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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Neuroplast​icity: You control your own destiny


All of us have heard the word neuroplasticity but what does it mean? Let me share with you some interesting information about it:

The term Neuroplasticity comes from the root words Neuron and Plastic:

 - Neuron refers to the nerve cells in our brain. Each individual neural cell is made up of an axon, dendrites, and is linked to one another by a small space called the synapses.

- Plastic means to mold, sculpt, or modify.

Neuroplasticity refers to the potential that the brain has to reorganize by creating new neural pathways to adapt; the brain is in constant change and evolution.

Neuroplasticity is defined as the molding of the organ’s circuitry by new experiences building new wiring patterns. Plasticity in the brain is at its peak in the growing, learning organism, most powerfully evident, in the human infant. Communication between nerve cells changes in response to brain activity generated by new and repeated experiences.



Use it or lose it!

It is said about neuroplasticity that “neurons that fire together wire together and neurons that fire apart wire apart.”  This means that when neurons activate at the same time as a response to an event, the neurons become associated with one another and the connections become stronger.  This is why people talk about neural pathways being set when practice is increased; the more you practice, the stronger the pathways become. Of course the inverse happens as well: if those pathways aren’t utilized, the space will be used by other pathways needing room to grow. Use it or lose it!


Focus and neuroplasticity

In Tibetan Buddhism the concept of neuroplasticity is called le-su-rung-wa which means pliability (your brain can change based on repeated experience) and has been used years before Western science has recognized it.

Studies have been performed on plasticity during meditation and have shown that the brain can change based on mental training. If you can think yourself into being more compassionate, more positive, more resourceful, or calmer you can achieve it. With effort, discipline and training it’s possible.
From an educational point of view the demonstration that our thoughts affect neuroplasticity opens the path of training our brain in a positive way to change it and therefore create our own reality and how events affect us. Focus is critical as the capacity of our brain to process information is limited; Changing our focus creates new neurological patterns and focusing reinforce and make stronger the existing neurological links. 


It is proven that positive thinking releases dopamine that activates the reward circuits in our brain making us feel better. The more we focus in positive things, the better we feel. We can teach our brain to feel good no matter what happens in our life. Our own thoughts can change our behaviour and our learning capabilities.  

Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis means birth of neurons. It was a worldwide accepted paradigm that the human brain,which consists of approximately 100 billion neurons, could not generate new ones. It was assumed that each of us was born with a finite number of neural cells and when a cell died no new cell could ever grow again. This old model of the inability to regenerate new nerve cells is demonstrated to be wrong; it has been proven that certain areas in the brain can generate fresh new cells. This new understanding of neural cell generation is an incredible discovery; another misconception was that the brain had an inability to create new neural pathways.


How to teach our brain to connect in a positive way


There are several ways of teaching our brain to think positively and create new paths that lead to positive thinking and happiness:

 1.      Exercise

It is proven that exercise helps our brain to stay active and it also releases neurotransmitters to our brain that make us feel better and reinforce the pattern of feeling good.

2.      Sleep

Sleeping is critical for our brain health. We need to sleep and rest in order to maintain our brain in a proper condition.  

3.      New learning

Be a lifetime apprentice in order to keep your brain learning new things, develop the habit of learning to maintain your brain in good shape.

4.      Stay socially engaged

As mammal’s, social interaction is critical for our life, it helps us to train our brain and keep it in learning and reacting to new experiences.

5.      Mindfulness/Focus

Attentively focus on the world around you again, as if you were seeing it for the first time. Enjoy nature and the beauty of each unique thing in the universe. Focus on how to solve problems rather than on the problem itself.

6.      Meditation

Meditation can be used to retrain our brains as it has the power to mould and shape our minds to install the changes we want. Meditating gives inner peace and happiness.

7.      Nutrition

Pay attention on how you feed your body as your body and brain are one. Eating correctly is basic in order to fuel our body and brain properly.  


Remember: Train your brain to make the positive pathways to success and happiness stronger everyday , you are the owner of your own destiny!





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