Question about brain health is very actual and debated. As the years tick by, I also have a growing interest in what it takes to keep my senses sharp, to have a sharp mind and great memory.
Though we think with our heart and even our gut, both of which science and ancient teaching have established as thinking organs, our brain is our motor and sensory control center. I want to keep mine operating at its maximum potential. Just as it’s important to have a proper diet and exercise for our musculoskeletal system, so it is necessary to make sure that we do the same for our gray matter. However, it’s not part of our muscular skeleton system, so we must address it differently.
The brain is part of our Central
Nervous System (CNS). As we advance in age, we often tend to become more
concerned about everything we hear about dementia, Alzheimer’s, brain fog, etc.
Here are some things that may be worth considering:
- Don’t let the power of suggestion determine your state of mind.
- Keep your brain clean. This is what I will be discussing. You’re designed with your own built-in pool filter so to speak.
- Brain exercises
Don’t let the power of suggestion, meaning
pharmaceutical advertisements, what you see on TV, or stories you hear of
others’ suffering, have you wondering if you may be developing the malady…
create in your own mind the reality that you desire. Even a trip to a
well-meaning physician can induce you to believe that you have something to be
concerned about. At some point, you must make a decision to put your health into
the hands of your physician or take responsibility for it yourself. The latter
does not necessarily rule out the services of a trusted physician. Instead, it
means that you don’t have to accept every diagnosis and every recommendation.
Be aware that the power of suggestion by someone with authority is very strong.
Please know that there are ways to
perform maintenance on your brain. We do it, or should do it, for our
muscular-skeletal body, so why not our brain? We do cardiovascular activities to
keep the heart healthy, we stretch and do some form of resistance training to
keep our biceps and back strong, and we pay attention to what we eat to maintain a
healthy digestive system. So, what can we do to maintain our brains?
Your brain is connected to your
spinal cord, which is filled with Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
This fluid circulates up and down your spine and through your brain. As
it passes through the brain, it removes impurities. Then, as the CSF
circulates, these impurities are removed. There is a lot of research being done
about how toxins are removed from the brain. The lymphatic system is
responsible for removing the impurities from the CSF as it circulates through
the brain. It’s a system specifically designed to clean your Central
Nervous System and primarily function while you sleep. Impurities are
then transferred to your Lymph System for removal as the CSF circulates along
the spine. Thus, sleep not only rests the brain but is also important for
allowing this cleansing process to happen. Google it to learn more or take a
look at this free article.
Once impurities are removed from the
brain during the cleanup that happens during sleep, those impurities must be
removed from the CSF. Researchers now believe that as the CSF leaves the brain
and circulates through the spinal cord, our lymph system then removes the
impurities being carried away from our brain. The circulation of CSF is stimulated
by physical motion. The top of the spine and the bottom of the spine both act
as pumps. As with any pump, there needs to be some form of motive force to do
the work. The pumping action is a combination of educator and impulse. An
educator pump moves fluid due to changing pressure, and in this case, it is a
pressure differential caused at the top of the spine by respiration and
movement of the neck. The impulse action, associated with the bottom of the
spine, is caused by the movement of the sacrum. You can quickly see how both
deep breathing and movement, such as walking, can prove beneficial in moving
CSF through the spinal cord and brain. This circulation allows the CSF to be
cleansed by the Lymph System.
It is easy to imagine how a
sedentary lifestyle could really impede CSF circulation. When we were young,
there was probably plenty of movement to circulate the CSF. Then as we get
older, this circulation slows down. If you are stuck at a desk all day or in
some position that restricts movement, circulation will be limited. I am a
writer, so I do sit at a computer all day. However, I work out of a home
office, and it’s easy for me to stand up, take an exercise break, or go for a
walk. I frequently stand and take deep breaths to stimulate the educative
motive force mentioned earlier. CSF is drawn up the spine as I inhale. This
also occurs during normal breathing but is accelerated during deep breathing.
I then hold my breath and tighten the muscles from my tailbone, through my
abdomen, chest, and up my spine in succession. This pushes the CSF more
vigorously into my brain. When I exhale, I squeeze every last bit of air from
my lungs through my nose by use of my abdominal muscles and diaphragm. I repeat
this as often as it feels good to do so. Pulling in all that air to expand and
then contract the lungs is an extremely healthy practice. During our sedentary
lifestyle, we underutilize our lungs; this is bad for us in many ways. Practice deep breathing several times a day.
Let’s say that you breathe correctly
and get a lot of exercise, but you slouch. When you slouch, you restrict the
spinal cord, reducing the amount of flow. The spinal cord uses what I would
term subtle motive force to circulate the CSF, thus a bend in the piping can
significantly reduce flow. Good posture helps to facilitate good CSF
circulation. This is especially true if you spend hours at your desk or
slouched on the living room sofa watching a string of football games on
the weekend or soap operas during the week.
In addition, a flexible spine helps
with circulation. Various yoga asanas, Tibetan Rites,
and other exercises that promote both flexibility and core strength
will help. If you’re not familiar with the Tibetan Rites, and you want to
improve brain health, then learn them, and practice them. Though no mention is made
in any of the literature about the benefits of the Tibetan Rites for the circulation of CSF, I can assure you that the movements maximize CSF flow
through the spinal column and brain. The stimulation that you will feel from
these 10 minutes of exercise will leave you feeling amazing!
These tips for maintaining good
brain health are easy to do, don’t take much time, and will leave you clear-headed and feeling fantastic.
Yours sincerely,
Ron
