Brain Balance and the Immune System

Why Can’t I Sleep and Why is my Memory Fading?
By Dr. Dennis Maness, HealthWalk MindSoul Division

Hello, my name is Dr. Dennis Maness. I am happy to join the HealthWalk team in supporting you to attain and maintain peak physical and mental health and brain acuity. It is my passion and mission to work with people of all ages to help them achieve their highest potential by integrating and balancing their brains. I joined HealthWalk because we share the commitment to promote holistic healthcare and true wellness. My background and experience is in education, neuro-biology and in cognitive development with a PhD in Education, M.S. in Neuro-Biology and B.S. in education from Southern Baptist University, Atlanta, GA.

My desire to support mental and physical wellness led me to develop Neuro Stimulation Sound Therapy and the Learn It FASTER cognitive processing brain games. I have worked with over two million students of all ages in cognitive development via live workshops, teaching classes and over the Internet since 1997. It is my joy to connect with kindred people at HealthWalk to serve you on your path to vibrant health.

Everyday, thousands of people receive X-ray’s for aches and pains that will never appear on any X-ray because the pain they are feeling is in the emotions. I didn’t say it doesn’t hurt, of course it hurts. Pain is a signal from the brain telling us something is wrong. Quite often, this pain is a byproduct of stress.

Stress can dramatically impact the functioning of the immune system. Consider the affect emotions have on the immune system. A stress chemical called cortisol is emerging as a primary player in reduced cognitive function, memory loss and damage to the brain. In low doses it alerts us and organizes our behavior so we make sure to protect ourselves. In higher doses it leaves us stressed, inattentive, disorganized and depressed.

Research has shown that sustained exposure to cortisol can cause serious damage to the hippocampus which affects memory and mood regulation and the interpretation of space. Some researchers believe cortisol may also cause damage to the left prefrontal cortex (the region of the brain right behind the forehead which is responsible for orchestrating emotion, arousal, attention and providing a restraint mechanism that keeps people from acting on impulse.

Severe stress affects the size of the brain structure, promotes cell death and reduces the number of connections in the brain (a major problem of memory lapses). Stress side affects include problems in relationships at home, work and community.

Consider the physical manifestations of pain caused by stress. From stress headaches, tension and eye strain, and a weakened immune system which can lead to viral and bacterial infections among other illnesses. Heart attacks and heart disease often occur in people under stress. Skin disorders such as hives can flare up when individuals are under unmanaged stress. Upper digestive tract difficulties including stomach pain, nausea and ulcers, lower digestive tract are also affected which may lead to irritable bowel syndrome. Insomnia is another frequent result from unmanaged stress.

Don’t overlook the importance of sleep on the immune system. Remember, while your conscious brain is at rest, a lot is taking place behind the scenes. During sleep, the activity of certain hormones peak during deep sleep. One of these, human growth hormone, helps in the synthesis of protein and regulates the body’s growth and repair. Another hormone, parathormone, which regulates the supply of calcium in the blood, peaks during the latter hours of sleep as does prolactin which stimulates the formation of milk in nursing mothers.

While I am on the topic of expectant and nursing mothers, remember their hormones are going through many changes which may trigger highly stressful interactions. The placenta acts as a conduit between a mother and her unborn baby. This doorway allows what ever she eats or drinks and even feels to be transferred across the placenta to the fetus. Many scientific reports identify how stress hormones pass from the mother’s bloodstream across the placenta to the baby.

Enough of this negative talk; let’s talk about solutions.

People often ask what I do at HealthWalk. I do MindSoul Brain Technologies. I work with you to train your brain to perform better, faster, more relaxed, manage stress, help you sleep, perform sports better, be more productive and do better at school and more. It all starts with the brain. I balance and harmonize the brain. To help you understand this let’s look at the following example:

The left prefrontal cortex is key in integrating positive emotion, makes us feel good while the right side drives anger, fear and other negative emotions. When the two sides are in balance, life is good. When they are out of balance, say the right side is higher than the left; the person is open to depressive systems, frustration, brain fog etc.

To remedy this, I create a brain map to identify the areas of imbalance. Then as you are comfortably resting in one of HealthWalk’s zero gravity chairs, we bring balance and harmony to your brain. The technical term for this is we (you and I) create a new homeostasis, a new balance point where you can operate in calm with an alert and relaxed mind.

I am proud and pleased with the success of our clients who have visited me this month. My January Stars include:

• An overstressed professional woman who has experienced three life changing traumas and has now learned how to relax the brain on demand, and the benefit is increased productivity at work, harmony at home and mental clarity.
• A globally known motivational speaker who woke up every two minutes during the night and now sleeps through the night without interruption.
• A Nobel Prize Nominee who increased by 25% cognitive reaction time to thought after one session.
• A quadriplegic regained sensation in his thighs, calves and feet, after several MindSoul Brain Technologies sessions and at his next Physical Therapy session, he stood up for the first time in two years.
• A business man recovered from a series of stressful situations at work and home. After a few MindSoul Brain Technologies sessions, his eyes could track, his complexion cleared up, and the dark rings around his eyes disappeared. He is now enjoying life, business, family and friends.
• An airline pilot learned to identify and resolve stressful situations before they had time to have an effect on his emotional response.
• We have helped over 2000 students recover one to five grade levels in math and reading in weeks – and we don’t teach math or reading. We teach the brain how to process thought, how to have a rapid neuro-muscular reaction to thought, how to expand your visual range. This helps you read faster and comprehend more.

I invite you to be among my February Stars. Call HealthWalk today to schedule your MindSoul Brain Technology appointment, I look forward to working with you.