Turns out that our postures not only affect our mind, but they also have a direct impact on our cognitive processes.

Hello friends!. Today I want to delve into one of my favorite topics: neuroscience. But wait, don't fall asleep just yet!. I promise this won't be a boring scientific post. In this case, I want to talk about how neuroscience is rediscovering that the body constantly interacts with our brain.

How so?. Well, let's first talk about postures. Did you know that the way you sit or stand can influence your mind and how you feel?. You might have thought it's the other way around, that your mood and thoughts affect your posture. If you're sad, you hunch over and your face reflects total drama, right?. In other words, your body becomes a canvas of your mood. But here's the curious twist that neuroscience is revealing to us: the influence is not just one-way, it's two-way!. It turns out that how your body is positioned can influence yourself. Yes, your body has the power to tell your brain how to feel.

That's fascinating!. It turns out that our postures not only affect our mind, but they also have a direct impact on our cognitive processes. Studies conducted at the University of Germany and in the USA have shown that when we adopt hunched, submissive, or sad postures, our attention and memory processes are affected. It turns out that our brain interprets these postures as signals that something is wrong, that we are not in our best state of health. So, what does our brain do?. It decides to distract itself and forget!

But that's not all!. It turns out that simply adopting a hunched posture activates a negative bias in our mind. In other words, among all the things happening around us, our brain focuses more on the negative than the positive. It's as if we are programmed to see the dark side of life!. Now, what happens when we adopt an upright and powerful posture? Well, here comes the hormonal drama. By stretching ourselves, our cortisol levels, that stress hormone, rise. Oops! But wait, there's good news too. This posture has a positive effect on our endocrine system, increasing testosterone levels, the hormone that gives us that boost of confidence and power. It's as if we're pumping adrenaline and telling the world, "Here I am, ready to conquer!".

If there's one thing the brain really likes, it's smiling. It turns out that smiling has astonishing benefits for our nervous, cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine systems. It's like a party for the whole body!. The magic of a smile is that it works even if there's no specific reason to do it. When we smile, our brain interprets that signal as a message that things aren't as difficult as we might think. A smile has the power to pacify our emotional state and our mood. It's like a balm for stress and apathy.

It turns out that our body on the inside also has a lot to say to our brain. One of the major findings of recent neuroscience is what's known as the gut-brain axis. A few years ago, the prestigious journal Science published an article revealing the constant communication between our gut and our brain. It turns out that our gut is home to a surprising number of little bugs, about two kilograms of them, which make up what is known as the microbiota.

These tiny beings have a direct impact on our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Who would have imagined that our belly was full of an entire ecosystem influencing us!.

When it comes to the interaction between the gut and neuronal activity, the behavior of these bugs regulates the biochemical activity of our brain. It is said that our gut is one of the main regulators of our mood. The brain areas most influenced by the gut are those related to our social skills, how we communicate with others, and how we perceive and interpret the world around us. That makes a lot of sense!. When I'm hungry, my sociability goes out the window, and I can become quite grumpy. With an empty stomach, everything seems worse, and patience runs out faster.

And let's not forget something that the wise ones knew 2,000 years ago: breathing has incredible power over our brain! Science is rediscovering this ancient wisdom and confirms that conscious breathing can shape our mental states. So, when you need to emotionally balance yourself, take a moment to breathe deeply.

In summary, friends, smile so much that the neighbors think you've won the lottery, take care of your gut bugs, and breathe consciously. Your brain will thank you immensely! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do a pilates session with a radiant smile while my gut and brain engage in a fascinating conversation. Until the next neuroscientific adventure! 🧠😄🌟