Gary Snyder talks from the Zen tradition of ‘wild mind’ as “elegantly self-disciplined, self-regulating. That’s what wilderness is. Nobody has a management plan for it.”

In her book “Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life” Natalie Goldberg addresses how to bypass your inner critic so that you can unleash the forces of creativity that are inherent to mind….

A few years ago Tara’s sister Aisling recommended Bessel Van Der Kolk’s mind-bending book on trauma and recovery The Body Keeps the Score….

And I have long wondered what kind of thread exists that might weave an understanding of ‘wild mind’ into brain (neuro) science and bridges into insights on creativity like Goldman’s.

Then this morning… thanks to Aisling once more …. a discovery!

She forwarded a link to a YouTube interview with Andrew Huberman …. which we took a look at … and then couldn’t stop … for two hours (https://youtu.be/SwQhKFMxmDY)

“Two breaths then an exhale … Adjusts the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in the lungs … Calming me down … A physiological sigh… Or I can breathe rapidly to raise adrenaline to ratchet myself into action….or I toggle between wide dilated focus and sharp focus …. And all of these techniques are a clue to how high performing people self regulate … Techniques for resetting focus allows us to stay focused…”

Andrew tells a compelling story on neuroscience… where he emphasises over and again that neuro plasticity is available to adults … Providing we understand how to focus – and reward ourselves internally … And have great deep sleep afterwards….or micro recoveries during activity … which saves and builds energy.

Yoga nidra is – yes – a powerful practice …. And related to hypnosis scripts like sleep hypnosis (https://youtu.be/P5K-OOXkQH4).

This is a state of ‘no duration Path and outcome’ focus … Helping regulate our nervous system (and by the way this is why rapid eye movement is do effective for some recovering from trauma)….

Huberman keeps coming back to a mantra of ‘Duration Path and Outcome’ being the things that focus our attention … And which we can work with to shift out of reflex or habitual behaviour …. And so learn how to learn …

…by linking milestones of intrinsic motivation to our dopamine system…. By beginning with behaviour not mindsets.

A great way to spend a Sunday morning.

And now … Up and out …