“As the acceptance of expanded human potential gains mainstream momentum, the question has shifted from “What is possible in our lives?” to “How do we do it? How do we awaken our extraordinary potential in everyday life?” Welcome to PART 2 of our review of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work. On today's EPISODE #310 on "Decoding Our Thoughts: How to Build a Better Future with the Power of Our Mind" and PART 2 of our Review of Dr. Joe Dispenza's work, we will cover:  ✔ 3 Important Concepts in Dr. Joe Dispenza's book,  Becoming Supernatural that have the ability to change YOUR life, when implemented. IMPORTANT CONCEPT 1:  Accessing the Present Moment IMPORTANT CONCEPT 2:  Mental Rehearsal: Priming Your Brain and Body for a New Future IMPORTANT CONCEPT 3:  Elevated Emotion ✔ What science has to say about these timeless success principles? ✔ Strategies to IMPLEMENT these principles into our daily life for improved results. ✔ How to use our emotions FOR us, rather than AGAINST us. ✔ Why we must continue to learn more about WHO WE ARE for improved results ✔ How METACOGNITION (and our awareness of how we think, act and feel) creates AHA Moments of Learning in our daily life.  Today we will continue our exploration of how exactly we live up to the full potential we all have within us, or like the name of Joe Dispenza’s book, Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon. Today as we cover PART 2 of this exploration we will identify clear strategies to awaken the extraordinary potential in each of us, and these will be evidence-based strtegies, that are proven with science.  Becoming Supernatural, is the first-of-its-kind manual that does precisely this: it leads us on a step-by-step journey to achieving our greatest potential in body, health, relationships, and our life purpose and allows us to make that journey at our own pace. We only cover ideas and concepts on this podcast that have the potential to change our lives, and I’m on a mission to connect the most current brain research to concepts that have been taught successfully to students for centuries, connecting the science to these age-old success principles. This book study has taken me some time to think, and consolidate what I’m learning since we released PART 1 the end of September. I needed this time to put Dr. Dispenza’s ideas and meditations into practice, and have spent the past month immersed in his teachings. As mentioned in the first part of this study, this is a shallow dive, and is just the beginning. I do hope that our review today helps us to ALL unlock more of the mysteries within the unseen world, as we learn to put these concepts into practice in our daily life. I’m sure we will return to this episode in the future, but this is where we will start our journey today. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For those tuning into this episode, and you’ve not listened to EP 306[i] yet, I do encourage you to begin there. You will learn the background of where I first heard of Dr. Joe Dispenza, and how I was forbidden to cover his work on this podcast, since my neuroscience certification coach, researcher Mark Waldman, would consider his work pseudoscience. We covered how even Dr. Joe Disp

“Your brain is the organ of your personality, character and intelligence and is heavily involved in making you who you are.” Dr. Daniel Amen Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/H8miiiqugDs On today's episode #309 with Dianne Kosto we will cover: ✔  What is neurofeedback, and how it can help someone struggling with anxiety, depression, brain fog, or mental health issues. ✔ Dianne Kosto's story "From Trauma to Triumph." What's the story of her son? What did she do to help him? Where is he TODAY? ✔ How does neurofeedback change the structure and function of the brain? ✔ Dianne's journey and when she first noticed the importance of a healthy brain, for a happy life. ✔ How to reach Dianne and her team to learn more. So if we notice something is not right with our ability to think clearly (brain fog) or our decision-making ability, or our ability to focus and concentrate, it would make sense that we begin with looking at this organ that controls everything that we are, and everything that we do. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #309 we will be speaking with Dianne Kosto, the CEO and founder of Symmetry Neuro PT. Dianne is a Mom on a Mission to make neurofeedback (to help the brain learn to better regulate) accessible and easy, with a global vision for improving the lives and brains for families who have a member struggling with physical or emotional pain, that we all know disrupts everything in our day-to-day life. I wanted to cover Dianne’s work on the podcast because while I have heard about neurofeedback as a brain-based therapy to improve brain function without medication, I don’t know much about it. Let’s meet Dianne Kosto, and see what she has created with Symmetry PT to help all of us to live happier, and healthier lives, with our brain health and function in mind. Welcome Dianne, it’s wonderful to meet you. Where are we reaching you today? Q1: I want to dive right in here, as I think the company that you have founded solves a critical need in the world today. I don’t think I know anyone who has not seen the effects of high stress in our daily lives. Can you start out with why you founded Symmetry NeuroPathway Training? What’s the story of your son? What did you notice he needed support with? What gaps did you see with our current healthcare system that caused you to take action? Where did you first begin to connect the brain to our mental health? What changed did you see with your son? HOW did these changes take place? Q2: For those of us who might have heard of this type of treatment, but like me, if I’ve not used something, it’s not easy to explain it. Can you give us an overview? What is Neurofeedback? (alters the structure and function and brain). EEG biofeedback? Q3: How does neuroplasticity occur with neurofeedback? Why do think this brain-based therapy is so successful with making long-term changes in someone who might be struggling in some way? Q4: What are some of the most common issues that are improved with neurofeedback? Q5: The whole reason I do this podcast, connecting the brain to our schools, sports and workplaces, is that we were never taught about the importance of a healthy brain when we

Whenever elite fighter Hazel Gale entered the ring, she felt fear. Not just the rational fear of being knocked out. But something deeper as well. The fear that she didn't deserve success, and that she would let everyone - especially herself - down. Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/1VDpu_KfZwk On today's episode #308 we will cover:  ✔ The story of elite fighter, Hazel Gale, that took her from confident champion, to burnout. ✔ How she now helps others with what she discovered from her life's journey. ✔ What is the research-based BETWIXT (story-based wellness app) and how does it help take us to new heights? ✔ Where can we ALL begin in our own personal "Journey of Our Mind?" ✔ How can we identify behaviors that self-sabotage our results? ✔ What are some common "monsters" and what can we learn from them to take us to new heights (personally and professionally). ✔ Where can we begin our own transformational journey of The Mind? While others saw a confident world champion athlete, Hazel was plagued by anxiety, self-doubt and depression. It was these things - the monsters of her mind - that she felt were her most dangerous opponents, and she waged a war. It was that hard-fought internal battle that ultimately led her to burn out. Now the founder of the story-based wellness app, Betwixt[i], Hazel is pioneering a new approach to digital mental health that she calls mindful entertainment. A sought-after London therapist, Hazel has created a revolutionary system for overcoming fear, underperformance, and self-sabotage. There is never a good time to confront the monsters that hold us back, but if we truly want to be our best selves, our highest performing, it begins with a deep level of self-awareness that our next guest has discovered through her own journey of life experience, and now helps others to do the same in the most captivating and unique way, that I’ve ever seen. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #308, we will be speaking with Hazel Gale, she’s a former kickboxer and boxer with multiple World, European and National titles. Her outward success, however, had a dark side: the stress of competition and relentless self-doubt drove her into an emotional and physical burnout that led to years of chronic illness. Hazel’s eventual recovery inspired her to qualify as a therapist and coach, and for over a decade she worked with high-level athletes, business executives and others as a master practitioner of cognitive hypnotherapy – an evidence-based approach that combines elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and traditional hypnotherapy with theories of modern neuroscience. Hazel’s 2018 book "The Mind Monster Solution" was published internationally and became an Amazon bestseller in both mental health and psychology. Currently, Hazel is the co-founder and the chief creative officer of Betwixt – an award-winning app that blends psychology with interactive storytelling to make wellness feel like an adventure instead of a chore. I downloaded this app, and was blown away with what she has created here. If you want to learn more about who you are, at the deepest levels, I highly recommend this app. I downloaded it f

“All you need is just a strong desire and you will bask in the sun in the courtyard of a French café, and in front of your eyes the icy peaks will be sparkling. You can reach this with the energy of your thoughts. “In a dream or what?”  –reader asks in surprise. “No, in reality, and achievement of the desired depends on you only.” Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, The Energy of Consciousness. Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/nmvtN2uEvnE     On today's episode #307 with Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, we will cover: ✔  A review of EPISODE #306 and why it's important that we understand how our thoughts CAN influence others. ✔ What is GDV (Gas Discharge Visualization) that takes the Kirlian Effect to new heights and how can this tool help us with our health, productivity and well-being? ✔  A look back at Russian Scientist Dr. Konstantin Korotkov's career, that led him to embrace the idea that we are spiritual beings, living a human experience first and foremost. ✔ An overview of the Bio-Well Congress Conference coming this November 10th-12 in Orlando, Florida. Who is attending and how is there work important in the world. ✔ How exactly does Dr. Korotkov's work bridge the unseen spiritual world, with the rigorous and rigid world of Science? ✔ How does mental telepathy work, and how can we use it? ✔ Some of the biggest mysteries of the world Dr. Korotkov has seen with his own eyes. ✔ How he suggests we can ALL raise the consciousness of the world and live happier, more productive lives.    Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #307, I’m beyond excited to have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Konstantin Korotkov, for many reasons that started when I found him as one of the inventors of GDV (gas discharge visualization) while researching Dr. Joe Dispenza for our last episode. I had no idea what a trip I would go on, reading his books, that took me all over the world, and into many different exciting, and mind-boggling directions. My questions for Dr. Korotkov started with the fact that we all have an energy field, we are all connected and “can influence each other.”  Konstantin Korotkov calls this electrophonics and explains its origin that goes back to 1777 in Brazil and then Russia. While I had always wondered about the science behind this technology, I had no idea what else his work would open my mind to. Here's a bit more about Dr. Korotkov’s background. He’s a doctor of Sciences and a Professor, working at the University of St. Petersburg, Russia. In over 40 years of scientific activity, he’s published more than 300 scientific articles, 12 books, (translated into many European languages), and he holds 9 patents. In his youth, he was actively engaged in mountaineering at the Championship level in the Soviet Union. All his life, he’s had a passion for travel. In the last 25 years, he has been among those who have been designing devices for gas discharge visualization (GDV– development of Kirlian effect), which allows rapid analysis of the human health condition and, in many cases, identifies the hidden causes of diseases and specific systems while revealing organs that require special attention. This technology is widely used in th

“As the acceptance of expanded human potential gains mainstream momentum, the question has shifted from “What is possible in our lives?” to “How do we do it? How do we awaken our extraordinary potential in everyday life?” (Dr. Joe Dispenza). Today we will look at these questions and take a shallow dive, not a deep one, as there are many layers to how exactly we live up to the full potential we all have within us, or like the name of Joe Dispenza’s book, Becoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon. Today we will begin this exploration and identify clear strategies to awaken the extraordinary potential in each of us.Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #306, we are going to look closely at the work of someone I have been forbidden by my mentor and neuroscience certification trainer, Mark Waldman, to EVER interview. When I first launched this podcast back in 2019, there were many reasons for WHY I wanted to bridge the gaps I saw in the field of education and the workplace, with practical neuroscience. To do this, I knew I needed training and obtained an Advanced Certification in Mindfulness-based Neurocoaching, where one of the MANY requirements for this Certification was that I had to show an application of practical neuroscience in the world, or just show that I was using what I was learning to help others. I told Mark Waldman about my podcast, and had him of for one of our early EP #30[i] in December of 2019 and shared with him my vision of who I would interview, and where I wanted to take this podcast. He told me he liked this idea, but since I was going to use this for his Certification requirement, he said “You must never interview anyone who covers pseudoscience” and said I must keep true evidence-based science (proven from articles on Pubmed) at the forefront. I thought, of course, why would I want to cover fake science and spread that into the world, and then he said it. “You must never interview Joe Dispenza!” And I thought “Oh no!”  I love that guy. His name was written on my wall as a potential future guest and while I agreed at the time to keep the podcast focused on science, I never did cross Dr. Dispenza off my list. I first heard about Joe Dispenza when I worked in the motivational speaking industry and while I knew about his seminars, how crazy the results were that people obtained, and some of the advanced technologies he used like epigenetics testing, brain mapping with EEGs and gas discharge visualization technology (GDV). I also knew that some people, including Mark Waldman, would consider Joe Dispenza’s work to be pseudoscience, but I always put the results first in my mind, and hoped that one day, science could help prove what he has been teaching for years. Joe Dispenza says it himself in the first few pages of his book, Becoming Supernatural. He writes: Dr. Dispenza let go of his critics and decided to move forward with wanting to share his message with the world. He believes in a world where possibility exists, and he will challenge our thinking using his own personal experience of transformation, through meditation and his ability to change his health (which really could be applied to any

“Unhealthy changes in the gut microbial ecosystem may manifest as poorer cognitive performance, impaired emotional regulation, negative moods states, and unhealthy stress response.” Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/8SFTPIuQ9To This was posted three days ago from Neurohacker Collective saying that we are “just on the fringes of understanding the gut-brain connection and its impact on cognitive performance and emotional well-being” and I agree, that this topic is finally getting the attention it deserves. Sit back and enjoy today’s episode, and I hope you take away some tips that show you how to improve your gut-brain connection for improved mood and health, immediately! Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    On today’s EP #305 we welcome back Dr. Gregory Kelly from EP #285[i] just this past April where he introduced us to Qualia Senolytic where we covered: What is cellular senescence? What are the "Hallmarks of Aging" and why is cellular senescence an important hallmark? The difference between cellular senescence and autophagy (with a quick review of 9th grade science mitosis). Classical places where senescent cells take hold in the body. The science to support senolytics from Mayo Clinic and Scripps Institute. How do senolytics work? The correct way to dose senolytics. What makes Qualia Senolytic a groundbreaking supplement in the longevity space? This interview set the stage for what we will cover today, with a look at Qualia  Synbiotic,  a one-of-a-kind formula doesn't just promote healthy gut. It also helps support mood and brain performance by enhancing gut-brain connections that are also crucial for nearly every system in body. There’s never been one simple scoop of supplemental nutrition designed to support so many aspects of gut health, including the gut-brain axis*  First, a bit about Dr. Gregory Kelly: On today’s episode, #305 we will cover: What are keystone species and what role do they play in shaping our gut ecosystem? Probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics - what’s the difference? Breaking up some myths about probiotics, and prebiotics How to fix gut imbalances and prevent dis-ease in our body? What we can notice with Qualia Synbiotic, this ultimate digestive health formula? Dr. Kelly’s favorite science-backed ingredients to support optimal digestion, immune function, and key aspects of the gut-brain connection. What Dr. Kelly thinks of neurogenesis/what’s exciting for him these days to think about in the field of health and wellness? Let’s welcome Dr. Gregory Kelly back to the podcast, from Neurohacker Collective!     Welcome back Dr. Gregory Kelly for the second time on the podcast! I’ve got to say that when we opened up our last interview, I was a huge fan of Neurohacker Collective and what you’ve built over there bringing together all the top minds in health and wellness, but I had only tried your products for a few weeks when we met last. It’s been 5 months now we’ve been using Qualia Senoltyics in our house hold (my husband and I) and what a difference, especially when it comes to being able to focus and work longer periods of time without losing mental clarity. I contribute that 100% of this to w

“No magic fairy or superhero is going to arrive at your door with a kit to make you healthy now and forever. We will have to be proactive in taking care of our biology and our psychology.” That’s from Dr. Andrew Huberman, promoting Inside Tracker,[i] a personal health and data-driven wellness guide, designed to help us to live healthier, and longer.   While I don’t use Inside Tracker, I support Dr. Huberman’s work enough to put his link to this service below in the show notes because the time is NOW to look after our health and wellness at the highest level possible, and that means with ALL the tools that help us to take control of our own health. Guessing about our health, is a now thing of the past. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #304, and preparing for our interview next week with returning guest Dr. Gregory Kelly from NeuroHacker.com while also keeping with our Season Theme of Going Back to the Basics, we are going back to a series of episodes we did on “Boosting Our Immunity by Optimizing Our Gut Microbiome”[ii]  that began with Dr. Vuyisich on EP #93[iii] back in October 2020, when our podcast took the turn towards health and wellness.  This was the first time I became aware of how important it was to understand our gut microbiome for our health. Many things Dr. Vuyisich said in that interview stayed with me over the years, but one was something I couldn’t forget.  He warned listeners that if they take away one thing from our interview that it be this. He said “today, we have 100% of the science and technology needed to prevent every chronic disease and every cancer.” (Momo Vuyisich).   REVIEWING THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION Dr. Vuyishic’s episode (along with many of the other interviews we did at that time) helped me to create the vision for our Top Health Staples and Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies[iv] that we covered on a BONUS EP 3 years ago.   We started with five, and after reviewing them with the top experts in the health and wellness industry, over the years, we added a sixth. What’s interesting while revisiting this episode we recorded 3 years ago with Dr. Vuyisich, is that I told him back then that while I understood the importance of taking probotics (friendly gut bacteria that keeps my digestion running well) to balance my gut microbiome, and I knew of the importance of prebiotics (or the superfoods that help them to flourish from Dr. Amen’s[v] work) giving me more energy and focus. But while watching Dr. Vuyisich’s interview again, I realized that 3 years later, I still don’t completely understand the gut-brain axis, and I know that I’m not as focused as I could be on optimizing my own gut microbiome. This is also coming from someone who discovered during a regular colonoscopy screening that I’m high risk for colon cancer, so I go back for these checkups more often than most people. This brings me back to why I’m doing these podcast episodes in the first place. If I’m not implementing the ideas that I’m learning from each expert, there’s not much point in me preparing questions, conducting these interviews, highlighting their expert suggestions that we edit, and put out to the world. I realized how importan

"Neuroplasticity knows no bounds; it is a lifelong journey of growth, learning, and personal transformation." – Dr. Andrew Huberman whose quote we ended our last EPISODE on a “Deeper Diver into Neuroplasticity.” On today's episode we will review: ✔ Tips for regrowing our brain cells (neurogenesis)✔ A reminder of what prevents neurogenesis and hurts our brain and what we can do to help increase neurogenesis in our brain.✔ What's the Difference Between Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis?✔ What's the Controversy with Neurogenesis? What’s the difference between Neuroplasticity, that we covered on EPISODE #302[i] (that knows no bounds) that’s defined as “the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways and change how it’s circuits are wired; (as shown so well in the Sentis YouTube video that gives us a representation of these pathways visually, and what they look like in our brain when we create NEW pathways).[ii] This we KNOW we can do throughout our lifetime, (while) neurogenesis is the even more amazing ability for the brain to grow new neurons (Bergland, 2017).[iii]  And on today’s episode #303, we will take a closer look at “What Exactly IS Neurogenesis and Why is it Controversial Among Neuroscientists.”[iv] Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    For today’s episode #303, and in keeping with our Season Theme of Going Back to the Basics, to take our learning to new heights, I’m going back to EPISODE #141[v] on “Neurogenesis: What Helps or Hurts our Brain Cells” because it became clear to me that while researching for our last episode that Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis are closely connected, but the former is widely accepted, while the latter holds some controversy. In our first episode on neurogenesis, we looked at: ✔ Tips for regrowing our brain cells (neurogenesis) ✔ A reminder of what prevents neurogenesis and hurts our brain and what we can do to help increase neurogenesis in our brain. Dr. Andrew Huberman on Neurogenesis While researching Dr. Huberman’s work last week on neuroplasticity, he mentioned that there was “bad news” with “neurogenesis” and that many people think that they can exercise and add “new neurons” in the brain and “that after age 14, the human nervous system adds few new neurons.”[vi] He said that “in rodents neurogenesis could occur but in humans it was less obvious” and “that while we can’t add new neurons, we can change our nervous system”[vii] and dives deeper into the definition of neuroplasticity and why this holds no bounds. Now I’m starting to see the controversy in this topic, as I went back to my first look at Neurogenesis. Dr. David Perlmutter (a board-certified neurologist) on Neurogenesis and Dr. John Ratey, the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain To open up EP 141 from June 2021, I quoted Dr. David Perlmutter, a board-certified neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author who said “the best way to increase neurogenesis (regrow your brain cells) is “when your body produces more BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (Dr. David Perlmutter) and we covered this topic deeply on EP 274[viii] “What New With BDNF: Building a Faster, Stronger and More Resilient

“The idea that the brain CAN CHANGE its own structure and function through thought and activity is, I believe, the most important alteration in our view of the brain since we first sketched out its basic anatomy and the workings of its basic component, the neuron.” Norman Doidge, The Brain That Changes Itself. Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    INTRODUCTION: For today’s episode #302, and in keeping with our Season Theme of Going Back to the Basics, to take our learning to new heights, I’m going back to EPISODE #133[i] from May 2021 on “Applying Neuroplasticity to Your School or Workplace.” Now one look at this episode and I can see why I’m calling these past episodes Neuroscience 101 where I wanted to introduce important concepts in neuroscience and how they relate to learning, in real time, as I was learning them myself. The idea is that we are now going back and building on our understanding together, adding in anything new and relevant, that I’m now calling Neuroscience 202, and I can see with this first episode that I barely scratched the surface of what neuroplasticity is, and how we can use this fascinating concept to change our brain permanently.  REVIEW of EPISODE #133 We learned: ✔An introduction to neuroplasticity, and how this concept works in the brain when learning a new skill, thinking a certain way, or feeling a certain emotion. ✔How neuroplasticity helps us to create new habits, and how we can use it to break habits we don’t want to keep. ✔The controversy behind this topic, and how two of the people we have interviewed ignored the naysayers, and built a powerful career with the early foundations of neuroplasticity. While I think this older episode is important to review, I can now see that learning how to apply practical neuroscience to our daily lives, really is cumulative. We learn one new concept that builds on another, and as we keep learning and studying together, new skills and levels of understanding are uncovered. It’s like peeling back the layers of an onion and realizing there’s more to uncover. Today, as we dive deeper in neuroplasticity, we will cover what Norman Doidge wrote about in his book, The Brain That Changes Itself, about “the idea that the brain can change its own structure and function through thought and activity” and then uncover what exactly neuroplasticity means for us today, so we can apply this fascinating concept to our life.    On today’s EPISODE #302 on “A Deeper Dive into Applying Neuroplasticity To Learn Something New” will cover: ✔ What is neuroplasticity (the brain and nervous system’s ability to change itself). ✔ How to use this incredible feature of our nervous system for ANYTHING we want to learn (getting rid of an emotion we don’t want, building NEW emotions, or learning a new skill. ✔ The 2 STEPS Stanford Professor, Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests we understand in order to change our brain (the chemicals that are involved, and what parts of the brain they come from) from Huberman Lab EPISODE #6 “How to Focus to Change Your Brain”[ii] ✔ How others have changed the structure and function of their brain from Norman Doidge’s Book that features Barbara Arrowsmith-Young who we met with on EP 132[iii]) t

“By recommending that we balance our choices in biological (diet and exercise), psychological (stress control), social (relationships) and spiritual components in our lives, (Dr. Daniel Amen) provides a desperately needed roadmap to maximize brain health.” Joseph C Maroon, MD from Dr. Daniel Amen’s book, The End of Mental Illness that we will dive deeper into on today’s episode. On today’s episode #301 we will cover: ✔  A review of EP #128 of Dr. Daniel Amen's book, The End of Mental Illness. ✔ An overview of Season 10 with Mental and Physical Health at the Top of Our List. ✔ What do Dr. Caroline Leaf and Dr. Daniel Amen have in common this month? ✔ How Andrea first learned about Dr. Leaf's work, and where they both spoke together. ✔ What Dr. Amen is focused on TODAY. ✔ What Dr. Leaf is focused on TODAY. ✔ How we can better prepare ourselves to help our next generation with their mental and physical health. ✔ The 4 circles of Wellness. ✔ How to Manage Our Mind Using Dr. Leaf and Dr. Amen's work together.  Welcome back to The Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we connect the science-based evidence behind social and emotional learning (that’s finally being taught in our schools today) and emotional intelligence training (used in our modern workplaces) for improved well-being, achievement, productivity and results—using what I saw as the missing link (since we weren’t taught this when we were growing up in school), the application of practical neuroscience. I’m Andrea Samadi, an author, and an educator with a passion for learning and launched this podcast 5 years ago with the goal of bringing ALL the leading experts together (in one place) to uncover the most current research that would back up how the brain learns best, taking us ALL to new, and often unimaginable heights.    INTRODUCTION: For today’s episode, #301, and in keeping with our Season Theme of Going Back to the Basics, I’m going back to EPISODE #128[i] A Review of Dr. Daniel Amen’s Book The End of Mental Illness to see if we can dive deeper here, and add more to this episode than the 6 steps we covered two years ago for improving our brain health, which we know is integral for our mental health. As I’m looking back over our past episodes, you can see a graphic in the show notes of the direction I want to take us moving forward as we go back over some of our past Brain Fact Fridays and see what we can add to them, or what’s new, to move us forward. When we first launched this podcast, I had a vision of connecting the most current brain research that I called Neuroscience 101 to our 6 social and emotional learning competencies to improve our well-being, productivity and results. PUTTING OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH FIRST: Now, in Season 10 we’ve all graduated from the basics, and are building on this knowledge together, and I’m noticing what’s IMPORTANT that needs to be at the Top of our list moving forward. These important topics I’ve called Neuroscience 202 that will take us deeper than where we first began and I’ve put Mental and Physical Health at the top of our list. MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Just a reminder that I am not a medical doctor, and if you are struggling with your mental health, please do consult with a medical doctor. I’m not offering medical advice here, but am sharing the results I’ve personally obtained from studying and applying the tips that Dr. Daniel Amen suggests in his book The End of Mental Illness and then will connect his work to Dr. Carolyn Leaf’s. My hope is that the strategies we uncover can help others, who might find themselves stuck, with some NEW ideas that I’ve used myself to access peace of mind, during times of high stress. And with the goal that once we master these strategies ourselves, that we extend them to others to help them with whatever they might be struggling with. This specifically includes our children. CONNECTING DR. AMEN TO DR. CAROLINE LEAF: When I looked back at my review of