What’s Neuroplasticity?

Before delving too far into how to change your mindset, let’s discuss what neuroplasticity is. Children’s brains form new pathways as they’re growing and developing. Each kid’s experiences mold the connections, and even the parents’ parenting style plays a role in the process, helping the child to reinforce certain behaviors and thoughts. They’re all developing new skills during this time that also have an impact. This is referred to as neuroplasticity — how the brain changes as it forms new neural connections. Though you tend to think of the brain forming connections and changing during childhood and adolescence, adults also experience neuroplasticity. They can develop new neural pathways and even reorganize current ones through their habits, hobbies, experiences, and what they learn. The brain officially stops developing at around age 25, but you’re not done fully maturing and growing, which is when neuroplasticity fits in.

How Neuroplasticity Affects Holistic Well-Being

Holistic health is a term that describes an approach to wellness that incorporates your whole person, including your mental, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. It focuses on how these aspects of your health affect your overall health.
Neuroplasticity influences holistic health in a number of ways, such as strengthening your mental resilience. For example, while life may throw you a curveball, you’ll be able to handle it. You’ll calm yourself down and problem-solve, reducing negative stress in your life while maintaining a healthy balance. Negative or positive habits impact your overall health. Prime example: smoking to relieve stress has both negative short- and long-term consequences. On the other hand, if you use exercise as a way to alleviate stress, you’re implementing healthy coping mechanisms. You can train
your brain to remove negative habits and include positive ones only. That’s all possible because of neuroplasticity.
Maybe your unconstructive thoughts are what’s hindering your holistic well-being. You may tell yourself you can’t do this or that. Or, perhaps you’re telling yourself you’re just not good enough.
Rather than keep yourself in that mindset, you can retrain your brain to center on your strengths and tell yourself that you are good enough and that it’s possible to accomplish whatever you
want. You’ll be able to get over this hurdle that may feel like an impasse.
You can improve your social interactions when you develop emotional intelligence and better place yourself in another person’s situation. Your brain development influences this.

Ways to Improve Neuroplasticity and Your Health

Several tips can help if you’re interested in improving neuroplasticity so you feel better.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Getting a refreshing night’s sleep that powers you throughout the day is part of the process. Adequate, quality sleep supports your brain in strengthening and rewiring neural connections. You can enhance your memory, which helps you to accomplish tasks throughout the day better and also assists you with remembering more of the events that happen throughout your life. Not to mention, when you don’t get enough sleep, it affects your emotions, and you may be more irritable than usual. By sleeping enough, this isn’t an issue.
Plus, your brain will function more optimally, so you’ll be sharper and more able to concentrate.

Consider Yoga or Meditation

You can encourage neuroplasticity with yoga or meditation. This is the time for you to relax, unwind, and give your brain time to rest from stress. In terms of neuroplasticity, you can reduce stress hormone levels and improve your memory and concentration. These practices even improve your heart rate variability, which affects your body’s parasympathetic system. It’s even possible to alter your pain perception through mindful practices.

Take Up a New Hobby or Learn a New Skill

Learning new things stimulates your brain to form new connections. You could learn to play an instrument or speak a new language. You might take up pottery, golfing, or gardening. The skills or hobby you take up don’t matter as much as you’re taking in new information.
When you have stronger neural connections and more of them, you can minimize mental decline as you age. As a result, you’ll improve your health in the long run as well as in the short term.
By putting yourself in a positive mindset and being prepared to learn and grow, you can improve your overall health. You’ll strengthen current neural connections and form new ones in the process. Ultimately, you’ll have a brighter today — and even tomorrow in the process.

Bio:

Dr. Partha Nandi is a gastroenterologist, Emmy-winning television host, and bestselling author, known for creating and hosting the medical lifestyle show “Ask Dr. Nandi,” which reaches over 95 million homes in 90 countries. He serves as the Chief Health Editor at ABC Detroit and holds the position of President and Chief Medical Officer at Pinnacle GI Partners, a leading gastroenterology practice near Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Nandi’s latest New York Times bestselling book, “Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain,” was published by Mayo Clinic Press.

Nutrition Hacks for Busy Professionals: Gut Health on the Go

The Neuroscience Behind Travel and Novelty

The prefrontal cortex, often referred to as the brain’s “executive center,” is key to decision-making, creativity, and emotional regulation. When exposed to new environments and experiences, this part of the brain lights up, fostering neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt. Novel experiences encourage the formation of new neural pathways, allowing us to process information in fresh ways and break free from ingrained patterns.

This heightened engagement not only stimulates creativity but also promotes self-awareness. In unfamiliar settings, we are gently forced out of our comfort zones, requiring us to be present, adapt, and reassess how we see ourselves and the world around us.

How Travel Fosters Authenticity

Beyond the cognitive benefits, stepping into new environments helps us shed societal expectations and rediscover who we are at our core. When you navigate a bustling Moroccan souk or share laughter around a campfire under the Sahara’s starry skies, you’re not just “doing”—you’re being. This kind of presence allows you to reconnect with your authentic self, unclouded by the distractions and pressures of daily routines.

Through travel, you meet parts of yourself you may have forgotten or neglected—your sense of wonder, your courage, your openness. It’s a return to your essence, catalyzed by the richness of new experiences.

A Retreat Designed for Transformation

For those seeking a guided journey into this transformative space, there’s an opportunity to deepen this connection between travel, mindfulness, and authenticity. This October 11-21 2025, Morocco Magic: A Journey of Self-Discovery invites you to embrace the enchanting landscapes, rich culture, and introspective practices that will reawaken your prefrontal cortex and your true self.

During this retreat, you’ll immerse yourself in rejuvenating meditation practices, dynamic yoga sessions, and culturally enriching activities. Explore the vibrant streets of Marrakech, savor the tranquility of the Atlas Mountains, and find solace in the Sahara Desert’s timeless expanse. It’s a rare opportunity to merge luxury, adventure, and personal growth.

For more details on this extraordinary journey, visit https://www.yourpeaceofmindmeditation.com/morocco-magic-retreat

This isn’t just travel—it’s transformation. The path to your most authentic self begins when you step into the unknown. Are you ready to take that first step?

Beth Blaskovich is a meditation and mindset coach, accomplished musician, and business owner with a background in music performance and nonprofit management. Certified in Neurosculpting® meditation and advanced nervous system regulation techniques, she serves as the Director of Facilitator Engagement at the Neurosculpting® Institute, supporting facilitator development and programming. Through her private coaching practice, Beth helps individuals manage stress, cultivate resilience, and optimize performance. A passionate international traveler, she incorporates her global experiences into her teaching, guiding others to find balance and inner peace. Whether coaching, performing, or teaching, Beth emphasizes mindfulness and emotional regulation as keys to creativity and focus

What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation?

Vagus nerve stimulation is the process that involves stimulating the vagus nerve with electrical impulses or in other ways. More precisely, VNS sends mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain via the vagus nerve. The device for VNS, in this case, works in a similar manner as a pacemaker. 

Although vagus nerve stimulation has gained momentum recently, it’s not a modern-day invention. In fact, the first human implant of the vagal stimulating device into a human was performed in 1988. Back in 1997, the FDA approved the use of this treatment as an adjunct therapy to treat medically refractory epilepsy. 

There are several approaches to vagus nerve stimulation:

• Via surgical implant
• Non-invasive, wearable devices
• Natural methods such as cold exposure, deep breathing

Uses of Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation has several uses, including the following:

• Treatment of epilepsy: vagus nerve stimulation acts as an adjunct therapy for focal or partial seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. A paper from Neurosurgery Clinics of North America reported that VNS has been consistently effective in epilepsy management. In the treatment of epilepsy, VNS works by improving blood flow to the critical areas of the brain and alters the chaotic electrical pattern that appears during seizures. Moreover, vagus nerve stimulation increases the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine,  neurotransmitters that are capable of controlling the development of seizures. 
• Managing depression: VNS is suitable for adults with long-term or recurrent depression that is resistant to medications. In the treatment of depression, vagus nerve stimulation works by improving the levels of neurotransmitters that regulate mood. A review from the Journal of Neurological Sciences found that VNS could act as an antidepressant and help manage depression, improve quality of life, and be beneficial for reducing suicidality in people with depression and bipolar disorder. 
• Recovery from stroke: a combination of VNS and rehabilitation aid in recovering function in hands and arms following an ischemic stroke. It works by stimulating the motor cortex in the brain, which controls the ability to move arms and hands. Evidence confirms the beneficial effect of VNS on stroke recovery, but more research on this subject is necessary

The spectrum of VNS uses extended to other fields of medicine such as neurogenesis, treatment of obesity, and improving cognitive functioning. 

Are Vagus Nerve Stimulation Wearables Effective?

For quite some time, the primary method of VNS was a surgical procedure to implant the device. Today, non-invasive methods are also available. People from all walks of life have access to wearable VNS devices such as Pulsetto. While research on these devices is necessary, current evidence confirms their benefits.

For example, one review confirmed that non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation can effectively manage stress-related conditions through several mechanisms of action. These include the effects on autonomic tone, cardiovascular function, inflammatory responses, and central brain areas involved in the modulation of emotion.  

In a paper from the journal Focus, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation is described as effective at managing depression. However, further research is necessary to elucidate its effectiveness, and mechanism of action, and confirm the beneficial effects. 

How Wearable Vagus Nerve Stimulation Devices Work?

Wearable vagus nerve stimulation has a simple mechanism of action. For instance, one of the most well-known VNS devices, Pulsetto, works by stimulating the vagus nerve to activate the relaxation response in the body and thereby positively influence a person’s mental health. 

Wearable devices aren’t a quick fix and short-term tool, they are a long-term solution to improve mental health, reduce stress and anxiety, and help manage depression. Only a couple of minutes per session can reduce stress and help a person feel a lot better and healthier. For example, Pulsetto just needs four minutes to induce calmness, and relaxation, and reduce stress and anxiety. 

Thanks to the advancements in science and technology, people can avoid invasive procedures to experience the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation. They can purchase the device and work on reducing their stress, anxiety, and depression in the comfort of their home or wherever they are. A calmer mind leads to better sleep too, which is yet another reason wearable VNS is a beneficial solution.

Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation Safe?

Non-invasive methods of vagus nerve stimulation are safe. Devices such as Pulsetto don’t cause harm or induce adverse reactions.

Invasive VNS comes with certain risks, like any other surgical procedure. These include infection, pain, and inflammation at the incision sites, and damage to the vagus nerve or the nearby tissues. 

Side effects of the procedure to implant a device for VNS include:

• Hoarseness 
• Coughing
• Headache
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty speaking
• Shortness of breath
• Neck or throat pain
  

How Does It Feel Like to Wear a VNS Device?

Wearable vagus nerve stimulation devices produce pleasant feelings. You may notice a light vibration or tingling sensation in the neck area. These devices don’t produce discomfort and people usually find them comfortable to wear. The vagus nerve stimulation session produces instant calm and relaxation, mind clarity, and better mood.

Bottom Line

Vagus nerve stimulation is an excellent way to combat various health problems, including depression, stress, and anxiety. Wearable devices make it easy to stimulate this important nerve in a non-invasive manner. While you can benefit from VNS, make sure to be careful when choosing the device to wear. Not every device is beneficial. Always go for devices with regulatory approvals. The best option on the market is Pulsetto, which promotes relaxation and emotional balance, but also comes with an app to further support your mental health.

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633308/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30898273/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35158102/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36167034/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633308/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32916852/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9063597/

* This informative blog post was sponsored by Pulsetto.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In the space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

– attributed to Victor Frankl or Steven Convoy

Do you ever feel that your life is moving too fast? Do you ever feel like life is too full, too busy and complex with not enough space?

This is what the practice of pausing gives us – space. Space to choose. Space to breathe. Space to be aware.

The above quote highlights a radical physiological and psychological principle in how you have the power to choose your response to any circumstance. You have the response-ability, this freedom to impact your life and the life of others as you become prudent in your inner decisions, not limited by outer conditions.

The Neuroplastic Power of Pausing

Pausing can be the simplest way to open the door to neuroplastically changing your brain. This is because of how attention is essential for setting the gateway of change. The brain axiom is as follows:

Where attention goes

Neural firing flows, and

Neural connection grows

Attention is the fundamental mechanism to cultivate change since it requires stabilizing a neural firing pattern that YOU have intentionally chosen with your focus of attention in that state of awareness. Attention is the process that guides and modifies the flow of energy and information through your mind and body in the direction of either chaos-rigidity or integration.

Pausing is the first step in creating a space of awareness to guide your attention.

The cranial brain operates in a dynamic oscillation meaning the brain cells or neurons are firing 10-100x every second, like electrical static sounds, as the action potentials created by neurochemical transmitters travel across from one synapse space to another neuron. One hand clap would elicit 100 billion neurons to fire. This dynamic oscillating of the brain happens in fractions of moments that fluctuate between firing-quiet, activity-rest, and change-stability. These oscillations integrate neural firing across many brain regions from the top-down, the bottom-up, and left-right to create a sense of continuity in the brain.

What’s important here is how the moments of space between change-stability (firing-pausing) underlies neuroplasticity! Change takes place in the gaps.

A concrete example of how pausing enables the brain to rewire and resculpt its physical constitution and functioning when learning is hidden in the dirty secret of all neuroplasticity – no neuroplasticity occurs during the thing you are trying to learn or change; neuroplasticity occurs during the intervals of rest. Rest can be during longer periods of cycles of sleep or shorter periods of non-sleep where deliberately dis-engage and release your focus. These forms of micro-rest are referred to as “gap effects” which can greatly enhance neuroplastic learning potential by simply pausing often and doing nothing for 10 seconds during whatever activity you are engaged in. You can learn up to 10 times faster meaning during the pause neurons in hippocampus and cortex associated with learning and memory get 10 times more neural repetitions completed during the space of the pause!

Pausing requires the direct activation of your medial prefrontal cortices (mPFC) which is associated with self-awareness, emotional regulation, and attentional control. When you remember to pause you functionally are accessing that moment of space, the gap itself, to become self-aware from your mPFCto choose where you want attention to go, better directing where your neural firing flows, and thus, influencing how neural connections and pathways will grow. This gives way to your patterns of response in every moment of your life.

The Contemplative Art of Pausing

Pausing is the first and simplest step in contemplation. Pausing is the primary technique you can employ right now for accessing the quality of awareness that enables you to truly create a life worth living.

Contemplation is the subtle art of creating more spaciousness. Remember how it is in that “space” where the freedom to choose your response, your fundamental attitude, to any circumstance in life resides. Contemplation is not about adding more to your life to do. Contemplation is about simplifying life down to the essentials. Contemplation invites self-inquiry by asking the deeper questions of life with insatiable curiosity and genuine patience by trusting life to unfold in its own timing. Contemplation opens doors, instead of closes them. Contemplation is an ancient art of awareness, like a tree with roots and branches, in which all other meditative traditions stem from.

Every pause is an act of contemplation, the act of remembering to come into a sacred space of your inner temple of being.

What is a Pause?

A pause is anything that breaks the automatic and monotony of ceaseless activity. A pause can be likened to either creating or finding the natural gap in the cycles and transitions of all behavior. A pause is an act of gentle self-discipline to remember to be present and aware.

A pause can be internal, external, or both. A pause doesn’t always mean ceasing all movement and being completely still. An internal pause could be finding a gap between thoughts or creating a pocket of coherence as a space in your internal world even while walking or driving. An external pause could be stopping physically to look really at what’s in front of you, hear the sounds present, smell a flower, remembering to fully breathe.

A pause can be formal or informal. A formal pause can come from a dedicated time for any form of self-care practice like meditation, journaling, exercise etc. An informal pause is where the true art of contemplation comes into play. An informal pause is something you catch in the rhythms of everyday living, or you intentionally carve as small moments of spacious presence. Perhaps you are stopped at red light while driving, or you have a small window of time as a break at work, or maybe you are waiting in line, these are all opportunities to catch the natural pause life affords you. An informal intentional pause could be stopping to fully breathe in the aroma of a plant while walking, stopping to look at the sky and the unique shape of the clouds, or giving yourself three breathes in a transition from your car to walking into your office.

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong way to pause. Pausing is the simplest thing you could ever do to benefit every aspect of your life.

3 Practical Ways for How to Pause

Find a comfortable place, set a timer and give yourself 3-5 minutes a day throughout the week for any self-awareness practice or the contemplation practice of PRI (Pausing Remember Inquiring). Pause and create space to breathe, remember what is most important such as being present or what you have forgotten, and practice self-inquiry by giving your body, mind, and emotions the attitudes of curiosity, openness, and gentleness while asking questions such as the following and listening to your inner response:

This form of pausing includes ways of applying pausing in everyday to create a physical and external space. In nature, what you will observe are animals suddenly stopping for no apparent reason. This is the gist. The art is in how you bring awareness to uncovering natural pauses and by consciously creating them.

The most subtle form of pausing is how we create inner space with our awareness even whilst in motion. This is an art form; you choose how to create this contemplative space and attitudes in your life.

Conclusion

Every pause represents a field of transformation. The neuroplastic power and contemplative art of change happens in the gaps. Every pause brings you to the magical gaps where the opportunity to direct your attention, access novel and more efficient networks of synaptic pathways, and drive neural connection towards greater and greater integration as the subjective inner sense of harmony. Every gap is an opportunity to either shift your frequency to that harmonious octave or remain in the same loop. The power of the pause ultimately is your power to choose how you respond with your attitude towards every aspect of life. The power of the pause is the power of choosing the direction of how you change, grow, and evolve. To pause is to live from this inner freedom.

“Anthony Sosa serves as the Neurosculpting Institute’s onsite psychotherapist with his M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University, and his B.S. in Physics with research in the neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Healso is a Certified Neurosculpting Facilitator (CNSF), SOMA Breath instructor, yoga teacher and Gene Keys Guide. “

This is what happens when you combine the Neurosculpting practice with the contemplation of the Gene Keys.

Here is how it works.

What are the Gene Keys?

The Gene Keys are a synthesis of teachings describing all human states of consciousness, from the deepest fear-based patterns, to qualities of creative genius, to the most awe-inspiring potentials in our DNA. The 64 Gene Keys are a system of perennial wisdom weaving modern genetics and epigenetics, western analytical and transpersonal psychology, and eastern contemplative and spiritual teachings such as the Chinese I Ching to name a few.

They are a set of profound teachings representing genetic archetypes that apply to all individuals and groups of people. A living system of wisdom! The teachings are meant to be contemplated over time and applied in your daily life to understand your deepest patterns and purpose through your personal profile. They also act as an oracle and daily inspiration, or as a path of spiritual wisdom. The Gene Keys are a vast work of incredible vision and depth.

How do you use them? 

Simple: in the Art of Contemplation.

Contemplation centers around developing a wakeful awareness in everyday life to embrace the mystery and free ourselves from suffering. Contemplation opens paths to a virtuous, embodied way of living. The root foundations of all contemplative practices are awareness and connection.

How does Neurosculpting fit in?

Meditation is one of the more popular types of contemplative practices. There are many forms of meditation. The “correct” meditation type for you depends on various factors. While meditation can be for everyone, not all forms of meditations are suitable for everybody. However, one of the most important factors in choosing the right meditation for your body, mind, and brain is the common factor connecting all humans – the needs of the mammalian nervous system.

Meditation–a contemplative art and an emerging science–is a profoundly powerful and ancient tool of integration to develop awareness, navigate the mind, regulate the stresses of life with greater calm, and develop deeper and wider connections to your body, your relationships, nature, and to your core essential self. Neurosculpting is actually contemplation that brings together meditation and modern neuroscience.

Neurosculpting is a 5-Step highly efficient brain training meditation and nervous system healing process that unlocks your ability for self-directed neuroplasticity. Think of neuroplasticity as a birthright superpower that enables you to adapt and change your brain in response to your mind’s attention and awareness. Neuroplasticity is a gift of learning, unlearning, and relearning in order to adapt and evolve. Neurosculpting unlocks the science of meditation and the creative art of neuroplastic rewiring so you can rewrite your patterns and stories.

The merging of Gene Keys and Neurosculpting

Every gene key has three words describing three different frequencies of consciousness, like how the words “infrared” and “ultraviolet” describe ranges of lower and higher frequencies in the spectrum of light.

The three frequencies are:

1.  Shadow – represents unconscious suffering we have immense difficulty accepting
about ourselves.

2.  Gift – represents our human genius and open-hearted creativity. This emerges from
accepting the shadow with full authentic responsibility. This becomes our greater service
to ourselves and the world.

3.  Siddhi – a Sanskrit word representing full embodiment and spiritual realization
through different expressions of divinity.

Every gene key is a unique transformation pathway of change starting from a specific seed (shadow), transforming into a flower (gift), and finally becoming the fruit (siddhi) containing the seeds once again. For example, let’s look at a single gene key – “Neurosculpting for the 48th Gene Key.”

Gene Key 48 is the archetype of “The Well”:

48th Gene Key

1.  Moves from Shadow of Inadequacy
2. Through the Gift of Resourcefulness
3. To the Siddhi of Wisdom

The Neurosculpting meditation series for this Gene Key focuses first on the Shadow of
Inadequacy. By using this meditation you train your brain and nervous system to change your patterns of inadequacy, rewire fears of the unknown, and address feelings of inadequacy. In the second meditation you bloom from this rewired state, unlocking and strengthening your nervous system’s capacity for creative resourcing. Your meditation allows you to practice feeling materially, emotionally, and mentally resourced.
The final meditation neuroplastically rewires your brain and nervous system to embody your greatest well-source of wisdom. You actually get to practice accessing this incredible depth of wisdom, embracing the wonder of uncertainty, and cultivating curiosity and trust.

Radical Union

It is unprecedented to combine the practicality of Neurosculpting and the wisdom of Gene Keys. It has the potential to give you back your power to change your life. It’s an opportunity to sculpt your brain through the keys of genetic archetypal patterns, and unlock your greatest gifts hidden in your DNA – to become a Neurosculpting Genius!

As a student, practitioner, and teacher I must acknowledge in my sincerest reverential gratitude to my teachers who deeply inspire me: Lisa Wimberger as the founder and creator of Neurosculpting, and Richard Rudd as the founder and creator of Gene Keys.

“Anthony Sosa serves as the Neurosculpting Institute’s onsite psychotherapist with his M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University, and his B.S. in Physics with research in the neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. He also is a Certified Neurosculpting Facilitator (CNSF), SOMA Breath instructor, yoga teacher and Gene Keys Guide. “

She’s like the school bully – a familiar feeling as I was bullied by the popular girls in school due to my weight, big glasses, acne and quiet, studious nature.

Nina never has a nice word to say, always judging me harshly and making me feel small.

• “Who do you think you are to pursue your ambitions?”
• “You’re going to get found out any minute.”
• “You’re not skilled or experienced enough.”
• “You only meet 8/10 criteria on the job description, so don’t bother applying.”
• “What if something bad happens if you do that?”
• “Everyone knows more than you.”
• “Don’t say anything or you’ll embarrass yourself.”
• “Look at your thunder thighs! Are you really going out like that?”

Nina didn’t just cost me tens of thousands of pounds in lost earning potential. She also cost me thousands of pounds in makeup, new clothes, shoes, bags and flashy cars, all in an attempt to feel more confident and successful. But Nina was still there, undermining me.

She also took a toll on my emotional and mental health.

Nina would tut at me, wondering why I couldn’t be calm and confident like others. And during the pandemic, she really took hold – causing anxious thoughts, catastrophizing and dark cloud of negativity spiraling out of control.

You see 12 months before this, I’d finally found the courage to start my own Coaching business – an ambition that Nina had held back for around 30 years.  I quit my stressful corporate job, where I had pushed myself to the point of burnout just to prove myself.  And in the first year of my business, I surprised myself with my success and felt fearless. But then the pandemic hit, and my business crumbled overnight.

All my contracts were cancelled or withdrawn, and people vanished without paying me. I was a mess – unable to eat or sleep. Then I felt anger when the UK Chancellor announced the furlough scheme, yet I didn’t qualify.

During this difficult time, Nina emerged with a vengeance.

• “I told you, people like you don’t have successful businesses.”
• “You’re such a fraud- call yourself a coach?!”

These words hit hard because, as a coach, I had the tools to help others but couldn’t apply them to myself.

To make matters worse, I was experiencing the challenges of perimenopause, which brought around 30 physical symptoms and a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt like I had lost myself.

If you can relate to any of this, know that you’re not alone. It’s the most common thing I’m now asked to help clients with – from the C-Suite to professionals – an imposter voice that sabotages their success and confidence.

For me, I had two choices: stay as I was and feel like a failure, or take control and work on my inner landscape to navigate life with more ease and grace.

I’d had enough of Nina ruling. So, I chose to explore applied neuroscience and Neurosculpting®.

Here are three things I discovered along the way.

1. My nervous system was overwhelmed. This was no coincidence. I had been unconsciously running fear-based patterns throughout my life, such as not feeling good enough, fearing disappointment, and fearing rejection. These patterns, influenced by past experiences, created my Nina Nitpicker and her constant negativity. The pandemic exacerbated this,  triggering an overwhelming cascade of stress hormones, leaving me anxious and stuck.
2. My stories were just ideas or concepts I held as true, whether they were accurate or not. As long as I believed these stories, they grew stronger. My brain had become a master storyteller, filtering every action I took (or most likely didn’t take) and perception through these stories.
3. I had the power to change. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and change itself was a free gift that I had and which offered hope. If I had learned my Nina Nitpicker scripts, thanks to my neuroplastic brain, then I could release these unhelpful stories and beliefs and use my neuroplastic gift to create new, empowering beliefs.

As a coach, I had a bunch of tools I could apply. But something was missing. The right steps in the right sequence. That’s where the Neurosculpting® 5 step process came in.  Combined with the Crush Your Critic Framework which I’ve since developed and which is now being used by others.

The Crush Your Critic Framework looks like this:

1. Clarity: Define what you want to achieve and create the action steps to get there. There’s a lot of neurobiology you can leverage here, helping you to take action, no matter how small and build your confidence. A clarity and goals achievement Neurosculpting® meditation cements this step.
2. Break free from fear: Identify situations and fear-based stories that trigger negative emotional states. Use Neurosculpting® exercises to release these patterns, regulate your emotional state, and bring out your best qualities.
3. Self-doubt to success: Script new, empowering beliefs. Ask yourself what you want to believe instead and anchor these beliefs in your brain using the five-step Neurosculpting® process.
4. Resilience: Anticipate obstacles and form strategies to overcome them. Hint: Most of the obstacles are the disempowering thought patterns you’re running on a loop. Use neuroplasticity and Neurosculpting® exercises to condition your brain and nervous system for adaptability which really helps you to manage things outside of your control.
5. Tuning your base operating system to self-leadership using Neurosculpting® meditation practice. Learn to navigate between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system states. The former is Nina in full force. For me it feels like contracted muscles, shortness of breath, racing heart, nauseous stomach, sweaty palms. Typically correlating to procrastination or running away behaviour.The latter is when you’re at your best, when you’re believing in yourself, feeling energised and yet calm. And believing you can achieve anything.  Nina Nitpicker has been crushed!

Jo Britton is a UK-based Neurosculpting® facilitator and coach helping entrepreneurs, leaders and professionals to apply Neurosculpting® to improve their personal leadership, team and business performance.

Photo: Jo Britton’s Inner Critic

When we’re looking for validation outside of ourselves, it may be because we feel like we are not enough, or we are too much, or we have to work hard to be loved, or we are not lovable. When we struggle to believe in our worthiness, we hustle for it, to justify our existence.

We might try to manage others’ perceptions of us, but the reality is we have no control over what others are thinking. And, in truth, the only validation we need is from ourselves. We project our insecure energy outside of ourselves. We twist and morph ourselves into who we think and perceive someone else wants us to be so that they will love “us”, but it’s not us they are loving, it’s the version of us we are projecting.

That is not authentic, and will never make us feel worthy.

Even if they love that projected version, we still don’t feel loved because deep inside we know we are not being authentically ourselves. We know that they are not truly loving US, because we do not allow them to see our authentic self. We fear that if they saw who we truly are they would not love us, so we keep walls up.

But by doing so, we also wall ourselves off from truly being seen, accepted, and loved for who we innately are, and connecting on a mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual level with someone who is open to sharing with us in those ways too.

How much we miss.

We are built and wired for love and connection and to seek emotional availability. We are also built and wired for survival. These two truths go hand in hand. In an ideal environment, we enter the world seeking safety and comfort and we are met with consistent protection and nurturing and sustenance. We grow into securely attached adolescents, teens, and young adults. We then make choices and decisions based on solid self-love, confidence, and the guidance of wise mentors in our lives.

I think we can all agree: This is not always the case.

Life gets messy. Families get dysfunctional. We experience traumas, whether they are BIG or little—they inform the stories and beliefs we hold true… even if they aren’t true. We develop self-sabotaging coping mechanisms to run away from, mask, avoid, dull, and suppress any feeling or emotion that brings us discomfort or pain. Or we anxiously act out trying to grasp at whatever “love” attention we can get.

Brené Brown says in Gifts of Imperfection, that owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do. Knowing and understanding ourselves is critically important, but, she says, what’s even more essential to living a wholehearted life is loving ourselves. Courage (which requires letting go of what other people think), compassion (including being willing to say no and setting healthy boundaries), and connection (especially self-acceptance) only work when they are exercised every day. They are the tools for developing worthiness.

While owning our story and embracing our vulnerabilities is hard, it’s not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it, and as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy.

Love is our Birthright. Give it to yourself. Receive it. Give it to those you care about. It’s in all of us, we are connected by it, and LOVE is how we survive and thrive. You can learn to stand in unshakable confidence in the basic goodness of who you are, and that you are enough, you are lovable, and you deserve love.

That it is the inexorable birthright of all human beings.

Do you have skin breakouts, reactivity to certain foods, hormones out of whack, feel tired, heart palpitations, trouble sleeping or staying asleep?

When your body is chronically in a heightened stress response, your endocrine system (hormones coursing through your brain and body) is on constant overdrive. So when you encounter something your body deems a threat, it has diminished capacity to respond to it causing you adverse and uncomfortable symptoms.

“We know how we want to feel. We want to wake up with a smile, feeling energized and excited for the day. We want to have a skip in our step, feel pain-free. We want to spend quality time with our loved ones, feeling positive and grateful. But it can be challenging to know how to get there.” 

~ Jessie Inchauspé, Glucose Revolution.

In Jessie’s book she talks about how navigating our health feels like glancing into an airplane cockpit. We see complicated stuff: Screens, dials, lights, switches, levers, buttons—and we look away, feeling grateful that the pilots know what they are doing. We just want the plane to stay in the air.

When it comes to our bodies, we are the clueless passengers, AND we are also the pilots.

What does this have to do with going to bed content and waking up feeling energized? Because our brain, especially the Prefrontal Cortex (the part that decides to be curious, problem-solving, creative, funny) uses glucose as fuel. When our glucose levels are out of whack, our brain (central nervous system) is out of whack and that directly impacts our thoughts, perceptions, words, actions, patterns and beliefs.

This leads to a dysregulated nervous system and brain wiring, or patterns, that keep us “safe” because our brains find it familiar. But the patterns, habits, and behaviors are not getting us to where we want to be, experiencing a life of connection—to ourselves and others—and experiencing joy, love, vitality, and playfulness.

Through Neurosculpting training we teach some science-based tools and practices to quickly redirect your brain in spicy situations. This is the language your brain, mind, and body are speaking, through the highway of the vagus nerve.

So how does Neurosculpting help?

In an article titled “Meditation brings robust immune system activation, UF Health Researchers find” in December 2021 by Doug Bennett at the University of Florida College of Medicine, he shares the findings UF researchers and colleagues found by conducting a comprehensive genomic study of how meditation affects the biological processes directly involved in disease development. They studied blood samples of participants in an 8-day meditation retreat taken five to eight weeks in advance, then just before and after the retreat as well as three months later. Their analysis found several immune-related and other cellular pathways were altered after the meditation retreat including heightened activity in 68 genes associated with interferon signaling, a key part of the body’s anti-virus and anti-cancer responses. “Interferon proteins rally other parts of the immune system to defend against viruses and several recent studies have shown that interferon signaling is imbalanced in patients with severe COVID-19. Essentially, meditation uses a coordinated network of core genes and regulators to unleash a positive effect on the immune system, the researchers found.” They found that meditation produced beneficial gene activity comparable to conventional interferon treatments given to multiple sclerosis patients.

Learning to meditate is like a muscle that needs exercise to become stronger. Using Neurosculpting techniques for just a few minutes each day to focus your attention will allow you to more readily access the physical and emotional benefits. Regular Neurosculpting practice will strengthen the neural connections associated with relaxation and emotional regulation, and with daily practice and using a few quick tools you can access these connections in your day-to-day encounters with quick disruptions in the stress response and bringing your brain power to your Prefrontal Cortex to create space between a stressful encounter and a habitual response. This allows your physiology (the way living things or any of their parts function) to shift providing you more time for thoughtful action in a way that will help manage stress.

In my own personal experience, I had a horrible skin rash that plagued me for years—reactivity to stress and gluten. The unexpected valleys (I guess I can’t climb peak after peak without coming down into some valleys sometimes) taught me a few things: that leveling up doesn’t mean constant peak experiences, or that everything will be easy, but it does mean that I can get back to good faster each time.

I can get quiet with myself and try to see “the problem under the problem”, implement my tools (vagal toning, journaling, meditation, exercise, breathing, sleeping, eating well) and I can reach out to people in my tribe when I need a boost or outside perspective. We are never alone!

It also taught me more resilience and compassion because I never know what is going on in other’s lives.

By reducing your baseline of stress and increasing your heart-rate variability you are not only becoming more stress-resilient in response to life, you are boosting your own immune system and immune response to toxic threats to your body. How amazing is this?!

After learning Neurosculpting myself and practicing it over the past few years, I have not had a serious skin breakout! I attribute it to changing some lifestyle and eating habits, but even occasionally indulging in some of the foods that trigger a skin response in me, it’s so mild compared to a few years ago.

What our mind perceives and how our brain responds has many factors at play: our genes, history, hormones, brain, and how they interact with our environment. But our body can’t react in a way that our mind doesn’t agree to. Becoming aware of our mind patterns, why and how they are wired into our brain and body, and using the Neurosculpting techniques to unlock hope and heal beliefs affecting our body and our behaviors, brings our mind and body into coherence where true and lasting healing can take place.

“The truth that sets you free is that you can experience in imagination what you desire to experience in reality, and by maintaining this experience in imagination, your desire will become an actuality.”

~ Neville Goddard

If you’re ready to learn how to pilot your body and life, comment below which part of this blog resonates with you or reach out to me directly and we can begin to dialogue about what YOUR best next step is.

Flower essences, unlike a homeopathic remedy, work because they reconnect the body’s electrical system (primarily the central nervous system) acting as a bridge that directly connects and fuses the soul to the body.  It is not possible to take the “wrong essence” as if it is not absorbed, it will simply flow out of the body.  Since humans relate directly to the natural world, we can turn to plants to help rebalance and energize our nervous system when it is out of balance.

Flower essences are a good tool to combine with Neurosculpting because as we learn to listen to the body, we begin to understand our brain is unreliable.  When the nervous system is fully grounded and our electrical system is connected, the immune system heals the body.  Even if we are unconscious of the emotional or spiritual cause, we can listen to the body to locate a spot of contraction and remap neurologically to change how our brain responds to the situation. Combining this energy process using a coning[1], keeps you balanced and stable when working with students or clients.

I use Machaelle Small Wright’s flower essences and energy processes.  She has created a research garden to work with nature, Perelandra in VA. She has written several books including “Behaving as if the God in all Life Matters”. She works with nature/energy processes to co-create a more balanced environment[2] where humans take a role but not the dominant role.

The foundation of this practice is muscle testing to ask questions of the body. It knows what is needed to restore health; by asking simple yes/no questions and muscle testing we’ll get an answer. What you are testing is the positive energy that is flowing through your body. You can test this process by asking a question you already know the answer to (i.e. My name is X) and then create a circuit by touching your thumb to your pinkie finger, if the answer is a yes, you notice if you try to separate the digits (using your other hand) the linkage is strong, if the answer is a “no” you will notice a weakness, difficulty keeping the two fingers together, meaning the electrical circuit is weak.  For more on kinesiology, click on this link: PKTT: Our Electric System’s GPS – Perelandra Ltd. (perelandra-ltd.com).

Flower essences do not expire, as long as the dropper is not contaminated from touching your tongue, they will last forever. Unlike herbal tinctures, flower essences are effective (depending on the individual), by putting 10-12 drops on the tongue. Muscle test and ask yourself about the dosage, i.e., how many times a day, for how many days will you need to take the essence.  Pay attention to your intuition, and if you need to increase the dosage or change the blend, your body will tell you.

I’ve been guided by nature to make a Trinity blend using Azalea, Wisteria and Mountain Laurel blossoms (all three stems) in a formula to overcome the despair and frustration experienced while recovering from a natural disaster.  The trinity blend is used to create hope to begin again, to forgive yourself and others for the forces beyond your control which have created your present situation while enabling you to move on with your life. It uses Mt Vernon (NC) springs water that has special healing qualities. In order to be maximally effective you need to take either the Bach Rescue Remedy or Perelandra’s ETS plus to reconnect your body’s electrical system first then wait 10 minutes and take the Trinity essence.

There are many essences already available – some are single flowers or herbs, and some are combinations that their creator has determined will help with specific issues, such as grief, or depression.  If you would like more information, don’t hesitate to contact me at moc.oohayobfsctd-1613c7@retnugll.

[1] Nature spirits, Pan, white brotherhood and your higher self
[2]  Perelandra website www.perelandra-ltd.net

There exist many wise cliches on the unbeknownst power of attitude such as “you don’t see the world as it is, you see the world as you are,” or “your attitude determines your latitude,” or “the way you perceive the world is the way you receive the world.” Victor Frankl who, as a prisoner in Jewish concentration camps, provided one of the most poignant observations about the liberating power of attitude. He noted:

They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

This statement exemplifies how conscious choice of attitude – which usually represents our unconscious views towards life and ourselves – influence us on existential and spiritual levels, as well as profoundly impacts our core biological and psychological health.

To understand attitude is to understand the nature of perception. Attitudes infuse the color-like qualities into the filter of all human perception. Your attitude acts like subtlety porous and different geometrical filters of a camera that alters to the way light passes through your lens (eyes) and creates differing images (via your brain) of our outer and inner universe. Because perception is a mutable quality of the nervous system that directly interfaces with our environment, we have in the inherent capability to change our core attitudes at any stage of life and shape our perception by developing self- awareness.

From a physics perspective, and more specifically the emergent field of quantum biology, everything can be understood in the trinity-like connection between energy, frequency, and fields. Everything in existence has a magnetic field that expresses the integrity of relationship to energy. Every single living atom of every chemical molecule of every biological cell that composes the totality of the body has a radiating magnetic field. Magnetic fields are present in every form of nature in the universe and govern the basic integrity and harmony of life.

All these fields together form the total magnetic field of the human body. Therefore, the relationship state of energy determines the frequency of the magnetic field radiance.  This radiance governs every facet of health by way of intelligently protecting and adapting the integrity of energy flowing through, affecting us cellularly, chemically, neurologically, and psychologically. This implies that every thought, emotion, belief, word, and action you have is simply an expression of the relationship between energy and fields. Your attitude greatly determines the frequency of your greater magnetic field and thus, how you magnetize life! Consciously choosing an attitude that aligns with your values gradually strengthens the virtue of your energy resourcefulness. By working to become a more whole, virtuous person one strengthens these magnetic integrities. The more integrity grows the more an individual harmoniously adjusts to being at home in any aspect of life.

This process begins with awareness. Awareness begins in the present and involves you being aware of your body. The secret power of attitude lies in its simplicity and immediacy. If you don’t know how to start choosing your attitude, here are three renown attitudes to play in any moment.

What would it be like to give yourself the attitudes of:

• TRUST – to really trust your body, mind, and life itself
• CURIOSITY – to really be curious in welcoming each experience
• GRATITUDE – to really give appreciation and gratefulness to what you have inbeing alive

What attitude will you choose now?

BIO:

Anthony Sosa serves as the Neurosculpting Institute’s onsite psychotherapist with his M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University, and his B.S. in Physics with research in the neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. He also is a Certified Neurosculpting Facilitator (CNSF), SOMA Breath instructor, and yoga teacher.

Contact Anthony