Authored by Bill Donnelly
If we are lucky, we will live a long and complete life. To have that is to accept that our bodies will age across the span of our years. We know this and respond in kind through exercise and healthcare management to push back on the effect of aging. We do this for our body, but what do we do for the aging brain?
Some facts:
1) The brain is not comprised of the exact same material as the body.
2) The brain continuously develops until you die – maybe beyond.
3) Most brain maladies are not detected until 10-15 years after they have begun to develop.
4) Only a small percentage of people pay attention to the health of the brain.
There are options available to change the course of the aging brain. We can begin to include testing at annual checkups to monitor brain function. This is an important step, but it will serve only to detect, and possibly treat symptoms, typically with pharmaceuticals. There is value in this approach, but it should be acknowledged that we are handing off our wellbeing to someone else – an educated professional, but still, someone with limited availability whose function is to diagnose, prescribe and monitor. Where are we in this equation? How can we be an active participant in the healthy functioning of our brain?
Part of the answer exists within our way of life – the daily actions, or non-actions that influence brain function and health as we age. And while modern research is plunging the depths to understand the intricacies, nuances and sheer power of the brain, a focused approach to a healthy mind and brain has existed for centuries. In many cases, mental health was viewed as the root of overall good health, with text dating back thousands of years to 206 B.C. in China, and further in time for India.
Chinese medicine has a strong root in the Daoist and Buddhist mental practices, which focuses on treating mental health as a foundational health practice. Eastern doctors believe in the power of the mind and understand how an imbalance will impact the body, as unregulated emotions have a physical effect on the functioning of our internal organs. This system of health utilizes internal exercises like meditation to calm the mind, thus enabling the mind to direct the flow of Qi – the intrinsic energy that animates our body, mind and our sense of spirit. When we cultivate a healthy mind and then add physical training, we have a more holistic method that promotes character, happiness and a better sense of total wellbeing.
When Alvaro Pascual-Leone, MD, PhD at Harvard Medical School spoke at this year’s conference on The Science of Tai Chi & Qi Gong as Whole-Person Health, he said that western medicine needs to change the paradigm to learn about the whole person, not just the disease. This is because the brain’s decline is a result of lifestyle as much as disease. For instance, when there is excessive stress on the brain from things like lack of sleep, physical tension or psychological pressure, the brain has less reserves to cope with the vicissitudes of life.
Cultivating a healthy mind increases our capability to deal with challenges while mitigating the manifestation of brain illness. Training and development can reward us with increased reserves and mental longevity. Gaining longevity corresponds with mental capacity.
Pascual-Leone explained how the capacity of the brain continues to grow, even as processing begins to slow with age. This is because the brain is comprised of neurons that bind into ensembles, which is the genesis of thoughts, feelings and behaviors, all of which span our lifetime. The combination of neurons profoundly changes our life, its course and outcome for better or worse. The good news is that the plasticity of our brain allows us to create new neuron ensembles. By understanding this, we can guide the changes in brain functioning.
Meditation has grown in acceptance in the west, although many people proudly declare that they “just can’t slow down like that.” Which is exactly why they need to, if we seriously consider what the medical experts are saying. Perhaps it is because they do not fully understand the process and benefits. Or maybe they do not realize that they already meditate spontaneously but have never known it.
The person who doesn’t intentionally meditate may in fact be doing so when they sit on the beach and watch the relaxed rhythm of the waves or observe the dance of the flames at a late-night campfire. The mind relaxes. It opens. And this is where the good stuff happens.
There are different types of meditation practices such as sitting or standing, focusing on our breathing or chanting mantras; all of which share the same intention and effect: to clear the mind of its noisy distractions and bring us to the simplicity of our nature. We learn to concentrate on the movement of our mind from moment to moment and with that we move from our old self to who we are in the present, without the labeling or judging conditioned by cultural and societal norms.
With practice and time, we come to recognize our true nature. The mind functions more harmonically. We have peace of mind. And it is from this state of being that we create ourselves (remember the neuron ensembles!), and where our mind, body – and spirit can expand.
Qi Gong and Tai Chi practices developed out of meditation, which had already been a fundamental practice for a thousand years. The sense of stillness achieved from meditation coalesced into the active principles established at the creation of Tai Chi, literally creating a moving meditation that bridged all the benefits of still meditation to the activity and movement of Tai Chi. The creators of Tai Chi discovered that Qi can be moved by the mind through the body to generate power. This was a profound development in martial arts history and evolved to what is now commonly referred to as mind/body practice.
If we consider how the practice of Tai Chi is both a physical and cognitive activity, it makes sense that continuous practice can create neuron ensembles that are healthy while creating the mental reserves needed to face life’s challenges, especially as we age. This dynamic interplay exists because the creators were not trying to change external conditions or situations to soothe their mind but instead developed a way to master their mind to maintain mental health regardless of circumstance.
Tai Chi provides physical health benefits to the brain, too. It increases oxygen and blood flow, which preserves cellular health. It improves motor control, spatial awareness and dynamic balance. Memorizing the choreography of the form increases gray matter, which boosts memory, focus and multi-tasking skills. Tai Chi can help to lower cortisol and trigger the release of serotonin and dopamine. Tai Chi improves sleep quality, which is when the brain clears metabolic waste.
In other words: age-related mental impairment is not an inevitable fate. Tai Chi, Qi Gong and the meditative underpinnings can change your mental destiny. And the change can begin now.
The health of the brain can be prolonged, even improved if we invest our time and energy in practices like Tai Chi. It is here that we can experience a sense of purpose. We learn about ourselves and find the meaning of our life. We can learn to better harmonize the movement of the mind with the movement of the body.
Attending a Tai Chi class also contributes to a sense of mental wellness. A group class provides a setting for social interaction. It is non-competitive and non-judgmental because it is a culture of wellbeing. It is a positive environment – you never meet depressed Tai Chi people.
So where do we begin? Read “Simple Exercises to Slow Brain Aging”, which is coming soon on this site.
About the Author: Bill Donnelly is a rare combination of entrepreneur/artisan, adept at building on strength and bringing a creative approach to modern real world life and business challenges. He is a 7th generation lineage holder of Choi Li Fut Kung Fu and has over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching Yang T’ai Chi. Bill has presented lectures, demonstrations, workshops and lessons at T’ai Chi events, associations, not for profits, networking and education events. Bill is also an accomplished New York musician, drummer for artists in the world of Rock, Jazz, Funk, World and Fusion music. He is the author of Inner Secrets, Discovering T’ai Chi’s Hidden Lessons for Preservation, Protection, and Peace of Mind Meditations on the Principles of T’ai Chi, A Beginner’s Guided Reflection to Cultivate your T’ai Chi. Bill presents demonstrations and workshops to corporations, not for profits, associations and education institutions. More information can be found at www.privatetaichi.net