You know how when you feel stressed, you feel like there is a poor little hamster in your brain running itself to exhaustion on a rat-wheel in your mind? Well, you are right. That is pretty much what is happening in your anterior cingulate gyrus. Thoughts and feelings create a perseverating (yes that is a word) loop that goes round and round. This little hamster is part of the chain of events that leads to the cascade of neuro-stress hormones being released and thus the flood of unpleasant and ultimately pathological physiological results. If you want to tone down your stress response, it is wise to compassionately become mindful of your inner hamster. Just love it and watch it. Simply attending to it (and the perseverating loop of negative thoughts) will help a great deal. If you really want to kill the hamster (it is a mercy killing), learn and engage in an intentional meditation practice. This is all a part of gaining what is known in neuro circles as top-down neurological control. That is, having a life driven more by the conscious and more evolved parts of your brain (prefrontal and cortex in general) and not being perpetually hijacked by your own limbic brain-body system. For more info and understanding, read Dr. Daniel Amens, Making a Good Brain Great. (All his books are great.) PS- Hyperactivity in the ACG is often associated with low serotonin levels. Guess where a HUGE amount of serotonin is made in your body? ...your gut. Gut health is oddly really connected to neurological health. This is why you should avoid all food-like substances (as Michael Pollen calls them), a.k.a. fake foods....and why a broad-spectrum live probiotic supplement can help people with depression. PSS- Take a mecidinal grade omega-3 supplement, too. The more solid part of your brain tissue is estimated to be 70 percent or more DHA. All that said: CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE ENGAGING IIN ANY NEW HEALTH PRACTICES. Everyones health is unique and the choices you make need to be contextually sound within your particular situation. Walk in Love :-)
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 10:08:32 +0000