Create A Better Brain

The carotid artery is the largest artery in the human body.  It pumps blood directly from the heart to the brain.  You can feel it’s pulse if you put you hand on the left side of your neck.  It insures that fresh oxygenated blood goes to the brain first before feeding other organs.  All this happens every second without our awareness.  We never have to consciously monitor our critical body functions they run on autopilot.  Maybe because of this perfect physical system it’s easy for us to trust too much our own thinking.  We rarely edit our beliefs or recognize that our perspective is always limited.   No matter what position we can claim it’s unlikely we hold the complete picture.

It’s easy to let our thinking run on autopilot too.  To automatically reach for those familiar and comfortable thought patterns.  To make decisions based on that stored bank of information despite it being incomplete, like a research library except instead of having all the data from A to Z we have it only from B to R. 

Twenty years ago medical students were taught that once critical periods were passed in childhood the architecture of the brain was fixed.   Today doctors know through neuroimaging techniques like PET scans, EEG’s and MRI’s that the brain is constantly rewiring itself through experience.  When you think and do things repeatedly you create neural pathways that become deeper over time. 

This information is critical to self-improvement. It is critical to any organization that seeks it make itself better.  

As you think – so you are.  We are our thoughts.  If we accept a status quo that repeatedly makes the same mistakes we need to look more critically at what we accept.  Change is possible.  Our most vital organ the brain is constantly remodeling itself based on how we use it.  Through action or inaction our brain is changing all the time. 

Knowing we can literally create a new brain should bring excitement to anyone who teaches. New brain cells stick around when the best conditions are nurtured.  To create new cells and maintain them it’s necessary to move the body and engage the mind.  The heart and brain are linked physically to create this perfect system.

Teachers can use this model in the classroom to increase and protect the brainpower of their students.    First by changing their own brain patterns, the habitual ways of doing and thinking.  Second by providing the best environment in which their students can begin to do this also. 

Think of the simple adjustments.  Create time in the day to move, maybe call this your stretch zone.  Not only is this beneficial to students but teachers will see their own energy and focus improve.  Include in this stretch zone a place for mental movement with respect and kindness as the guide.  Allow for students to practice exchanging thoughts and beliefs without needing to defend their position, instead of debate they can learn to listen to each other.

Our two most vital organs the heart and the brain give us all the connection we need to be better.