Podcasts about brain that changes itself

Sharla's back after a month-long break, sharing a deeply personal story of recovering from decompression sickness caused by a scuba diving trip in the British Virgin Islands. Her rapid brain recovery, thanks to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, inspired this episode on neuroplasticity—the brain's incredible ability to rewire itself. Joined by Robert, Sharla explores how the brain's adaptability can transform your marriage, drawing on therapist Terry Real's framework from his book Us. Learn how to make unconscious patterns conscious, harness emotional “recoil” moments, and act quickly to build new, healthier habits in your relationship. Packed with science, practical tips, and heartfelt insights, this episode will inspire you to tap into your brain's resilience to become the best version of yourself for your partner.What You'll Learn: - How Sharla's cognitive recovery showcases the brain's neuroplasticity. - Terry Real's two-step process for rapid change: making the implicit explicit and using emotional shock to rewire behaviors. - The science of memory reconsolidation and why acting fast after an “aha” moment matters. - Three practical steps to rewire harmful patterns in your marriage, with real-life examples from Sharla and Robert's journey.Try the episode's tips: reflect on an automatic pattern in your marriage, have an honest talk with your partner, and practice a new behavior right away. Share your story or insights on Instagram @masteryourmarriage—we'll repost our favorites! Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with someone who'd benefit. Got topic ideas or feedback? Email us at masteryourmarriage@gmail.com.References: Want to dive deeper into neuroplasticity? Check out these resources: - Books: - Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. Penguin Books. Inspiring stories of how neuroplasticity transforms lives, perfect for understanding change in relationships. - Hanson, R. (2013). Hardwiring Happiness. Harmony Books. Practical exercises to rewire your brain for positivity and stronger connections. - Ecker, B., Ticic, R., & Hulley, L. (2012). Unlocking the Emotional Brain. Routledge. Explains how emotional insights drive rapid behavioral change. - Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. Shows how relationships shape the brain for healthier dynamics. - Scientific Papers: - LeDoux, J. E., & Schiller, D. (2010). “The Human Amygdala and the Control of Fear.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(11), 761–769. Research on rewiring emotional memories through “recoil” moments. - Nader, K., et al. (2000). “Fear Memories Require Protein Synthesis in the Amygdala for Reconsolidation After Retrieval.” Nature, 406(6797), 722–726. Study on the 4–6 hour window for memory change. - Website: - Coherence Therapy (coherencetherapy.org). Articles and videos on using emotional insights for lasting change, based on Bruce Ecker's work. Find these at your local library, bookstore, or online. Share what you learn with us on Instagram @masteryourmarriage!

Episode Overview: Welcome to another Think Thursday episode of the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast! This week, we're diving into one of my favorite topics—your beautiful, brilliant human brain. In this episode, we'll explore some of the incredible things modern science has revealed about the brain, share two inspiring stories from Norman Doidge's groundbreaking book The Brain That Changes Itself, and reflect on the mysteries that still surround this extraordinary organ.This episode is all about wonder, hope, and curiosity—everything you need to appreciate the masterpiece inside your skull.What You'll Learn in This Episode:A brief history of neuroscience and how our understanding of the brain has evolved over the last century.The story of Cheryl Schiltz, who overcame a debilitating loss of balance by retraining her brain to adapt in remarkable ways.The inspiring journey of Dr. Michael Moskowitz, a chronic pain specialist who used his knowledge of neuroplasticity to rewire his brain and overcome relentless pain.Exciting developments in brain science, including how meditation changes brain structure and the potential of brain-computer interfaces to restore lost abilities.A reflection on the mystery of consciousness and the unique, deeply personal nature of your brain.Why You Should Listen: This episode will leave you feeling inspired and amazed by the adaptability and resilience of your brain. Whether you're tackling a challenge, learning something new, or simply curious about neuroscience, this conversation is sure to ignite a sense of wonder about what your brain can do—and what it might still be capable of.Key Quotes from the Episode:"Your brain isn't just a passive recipient of experience; it's an active participant in shaping it.""Even when something as fundamental as balance is disrupted, the brain can find a way to adapt and heal.""Your brain is not only a scientific marvel; it's deeply personal. It holds your memories, your dreams, and everything that makes you, you."Resources and Recommendations:Book Recommendation: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. This book is a fascinating dive into the science of neuroplasticity and the incredible stories of people who've harnessed the brain's ability to heal and adapt.Podcast Episodes on Neuroplasticity: Check out past Think Thursday episodes where we've explored the science of how your brain can change itself.Connect with Molly:Website: Alcohol MinimalistJoin the conversation in the Alcohol Minimalists Facebook Group for more inspiration and community support.Follow on Instagram for daily tips and insights.Call to Action: If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the Alcohol Minimalist Podcast. Share this episode with anyone who could use a little inspiration about the power of their brain!Closing Thought: “Your brain is capable of incredible things. Keep wondering, keep learning, and keep appreciating the beautiful, brilliant brain that powers your life.” ★ Support this podcast ★

"The Brain That Changes Itself," written by Norman Doidge and published in 2007, has had a profound influence on literature, culture, and society, particularly in the way people think about the brain, neuroplasticity, and the potential for personal change. Below are some specific areas of influence and significance: 1. Neuroplasticity AwarenessThe book popularizes the concept of neuroplasticity— the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This idea challenges long-held views that brain development is a fixed process, particularly in adults. The implications of neuroplasticity have permeated not just scientific literature but also popular culture, leading to a broader understanding of the brain's capabilities. 2. Cultural ImpactThe narrative has shifted public perception regarding mental health and rehabilitation. Doidge's anecdotes about individuals overcoming significant neurological challenges have fostered a sense of hope and resilience. The cultural implications extend to self-help movements, where people are encouraged to see personal change as achievable through mental exercises, therapy, and lifestyle changes. 3. Educational PracticesIn education, the book has informed teaching strategies and learning interventions. Educators increasingly embrace techniques that leverage neuroplasticity, emphasizing tailored learning experiences. It has encouraged the incorporation of cognitive strategies to help students with learning disabilities, thus shaping educational policies and practices in more inclusive directions. 4. Scientific and Medical FieldsThe book stimulated interest in neurological research, promoting interdisciplinary studies that examine brain function, rehabilitation, and therapy methods. It has influenced areas such as psychology, psychiatry, and neurology, leading to innovative approaches in treating disorders like stroke, trauma, and chronic pain. 5. Personal Development and Self-HelpIn the realm of personal development, "The Brain That Changes Itself" contributed to the narrative that individuals can reshape their thoughts, habits, and even their identities. This aligns with broader self-improvement trends and has inspired an array of writing and seminars focusing on mental wellness, mindfulness, and cognitive enhancement. 6. Philosophical and Ethical ConsiderationsThe book raises philosophical questions about identity, free will, and the essence of what it means to be human. It invites discussions about the ethical implications of enhancing human capabilities through neuroplasticity and the responsibilities that come with such knowledge. 7. Influence on Subsequent LiteratureDoidge's work has influenced a new genre of literature that focuses on neuroscience's implications for everyday life, mental health, and personal growth. Subsequent authors and researchers have built upon his findings, leading to a wider body of literature that explores the intersections of neuroscience, culture, and society. ConclusionOverall, "The Brain That Changes Itself" has changed how many think about the brain and has significantly impacted various fields. Its emphasis on neuroplasticity has encouraged a more optimistic view of human potential, challenged traditional medical paradigms, and spurred new methods in education and therapy. The ripple effects of Doidge's work continue to influence literature, health practices, and societal approaches to personal and collective challenges, making it a seminal text in understanding the scope of human resilience and adaptability.Chapter 5:Quotes From The Brain that Changes ItselfHere are ten notable quotes from "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge:1. "Neuroscience is showing us that brain plasticity is not only possible but...

One of my favorite books is "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Dr. Norman Doidge. It taught me about the importance of neuroplasticity, how the brain really does have an ability to change itself WITH THE RIGHT INPUT! Chiropractic and functional neurology are great input for the nerve system. Originally posted in 2017.

In the past on the podcast, we've discussed a range of emerging health-tech and medical devices that are leveraging next-generation technologies to improve health outcomes at scale, such as those focused on developing areas of practice related to heart-health devices, neuro-tech, and deep tech such as AI and Machine Learning; yet, despite the significant progress, one of the core challenges in scaling these technologies is connected to the themes of adoption and discoverability.  One way to solve for these challenges is through immersive experiences and the gamification of health-tech solutions.  We're entering an era where Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality are increasingly becoming viable solutions for the growing “metaverse in healthcare” market, which is expected to reach $80 billion by 2032. In today's episode, we're talking about all of this and more as we dig deeper into the evolving space of neuro-tech. This episode's guest is Martin Perminas, an internationally experienced executive across multiple disciplines gained in both major corporate and start-up environments.  He is a Board Advisor and CFO for Torque3, a US based VR and Robotics start-up with the ambition of disrupting the neuro-rehabilitation market and improving the lives of the world's 101 million stroke survivors.  Torque3 helps stroke survivors significantly improve their recovery outcomes by combining deeply immersive simulations and advanced robotics to help the brain create new neural pathways. Listen in with us as explore how the gamification of health and the emerging metaverse of health are providing new paths to treatment and care. Other insights range from exploring the potential of photobiomodulation devices, to how observing the "quality-adjusted life years" gained standard can give insights into the success of various treatments, to how the emerging metaverse in health provides new paths for patient engagement. For more details visit TechLink Health on the web or connect with Martin on LinkedIn. This episode was hosted by Payal Kohli, MD, FACC.

Bible verses like Romans 12, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" and 2 Corinthinians 10, "Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ", turn out to have real scientific structural foundations. How do you 'renew your mind'? How do you 'take every thought captive'? Those directives wouldn't be possible unless the brain was pliable. Unless the gray matter between our ears, instead of being fixed through its DNA, possesses a plasticity, able to be molded by it's environment, by what we do and say to it constantly. Dr. Alan Weissenbacher and his new book, "The Brain Change Program: 6 Steps to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life," takes to a spiritual level, Dr. Norman Doidge's best-selling book, "The Brain That Changes Itself".  Weissenbacher is a counselor to drug addicts and is the managing editor of academic journal "Theology and Science". On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Weissenbacher explains how the Bible always understood our biology better than we did. And while it may speak in poetic terms, there's real science underneath the prose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we embark on an exploration into the life of Moshe Feldenkrais, the genius behind the revolutionary Feldenkrais method. Our host, Alex Greene, engages in a fascinating conversation with Philippe Beyvin, who not only used the Feldenkrais method to heal his own chronic knee and back injuries but also developed a deep interest in Feldenkrais' life and work.Philippe has uniquely chronicled Moshe Feldenkrais' journey through his Instagram account, the @feldenkrais_athletic_club. This project creatively compiles and presents Feldenkrais' story, from his early years to his education in France under renowned scientists and martial artists. Philippe's account vividly illustrates how Feldenkrais' experiences, including his work on defense projects, shaped his philosophies and the development of his method. Tune in to gain a comprehensive perspective on Moshe Feldenkrais' extraordinary journey and the genesis of his groundbreaking approach that intertwines the physical and the mental. Discover how Philippe's personal healing story intertwines with Feldenkrais' teachings, offering a unique lens to understand this transformative practice. Don't miss this enlightening episode that weaves together biography, personal healing, and the power of mindful movement.Links and Resources Mentioned:Feldenkrais Athletic Club: https://www.instagram.com/feldenkrais_athletic_club/A. Norman Deutsch's work on neuroplasticity: The Brain That Changes Itself https://normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259Key Highlights:00:00 - Intro04:00 - How Feldenkrais influenced Philippe Beyvin  13:29 - Research Approach for Feldenkrais Biography16:23 -  Journey of Moshe from Russia to Palestine24:38 - Education, construction work, self-defense, judo31:57  - Moshe's knee injury 43:35 - Feldenkrais Method Developed56:40 - Philippe's Writing Project

n this captivating episode of the Stuck In My Mind Podcast, host Wize El Jefe welcomes the incredible Danielle Matthews to share her inspiring journey from trauma to triumph. Danielle's journey begins with a fateful car accident that left her with a severe brain injury at the young age of 23. The accident brought forth a multitude of challenges, including difficulties with concentration, migraines, and extreme sensitivity to light and noise. As the medical community had limited options for her type of injury, Danielle made the difficult decision to move back in with her family to focus on her recovery. During a pivotal doctor's appointment, Danielle received news that would shape her life. She was told that her current condition would become her new normal and that she needed to adapt her life around her symptoms. However, rather than accepting this prognosis, she embarked on her own path to recovery and started questioning her doctor's advice. Through her personal research and a book called "The Brain That Changes Itself," Danielle discovered the concept of neuroplasticity, which sparked a significant shift in mindset. She began focusing on what she could do rather than what she couldn't, finding ways to bring joy into her present moments. This shift in mindset ultimately played a crucial role in her journey of post-traumatic growth and propelled her forward towards finding happiness and fulfillment in her life. Drawing from her own experiences, Danielle emphasizes the importance of practicing presence, particularly in spiritual practice. Being forced into the present moment opened up new opportunities for her, and she found that shifting her focus to the here and now brought about joy and gratitude. Danielle passionately shares her belief that challenges and obstacles in life serve as catalysts for our inner growth and the discovery of our hidden abilities. She highlights the profound impact our external experiences, along with our internal responses, have on shaping our reality. Resisting and refusing to accept reality only leads to misery, whereas accepting it can lead to a shift in perspective and an improvement in the quality of our lives. Throughout the episode, Danielle openly discusses her personal experiences of loss and grief, which led to a profound change in perspective and personal growth. She shares her belief that overcoming difficulties can foster a deep appreciation for life and cultivate an unwavering sense of gratitude. Through her journey, Danielle realized that each challenge serves as an opportunity for growth and building resilience. She invites listeners to view difficult moments as gifts that help us learn and become stronger individuals. Her own quest for mental, emotional, and spiritual strength has led her to develop a larger perspective on life and a desire to help others rise to their full potential. Wize El Jefe, resonating with Danielle's story, reflects on the well-meaning comments people often make, unknowingly wearing down individuals who have faced trauma. He shares his own understanding that his purpose lies in using his podcast to offer hope and support to others. The conversation delves into the crucial role choices and reactions play in shaping our happiness and success, with both Wize and Danielle emphasizing the importance of falling down and learning from failures as essential components of personal growth. They celebrate the idea of learning from tough times, recognizing that life often serves the same lessons repeatedly until they are truly internalized. Wize and Danielle both acknowledge the significance of asking quality questions to foster growth and transformation in our lives. They remind listeners that personal growth takes time and grace and that celebrating the journey, both the ups and downs, is crucial for progress. Throughout the episode, Danielle places a particular emphasis on emotional growth and the importance of seeking support from external sources such as professionals and support groups, especially for individuals with brain injuries. She shares the value of connecting with others who have experienced similar challenges, as they understand the struggles without needing explanations. Danielle's personal journey led her to discover the remarkable potential of a biotechnology called Redox, which aided her brain in repairing itself after her accident. This discovery became a driving force behind her passion for sharing this knowledge with others and inspiring them to take charge of their own health. Tying it all together, Danielle reflects on her remarkable journey and the profound positive impact she has had on thousands of people's lives through her business and global reach. She embraces the cycles of darkness and light in life, recognizing that her health challenge was ultimately a catalyst for helping others and creating a ripple effect of positive change. As the episode winds down, the conversation takes a spiritual turn, exploring topics such as surrendering to the unfolding of life and placing trust in the higher good. Danielle shares where listeners can find more information about her work and book, leaving them inspired and eager to learn more. In this thought-provoking episode, Wize El Jefe and his extraordinary guest, Danielle Matthews, offer listeners a powerful message of hope, resilience, and personal growth. Their words and experiences remind us that even in the face of immense trauma, it is possible to find triumph and create a life filled with gratitude, strength, and joy.

Chapter 1 To understand The Brain that Changes Itself"The Brain That Changes Itself" is a book written by Norman Doidge, a Canadian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Published in 2007, the book explores the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize itself and form new neural connections throughout life.Doidge delves into the fascinating world of neuroscience and presents compelling anecdotes and case studies to support the idea that the brain is not as fixed and rigid as once believed. He challenges the traditional belief that brain functions are localized in specific regions and highlights the brain's remarkable ability to adapt, heal, and rewire itself even after serious injury or impairment.The book covers various topics, including stroke recovery, treating learning disabilities, brain exercises, the role of perception, and the profound impact of plasticity on mental health. Doidge explores different therapies and approaches that harness the power of neuroplasticity to aid in the treatment of various conditions, from obsessive-compulsive disorder to chronic pain."The Brain That Changes Itself" offers readers a deep understanding of the brain's potential for change and growth, shedding light on the transformative possibilities of neuroplasticity. It has garnered significant praise for its accessible writing style, scientific accuracy, and thought-provoking insights.Chapter 2 Is The Brain that Changes Itself worth the investment?The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge is generally well-regarded and highly recommended by many readers. The book explores the concept of neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to change and adapt throughout life. Doidge presents fascinating case studies and evidence that challenge long-held beliefs about the brain's limitations and potential for growth. The book is praised for its accessibility, insightful narratives, and the hope it inspires in readers. However, personal opinions may vary, so it ultimately depends on the reader's specific interests and preferences.Chapter 3 Introduction to The Brain that Changes Itself "The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science" is a book written by psychiatrist and researcher Norman Doidge. The book explores the concept of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Doidge shares various case studies and stories of people who have overcome neurological conditions or limitations through the power of neuroplasticity.The book begins by challenging the long-held belief that the brain is a fixed and unchangeable organ, showing how the brain can adapt and rewire itself. Doidge introduces the concept of neuroplasticity and presents groundbreaking research that supports its existence.Throughout the book, Doidge shares stories of individuals who have overcome various neurological conditions and disabilities through interventions like brain exercises, physical therapy, and other innovative techniques. These stories include individuals with stroke-induced paralysis who regain movement, children with learning disabilities who improve their academic performance, and individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder who learn to manage their symptoms.Doidge also explores how technological advancements have contributed to our understanding of the brain's plasticity. He discusses techniques like constraint-induced therapy, neurofeedback, and electrical stimulation that have shown promising results in helping the brain rewire itself.In addition to...

Watch the video of this episode on Odysee HERE!

“The idea that the brain CAN CHANGE its own structure and function through thought and activity is, I believe, the most important alteration in our view of the brain since we first sketched out its basic anatomy and the workings of its basic component, the neuron.” Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that's finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren't taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I'm Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    INTRODUCTION: For today's episode #302, and in keeping with our Season Theme of Going Back to the Basics, to take our learning to new heights, I'm going back to EPISODE #133[i] from May 2021 on “Applying Neuroplasticity to Your School or Workplace.” Now one look at this episode and I can see why I'm calling these past episodes Neuroscience 101 where I wanted to introduce important concepts in neuroscience and how they relate to learning, in real time, as I was learning them myself. The idea is that we are now going back and building on our understanding together, adding in anything new and relevant, that I'm now calling Neuroscience 202, and I can see with this first episode that I barely scratched the surface of what neuroplasticity is, and how we can use this fascinating concept to change our brain permanently.  REVIEW of EPISODE #133 We learned: ✔An introduction to neuroplasticity, and how this concept works in the brain when learning a new skill, thinking a certain way, or feeling a certain emotion. ✔How neuroplasticity helps us to create new habits, and how we can use it to break habits we don't want to keep. ✔The controversy behind this topic, and how two of the people we have interviewed ignored the naysayers, and built a powerful career with the early foundations of neuroplasticity. While I think this older episode is important to review, I can now see that learning how to apply practical neuroscience to our daily lives, really is cumulative. We learn one new concept that builds on another, and as we keep learning and studying together, new skills and levels of understanding are uncovered. It's like peeling back the layers of an onion and realizing there's more to uncover. Today, as we dive deeper in neuroplasticity, we will cover what Norman Doidge wrote about in his book, The Brain That Changes Itself, about “the idea that the brain can change its own structure and function through thought and activity” and then uncover what exactly neuroplasticity means for us today, so we can apply this fascinating concept to our life.    On today's EPISODE #302 on “A Deeper Dive into Applying Neuroplasticity To Learn Something New” will cover: ✔ What is neuroplasticity (the brain and nervous system's ability to change itself). ✔ How to use this incredible feature of our nervous system for ANYTHING we want to learn (getting rid of an emotion we don't want, building NEW emotions, or learning a new skill. ✔ The 2 STEPS Stanford Professor, Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests we understand in order to change our brain (the chemicals that are involved, and what parts of the brain they come from) from Huberman Lab EPISODE #6 “How to Focus to Change Your Brain”[ii] ✔ How others have changed the structure and function of their brain from Norman Doidge's Book that features Barbara Arrowsmith-Young who we met with on EP 132[iii]) to Dr. Caroline Leaf's 5 Step Approach to changing your brain. ✔ Strategies YOU implement today, to change YOUR brain. Once we uncover what neuroplasticity means, and how we can use it, we can marvel at the pathway neuroplasticity has taken over the years, (from the early days when Barbara Arrowsmith-Young (from my hometown in Toronto, Canada) mentioned in our interview that people picketed outside her presentation about the brain and learning due to their lack of understanding) and we can now honor those who spearheaded the way for our benefit. Dr. Norman Doidge, the author of The Brain That Changes Itself says that Barbara's story is “truly heroic, on par with the achievements of Helen Keller” who while in graduate school came across the work of Mark Rosenzweig of the University of California, Berkeley, studying rats as one of the first scientists to demonstrate neuroplasticity, fueling Barbara to NOT give up on this idea that the brain in fact could change What IS Neuroplasticity? When I looked at my first attempt to explain this concept, I wrote neuroplasticity as “the ability for our brain to re-wire, grow, adapt or change throughout a person's lifetime” and then I put a couple of YouTube videos that explained this concept. I remember this one by Sentis[iv] as the FIRST lesson I had on neuroplasticity. It shows how pathways in the brain are either strengthened or weakened with use. While I do like those videos and where I began with my own understanding of neuroplasticity, there's more research now to take our understanding a bit deeper and add more meaning to this idea. I don't want to go down rabbit holes either, as I'm trying to show how we can use this concept ourselves, but if you want to learn more about how this works, you can watch a lesson from the incredible Sal Khan[v], from the Khan Academy. How Dr. Andrew Huberman Explains Neuroplasticity I had to start with Dr. Andrew Huberman, since there's no one else I know who can make science simple and easy to use. He has a short clip where he explains neuroplasticity here through Rich Roll's podcast from May 26, 2023.[vi] He explains that “if we want to learn anything new, like a new skill in a sport, or subtract an emotion, or build a greater range of an emotion that we follow these two steps.”[vii] STEP 1: The First Step to Neuroplasticity is to Recognize that you want to change something. This FIRST step almost knocked me out of my chair because we have just covered Dr. Carolyn Leaf's 5 STEPS to Cleaning Up our Mental Mess[viii] and it's centered around identifying a toxic thought that you want to change. With Dr. Leaf's protocol, you go through a 5 STEP process that conceptualizes the thought or emotion that you want to eliminate, and by working through the issue, over this 63-day period, the toxic thought, or emotion you don't want, gets weaker, and you build new, stronger, healthier thoughts or emotions in its place.  It's not like slapping a band aid on something that's bothering you, and pretending it's not there, you actually have to work through the emotions of this “toxic thought” pulling an origin story (or where this thought came from) out of your nonconscious mind, and into your conscious mind where it eventually holds less emotional charge for you. Dr. Leaf calls this Mind-Management. Dr. Huberman talks about this concept as the FIRST step of neuroplasticity. He even talks about someone who approached him while he was speaking, who said that his voice reminded her of someone else, and made her feel uncomfortable. If you speak to audiences, you'll relate to this one. There is always someone whose face looks like they aren't with you, and while I've been presenting, I would look at the crowd, and in my early days, I'd think “that person doesn't like what I'm saying” because that's MY perception coming through, which isn't always the case. Well, this person in the crowd really did approach Dr. Huberman and when she “called the thing she wanted to change to her consciousness” she turned it all around and told him “just by telling you that, your voice became more tolerable.”[ix] Of course Dr. Huberman douses us with a deeper understanding of the scientific side of this idea by saying that “this awareness is a remarkable thing because it cues our brain and the rest of our nervous system that when we engage in those reflexive actions moving forward (like our toxic thinking, or something we want to change) that those reflexive actions moving forward are no longer fated to be reflexive.”[x] This is HUGE when it comes to wanting to change our brain, or change an emotion we don't want, or even to add a new skill, we just need to PAY ATTENTION to whatever it is that we want to change. STEP 2: ALERTNESS ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR NEUROPLASTICITY: WE NEED 2 CHEMICALS (NEURAL MODULATORS) EPHINEPHRINE FOR ALERTNESS AND ACETYLCHOLINE FOR FOCUS AND MENTAL ALERTNESS: Dr. Huberman says once we have paid attention, there are 2 chemicals (neuromodulators) that are released from different parts in our brain. He says that “alertness alone is not sufficient for neuroplasticity” and that “the most important thing for getting plasticity (or this brain change we want) is that there be epinephrine (which equates to alertness) and the release of the neural modulator acetylcholine”[xi] for focus and mental alertness. He says that the “thalamus gets bombarded by sensory input all the time but when I pay attention to something, I create a cone of attention with this acetylcholine that amplifies the signal of what I'm paying attention to making this signal greater to everything else amidst it.”[xii] He says “the signal-noise ratio goes up in the thalamus of the brain”, and that engineers would understand this. Well, I'm not an engineer, but I completely understood this. This idea took me back to when I was working in the seminar industry (where many of my examples draw back to).  I had just finished working with the teens who presented their work on stage and I was sitting in a loud place with someone else I was working with. He looked at me when we were talking and said “hey, do you hear that?” And this was over 25 years ago, and I remember this conversation like it was yesterday. I said “what do you mean?” He said “Listen, if you listen carefully, you can hear Prince's Little Red Corvette playing off in the distance.” To listen, I had to focus and create what Dr. Huberman said was this “cone of attention” and now I know that the neural modulator acetylcholine was flooding my brain so the signal to noise would go up, and I could hear the song. It was a crazy experience because without focus, we both would have missed it. He started to bring in how we needed to create this level of focus for the goals we are working on, and it was a conversation I knew I'd never forget. How Others Have Changed Their Brain: Barbara Arrowsmith-Young I first learned about Barbara Arrowsmith Young when researching for Brian Fact Friday and EPISODE #129 as she was a case study in Dr. Norman Doidge's book, The Brain That Changes Itself[xiii] Dr. Doidge is a Canadian scientist, medical doctor, and psychiatrist who was one of the researchers who put Neuroplasticity on the map and he dedicated a whole chapter in his book to Barbara's story called “Building Herself a Better Brain” which is exactly what she did. You can read Barbara's book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain,[xiv]  that's now in its third edition, here.   I've heard Dr. Daniel Amen say over and over again that “you are not stuck with the brain that you have. You can be empowered to change it for the better”[xv] and Barbara Arrowsmith Young did just that, and more. Her story blew me away.  You can revisit our episode, or read her story in Dr. Doidge's book, and learn why Norman Doidge said her to be “truly heroic, on par with the achievements of Helen Keller.” Barbara was determined to change her brain, and now that I have Dr. Huberman's formula, it makes sense to me how she did it. How Others Have Changed Their Brain: Dr. Caroline Leaf We've recently covered Dr. Leaf's Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess book for adults and children, and her 5 STEP Process is neuroplasticity in action. While writing this episode I saw an Instagram post that she put up that says that “you can't stop anxiety by trying not to be anxious (like Dr. Huberman said-the first step alone is not enough).  You stop anxiety by allowing the feelings (Dr. Huberman said-draw them to your consciousness) while understanding that it is a transient sensory experience and a warning signal (to do something different) and NOT a permanent reflection of you and your reality.” It's the understanding that helps to eliminate the negative toxic thinking. Sometimes saying what we want to eliminate is enough (like when we've written things down on our CRAP board to get rid of our conflicts, resistances, anxieties and problems) or like the person who said “oh, your voice no longer makes me uneasy, Dr. Huberman” but some things we will need a bit more attention to for long-term change to occur. This 5 STEP approach is scientifically proven to change our brain, and I can tell you that it will help you to eliminate emotions over time (once we've decided on what we want to eliminate). 3 STEPS FOR CHANGING YOUR BRAIN: USE NEUROSCIENCE TO BRING IN THE FOCUS to whatever it is that you want to learn, triggering neuroplasticity. Is it an emotion you want to eliminate? Or one you'd like to amplify? Do you want to learn a new skill? Whatever it is, you will need to FOCUS your mind as you are implementing the new skill. I have a whole new take now on what focus looks like. It's what I had to do in New Orleans to hear Little Red Corvette playing in the background (making the signal to noise go up) so I could hear this song. As I'm now focusing, I know that epinephrine is released and I'm creating a “cone of attention” (Huberman) with acetylcholine that's acting like a spotlight to what I want to focus on, enhancing neuroplasticity in the process. Does this understanding help you to see HOW we can change our brain with our thoughts or activity alone? USE THE TOOLS YOU WERE BORN WITH: I used to watch my Mom, who we met on EPISODE #300[xvi] focus her eyes when I asked her a question. It was like she was diving into the depths of her mind to find the answer. Then I heard Dr. Huberman say that “you can use your visual focus as a way to increase your mental focus abilities more broadly” and I noticed that I do exactly the same thing as my Mom when focusing on something I'm trying to picture in my mind's eye. How do YOU focus your mind? SUPPLEMENTS, SLEEP, MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION: What else can we do to put ourselves in the best mode for changing our brain? Since we know we must find the focus, the most common tool most of us use is caffeine to increase our alertness, and coffee is one way to do this. I'm always looking at what's new in this area, and open to ideas and suggestions from you if you have found something other than coffee to increase your focus.   We know that mastering sleep so we are more rested with more capacity in the day, helps with our focus, increasing our ability for neuroplasticity to take place.  I have mentioned that my world changed when I started taking Qualia Senolytics[xvii] which is a nootropic supplement, from our interview with Dr. Greg Kelly from Neurohacker Collective. I noticed I seem more “locked in” while working with crystal clear mental clarity. Mindfulness and Meditation are scientifically proven strategies to increase our focus and while reviewing our most listened to YouTube interviews, I was not surprised to see that our interview with Dr. Dawson Church[xviii], the author of the book Bliss Brain, is now our #1 most listened to interview. What tools, strategies or supplements do you use for increased focus? REVIEW AND CONCLUSION: HOW CAN WE CHANGE OUR BRAIN? To review and conclude this week's review of EPISODE #133, with “A Deeper Dive into Applying Neuroplasticity to Learn Something New” we covered: ✔ What is neuroplasticity (the brain and nervous system's ability to change itself) and how to use this incredible feature of our nervous system for ANYTHING we want to learn (getting rid of an emotion we don't want, building NEW emotions, or learning a new skill). ✔ The 2 STEPS Stanford Professor, Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests we understand in order to change our brain.   STEP 1: THE FIRST STEP TO NEUROPLASTICITY IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING. Know thyself. What do you want to change? If you are here listening, I'm sure you are like me, always working on something to improve, whether it's cleaning up our mind for improved mental health, or learning something new that could take our physical health to new heights. Learning is a process, and if each year we can improve ourselves a bit more, we are on the right track. We've covered Dr. Leaf's 5 STEPS for Cleaning Up Our Mental Mess recently, and I must say that once we begin to change our brain, that it's work. I'm now on DAY 21 out of 63 days, working on my 4th time cycling through my toxic thinking, and it requires time, and effort in addition to just wanting this change. Barbara Arrowsmith-Young didn't just wish she could change her brain, she repeatedly did what she needed to do for this change to occur. STEP 2: ALERTNESS ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR NEUROPLASTCITY: WE NEED 2 CHEMICALS (NEURAL MODULATORS) EPHINEPHRINE FOR ALERTNESS AND ACETYLCHOLINE FOR FOCUS AND MENTAL ALERTNESS. Don't forget we create a cone of attention with acetylcholine that amplifies the signal of what we are paying attention to making this signal greater to everything else amidst it, and epinephrine is released for alertness in this process. Know thyself: How do you create focus? For me, sitting down and writing these episodes requires the most brain power I've ever used. I'm learning new ideas and then thinking of how to share them, so that others can benefit and use them. What's motivating me is what I'm learning really IS changing my life. One year at a time, I can see how learning about the brain, and how to use it, is making me a stronger, more improved 2.0 version of myself. Whether it's learning about neuroplasticity, or how our brain works while we are swimming in the ocean, anything new that I'm uncovering here, keeps me coming back to my desk, week after week, to uncover something new to share. I hope my excitement for this connection to science comes through, creating that cone of attention, and acetylcholine in your brain, that's needed to implement this idea in your life. STEP 3: SUPPLEMENTS, SLEEP, MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION I've found certain supplements for focus and mental clarity work well, in addition to getting enough sleep so I can think, and make connections with what I'm learning, but we all will have our own path of finding our optimal levels of focus. Know thyself: What works for you? This has been a process of self-discovery for me over the years, trying new tools, and then measuring the results, and sharing them here on the podcast. I knew that my sleep could be improved 4 years ago, and “although the primary function or functions of sleep are not understood, evidence suggests a strong relationship between sleep and plasticity (Frank et al., 2001; Tononi and Cirelli, 2014). Sleep loss leads to impairments in the plastic processes of learning and memory (Diekelmann and Born, 2010; Rasch and Born, 2013)”[xix] so I'm taking the science to heart, and working on this with as many tools and protocols as I can uncover. Since we know that deep sleep  “is when your cells regenerate and your muscles repair themselves” (WHOOP.com) and REM sleep “is key to processing new memories, learnings, and motor skills” (WHOOP.com) improving and measuring this area will always be what I'm focused on. MY WHOOP DATA: Shows that finally sleep is improving. REM sleep is 25% higher than my 30-day average (key for processing new memories, learnings, and motor skills) and DEEP SLEEP (SWS) is 28% higher, helping me to regenerate cells and help muscles repair themselves. With that thought, I'll end with a quote from Dr. Andrew Huberman, whose research helped me to dive deeper into how we can change our brain using this concept that we still don't know a lot about. "Neuroplasticity knows no bounds; it is a lifelong journey of growth, learning, and personal transformation." - Andrew Huberman I know in 2 years I'll be back to dive deeper into ways we can change our brain even further as new discoveries in science are made, and I hope you'll be with me here, applying them. With that thought, I'll see you next week. REFERENCES: [i] Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #133 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-applying-neuroplasticity-to-your-school-or-workplace/ [ii] Dr. Andrew Huberman Lab Podcast EPISODE #6 “How to Focus to Change Your Brain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG53Vxum0as [iii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #132 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/the-story-of-barbara-arrowsmith-young-the-woman-who-changed-her-brain-and-left-her-learning-disability-behind/ [iv] Neuroplasticity Published on YouTube November 6, 2012  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g [v] Neuroplasticity from the Khan Academy https://www.khanacademy.org/science/health-and-medicine/nervous-system-and-sensory-infor/nervous-system-introduction-ddp/v/neuroplasticity [vi] Dr. Andrew Huberman Explains Neuroplasticity with Rich Roll May 26, 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYDsYyahUCA [vii] Dr. Andrew Huberman Lab Podcast EPISODE #6 “How to Focus to Change Your Brain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG53Vxum0as [viii]Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #299  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-a-deep-dive-into-dr-carolyn-leaf-s-5-scientifically-proven-steps-to-clean-up-our-mental-mess-so-we-can-help-our-children/ [ix] Dr. Andrew Huberman Lab Podcast EPISODE #6 “How to Focus to Change Your Brain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG53Vxum0as [x] IBID [xi] IBID [xii] IBID [xiii] The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge Dec. 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI [xiv] Barbara Arrowsmith-Young The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: How I Left My Learning Disability Behind and Other Stories of Cognitive Transformation, Foreword by Norman Doidge. Published  Sept. 17, 2017 https://arrowsmithschool.org/books-3/ [xv] Dr. Amen http://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/08/14/1901976/0/en/Dr-Daniel-Amen-s-Change-Your-Brain-Change-Your-Grades-Helps-Students-Parents-and-Teachers-Sync-Up-for-Better-Success.html#:~:text=Amen%20Clinics%2C%20Inc.,-Los%20Angeles%2C%20California&text=LOS%20ANGELES%2C%20Aug.,change%20it%20for%20the%20better. [xvi] Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #300  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/my-mom-hazel-macphail-with-majid-samadi-on-leaving-a-legacy-how-to-live-the-good-life/ [xvii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #285 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/dr-gregory-kelly-from-neurohacker-collective-on-how-to-beat-aging-and-stress-with-qualia-senolytics/ [xviii] Neuroscience Meets SEL Episode #98 YouTube Interview with Dr. Dawson Church https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH8yVKHjFN4 [xix] Roles for Sleep in Neural and Behavioral Plasticity by Jacqueline T Weiss and Jeffrey M. Donlea published January 20, 2022 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.777799/full

Ever wondered how a deeper understanding of brain plasticity could revolutionize your language therapy sessions? Join me as I share my key takeaways from Norman Doidge's eye-opening book, "The Brain That Changes Itself", and how we can harness the power of brain plasticity to create more effective and efficient therapy practices. Discover how roadblocks can pave the way for new brain maps, the significance of clear signals in information retention, and why focused attention is indispensable for molding and reshaping our brain maps.Let's dive into the fascinating world of auditory processing and its connection to language and speech impairments. Learn how I use pictures and descriptors to aid clients in naming exercises, and a shopping activity that helps improve word retrieval. We'll also explore the challenges language-impaired children face in perceiving the fast parts of speech and shed light on David Kilpatrick's "Equipped for Reading Success" program, which has been a game-changer for me as a clinician. Don't miss this enlightening episode that will transform the way you approach language therapy and help you unlock the full potential of the brain's plasticity!--- Useful Links ---The Brian that Changes Itself  Picnic FunThat Thing That Isn't APDEquipped for Reading Success Phonological Awareness Tracking ToolWhole Body ListeningImpossible R Made PossibleMusic: Simple Gifts performed by Ted Yoder, used with permission

This episode is the final part of an interview with me and Barbara Arrowsmith Young. She is the creator of "The Arrowsmith Program of cognitive exercises lies in Barbara Arrowsmith-Young's journey of discovery and innovation to overcome her own severe learning disabilities, a description of which appears in the article, Building a Better Brain or in Chapter 2 of the book, “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doidge. Diagnosed in grade one as having a mental block, which today would have been identified as multiple learning disabilities, she read and wrote everything backwards, had trouble processing concepts in language, continuously got lost and was physically uncoordinated. Barbara eventually learnt to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities through heroic effort, however she continued throughout her educational career to have difficulty with specific aspects of learning." Here is the link to her website for more information about her and program: https://barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com/. Link to Part 1: https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-1/episode-34-year-3-interview-with-me-and-barbara-arrowsmith-young-part-1 Link to Part 2: https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-1/episode-37-year-3-interview-with-barbara-arrowsmith-young-and-me-part-2 Link for BetterHelp sponsorship: https://bit.ly/3A15Ac1 Link for Pateron: patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge Links for new podcasts: Shero: Be Your Own Hero Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284 Chats, Barks, & Growls: Convos With My Pet Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522 Think Out: Free Your Imagination Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b Links for Sleepy Butterfly: 1. https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e 2. https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96 Here are my platforms: 1. https://livingwithnld.com/ 2. https://livingwithnld.com/contact 3. https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-swag 4. Living With NLD Facebook --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/support

This episode is the second part of an interview with me and Barbara Arrowsmith Young. She is the creator of "The Arrowsmith Program of cognitive exercises lies in Barbara Arrowsmith-Young's journey of discovery and innovation to overcome her own severe learning disabilities, a description of which appears in the article, Building a Better Brain or in Chapter 2 of the book, “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doidge. Diagnosed in grade one as having a mental block, which today would have been identified as multiple learning disabilities, she read and wrote everything backwards, had trouble processing concepts in language, continuously got lost and was physically uncoordinated. Barbara eventually learnt to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities through heroic effort, however she continued throughout her educational career to have difficulty with specific aspects of learning." Here is the link to her website for more information about her and program: https://barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com/. Link to Part 1:https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-1/episode-34-year-3-interview-with-me-and-barbara-arrowsmith-young-part-1 Link for BetterHelp sponsorship: https://bit.ly/3A15Ac1 Link for Pateron: patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge Links for new podcasts: Shero: Be Your Own Hero Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284 Chats, Barks, & Growls: Convos With My Pet Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522 Think Out: Free Your Imagination Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b Links for Sleepy Butterfly: 1. https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e 2. https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96 Here are my platforms: 1. https://livingwithnld.com/ 2. https://livingwithnld.com/contact 3. https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-swag 4. Living With NLD Facebook --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/support

This episode is the first part of an interview with me and Barbara Arrowsmith Young. She is the creator of "The Arrowsmith Program of cognitive exercises lies in Barbara Arrowsmith-Young's journey of discovery and innovation to overcome her own severe learning disabilities, a description of which appears in the article, Building a Better Brain or in Chapter 2 of the book, “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doidge. Diagnosed in grade one as having a mental block, which today would have been identified as multiple learning disabilities, she read and wrote everything backwards, had trouble processing concepts in language, continuously got lost and was physically uncoordinated. Barbara eventually learnt to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities through heroic effort, however she continued throughout her educational career to have difficulty with specific aspects of learning." Here is the link to her website for more information about her and program: https://barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com/. Link for BetterHelp sponsorship: https://bit.ly/3A15Ac1 Links for new podcasts: Shero: Be Your Own Hero Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284 Chats, Barks, & Growls: Convos With My Pet Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522 Think Out: Free Your Imagination Trailer: https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b Links for Sleepy Butterfly: 1. https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e 2. https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96 Here are my platforms: 1. https://livingwithnld.com/ 2. https://livingwithnld.com/contact 3. https://livingwithnld.com/podcast-swag 4. Living With NLD Facebook --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jennifer8697/support

Can you recover from chronic illness by rewiring your brain with neuroplasticity techniques? Annie Hopper is an Olympic system rehabilitation specialist and the founder of a dynamic neural retraining system. This groundbreaking program focuses on rewiring faulty neural pathways in the brain, and can be used as a treatment method for chronic illnesses such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Long Covid, and more. Annie's own journey of recovery from her own chronic illnesses was the inspiration for developing DNRS.  In this episode of the Grassroots Functional Medicine Podcast, Annie Hopper shares her story of healing and how DNRS works on a neuroplasticity level to reduce symptoms of chronic illnesses. Join Seth and Annie as they discuss the power of DNRS and how it can be used to heal and restore wellness. In this episode, Seth and Annie discuss the following: How Annie's health journey inspired her to start DNRS The limbic system and neuroplasticity Symptoms of limbic system impairment How DNRS works Diseases and Symptoms DNRS can help Ways to experience DNRS Annie's health tip:  Try to be present with the goodness of life that's around you. And savor it as much as you can because we need to offset our negativity bias with goodness to keep the brain in a healthy and relaxed state. More About Annie Hopper and DNRS: Annie Hopper is founder of the Dynamic Neural Retraining System  (DNRS), a drug-free, self-directed neural rehabilitation program. This unique approach directly targets limbic brain function, using the principles of neuroplasticity to regulate autonomic nervous system function and a maladapted stress response. Since 2008, the program has been helping people find relief from symptoms involved in a growing list of chronic and hard to treat conditions and is recommended by physicians worldwide. Limbic system impairment related conditions that often improve include Long COVID, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Lyme Disease, Food Sensitivities, Anxiety, Chronic Pain, and many other conditions. Author of Wired for Healing: Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses. Hopper's speaking engagements include the Canadian Brain Injury Association, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association, the Institute for Functional Medicine, McMaster Teaching Hospital, the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illnesses, the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health and the Parliament House, Helsinki, Finland. To learn more about Annie and Dynamic Neural Retraining System, head over to https://retrainingthebrain.com Check out DNRS on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_dnrs/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0VOmiaQPmnL1I2TauZ3ow Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/dnrsystem/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DynamicNeuralRetrainingSystem/   Resources discussed in this episode: Self Assessment Survey https://retrainingthebrain.com/self-assessment-survey/ Wired for Healing, Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses https://retrainingthebrain.com/product/wired-for-healing/ The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Deutch https://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259 Dr. V.S. Ramachandran - Phantom Limb Syndrome https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8437359/ Dr.  Taub - Constraint Induced Therapy https://www.uab.edu/citherapy/ Dr. Jeffery Schwartz - Brain Functions and Obsessive Compulsive Behavior https://jeffreymschwartz.com/ UK Biobank  Brain Study on Long COVID https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04569-5 Retraining the Brain Research https://retrainingthebrain.com/research/    Connect with Dr. Seth Osgood To learn more about Dr. Seth Osgood and the GrassRoots Adaptation Program, head over to www.grassrootsfunctionalmedicine.com Join the GrassRoots Facebook community at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grassrootsfuntionalmedicine 

David Eagleman, a neuroscientist and author of The Brain That Changes Itself, talks about how Serge Cinque, the Swiss mathematician who died in 2009, demonstrated that contractions of muscle can be guided by unconscious cues.

Today, we have an inspiring guest, Candice Care-Unger, the founder of Care Rehab. Candice is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities and she is here to share her story and talk about the importance of sexual rehabilitation for people with acquired disabilities. This inspired her to start her own organization, Care Rehab, which is dedicated to helping people with disabilities reclaim their sexual lives. Candice's organization provides information, training, support and counseling for people with disabilities, and their partners, to help them overcome the physical and emotional challenges that can arise after an injury or illness. Through her work, Candice has helped countless individuals with disabilities to understand that having an acquired disability does not mean the end of their sex life. Instead, it is a new opportunity to explore new ways of intimacy, pleasure and connection. Visit the Care Rehab website for updates on educational resources such as ‘Talking to your child about sex after spinal cord injury' and ‘Talking about Sex in Disability - how to bring it up and then what?' www.carerehab.com.au Book mentioned by Candice about neuroplasticity to rewire our brains: The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, MD An astonishing new scientific discovery called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the adult human brain is fixed and unchanging. It is, instead, able to change its own structure and function, even into old age. Psychiatrist and researcher Norman Doidge, MD, travelled around the United States to meet the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, and the people whose lives they've transformed - people whose mental limitations or brain damage were previously seen as unalterable, and whose conditions had long been dismissed as hopeless. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole; a woman labeled retarded who cured her deficits with brain exercises and now cures those of others; blind people who learn to see; learning disorders cured; IQs raised; ageing brains rejuvenated; stroke patients recovering their faculties; children with cerebral palsy learning to move more gracefully; entrenched depression and anxiety disappearing; and lifelong character traits changed. Doidge takes us onto terrain that might seem fantastic. We learn that our thoughts can switch our genes on and off, altering our brain anatomy. We learn how people of average intelligence can, with brain exercises, improve their cognition and perception, develop muscle strength, or learn to play a musical instrument - simply by imagining doing so. Using personal stories from the heart of this neuroplasticity revolution, Dr Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential. (Description from www.Booktopia.com.au) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-maven/message

In this episode, we have Annie Hopper, founder of the Dynamic Neural Retraining System, or DNRS. Annie developed DRNS in 2008, after she herself fully recovered from unexplained illnesses by implementing her own daily program of brain-based rehabilitation, which focused on rewiring faulty neutral pathways in the brain.Here, she explains the five pillars of her program and how you can rewire your brain to recover from chronic illness. TIMESTAMPS:00.00 - Intro01.07 - Annie's life before her chronic illness02.23 - The ‘perfect storm', triggering the start of Annie's health decline 05.17 - Annie's symptoms 07.58 - The onset of electric hypersensitivity syndrome08.40 - Having to move out of her home 10.23 - The mental impact of Annie's decline in health13.25 - How Annie's relationships were affected 16.43 - Annie's research and the development of DNRS19.09 - The influence of “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge and his work on neuroplasticity 20.09 - The start of some improvements in Annie's health through changes to the limbic system 21.22 - How long it took Annie to recover22.50 - The development of DNRS24.33 - The five pillars of DNRS29.26 - A DNRS success story of someone who had been suffering from long covid symptoms35.20 - How possible is it for someone to recover from old sensitivities whilst living in old37.22 - The biggest limiting factor for people approaching DNRS 38.27 - Long covid, and how DNRS and brain retraining can assist with recovery 41.53 - How would someone tell the difference between symptoms of limbic system dysfunction and real triggers44.52 - Annie's advice for someone who is struggling to cultivate the belief that they can recover47.05 - Accessing Annie's resources, website and self-assessment questionnaire BOOK REFERENCES:Annie Hopper:  “Wired for Healing - Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses”Norman Doidge: “The Brain that Changes Itself"Norman Doidge: “The Brain's Way of Healing”FOLLOW ANNIE HOPPER▶ Website- https://retrainingthebrain.com/▶ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/official_dnrsFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL▶ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheChronicComeback▶ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thechroniccomebackFOLLOW AND SUPPORT THE PODCAST▶ Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-chronic-comeback/id1533970626▶ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW_BGsN1LaeL4iudgSNUw7A▶ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/71485tI9o4JPPkg1IpmDaXRemember, the comeback is always greater than the setback

Join Laura Turner and her guest Robbie Frawley. Robbie could have been described as just an average young man from country Victoria but in fact his story is rather remarkable. Like many young blokes of his age he was an avid sportsperson turning his hand to a whole host of different codes from footy and basketball to hockey, water skiing, surfing and even a little boxing. He had a vibrant social life and by his early twenties his career as a civil engineer was thriving. All that changed though when he sustained what at first seemed to be a couple of mild concussions, adding to those he'd suffered growing up. Suddenly his whole life was turned upside down as post-concussion syndrome set in, making even the most basic things like reading a book or going for a run almost impossible. During 7 years of recovery he sought out the best medical advice and explored the latest scientific research on neuroplasticity - and realising he wasn't alone in his quest for information – decided to share his journey and that of others who have experienced and recovered from brain related conditions in his podcast ‘Stories of Recovery'. You can listen to 'Stories of Receovery' HERE or whever you listen to podcasts. Robbie recommends the book The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge - you can find out more HERE.Great Australian Lives is proudly supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals. This show is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for Sports Entertainment Network.

Are the vaccine hesitant really deserving of being called irresponsible conspiracy-minded nationalists who are ignorant of science - or other denigrating and pejorative mainstream media characterizations? Is it possible that many who are wary of, or outright resistant to, getting the jab - actually have some very legitimate reasons for thinking and feeling in the ways that they do? Is there, in fact, a whole set of values and ‘moral tastebuds' that a rather large part of the left-leaning population and political class are being dismissive of out of hand, and out of all proportion? And what facets of human psychology are at hand when others are seen as potential vectors of disease? In short, why are some vaccine hesitant, and why are others so keen to demonize them?This week on MindMatters we look at an in-depth examination of these issues as they're explored in Norman Doidge's seminal essay "Needle Points". No stranger to the study of how people think, and why, Doidge, a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and author of The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing, examines the  foundations of vaccine-hesitancy, and why, far from being “fringe” or “paranoid”, they  have a legitimacy that simply cannot, and shouldn't be, ignored by anyone taking a position on this highly contentious subject matter. He also discusses the "behavioral immune system" and what it can teach us about what is going on. Doidge so successfully outlines his needle points in his work that colleague Jordan Peterson encouraged him to produce a video narrating the text which may be watched here.A PDF of the essay may be obtained here.

Many unlocked mysteries remain about the workings of the human brain. Neuroscientists are making discoveries that are helping us to better understand the brain and correct preconceived notions about how it works. With the dawn of the information age, the brain's processing was often compared to that of a computer. But the problem with this analogy is that it suggested the human brain was hard-wired, able to work in one particular way only, much as if it were a computer chip, and which, if damaged, could not reroute itself or restore function to a damaged pathway. Taylor Owen's guest this week on the Big Tech podcast is a leading scholar of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to change its neural networks through growth and reorganization. Dr. Norman Doidge is a psychiatrist and author of The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing. His work points to just how malleable the brain can be.Dr. Doidge talks about the brain's potential to heal but also warns of the darker side of neuroplasticity, which is that our brains adapt to negative influences just as they do to positive ones. Today, our time spent in front of a screen and how we interact with technology are having significant impacts on our brains, and those of our children, affecting attention span, memory and recall, and behaviour. And all of these changes have societal implications.

Want to know the sentence I hear the most often from online coaches and even my own clients? Here it is: “I hate sales!” It hurts my heart to hear it. But, to add insult to injury, this is usually followed up with: “And I'm terrible at marketing!” Statements like this used to really irk me. They had that faint smell of an excuse. Yet, for some, these are just factual truths they've come to accept. Today, I talk about breaking the chain between what you believe and what you deserve and desire. Listen in as I share two powerful strategies to rewire your brain and use your limiting beliefs to unlock your unlimited potential. In this episode, we talk about… [03:11] It's not all about your mindset.[05:11] Understanding how your environment alters your gene expression with neuroplasticity and epigenetics.[08:57] How you might be programming your mind for the worst without even realizing it.[15:58] An introduction to the two strategies you can use to rewire your brain.[17:30] Strategy #1: G.R.E.A.T. Journaling (with five steps).[18:47] Step #1: Ground down.[21:48] Step #2: Reframe your beliefs.[25:04] Step #3: Express gratitude.[28:19] Step #4: Affirm your goals.[29:49] Step #5: Tackle the day.[32:55] Strategy #2: Recognize, Record, Refute, Record (again).Resources mentioned in this episode:The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman  Doige, M.D. - affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3Coznv6Epigenetics How Environment Shapes Our Genes by Richard C. Francis - affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3EzG5AELeveraging the Universe, 7 Steps to Engaging Life's Magic by Mike Dooley - affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3kmXgNGEpic Success Podcast with Dr. Shannon Irvine - https://drshannonirvine.com/podcast/Daily Planner resource - Business Made Simple, Donald Miller - www.businessmadesimple.comDaily Planner resource - Business Made Simple, Donald Miller - www.businessmadesimple.comAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear - https://amzn.to/3lPUEYdSchedule a call with Dorothy to chat about your Sales Strategy here:-> https://bit.ly/3bMgbtxSend your episode topic suggestions or questions to hey@dorothyvilleneuve.comReach out to Dorothy on Instagram @dorothyvilleneuvecoachingMore info and free resources at wildlyconfidentsales.com 

Guidepost Alaska parents! We're thrilled to be back with you today. On today's episode, Susan and Dr. Blossom talk about practical wellness strategies to incorporate for a healthy home and why this is so important for our children.  Dr. Blossom shares about her journey through infertility and parent burnout and breaks down practical strategies to help other parents who feel the same.  Susan also shares a great resource: The Brain That Changes Itself. Reviews from the books are as follows: " Doidge's book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.” -Oliver Sacks The discovery that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains-even into old age-is the most important breakthrough in neuroscience in four centuries. In this revolutionary look at the brain, bestselling author, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., introduces both the brilliant scientists championing this new science of neuroplasticity and the astonishing progress of the people whose lives they've transformed. Introducing principles we can all use as well as a riveting collection of case histories-stroke patients cured, a woman with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, learning and emotional disorders overcome, IQs raised, and aging brains rejuvenated-The Brain That Changes Itself has “implications for all human beings, not to mention human culture, human learning and human history” (The New York Times). “Readers will want to read entire sections aloud and pass the book on to someone who can benefit from it….Links scientific experimentation with personal triumph in a way that inspires awe.” -The Washington Post   Connect with us: www.guidepostpediatrics.com 

On part two of this series, I talk about three more books that have greatly impacted my life. The books are: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, and The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. I read powerful passages from these great books that I found to be essential knowledge for self development. 

Follow Maren:on Instagram: @supermarenFacebook: https://facebook.com/maren.montalbanoFollow Abby:DLive.tv/burnergrltimeforchange.coachAbigailWright.comSign up for the Bodice Ripper Project newsletter and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content: http://www.bodiceripperproject.com/Purchase Maren's debut book, Pandemic Passion: A COVID-19 novella on KindleTranscript and Show Notes: http://www.bodiceripperproject.com/e032/

Here is a snappy episode summarizing The Brain That Changes Itself, which was written by Norman Doidge. It explores the groundbreaking research in neuroplasticity and shares fascinating stories of people who can use the brain's ability to adapt and be cured of ailments previously incurable!

Please enjoy Harry's conversation with Professor Kate Stevens and Ben Pronk. Kate is a cognitive scientist and Professor in Psychology who's work investigates humans interacting with each other, their environment, and with technology. Ben is a veteran and former Commanding Officer of  Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment and is now the managing partner of Mettle Global. They have a broad ranging discussion on whether or not creativity is more prevalent or necessary in the MCTI community, or is it merely Harry's recency/confirmation bias. Below are some of the resources mentioned in the episode.  The “Bodystorming” concept - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodystorming (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodystorming) Professor Kate Stevens research - https://katestevens.weebly.com/ (https://katestevens.weebly.com/) Unforgiving 60 podcast – https://unforgiving60.podbean.com/ (https://unforgiving60.podbean.com/) Robert De Cormier - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_De_Cormier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_De_Cormier) Simon Rattle - https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwLCvKyakyYPTiKc7Mzc9TKEosKclJBQBv-AjU&q=simon+rattle&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU826AU826&oq=simon+rattle&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46j0i395l3j0j0i395l2j0j46i395.9293j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TcwLCvKyakyYPTiKc7Mzc9TKEosKclJBQBv-AjU&q=simon+rattle&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBAU826AU826&oq=simon+rattle&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46j0i395l3j0j0i395l2j0j46i395.9293j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) Books mentioned include Anne Osborn, Brain - https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Osborn_s_Brain.html?id=IaeswgEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y (https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Osborn_s_Brain.html?id=IaeswgEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y) Michelle Tucker, Elizabeth Macarthur - https://www.booktopia.com.au/elizabeth-macarthur-michelle-scott-tucker/book/9781925773736.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjwiLGGBhAqEiwAgq3q_pi-caPN6PV2wXA51LDqq7i1sMHKC2Rw1GB5OgwIeL66JoQJyFPq3xoCX8UQAvD_BwE (https://www.booktopia.com.au/elizabeth-macarthur-michelle-scott-tucker/book/9781925773736.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjwiLGGBhAqEiwAgq3q_pi-caPN6PV2wXA51LDqq7i1sMHKC2Rw1GB5OgwIeL66JoQJyFPq3xoCX8UQAvD_BwE) Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu - https://www.booktopia.com.au/dark-emu-bruce-pascoe/book/9781921248016.html (https://www.booktopia.com.au/dark-emu-bruce-pascoe/book/9781921248016.html) Dan Harris, 10% Happier - https://www.booktopia.com.au/10-happier-dan-harris/book/9781444799057.html (https://www.booktopia.com.au/10-happier-dan-harris/book/9781444799057.html) Michael Pollan, How To Change Your Mind - https://www.booktopia.com.au/how-to-change-your-mind-michael-pollan/book/9780141985138.html?source=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs8uBkMXK7wIVDpVLBR33-ACXEAQYAiABEgJm5_D_BwE (https://www.booktopia.com.au/how-to-change-your-mind-michael-pollan/book/9780141985138.html?source=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs8uBkMXK7wIVDpVLBR33-ACXEAQYAiABEgJm5_D_BwE) Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-brain-that-changes-itself-norman-doidge/book/9781921372742.html (https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-brain-that-changes-itself-norman-doidge/book/9781921372742.html) Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book)) Angela Duckworth, Grit - https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/ (https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/) David Epstein, Range - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range:_Why_Generalists_Triumph_in_a_Specialized_World (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range:_Why_Generalists_Triumph_in_a_Specialized_World) Music mentioned include Powderfinger, Vulture St - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HaoY81jCMiGVBP3fE6mK7 (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0HaoY81jCMiGVBP3fE6mK7) The...

Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, EPISODE #132 with Barbara Arrowsmith Young, an incredible woman from my hometown, Toronto, Canada, who is otherwise known as “The Woman Who Changed Her Brain”[i] Watch this interview on YouTube here. In this episode, you will learn: ✔︎The heroic story of Barbara Arrowsmith-Young that Dr. Norman Doidge, the author of The Brain That Changes Itself says is “truly heroic, on par with the achievements of Helen Keller.” ✔︎ What specific learning challenges Barbara noticed by 1st grade, and how she struggled through school during the time of the “fixed” brain, before the concept of neuroplasticity. ✔︎ How her parents prepared her for the legacy she would create years after she graduated from OISE’s Faculty of Education in Toronto. ✔︎ How a Russian neuropsychologist Alexander Luria and psychologist Mark Rosenzweig would help her to find the solution she was looking for to overcome her learning challenges and change her brain. ✔︎ What is the Arrowsmith School and Program that serves schools in educational institutions in worldwide? ✔︎ How you can connect with the Arrowsmith School to learn more about their programs to change student’s brains. Welcome back, I'm Andrea Samadi, a former educator who has been fascinated with understanding the science behind high performance strategies in schools, sports, and the workplace for the past 20 years. If you have been listening to our podcast, you will know that we’ve uncovered that if we want to improve our social and emotional skills, and experience success in our work and personal lives, it all begins with an understanding of our brain. I first learned about Barbara Arrowsmith Young when researching for Brian Fact Friday and EPISODE #129 as she was a case study in Dr. Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain That Changes Itself[ii] Dr. Doidge is a Canadian scientist, medical doctor, and psychiatrist who was one of the researchers who put Neuroplasticity on the map and he dedicated a whole chapter in his book to Barbara’s story called “Building Herself a Better Brain” which is exactly what she did. You can read Barbara’s book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain,[iii]  that’s now in its third edition, here.   I’ve heard Dr. Daniel Amen say over and over again that “you are not stuck with the brain that you have. You can be empowered to change it for the better[iv]” and Barbara Arrowsmith Young did just that, and more. Her story just below me away. Literally. It was the first time I cried while researching someone, as her story of struggling as a young girl hit a chord for me. The whole reason I do the work I’m doing now, is to help educators or those in the workplace to use the understanding of their brain to improve productivity (whether that’s in the classroom, or the workplace) and when someone is struggling in this area, like many people who have dedicated their life to the field of teaching and learning, most would want to know “why is this person struggling and what can we do to help them past this?” You can watch Barbara Arrowsmith Young’s  TEDx Talk, or read her story in Dr. Doidge’s book, to dive deeper into her story, that began when she was told she had a mental defect with her brain when she was younger, would never learn like other children, and would just have to learn to live with these limitations. For those of us who have children who need a little extra help, or who have worked with children with learning disabilities, we know that many times, even though other areas of the brain are highly functioning, and can even appear to make up for those areas of the brain that are not as strong, not addressing the areas of weakness, fixing or correcting them, can cause years of frustration for the child and will show up eventually when the brain becomes tired of working hard to compensate for the weaker areas.  This even showed up in my results with my brain scan at Amen Clinics with the X test, or the Connor’s Continuous Performance Test Score where we had to hit a key on the keyboard of a computer every time an X appeared, and not hit it when we didn’t see the x. Dr. Creado who did my test evaluation mentioned that “he has noticed that people who have weaker executive functions in their brain can develop life hacks to help them to focus and concentrate when they need to. But the problem is, that with time, and not working on brain health, or function, it will just become more difficult to keep up with these life hacks. Eventually, the brain will not be able to keep up with the hack which is why it’s so important to look and see what’s happening in your brain. You won’t know any of this, without looking.”[v]    Her work, begun in 1978, has been recognized as one of the first examples of the practical application of neuroplasticity which, simply put, is the ability of the brain to change and rewire itself over one’s lifetime. As the Director of Arrowsmith School and Arrowsmith Program, she continues to develop and refine programs for students with learning difficulties.     Her vision is that all students struggling with learning will have the opportunity to benefit from cognitive programs utilizing the principles of neuroplasticity, programs that change the brain’s capacity to learn and open to these learners a world of possibilities.     The genesis of the Arrowsmith Program’s cognitive exercises lies in Barbara Arrowsmith-Young's journey of discovery and innovation to overcome her severe learning disabilities. Her inspirational book ‘The Woman who Changed Her Brain’ has become an international bestseller and a third edition updated with new research was published in December 2019.    Barbara is the recipient of the 2019 Leaders and Legends Innovation Award from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto for her outstanding contributions to education in Ontario.   About the Arrowsmith Program   The Arrowsmith Program has been recognized by Sharp Brains as the Most Innovative Special Education Program of its kind, identifying and strengthening the weak cognitive functions that underlie specific learning difficulties.    The Arrowsmith Program is offered in over 90 educational organizations in 13 countries.  Ongoing research with neuroscientists, neuropsychologists and psychologists is demonstrating that the program not only changes the brain, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement but also leads to social-emotional well-being.   ‘Barbara’s story is truly heroic, on par with the achievements of Helen Keller.’  Norman Doidge M.D. author of the New York Times Bestseller The Brain that Changes Itself.    Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is the founder of the Arrowsmith Program, an assessment process and a suite of cognitive exercises designed to stimulate and strengthen weak areas of cognitive functioning that underlie a range of learning difficulties, which has been delivered for 40+ years throughout the world.  Sadly, Barbara grew up at the time when most medical experts believed our brains were fixed, so she had to defy the odds, and find solutions to overcome her learning challenges on her own. She did and created the Arrowsmith School is Toronto where she now teaches other children many of the strategies that she used herself to strengthen her brain. Let’s meet this extraordinary woman, from my hometown, Barbara Arrowsmith Young. Welcome Barbara, I’m so grateful to have found you. It started when I read Dr. Doidge’s book The Brain That Changes Itself and chapter 2 of his book was dedicated to your story. My eyes saw Toronto (where I grew up and went to school) and Peterborough where you were raised, where I still send some Christmas cards to friends and family that way, and now I wanted to know your story. Then I saw your TEDx and the connection grew stronger with my background in teaching (I saw we both attended OISE’s Faculty of Education for our teacher training), and I had an interest in earning additional training in strategies for students with Learning Disabilities. Your story brought tears to my eyes as my focus on for the past 9 years has been to create content to help students/teachers in the classroom to instill a positive mindset for these young learners, and I saw how things were so different before there was such an emphasis on these skills.  Thanks so much for being here today. Q1: Barbara, can you share what you were told about your brain, and learning when you were in 1st grade, (mental block) and the challenges you had growing up at a time when doctors believed that our brains were fixed? Q2: What specifically did you have a difficult time with and what did this do to your ability to learn at school (thinking of those students in the classroom today with a learning challenge)? Q3: Things reached their lowest point for you in grade 8 where you just couldn’t see how you could go on with learning being this difficult, but your father, an inventor, helped you to adopt the mindset you would need to soldier on. When I heard what he told you, it made me feel more connected to you. I had a mousepad given to me from a friend back in Toronto as a gift when I was moving to the US, with the exact same saying on it. What did he teach you and how did this help you to move forward? Q4: This is where my mind started to blow up a bit when I watched your TEDx. A bit because I can’t imagine researching before the internet. How did you come across the work of neuropsychologist Alexander Luria and psychologist Mark Rosenzweig[vi] and what did you learn from them? Q5: The final missing piece for anyone who has gone through life with a learning challenge like you, or like me as a parent, watching my youngest child, wondering why can one of my kids sail through school, without any effort, and the other, needs constant support and guidance? Or a teacher out there, wondering what else could we do to help that one student putting in extra effort, without any results. Can you share what are the Assessments[vii] you use at Arrowsmith to identify a learning challenge, and what can they do for a student to help them past this challenge? Q6: This podcast is going into our 6th season, and 3rd year and has a reach of over 148 countries around the world. Our top countries are the USA, Australia next and Canada and the UK not far behind. I saw your participating sites link[viii] on your website, and wonder how schools could become a participating site to access your assessments and curriculum? Q7: What programs can you tell our audience about at Arrowsmith Schools? I saw a powerful video about your Summer Intensive program in Toronto that drew students from around the world (USA, Australia, the UK and beyond). Do you have anything like this coming up? Q8: What’s your vision for Arrowsmith Schools, and on the horizon for you that we should all be aware of? For people who want to learn more about your school, assessments and programs, I have put all of the links in the show notes, in addition to your website. https://arrowsmithschool.org/ Where else can people follow you and your school? Thank you Barbara for taking the time to speak with me. It’s a true honor to meet someone who has made such an incredible impact on the world, that began with an understanding of your brain.  I will continue to follow work and wish you much success! RESOURCES: Here are some videos of students and parents describing the changes from the work: https://youtu.be/YB1NPYJIcuE https://youtu.be/kK_fe_KcXA0 https://youtu.be/8v8d_6u9iKM Summary documents on our research https://arrowsmithschool.org/research/ ArrowsmithProgram-Research-Summary-2019.pdf (arrowsmithschool.org) ArrowsmithProgram-Research-Overview-2020.pdf (arrowsmithschool.org) Participating Sites of the Arrowsmith School and Programs Worldwide https://arrowsmithschool.org/participating-sites/ Arrowsmith Cognitive Enhancement Program https://arrowsmithschool.org/enhancementprogram/ Live Arrowsmith Cognitive Classroom Demonstration with Howard Eaton Published on YouTube March 5, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epHBDNBPnHg Cognitive Questionnaire https://questionnaire.arrowsmithprogram.com/ Neuroplasticity: How the Brain Can Heal Itself by Lynn Malcolm April 21, 2015 https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/neuroplasticity-and-how-the-brain-can-heal-itself/6406736 Alexander Luria: Life, research and contribution to neuroscience by Maria Illmarovna Kostyanaya https://www.thescienceofpsychotherapy.com/alexander-luria-life-research-contribution-to-neuroscience/ The Man with a Shattered World: The History of a Brain Wound by A.R. Luria Published April 30, 1987  https://www.amazon.com/Man-Shattered-World-History-Brain/dp/0674546253 REFERENCES: [i] The Woman Who Changed Her Brain TEDx Toronto Published April 27, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA [ii] The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge Dec. 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI [iii] Barbara Arrowsmith-Young The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: How I Left My Learning Disability Behind and Other Storis of Cognitive Transformation, Foreword by Norman Doidge. Published  Sept. 17, 2017 https://arrowsmithschool.org/books-3/ [iv] Dr. Amen http://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/08/14/1901976/0/en/Dr-Daniel-Amen-s-Change-Your-Brain-Change-Your-Grades-Helps-Students-Parents-and-Teachers-Sync-Up-for-Better-Success.html#:~:text=Amen%20Clinics%2C%20Inc.,-Los%20Angeles%2C%20California&text=LOS%20ANGELES%2C%20Aug.,change%20it%20for%20the%20better. [v] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast Episode #84 “How a SPECT Scan Can Change Your Life.” with Andrea Samadi https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/how-a-spect-scan-can-change-your-life-part-3-with-andrea-samadi/ [vi] American research psychologist Mark Rosenzweig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rosenzweig_(psychologist)#:~:text=Rosenzweig%20initiated%20experimental%20research%20upon,than%20rats%20raised%20in%20cages.&text=This%20work%20led%20in%201962,enrichment%20increased%20cerebral%20cortex%20volume [vii] https://arrowsmithschool.org/assessments/ [viii] https://arrowsmithschool.org/participating-sites/

Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, for Brain Fact Friday and episode #129. If you are listening on iTunes, click here to see the images. In this episode, you will learn how to lessen the impact that COVID-19 has had on our mental health, well-being and learning by understanding: ✔︎ What brain research can teach us about new ways to position learning for our students. ✔︎ Tips to re-build our student’s brains after the impact of the Global Pandemic. ✔︎ The importance of motivation, learning and the brain. ✔︎ Why neuroplasticity is the most important change in the understanding of our brain in the past 400 years. (Norman Doidge, MD). Welcome back, I'm Andrea Samadi, a former educator who has been fascinated with understanding the science behind high performance strategies in schools, sports, and the workplace for the past 20 years. If you have been listening to our podcast, you will know that we’ve uncovered that if we want to improve our social and emotional skills, and experience success in our work and personal lives, it all begins with an understanding of our brain. We also know that “mental health is brain health”[i] and that research demonstrates that “students who receive social, emotional and mental health support achieve better academically. School climate, classroom behavior, on-task learning, and students' sense of connectedness and well-being all improve as well”[ii]    As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s clear that mental health disorders are a worldwide concern, magnified with the effects of the Global Pandemic. Here in the United States, 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder…up from 1 in 10 adults who reported these symptoms from January-June 2019”[iii] before the Pandemic, and we know that “young adults are already at risk for poor mental health”[iv] but these statistics, along with some comments from some of the educators I speak with often got me wondering “What will be the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of our students in our classrooms, let alone the havoc it’s created in the workforce.” Since leaving the corporate world in 2012, I have been focused on creating content to help students and educators implement social and emotional skills, character education, practical neuroscience and leadership,[v] with a focus on well-being, but the recent changes in our world have got me thinking: What are the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on our students’ well-being? How has wearing a mask every day impacted their self-image, their self-esteem, and confidence levels? What will happen to those students who struggle (or are still struggling) with Distance Learning? What are some solutions to these questions that we can implement to bridge the gap that was created with this Global Pandemic? I don’t think I’ll be able to solve everything here in this episode but it’s a starting point. What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear from you with what issues you are facing in your schools and workplaces in different parts of the world, a year after the global pandemic. These questions bring us to this week’s brain fact Friday, and a reminder from our last episode where we reviewed Dr. Daniel Amen’s book, The End of Mental Illness, that we are not stuck with the brain we have. We can change our brain and change our results. Whatever impact the Global Pandemic has had on our student’s social, emotional and cognitive thinking in our schools, or on those in the workplace, I strongly believe that this impact will not last forever, especially with the application of brain science to guide us through this time. For this week’s Brain Fact Friday DID YOU KNOW THAT: “Nature has given us a brain that survives in a changing world by changing itself?” –Dr. Norman Doidge, a Canadian distinguished scientist, medical doctor, a psychiatrist on the faculty of the University of Toronto and Columbia University in New York, and the author of The Brain That Changes Itself[vi] (that has sold over 1 million copies) and The Brain’s Way of Healing[vii] said that. Dr. Norman Doidge is one of the researchers who put Neuroplasticity on the map (meaning that neurons, the building blocks of the brain) are changeable (plastic) which means that our brains “can change their structure and function through mental experience alone” and he believes this to be “the most important change in the understanding of our brain in 400 years.”[viii] How Can this Idea of Neuroplasticity Help Us in Today’s Classrooms? Norman Doidge’s book, The Brain That Changes Itself is full of case studies of people who have experienced chronic pain, Parkinson’s disease, TBI, autism, ADHD, and even Blindness, train new parts of their brain with focused thought and movement alone.  If our neural pathways can be re-wired and strengthened in these case studies in this book, as well as in The Brain’s Way of Healing, (his most recent book) how can we use this information in today’s classrooms to help with our student’s well-being? Understanding how our brain’s works is a crucial next step for accelerating learning in our post-pandemic classrooms, with a goal of lessening the learning loss that may have occurred in the past year. 3 TIPS TO ACCELERATE LEARNING IN TODAY’S CLASSROOMS: Think of New Ways to Position Learning: With the Brain in Mind Chapter 2 of The Brain That Changes Itself features a fascinating story about a woman named Barbara Arrowsmith who was born with learning challenges. Tests to her brain revealed that she had extremely strong areas with her audio and visual centers, but her spatial reasoning was weak.  Barbara was determined to find ways to improve her learning and found a study by Mark Rosenzweig[ix] using rats that helped her to understand the neuroplastic nature of her own brain. This study showed that rats in a stimulating environment had “an increase in neurotransmitters, a heavier brain, and more blood flow to the brain”[x]  Once Barbara saw that the rats could change their brain, she began a series of mental exercises to help her to strengthen the areas of her own brain that were weak and with time, she brought her deficiencies back up to a normal level. There’s more to the story, but I found it fascinating that Barbara Arrowsmith was able to overcome her learning challenges using mental exercises and strengthened the parts of her brain that were weak. She later opened the Arrowsmith School in Toronto[xi], where she used many of the techniques, she used on herself, with her students. With this case study in mind, can you think of ways could you use Barbara’s story to help students in your classroom? IMPLEMENTING THIS IDEA IN THE CLASSROOM: Whatever challenges your students have faced the past year, remember that our student’s brains are resilient and with practice, repetition, and a stimulating environment, they will continue to learn and make academic gains like Barbara did. I’ll learn more from Barbara and the school she has built, but it’s clear that many students would benefit from knowing what areas of their brain need more work to identify these weak links. This is exactly why looking at your brain is so powerful instead with instruction that just repeats the same thing over again, missing an opportunity to target learning and instruction. Strengthening Neural Pathways in the Brain: Priming the Brain to Learn We know that Mark Rosenzweig’s rat experiments inspired Barbara to improve her learning, but they also taught her that “animals raised in enriched environments—surrounded by other animals, objects to explore, toys to roll, ladders to climb, and running wheels—learn better than genetically identical animals that have been reared in impoverished environments.”[xii] Our learning environment matters our brains will grow in the right environment. Doidge mentioned in postmortem examinations, “it was shown that education increases the number of branches among neurons. An increased number of branches drives the neurons further apart, leading to an increase in the volume and thickness of the brain.”[xiii] Which brings us to the question, “Is a bigger brain better?” and a Stanford neuroscientist would say that “some studies claim the answer is yes” to this question.[xiv] IMPLEMENTING THIS IDEA IN THE CLASSROOM: This has been a challenging one this year, with many students still using distance learning[xv], and it’s not easy to have control over your students’ learning environments, when many students are doing the best that they can, with their individual circumstances. Take a look at what the dendrites in the brain look like without stimulation vs stimulation, and most teachers I know get excited about this concept. Our students brains have been impacted in the classroom, and when they leave, they will continue to grow and expand from the lesson that you have taught them. Their brains will expand, and yes, you helped to build a stronger, smarter brain. The Importance of Motivation: We did cover the importance of motivation in the workplace on episode #127 “How Our Emotions Impact Learning, Memory and the Brain”[xvi] with a reminder that the motivation network of the brain is driven by your instinct and curiosity which is one of Jaak Panksepp’s Core Emotions (Panksepp was an Estonian neuroscientist who mapped out 7 emotional circuits in the mammalian brain (the hindbrain) with play being one of them. Panksepp identified another emotion called SEEKING that keeps us moving forward, engaged in new and interesting activities and work throughout our lifetime. If you think your students have lost motivation for their work, it’s time to look or like Panksepp would say, SEEK something that their brain will find new, and interesting, that will bring them JOY. This will engage them at the brain level. Doidge found that “when animals were motivated to learn, the brain responds plastically” and stimulating the brain makes it grow in almost every conceivable way. IMPLEMENTING THIS IDEA IN THE CLASSROOM: Keeping the focus on the joy of learning in difficult times will allow our students’ brains to do what they do naturally—learn and grow. Making sure our students and children at home are motivated to learn is the first step in engaging them at the brain level. Reviewing our brain fact for the week “Nature has given us a brain that survives in a changing world by changing itself” makes me think of the possibility that exists within each of us. I know this past year has revealed many changes for all of us, all over the world, but the science clearly says that our brain has the ability to survive in an ever-changing world. Next week I will be speaking with a TBI survivor who has rebuilt her brain to create an incredible life, helping others to do the same. See you next week, and I hope this brain fact has given you some new ideas to look at our students, colleagues or families, and see the power behind neuroplasticity, and the ability for our brain to adapt and change on its own…which I would agree with Doidge to be the most important change in the understanding of our brain in 400 years. See you next week! Contact Andrea Samadi andrea@achieveit360.com or via Twitter https://twitter.com/andreasamadi or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/samadi/ REFERENCES: [i] The End of Mental Illness: How Neuroscience is Transforming Psychiatry and Helping Prevent or Reverse Mood and Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, Addictions, PTSD, Psychosis, Personality Disorders and More by Dr. Daniel Amen  March 3, 2020 https://www.amazon.com/End-Mental-Illness-Neuroscience-Transforming/dp/1496438159 [ii] School-Based Mental Health Services: Improving Student Learning and Well-Being  https://www.nasponline.org/ [iii] The implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use Published by Nirmita Panchal, Rabah Kamal, Cynthia Cox, and Rachel Garfield Feb. 10, 2021 https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/ [iv] IBID [v] Andrea Samadi’s Programs and Services https://www.achieveit360.com/ [vi] The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge Dec. 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI [vii] Dr. Norman Doidge The Brain’s Way of Healing Jan. 26, 2016 https://www.amazon.com/Brains-Way-Healing-Discoveries-Neuroplasticity/dp/014312837X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+brain%27s+way+of+healing&qid=1620322327&s=books&sr=1-1 [viii] Dr. Norman Doidge | The Power of Thought Published on YouTube Feb. 15, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI [ix] Animal research on neuroplasticity (Rosenzweig and Bennett, 1961) https://www.themantic-education.com/ibpsych/2018/12/10/key-study-animal-research-on-neuroplasticity-rosenzweig-and-bennett-1961/ [x] The Brain That Changes Itself Part 1 Published on YouTube Jan. 5, 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI1BT7E58WU [xi] https://arrowsmithschool.org/toronto/ [xii] he Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge Dec. 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI location 873 [xiii] The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge Dec. 18, 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI location 888 [xiv] Ask a Neuroscientist: Does a bigger brain make you smarter? May 24, 2014 by Kendra Lechtenberg https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/ask-neuroscientist-does-bigger-brain-make-you-smarter [xv] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #77 with University Professors and Authors Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey on “Delivering High Quality Distance Learning” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/university-professors-and-authors-doug-fisher-and-nancy-frey-on-developing-and-delivering-high-quality-distance-learning-for-students/ [xvi] Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE #127 “How Our Emotions Impact Learning, Memory and the Brain” https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-how-emotions-impact-learning-memory-and-the-brain/

Today's episode is a conversation with Dr. Edward Taub. Dr. Taub is a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a behavioral neuroscientist. He developed a family of techniques, known as Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy, or CI Therapy for short, that have been shown to be effective in improving the rehabilitation of movement after stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy in young children, multiple sclerosis and other neurological injuries. He has also developed a form that is efficacious in the treatment of post-stroke aphasia. I first read about Dr. Taub in the Dr. Norman Doidge book, The Brain That Changes Itself, and was honored to get to spend a little time chatting with him directly about his work. In this episode, we discuss the questions and experiments that led Dr. Taub and his colleagues to eventually create CI Therapy, including how they applied what they learned from their experiments with monkeys to humans. We discuss the importance of patients continuing to seek improvements outside of therapy, the reasonable expectations and limitations of CI therapy, among other topics relating to this work. We finish the episode talking about meditation and Dr. Taub shares a surprising story of how transcendental meditation improved his life.Dr. Taub at UAB: https://www.uab.edu/cas/psychology/people/faculty/edward-taubDr. Taub and The Dalai Lama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJlmRISL-QA&t=7485s"The Brain That Changes Itself": http://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259http://theewpodcast.com/podcast-023-dr-edward-taub-and-constraint-induced-movement-therapy/

Topics covered •Running and out-of-school learning business •Learning difficulties •Growth Mindset •Using neuroscience programs to develop learning •Coaching parents to support their children •Support groups for women in business People & organisations mentioned •Dr Norman Doidge •Carol Dweck •Kerwin Rae •Gary Vaynerchuk •Wollondilly Women in Business, •Women with Altitude •Mums in Business Resources/books/articles/places mentioned •The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge •Sarah 2.0: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Inflammation •www.brainwiselearning.com.au •Barbara Arrowsmith

Topics covered •Progress on rehabilitation after brain inflammation •Effects of brain inflammation including:Auditory processing difficulties Chronic pain Paralysis Fatigue Mental & Physical weakness Vertigo Memory loss Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome People & organisations mentioned •Dr Norman Doidge •World Age Group Triathlon Championships, Resources/books/articles/places mentioned •The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge •Fast ForWord - cognitive and language training program •Yoga •Reading Assistant - online reading aloud practice & coaching

Topics covered •Rehabilitation after brain inflammation People & organisations mentioned •Monique Peter at Learning Well MacArthur •Dr Norman Doidge •Dr Bernie Siegel •Celine Dion Resources/books/articles/places mentioned •The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge •Fast ForWord - cognitive and language training program

Topics covered •How artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in education •What the future might be for AI in education & learning •A teacher's experience with an AI enhanced online learning program •Brain plasticity •Educational neuroscience •Dyslexia and other reading disabilities •The Enigma Machine •Algorithms People & organisations mentioned •"The Brain That Changes Itself" by Dr Norman Doidge •Sir Ken Robinson •Alan Turing •Winston Churchill •Professor John McCarthy •Ita Buttrose of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Resources/books/articles/places mentioned •The City of Parkes in New South Wales •Bletchley Park, UK •Dartmouth College, USA •USA Education Sector Report •Individualized Education Programs •Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve Read Transcript of this podcast. Click this link: The Learning Success Blog and search for the podcast's name.

Limiting beliefs get in the way of learning. We can all work to overcome these by building a true growth mindset (the belief that we can grow our skills). The most effective way to build a growth mindset is to dig into the research of neuroplasticity and really work to understand how our brain learns.Featuring:Dr. Michael Merzenich Neuroscientist at The University of California, San Francisco. Known as “The father of brain plasticity”Full Show NotesQuick Links:Soft-wired by Michael MerzenichHow to Build a Growth Mindset (video)The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman DoidgeLondon Cab Driver Study

Topics covered •Rehabilitation after brain inflammation People & organisations mentioned •Monique Peter at Learning Well MacArthur •Dr Norman Doidge •Dr Bernie Siegel •Celine Dion Resources/books/articles/places mentioned •The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge •Fast ForWord - cognitive and language training program

  There are about 50,000 people who experience stroke each year around half of whom will experience ongoing disability after 12 months. In some patients stroke results in loss of function in the hand, arm and legs. Patients undergoing rehabiltiation where thought to reach the maximum recovery by 12 months. However a relatively new therapy, constraint induced movement therapy (CI Therapy), is dispelling this myth. Now what was once thought of as impossible is now possible, showing that the brain can change at any stage regardless of the patients age or number of years post stroke. CI Therapy featured prominently in the popular book The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr Norman Doidge.   So what is CI Therapy? What does it involve? Who can potentially do the therapy and what are the potential benefits of it? To answer these questions and more we are joined by David Morris, Researcher at the University of Alibama and Philip Fay, Occupational Therapist.

Donna Martin came highly recommended to me from several Body Awake listeners. She's deeply trained, and trains others, in the realm of Hakomi, an approach to psychotherapy that's rooted in mindfulness and body awareness. In this interview, Donna and I dive into what felt like, for me, the heart of connecting with another human being. The first 23 seconds of the show gives you a taste of that. Enjoy, and do keep your recommendations coming; thank you!   SHOW NOTES Donna Martin's website Hakomi Institute Donna's retreat on Hawai'i, June 2017 "Whole-Hearted Embodiment," a retreat at Hollyhock, BC in May 2017.   Books mentioned on air (unlinked, but of course any of these available by searching Amazon) The Brain's Way of Healing and The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge Mindsight by Daniel Siegel Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön

Ever hear the phrase, "use it or lose it"? What if that applied to your brain? In this episode I bring you another excerpt from the amazing book, "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Dr Norman Doidge. In addition, there's a link in the podcast directing you to the FREE download page, where you can download chapter 3 of the book for free. In this section of the book, we get an insight into Dr Michael Merzenich and some of the work he carried out that helped mainstream neuroscientists accept the plasticity of the brain. It's a fantastic read, and remember...use it, or lose it. This podcast is brought to you by our major sponsor, LearnFast. To find out more about LearnFast, visit www.learnfasthome.com.au To comment on this podcast, send your emails to feedback@learnfastgroup.com.au

In this episode we hear the story of Dr Con Kafataris, father of six, with two children currently working through the Fast ForWord programs. It was a little bit of a journey to find Fast ForWord for his children, but after trying a few avenues, including speech pathology, Dr Kafataris came across Fast ForWord through a book titled, "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Dr Norman Doidge. The science seemed plausible, so he decided to give it a go. In his own words, the changes have been phenomenal. Truly a heart warming story. If you'd like to comment on this podcast, send us an email to feedback@learnfastgroup.com.au To find out more about Fast ForWord, or LearnFast, visit http://www.learnfasthome.com.au, where you can also subscribe to the blog.