March 31, 2021 | Categories: Articles

Until recently, many scientists thought that our brains were mostly fixed in terms of both the number of cells and the ability to change once developed. According to Susan L. Smalley, PhD, and Diana Winston in their book, Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness, new research now reveals that “Our brains have a great capacity to change in both structure and function with experience, whether that experience is mindfulness practice, learning to ride a bike, speaking a foreign language, learning math, painting, or learning to think or feel differently. Practice changes the brain. . . We can rewire our brains, just as an electrician rewires a house, and science is beginning to show the possible range of such rewiring. . .”

The transformative properties of the brain can shape either positive or negative effects and outcomes. Descartes’ famous axiom could be restated as, “You become what you think and do.” Mindfulness practices have real potential to rewire our brains for sustained states of consciousness, which ultimately impacts our Creativity. There are a variety of practices for achieving different states of awareness and functioning.