How to Train Your Amygdala

I recently trotted my two granddaughters off to the discount theater to see How to Train Your Dragon 2. It was a hot, Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. In order to sit together we were forced to take a front row seat.  One thing about this vantage point is you feel like you’re rubbing noses with the screen (which, if I had sneezed, I would’ve been.) But it was great fun. 

Having grandchildren (or children) gives you the opportunity to repeat the fun stuff you enjoyed as a kid without having other people judge you for spending the afternoon playing with Play Doh or watching an animated picture. 

I admit it, dragons intrigue me. I’m not sure why. I’m a big fan of Harry Potter movies and mystical stories. Dragons are generally portrayed as villains, but in How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2 we see humans and dragons working together.  Of course there is a lot of prejudice to overcome, but it finally happens. I apologize if this was a spoiler for any of you, but most Hollywood plots are pretty predictable and secondary to the spectacle and munching of popcorn.

I didn’t think too much about the movie and any underlying messages at first, but then I received an assignment to write an article on meditation for Beauty Link magazine (I’ll post a link when the article comes out.) I’m Buddhist and I chant the words Nam Myoho Renge Kyo every morning and evening. Occasionally I meditate as well, but I have to admit my knowledge on the effects of meditation (or chanting) and the brain is minimal.

Imagine my surprise to learn that meditation and other calming techniques can increase your happy serotonin supply, decrease the nasty cortisol levels, lower your blood pressure and even assist your healing power on a cellular level. Another thing I learned is when we get a jolt of anger, frustration, annoyance etc. a message is sent to the amygdala, a walnut-sized part of our brain that is responsible for our flight or fright response. If left unchecked, our fear-response is activated. 

Our reactions may vary a little depending on our personality, but it is rarely a good scenario. We might feel the urge to fight, take flight, yell, hold our breath, climb a tree, or any number of fear-based reactions. When the danger is real this could be a good thing for self preservation. But most of the time the anger or stress is more an annoyance (rush hour traffic, an approaching deadline, a demanding boss) than a real, life-threatening event.

The good news is there is a 30-second delay from the time the response is noticed before the amygdala yells, “suppress the serotonin and release the cortisol!” It’s like turning off all the water faucets and then igniting an internal fire. Fortunately during this 30 seconds you can take deep breaths and practice a mini-meditation, chant, or practice another relaxation technique to  help restore order to your system. 

Of course this little scenario made me think each dramatic event in our lives gives us the opportunity to be a hero. In most cases we can be kind to our system and psyche and cool our internal flames before it becomes a massive wild fire that torments our bodies and any innocent bystanders.  In the rare cases where we need our fear to protect ourselves and the world, we can let it kick in, jump on our dragon (and I think Amygdala is a good name for a dragon) and we can take up the good fight.

Both scenarios have a place in our lives. But I think it’s safe to say that our “call to arms” is not as necessary as our amygdala would have us believe.

During my post-movie discussion with my granddaughters I asked six-year-old Rosannah what her favorite part of the movie was. She liked the part when the kids and dragons fought the bad guys and won. Briannah, age 5, preferred the beginning of the movie when everything was calm and pleasant. My favorite part was when the heroes had to ride the only dragons that were available – the baby dragons. Unlike the adult flying lizards who followed the directive of the alpha beast – the baby dragons didn’t listen to anyone. And somehow I found that very refreshing.

We can do the same.  We are the alphas of our own minds. We can fly off the handle when we are in grave danger, or we can save our energy, relax by the pool, and live to save the world another day.

Adding Charm to the Arm

I received two nice surprises when I opened my new bracelet from jewelry.com. The first was the ease and comfort of slipping the piece on my wrist.   When I saw the picture of it online I thought it was constructed of inflexible plastic that would look fine, but would be a nuisance to take on and off ( ah, the sacrifices we women make to adorn ourselves.) To my happy amazement the bracelet is held together with a stretchy material that makes it a breeze to put on and remove.  The second surprise was the middle rose-gold-colored links are metal, not plastic.  Although I would've been happy will an all-plastic piece, having the contrast of colors and materials gives the item more pizzazz.

This bracelet is one of six, new pieces in a summer collection created by Aya Azielant and is available only through www.jewelry.com. I chose the white and rose-gold-colored piece, but the bracelets are available in other colors, textures and finishes.   For a click on the link below for a closer look.

 

http://www.jewelry.com/sale-silix-bracelts.shtm

At $39 each the bracelets are an affordable and fashionable complement for anything from swimwear to cocktails after work.  Speaking of work, whoever designed these items had a working woman in mind because my bracelet is very comfortable to wear.  This has not been the case of many other bracelets I have purchased over the years. They look fine, but clunk against the keyboard when I'm working, get snagged on things, rotate around my wrist or fall off my arm when I move, or the materials irritate my skin.  I was happy this bracelet did none of the above.

 

While wearable comfort is a bonus when at work or doing projects around the house, the very nature of jewelry is to look good. I'm happy to report I received several compliments on my latest jewelry acquisition. And of course I think it looks great as well.

I also liked the little pouch the bracelet came in.

 

Usually when I order jewelry online it comes wrapped in bubble wrap. The pouch is not only cute, it is more environmentally friendly than bubble wrap and Styrofoam packing peanuts. This may be a small detail to some, but to me it shows an environmental awareness that is commendable.  In short, the new summer collection of silix bracelets by Aya Azielant receives a thumbs up from me.