Energizing Yourself: Overcoming Styana and Alasya (Rerun)

by Nina

Women and Birds at Sunrise by Joan Miro*

I don�t know about you, but Ram�s post The Dangers of Being Sedentary scared me a bit. 

Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily�even when people�s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less than 3 hours and watching TV for less than 2 hours extends life expectancy by an estimated 1 to 2 years. Studies reported in the prestigious journals Lancet and the British Medical Journal suggest that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of one in 10 deaths worldwide. It�s now known that Americans are working less (26 minutes a day less compared to Y2007) and idling off more. Adults in the U.S. spend an average of 55 percent of their day engaged in some kind of sedentary behavior (see Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis).

In his post, Ram identified two obstacles that cause us to be sedentary: styana (inefficiency, idleness, procrastination, dullness) and alasya (laziness, sloth). The problem is, how do we overcome these obstacles? I mean, we all basically know that sitting around all day isn�t a good thing, but after hours of doing it�so many of us sit at desks all day or have long commutes�inertia tends to set in. And this can create a lot of resistance to the idea of getting up to practice yoga, even if you know it will be good for you and that you�ll feel better afterward. You think: Oh, I just don�t feel like it today�maybe tomorrow.

"Old man, stiff man, weak man, sick man, they can all take practice but only a lazy man can't take practice." � Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

I know this because even after years of practicing yoga at home on my own, I sometimes notice that tendency in myself. I do have some tricks up my sleeve, however. And I thought today would be a good day to share them, so you�d have some new ideas for fighting both styana and alysya.

My first trick is a mental one: I tell myself that I don�t need to do a full practice, that I can just do one single pose, you know, like Downward-Facing Dog. But I might want to warm up a bit before that one, so, let�s see, maybe a Half Downward-Facing Dog at the wall followed by a full Downward-Facing Dog on my mat. And guess what, by that time, my energy starts flowing and my momentum starts to build, and I end up doing a full-length practice.

My second trick is to pick a pose to start that will energize me, even just a bit. I know that moving with your breath is a good way to fire up your energy. So standing in Mountain pose and raising arms overhead on the inhalation and down by your sides on the exhalation is a good way to energize yourself, maybe even shake off a feeling of depression, and that can lead to some other vinyasas or who knows where.

But if you don�t feel like standing up�yeah, I know, sometimes you just don�t�you can get on your hands and knees and do the Cat-Cow pose, inhaling as you come into the Cow position (the sway back position) and exhaling as you come into the Cat pose (the arching position). That leads very nicely into Downward-Facing Dog pose, and then maybe Standing Forward Bend, by which time you might feel ready to stand up on your mat!

My third trick is that when I�m feeling particularly tired or lazy, I tell myself that I can start lying down. Ah, yes, lying down sounds real good.

Often I start with Reclined Leg Stretch and other reclined hip openers, and even just moving my legs around gets me in the mood for a Downward-Facing Dog pose (and helps make that pose easier), which in turn leads....

Another way to energize yourself is to open your chest, and that�s also a good way to counteract all the forward bending you�ve been doing by sitting down for hours. Good news is this is also something you can do lying down. Try a passive backbend over a blanket roll or a bolster for three or more minutes (see Featured Pose: Supported Backbend). Then roll over and see what you might feel like doing next. Lately I�ve been starting by doing a reclined shoulder opener that my teacher often has us do in the middle of class: lying on your back, with a strap just above your elbows, bring your arms up and overhead (if they don�t reach the floor, try holding a block between your hands). Three minutes of that, and if I�m not ready for Downward-Facing Dog pose, I might procrastinate a bit with some reclined hip stretches. It�s all good. 

And if this strategy doesn�t work? What if you only end up doing just the one or two poses? Well, that�s much better than nothing. It might even start a new habit that will allow you to gradually grow into a longer practice over time�my own home practice started with me practicing just a few poses. And, besides, you can always try again in a couple of hours....

Of course, what I�ve mentioned here are just a few of many possibilities. Readers, how do you shake off your lethargy and start moving? I�d love to hear your recommendations.

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Many Right Ways To Do A Pose and a Few Wrong Ones (Rerun)

by Timothy McCall

Branches and Roots by Brad Gibson

I got involved in a conversation the other day with Nina after class with our teacher Donald Moyer. Another student was wondering about the �correct� way to do forward bends. She�d just read an article in Yoga Journal by a highly respected teacher who said that the only correct way to do forward bends was with a concave lower back, that is, maintaining a normal inward curve of the lumbar spine. Although Donald sometimes prepares for forward bends like Uttanasana by doing the pose with a concave lower back, in the final pose, he suggests we allow a nice, even rounding of the spine, that is, completely reversing the lumbar curve.

Inherent in the student�s question is the notion that there is only one correct way, that everybody in all circumstances, should do any pose. The reality is that it always depends. What are you trying to achieve? What poses have preceded it and what do you plan to do after it in your practice? Are there contraindications you need to consider? Are there quirks in your anatomy or injuries you need to work around? 

We could do this analysis for any pose but, since we�re on the topic, let�s stick with forward bends. 

There are times when it is definitely not a good idea to fully round the spine. If you have a herniated lumbar disc, for example, rounding is generally contraindicated. When you round forward, the front surfaces of adjacent lumbar vertebrae come together which tends to push the disc material toward the back of the body, near where nerves exit the spine. This rounding the lower back could lead to nerve compression and sciatic pain.

For a similar reason, rounding the back in forward bends is generally not recommended for those with osteoporosis. Compression fractures of the spine happen when the front surface of one vertebra collapses under pressure from a neighbor. But forward bends done with a concave lower back can actually be therapeutic for those with thinning bones, and were part of the routine Dr. Loren Fishman used in his ground-breaking research  that is documenting yoga�s powerful ability to increase bone mineral density. 

For those who lack such contraindications, rounding the spine the way Donald teaches may lead to deeper relaxation and more quieting of the nervous system. When looking at students from an Ayurvedic standpoint, long holds of rounded forward bends can be deeply calming to the vata dosha (the imbalance often tied to stress and over-activity). Long holds of such forward bends are part of yin yoga, and can be a wonderful way to open tight hips, for example, to prepare the body to sit comfortably for long periods of time in mediation.

So my way of thinking is that there is more than one correct way to do forward bends, all depending on the overall situation and what you are trying to accomplish. But that said, there are also certainly wrong ways to do poses. In my mind, any way of doing a pose that unduly increases the risk of injury, or which puts the joints or other bodily tissues in compromised positions is wrong. In forward bends, one common incorrect method is to bend from the waist rather than hinging from the hips. Although not all yoga teachers would agree, I also advise against any knee locking in the poses.

Of course, this just begins to describe all the thinking on forward bends found among different yoga teachers. Some people sit up on folded blankets or other props, which allows them to get more forward tipping of the pelvis, but not everyone needs to do this. Some people hold their toes, some hold a strap looped around the soles of their feet, and some place their hands alongside their legs. Ultimately, good teachers learn to look at students, ask them questions and determine a reasonable approach.

To me the final arbiter of whether a yoga technique is right or wrong is the breath. If you�re able to do the pose and the breath can remain smooth, deep and even, more than likely you're doing it a right way (though probably not the right way).

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Three Shades of Grace

by Beth

The Three Graces by Edward Burne-Jones

Aging gracefully is a phrase we often hear but what does it mean? And can yoga help us accomplish it?

The word grace means elegance, a pleasing quality of movement, a sense of what is right and proper, or thoughtfulness toward others. It comes from the Greek charis, the singular form of the word charites, which is translated as grace but also carries the meaning of �favor� or �gift.� For my purposes, I think of grace as physical, social, or spiritual�three variations, or shades, of the same thing. 

Physical Grace

�Grace doesn�t make a fuss about itself, but it subtly warms and transforms the atmosphere.� � Sarah, L. Kaufman, author of The Art of Grace

Physical grace can be defined as self-possession in the midst of physical expression that conveys a sense of comfort, joy and well-being. Recently, while driving to a friend�s house for dinner, I coasted to a stop behind a long line of cars at a traffic light. Off to my left, I saw a woman dancing along the sidewalk to music only she could hear through her ear buds. She stepped off the curb and dance/walked across the street, never missing a beat. Her graceful movements brought a smile to my face. My head nodded to the music I felt but couldn�t hear. My energy shifted as I watched her and the moment was transformed.

Physical grace is a skill that can be learned and experienced in the way we move, dress, walk, dance, or practice yoga. For example, I like to practice the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)�a sequence of postures done as one continuous exercise and synchronized with the breath�as a way to cultivate physical grace. To keep this practice fresh and challenging, you can change the number, choice, and sequence of postures. For example you can add in a Warrior series, or Triangle or Plank pose. I often add in a Standing Twist (Rishi�s Posture) before the last Upward Salute. 

We can flow the asanas together like a dance or hold each one in meditative stillness before intentionally moving to the next. I do both depending on the day, my mood, and my body�s needs. If we practice with awareness, we will be using skillful means to develop our own personal style of physical grace, which can carry over into how we move, dress, walk, or dance. The benefits? Flexibility, strength, efficiency in motion, balance, and agility, along with comfort and pleasure being in our own skin. 

Social Grace

�In the middle of this crazy world, I�m just hoping to show up and be heard.� �Wah!

Humans are wired to be social. Research tells us that having friends and participating in groups actually benefits our health and extends our life spans. A major part of socializing is talking. We may talk a lot but how often do we listen or get listened to? Think of the last person who actively listened to what you had to say and involved you in true give and take conversation. How did that make you feel? Subtly warm and transformed, I�m betting. People who can do that with authenticity are exhibiting social grace, the ability to make others feel seen, heard and more connected. 

Grace under pressure, a phrase coined by Ernest Hemmingway, is something we may need to practice when dealing with a difficult or uncomfortable social situation. We can change the situation, change our response to the situation, or leave. Any of those choices can be the right one depending upon how we implement it. A breath technique that can be helpful in calming the mind while considering the graceful path to take is Relaxation Breath. When I find myself in uncomfortable social situations, I use this breath to calm my mind while I decide how to manage my energy and my actions. 

Instructions:

1. Sit comfortably. 
2. Inhale through your nose. 
3. Exhale through your nose. 
4. Pause after your exhalation and silently count �one thousand one, one thousand two.� 
5. Repeat and continue for 2-3 minutes.

This practice brings awareness to your breath, slows your rate of breathing, and lengthens your exhalation. The technique is invisible to others, is calming to your nervous system, and can help create the psychic space within which you can practice grace under pressure in difficult situations. (See Calming Breath Practices We Recommend for more information about exhalation pausing.)

Spiritual Grace

Spiritual grace (Samadhi) is similar to and yet different than physical or social grace. It�s similar in the sense that when we intentionally practice meditation through movement, mantra, or mudra, we can sometimes experience transformation. But it�s different in the sense that spiritual grace can be bestowed with absolutely no effort, or practice, on our part. Here is what one of my students told me about her experience with spiritual grace:

�It�s a state of emptiness and unity I have reached enough times to know it truly exists, but it is elusive and does not materialize on command. My experiences have been fleeting moments. One in particular that I remember very clearly was when my three kids were little. The two girls were giggling outside in the snow on a cloudy day in their brightly colored snowsuits, the baby was asleep for a nap and I was sitting next to the patio door with a hot cup of chocolate. There was a very brief moment where I sensed that everything in the world was in divine, right order and it was an amazing feeling that ended seconds later when the oldest poked the middle child with an icicle and it was over. But I never forgot that moment. Everything was very clear and it was as if the world stopped revolving for a millisecond and I was filled with bliss and peace.�

My most intense experience occurred while transferring one of my needlepoint designs to canvas mesh. The transfer process is time consuming and requires concentration. One evening, while working on a new design, I lost all sense of time, space and self about halfway through the process. When that period of grace ended, I was amazed at the deep level of peace I felt.

It�s lovely when spiritual grace happens without effort but consistent practice tills the ground and plants the seeds to prepare us to receive and recognize it when it occurs. I practice mudras (hand gestures) as one way to help me plant those seeds (see About Mudras for Healthy Aging). Currently I�m working with Trishula Mudra, the gesture of non-duality and clear seeing. There are no contraindications for this mudra, but do release it if you feel uncomfortable.

Instructions:

1. Sit comfortably. 
2. Curl your little fingers inward to touch the base of your thumbs. 
3. Place your thumbs on top of your little fingers to secure them. 
4. Extend your three other fingers straight out. 
5. Rest your backs of the hands on your thighs or knees with the palms facing up. 
6. Hold the mudra for 5 to 10 breaths, or longer if you�re comfortable 

In The Secret Power of Yoga, Nischala Joy Devi writes that we are all in a constant state of grace but often do not remember it. I believe that a regular practice of yoga will help us remember grace in all of its shades as we move through the process of aging gracefully. 

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List of Top Yoga Blogs

by Nina

The popular doyouyoga.com web site recently announced their picks for Best Yoga Blogs of 2016, and we made the cut! Thanks so much doyouyoga.

Here�s what they said about us:

�Yoga for Healthy Aging

This regularly updated blog does what it says on the tin: with lots of information about the effects of yoga on the body and brain, Yoga for Healthy Aging supports readers to maintain their health for years to come.�

That�s a pretty good summary, isn�t it? But I want to add that we have as much about the spirit on our blog as we do about the body and brain. Sometimes people forget that although yoga provides a powerful set of tools for cultivating health of body and brain, its original aim is for cultivating equanimity. And that�s something we take very seriously at Yoga for Healthy Aging, not just because it�s yoga�s original aim but because we feel that without equanimity, aging�even healthy aging�is going to be pretty bumpy ride. Baxter emphasized this just the other day when we were talking about our basic philosophy (see Yoga for Healthy Aging: Our Philosophy and Our Tools). And just last week Beth pointed out that the �graceful� part of aging gracefully included social and spiritual grace, as well as physical grace (see LINK). For tips on cultivating equanimity, see 7 Ways to Cultivate Equanimity with Yoga.

So welcome to any new readers who come to us through doyouyoga.com! Hopefully you'll find information here to help with the health of your body, brain, and spirit for years to come.

Self-possessed, resolute, act
Without any thoughts of results,
Open to successor failure.

This equanimity is yoga. �translation by Stephen Mitchell

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Video of the Week: Dynamic Warrior 1 to Warrior 3

This dynamic sequence helps improve strength, balance, and agility! To make it a bit easier, you'll using the wall. We recommend you watch it through once before trying it on your own.

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Yoga for Healthy Aging on Facebook

by Nina

As many of you may have realized by now, Facebook is very sneaky about which posts they show to who. From our end, we can see exactly how many people even see a post (as opposed to those who like it). And sometimes it�s a very small percentage of our over 10,000 followers, even when we�re sharing something pretty important.

So today I thought I�d give you a little tip about how to ensure that you always see the posts, that is, if you want to. (Why am I doing this on the blog and not on Facebook? Well, having tried this before, I know that if I write a post about how to use Facebook, Facebook will ensure it gets very little exposure. Oh, your algorithms are so clever, Facebook. I�m not being paranoid; it�s a business thing. Facebook wants us to pay to get more exposure for our posts, but you know we�re entirely not-for-profit, right?).

Anyway, you can explicitly request for any public page that you follow that you see posts from that page first thing in your feed. Here�s how to do it on a personal computer. (See below for phones.)

1. Start by going to the page and looking at the button where you originally Liked the page.

2. Click on the downward-pointing arrow. You will see a pop-up window that looks like this.

3. Click "All On" to see all notifications. If you like, click See "First" to ensure you'll see our posts at the beginning of your feed.

That�s all you have to do! If you give it a try, let us know if it works well for you.

On Phones. If you're trying to make the same change from a phone, try this: If you've already liked the page, you should see a Follow button to the right of the Like button. Click the Follow button and select "See First." If you haven't yet liked the page, click the Like button first, and you should then see the Follow button.

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Featured Pose: Powerful Pose (Utkatasana)

by Baxter

Because Powerful pose strengthens the muscles in your legs, it is one of most helpful poses for maintaining your ability to move from sitting to standing with ease as well as for improving your balance. Additionally, Powerful pose strengthens some arm and upper back muscles, while also stretching your chest and the fronts of your arms. The three variations described below make this pose accessible to almost anyone.

Baxter prescribes this for:

• improving knee strength and healthy knee alignment 
• recovering leg strength lost due to illness 
• getting in shape for intense physical activity, such as skiing and hiking
• improving balance for those who can�t yet balance one foot or building leg strength to maintain balance 
• improving shoulder mobility 

Timing: For newer practitioners, hold the pose for 6-8 breaths. After a short rest in Mountain pose, repeat once or twice. For more experienced practitioners, work towards holding the pose for 60-90 seconds (around 16-24 breaths), and repeat at least once after a short rest. You can also do this pose dynamically, moving in and out of the pose from Mountain Pose, for 6-8 rounds. 

Cautions: Those with knee arthritis or pain in the knee area should avoid deeply bending the knees, only going as far as is comfortable. Those with lower back problems/pain should keep their spine more upright. Those with shoulder problems/pain should keep their arms lower than the full pose.

1. Classic Version

Start in Mountain pose with your feet parallel and hips-distance apart. On an inhalation, swing your arms forward and up, alongside your ears. On your exhalation, aiming your knees straight forward, bend them a few inches (until you can no longer see your toes) while keeping your heels on the floor. Maintaining your Mountain pose spine, bend from your hips to bring your torso forward a few inches.

Once in the pose, firm your leg muscles and energize your arms, reaching from the bottom tips of your shoulder blades up through your finger tips while keeping your head in a neutral position between your arms. 

To come out of the pose, on an inhalation, straighten your legs. On your exhalation, release your arms to your sides. 

2. Block Between Thighs

Because you squeeze the block with your thighs in this variation, this version strengthens your inner leg and deep abdominal muscles. 

Standing Mountain pose, place the block about half way between your knees and your pelvis. Most people can have the block on its narrowest width, but some may need to have it on its middle width. Then squeeze the block firmly with your inner thigh muscles and adjust your feet so they are in line with center of your hip joints and close to parallel.

Continuing to squeeze the block, enter the pose by bending your knees and raising your arms as in the classic version. Once in the pose, work your legs and arms as in the classic version. 

To come out of the pose, continue to squeeze the block as you straighten your legs and release your arms as in the classic pose. Once in Mountain pose, you can remove the block.

3. Hips on the Wall

This variation provides support for those with poor balance and/or weak legs. 

Start by standing in Mountain pose about one foot from the wall. Enter the pose as in the classic version, but as you tip your torso forward, allow your hips to move back and firmly touch the wall. Maintaining that contact with the wall, work your legs and arms as in the classic version. 

To come out of the pose, on an exhalation, release your arms to your sides and place your hands on the wall beside your hips. Then, on your inhalation, straighten your legs by pressing down into your feet and use your hands to push yourself gently forward into Mountain pose. 

4. Hands on Hips

For those with pain or mobility problems in the shoulders, this variation allows you to focus solely on your legs. It is also easier to balance, as well as a good next step for moving away from the wall.

Start in Mountain pose with your hands on the hips. Then, on an exhalation, enter the pose by bending your knees and tipping your torso forward, as in the classic version. Keeping your spine in a neutral position, firm your leg muscles and release your shoulder blades down your back, away from your ears.

To come out of the pose, on an inhalation, straighten your legs. On your exhalation, relax your arms to your sides, returning to Mountain pose.

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Aging Changes to the Brain and Nervous System

by Baxter

Book, Pipe and Glasses by Juan Gris

We have recently shared some basic information about what the brain and nervous system are and what they do (see Your Brain is More than that Thing in Your Skull). And we�ve also shared with you how yoga can help with healthy aging of these essential parts of our bodies (see How to Foster Brain Health with Yoga). Yet we have not been clear on what the normal aging changes are for the brain and the nervous system, so today, I will address that deficiency!

The Brain and Central Nervous System

As your brain ages, certain areas shrink in size, and as a result, the empty spaces deep in the brain, called the ventricles, expand a bit. As the volume of the brain gets smaller, the neurons�the specialized cells in the brain�also shrink, as do the number of neuron-to-neuron connections, called synapses. On top of this, some of the neurons die and are not replaced by new ones. 

As nerve cells break down, waste products can collect in the brain tissue, leading to new and unwanted growths called plaques and tangles. Growing both inside and outside of the brain, these growths can disrupt the communication network between the neurons. All of these changes can cause your brain to slow down and work less efficiently. You can mitigate some of these changes through practices that foster brain health, including exercise, sleeping well, and continued learning.

Inflammation. As we age, we tend to produce more free radicals, which can lead to inflammation in the brain as well as the body (see Chronic Inflammation and Yoga: An Update for information about aging and inflammation). Inflammation in the brain can increase rates of cell death, and unchecked, can lead to more severe brain issues, such as Alzheimer�s and Parkinson�s. Although we don�t know for sure that you can prevent Alzheimer�s and Parkinson�s this way, you can prevent inflammation in general by focusing on stress management, meditation, and gentle exercise.

Blood Supply. The gradual decrease in blood flow to the brain due to arteries shrinking and changes in the blood brain barrier may decrease your body�s ability to transport nutrition into the brain and keep toxins out. All of this may contribute to overall decrease in brain function over time. To maximize your vascular health, focus on exercise, such as a well-rounded asana practice or even a gentle asana practice as well on meditation, which have have been shown to reverse clogged arteries.

Cognitive Abilities. As a result of all these structural changes, the brain and central nervous system�s ability to function also changes. For example, structural changes to the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus may cause decreases in learning, memory, planning, and decision making, as well as altering personality. This leads to a decrease in general mental abilities, such as troubles learning new things, recalling information efficiently, and keeping up with technological advances. 

Although all this often leads to older people performing poorly on complex tasks of attention, learning, and memory, all is not lost. It turns out that if older adults practice these tasks, they often perform as well as younger adults. Additionally, older people often continue to improve in certain other cognitive tasks including vocabulary, verbal knowledge, and information analysis. This explains why my grandmother could whoop me at Scrabble when she was 88! And we also know that when we are engaged in learning new activities, skills, and creative projects, the brain will continue to grow and build new neurons and neural synapses, a process neuroplasticity. In addition to continued learning, regular exercise, managing stress levels, and participating in a community will all help foster cognitive ability as you age. 

The Peripheral Nervous System

Aging brings natural changes to the nerves of your peripheral nervous system causing them to shrink and the insulation around them to be reduced. As a result, nerve cells may pass messages more slowly between the body and the brain, causing your body to respond less rapidly and reducing your overall agility. This slowing can also affect your senses, leading to reduced or even lost sensory feedback from your body to your brain, including:

• Diminished response to touch, and to sense where you are in space and what types of surfaces your body is touching (this affects your ability to balance) 
• Decreased eyesight
• Decreased hearing
• Decreased sense of smell
• Decreased sense of taste
• Changes in perception changes, so in some people there is a decrease in pain sensation and sensitivity, while in some others, there is an increase.

By improving blood flow to the special sensory nerve receptors (the nerves that shuttle information back to the brain) and increasing space around your nerves, regular exercise can help support healthy senses. In addition, maintaining good nutrition and regularly resting your senses regularly with restorative practices can also help. 

Slower responses from your nerves to the muscles involved in conscious action affect coordination and speed of movement, as well as strength of muscle response. Of course, this can in turn lead to movement and safety problems. You can counteract this slowing with regular well-rounded exercise, such as a well-rounded asana practice that focuses on strength, flexibility, balance, and agility.

Aging also causes a decline in blood flow in the nerves and the ability of nerves to regenerate after an injury. Regular exercise, such as a well-rounded asana practice, will help with this by improving blood flow and releasing holding patterns around your nerves, allowing them to function them better.

In your autonomic nervous system, the slower messaging of nerves affects how well your brain communicates with your cardiovascular system, as well as the other organs and systems whose functions it coordinates, such as the digestive system and bladder. Slower communication can lead to less efficient functioning of all those systems, causing, for example, sluggish digestion or trouble with urination. To preserve good autonomic functioning, both regular exercise, including a well-rounded asana practice, and managing chronic stress can be helpful. 

To summarize, there�s quite a lot you can do to maintain the health of your brain and nervous system as you age, including:

1. Exercise regularly. Exercise been shown to be one of most important things you can do for keeping your brain and nervous system healthy as well as your body. 
2. Maintain good nutrition. Good nutrition is as important for brain health as it is for physical health.
3. Meditate. This not only improves mental functioning, such as the ability to focus and maintain willpower, but it has been shown that meditation actually strengthen the brain.
4. Sleep. Good sleep is necessary for the brain to function properly and also to keep it healthy. 
5. Manage Chronic Stress. Reducing chronic stress helps reduce inflammation and reduces the likelihood of developing chronic conditions that negatively impact the nervous system, such as Diabetes and Hypertension. Allows healing time for nervous system as well as brain.
6. Keep Learning. Ongoing learning stimulates neuroplasticity and the growth of new brain cells. 
7. Join a Community. Socializing and belonging to a community improves cognition as well as emotional health.

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