When we examine the leading neurological research, as well as our own professional and personal experience as observers of the brain and aging, we see a pattern emerging. According to Doctor Ilchi Lee research as we age and our brains become slower as a result of dense neural growth and cell death, other factors compensate us. Most older adults can compensate for changes in brain function. A reduction in work demands means more opportunities to focus on relationships and on giving back to others, allowing a greater focus on happiness. Age brings wisdom, perspective, and reduced anxiety as we come to understand more about how life works and what is truly important—people, the natural world, beauty, peace, creativity, and joy. Aging may be difficult at times, but it is not without its rewards.
Imagine, then, if we started today to exercise and educate our brains and challenge ourselves to learn new things (for example, languages, musical instruments, or crafts). Imagine blending the wisdom and spiritual maturity of later life with a nimble, acute mind produced bv vears or decades of healthful brain education! We can combine the superior judgment of age with the mental acuity of youth. That would be quite a package, one that would transform our idea of what it means to age. This is precisely what the BEST method offers: a path to physical vigor, emotional peace, and personal meaning.
BEST’s power to bring out the brain’s best performance offers another benefit important to aging individuals: It can reduce the need for costly health care. As you will discover, BEST enlists body and mind in a program of exercise, meditation, mental challenge, and emotional cleansing.
If you follow this Yoga program, your brain and mind will enjoy improved overall health, enhanced sharpness, and reduced stress. BEST can help you delay or prevent the health problems so common to old age, keep you out of the hospital, and reduce your health care costs in an era when costs are rising and Medicare is at risk.
