Movements that Boost Brain Performance with Aaron Alexander

HOW TO SIT

• Ensure you’re on the front edge of your seat.
• Leverage your “indigenous movement patterning.”
• L5/S1 lower part of your back is a wedge-shape—the way we sit day to day ends up stressing our lower back, pushing it the other way.

BRAIN + BODY CONNECTION

• Childhood movement and exploration builds our brain—technology use impedes that.
• Our brain is our body, our brain and skin is a continuous layer.
• As we engage in two-dimensional activities like reading books, textbooks — we start to build separation between mind and body.
• At a deeper level, our body doesn’t know any of that jargon— it’s all one.

POSTURE

• Posture affects you at a hormonal level, cellular level—your cells can feel you!
• Simple hack: hinge your hips while you’re on the phone, keep your spine long — avoid collapsed chest, forward head posture, slumped over.
• Hunching sends a message to your body and those around you—and it perpetuates itself.
• Technology is forming us into a depressed mold, and we’re outsourcing our movement to gizmos.

CHORES + TRANSPORTATION

• Turn little chores into training missions — e.g., avoiding elevators, cars to drive a few blocks.
• Get on your bike instead and be grateful for the opportunity.
• Change your language! “Oh, I have to go to the post office,” vs. “Oh, I get to go to the post office!”
• Gratitude — a culture where you can do little chores.

CONSCIOUSNESS

• Unconsciousness can be the time when the little bad habits slip back in.
• Come back to breathe as an anchor point: 4 seconds out, 6 seconds in.
• For normal breathing: breathe through the nose.
• Nose built to breathe, mouth built to eat.
• Breathing through nose means the air goes through passages to allow your body to release nitric oxide — the body is built to do that naturally.
• Mouth breathing= less testosterone and more chest breathing which can set off a panic response.
• Nose breathing causes a little restriction meaning your muscles to have to come online, and your diaphragm has to engage.
• How to breathe from your diaphragm: drops your hands outside of your ribs and breathe in, feel it evenly pushing out through ribs, think about the circumference.

PHYSICAL MOVEMENT

• Aaron’s floor culture: have to get all the way down and all the way back up — reduces fall risk.
• We can be more immaculate in any position we’re in—whether standing, on the floor, or sitting.
• In Blue Zones there’s less osteoporosis, hip disease—praying on floors, daily movements.
• Blue Zone general health: sun contact against eyes, community gardens, barefoot—the sun grounds you and sets off your natural circadian rhythms.
• Study about the link between high heels and schizophrenia.
• Full range of motion from all of your joints = better brain health.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Expose as much of your body to the sun as possible.
• Wake up with the cycles of the sun.
• Consistent sleep schedule.
• Guard your mornings and ensure you get some stimulation—e.g., Music, dancing, going for a jog.
• Spring water.

LAST WORDS

• Take it easy on yourself! You’re probably already doing great if you’re here listening to this podcast.
• Be on the floor more often! Follow children— they’re gurus.
• Life is movement.