Your Brain-The Three Pound Miracle

"If you look at the anatomy, the structure, the function, there's nothing in the universe that's more beautiful, that's more complex, than the human brain." Keith Black

It is amazing how little attention most of us pay to our brains, even though it is in fact the command center for our whole being. Every day, our breathing and other automatic functions, we tend to take for granted, are carried out by constant and rhythmic connections within an organ that weighs approximately three pounds.

Did you Know--

Your Brain

• Uses 25% of your body’s energy
• Contains 100 billion nerve cells. There is one for every star in the Milky Way.
• The nerve cells make connections with each other and average about 10,000 connections at one time.
• Is capable of regenerating and compensating for lost functions.
• Works like an electrical circuit that converts to chemical energy

 Our Triune Brain

In 1960, neuroscientist and physician Paul MacLean, developed his theory of the brain’s evolution. He concluded that the brain consisted of three evolutionary stages; the reptilian, the mammalian (also called the limbic brain) and the neo cortex or the thinking brain.

Each one of these distinct stages is responsible for different monitoring functions. 

1. The reptilian brain manages energy level, breathing, sleep cycles and heart rate. Its primary goal is self-preservation and physical survival.
2. Next to develop was the limbic brain which manages the storage and retrieval of memories, our blood pressure, temperature, sex drive and appetite. Its primary goal is to process emotions. It is also involved in caring and nurturing of the young.

•  The amagdala is located in the limbic brain and acts as an alarm system to make us aware of danger so we can either fight or flee. The limbic brain is often the source of our unconscious value judgments. This is where our unconscious emotional memories are stored.

     3. Finally the last to evolve is the neo-cortex which manages our thinking. This thinking involves higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and in humans, language. The neo-cortex accounts for about 76% of the brain’s volume.

 Think of the brain like a house with two stories, the neo-cortex is the top level, and the reptilian and limbic are the basement. These three components of the brain do not act separately, but are joined in a neural network throughout your body.

Astro-Brain Dynamics is a unique system I have created to increase awareness of the natural design (from birth) of your "thinking brain"  and how this natural design helps to create your experiences in life. Join me in this journey of learning how to maximize our amazing upstairs brain.
 
 Learn more about your Astro-Brain Dynamics

Brain Boost--- Dr.Dan Siegel has created a useful visual for understanding the brain:

Have questions for Arlene?