Lexie Carroll’s Reviews > Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation > Status Update

Besides mindfulness, neuroplasticity is enhanced by aerobic exercise and novelty. Novelty (exposure to new ideas & experiences), promotes neuronal connection growth & myelin sheath growth- even stimulate the growth of new neurons!
Exercise is also an underrated treatment that promotes growth of the brain.

Left & Right Brain:
Right brain develops early and is the realm of imagery, holistic thinking, nonverbal language, autobiographical memory, (and more).
Left brain develops later & is responsible for logic, spoken & written language, linearity, lists & literal thinking. If linkage between sides is blocked, one side may dominate and we may lose complexity & richness of both sides working together.

Every healthy complex system has a FACES flow:
Flexible
Adaptive
Coherent
Energized
Stable
Imagine the FACES flow as a river (the river of integration). It is bounded by chaos on one bank and rigidity on the other. The idea is to navigate between those two extremes and remain integrated.

It’s folk wisdom that couples in long & happy relationships look more & more alike as the years go by. They haven’t actually grown new noses or chins- in reality they have reflected each other’s expressions so frequently & accurately that the hundreds of tiny muscle attachments to their skin have reshaped their faces to mirror their union.

From our first days of life, our immature brain is also directly shaped by our interactions with the world, and especially by our relationships. Our experiences stimulate neural firing and sculpt our emerging synaptic connections. This is how experience changes the structure of the brain itself- and could even end up having an influence on our innate temperament.

The Tripod of Reflection: Openness, Observation & Objectivity
This meta-awareness is a powerful skill that can liberate us from the prison of automatic reactions.
The essence of reflection, which is essential to Mindsight, is that we remain open, observant, and objective about what is going on both inside us and inside others.

We come into the world wired to make connections, & the subsequent neural shaping of our brain- the very foundation of sense of self- is built on intimate exchanges between infant & caregiver. In early years this interpersonal regulation is essential for survival, but we continue to need such connections throughout life for vitality and well-being.
The triangle of well-being includes mind, brain & relationships.