Meditate to Save Your Brain

11/17/21 • 17 min

Thriving In Midlife: Living Beyond Mediocre

For years I resisted the idea of meditating due to my past experience and faith belief. Yet after discovering the health benefits and that meditation is actually a Biblical principle, I began my journey of learning about the practice. Now I meditate most mornings for about 15 minutes.
Benefits of Meditation:

· Reduces anxiety and stress

· Lowers blood pressure and heart rate

· Improves blood circulation

· Lowers blood cortisol levels

· Improves general mental health and better focus

Brain Science/Neuroplasticity and Meditation:

· Meditation helps to thicken the pre-frontal cortex- this is where higher order brain function happens like increased concentration, awareness and decision-making

· A Harvard study found regular meditation in 40–50-year-olds showed the same gray matter in the brain as 20–30-year-olds

· In Alzheimer patients there is significant lack of gray matter in their brains

· Meditation helps to release key neurotransmitters that help regulate vital hormone balance.

To BEGIN:

1) Find a comfortable spot to do your meditation in, void of external distractions

2) Find a time of day that works best for you

3) Begin with breathing techniques (Box breathing, deep breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, etc)

4) Start with 2 minutes and build up to longer as you are able

5) Add visualization, music or use a meditation app to assist in your practice

6) Be consistent

In general, one must find what techniques work best for them in discovering and maintaining a meditation practice.

Contact me through Instagram @thrivinginmidlife or my new website- www.cherylbeckesch.com

· Reduces anxiety and stress

· Lowers blood pressure and heart rate

· Improves blood circulation

· Lowers blood cortisol levels

· Improves general mental health and better focus

Brain Science/Neuroplasticity and Meditation:

· Meditation helps to thicken the pre-frontal cortex- this is where higher order brain function happens like increased concentration, awareness and decision-making

· A Harvard study found regular meditation in 40–50-year-olds showed the same gray matter in the brain as 20–30-year-olds

· In Alzheimer patients there is significant lack of gray matter in their brains

· Meditation helps to release key neurotransmitters that help regulate vital hormone balance.

To BEGIN:

1) Find a comfortable spot to do your meditation in, void of external distractions

2) Find a time of day that works best for you

3) Begin with breathing techniques (Box breathing, deep breathing, 4-7-8 breathing, etc)

4) Start with 2 minutes and build up to longer as you are able

5) Add visualization, music or use a meditation app to assist in your practice

6) Be consistent

In general, one must find what techniques work best for them in discovering and maintaining a meditation practice.

Contact me through Instagram @thrivinginmidlife or my new website- www.cherylbeckesch.com

Previous Episode

Discover the Art of Journaling to Boost Your Well-Being

Journaling can be beneficial to all people in creating an outlet to put thought to paper, to unload pent up feelings, to unravel deep ideas or past events. Studies show the benefits of journaling even only 3 times a week over a period of time can led to more optimism and gratitude to boost well-being. It can also reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.
* Find a time and place without distractions that works for you.
* Put pen to paper. Do not use your computer to "make notes".
*Buy a nice notebook and/or pen to make the experience pleasant.
* Use journal prompts if you feel stuck on what to write.
Sample of journal prompts:
1) Who made an impact on your today?
2) What were 3 positive things that happened to you today?
3) List things you are grateful for.
4) How did I solve a problem today?
5) What inspired me today?
6) What color inspires me and why?
7) Talk about any song lyrics that might be inspiring you?
For deeper self-discovery ask:
*If money and time were no object, what would I be doing right now?
* Write your own eulogy- what legacy do you want to leave behind? Are you living your life in a way that you would be proud of the eulogy someone wrote about you?
"The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron
www.cherylbeckesch.com

Next Episode

Why You Should Lower Your Exposure to Toxic Chemicals with Therese "Tee"Forton-Barnes

Why is it so important to remove and reduce our body's exposure to toxins? Therese of Green Living Gurus and I discuss the affects toxins can have on your health and offer ways and baby steps to begin your green living, non-toxic, healthy living journey.
Therese is an Environmental Toxins Health Coach and the Head Guru at The Green Living Gurus. She is an entrepreneur, activist, and educator. She is spreading the awareness of chemical exposure that could cause cancer and other illnesses!

She helps families and individuals worried about cancer and other illnesses by identifying carcinogens and harmful chemicals in their lives and homes that potentially harm their health. She teaches the Healthy Detox Method, solves chemical confusion, and makes it easier to find safe and healthy products. She also has a household product line called Tee’s Organics - Healthy for You and Your Home!
| Therese "Tee" Forton-Barnes, an Environmental Toxins Health Coach (Green Living Gurus) and will guide you on a road to avoid toxicants and chemicals that could cause cancer and other illnesses and lead you towards living a healthier low-tox life. She will help you navigate through the process of making healthier choices and inform you of alternative products and options that are not harmful to your health and the environment. She will help you decrease your exposure to chemicals and hopefully reduce the risk of illnesses and increase your odds of a long, healthy vital life. She teaches the The Healthy Home Detox Method and solves the problem of chemical confusion and makes it easier to find safe and healthy products.
In 2020, Therese pivoted to her true passion: healthy, natural, non-toxic living. Therese brings over 50 years of hands-on, real-world experience in living a holistic, non-toxic and organic lifestyle and is furthering her education and training all the time. In 2021 she started a new business called Tee’s Organics. The product line to begin with consists of: An all-purpose cleaning spray and three room sprays that are also good for linens, sneakers, hockey/athletic bags, cars, offices and more. Her slogan is “Healthy for You and Your Home!” Besides living a healthy life, Therese loves to exercise, sip on organic wine, cook, walk her dog, go to the beach, listen to live music, plan parties, hang with her 92 year old Dad, is an avid sports fan (especially the Buffalo Bills and Sabres) and loves to cruise in her 1971 Cutlass Supreme convertible.
EPISODE TAKEAWAYS:
1) The quantity of toxins in our environments, our foods, our water and air cause an overload on our bodies which affect the immune system then causing illnesses.
2) We as consumers can make an impact by NOT buying these toxic products. You can make changes-there are choices. Slowly make a transition, even if it is one product a month.
3)Take baby steps
4) NEVER buy anything that says "fragrance" or "parfum" on it, because these are chemicals and carcinogenic.
Find Therese at www.greenlivinggurus.com
[email protected]
Instagram: | https://www.instagram.com/greenlivinggurus/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenLivingGurus
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW7_phs1GZUPzG21Zgjnqtw