By Ismael Cala
Sep 30, 2023, 10:22 AM EDT
I want to share with you a fascinating experience that reveals our brain’s amazing ability to change and adapt. BBC journalist Melissa Hogenboom had her own brain scanned before embarking on a six-week course on brain impairment. The objective? Investigate whether we can significantly influence the configuration of our brain through simple changes in our daily lives.
Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and evolve over time, is the basis of this exploration. Hogenboom discovered that our brain is a malleable entity that constantly changes, giving us the ability to influence its functioning.
One of the techniques explored in this experiment was mindfulness, also known as mindfulness. This practice has proven to be a powerful tool in improving various cognitive functions, relieving stress, and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. This practice not only buffers stress, but can also change the structure of our brain.
This experience showed that the structure of his brain changed after the six weeks of mindfulness practice and other exercises. Her amygdala, involved in emotional processing, shrank in size, consistent with studies indicating that mindfulness can buffer stress that affects this area. Additionally, their cingulate cortex, part of the limbic system that influences emotional and behavioral responses, increased slightly in size, indicating greater control.
Although this experience is an individual example and brain changes may be random to some extent, research suggests that practices like mindfulness can have a significant impact on the wiring of our brain. What is clear is that positive brain changes are achievable for those willing to embark on this exciting journey.
Our brain is highly adaptable, and we have the ability to influence its functioning through simple, everyday changes in our lives. Neuroplasticity offers us the opportunity to maintain a healthier and more resilient mind.
This confirms our recommendation of practices such as mindfulness as crucial to generating changes in our brain configuration. That is why we invite you to our “Retreat in Mindfulness and Meditation” (https://retiro.ismaelcala.com/), a three-day experience at the Cala Center (Miami).
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