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For your brain

by Don Frances

"MOUNTAIN VIEW Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga has issued a proclamation stating that May 8, 2009 is Brain Education Day."

So says Lisa Melnick, who wrote on behalf of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the International Brain Education Association, or IBREA.

"According to the proclamation document," she continued, "Brain Education is described as a system of human development centered on the brain and based on the philosophy that understanding and developing the brain is critical to improving the human condition. It consists of five simple steps that build upon one another, and go from the physical, to the psychological, to the philosophical.

"These five steps are Brain Sensitizing, Brain Versatilizing, Brain Refreshing, Brain Integrating, and Brain Mastering. Ultimately, it is a system of self improvement designed to not only create happiness for individuals, but initiate a wave of health, happiness, and peace throughout the entire world."

That last part is mighty ambitious, but your local yoga shop — the Mountain View Dahn Yoga & Health Center, at 1776 Miramonte Ave. — is up to the task.

(Dahn Yoga is a chain, with six in the Bay Area, including in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Fremont. The Mountain View center can be reached at (650) 960-1717.)

Melnick says Dahn offers Brain Education classes nearly every day of the week. She adds that Mountain View volunteers have provided free classes in Brain Education to such local organizations as Ronald McDonald House at Stanford Hospital, Areon Flute Institute and Whole Foods.

The payoff, she says, is reduced stress, increased productivity, better health, more confidence, etc.

Now, I'm not personally endorsing Brain Education (except for the traditional kind), because I really don't know what it entails. But if you want to find out more, visit www.ibrea.org or www.dahnyoga.com.

And if you want some other, more boring advice on improving your health, consider prayer or meditation, exercise, fresh air, a good diet, reduced time in front of the TV and computer, and a weekly dose of your Mountain View Voice.

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Don Frances is editor of the Mountain View Voice. He can be reached at dfrances@mv-voice.com.