You’ve probably heard that some people, like old wine, mellow with age.  As it turns out, this is true of all of us because of the way our brains age.  Researchers have discovered that older people generally have better emotional control and a more positive outlook on life. 

They theorize that the human brain is designed to shift from a more aggressive, competitive mode in youth to a more cooperative mode in later life.  In the past, this may have been biologically advantageous as old people, no longer of reproductive age, shifted their attention to suppor of their kin, which indirectly assured survival of their genetic information.

Brain scans have revealed that older people simply process emotions differently, which may account for the improvement in emotional control.  As Ilchi Lee write in his book “In Full bloom” In the older people, more areas of the brain are shown to be active during the experience of emotions, especially in response to negative emotional stimuli.  This finding suggests that life experience may provide additional brain connections to help neutralize negative emotions more quickly.

Overall, older people are healthire mentally than younger people.  Incidence of neurosis decreases, and older people are less likely to report feelings of despair and worthlessness.

That being said, mental health is not automatic for older people.  In fact, depression is common and the occurrence of suicide is more common among older people than it is among middle-aged people, especially among older men. Just because the older brain is better equipped to deal with negative emotion does not mean it is immune to emotional difficulty.  After all, there are many aspects of aging that are difficult to handle, including death of friends, one’s own physical decline, and the sense of aimlessness that can accompany retirement. It is best to prepare yourself with a strategy for emotional well-being in order to make the most of your brain’s natural wisdom as you age.

-Excerpt from In Full Bloom by Ilchi Lee & Jessie  Jones, PHD.

In Full Bloom; Emotional Release Exercises:

Emotions are the primary reason we place limits on our brain. It is because of our emotions that we tell ourselves, “I can’t try that. I will only embarrass myself.” Out of fear, we stop short of our dreams, and because of past hurts we close ourselves off to others. Fortunately, it is possible to relieve your mind of debilitating emotions, but you must first learn to let go of them.

LAUGHING EXERCISE

You already know that laughter is a powerful medicine.  But unfortunately you can’t buy laughing pills at the pharmacy.  You could go to a funny movie or meet with a funny friend, but why rely on them?  You can laugh any time you want.

Try sitting on the floor one day and laugh to your heart’s content.  You may ask, “But how can I laugh if there is nothing to laugh about?”  Just try it.  Just laugh as hard as you can.  At first, it will seem awkward, but keep going.  Flail your arms and pound the floor, busting up with laughter.  Soon, you will feel like a kid again.

To prep for emotional releasing if will help you to get ready, in Ilchi Lee’s book “In full bloom” He recommends using the following techniques if you feel negative emotions beginning to rise:

HEAD TAPPING

To Further release tension from your head and face, try tapping them with your fingertips. This exercise will also increase blood flow to the skin, so it is a good beauty tip, too!  Just curl your fingers and begin tapping firmly all over your face and head.  Make sure you tap all over your head, especially your temples and crown.  On your face, target places that are holding tension, such as jaw, cheekbones, and around the eye sockets.

FACIAL RELEASE

A great deal of tension can be held in the face, and if often become habitual. Try this and you will find it very hear not to smile.

1) Squeeze all of your facial muscles; close your eyes, nose, and mouth tightly.  Hold for about 5 counts

2) Open your eyes, nostrils, and mouth as wide as you can.

3) Breathe in , and as you return your face to normal, exhale.

4) Repeat this sequence at least 3 times.

LYING VIBRATION

1) Lie comfortably on the floor.

2) Life your arms and legs into the air and begin shake them lightly.

3) Counting slowly to 10, shake harder and harder until you reach the count of 10.

4) Drop your arms and left gently to the floor.  Breathe deeply and relax.

TOE TAPPING

This exercise is great for releasing emotional tension from the body, bringing energy away from your head to your lower body.  Also, it is a great cure for insomnia, when you head is full of worries.

1) Lie on your back with your feet and legs together

2) Place your hands on the ground with your palms on the ground.  Flex your feet back and keep your heels close together.

3) Tap you big toes together, then open your feet so that your little toes tap the floor. Repeat as rapidly as you can.

4) Start with 100 repititions and increase the number after more practice.

-In Full Bloom by Ilchi Lee and Jessie Jones, PHD.

On June 20, 2008, the International Brain Education Conference was co-sponsored by sections of the United Nations (UN), and focused on how to incorporate Brain Education’s understanding of the brain into meaningful educational reform.

Within the brain lie the causes and solutions to the major problems that the UN and humanity care about. The premise of the Conference was that we must focus on the brain itself, and how to use it well, to create an authentic culture of global well-being, peace and prosperity.

Here are the distinguished speakers at the conference:
Antonio Damasio, M.D., Ph.D, Director of the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, author of Descartes’ Error (Neuroscience, Education and Culture)
Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D., author of My Stroke of Insight, recognized by Time Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential persons (How to Use the Brain Well)
Ilchi Lee, President, University of Brain Education and IBREA (Brain Education – Our Hope for the Earth)
Eran Katz, Regional Coordinator for IBREA Israel and author of Secrets of a Super Memory (Unlimited Potential of the Brain)

Jessie Jones, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Center for Successful Aging, California State University, Fullerton (Brain Education for Successful Aging)
Dong-geun Seul, Commissioner of Education, Busan, South Korea (Character Education and Brain Education)
Warrington Parker, Jr., Ph.D., Vice President, IBREA USA (Brain Education in U.S. Schools)
Helene-Marie Gosselin, Director, UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, New York Office (Education for a Culture of Peace)
Hanifa Mezoui, Ph.D., Chief, NGO Section, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN (UN Millennium Development Goals).

This sharing is given by Francoise Healernim from the Sandy Springs center. The training was held in January.

Dahn Foundation Outreach Training Sharing

Here’s a great excerpt from ‘principles of Brain Management’ by Ilchi lee,

As you move toward your goal, remember that no one is going to hand success to you on a silver platter. It will only come through diligent hard work and continuous refinement of your character. These things, in a way, are more important than achieving the goal itself.

A diamond is just a lump of coal until it is turned into a diamond through constant pressure. You also can be transformed by the pressures you face. Rather than becoming discouraged or destroyed by them, let them shape you into a stronger, more refined human being. Like a diamond, you can gain amazing durability while also remaining pure.

In fact, true greatness in life is really a matter of character. Many people have achieved fame and fortune of some sort. But what makes a person truly great? What makes a Mahatma Gandhi or a Martin Luther King Jr. stand out among people? If you look closely, you will see that the only significant difference is character. On the bodily level, they were no different than ordinary people. They were composed of ordinary flesh and bone, and they did not possess any special superpowers. Even their brains were just ordinary brains. But they used those brains with an astounding level of pure conviction that transformed their characters beyond the ordinary plane of human existence.

To use your brain to its fullest potential, you must develop a similar level of conviction about what you want to contribute to the world. Then, like a cut diamond that sparkles from every angle, you will radiate pure light to everyone you meet.

Midtown center’s Keumhwa nim shares about her HSP instructor training experience.  

What a great way to kick off New Years – 21 day miracle gift certificates.

We are doing brain wave vibration in class now and members love it. We do it after jung choong breathing and before ji gam.  It lasts for about five minutes and we don’t use music. Members really see a benefit both physically in their necks and mentally with a more relaxed brain!

Many people have asked me about the drumming music used in vibration class. Dr. Ilchi Lee talks about it on ilchi.com

Q: I just listened to your 21-Day Miracle audio lecture. I enjoyed your Brain Wave Vibration training. Can you let me know the name of music used in the training? I have been looking for that music since I first heard it.

A: The music used in my Brain Wave Vibration audio training was composed by PURI, a famous Korean drumming group. The CD containing the specific music was published eight years ago under a Korean music label. I have used that music for the Brain Wave Vibration training and other advanced energy trainings, as its rhythmical drumming beats help us move our body freely with energetic passion. Unfortunately, the CD has been out of print for more than two years and is no longer available.

If you are looking for music for your own Brain Wave Vibration practice, any rhythmical drumming beat will work for you. The indigenous music of many cultures in the world are powerful art forms that induce changes in human brain waves.

Although music can be used to ignite vibration, do not rely on it. Instead, rely on the sensation of naturally occurring vibration coursing though your body. Ride this sensation to enter deep into the rhythms of live.

newly released by Dahn Yoga – a DVD that guides MS sufferers through a workout designed specifically to meet their needs.

Read more here - http://www.dahnyoga.com/general/news_view.asp?id=437