna get Buddha's Brain.  And who doesn't?©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit:  Pixabay.com

Sunday, March 6, 2016

BUILDING A NEW BRAIN

I hope this turns out better than Frankenstein's Monster.  I'm working on a new brain.  My old one is a bit dinged up and needs some repair, if not a complete overhaul.  The model I hope to replicate is Buddha's Brain.  I have the construction instructions....seems pretty easy:  don't worry; be happy!

Seriously, I am reading a fascinating and very hopeful book called, yes, "Buddha's Brain:  The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom" by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
As a person who's brain default mode seems to be focused on tales of anxiety and ruination, I'm eager to learn how to rewire the circuitry to give me a more optimistic, cheerful, and hopeful script.   The thing is, and I find this oddly reassuring, my brain is NOT acting out in a self-destructive way on purpose!  It is acting out in exactly the way that evolution has created.

Back in the day, when neurons started firing in ways that ensured survival of the species, we all got hardwired to perceive threats.  So, even today, our brains are always scanning the horizon for predators.  Hanson notes that our brains typically detect negative information much more quickly than positive information: "The brain is drawn to bad news."  And once a negative event is perceived and experienced, our brilliant brains store that away for future reference to keep us safe from it happening again!  We've got Velcro brains when it comes to negative experiences.   We have a negativity bias!

But who wants to go around constantly worrying and perceiving threats -- especially when no real threat exists?  I sure don't, because I tell you from a lifetime of experience, it's exhausting and NO FUN!  And did you know that "even a single episode of major depression can reshape circuits of the brain to make future episodes more likely"?  I'm in trouble there!  So what to do?  Rewire!

If positive events get short-shrift compared to a negative ones, how can we overcome this imbalance?  We must focus on the positive!  Oh, Pollyanna!  But it's more than just donning a pair of rose-colored glasses; it's literally teaching our neurons to have a little "pleasant" party, shooting out feel good chemicals that make us float around in a big blue pool of happy memories.

Given our brain's bummer tendency to focus on the negative, taking in the positive takes some effort. We have to override the default system.  How?  First, never take anything good for granted.  Often we perceive "good" as "neutral" unless it's something completely out of the ordinary like winning the Power Ball lottery or going on a date with Brad Pitt.  But really, there is good all around us -- the color of our favorite sweater, the feel of the breeze on a hot summer day, the first sip of a Chai latte.

Next, savor.  That's the thing -- stop the auto-pilot race through our lives and savor.  Really take in the moments that give us pleasure; breathe in the moment, see the moment, feel the moment.  That's Mindfulness.  It takes slowing down and paying attention.  But when we do, we begin to build a new brain...one that will always be working hard to keep us safe, but one that won't work so much overtime on that task.  We are building a brain that will be in balance and allow for peace, contentment, and appreciation of life's joyous bounty.

At least that's what I'm getting so far, but I've only finished Chapter 3.   That's enough right now though, to keep me going.  So, I've closed my book as I sit in my soft green chair, glancing out the big picture window framing the buildings downtown and the mountains to the east, massive banks of while clouds moving across a blue-gray sky, sunlight filtering down to the cedars swaying in a gentle breeze.  Taking in this moment, along with my hot cup of coffee, and the sound of the birds chirping at the front yard feeder, I am content.  I am content.  In just this moment, I am finally, fully, peacefully content.©

Namaste,  donnajurene