Recently I came across an article identifying, stress, high blood pressure, high colestrol, diabetes2 and some medications such as benzodiazepines and beta blockers, as contributing factors in Alzheimer’s or other memory related problems.

 Research suggests that as we age the brain finds it more difficult to filter out distractions.  The brain also broadens its focus, making the instant retreval of names for instance difficult.

Combine the brain changes and the health issues that can contribute to memory function and alzheimers, meditation, diet and exercise should be essentials during middlescence.

However I’m on my feet all day.  By the time I get home the last thing I want to do is exercise.  The mornings aren’t long enough to do all the things I need and want to do to include something I don’t particarly want to do, that being excercise.  I did recently buy a rowing machine.  I’ve used it twice, but I have a bad knee, and I don’t think it helped.  I will get on the thing again, starting perhaps a little more gently… for the knee that is.

Meditation is something I have done, inconsistently for a long time.  It has been essential at times for my emotional well being.  My first introduction to meditation was Vipassana, a Buddhist form of meditation, that involved a gruelling 10 day retreat.  I meditated daily for about 3 months after the retreat before life somehow got in the way.  After a time I no longer meditated. 

Years later, trying to meditate was extremely difficult, and I prefered a bush walk.  Horse riding became another form of focus, meditiation and excercise.  Unfortunately the horse wasn’t always accessible.

Then along came Alex who introduced me to http://www.calm.com.au and a wonderful man called Sandy MacGregor.  It was through Sandy and his courses at CALM that I learned to meditate, easily, in a way that suited who I am and my life style. 

Meditation is one of those things useful for clarity, well being, stress management, relaxation, and of course focus.  The overall effects are obvious on both ones physical and mental health.

I use some of his techniques daily.  Without them, I’m not sure how this year would have progressed for me.  It’s been one of the hardest in my life. 

Sandy MacGregor uses meditiation for stress management, insomnia, migraine, anxiety, and depression, as well as for building your future.  He has an extraordinary background that lets you know he empathises and understands your own pain.  He is quite remarkable. 

Sounds like a real Sandy MacGregor plug, and I guess it is.  He deserves it.

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