Neuroplasticity. I bet you’ve seen that word and wondered about it’s prevalence and why it’s so important to life long learning. What it essentially means is the ability for the brain to reorganize it’s own structure, functions or connections. This could be because of a traumatic brain injury or because of simply learning a new skillset. What neuroplasticity tells us is that the brain is not static and set, instead, from the time we are born until the time we are gone it is adjusting and reforming pathways based on what we are learning and doing.
And so, I ask the question: What will you learn next?
For me, recently, it has been Aromatherapy. This is a knowledge set I’ve added in to my practice and am very intrigued by. That a scent or a massage oil applied to the skin can encourage healing in so very many different ways is a thrilling concept to me. Some of the many benefits of Aromatherapy are: improved sleep, relaxation, managing stress and anxiety, easing mild depression, and providing pain relief.
One of the focuses I had while learning this new concept was the essential oils that connect with our seven main chakras:
- Crown: Neroli
- Third Eye: Lemon
- Throat: Peppermint
- Heart: Rose
- Solar Plexus: Bergamot
- Sacral: Jasmine
- Root: Cedar Wood
Simply by burning incense or diluting essential oils in a carrier oil and wearing it throughout your day, you can effect these parts of your chakra. I’ve long been drawn to Bergamot and I now know that my Solar Plexus chakra needs some work — is that maybe why I’ve been drawn to the scent? Had my brain clued in before my conscious mind did?
Life long learning is something we do whether we mean to or not. When they come out with new driving rules, we adapt. When it’s time for a new government, we vote and then we accept the outcome. When there is construction along our normal route and we must take another pathway to our destination, we learn the new route. These are just a few of the ways in which our brain is learning all the time. Without even noticing it, we learn and grow every day. New shoes? New balance must be learned before we “wear them in”. New bus driver? We’ll adapt to the way they drive, and if we’re regulars, maybe even learn their name. There are so very many examples of ways neuroplasticity comes into play for us on a regular basis.
Actively choosing to learn a new subject or language is a wonderful way to encourage the brain to make changes. It has been studied and shown that those able to switch between two or more languages, will actually deal much better with life’s major changes, like moving to a new place or starting a new job.
When I took my Essential Oils course on thr1versity.com, it was a self-study program. I had to keep coming back on my own to take in the next piece of information. It was wonderful that it was bite-sized and I could sneak it in between meetings or other tasks I needed to perform that day. I wasn’t bogged down in a 2 hour lecture that happened only once and if I missed it, I missed it! And the best part is, I’ll always have access to the course, so when I need a refresher, I can just log back in and see the information another time. In fact, I did just that to pull at the seven chakra essential oils, because it was quicker than finding my notes in my cluttered space!!
In the interest of transparency, the website thr1versity.com is a pet project of mine. My co-founder and I have been working toward building a website that offers courses across many different interests and modalities, for the average person to be able to up their skill. Whether you’re just starting out and need some mindset direction, or you need to know how to integrate the latest app with your website, there’s something there for everyone. I’m inviting you to check it out and let me know what you think. Are there courses that interest you, are there ones we’re missing that you’d like to see? Let me know. We all deserve to be thrivers!
Last month I learned that essential oils can boost overall wellness, treat minor illnesses, and help clean your home. What have you been working on lately and more importantly, what will you learn next?
