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𝙋𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 & 𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩, 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮. 𝗗𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲, crucial in the brain’s reward system, not only motivates and brings pleasure but also reinforces behaviors linked to positive experiences. It’s the neurotransmitter that 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 and motivates us to repeat those behaviors. But its role in learning, memory, and brain reorganization is just as pivotal. A study from Göttingen University found that a balanced activation of dopamine receptors (D1 and D2) is key for optimal brain plasticity. ≽ 𝗗𝟭 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 act as a “Go” signal, enhancing positive feelings & motivation. ≽ 𝗗𝟮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 serve as a “Stop” signal, moderating dopamine release and inhibiting risk-related behaviors. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. When we’re positive & motivated, our brain is primed for the greatest change. When we are playing & being creative, we are exploring both external and internal environments, learning about our own limits. Under these conditions we experience increased dopamine activity. These activities provide a fertile ground for experimentation, risk-taking, and learning from experiences. Therefore, embracing play and creativity isn’t just enjoyable – it’s a 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 to facilitate learning, growth, and personal transformation.

In the journey towards personal and professional growth, understanding & leveraging the power of our mind is crucial. As we delve into the habits that shape our actions, it’s essential to recognize the role of 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 and 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. — 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 are a potent tool. They can influence our thoughts, behaviors, and abilities to overcome challenges. 𝘈𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. A 2016 study performed collaboratively across the Universities of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and California showed that self-affirmation practices light up brain regions linked to self-processing and valuation systems, thereby influencing 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 and 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨. This study underscores the profound impact of affirmations on brain activity, boosting confidence and reshaping our goals, but also how they can directly affect our behaviors. Researchers noted that participants in the 2016 study who engaged in self-affirmations also exhibited increased physical activity. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 👇 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 can also aid in self-perception, and teach us that experiences in our physical world can first be crafted in our mental landscape, including our emotional responses. Techniques like recalling past emotions or visualizing future scenarios help in cultivating desired feelings. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.

While we often think of our subconscious as directing our daily lives, it’s important to recognize the power of our conscious mind in reshaping this subconscious influence. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. Traditionally, it was believed that most neural development happens during childhood and adolescence, with the brain’s rewiring ceasing by our mid-twenties. The assumption was that by our mid-twenties, our brains had reached their peak in maturity. However, recent research challenges this view, showing that our brains never lose their capacity for growth and the formation of new connections, regardless of age. Whether you’re 25 or 95, engaging in new learning experiences and skills keeps this ability active. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, the brain’s adaptability to change and rewire itself in response to learning and experiences, is truly a powerful asset in our continuous growth and transformation.

To overcome a limiting belief, the body and the mind need to believe in its success. This holds true for any new behavior, skill, relationship, or personality trait that we wish to learn. We apply the formula: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 = 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘅 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 / 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Our success in developing a new belief, behavior, biology, skill, relationship, personality or personal reality is a result of our intention multiplied by the action we take divided by, or reduced by our resistances. — 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙗𝙤 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 It describes the medical phenomenon where patients experience a response to a substance that should have no biological effect, such as a sugar pill, based on their beliefs alone. In 2013, researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed 152 published reports involving more than 12,000 participants to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmaceutical trials. ≽ The researchers uncovered that the placebo effect occurred in one-third of all cases. ≽ The study also showed that the pharmaceuticals were effective in approximately one-third of all cases. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙗𝙤 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙨. In an earlier 2008 study, researchers at Harvard Medical School demonstrated that even when patients were informed they were taking a placebo, many still reported relief from symptoms. This suggests that the effect is not solely based on deception or false belief, and that the mind’s ability to heal the body might be accomplished based on an intention or will to ‘want’ to heal.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛𝙨, 𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨? Our bodies have the remarkable ability to adapt, respond and condition itself to various stimuli, shaping our physiological responses and influencing our behaviors. This is partly due to our ‘𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺’, a massive messaging network that directs our body on what to do - without you having to think about it. ° ° ° 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵. We associate resistances as part of our autonomic nervous system because often these responses are automatic, we act on them sometimes without knowing why. ≽ Some aspects of our resistances are protective, designed to prevent us from engaging in harmful actions. For instance, a fear of heights might prevent someone from dangerously climbing too high, thereby maintaining their safety. ≽ Others are deeply embedded in our subconscious, influencing our behavior and thought patterns, often without our conscious awareness. For example, a subconscious fear of rejection may cause someone to avoid social situations without consciously understanding why. The good news is that we can learn ways to overcome our resistances and take control of our behavioral responses.

Our nervous system operates mostly beyond our conscious awareness. In fact, an astounding 99.999% of our internal processes occur without us noticing. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. Like a super-efficient manager, most of our nervous system automatically controls things we don’t think about, such as breathing or our heart beating. Our nervous system is a great communication network that touches every part of our body, brain and behaviors. Like our brain, parts of our nervous system have their own memories. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺. Remember learning to drive a car? You were focusing intensely on every action like pressing the gas pedal or steering. Now, years later, you can drive almost automatically, allowing your mind to wander. Just as we learn to drive a car, we can also train our bodies to respond differently to different situations. We can teach ourselves to overcome fears, uncertainties, and doubts. By practicing new thought and feeling patterns, we can alter our body’s ‘automatic’ responses, much like mastering a new skill. So, while many of our body’s functions are automatic, we have the capability to change and form new habits.

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨? There are three parts of your mind: • the 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 • the 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, and • the 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 ≽ The 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 mind is what you’re thinking and feeling right now. ≽ The 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 mind is right below what you’re aware of, and it helps you do things automatically, like breathing while walking without thinking about it. ≽ The 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 mind is deep down and includes experiences we don’t always think about but still affect us, like hidden memories or unexpressed genes. —- Our body sends millions of signals to our brain every second, but our conscious minds are only aware of a fraction of them. Most of what our body does, like digesting food, happens without us even thinking about it, thanks to our subconscious mind. Learning about this relationship between our conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds can be a useful tool in navigating both mental and physical health.

When talking about one of the key molecules that give us life, you can’t make it far without mentioning a fan favorite, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. — Their discovery and insights have spun out a cascade of pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter supplements, all with the promise of enhancing our wellbeing by building muscle, encouraging hormone production, supporting our immune system, and increasing our energy. But aside from supplements, what about our own ability to regulate our own protein creation? Let’s break it down 👇 ≽ Proteins are produced through processes known as transcription and translation that occur in the nucleus and ribosome of the cell. ≽ What proteins are transcribed are based on a series of biochemical reactions, and one important variable is gene expression. ≽ What genes are expressed - or active - can be influenced by factors such as lifestyle, nutrition and stress. Understanding genes, protein synthesis, and epigenetics offers us insights into: 1. How our environment and behaviors influence our biology 2. How proteins as messengers play a significant role in coordinating our body's responses 3. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆

≽ 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪? ≽ 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜? For a long time geneticists believe that you are the way you are because of the blueprints passed down to you from your parents: 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗡𝗔. —————— 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴… 𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 you can fundamentally change 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗡𝗔 by changing other 𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 changing your environment or your mental health and wellbeing. 👇 This is the field of 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, which translates to ‘epi, Latin for above, and ‘genetics’, above-genetics. What is 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 you ask? Well, it’s the environment that the genes are in: ≽ the conditions within your body ≽ the conditions within your physical environment … and these conditions can influence what genes 𝗮𝗿𝗲 or 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙. 𝘛𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. Therefore your destiny is not predetermined - and you can change yourself at any time, under the right conditions in the right environment of course. 💫

𝘉𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 19𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 '𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯' 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 '𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦' 𝘰𝘳 ‘𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴’. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘕𝘈. 🧬 However, the commonly held view by biologists through the turn of the century was that your genetic material is what makes you unique. The genes passed down from your parents to you include all the little parts of why you are the way you are. ------------------ This belief was held right up until more recently, when the landmark Human Genome Project, tasked with identifying every gene in the human genome, painted a different picture about genetics. ≽ When the project began, it was thought that humans, as the apex predator, should logically have the most genes in our environment. Some scientists predicted that we had over 100,000 genes. ≽ Surprisingly, it was shown that we only have about 23,000 genes. ≽ In some instances, we share the majority of our genetic code with simple organisms like acorn worms. ≽ Humans do not possess the highest number of genes in the animal kingdom. Astonishingly, that distinction belongs to a tiny crustacean known as the water flea, with approximately 31,000 genes. ≽ Even an onion has 12 times the DNA content of a Harvard professor! 𝘚𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. And clearly there is something else at play here… This led geneticists to speculate that evolution is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 solely determined by the number of genes an organism possesses, but rather by which of their genes are 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 - and thus was born the field of 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨.

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 ‘ʙᴏᴅʏ ꜱʏꜱᴛᴇᴍꜱ’, 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. Each of these body systems serve different purposes, for example: ≽ the lymphatic system and immune responses ≽ the skeletal system for structural support ≽ the digestive system for nutrient absorption 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩? These different body systems are all interconnected and interdependent on one another. 🫀⋞–≽ 🫁⋞–≽🧠 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 because what happens in one system can affect change in another, like when you breathe faster your heart rate increases. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 because they help regulate one another, such as the relationship between your pancreas and liver that is regulating your blood-sugar levels as you watch this. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.

𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴. 🎓A review conducted in 2016 at the University of Southern California looked at 20 studies involving over 1600 participants and found that regular mindful meditation practices are associated with the improvement of a very important biological aging marker within our chromosomes. ≽≽≽ Chromosomes are those x-shaped structures made up of our DNA passed from parent to newborn. Well, at the tips of these chromones are what are called our ‘𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀’. —------------ 🧬𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 is a measurement considered as a crucial biomarker of cellular health and aging. Longer telomeres are associated with enhanced cellular longevity and improved overall well-being, while shortened telomeres have been linked to a higher risk of age-related diseases and premature aging. 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩. ∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼ And get this…In some participants the telomere lengths of individuals 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 after a period of time practicing meditation! ᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙ It is 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 too late to start a regular meditation practice to improve your health and reverse your own aging.