February 2025 Newsletter | HEART HEALTH - the physical and emotional parts
My mission is to be the first woman in 4 generations to not develop Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). On my journey of discovering ways to mitigate my risk, I pass this information on to you in this Brain-Body-Health (BBH) Newsletter.
Hello Brain-Body-Health Citizen Scientists!
Did you send out heartfelt wishes for Valentine’s Day to loved ones? I made Ginger Chai cookies from the Brain Health Kitchen and passed them out. It got me thinking about our important emotional connections with family, friends, and community.
Your emotional and physical heart is central to your brain health.
In Chinese Medicine, ‘the heart’ refers to the emotional link between mind and body. It is the sovereign organ that allows harmony. Our world seems far from harmonious, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop practices to focus and shift yourself into a good emotional state. We call this a RESET. That’s what we need when we are deregulated, stressed, overexcited, agitated, restless, or flat and depressed. Most of us know the cost of staying in these states and the toll they take. However, this affront to our nervous system can function as a wake-up call. It can lead us on a search for restorative practices that provide a sense of much-needed relief. That’s what happened to me one particularly stressful college semester. Crazy with stress and overwhelmed, I happened into a yoga class a friend was teaching and had the most restful period in savasana. That brief period of deep relaxation started me on a path of body awareness that would lead me to many of the body-centered practices that are readily available with multiple health benefits for body and brain. I could finally stop playing whack-a-mole with stress and learn to relax. My body spoke to me, imprinting the importance of going ‘inside’ and listening to a different drum than the outside world was playing. I was changing my nervous system to a more beneficial state and regulating my emotions.
RESETTING the nervous system is a skill, and one we can benefit from, with practice.
Of course, we know, being official brain body health scientists, that all of us have diverse responses. I have a few friends who swear they cannot do yoga, meditate, or stop for a moment. Understandably, yoga is not for everyone. There are many ways to reset your nervous system.
Examples of body-centered practices include: yoga, dance, massage, breath-work, walking or sitting meditation, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Ren Xue, Yoga Nidra, and Heart Math.
Learning to relax your body is key. Learning to be aware of your body opens the door to a path that works for you. Remember, neuroplasticity is at work here, creating new circuitry in your brain to make this something you want to return to. Our modern life is often characterized as a ‘live to work’ rather than ‘work to live’ environment. It is a challenge to shift from a constant ‘doing’ state to a ‘being’ state. But like our son’s first grade teacher said, “Practice makes good not perfect’.
When you begin to stop for short moments and observe yourself, your body, your breath, paying attention to the present moment and accepting it as is, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future, this is what we call Mindfulness.
When you practice mindfulness, both your brain and heart experience changes that promote relaxation and better stress management.
Mindfulness Tools:
Mindful Breathing: Take deep, slow breaths. Focus on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body.
Meditation: Dedicate time each day to meditate. Sit quietly, focus on your breath, and gently redirect your thoughts back to your breathing when distractions arise.
Body Scan: Lie down and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing any tension or sensations. This can help you become more aware of physical stress.
Mindful Eating: Pay attention to the taste, texture, and aroma of your food. Eat slowly and savor each bite, which can deepen your appreciation for your meals.
Become a Witness: Experiment with listening and observing rather than talking and participating.
Limit Multitasking: Focus on one task at a time to fully engage with it, whether that’s work, hobbies, or interactions with others.
Gratitude Practice: Take time each day to reflect on things you are grateful for. This can shift your focus to positive experiences.
Mindful Transitions: Use moments of transition (like moving from one task to another) as opportunities to pause and take a few deep breaths or check in with your feelings.
When you practice mindfulness, your brain and heart undergo several positive changes. Here’s a breakdown of what happens:
🧠 Brain Benefits of Mindfulness:
Prefrontal Cortex Activation (Focus & Decision-Making): Strengthens the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for attention, self-awareness, and decision-making.
Amygdala Calms Down (Stress Response): The amygdala, which triggers your fight-or-flight response, becomes less reactive. This means you respond to stress more calmly.
Hippocampus Growth (Memory & Learning): Increases the density of the hippocampus, improving memory, learning, and emotional regulation.
Default Mode Network (DMN) Quieting: Associated with mind-wandering and overthinking.
Reduction in Cortisol: Improved stress regulation for better brain and heart health.
❤️ Heart Benefits of Mindfulness
Lower Heart Rate: As you relax, your heart rate tends to slow down, reflecting a calmer state.
Increased Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Indicates a well-balanced autonomic nervous system, meaning your body is better at managing stress.
Better Blood Pressure Regulation: Regular mindfulness practice can contribute to lower blood pressure over time.
Together, these changes help create a state of calm and resilience, making it easier to handle stress and enhancing overall well-being. Expanding and forming new connections between the mind and body will come to serve you to know your body, the uniqueness and beauty that it is.
Lessons from Coaching:
Mindfulness is not only about what happens to our nervous system but what happens between our partners, friends, family and the collective nervous system/consciousness. This form of mindfulness is called co-regulation. At this time of Valentines Month, where we celebrate love, it begs the question: “How do we show up for ourselves and our loved ones? Are we present, open, listening, non-judgmental? It took many years for me to take responsibility for my own emotions and stop blaming my partner, parents, dog, or others. Feel free to fill in the blank here. However, here’s the rub: no one is going to affect you more than the people you love and care about. These are people and situations that are life’s lessons in disguise. Yes, you can teach a dog, even an old dog, new tricks. These challenges are gifts, albeit ones we’d sometimes like to avoid. Haha. But wherever you go, there and here, you are.
Our society puts value and emphasis on independence and being able to regulate your own emotions.
Humans are not only wired for connection; we are also wired for co-regulation. It starts in the womb and continues when we are infants and small children. The process of co-regulation is how we learn self-regulation and self-soothing. However, co-regulation doesn’t stop or lose its value as we age. It becomes inherent WISE-dom. All people co-regulate, whether we realize it or not. We can learn to choose what positively or negatively affects our relationship. Are we soothing each other, or are we doing the opposite?
Dementia is one of the best teachers of co-regulation. I first learned of the importance of co-regulation during the decade of caring for my parents, with my brother and sister. Those were tough years and simultaneously growth years. Our family was not particularly close; however, we worked hard to create the best living situations for our parents. We figured out pretty quickly that we needed help. Naomi Feil, who wrote the book “Validation Breakthrough”, which was a frequent tool we used. Ms. Fell, starts by using a soft voice, eye contact, deep listening, empathy, and always letting the person lead. These tools worked, leading to co-regulation and empathy when our parents' behaviors were not making sense. In this moving video 5 minutes you can see her bringing Gladys Wilson out of a withdrawn state. This is co-regulation at its best. She is present, listening deeply with Gladys, without expectation.
When persons with dementia are deregulated, it is usually a sign that something is wrong. They may not feel understood. Finding out what’s wrong is not the point. Think of it as a very young child or baby who is upset. They can’t tell you what is wrong. You can take them in your arms, sing, rock, talk softly. It is no different in working with persons with dementia. They too, require co-regulation, empathy, and validation. Naomi Feil demonstrates the ability to be with whatever state that arises. Other tools for co-regulation are distraction, music, dance, validation, and creative story telling. As a caregiver it is a tough road caring for loved ones with dementia. To all caregivers: keep filling up with resources and self care! Get the help you need by reaching out. There are lots of caregiving resources.
Strategies to help you calm down:
Deep Breathing: Take slow, deep breaths in through your nose, hold for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat several times.
Mindfulness or Meditation: Spend a few minutes focusing on the present moment. You can use guided meditation apps or simply sit quietly and observe your thoughts without judgment.
Physical Activity: Go for a walk, stretch, or do some light exercise. Physical activity can help reduce stress and improve your mood.
Listen to Music: Soothing music can have a calming effect. Choose something that you find relaxing.
Visualization: Imagine a peaceful place or situation. This can help take your mind off stressors and promote relaxation.
Talk to Someone: Sharing your feelings with a friend or family member can help you feel supported and understood.
Limit Stimulants: If you can, reduce caffeine or sugar intake, as these can increase anxiety.
Choose one or a combination of these methods that resonates with you. Remember, it’s okay to take time for yourself.
Strategies to Co-regulate:
Breathe together
Light touch
Eye contact
Massage
Using a soothing voice
Dance together
Resource for Online Yoga my favorite teacher: Maggie Norton Yoga on Facebook, or Maggie Norton on Instagram. See you in class
I offer coaching sessions to help navigate and improve brain health for you or a loved one. Contact me to schedule a session
I recently gave a power point presentation entitled, “The Dementia Dilemma”, at Avenues To Wellness in Willits, California. This will be posted on my website by mid March. I do enjoy giving these talks, so if you would like me to share my ideas about dementia prevention, contact me.
Lessons in Science:
1) How Does Mindfulness Change the Brain? A neurobiologist’s perspective on mindfulness meditation:
Happy Valentine’s Month to you and your brain. Keep loving and caring for your BRAIN! It’s a gift for our lifetime!
To optimal health and peace for all!
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“If you want to go FAST, go alone. If you want to go FAR, go together."
- African proverb
To our optimized health!