The Dean of Easy Street

If you’ve visited your local chrome, mirror and fern workout gym lately no doubt you’ve seen hundreds of people popping on their headphones and listening to some kind of mind numbing music or watching TV while they jump on the treadmill, stair climber or elliptical trainer. And they usually have something similar blaring over the loudspeakers.

The implication is exercise is so boring you need droning, repetitive, high volume music to drown out your thoughts and feelings. Now it looks like you should at least be switching your ipod to Mozart or be doing something that actively uses your mind. At least if you want to maintain a healthy brain that is. And medical science has the proof.

According to David Anzaldua, MD, you’ve probably heard after your 20’s you’re losing thousands of brain cells every day. But according to research from the late 90’s an even greater number of new neurons are also being created as stem cells every day. There’s a catch though. If those cells don’t take root and grow they will dwindle away and be lost forever. How do you get those new cells to thrive?

In two words, ACTIVE LEARNING through taking your brain beyond it’s comfort zone and learning new and complicated material. We’ve had our elderly working on crossword puzzles and other thinking games for that reason.

Now science has found there’s a way to supercharge that process even more. It turns out the right kind of exercise causes the release of “Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor” (BDNF) , and “BDNF is to neurons what Miracle Grow is to plants.” Exercise combined with challenging mental activity maximizes the health and growth of the new neurons being created. Kind of takes the bloom right off of ‘mindless exercise’ doesn’t it? What good are muscles and a strong heart if your brain is growing dull? Why not be building your brain and longevity too? That’s a true no-brainer. But, how?

Classical music has been proven to help stimulate the brain. If you’re addicted to music while you move try substituting Mozart. And any exercise where you have to think and concentrate is ideal. Martial arts practice is a great one, yoga another, and the Tibetan 5. Anything that enhances mind/body integration through intention and controlled breathing is a winner. And what about dance? Ballet, ballroom, jazz, tap, etc. As long as you’re challenging yourself to learn it’s great for your brain.

My former Mastermind teacher Matt Furey’s East-Meets-West bodyweight exercise program is fantastic, and Matt has attracted many talented, like-minded people to him who are all the antithesis of dumb jocks. People like Eddie Baran, John Wood, and Garin Bader. Garin is a world class pianist, magician and fantastic athlete who’s ‘Core Force Training’ is enpowering like nothing else I’ve ever seen. I was sold the day I saw him pumping out pushups with hands overhead only using one finger and thumb on each hand.

Larry Hochman on Facebook and in the Manifest Mastermind community is also a great source for enpowered exercise. And Dr. John Spencer Ellis, producer of ‘The Compass’ movie and President of the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association is a sure-fire, world-class authority on wellness through mind-body integration. His bio reads like something 4 or 5 men would have done.

You can’t go wrong with any of these great people if you want to train your brain. Or maybe you already have something you like. Now you have an even bigger incentive to do something about it.

http://artabundance.com/
http://mattfurey.com/
http://eddiebaran.com/
http://functionalhandstrength.com/
http://coreforceenergy.com/
http://nomoreholdingback.com/
http://johnspencerellis.com/

A brain is a terrible thing to waste away.

Go Out & Play to Win,

Dean Delker - The Dean of Easy Street 

P.S.  Good news.  I’m going to be published next month in a new personal development ebook along with authors like Joe Vitale and T. Harv Eker.  Right now the title is super-secret, but stay tuned.  I’ll be able to reveal it to all my friends next week.

It’s a project pulled together by the above mentioned fitness & mind-body master Dr. John Spencer Ellis also the producer of the life-changing, new inspirational movie, “The Compass”.  And you don’t have to wait for that.  Just hike on over to:

http://deandelker.com/compass.html 

And sample the goodies today.  Stay Amazing.

Have you ever noticed how blocked shots can affect a game of hoops?  It’s uncanny sometimes. 

Psychologically it can affect a team’s confidence and the whole way they shoot the basketball.  Players start rushing shots, shoot off balance, don’t follow through like normal, etc. 

But if you miss any shot isn’t the objective effect the same.  Your team doesn’t score, and the other team has the chance to get the rebound and take the ball the other way. 

But it is different.  Why?  Because our egos are wounded when somebody stuffs us?  Because our opponent is dictating play?  Because our emotions take a bigger hit, than when we just miss a shot?  Probably all the above. 

The same can happen to you in any part of life if you don’t learn to control your thinking and your feelings.  Adversity is necessary for growth.  At least some forms of growth.  It’s how you respond to your adversities that makes all the difference.    So don’t be surprised when things don’t go your way all the time.  Your part is to figure out where the lesson lies.  God’s not mad at you.  He’s just giving you room to grow. 

Go Out and Play to Win, 

Dean Delker - The Dean of Easy Street 

P.S. One thing that almost always helps when you’re in adversity is to get control of your breathing.  Breathing affects you on many levels and acts as a bridge between your physical body, your soul and your spirit.   You won’t have mastery over your thoughts and your feelings without it, and if you’d like a good primer on taking charge of your own breath check out: 

http://www.deandelker.com/complete_breath.html 

Thanks and God Bless.

I saw a t-shirt Saturday at the Florida/Florida State football game which said: 

“Every time you stay out too late

Every time you sleep in

Every time you skip your workout . . . 

Makes it that much easier for your opponent to beat you the next time you meet.”

And one of the things you hear all the time in sports describing why one team won and another lost is:“They wanted it more.”

So what do you think your competition is doing right now?

Napolean Hill in “Think And Grow Rich” says burning desire is the starting point of all achievement.  And I say the degree of your desire determines the degree of your success. 

That’s because you have competitors, and you’re going to encounter obstacles. You’re going to hit adversity.  That’s part of the human condition in an imperfect world.

Next time I’ll show you what it takes to routinely overcome adversity.  For now. 

Go and Play to Win,

Richard Dean Delker - The Dean of Easy Street

P.S. Another way to get in touch with your innermost desires is to pray or meditate.  What you are looking for then is inspiration, because inspiration is what gives you creative ideas, shortcuts, motivation, etc.

Inspiration allows you to have more gains with less labor and hard work.  And did you know you can also literally breathe your way into enhanced performance?  Breathing is the physical equivalent of inspiration, and  “Take a few deep breaths” is not just empty advice. 

It works like a charm, but it works best if you know how to breath right and what to be picturing in your mind. Don’t worry.  You are in luck because you can find out how to become a breathing Superman this very day at:

http://www.deandelker.com/complete_breath.html 

Check it out and see if it fits. 

Thanks and God Bless 

Are you afraid of what people think?

Does a fear of criticism paralyze you?

And you thought peer pressure would end with high school.  Nope.

If you study highly successful people in any field though you’re going to find many of them do things others would consider weird, strange, or ‘out there’. 

I’ve heard of a highly successful writer who - like Joshua marching around Jericho - marches around his desk with great fanfare seven times before sitting down to write.

Why?  So when he finally sits in his favorite chair he can write with the confidence of a conquering hero.  Strange?  Maybe, but it works.

And who would have thought Albert Einstein would place more value on imagination and fantasy than on rational thought?  But in his own words:

“When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

“Imagination is more important than knowledge”

What these rituals and routines do is help people access more of their own internal mind power.  That in turn gives them a creative and competitive edge over others in their field.

There is no doubt mind and emotions affect our bodies, and vice versa.  There’s just too much evidence on that for anybody to deny.  We don’t know all the details, but for centuries men have believed breathing was one of the best ways to merge the power of mind and body and get into these altered states which are more enpowering. 

That’s one reason I’m excited to introduce you an expert on movement and breathing, Karen Van Ness.  See what this holder of several black belts, athlete, and student of Qi Gong and Yoga can do for your body and mind with advanced level breathing techniques today at:

http://www.deandelker.com/best_breathing.html

Go and Play to Win,

Richard Dean Delker - The Dean of Easy Street

www.deandelker.com

P.S. If you are a newbie at breathing exercises don’t worry about it.  Your secret is safe with me, but just between us my entry level ebook, “The Miracle of the Complete Breath” will probably do you more good than Karen’s advanced stuff.  Walk before you run today over at:

http://www.deandelker.com/complete_breath.html

Thanks much, and God Bless