Winter Retreat 2021 Mindful Movement -- Balance

Here's a quick video from early February 2021's Winter Retreat. Working my balance on a nice rail I found as part of my Mindful Movement practice.

When working a balance practice, making errors that put you off-balance and in need of compensating & responding to your environment differently triggers the release of neurochemicals (dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine specifically) that prime your System for neuroplasticity, creating a high contingency for learning.

The more novel a behavior/action is in terms of your relationship with gravity -- whether it's a new position you're trying (like my squat in this video), or if you're slightly unstable and creating a "near-falling" sensation -- the more you open up the capacity in your nervous system for plasticity.

So, want to age well and set yourself up for optimal brain & nervous system changeability for the long haul?

Balance practices!