Memory (2) | ||
classes qigong tai chi kung fu about us reviews a-z
Brain gym
Crossword puzzles, sudoku, chess and other such games may or may not help your mind
to function.
But ultimately you are simply getting familiar with the game itself.
This is another habit and will of course help your memory...
in that narrow area
of practice.
Memory aids
Another common memory aid is the memorisation of trivia or general knowledge. Why bother?
It cannot be used in everyday life and is another end in itself.
Do not force
Instead of
trying to remember, just let your
brain do the job without
interference.
When you try to force a
memory to emerge, it is the problem-solving facility that dominates, not memory.
Wrong department?
Revise
Revision is an essential memory tool.
Renew your awareness of the
basics.
Refresh the precepts, the
principles, the original
purpose.
Training sheets
A student who works through a list of exercises on a training handout
regularly at home will find themselves
referring to the handout less and less.
Eventually, they will know the order and the
list becomes unnecessary.
If this doesn't work for you, buy a class DVD.
Meditation helps
If you stop exposing yourself to gossip, trivia and information that has
absolutely no bearing on your day-to-day life, your brain will shed the clutter.
Bring your racing thoughts back home. Meditate.
Qigong helps
The simple movements of qigong are not mentally demanding at first. But you do
need to pay attention.
As your understanding deepens you begin to notice complexity within the apparent
simplicity. Muscle memory helps to make the patterns familiar.
Modest
If you can remember fairly easy qigong movements, you can employ them in
everyday life and improve your fitness.
By starting modestly, your brain is not overwhelmed by information. Your memory
improves.
Tai chi helps
Tai chi takes the simple qigong movements and explores them in fascinating new
ways. Not only must you remember, you must also combine, vary and change the
basic movements.
This requires more than just memory.
Partner work
There is quite a lot of partner work in tai chi. It helps to provide valuable
biofeedback. Your physical sensitivity and bodily awareness improves. Your
nervous system can discriminate more finely.
You learn how to move without thinking - without deliberately, consciously
accessing your memory.
Taoism helps
Taoism is the art of living. It is not a religion. The insights pertain to
pretty much all aspects of life and can help you to see things in a new way. You
may even come to regard memory differently.
Help your brain
There are many ways in which you can help your brain remember things:
Take notes
Summarise your notes later
Make bullet points
Re-read your notes in the future
Re-evaluate your insights in light of newer training developments
Write down quotes or passages that are meaningful to you
Keep a journal
Create a blog and document your journey
Practice daily
Eat nutritious, varied, healthy food
Drink plenty of water
Notes
The only drawback with taking notes is that you are writing down things
that seem pertinent to you now.
As your grade and
understanding grows, other
concerns will take precedence.
This is why revision and refinement is essential.
Be ruthless
Last of all, remember the obvious: we remember the things that are most
relevant to our day-to-day activities.
Switch off the media.
Avoid the accumulation of worthless information. The less junk you put in your
brain, the less cluttered
it is and the better it will
work.
Page created
18 March 1997
Last updated
16 June 2023
▲