|
  Did you know that there are up to 18 different smiles, all of which evoke a specific emotion?
According to Dr. Paul Ekman, a psychologist at the University of California at San Francisco, his research “suggests you can access a pleasant emotion by mechanically turning on the right facial muscle pattern [during smiling]…you can trigger feelings of enjoyment.”
In fact, researchers have found that we are able to produce the same changes in our brains that occur during real moments of happiness even when the smile is artificially produced. But here is the catch: it has to be the right type of smile—the “Duchenne smile.”
The Duchenne smile produces crows feet wrinkles around the eye and a subtle drop in the eye cover fold. To achieve it, raise your cheeks, separate your lips and let the corners of your lips come up.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, “Emotions are the primary reason we place limits on our brain…Fortunately, it is possible to relieve your mind of debilitating emotions, but you must first learn to let go of them.”
Lee suggests practicing the following exercise, smiling meditation, to produce positive changes in your brain. Smile while doing this relaxing meditative exercise.
From Ilchi Lee (Excerpted from In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging)
• Sit comfortably and shrug your shoulders up and down several times to relax.
• Breathe in and out several times, massaging your face to release the tension in your facial muscles.
• Breathe in, close your eyes gently, and breathe out while forming a slight smile. Breathe in and out deeply and naturally.
• When breathing out, combine your exhale with a widening smile. Repeat this several times, focusing on the motion of the smile on your face as a light breath escapes through your lips like a gentle wind.
• Slowly shift your consciousness to your brain and feel your brain become lighter and more refreshed when you breathe out with a smile.
|
|
|
  Try this brain teaser and refresh your math and logic skills.
Paul decided to walk to the local waterfall, 10 miles away. At the moment he started, his dog Spot ran ahead to the waterfall at a constant pace of eight miles per hour. As soon as Spot reached the waterfall, he turned around and ran back to Paul, at the same pace. Spot continued this game of back and forth, always at eight miles per hour, until Paul reached the waterfall. If Paul kept to a constant pace of four miles per hour, how far did Spot run in total?
Scroll down for answer.
Answer:
Paul took 2.5 hours to reach the waterfall. Spot was always running at 8 miles per hour, therefore Spot ran 20 miles.
|
|
|
  As many people age, they begin to fret over forgetting the simple things that once came easy to them—a name, a recipe or misplacing their keys. However, forgetfulness isn’t necessarily a bad omen. In fact, occasional slips of the mind may be a positive byproduct of an older and wiser mind.
As you get older, your focus tends to widen, making it more difficult to draw on a particular fact, which can be both frustrating and scary. Yet, according to Shelley H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard, “distractibility is not, in fact, a bad thing…It may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind.”
A study conducted on adults over 60 and college students showed that the older adults remembered more out of place words in a reading than the college students. The older adults read the passages slower and took in more information altogether.
According to Lynn Hasher, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, “A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what’s going on than their younger peers.”
And Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging agrees: “Time brings subtle yet meaningful positive changes to the brain, acquired through years of experience, that add to the quality of life.”
So the next time you forget little Johnny’s name, don’t fret. Instead, remember that you’ve accumulated a lifetime of experience and that a little grinding of the gears can be and often is one of the great byproducts of aging— wisdom.
|
|
|
  There’s an expression: sometimes, you just can’t win. So it goes with your knees. Whether you are active or inactive, the basic routine of living your life—walking, exercise, stair climbing and/or lounging on the couch—can all take a toll on your knees. Your best defense? Take care of your whole body, and especially your knees.
According to Dr. Etty Griffin, staff orthopedist at Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic in Atlanta, “With knees you need to be careful not to overuse or abuse…doing too much too fast can be stressful for tissue around the knee."
It is easy to fall into the routine of everyday life—leaving out stretching and exercising—and watching a TV program or dropping the kids off at a friend’s house. But by making stretching and strengthening exercises a regular part of your day you are encouraging your brain to adopt healthier habits and to keep your joints in better shape.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, “Knee problems are among the most common physical complaints as we get older.” Keeping your joints functioning smoothly is important for lifelong mobility.
To help prepare your knees for strenuous activity and to keep your joints fluid, Lee suggests practicing the following exercise, knee rotation.
From Ilchi Lee (Excerpted from In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging)
• Bend your knees slightly and keep the bottoms of your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your knees, but do not put any weight on your knees with your hands. Relax your upper body.
• Rotate your knees, together, in a circular motion toward the right. Do not raise the bottoms of your feet off the floor.
• Repeat the movement, circling in the opposite direction.
• Rotate your knees in little circles, inside to outside, allowing your knees to separate slightly.
• Repeat the movement in the opposite direction, outside to inside.
|
|
|
  By now, the positive effects of exercise on the body and brain are becoming better known. But have you heard of competitive sport stacking—stacking cups? If not, consider adding it to your list of “new things to try.”
According to Sarah Yates, a physical education teacher at McAuliffe Elementary School, “Often overlooked in the endeavor to improve health is the brain.” That’s why Yates encourages her students to participate in competitive sport stacking, whereby students stack and collapse pyramids of colored cups in a specific order against a timer or one another.
“Studies have shown that students who participate in sport stacking improve their reading scores because it forces them to use their left and their right sides of their brain,” claims Yates. By using their hands in a left, right, left pattern during the stacking, acting physically and mentally at the same time, both sides of the brain get a workout.
Second grade student, Brittany Chiuccariello at Millennium Elementary School says, “I play basketball, soccer and softball, so this helps me with my hand-eye coordination.”
Other benefits of competitive sport stacking include improved reaction time, focus and bilateral proficiency. An added benefit—stacking is fun. Children love to be challenged, and they get excited when they see they have received a faster time than before and that they have gotten better.
But stacking isn’t just about the kids. Adults can get in on the fun, too. Just get out some cups and start stacking. Age doesn’t matter. Whether you are 10, 40 or 70, you can give your brain a new and fun workout.
|
|
|
  The mythical runner’s high. Many have experienced it, some have never felt it and others question if it even exists. For the doubters, scientists generally agree on two key points—it’s real, and if you want to experience it, get exercising…because you don’t have to be a runner to experience the runner’s high. What the scientists don’t agree on is what causes the runner’s high.
According to Dr. Jesse Pittsley, president of the American Society for Exercise Physiologists, “Psychologically, runners may experience euphoria, a feeling of being invincible, a reduced state of discomfort or pain, and even a loss in sense of timing while running.” Many swimmers, cyclers, rowers and other athletes have all experienced a similar feeling at some point during their sport. Some call it “the zone.”
Studies on athletes show that endorphin levels increase with exercise, which can have a morphine-like effect on the body and promote a feeling of euphoria. However, studies have shown that even after chemically blocking endorphins, the study participants still experienced the high, leading other researchers to suggest that a rise in body temperature during physical activity may indirectly lead to runner’s high.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, “When you exercise, you stimulate the release of biochemicals such as endorphins, nor-epinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, which produce feelings of joy and peace. Healthy exercise feels great.”
These feelings of joy and peace lead to improved brain function, a more positive attitude and increased self-esteem. So the next time you’re working out, push yourself a little harder. Instead of pain, you may find gain…and a new love of exercise.
|
|
|
  Nowadays, children spend a lot of time lounging—in front of the TV playing video games and watching their favorite programs or in front of the computer researching and socializing. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that children experience lower back tension from sitting so much. It’s a predictable byproduct of becoming less physically active, and it’s not good.
Research shows that regular exercise helps children reduce stress, maintain health and boost self-esteem. It can also improve learning in school and allow them to get a better night of sleep.
As parents and grandparents we can show our children how important it is to exercise and take care of our mind and body by modeling it for them. Work out with your children or encourage them to join a sport.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of Power Brain Kids, “If your child gains this [exercise] habit now, it will be very firmly established in the actual circuitry of the brain, and he or she will naturally crave physical movement of all types, rather than avoid it as an unappealing chore.”
To help your child stay relaxed and healthy, Lee suggests practicing stretching exercises. Have your child use the following exercise, happy dog, to stretch the waist muscles and to release tension from the lower back.
From Ilchi Lee (Excerpted from Power Brain Kids)
• Kneel with your knees and palms on the floor. Bring your knees together and lift your feet off the ground.
• Inhale and swing your knees around and look at your feet. Exhale, and do the same in the other direction. Repeat 10 times.
|
|
|
  The temporal lobe is your word warehouse. It is the part of your brain that facilitates speech, memory and learning. It is also where you form associations between words with different meanings. For example, take salt and pepper. Did you think of the definition for salt or pepper? Or did you think shaker? In many cases, the associative word is a homograph—a word that has more than one meaning but is always spelled the same.
The following exercise, developed by Dr. Pascale Michelon for sharpbrain.com, will help stimulate the connections or associations between words in your temporal lobe. Below are pairs of words. Your goal is to find a third word that is connected or associated with both of these two words. The first pair is “piano” and “lock.” The answer is “key.” The word key is connected with both the word piano and the word lock: there are keys on a piano and you use a key to lock doors. Key is an example of a homograph. Go through the list below and see how many others you can come up with.
1. LOCK – PIANO
2. SHIP – CARD
3. TREE – CAR
4. SCHOOL – EYE
5. PILLOW – COURT
6. RIVER – MONEY
7. BED – PAPER
8. ARMY – WATER
9. TENNIS – NOISE
10. EGYPTIAN – MOTHER
11. SMOKER – PLUMBER
Solutions are below. Please scroll down.
Solutions
1. LOCK – PIANO > Key
2. SHIP – CARD > Deck
3. TREE – CAR > Trunk
4. SCHOOL – EYE > Pupil (Exam and Private are also possible)
5. PILLOW – COURT > Case
6. RIVER – MONEY > Bank (Flow is also possible)
7. BED – PAPER > Sheet
8. ARMY – WATER > Tank
9. TENNIS – NOISE > Racket
10. EGYPTIAN – MOTHER > Mummy
11. SMOKER – PLUMBER > Pipe
|
|
|
  Most of us started our lives listening to our parents sing lullabies. Today, as parents, we continue to do the same with our children. We even play “Baby Mozart” and other classical music to babies before they are born. So it’s not surprising that most children enjoy music and continue to enjoy it into adulthood. However, what may be surprising is how valuable music can be as a tool for teaching.
According to Stan Ellis, band director at the Old Hammondtown School in Mattapoisett and Old Rochester Regional High School, “Younger children tend to learn quite a bit through repetition, and there is no greater example of the power of repetition than in music.”
Ellis is not alone. Dr. Carol Nicholeris, assistant professor of elementary music, has done extensive research on brain development and music and notes that music crosses all areas of brain function, unlike speech, which is centered in particular areas of the brain. Dr. Nicholeris believes music is a vital part of child development.
Other proponents of using music to teach claim that it can help with language development, character building, self-esteem and socialization. When learning an instrument is introduced, the benefits are better hand-eye coordination and improved motor skills. Music has also been shown to help students develop a better understanding of core academic subjects—especially when music is used in conjunction with other subjects to teach content.
According to Ilchi Lee, originator of the Brain Education System Training (BEST) and author of Power Brain Kids, “All human creations—our art, our architecture our technologies—begin with the brain.”
Sound, the rhythm and music of life, is one of our earliest human experiences. By keeping the sound of music alive for our children—at home and in school—we can give them the full power of their brains. We can give them the power to create.
|
|
|
Popular Brain Tips 
During pregnancy, many things happen to the body—size and shape change, more frequent urination, hormone fluctuations and tiredness. But did you know that there are also a lot of changes taking place in your brain?