Brain Healing Exercises

Drawing Upside Down: We usually draw what we think we see, not what we actually see with our eyes. When we draw upside down we don’t recognise the entire image and we draw the shapes as they actually exist, not the way we think they should look like.

Benefits: This exercise forces us to use the Right Hemisphere of our brain and form new neural connections.

Morning Pages: First thing when you wake up in the morning—write. Get a book, use a pen, and just write anything. If you can’t think of anything, write “I can’t think of anything”. Write a whole page. Write two pages. Its not about what you write, or even how much. You are not in a competition. Try to work up to around 45 minutes of this spontaneous writing practice in the morning. 

Benefits: This exercise releases your expressive inhibition and sparks your creativity. You may never read these pages, but your brain feels empowered by seeing its creations manifested.

Learn Another Language: Learning a new language activates a secondary language centre in the Right Hemisphere of your brain. After sufficient mastery, this new language centre can serve to compensate for speech aphasia that is sometimes present in some forms of cognitive impairment. 

Benefits: You may not be suffering from memory loss, but learning a new language will get you to perceive the world and your interactions in a different context, and this will strengthen existing and create new neural connections.

Use Your Hands: Brain Healing isn’t all about thinking and doing mental activities. The brain extends nerves throughout our body, and using our hands to mould shapes, fold decorations, or even to knead soil to help plants grow strengthens important connections that literally connect your Mind to the world around you.

Benefits: Axons in the motor cortex will become stronger and more differentiated. This can lead to increased dexterity and more fine motor control.

Play a Musical Instrument: Music combines various faculties throughout your nervous system. It is important to keep some fun in your life so that you feel motivated to continue with your rehabilitation progress. Pick an instrument that lets you play songs you enjoy listening to. Some songs are tricky and require practice and repetition, but being able to play a whole song from top to bottom is an exciting accomplishment. You will be integrating your auditory processes, your motor control, while developing a sense of rhythm. This can help with speech, and provide extra techniques to memorise new information.

Benefits: Musicians who play stringed instruments develop larger brain tissue in areas of the motor cortex associated with the fingers. Playing wind instruments integrates the cranial nerves controlling the tongue, lips and cheeks, with respiratory tracts and with finger movements. Playing the drums instils a sense of rhythm that can balance uneven resource allocation across brain hemispheres. 

Image: https://sarvyoga.com/music-therapy-is-music-a-medicine/

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