IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MINUTES HOWMEDITATION HELPS YOUMAINTAIN BRAIN HEALTH
On the cover, attorney Art Swerdloff talks about the powerful performance he saw last month. It’s thanks to Greg Shane that this performance happened. Greg is the co-founder of the only theater troupe in the U.S. that has a cast of all-blind actors, as part of CRE. He was kind enough to share a bit more about his program and how it got started. “About 13 years ago, I was volunteering for the organization Changing Perceptions. The woman directing it was working with five or six individuals who were blind to share their story and dreams. It was very profound,” says Greg. “While volunteering, I had this vision of what it would be like to create an original play with a cast of actors who are visually impaired.” When the director of the organization passed away suddenly, Greg knew that he couldn’t let the organization go with her. “I thought, ‘We can’t let this go away. This is too important,’” says Greg. Meditation has often been touted by New Age gurus as a way to find inner peace and stillness. But what if meditating could reduce the effects of aging on your brain? According to research, taking a few minutes out of your day to meditate may improve cognitive function. As meditation’s popularity has spread, so have studies of the practice. The results of 100 studies examining the cognitive effects of meditation all show evidence of improvements in psychological and cognitive functions. Some of the results are intuitive, such as how meditation helps us deal with stress. But other results are incontrovertible, such as scans showing that meditation causes structural changes in the brain. For people facing age-related changes like memory loss, the results of these tests are especially relevant. The studies point to evidence that meditation can strengthen
Blind in his right eye since childhood, Greg knows what it’s like to live with visual impairment. “I had a patch for the first 4 years of my life. Most of the time I was living in darkness,” Greg says. “That experience taught me that even though people will say you can’t do things, you have to do them.” From the starting point of empathy and determination, Greg brought together friends and theater professionals in the LA area to rally behind the organization. Together, they formed what is now the Create, Reflect, Empower (CRE) organization, with programs that include Theater By the Blind. “We started with four visually impaired individuals in a gym. We had no vision for what was going to happen and no costumes. And now, it’s culminated in this,” says Greg. “I hear about the positive changes it brings, and I do believe the program changes participants’ lives. They look forward to rehearsal all week.” Greg describes the community the program fosters as “more than a show — we form a family.” THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX Your prefrontal cortex thins with age, which is associated with decreased cognitive function in your later years. However, meditation may reduce this age-related thinning. Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist specializing in the effects of yoga and meditation on cognitive and behavioral function, reports that long-time meditators don’t show a decline in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex. THE HIPPOCAMPUS Your hippocampus helps you process and form new memories, and it’s very sensitive to stress. In fact, research shows that your hippocampus will shrink in response to stressful situations and chronic stress. The remedy? Meditation. Dr. Lazar’s study showed a positive correlation between certain areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala — that weaken as we age.
meditation and a higher concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus.
What's up next for CRE? “Our next production is ‘Marching On.’ It’s a really interesting show with military veterans. It’s all about their stories and the impact the military had on them, brought to life on stage. This show is something that I take a lot of pride in. I worked with vets for a long time, and their performance is very inspiring,” says Greg. You can see “Marching On” June 28–29 at Wallace Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and in July at CRE’s home theater, The Blue Door. For tickets and more information, go to creoutreach.org, and visit their Facebook page for updates. THE AMYGDALA Often called the fear center of the brain, the amygdala is triggered by stressful situations. But unlike the hippocampus, which shrinks in response to stress, the amygdala has been shown to become denser. In one study, people who attended mindfulness meditation classes showed a smaller stress response in brain scans compared to those who did not attend the classes. Meditation may help to decrease the density of the amygdala and therefore increase your ability to handle stress. Of course, in addition to these benefits, there’s a good chance that five minutes of meditation each day will simply make you feel better. People who meditate report an increase in overall well-being. Why not give it a try?
GREG SHANE SHARES THE ORIGINS OF THEATER BY THE BLIND
Bringing Empowerment to the Community
Gregwith actors fromTheater for the Blind
2
www.lawwithasmile.com • 310-577-9104
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online