On the plane to New Jersey for my daughter’s graduation as a new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, I pulled the airline magazine from the seat pocket and turned to a hopeful book review for The Woman Who Changed Her Brain by Barbara Arrowsmith Young. It’s about another scientific discovery that basically confirms what the ancient wise people figured out before experiments, research and clinical trials were the standard.

This book tells the story of people with severe learning disabilities (including the author herself) who have been able to rewire their brains through consistent brain exercises. Beyond coping with their challenges or finding ways to get around obstacles, exercising the brain can actually transform the circuits, rewire the programing, create new possibilities.

This is possible because of brain plasticity. The brain isn’t rigid, set for life. It can change, it’s malleable.

To me it seems like the best encouragement for a regular practice. The mental habits that keep the eyes seeing what’s wrong, the heart shut down, the tongue engaged in trivia, the ears enticed by drama, can be transformed by daily practice. The mind, engaged in simran, like the honeybee in the flower, the eyes see the One everywhere, ears hear the Truth, the heart holds love and devotion, the tongue recites the praises.

Brain plasticity, heart elasticity, sadhana complicity, purify toxicity, crush ego centricity, dispel duplicity, gentle simplicity, serene felicity, real authenticity.