Every single second of the day, the human brain receives and processes a staggering amount of information — a feat that makes it the world’s fastest supercomputer.

With most of that work taking place on a subconscious level, we tend to spend our lives running on autopilot and rarely consider the brain’s tremendous efficiency. From the morning’s first yawn to the moment our head hits the pillow at night, more than 95 percent of our daily activities are performed automatically, freeing up our minds to anxiously dissect yesterday’s conversation with the boss or eagerly ponder what we might eat for dinner. Caught up in the monkey mind, we sleepwalk through the present, oblivious to the beautiful hue of the dawn sky or the unmistakable hurt in the eyes of a co-worker.

But it’s possible to tame these endlessly chattering minds of ours. Just as taking up a fitness routine can get our bodies into shape, we can adopt positive mental habits that retrain the brain. Indeed, learning to flex our mental muscles can ultimately help us tune into an entirely different brain frequency.

Research shows that the brain contains over 86 billion nerve cells (called “neurons”), which communicate with one another via potent electrical signals. Neurons fire off these signals at an incredibly high rate and the resulting electrical activity creates brain waves. But despite their shared origins, not all brain waves are the same.

The most common form of brain waves, beta waves, occurs when our monkey minds operate at full capacity, generating about sixty thoughts per minute. In this state, the brain is busy taking in information: processing, analyzing, comparing, rationalizing. While this may seem like the ideal moment for a flash of inspiration—one that suddenly unlocks the problem we’ve been grappling with — the reality is that the beta-wave state seldom allows for such revelations. In truth, our minds are typically so cluttered in beta-wave phases; they leave little to no room for imaginative solutions.

Alpha waves are another type of frequency we experience each day. As we drift in or out of sleep, our brain waves slow to around thirty thoughts per minute and, like the deepest currents of the ocean, subtly propel the subconscious mind. Half the speed of beta waves, alpha waves enable us to think laterally. If we need to tap into this wealth of creativity during the day, deep breathing can quickly lull us into the alpha state and provide a much-needed break from the bustling monkey mind.

Aristotle once said: “Give me a boy until he is seven, and I shall show you the man.” To his point, scientific studies have shown that the minds of children function quite differently from those of adults. Since their brains generate only about fifteen thoughts per minute (by way of a type of frequency known as theta waves), everything a child experiences up until the age of eight goes directly to the subconscious. Understanding this phenomenon is vital to the release of pent-up traumas.

For adults and children alike, sleep is a time to regenerate, both mentally and physically. Our brains slow down, eventually bringing about deep sleep and its attendant delta waves. One of the most mysterious forms of brain waves, delta waves, creates space for healing, allowing us to wake refreshed and rejuvenated the next morning.

Still, some of the most exciting neuroscientific research centers on the subject of gamma waves, which are associated with intense concentration. For most of us, this type of brain wave occurs solely as a split-second flash of inspiration or enlightenment. However, a recent study by Dr. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin suggests that the gamma state may endure much longer for specific individuals. In his research, Davidson discovered that the world’s great meditation masters might access the gamma state not only during their meditation practice but throughout their daily activities. At this powerful frequency, the brain can heighten perception, empowering us to make great strides in our inner development and experience profound compassion. 

Thanks to the many studies carried out since Norman Vincent Peale published his groundbreaking 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking, we have gained a much firmer grasp of how the amazingly complex organ known as the human brain functions and thrives. We know that — like any of the muscles that make up the body — it benefits from a good workout. By learning something new, for instance, we can stimulate our brain cells to communicate differently and, in turn, form new pathways that enable us to tackle everyday problems in more creative ways. Even something as easy as changing up our usual route to work can get our neurons firing! By rewiring our brains to circumvent old thought patterns and forge new mental circuits, we can unleash the power of positive thinking: one of our greatest allies in the fight against depression, disease, and poor mental health.

The good news is you don’t need to be a great meditation master to access the extraordinary benefits of gamma waves. Even just a few minutes of meditative breathing or a simple visualization technique can have a significant impact on your mood. Better yet, these methods are as free as the air we breathe, available to anyone ready to embark on the journey toward inner harmony and total wellbeing. 

More information on the intricate workings of the human brain and their role in our health can be found in Lola Till’s recent book, Be Your Own Harmonist (Waterside Productions, 2020), in which the author provides simple meditation techniques along with balanced recipes for enhancing wellness on every level. 

Despite our difficult life experiences, we keep hoping, even expecting, that everything will be positive from now on. We make a tradition of greeting each other with best wishes on holidays and special occasions and meaning it as if we can wish away that life has its own plans and always has two sides. The truth is, we live in a dual world in which we can’t appreciate the brightness of a day without experiencing the darkness of the night.

No matter how hard we try to protect ourselves and do everything right, we’ll never avoid setbacks and disappointments. Every life is full of unpredictable challenges, regardless of how perfect it might look from the outside.

A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Ford et al. 2017) made the fascinating discovery that, to quote senior author Iris Mauss, associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley, “People who habitually accept their negative emotions experience fewer negative emotions, which adds up to better psychological health.” In other words, we intensify our emotional distress when, on a bad day, we tell ourselves to cheer up and snap out of it, which, by the way, we would never say to a close friend when they’re having a bad day.

Remember, you are not your emotions. You’re just the one who experiences them. In our day-to-day lives, we can become distracted by and absorbed in our thoughts and feelings and often allow them to obscure our essence, the nature of who we truly are, in much the same way that clouds can obscure the sun on a cloudy day. Let the clouds pass; they need time to fulfill their purpose, too. The sun will always be there, just as your true nature will always be there, shining no matter what. You have to be aware of your inner light, which gives life and warmth and energy to you and everything around you.

For those times, when the clouds are still in the sky, and you’re experiencing moments of sorrow, hug yourself. Write the same compassionate letter to yourself that you’d write to a friend in the same situation. Comfort yourself, and notice how even your own soft, warm touch is calming and reassuring.

There’s a hormone called oxytocin secreted by the pituitary gland and released when we make a significant social bond or snuggle with a loved one, a pet, and even ourselves. It’s sometimes known as the “love hormone.” Tell yourself, with a hug, I know it’s a hard time, darling, but your heart is still full of love and kindness, and trigger your own “love hormone” while riding out your negative emotions. Your pain won’t vanish instantly, but it will begin to dissipate, especially when you keep reminding yourself that you’ve survived this darkness before and know it’s only temporary.

And you don’t have to feel alone and isolated. Remember, everyone suffers. Everyone faces challenges. That’s how we grow. If you doubt that for a moment, ask yourself this question: What have I learned when times were good? I’ll bet you learned less than when you look back at your “post-traumatic” times.

Pain has the power to change us, the invaluable potential to bring us to another level. In moments of sorrow, when we’re wandering through dark periods, we have to remember that everything has its beginning and its end. The darkness will pass, and the sunshine will brighten our lives again; we have to be patient.

One of the most challenging and most valuable lessons we can learn and embrace is that everything is temporary for better or worse. Impermanence is inevitable; it is as intrinsic to life as the air we breathe. This can seem like bad news on our best days and great news on our worst. But in the biggest possible picture, when we embrace the reality of impermanence and stop being blindsided by it, we can give ourselves the priceless gift of learning to let go.

Letting go willingly, gracefully, and without resentment to address our lives and the world around us leads to profound internal changes. It brings us peace, acceptance, gratitude, flexibility, and a significant decrease in anxiety and fear. Rather than being afraid of change, failure, and loss, mastering the art of letting go allows us to know that we’ll be facing all those things sooner or later and that they’re impermanent, too. So whatever happens, we’ll have the faith and strength to get through it.

Just a few weeks ago, we believed that Covid-19 and its economic consequences would be the most significant events of 2020. Yet, we didn’t foresee the massive, countrywide protests triggered by police brutality and systemic racism. It’s left many people feeling frustrated and angry. 

When confronting these events, many people are emotionally and intellectually overwhelmed by feelings of grief, rage, and deep disappointment. 

When reflecting on the present, history provides us with several examples where anger in society was channeled into a moral force for change. Consider the women’s suffrage movement and the civil rights movement, both of which were sparked and sustained by anger around social injustice. 

The heightened emotional state of anger is charged with power and hidden potential. Becoming familiar with our emotions, and seeing them for what they are, allows us to navigate behavior and explore the potential power for the good within this state.

Anger is a distinctly human emotion that serves an evolutionary purpose: preparing us for “fight or flight” when faced with an enemy or danger. Most of us see anger as a terrible thing, an uncontrollable destructive force defined by rage and aggression. Still, it is one of our most basic emotions, one that is often misunderstood. We are conditioned to see anger as something negative, an emotion that needs to be suppressed, something to be cloaked under layers of controlled behavior. 

But, could you transform these emotions? Could you channel them into something positive; into something capable of redefining your daily life? 

How would your perception of anger change, if you thought of it in terms of energy — a powerful force that could be harnessed and made creative, a force you wouldn’t want to negate or suppress. Instead, you could transform anger into a source of creative potential, a valuable wellspring for your future endeavors. 

According to the laws of physics, energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only converted from one form of energy to another. As human beings, we can transform our emotions into energy that could be harnessed and channeled as a practical foundation for our well-being. Observing our emotions, rather than acting them out impulsively and with intensity, can create a sense of space and detachment. There should be no identification with your feelings, no losing yourself in an emotion; just the latent power to transform it.

There’s a practical, three-step strategy to transform the anger we feel in our bodies into a form of energy. With the help of visualization and a series of breathing techniques, this energy can be stored and then channeled back when you need it most. These three steps are embracing, identifying and transforming.

1.  Embrace the Feeling. First, we have to allow ourselves to feel the anger. Of course, this should be done without emphasizing it or harming yourself or others. Instead, let yourself feel the anger as a chain of natural reactions occurring within your body. It would be best if you came to recognize that anger is not you, nor is it your natural condition. Although it may seem to reside in you, you can “step back” and watch this reaction in your body — detached and secure. Don’t attempt to justify your feelings, look for the reasons behind it or trace its origins. Instead of thinking in terms of ‘right’ and ‘wrong,’ try to recognize what your anger feels like.

2.  Identify the Feeling. Once you have acknowledged what you are feeling, you can investigate your anger more deeply. Do it dispassionately and without judging. Investigate the feeling, its intensity, and scope, but not its cause. Try to focus exclusively on your body instead of your thoughts and mental reasoning. Try to identify those parts of your body where the sensation of anger is most intense, where the anger is intimately connected to your body. Is it in your head, hands, throat? Maybe it’s in your heart or stomach? Describe it. What does it taste like? What color is it? Can you give it a name? 

3. Transform the Energy of Anger. Once you have recognized and named your feeling, you can start to transform it. Begin by breathing it in. Harnessing your breath and channeling it is a failsafe way to deal with anger. Our breath is a fundamental tool that is available to us instantly, and requires no investment or equipment. We tend to take this vital function for granted and are mostly unaware of its ability to harmonize, bring balance, and heal. Breathing into your anger once you have identified, it will neutralize many of your body’s adverse reactions. Breathe with your stomach and see how your body relaxes with each gentle exhalation. Let that relaxation deepen with each breath. Watch how the anger begins to merge and transform as you breathe. With each smooth inhalation, visualize the energy being successfully stored in your abdominal region. Sense that energy transforming into the energy of your potential. Then, stay centered and present as you move forward.

A recent report from Express Scripts, a prescription benefit plan provider, confirmed that the use of anti-insomnia medications has spiked. Filled prescriptions increasing by 21% between February and March 2020, and those numbers peaked during the week of March 15 — the same week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and the US declared a national emergency in response to the crisis.

We all know how much better we feel after a good night’s sleep, but a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that around 35 percent of American adults routinely fall short of the recommended seven to nine hours of rest per night. 

There are many reasons to include quality sleep on your Health and Wellness priority list.

Our bodies and minds accomplish a great deal while we are sleeping and “out of the way” for several hours. Toxins in the brain that accumulate during our waking hours are removed while we sleep. During sleep, the immune system releases cytokines, proteins produced by our cells, that help regulate the body’s response to disease, infection, inflammation, and trauma. Sleep has such a significant effect on the body’s organs and systems in general. A chronic lack of it increases the risk of disorders, ranging from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. 

Here are some reliable tips to significantly improve your mental and physical health by improving your sleep habits:

• Practice deep breathing and other relaxation techniques immediately before bedtime to help reduce stress, which is a guaranteed enemy of the deep sleep phase.

• As best you can, go to bed and wake up at the same time seven days a week, rather than any time you feel like it. 

• Make sure your bedroom maintains a temperature of between sixty-six to seventy-two degrees. If your room is too warm, it can interfere with your body’s tendency to sleep more reliably when your core temperature drops. Also, a study by the National Institute of Health has demonstrated that sleeping in a cool room can burn more calories during sleep and activate your metabolism by increasing levels of brown fat, a kind of fat that’s triggered when the body gets cold.

• Make sure your bedroom is dark to encourage your body’s natural release of melatonin. According to multiple studies, there is a phenomenon called “iPad insomnia,” which refers to the blue light emanating from electronic screens—cell phones, computers, laptops, iPads, etc.—throws off the body’s biological clock and circadian rhythm. The strong recommendation is to turn off all electronic devices, including your TV, at least one to two hours before bedtime.

• Create a relaxation routine before you go to bed. A warm salt-water bath, read, a stroll in fresh air, a cup of chamomile tea, or anything that helps your body and mind wind down. This means no checking emails, voicemails, text messages, or social media (one last time), no exercise for a few hours before bedtime, and no caffeine or alcohol.

• If you have trouble falling asleep or wake up during the night and cannot go back to sleep, don’t lie awake as it’s likely to make you anxious that you’re not sleeping. Instead, get up and repeat some part of your relaxation ritual, whether it’s reading or listening to music or having another cup of chamomile tea until you feel sleep coming on again.

Take your sleeping habits as seriously as you take your other health concerns. If you have trouble sleeping that becomes chronic or have reason to believe that you are not refreshed and reenergized from your sleep, see your doctor. Most sleep disorders can be dealt with very effectively, so don’t write them off as normal or hopeless. Quality sleep is not one of life’s luxuries; it’s a requirement.

Today the world finds itself in an unprecedented situation. The anxiety, depression, and psychosis triggered by the constant stream of negative news around COVID-19 are now as detrimental to our health as the coronavirus itself. And they are spreading faster than the virus, too, burrowing through our lives until it seems we will never be able to break out of the web of distress in which we feel trapped.

Desperate for information on this deadly virus, we have become hooked on the information feed, waiting for news each day with the same anticipation that we may anticipate a new series on Netflix. Despite the fact that consuming this information leaves us with a restless sense of disappointment, we cannot seem to help ourselves from following a path carved out by our preprogrammed state of mind. 

As a result of all this angst, our immunity gets compromised. Our energy levels slump, and we find ourselves reaching evermore compulsively for that comforting but unhealthy sugary snack or processed food. This is a familiar pattern, a chain reaction when we find ourselves feeling powerless and frustrated, in a situation seemingly beyond their control. 

It’s our state of mind that dictates this chain of reactions. It’s our mindset that governs our everyday actions. There is no other solution: if we want to experience a healthy, harmonious life, we must master our mind and steer these reactions in the way we want them to go. Just like any other part of our body, our brain loves to be trained. You may think your body doesn’t like exercising, but that’s just your mind telling you that you’d rather be comfier sitting on the sofa nibbling, while watching TV, rather than wearing yourself out in the gym. We know how our bodies benefit from physical activity through our own experience of that great buzz of strength and positivity we feel after a run or yoga session. Our mind is no different — it benefits from exercise, too. 

Often the relationship between our mind and body is far from harmonious. It’s not surprising that in this discord, we can lose a sense of who we are. Yet, we are neither our mind nor our body, neither our thoughts nor emotions. We are consciousness — which primes all else. Our mental, physical and emotional lives are subject to our consciousness. Our mind and body are vehicles through which our consciousness can experience all aspects of life.

To shake off a negative chain of reactions, we must first go to the root of the problem. The healing process starts from the moment you realize what you are and that you function by naturally engaging with your body, mind, and emotions. 

We often identify with our bodies, thoughts, and emotions, but they usually just act as tools to interpret our everyday experiences. It’s imperative to be aware of the space between us and these tools. Yes, they are most precious and indispensable, but they are not you; they are a means to experience you. Your body, your thoughts, and your emotions are always just that: “yours,” not “you.” 

If we want to break the cycle of fear and adverse reactions triggered by the current situation, then instead of blaming the news and social media, we instead need to be aware of the process from which these emotions are created. We must be aware of putting emotions in their place and recognizing that we are never at their mercy.

Emotions are not hard-wired into our brains. What we feel and how we react to a situation is determined by our interpretations based on previous experiences and current surrounding contexts. There is no such thing as an emotional circuit wired into our brains from birth. 

We are constantly bombarded by a barrage of sensations as information floods in through our sensors. Like a powerful computer, our brain processes quickly and efficiently. It helps us make sense of the world so we can predict danger and act appropriately. In a way, our brain is always guessing about the future, trying to predict possible outcomes by using the data from our five senses and our previous experiences. It links our physical sensations with our contexts and interprets that linkage as positive or negative. We could say that the brain is continually constructing our future by predicting possible outcomes of the sum of our sensations and contexts. 

Your feelings are the summaries of the sensations in your body. They are like a measuring device, but it is you who labels them as particular emotions. You are fully responsible for framing your sensations as your emotions and storing them as your memories.

For example, depending on the context, a sensation in your stomach could be interpreted as hunger or as fear, as excitement or as anxiety. It’s the same sensation, but the emotions are different. “Anxiety” and “excitement” are just emotional tags you give to a specific physical feeling, and that interpretation, that label, and the context, then determine how you react.

It’s essential to take a step back and observe this process. The interpretations are stored in our minds as memories, contributing to the mass of information the brain has access to when plotting an emotional response or course of action. So, it’s important to pay attention not just to the way you interpret your sensations but also to the way you remember them. Your body does not see the difference between a hypothetical situation or a real memory; it just responds to every thought you have. 

Our brains construct our future experience based on our previous experience. People often reinforce a traumatic experience by repeatedly reliving past emotions as a reaction to their memories rather than in response to what is taking place in the present. This all means that the way we narrativize our sensations determines how we feel or act.

Maybe you always think you are unlucky that nothing good ever happens to you, or perhaps you always look on the bright side. Again, the way you interpret your previous experience influences the narrative of your present. 

Every time we interpret a sensation, we are informed by a storyline underpinning our experience; “I’m going to die…” or “My life is such a mess…” There is always a personal story behind each negative response, based either on our own earlier experience or on our perception of the future. Most of these future narratives are not real; it’s just our mind trying to project possible outcomes to prepare for worst-case scenarios. And when emotional responses become so entrenched, we can begin to think that we will never be able to break the cycle. But with specific training, we can learn how to rewrite our memories and heal our relations with our past. 

Here’s how. When we find ourselves in a situation that prompts us to label a particular sensation as negative, we can pause for a moment, try to sink into the sensation, and remember that no emotions are built into it. Stay with the sensation; do not rush to label it as anxiety or disappointment. Wait to see if it could be excitement over a new opportunity coming your way.

We can choose how to react. We are in the driver’s seat and can steer our emotional reactions. So, when you find yourself swamped by depressing thoughts, or are anxious about what the future holds or even about what tomorrow might bring, remember you have the power to reprogram your thoughts and emotions right now. 

There is no need to reject your sensations. Simply take a moment to be with them and your inner kindness. It’s crucial to start by focusing your attention on yourself. Bring your attention to the “middle line” in your body and let your body recognize the sensations without repudiating, exaggerating, or clinging to them. Whenever you tell yourself that you are nervous or anxious, you are clinging to your experience, reinforcing it by narrativizing it in that particular way. Avoid words like “I’m anxious” and “I’m nervous,” but instead recognize your sensations as feeling uncomfortable. Think about them more as momentary as you breathe in and breathe out, letting the uncomfortableness go. Avoid an identification with it by keeping a space between you and the sensation. Observe it. Look at it as if you are wearing uncomfortable shoes for a special occasion, waiting for the moment when you will be able to take them off and be free and relaxed again. Just breathe.

The first time you try this, you might not manage to change your narrative immediately with a positive outcome, but practice is how you train your mind and doing it daily will eventually put you in charge of every moment of your life. With practice, you can master your ability to redirect your emotions by changing the way you interpret your sensations. You will then be able to move from a negative mindset to a positive and healthy one. Remember that there is no “us” in the past or future. We exist only in the present moment, and our consciousness colors the moment we experience now.