Brain Fitness: The Easy Way of Keeping Your Mind Sharp Through Qigong

by Aihan Kuhn

In Brain Fitness Dr. Aihan Kuhn shares her expertise in tai chi, qigong, and medicine, giving readers exercises designed to prevent brain aging. This book represents a synthesis of Dr. Kuhn’s studies in martial arts as well as Eastern and Western healing. Tai chi and qigong practitioners around the world have long known that these arts promote fitness and self-defense. In this book Dr. Kuhn discusses their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. She emphasizes how tai chi and qigong aid in memory, emotional balance, and lifelong learning. This book With this book you Dr. Kuhn says we have long assumed that getting older means facing a decline in memory, attention span, numerical ability, creativity, alertness, learning ability, and language. " But we were wrong ,” she adds. “ New findings from science show that if the brain is consistently stimulated, no matter at what age, the brain can remain young and healthy. ” She has written Brain Fitness to help us all maintain that clarity, creativity, and vitality.

176 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2017

About the author

Dr. Aihan Kuhn is a unique doctor of Natural Medicine (Holistic Medicine). She is a speaker, an award-winning author, and a master of Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Trained in both Conventional Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Kuhn has helped thousands of patients overcome various physical ailments and emotional imbalances. She incorporates Tai Chi & Qi Gong into her healing methodologies, changing the lives of many who had struggled for years with no relief from conventional medicine. Along with her healing, patients also learn self-care techniques and strategies to help them continue their healing journey at home. These techniques also help with self-confidence, relationships, stress management, daily energy level, and better focus.
Dr. Kuhn provides many wellness programs, natural healing workshops, and professional training programs, such as the Tai Chi Instructor Training certification course, Qi Gong Instructor Training certification course, and Wellness Tui Na Therapy certification course. These highly rated programs have produced many quality teachers and therapists.
Dr. Kuhn is President of the Tai Chi & Qi Gong Healing Institute (TaiChiHealing.org), a nonprofit organization promoting natural healing and prevention through an annual natural healing conference, World Tai Chi Day, healing Qi Gong exercises, Daoist study, and special programs.
Dr. Kuhn now lives in Sarasota, Florida. She continues her natural healing education and offers health consultations and Qi Gong therapy helping people to restore their health, inner balance, and vitality. For more information, please visit website draihankuhn.com

Reviews

[Oleksandr Golovatyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book notes:

"In Chinese medicine, the brain is related to kidney energy. If you have poor kidney energy (and I was apparently born this way), you will have memory, arthritis, hair, teeth, and bone issues."

Readlax: Speed Reading. Brain Games. Memory Training. (promo)

"I need my brain to be healthy for my quality of life, for conducting business, for creating new methods to achieve health and fitness, for teaching, for healing, for helping others, and for fighting my own aging process."

"There is no doubt that the mind can affect the body and even heal the body."

"In my experience, using the body to heal the mind has proven to work much better than using the mind to heal the body."

"Body-Brain-Mind Healing. My idea is to use physical exercises and movement to stimulate the brain and get the brain chemicals activated."

"By balancing the left and right sides of the brain, upper and lower brain, cross brain, frontal and back brain through body movements and bringing new information to the brain, we help brain cells communicate with each other."

"Stress can make the mind confused, vulnerable, and debilitated."

"When the emotion centers in our brains are not balanced, our minds become unbalanced."

"Fear can make you unable to see things from the proper perspective. It stops you from moving forward. It prohibits you from seeing the possibilities and discovering your potential."

"TAIJIQUAN IS AN ANCIENT Chinese martial arts exercise, well known for its ability to improve physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health. It is also effective for disease prevention, healing, antiaging, and self-defense. Taiji is a well-rounded and well-balanced form of exercise."

"Taiji helps prevent brain aging."

"Qigong (sometimes spelled chi gung or qi gong) is also an ancient Chinese exercise and offers many of the same benefits as taiji. However, qigong is an easier form of internal energy exercise for health, well-being, antiaging, and healing. Qigong is easier to learn and easier to practice than taiji. The beauty of qigong is that you get results sooner. But both of these exercises are part of anti-brain-aging practice."

"Taiji is an art, a beautiful art of motion."

"Performing taiji is like dancing in the clouds."

"Taiji is preventive medicine—energy medicine or natural healing medicine—because it enhances your self-healing ability, balances your energy, and prevents disease."

"Taiji is a mind-body-spirit exercise, whereas most Western-style exercises are mainly focused on developing the body."

"The mind is the thinking part of our existence responsible for our ability to read, analyze data, use computers, solve problems, and make plans. The body is the physical part of our existence: eating, sleeping, walking, jogging, cooking, and other physiological functions. And the spirit is the meaningful part of our existence; this is where our hopes, our dreams, fears, love, and hate are expressed. All of these are equally important."

"Taiji helps open the body’s energy pathways when practiced through mind, body, and spirit."

"In Chinese medicine, there are three fundamental substances called jing, qi, and shen. They in some way refer to our Western terms body, mind, and spirit and work side by side to keep us healthy."

"Taiji is known as a meditative art form."

"Mind, body, and spirit connect with one another in an important way."

"When you let your mind, body, and spirit work together, you are at peace with yourself."

"Your energy pathways running through your body also run through your brain and affect all parts of the brain including the neurochemicals."

"Taiji and qigong not only increase the oxygen flow in the body but also increase its usage by organs and tissues."

"These exercises also help to prevent respiratory infection, cold, flu, or any kind of lung disease."

"When we forget something important, it costs us money, time, and energy. In some cases, it can be very disturbing."

"We should keep in mind that anything can change, and anything can improve."

"The brain consists of three main parts: the forebrain, the midbrain, and the hindbrain. The forebrain is made up of the cerebrum, thalamus, and hypothalamus (the hypothalamus is part of the limbic system, which is involved in memory, learning, emotion, and motivation). The midbrain is the smallest part that helps relay auditory and visual information. The hindbrain includes most of the brainstem and the cerebellum, among other parts. The brainstem is responsible for very basic functions like breathing and the beating of the heart, while the cerebellum is associated with movement, special perception, and balance."

"Research carried out by Dr. Robert Ornstein (University of California) found that the left brain handles these mental activities: "

"Mathematics ■ Language ■ Logic ■ Analysis ■ Writing ■ Other similar activities The right brain handles different activities: ■ Imagination ■ Color ■ Music ■ Rhythm ■ Daydreaming ■ Other similar activities"

"the logical, objective left brain fits more with Western philosophy or culture, whereas the intuitive, subjective right brain fits more with Eastern philosophy or culture."

"try to make their lives better with a balance of tradition and change."

"In Chinese medicine, the mind is closely related to heart energy."

"This explains why so many people with long-term stress are prone to heart disease an..."

"New findings from science show that if the brain is consistently stimulated, no matter at what age, it can remain young and healthy."

"Learning should never stop."

"the day you stop learning is the day you stop living."

"Breaking the routine is a brain fitness workout."

"research has shown that when we watch TV, the brain is less active, even less active than during sleep."

"sleeping disorders can accelerate aging, especially brain aging."

"A good night’s sleep is also an important part of healing from many illnesses."

"The brain, although only about 2 percent of your body weight, consumes roughly 20 percent of the oxygen you breathe in!"

"Taiji movements are very good brain fitness exercises."

"We use aerobic exercise to increase our heart rate and promote better circulation. We also need brain fitness exercises to improve our brain function and learning abilities."

"The well-known kinesiology and learning researcher Dr. Paul Dennison, along with his wife, movement educator Gail Dennison, have developed a movement program that has been proven to exercise the brain. They call it Brain Gym. Brain Gym is a movement-based technique to enhance learning ability for children who have learning difficulties in conventional settings."

"The exercise movements from taiji and qigong can help adults achieve maximum learning and delay the brain-aging process."

"Taiji and qigong strengthen all of the organs—kidneys, heart, liver, spleen, and lungs. In traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney system is related to the brain. The heart system is related to shen (spirit) and also to the brain. The liver system is related to emotions and moods and is also associated with the brain. The spleen system is linked to digestion, absorption, metabolism, and blood—all bringing nutrients to the brain. The lung system controls qi intake and is also related to the brain. As you can see, all of the organs are in fact related to the brain. By exercising the brain, you help the body, and by exercising the body, you help the brain."

"We all know that martial arts practice is intended to make you strong and disciplined. Martial arts can give you mental power that helps you achieve."

"Taiji and qigong help you feel rooted, stable, and focused, allowing you to find your passion. This kind of practice helps you become more aware of yourself and your spirit. It makes you more able to listen to your heart and soul. Taiji brings you closer to nature; it helps you think and act more naturally, more authentically."

"Touching can bring many benefits to our body, mind, and brain. Neuroscientists can see the effect of touch on the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging. There is an increase in blood flow that is correlated with an increase in neuronal activity. Touch appears to affect multiple brain regions at both the conscious and unconscious levels. Touch has a wide range of impacts on the brain, influencing our sensations, movements, thought processes, and capacity to learn new movements."

"Taiji has not only helped me physically but mentally and spiritually as well."

"Walking with a friend and talking is very good for the brain because it adds that all-important social aspect."

"Keep Learning Always try to think about ways you can improve yourself in all dimensions. You can learn a new language or learn to play chess or cards. You could take up knitting or even the piano, make things with your hands, become skilled at fixing things, learn a musical instrument, join a new organization, meet new people, and explore new places to vacation."

"Read We always tell kids to read more for their intellectual development. As adults, we should do the same thing."

"Reading is always good for our brains. Reading aloud is even better because you also get brain stimulation from the sound."

"Memorize Numbers Practice remembering different number sequences—phone numbers, house numbers, birthdays, anything with a number."

"The more you practice, the better it is for your brain’s health. Start practicing right away, and work on it every day. As the saying goes, “Use it or lose it.”"

"Sing Singing, either with a group or on your own, accompanied or unaccompanied—even doing karaoke—is an excellent brain exercise and qi practice. When you sing, there is a lot going on in your body and your brain: you have to remember the words and the melody, and you have to try to stay in tune."

"The vibration and energy stimulate the brain like a wake-up call. Singing helps you to quickly move qi and build better stamina."

"Qigong is easier than taiji. It also has many different forms from which to choose. Some of them can be more difficult than others. Some people think qigong is too boring and not challenging enough. This is because they don’t really know qigong well and haven’t practiced it properly. If you practice qigong right, it is not boring at all."

"We live in a dynamic world. Modern people are dynamic, and the flow of information is dynamic. We all assume we are smart and do things in a smart way. But we often lose our common sense to distraction, stress, illness or physical ailments, and emotional distress. Our focus is often on others—their successes, problems, and points of view. We often forget to pay attention to ourselves. This causes us to lose common sense."

"Happiness helps our brains and bodies maintain balance, and it prevents brain and body aging."

"Our brains have such power to control our lives. The brain controls the mind, the mind controls behavior, and behavior is the vehicle that drives life in many different directions. Our brains and minds can make all the difference in life. They can make our lives miserable or make our lives joyful. They can destroy us and others. They can bring a lifetime of happiness and success."

"life is a test: you can move forward or you can quit, depending on your mind-set and how you think about things."

"Life is about creating happiness, not getting it."

"lifelong learning is a crucial part of brain health and overall well-being."

"Learning is an important part of making things change for the better. Open your mind, learn from many different sources, and learn from the past, but don’t stay in the past. This will help you understand life better, see things from multiple angles, and make better decisions in all situations."

"Think about your goal, make a plan for attaining it, then follow that plan."

"Your mind comes first in learning, healing, and antiaging. When practicing taiji or qigong, you need to focus on the body movements and energy center."

"The mind produces internal"

"movement, and internal movement produces external movement. All movements are directed from your mind."

"Ancient taiji masters stated, The root is at your feet, power is initiated by your legs and directed by your abdomen, then expressed through your hands."

"When there is an upward movement, then there is also a downward movement; when there is a left movement, then there is also a right movement"

"Breathing is important in both taiji and qigong practice. Breathing should be deep, slow, and coordinated with the movements."

"Always Warm Up before Training and Cool Down After"

"I strongly recommended doing the warm-up exercises described in this book because they are designed specifically to stimulate your brain."

"If you focus on disease, you have disease."

"If you focus on problems, you have problems."

"If you focus on life, you have life."

"If you focus on success, you will be successful."

"If you focus on the positive of everything, everything in your life will be positive."

[C. B. Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Aihan Kuhn brings Western and Chinese medical sciences together in this remarkable new book on the brain and aging. She makes a strong case for using the refined movement in tai chi or qigong to keep the mind sharp and prevent memory loss. Her extensive experience as a medical doctor and master instructor gives her a wealth of case studies to draw on, and the results are compelling. In addition to providing an excellent overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine and qigong philosophy, Dr. Kuhn outlines a specially designed exercise routine that will help readers to sharpen their thinking, improve memory and attention span, and increase learning capacity on both sides of the brain. Having practiced qigong for years, I can attest that these exercises will enhance energy levels, mental clarity, emotional balance, and immune system response. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in improving brain function and delaying the aging process in body and mind without medication.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Aihan Kuhn, director and owner of the Chinese Medicine for Health Clinic in Holliston Massachusetts, president and founder of the non-profit Tai Chi and Qigong Healing Institute, and accomplished author, has added another volume to her bundle of books that pull together Tai Chi, Qigong, and personal wellness. “Brain Fitness: The Easy Way of Keeping Your Mind Sharp Through Qigong” is a 160 page softback manual on the “Whys” and “Hows” of employing qigong for mental health and brain stimulation. It is simply written so that anyone can follow along and benefit from her proposed regimen.

Dr. Kuhn’s idea is to “use physical exercises and movements to stimulate the brain and get the brain chemicals activated. By balancing the left and right sides of the brain, upper and lower brain, cross-brain, frontal and back brain through body movements and bringing new information to the brain, we help brain cells communicate with each other” (4). There lies the overall concept that ties the book together in its simplicity. And the program itself demonstrates and explains unsophisticated exercises that incorporate specific movements with breathing and imagination.

“Brain Fitness” unfolds in two parts. Most of the front material is instructive, explaining the rationale behind tai chi and qigong, and how these can help prevent brain aging and memory loss. Dr. Kuhn also clarifies the role Daoism plays in her curriculum, and how it has benefited her patients. The first section is the main part of the book, and is full of personal examples, stories and observations.

The final segment of “Brain Fitness” walks the practitioner through “Total-Body Twenty-Seven-Movement Warm-Up Exercises.” Each exercise is nicely photographed with clear descriptions. Once the warm-up is complete, then Dr. Kuhn demonstrates how to use qigong for three specific areas. She maps out fourteen exercises that are particularly for brain and memory. Then there are thirteen particular movements that help “to relieve anxiety, depression, high stress caused by emotional imbalance, and panic attacks” (113). Lastly, twelve exercises that help with the nervous system and autonomic system are illustrated.

“Brain Fitness” is ideal for anyone interested in a simple set of routines that bring together Asian and American concepts of health. But it is even more specifically beneficial for those who want to be proactive in their long-term cognitive wellbeing. I happily recommend the book.

My appreciation goes to YMAA Publication Center, Inc. for providing, upon my request, the free copy of the book used for this review. The assessments are mine given without restrictions or requirements (as per Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255).

[Clifton Albert Wagner Jr., III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take and read!

I'm really happy to have found this book and one of my new teachers, Dr. Kuhn. May more and more beings begin to learn these ancient sacred postures from the "Old Man," China.

[Niandong Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book for mental health and improvement

Easy to follow theory and physical practice for mental health and self healing. Feel much improved memory performance after following it for two weeks. Highly recommended book!

[Jane Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very general

Very general overview with some good qigong exercises in it. Other than that, not massively different information than her other excellent books.

[Tai Chi Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Kuhn’s book “Brain Fitness” is one of my new favourites! I have been looking for a great book on brain health for a long time. This book really explores the topic of our biological supercomputer and explains how and why the practice of Tai Chi and Qigong are great forms of exercise for the mind. It really solidifies for me that by practicing tai chi and qigong, and the exercises in this book, I am doing something wonderful for myself.

I found Dr. Kuhn’s chapter on the brain hemispheres, aging and anti-aging to be fascinating. My favourite part of the book is Dr Kuhn’s demonstration and explanation of 64 brain exercises (in Chapter 6) that will specifically target your Chi and blood flow throughout your whole body, enhance your brain cell communication and activate cross activity between the left brain and right brain. The pictures of these exercises in Chapter 6 well describe the movements and their purpose. Some people just want to know “why” doing these exercises works and I am one of those. Brain Fitness is the type of book you will want to read, re-read and study. There is even an online video you can work with. Thank you Dr. Kuhn for sharing your knowledge and experience of how we can optimize our brains with Tai chi and Qigong. I love this book!

[Sunflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot to write a review for this book when I read it last year. However, much of what the author said made sense and has "stuck" with me. I've been thinking about and using qigong in an effort to keep "alive and well." The illustrations for qigong and tai chi exercises are easy to follow and I still do them today a year later. Still keeping my brain fit.