Dr. Wendy Suzuki

You know, the science shows that exercise improves your mood. It improves your ability to shift and focus your attention. Long-term, it will improve your memory. And so compared to subjects or, you know, animal subjects that don't do exercise, there is better brain function in those people that are exercising. So yes, the science is behind it. And there's beautiful science in meditation too.

You know, the science shows that exercise improves your mood. It improves your ability to shift and focus your attention. Long-term, it will improve your memory. And so compared to subjects or, you know, animal subjects that don't do exercise, there is better brain function in those people that are exercising. So yes, the science is behind it. And there's beautiful science in meditation too.

showing that there are brain areas that are enhanced in monks, for example. That's going way—I'm never going to be a monk. But the act of meditation is an act of learning how to focus better so that I could focus on your questions and not be distracted by whatever is going on on the outside. I mean, we have a nice, quiet room, but sometimes, you know, I live in New York. We're

showing that there are brain areas that are enhanced in monks, for example. That's going way—I'm never going to be a monk. But the act of meditation is an act of learning how to focus better so that I could focus on your questions and not be distracted by whatever is going on on the outside. I mean, we have a nice, quiet room, but sometimes, you know, I live in New York. We're

When you practice the meditation, you realize how powerful that is for your life, that I could choose to focus on you. That's all I'm focused on. I'm listening to you deeply. I'm thinking about it deeply. And that is an experience that not enough of us are having on a very regular basis. Yeah.

When you practice the meditation, you realize how powerful that is for your life, that I could choose to focus on you. That's all I'm focused on. I'm listening to you deeply. I'm thinking about it deeply. And that is an experience that not enough of us are having on a very regular basis. Yeah.

You know, I think part of that is our lives have been focused on getting pulled in 10 different directions at the same time. We get used to that. And so, no, I can't focus on you for a whole hour because I have 30 other things that I usually get pulled into. And that becomes your habit. If that is your habit, I think you need to rethink that. And it's a muscle that you build.

You know, I think part of that is our lives have been focused on getting pulled in 10 different directions at the same time. We get used to that. And so, no, I can't focus on you for a whole hour because I have 30 other things that I usually get pulled into. And that becomes your habit. If that is your habit, I think you need to rethink that. And it's a muscle that you build.

I remember my undergraduate advisor, the woman who made me want to become a neuroscientist, she used to say that new learning, this is a new habit that you're learning, will hurt. It'll make your brain hurt because it's those dendrites that are growing and stretching out and making new connections. It's not an easy thing. It's a metabolic load. It is an effort to build new pathways.

I remember my undergraduate advisor, the woman who made me want to become a neuroscientist, she used to say that new learning, this is a new habit that you're learning, will hurt. It'll make your brain hurt because it's those dendrites that are growing and stretching out and making new connections. It's not an easy thing. It's a metabolic load. It is an effort to build new pathways.

But that's what we're doing when we're trying to focus and connect for longer periods of time than we were used to.

But that's what we're doing when we're trying to focus and connect for longer periods of time than we were used to.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's supposed to hurt.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's supposed to hurt.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Well, yes. I think at a certain point of the journey, that is absolutely the case. But at a different point of the journey, when you've cut down those trees with your machete, it feels glorious to be able to have these deep conversations with your friends and build that habit with your friends and your loved ones. And Build that habit of first thing in the morning, no phone and meditation.

Well, yes. I think at a certain point of the journey, that is absolutely the case. But at a different point of the journey, when you've cut down those trees with your machete, it feels glorious to be able to have these deep conversations with your friends and build that habit with your friends and your loved ones. And Build that habit of first thing in the morning, no phone and meditation.