Natural Balance
Quarterly newsletter for the KZN region
One Brain?
FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
This newsletter explores our brain / brains?
“This newsletter explores our brain / brains?”
It continues to explore a bit more on the TFH
Remembering Wellness Process and how goal setting is
a whole brain process. There is a paper from the
Energy Kinesiology Conference 2012 that explores the
way our body processes information.
There is a bit of brain anatomy, a theory on brain
dominance patterns that you will learn more about in
Gudrun’s Learn2Learn course and an article on the
benefits of both convergent and divergent thinking.
And because this newsletter is full of SERIOUSLY left
brain information, I have included a couple of pictures
and cartoons to help your right brain to stay just a little
involved.
I hope that you have your thinking caps on!
(maybe you would like one like this?!)
Seriously?!
Do we have more than one?!
Well then who is in charge here?!
Good Question!
We don’t know!
We have no Chairperson….. No one wanted this job
(any offers?)….. We have some good brains… some
wonderful people to form our committee…. But
NO leader!....
We are working on this… we are putting our brains
together…. We are thinking convergently,
divergently and involving all hemisperes…. Our
right brains are active so Anything Could Happen!
http://purlspatterns.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/thinking-cap/
xxx Kate
In the meantime however, we say a big thank you
to Martine, who did an AWESOME job (no wonder
no one wants to take on the role!) You made us
laugh, you helped us learn and for that we are
enormously grateful. Thank you for your time,
energy and love…. We miss you!!
Watch this space people!…
Touch for Health Remembering Wellness
A whole brain process
What makes the Remembering Wellness approach with goal setting and creative use of metaphors so
effective? First of all, we listen to people and find out what THEY want, what their goals are. Then we
assist them in balancing their energies for a positive purpose.
When we integrate the contemplation of metaphors related to the 5 Elements, the Meridian/Organ
Functions, and the muscle functions and tests, we help people to find meaning in their desires as well as
their dis-ease. Far from ignoring symptoms, we teach people to be more self-aware and selfresponsible, addressing the issues that inhibit their experience of Wellness before they become disabling
conditions. This is in stark contrast to the dominant model of patient care in biomedicine.
The typical biomedical practitioner is constrained by the amount of time allotted to each individual
contact and needs to make a quick diagnosis of a named condition. Symptoms are not seen as elements
of an individual person’s life, but as clues to the diagnosis and therefore the prescription that will be
given. According to some studies, this is often decided upon in the first 15-20 seconds. The person
seeking help is then only asked questions which will be follow-up to the chosen diagnosis. This allows
the practitioner to decide what additional examination or drug to prescribe. The whole encounter can
take less than five minutes, including all instructions to the patient.
In using the TFH methods we are not looking for that third entity, the named condition. We want to
know what the person wants better in their life and what they will be doing when they are not using
their energy coping and adapting with the symptoms that are interfering with their lives. We want to
know when they have experienced that feeling before and make a comparison between this
“remembered wellness” and how they are feeling now. This can be done in a very short period of time
if the person seeking help knows how they want to feel, what they want to be doing when they are
feeling better and when they have felt that way before. Rating personal perceptions of Wellness
before and after balancing is very effective, especially when using an analog scale from 1-10.
When we have listened to the person seeking help and gone through the process of setting a goal and
making a written note about the comparison, we can then use the metaphors associated with the
element/meridian/organ/muscle energy imbalances to help the person to recognize what might be
blocking their energy and keeping them from feeling the way they want to feel and doing what they
want to do.
There is a great need for this approach in our society and in the health care field. Biomedicine as it is
currently practiced is highly effective in emergency situations and in dealing with acute symptoms,
however, there is a gap between the self-care that people know how to provide themselves and the
crisis management that modern medicine provides.
It has long been recognized that there is an overuse of medication and surgery and a corresponding
failure of the reliance on these methods to sufficiently contribute to the health of a large number of
patients. With more and more people living longer, we have an ever greater need for people to learn to
take responsibility for the life choices which contribute to Wellness or to chronic illness. TFHK bridges
the gap between what the medical approach can provide and what people can do for themselves.
Goal setting is a whole brain activity. When we remember Wellness to set our goals and achieve
them, we use our whole brain, not just different parts for different activities. Research in various fields is
giving us an understanding of the brain, the mind, and the Soul as a far more integrated, holistic
process than previously thought. The Anthropic principle of human perception, and the correspondence
of current studies of the evolution of ideas and achievement with the cycles of the 5 Elements, helps
us to understand why using metaphors and goal setting is so effective in balancing energy and
improving our experience of life.
Every brain contains approximately 100 billion cells called neurons and about an equal or greater
number of glia cells, which were formerly thought to be just a matrix to hold the brain together but
now are known to have many functions.
The connections between the neurons, between the glia and the between each other (which enable us
to walk, talk, and breathe without thinking about it) are estimated to be in excess of 100 trillion.
The brain is constantly executing many “programs” some of which are very specific and some of which
are more global. For anyone who has worked with a few programs on a desktop computer, it’s amazing
how the human being can simultaneously juggle so many tasks without a total system crash.
I think this awesome capacity has a lot to do with the fact that our functions are not only affected by the
gross energy of biochemistry, but also by a more subtle energy system of life force. When we are
balancing the meridian systems, we are actually working with both. The acupuncture system does
have a direct effect on biochemistry which is being increasingly measured in scientific studies, and it also
has an effect on the subtle energies of the body which can have dramatic results that are not directly
measurable in material terms.
Likewise, the brain has an effect on this subtle energy system as well as the gross energy system.
Recently, neuroscientists discovered an area of the brain that the news media called "the God
spot." This is an area of the temporal lobe that showed hypersensitivity to religious words and phrases.
However, the neuroscientists did not claim to have found a "God spot." Instead, they concluded that the
brain is profoundly connected to what goes on in the mind, even in the most sublime of all experiences,
the religious experience.
Today, many neuroscientists are emphasizing the holistic character of brain function and the ways that
reason and emotion interplay to make up a soul, a self. What we are learning is that not only is there is a
bottom up effect on the mind from the brain but also a top down effect from the mind on the brain and
the whole person the soul. The physical and chemical activities can influence the mind AND the
decisions we make in deciding on goals and the feelings that we anticipate that will follow when the
goals are reached effects the brain functions.
The model of the triune brain, in which particular structures of the brain can be seen in terms of their
evolutionary heritage, is now seen to be incomplete and there is a great deal of question about any
conceptual modularization of the brain. The functions of many “inherited” structures, which are similar
to structures in other animals, are much more complicated than previously thought. The “reptilian” and
“mammalian” portions of the human brain do not always do the same things as those structures do in
reptiles and other mammals. These areas of the brain have developed new roles in memory, the
integration of information, and consciousness—all elements critical to the operation of the neocortex.
There has been a lot of reevaluating of the extent to which the “modules” of the brain ever act
independently. Studies have shown that there may be a preference for certain functions in specific
areas of the brain, but these areas also function in concert with other areas. If one part of the brain is
damaged, the function may be able to be transferred to other areas even in the opposite hemisphere. In
other words, brain functions are integrated and dynamic and the mind and subtle energy are
intertwined with all functions in this integrated and dynamic life we all lead.
An important aspect of this integrated, holistic function is the way in which we form out perceptions of
experience. A central feature of our cognition is our predisposition to humanize what we perceive. This
“Anthropic Principal”, the humanizing or anthropomorphizing of everything for greater understanding,
gives us a good reason to use metaphors in our TFHK balancing to help bring the whole brain activity to
bear on the healing system.
Our brains and our minds are designed to conceive of the cycles of nature as similar and connected to
the cycles of our Souls and vice versa. The conception of the natural world as mechanical is a rather
recent cultural aberration. Studies have shown and are continuing to show that infants and toddlers are
predisposed to treat the world as animate. For them, a ball rolls not because it is following Newton’s
laws of motion, but because it wants to roll. Similarly, many aboriginal religions have an animistic
outlook. They see rocks, trees and rivers as inhabited by spirits and describe natural events in intentional
terms. When we look at the world from a reductionist, materialist perspective, this humanization seems
literally false. But when we look at the way perception and experience occur in human Souls,
metaphorical anthropomorphism is found to be integral to the process of remembering Wellness.
Happily, current conceptualization of the transformation of thought into action corresponds perfectly
with the cycles of the five elements. Formerly, it was believed that conceiving of an idea or creative
solution, experimenting with it, visualizing it, and integrating it with other ideas were the exclusive
domain of the right hemisphere of the brain. We would only then call upon the left hemisphere’s
analytical function, and logic to determine if our idea would really work. The next step, implementation,
finally involved a sort of back and forth relay. This process also involved the limbic system, another
bilateral component of the brain—which is said to handle memory, emotion, sequence, time, fight-orflight and sensory response.
Current thought divides the process into five phases which fit nicely with the 5 Element cycle.
Fire
Adolescence
Incubation of the
idea or goal
Wood
Earth
Birth
Adult
Interest and
Preparation
Illumination /
evaluation
Water
Integration
application of the
goal in your life
death as an idea and
rebirth as an
integrated part of a
whole system
Air
Old Age
Achieving the goal
Taking responsibility
for the goal and its
consequences
The first phase, interest and preparation, involves both right and left hemispheres and corresponds with
the wood /birth phase. The next phase is the incubation of the idea or goal and corresponds with the
Fire / adolescent phase. This involves primarily the right hemisphere. Next comes the illumination /
evaluation phase corresponding with the earth / adult phase. Next is the phase of achieving the goal,
verification, metal / old age, involving the left hemisphere and limbic area. This is taking responsibility
for the goal and its consequences. The last phase of achieving a goal is the application of the goal in your
life, the water / integration – death as an idea and rebirth as an integrated part of a whole system / Soul.
The fear and awe of the water element moves to the love and appreciation of the water element in the
integration of the goal into the lived life.
When we contemplate the metaphors associated with an energy imbalance we may directly access
a specific concept that gives us the insight we need to move forward towards our goals as I often find,
particularly when assessing energy imbalance with the Shen and Ko cycles (Creation and Control) of
The Chinese Law of 5 Elements. Or else, the creative “brainstorming” activity of contemplating our life
from different angles allows enough integrated brain / mind / Soul function that we feel more able to
achieving our goals within the context of our environment and the life we are choosing to lead.
This article comes from: http://www.touch4health.com/newsletters/TFHEnewsVol8.2.pdf
Diagram by Kate (just to help your right brain to feel included!)
Expand your Mind… Learn
something new!
08-10 July Learn2Learn
this workshop deals with a large number of
matters that affect children, their ability to process
and learn new information, their strengths and
challenges in the learning environment,
interpretation of various dominance pictures and
practical applications for finding solutions with all
manner of learning difficulties. This workshop is a
three day, fun-filled, informative and interactive
experience. Highly recommended by all who have
already attended it.
29-30 August Practitioner Update
http://www.oocities.org/icstirk/Teaching09/What_memes_are_good_for.html
Since Gudrun didn’t run one last year, EVERYONE
should be there! If you haven’t been to one, these
are VERY enjoyable workshops that really answer
the need of those present and keep you up to date
with new information and all the best on offer.
Integrated Neurocardiology –
The Heart-Mind Relationship
Marco Rado
In the last few years the overall comprehension of the Brain has changed: there is not just one
Brain! Since several decades people have been talking about the Second Brain, meaning that the
gut can be considered as a Brain by itself, and in the last years, it has been considered that
another organ can be considered as a complete Brain: the Heart. The doctors Armour and Ardell
have coined the term “Neurocardiology”, talking about the Heart’s Brain.
The goal of this paper is to present the meaning and the functions of the “Third Brain” through
the prospective of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the most recent discoveries of Biophysics.
– Marco Rado
In the last three decades neurologists have started to study the whole body and not only the Brain. In
his book “The Second Brain” doctor Michael D. Gershon describes how, in the past, his colleagues used
to denigrate him saying: “you are not a real neurologist, you are studying the guts, only we are
neurologists, because we take care of the Brain!” Now there are many proofs that show that the guts
have such a complex intrinsic Nervous System, that we cannot just talk about the, Enteric Nervous
System, but we can refer to a complete Second Brain.
The gut is the second area of the body with the highest concentration of neurons, even more than the
Spinal Cord or the Peripheral Nervous System. The Gut’s Brain is not always dependent on the Cranial
Brain, in fact it can take its own decisions, elaborate information and control gut behaviour
independently. As Dr Gershon says: “The Brain in the head doesn’t need to get it’s hands dirty with the
messy business of digestion, which is delegated to the Brain in the gut,…”. But the complexity of the
Second Brain (100 million neurons, embedded in the walls of the alimentary canal, which measures
about nine meters), cannot likely, be interpreted only through this (quite simple) digestive process alone,
there must be something more!
Also Dr Emeran Mayer, professor of physiology, psychiatry and bio-behavioural sciences at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.), believes that the Gut’s
Brain has many more functions: “The Second Brain is way too complicated to have evolved only to make
sure things move out of your colon”.
The most important pathway between the Cranial Brain and the Gut’s Brain is the Vagus nerve, but what
is surprising is that about 90 percent of the fibers carry information from the gut to the Brain and not the
other way around. This means that the gut has more to communicate to the Brain than the Brain has to
communicate to the gut. If the Gut’s Brain can take its own decisions, why does it talk so much with the
Cranial Brain? Not about digestion, because, as Dr Gershon says, the Cranial Brain doesn’t get its hands
dirty with digestion. So, what is the topic of the Gut’s Brain-Cranial Brain communication?
Dr Meyer suggests that “a big part of our emotions are probably influenced by the nerves in our guts”.
One of the hypotheses is that the Gut’s Brain is highly involved in our physiological response to stress,
but also our everyday emotional well-being may rely on messages from the Second Brain to the First
Brain.
In fact the Enteric Nervous System produces as much neurotransmitters as the Cranial Brain. What
made Dr Gerson’s colleagues consider him a neurologist again was that he discovered that 95% of
Serotonin is produced by the bowels, and to be more specific what is called the Gastroenteropancreatic
System, produces 30 different types of neurotransmitters.
Is the Cranial Brain influenced by the biochemical balance of the Gut’s Brain? We don’t have direct
proof, but we know for sure that an altered bowel state, like in the irritable Bowel Syndrome or the
Leaky Gut Syndrome, is always concomitant with mood swings, depression and many other emotional
issues.
Not only can moods and emotions be disturbed, but even more specific neurological functions can be
affected. For example, it has been observed that many kids with autism, dyslexia and learning
difficulties have Gastrointestinal motor abnormalities. This means that at a certain level, which we don’t
know yet, there is a relationship between mental abilities and the Gut’s Brain.
All these issues have resulted in a new field of study, called Neurogastroenterology, the study of the
Second / Gut’s Brain, with a pure neurological approach. A neurologistcan still be a neurologist even if
he studies the Guts.
And this is not the whole picture.
Not only do we have a Second Brain, but it has been demonstrated that we have even a Third Brain, the
Cardiac Brain. In fact, another organ can be considered as a complete Brain: the Heart. This new
discovery, which has been studied with a pure western approach, has been named Neurocardiology by
the doctors J. Andrew Armour, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, Dalhousie University and Jeffery L.
Ardell, Assistant Professor of Physiology, University of South Alabama, who have started to study the
Heart Intrinsic Nervous System (HINS), and they have discovered that there are more than 50 000
neurons and interneurons, which create complex neurological circuits, sufficiently sophisticated to
qualify as a Brain. Its circuitry enables it to learn, remember, and make functional decisions independent
of the Cranial Brain. The Heart, also, produces hormones and neurotransmitters and there is a wider
communication from the Heart to the Brain, than from Brain to the Heart, exactly as the gut does.
In my personal experience, since I’ve started to study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 20 years ago,
I’ve never found a mistake, a real theoretical error in what they teach. Of course the language is
completely different, it’s a traditional, non-scientific language and the points of view are divergent, but
I’ve always found a deeper understanding of the Human Being in TCM rather than in academic science.
So, to explain the Third Brain, in this paper, I will refer more to the TCM theory than the Academic
Medicine.
In TCM the ideogram that means Heart, reproduces a sketch of the anatomical Heart, an empty
structure, open on the top, able to receive information, messages, emotions, feelings and at the same
time, through the blood circulation, it reaches every cell of the body.
In TCM the Heart performs the functions that in western physiology are assigned to the Brain. For the
Taoists the Brain sits in the Heart, because in the Heart lives the Shen, the organising conscience that is
able to keep in equilibrium the psychic aspects of the other organs, the Yi, the mental conscience, the
Zhi, the concretising ability, the Po, the bodily vitality, the Hun, the spiritual vitality. The Shen, therefore,
is everything that enables the expression of the superior cognitive functions, like self-awareness,
reasoning, judgement, awareness, thought and intelligence.
In the Energetic Physiology of TCM we have an in-depth explanation of how Chi (Energy), which flows in
the Meridians, is produced.
The Meridian’s Energy is made of three major components:
1. The Respiratory Energy which arises from the Lung’s function;
2. The Nutritional Energy which arises from the Spleen Function;
3. The Hereditary Energy which is controlled by the Kidney function.
The Nutritional and Respiratory energies are raw energies, and the body is not able to use them, they
have to pass through another transformation, before they can flow in the meridian’s system.
The Xue- (Blood), holds all these three energies, and when it reaches the Heart, a wonderful
alchemic transformation takes place. These raw energies are transformed into pure energy.
The Heart’s ideogram doesn’t represent just a vase or a container, but can be seen as an Athenor, the
alchemic oven, where the transformation is generated.
What produces these modifications? It is obtained through the action of the electrical charge of the
electric conductive system of the Heart.
In fact, the Heart produces the strongest Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) of the body, 50 times stronger
than the one produced by the Brain. This EMF can be measured two or three metres away from the
body with specific tools (like the superconductive quantum interference device - SQUID - ). The Heart,
therefore, is the primary powerhouse of the body, it produces a magnetic field and strong electric
currents, that charges, stimulates, activates and finally transforms the body’s energies.
Blood is made of a corpuscular part (Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Platelets, etc.), and a fluid part
called Plasma, that contains mainly water which is a good electrical conductor. This means that, this
electrical current is spread out from the heart, through the Blood, to every single cell. Every cell, every
tissue, and every organ is energetically stimulated by the Heart!
This Electro Magnetic Field is not just an energetic field, it is especially an informational field. This field
controls all the body functions, tells every single cell what to do, coordinates every activity and function.
In TCM the organs and the meridians follow a hierarchy: there is a Minister, Generals, etc. and of course
an Emperor, who has the power of life or death on any of his subjects, takes all the vital decisions, issues
the laws, governs everything in his kingdom. This is the Heart, this is what it does! It’s the master, it’s
the one that controls the function of all the other organs, influences the Chi’s production, synthesises
the Blood, produces and controls the emotional energy (Shen), and much more. Every single cell is
informed of what to do by the Heart.
The Heart plays a unique synchronising role in the body; it is continuous communication with the Brain
and body through multiple pathways:

neurologically, (through the Intrinsic Nervous System and Autonomic Nervous System);

biochemically, (through hormones – Atrial Natriugenic Peptide, Oxytocin; and through
neurotransmitters – Adrenalin and Dopamine);

biophysically (through pressure and sound waves),

energetically (through electromagnetic field interactions).
This makes the Heart act as the global coordinator in the body’s symphony of functions, binding and
synchronising the system as a whole.
One of the main organs controlled by the Heart is the Cranial Brain. TCM clearly states that it is the
Heart that nourishes and controls the Brain, especially for memory, emotional states, cognitive functions
and the function of Consciousness and Subconsciousness.
In TCM Consciousness is the subtle form of Energy called Shen and it sits in the Heart and in the Blood.
As in many other cultures, the mind, the soul, the wisdom, the intuition, our emotions, our
Consciousness and Subconsciousness are associated with the Heart.
Even if in Academic Science they have maintained that Consciousness and Subconsciousness are purely
mental expressions generated by the Cranial Brain alone, we are now beginning to see the emergence of
a new, more complete understanding of how the Brain functions – and how the body, the Brain and the
Heart interact in a dynamic and complex relationship. But while most scientists have focussed only on
the Heart and the body’s responses to the Cranial Brain’s commands, some researches have started to
examine the messages that the Heart sends to the Brain and how the Brain responds to them.
Neurocardiology is not such a new science, the first book written by doctors Armour and Ardell, titled in
this way, was first published in 1994, but the very first researches done on the Heart-Brain interactions
were conducted in the 1970’s and early 1980’s by physiologists John and Beatrice Lacey, who were the
first to postulate a causal role for the cardiovascular system in modulating perceptual and cognitive
performance. They suggested that the cardiovascular system modulates cortical functions via ascending
input during a cardiac cycle from the sensory neurons of the Heart, aortic arch and carotid arteries.
Recent experiments have shown that intuitive perceptions of a future event are related to the degree of
emotional significance of that event, and a new study shows that both the Cranial Brain and the Heart’s
Brain are involved in processing a pre-stimulus emotional response to the future event. The authors of
these experiments have used a theory that is largely used in Applied Physiology, the branch of
Kinesiology created by Richard Utt: Quantum Holography. Raimond Treveor Bradley, sociologist,
Director, Institute for Whole Social Science, Carmel, CA, Associate Research Professor, BRAINS centre,
Radford University, the author of these studies, explains: “… focussed and emotional attention directed
to the article of interest, activates the psychophysiological system to a domain of ‘quantum-holographic
information, which contains implicit information on the object’s future potential. The body’s perception
of such implicit information about the object’s future is experienced as an (subconscious) intuition”.
What is interesting in Neurocardiology is that it is the main types of neurons found in the Heart’s
Intrinsic Nervous System are sensitive neuritis and this firmly demonstrates that the Heart is a sensory
organ and an information encoding and processing center. The Heart is the royal organ that enables the
integration between body and spirit, creates the connections between center and periphery, brings to
Consciousness not only our emotions and feelings, but also our exteroceptive, interoceptive and
proprioceptive perceptions. We can easily confirm that the Heart is the site of our sixth sense.
Another indirect proof of the strong influence that the Third Brain has on the Cranial Brain is the
description of the anomalies that occur after Heart transplant. Many patients reported that various
attitudes, habits and tastes changed following their surgery. Dr Gary E. Schwartz, Professor of
Psychology at the Department of Psychology of the University of Arizona, reported many cases where
memories, behaviours, preferences and habits associated with the donor were transferred to the
recipient. For example people started to crave for foods that they had previously disliked, or others
began behaving in an aggressive and impetuous manner that was uncharacteristic of them, but turned
out to be similar to the personality of the donor.
After his research on Heart transplant, Doctor Schwartz proposed a systemic memory theory, that states
that all living cells possess memory and decipher functional subsystems within them. It is generally
assumed that learning involves primarily the nervous system and secondarily the immune system. So,
how is it possible that patients receiving peripheral organ transplants experience personality changes
that parallel the personalities of donors they have never met? Why does this happen so frequently with
the Heart and much more rarely with other organs? These questions can be answered with the TCM
explanation that the Heart is the site of our Emotional Brain, of our Soul and or Subconscious.
We can also say that the Heart produces an Energy Field that influences the Cranial Brain and it’s
brainwaves, a field that informs and co-ordinates all the organs and tissues of the body, that stores all
our Conscious and Subconscious memories, that interacts with the energy Fields of our environment and
of other people’s. Modern science is just rediscovering what ancient traditions have said for thousands
of years.
The neural communication pathways between the heart and the brain: The heart’s intrinsic nervous system
consists of ganglia, which contain local circuit neurons of several types, and sensory neurites, which are distributed
throughout the heart. The intrinsic nervous system processes and integrates information from the extrinsic nervous
system and from the sensory neurons within the heart. The extrinsic cardiac ganglia, located in the thoracic cavity,
have direct connections to organs such as the lungs and esophagus and are also indirectly connected via the
spinal cord to many other organs, including the skin and arteries.
The “afferent” (flowing to the brain) parasympathetic information travels from the heart to the brain through the
vagus nerve to the medulla, after passing through the nodose ganglion. The sympathetic afferent nerves first
connect to the extrinsic cardiac ganglia (also a processing center), then to the dorsal root ganglion and the spinal
cord.Once afferent signals reach the medulla, they travel to the subcortical areas (thalamus, amygdala, etc.) and
then to the cortical areas.
In the last years we have found evidence that, when we talk about higher neurological functions, we
can’t refer only to the Brain, but we have to refer to the BRAINS. We have to integrate the study of the
Gut’s Brain and the Cardiac Brain, if we really want to understand our incredible neurological abilities.
This is why from a purely kinesiological point of view, it’s incredibly important to include the Second
Brain and the Third Brain. When we explore the Cranial Brain for issues like dyslexia, learning difficulties,
Autism, depression, swinging moods, bipolar Syndrome, and so on.
We know that the Heart is the Emperor of all meridians; we can use the acupuncture points as a way to
balance it and all its functions.
The acupuncture points that have shown more effectiveness on balancing the Heart’s Brain are the
following:
LU 2 yumen
LU 7 lieque
CV 17 tan zhong
KI 1 yongquan
LI 14 binao
GB 37 guanming
GB12 wangu
GB 20 fengchi
HT 7 shengmen
TH 6 zhigou
TH 16 tianyou
SI 17 tianrong
GV 20 baihui
GV 23 shangxing
BL 43 gaohuangshu
BL 17 geshu
An ancient Hindu legend.
Once the great council of the Gods met, because they had to talk about the behaviour of the Human
Being.
The Lord of Justice introduced the case: “we have to decide which form of castigation to give to the
Human Being, he has never listened to the words of the Supreme God, he has never co-opperated with
the other Gods, he has always done things only for his personal interest and he has never been altruistic.
What should we do?”.
The Lord of War said: “we should destroy him and kick his body out of the Paradise”.
“No”, said the Lord of Wisdom, “we don’t want to punish him, we want him to understand his mistakes
and learn to follow the Supreme God’s teachings”.
“Let’s take his Powers and let’s hide them on top of the highest mountain” proposed the Lord of Justice.
“No”, said the Lord of Wisdom, “in the future the Human Being will be able to climb also the highest
mountain”.
“Let’s hide his Powers in a deep abyss”, proposed, then, the Lord of Justice.
“No”, said the Lord of Wisdom, “in the future the Human Being will be able to reach the deepest abyss”.
“Let’s hide his Powers on the Moon”.
“No”, said the Lord of Wisdom, “in the future the Human Being will be able to fly even to the Moon”.
At that point interjected the Goddess of Love: “so let’s hide his Powers in the only place that he will
never be able to reach, deep in his Heart”.
Marco Rado is a physical therapist who started studying kinesiology 20 years ago and, after studying
many different approaches, he has specialised in the Applied Physiology, (which he was the first to
introduce in Italy). He has deepened his studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Manual Medicine,
like Osteopathy and Facial Manipulation. Since 2003 he has developed his own classes, integrating
western science and eastern traditional knowledge. In 2004 he received a Honorious Causae degree in
Medicine.
http://energykine.kine2012.com/PDFs/a_rado.pdf
Image and associated description of Heart-Brain communication Pathways:
http://appliedconsciousnessintl.com/thinking-from-the-heart-heart-brain-science
http://www.cartoonranch.com/?paged=2
Imagine carrying the responsibility of accepting, organizing and interpreting floods of incoming and outgoing
information every second of every day. Just think of the stress of having to regulate the temperature, warning systems
and mechanical functions of absolutely everything, including those critical to keeping your world alive. Getting a
headache just thinking about it?
We’re learning more and more about the workings of the brain as scientists continue to experiment and probe our inner
universe. Still, just trying to fathom the complexity of an organ that handles our walking, talking, thinking, dreaming, heart rate,
liver function and tear ducts boggles — well — the mind. For stroke survivors and caregivers, having an understanding of the
different areas of the brain and their functions can shed new light on what they’re experiencing after a stroke.
The human brain weighs an average of 3 lbs. in men and 2 lbs. 12 oz. in women and has about 100 billion cells called neurons.
The brain’s structure is almost complete at birth, although it continues to grow until about age 20, with increases in the size of
individual cells and the amount of tissue connecting the neurons.
The brain is made up of distinct parts that developed through human
evolution. The oldest evolutionary parts, which are responsible for lifesupporting functions such as breathing, blood circulation and sleeping,
are found at the base of the brain, joined to the spinal cord. This area is
called the “brain stem” and includes the midbrain, pons and medulla
oblongata. The more recently developed areas — the cerebellum and the
cerebrum — surround the brain stem.
The cerebellum is a cauliflower-shaped structure, located just above the
brain stem, beneath the occipital lobes at the base of the skull.
The cerebellum regulates muscle tone, coordinates movement and helps
maintain posture and balance. The cerebellum has two halves, similar to
the cerebrum. It does not initiate movements, but is responsible for their
smooth and balanced execution, for maintaining muscle tension and
making movements work together in complex action such as walking. It comprises approximately 10 percent of the brain’s
volume, contains at least half its neurons and is connected to the brain stem via three major bundles of input and output fibers
called peduncles.
The cerebrum, a large rounded structure, is closely related to functions
including thought, reason, emotion and memory. It occupies most of the
cranial cavity and is divided into two hemispheres that are joined at the
bottom by the corpus callosum. The two hemispheres are mirror images
of each other and control opposite sides of the body. The left cerebral
hemisphere controls speech and academic and analytical processes; the
right cerebral hemisphere deals with more artistic and imaginative
activities, and also controls facial perception and music.
Each cerebral hemisphere is subdivided into four lobes: occipital,
temporal, frontal and parietal.
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The occipital lobes are pyramid-shaped structures located at the back of the brain that receive and analyze visual
information.
The temporal lobes, located on the skull side of each hemisphere (near the ears), deal with hearing.
The frontal lobes, at the front of each hemisphere behind the forehead, are responsible for cognitive thought processes
(knowing, thinking, learning and judging). They also regulate voluntary movements. The prefrontal areas of these lobes
are involved with intelligence and personality.
The parietal lobes, located above the occipital lobes, are mainly associated with our sense of touch and balance and
are important in interpreting sensory information from various parts of the body, and in the manipulation of objects.
Both cerebral hemispheres are covered by the cerebral cortex, which has
many folds and resembles a walnut kernel. The gray outer layer of the
cerebral cortex contains neurons and dendrites — branched projections
that conduct electrical stimulation to the cell body. This outer layer
surrounds a thicker layer of white matter made up of nerve fibers.
The brain stem contains the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The
midbrain — the uppermost part — has fibers that connect the brain stem
to the cerebrum and cerebellum; this area is very important in the control
of skeletal movements. The pons, which lies between the midbrain and
medulla oblongata, relays sensory information between the cerebrum
and cerebellum. The medulla oblongata contains centers for the control
of breathing and cardiovascular function.
Another area, the forebrain, contains the thalamus, hypothalamus and
pituitary gland. It is almost completely surrounded by the cerebral hemispheres and contains a cavity known as the third
ventricle. The thalamus is a tightly packed cluster of nerve cells that relays impulses
from the sense organs to the cortex. The hypothalamus controls hunger, thirst, temperature, aggression and sex drive; it also
controls the pituitary gland, which controls the secretion of many hormones.
The reticular formation is an intricate network of nuclei and nerve fibers within the medulla oblongata, pons, midbrain, thalamus
and hypothalamus that functions as the reticular activating system. This contains the sensory pathways from the spinal cord to
the brain and is important in maintaining a state of alert consciousness.
Looped around the brain stem and hypothalamus are the structures of the limbic system, which are thought to be involved in
emotional responses such as fear, aggression and mood changes. The brain also has four fluid-filled cavities called ventricles
where cerebrospinal fluid is produced.
The singular most amazing thing about the human brain may be its plasticity. We are learning more all the time about the ability
of our brains to adjust, adapt and relearn, even after something as devastating as the brain injury caused by a stroke. And that
is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/EffectsofStroke/ATouroftheBrain/A-Tour-of-theBrain_UCM_310943_Article.jsp
Seeing life from another’s point of view
In the German
Parliament:
an exhibit to raise the
awareness of adults.
"How Children See
The World..."
Herrmann’s Brain Dominance Model
In his brain dominance model, Herrmann identifies four different modes of thinking:

Analytical thinking
Key words : Auditive,logical, factual, critical, technical and quantitative.
Preferred activities : collecting data, analysis, understanding how things work, judging ideas based on
facts, criteria and logical reasoning.

Sequential thinking
Key words : safekeeping, structured, organized, complexity or detailed, planned.
Preferred activities : following directions, detail oriented work, step-by-step problem solving, organization
and implementation.

Interpersonal thinking
Key words : Kinesthetic, emotional, spiritual, sensory, feeling.
Preferred activities : listening to and expressing ideas, looking for personal meaning, sensory input, and
group interaction.

Imaginative thinking
Key words : Visual, holistic, intuitive, innovative, and conceptual.
Preferred activities : Looking at the big picture, taking initiative, challenging assumptions, visuals,
metaphoric thinking, creative problem solving, long term thinking.
His theory was based on theories of the modularity of cognitive functions, including well-documented
specializations in the brain's cerebral cortex and limbic systems, and the research into left-right brain laterilization
Information on Herrmann Brain Dominance Theory is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herrmann_Brain_Dominance_Instrument
Diagram from: http://www.janegentry.com/blog/category/whole-brainthinking/
Creative Genius: It Takes Both Sides
BY MARJORIE SARNAT
What is Creativity? Creativity is about problem solving in a new way. It is using skills to
generate ideas and bring about something unique and valuable. Although the creative
process involves imagination and self expression, it must be purposeful in reaching
“outside the box” to solve a problem, meet a need, or accomplish a goal.
Although some children are innately more creatively inclined, all kids can learn creative
thinking skills and get in the habit of using them for problem solving in life, work, and
play.
Divergent And Convergent Thinking
We often hear the terms “right brain” and “left brain” thinking. This refers to the two
hemispheres of the brain, each of which dominate different thought processes. In reality,
both hemispheres need to work together for us to do anything meaningful.
As a broad generality, “right brain” (the right hemisphere) controls the more divergent
style of thinking, and “left brain” (the left hemisphere) controls the more convergent style
of thinking.
Divergent Thinking: Diversify and explore.
Creative thinkers use divergent thinking to generate new ideas. In divergent thinking you
start with an idea or information and move outward from it, looking at related ideas or
things, and going wherever thoughts lead. This style of thinking resists closure and seeks
to explore options, new connections, and possibilities. This style of thinking is freely open
to anything and everything.
Convergent Thinking: Choose and refine.
The convergent style of thinking selects ideas or information and focuses to eliminate the
extraneous by filtering and refining information. Convergent thinking leads to a specific
point. The convergent approach holds ideas up to scrutiny by determined standards.
Convergent thinking seeks closure and definitive answers, and screens out that which does
not lead toward your goal.
Both divergent and convergent thinking are essential for generating successful ideas.
This interplay of the two thinking styles results in innovations that are unique and have
value. The two thinking styles do not take place simultaneously; they alternate. For
example, use divergent thinking to explore many possibilities. Use convergent thinking to
determine the best possibility. Use divergent thinking again to generate ideas for making a
possibility more useful. Use convergent thinking again to refine those ideas.
As creative thinkers move back and forth between the two styles, they‟re not necessarily
conscious of which style they are using. They continue until they generate a valuable,
groundbreaking idea.
http://www.jrimagination.com/blog/2011/9/30/creative-genius-it-takes-both-sides.html
Try the following exercises from her book „Creative Genius: How to sow the seeds of
creativity within every child‟: “What Can You Do With a Paper Clip?” and “What Can‟t You
Do With a Paper Clip?”
http://mimiandeunice.com/2011/01/24/really-big-brain/