How to reduce stress, harmonize body/mind /spirit and increase your creative flow
Author: Linda Naiman

FEED YOUR BRAIN
- Gingko bilboa and gotu kola increase blood flow to the brain. (Check with your doctor first before taking these herbs.)
- Boron is essential for memory and attention. Sources include apples, pears and green leafy vegetables.
- Vitamin B is essential for brain power. Sources include peas, beans, liver, kidney, chicken and eggs.

AROMA THERAPY
A few drops of essential oils in your bath or in a diffuser will relax and refresh you. You can also put a drop or two in a cotton ball or hanky and inhale.
Energizers include: Peppermint, Cypress and lemon.
Relaxants: Ylang ylang Geranium and rose

JUICE YOUR BRAIN WITH EXERCISE
Relaxation and good health are essential pre-requisites to creative thinking. The body and mind should be operating at peak efficiency through a balanced diet, exercise, rest and fresh air. Angeles Arrien says we need to be outdoors for at least one hour a day to stay balanced. We also need enough sleep to optimize our brainpower.
The benefits of exercise:
- Juices up the brain with nutrients in the form of glucose. The more glucose it uses, the more active the brain.
- Increases nerve connections to the brain
- Increases oxygen in the bloodstream that is delivered to the brain
- Releases endorphins into the bloodstream (the runner's high)
- Meditative rhythm of the running/walking/swimming – quiets mindful chatter, allowing your imagination to flow.

MUSIC TRAINS THE BRAIN
Music forges new neural pathways that stimulate your creativity.
Research shows that music trains the brain for higher forms of thinking. In a study at U.C. Irvine, researchers studied two groups of three year olds. One group studied piano and sang daily in chorus. The other group did not. In eight months the musical three year olds were adept puzzle masters. They scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence—the ability to visualize the world accurately—than the non musical group. This skill is the beginning of forming complex math and engineering skills. (Newsweek Feb.19, 1996)

"Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, asserts: the kind of noise to which one is exposed can have important effects on mental and bodily health. As a trial, try protecting your hearing for a few days from the continuous barrage of noise in a typical urban environment; it really does seem to improve one's attitude and fatigue levels.

Campbell also says the music of Mozart contributes to the improved functioning of the higher cerebellar functions, including the ability to deal with logical and mathematical concepts, while contemporary rock actually decreases mental acuity.
I guess Mom was right.To smarten up we need plenty of sleep, exercise, and good food. Add good music to the mix, can life be so hard?






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Linda Naiman is your catalyst for developing ways to find innovative solutions to the challenges you face at work and at home. She helps individuals and organizations develop their skill sets in applying creativity, innovation and visionary thinking to business strategy.


Website: www.creativityatwork.com

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