Paris, France

4:00am Monday, January 12, 2026 /  04:00 lundi le 12 janvier 2026  Amending to post…

https://neurolaunch.com/does-smiling-release-endorphins/

“Smiling and Brain Chemicals: The Science Behind Your Happy Face”
NeuroLaunch editorial team
August 22, 2024

… The simple act of smiling, whether genuine or forced, can set off a cascade of neurochemical reactions that profoundly influence our mood and overall well-being….

[ Le simple fait de sourire, qu’il soit sincère ou forcé, peut déclencher une cascade de réactions neurochimiques qui influencent profondément notre humeur et notre bien-être général…. ]

At the heart of this chemical symphony are two key players: endorphins and dopamine. These neurotransmitters, often referred to as “feel-good” chemicals, play crucial roles in regulating our emotions, motivation, and pleasure responses. While we often associate their release with more intense activities like exercise or thrilling experiences, mounting evidence suggests that the humble smile might be a powerful trigger for these mood-enhancing molecules….

[Merci beaucoup / Thank you very much – Linguee Translator DeepL – English to French ]

No new injury but still have awful pain? We experience pain because we have a Brain. Neuroplastic Pain Treatment.

Aucune nouvelle blessure, mais toujours une douleur atroce ? 
Nous ressentons la douleur parce que nous avons un cerveau.

Traitement neuroplastique de la douleur.

Hello, Everyone   / Bonjour à tous 

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden and their team have created new beautiful graphics – education on the brain

Images are from https://www.neuroplastix.com/

Le Dr Michael Moskowitz, le Dr Marla Golden et leur équipe ont créé de nouveaux graphiques magnifiques -  éducation sur le cerveau

Ces images proviennent de https://www.neuroplastix.com/

How does pain get from here to here?

How does the Brain work?

Comment la douleur passe-t-elle d’ici à là ?
Comment fonctionne le cerveau ?

Example  /  Exemple

Brain – Fractured Femur Bone – Spinal Cord

Cerveau – Fracture du fémur – Moelle épinière

On page 4 of workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION,

Dr. Michael H. Moskowitz  and Dr. Marla D. Golden enlighten:

“Without your brain, there is no pain. Your brain doesn’t just receive information from your body, but sends directions back out to tell your body what to do.

“Your brain ‘reads’ everything going on in your body 30 times a second for your entire life.

“The adult brain changes throughout our lives based upon the information it receives from our bodies.

“We only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.”

“Nous ne ressentons la douleur que lorsque les signaux électriques atteignent la partie pensante de notre cerveau“

“This is why during surgery, when general anesthesia shuts down the thinking part of the brain, the person doesn’t feel pain.”

“C’est pourquoi, pendant une opération chirurgicale, lorsque l’anesthésie générale désactive la partie pensante du cerveau, la personne ne ressent aucune douleur.”

And… Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden say: “The more sensation each part of your body has, the bigger the image of that body part in your brain (page 4 of workbook) … Shrink the pain map by flooding the brain using:

…thoughts, images, senses, memories, soothing emotions, movement, beliefs.” (page 13 of  their workbook) 

EDUCATION -  Change the Brain; Relieve the Pain; Transform the Person

ÉDUCATION -  Changer le cerveau ; soulager la douleur ; transformer la personne

Acute pain.  Chronic /Persistent pain.

Douleur aiguë.  Douleur chronique / persistante.

Lecture One:  Brain Basics

Lecture Two: Building the New Brain

Lecture Three: Pain and Mood–It’s a Brain Thing

          

Lecture Four:  Brain, Pain, Beliefs and Pleasure

https://www.neuroplastix.com/_files/ugd/579dba_ddcb7fc52464458e881c698768402539.pdf

Page 14 in Lecture Four:

Every pain treatment alters the brain

There is no peripheral treatment

Pain is only perceived in the cerebral cortex

La douleur n’est perçue que dans le cortex cérébral.

If pain processing is not reduced there, pain cannot be
decreased

Pain can be successfully treated from the periphery to alter
brain-based pain processing or from the brain to alter
peripheral processes

Ultimate successful treatment of persistent pain must alter the
constantly cycling brain/body loop

NO pain   / PAS de douleur

 

 

https://www.neuroplastix.com/

Neuroplastix is dedicated to curing the disease of persistent pain in all people who suffer by unifying brain and body as the focus of treatment.

The neuroplastix.com website is ranked number one for all major search engines for Neuroplastic Treatment, Neuroplastic Pain Treatment and Neuroplastic Pain Therapy.

This ranking was accomplished by providing professionals and people living with pain a compelling experience based upon scientific content, consumer friendly information and highly navigable web design.

The educational programs establish a new paradigm in pain care, bringing advances in neuroscience to anyone affected by persistent pain, including patients, their families and providers. This is accomplished via conferences, interactive materials, scientific publications and professional training, providing a method to transform the clinical treatment of pain.

 

https://www.neuroplastix.com/about-5

Dr. Michael Moskowitz is Board Certified in both Psychiatry and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Moskowitz is a member of the Educational Council of the National Initiative on Pain Control, a group of the top pain physicians in the country. He served as a member of the Examination Council for the American Board of Pain Medicine from 2006-2010 and as the former chairman of the Educational Committee of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

* * * * *

He has also served on the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s Continuing Education Committee, Enduring Materials Committee and chaired the Academy’s Website redesign committee. He has pioneered the development and use of animations to teach and understand principles of pain medicine and has designed and developed the most popular website for pain animations in the world, since 1999,

http://www.bayareapainmedical.com

* * * * *

Dr. Moskowitz has been an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis since 2006, teaching the psychiatric and neuroplastic aspects of pain medicine there, to the Pain Fellows

* * * * *

In November of 2008, Dr. Michael Moskowitz began working with Marla Golden, DO, MS on Neuroplasticity and its role in the treatment of patients living with persistent pain. Together, Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden have lectured on this topic around the country and have delivered several 2-12 hour seminars on this topic.

* * * * *

Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden are the co-founders of Neuroplastic Partners, LLC, a company dedicated to the promotion of Neuroplastic treatment for persistent pain. He recently co-authored the Neuroplastic Transformation Workbook designed to teach practitioners how to use neuroplastic treatment approaches and provide patients with a written guide to recover from persistent pain disorders.

* * * * *

By the way, Dr. Moskowitz is Chapter 1 in Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book

THE BRAIN’S WAY OF HEALING: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

Guérir grâce à la neuroplasticité: Découvertes remarquables à l’avant-garde de la recherche sur le cerveau

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself -  Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

* * * * *

Marla Golden, DO, MS is an Osteopathic Physician in Jacksonville, Florida. Doctor Golden graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1988. She completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, Florida in 1992. She is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.Doctor Golden practiced Emergency Medicine in Florida and served as the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at HCA Putnam Community Hospital and as the Medical Director of EMS in Putnam County. She transitioned her practice to Pain Medicine in 1998, establishing the solo practice of Integrative Pain Management in 2000.

She is a diplomate of both the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Pain Medicine. She practices a holistic and comprehensive approach to treating patients in pain. Her practice includes an emphasis on Osteopathic structural assessment and optimization techniques. For many years, she has utilized manual therapy in combination with medication management and minimally invasive interventional techniques as well as other treatment modalities.

Thank you for reading my blog post:

“No new injury but still have awful pain? We experience pain because we have a Brain. Neuroplastic Pain Treatment.”

Merci d’avoir lu mon article de blog:”Vous n’avez pas subi de nouvelle blessure, mais vous souffrez toujours d’une douleur atroce ? Nous ressentons la douleur parce que nous avons un cerveau. Traitement neuroplastique de la douleur.”

You might like to read my other blog posts about Neuroplasticity:”Story Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Scarecrow in THE WIZARD OF OZ would feel NO pain”

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/story-theme-consultant-teresa-jade-leyung-says-scarecrow-in-the-wizard-of-oz-would-feel-no-pain/

Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand Dark Side of Pain

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/brain-pain-scientist-professor-lorimer-moseley-uses-humor-to-help-us-understand-dark-side-of-pain/

Want Wellness; Norman Doidge, M.D.’s books – The Brain That Changes Itself, Neuroplasticity

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/want-wellness-norman-doidge-m-d-s-books-the-brain-that-changes-itself-neuroplasticity/

 

I wish you and your family, and everyone round you – excellent health and happiness always.Je vous souhaite, à vous, à votre famille et à tous ceux qui vous entourent, une excellente santé et beaucoup de bonheur, toujours.

Teresa Jade LeYung wishes everyone peace and wellness - photo by NN and MEK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teresa Jade LeYung

Author / Blogger / Story-Theme Consultant / Photo Historian

https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videoshttps://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog/  goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog on Wellness, Story Themes, Archetypes

Love Made Of Heart ®

Dear Reader,

Bonjour!

I wish you and everyone around you … peace, happiness, and Nature’s Beauty.

I am forever grateful to the people in my life who help me grow.

I am forever grateful to healers, medical, health professionals, caregivers, patients, researchers, authors, editors, publishers et al who make current information available in many languages.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

YouTube link to the interview with

Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. about the BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BRAIN and HEALING

Chronic Pain; Parkinson’s and other Movement Disorders; Strokes; Autism; many more conditions

posted in 2015 by CANADA BROADCAST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI&list=PLcU9gOvQNUr8XPza1RhGAjp06-f3E4QAL

Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. | The Power of Thought

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

**       **      **     **

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

You know friends who have had . . . Strokes?  Chronic pain? Someone you care about suffering from symptoms of MS?  Cerebral Palsy?  Muscular Dystrophy?  Alzheimer’s?  Parkinson’s?  Head injury? Balance problems? Vision problems? Depression?

Our amazing brains!

Reviewing the chapter titles and the index sparks hope and motivation to ask physicians the right questions.

https://normandoidge.com/

the book –

The Brain’s Way of Healing:  Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Available, so far, in 22 languages:

The Brain’s Way of Healing is now available in over 100 countries, and 22 languages including translations from English into  Bulgarian, Chinese Traditional Characters, Chinese Simplified Characters, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Polish,  Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil,  Romanian, Russian,  Spanish,  Turkish and Ukrainian.

French edition book title:

GUERIR GRACE A LA NEUROPLASTICITE: Cerveau les fabuleux pouvoirs de guérison

English translation of French edition: HEALING WITH NEUROPLASTICITY:   Brain The Fabulous Healing Powers

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself

Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

Chapter 2 A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms

How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia

Chapter 3 The Stages of Neuroplastic Healing

How and Why It Works

Chapter 4 Rewiring a Brain with Light

Using Light to Reawaken Dormant Neural Circuits

Chapter 5 Moshe Feldenkrais: Physicist, Black Belt, and Healer

Healing Serious Brain Problems Through Mental Awareness of Movement

Chapter 6 A Blind Man Learns to See

Using Feldenkrais, Buddhist, and Other Neuroplastic Methods

Chapter 7 A Device That Resets the Brain

Stimulating Neuromodulation to Reverse Symptoms

I. A Cane Against the Wall

II. Three Resets: Parkinson’s, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis

III. The Cracked Potters

IV. How the Brain Balances Itself—with a Little Help

Chapter 8 A Bridge of Sound

The Special Connection Between Music and the Brain

I. A Dyslexic Boy Reverses His Misfortune

II. A Mother’s Voice

III. Rebuilding the Brain from the Bottom Up: Autism, Attention Deficits, and Sensory Processing Disorder

IV. Solving the Mystery at the Abbey: How Music Raises Our Spirits and Energy

Dr. Doidge’s books make for fascinating reads – our brains and the phenomenon of neuroplasticity -  thank you to all the patients who did not give up, their loved ones, their physicians who did not give up, and the dedicated neuroscientists . . .  for providing the stories.

Even if your physicians and healers have not read this book . . . YOU can arm yourselves with the information and ask them to make referrals. And, you can also ask friends to share their resources.

I cheer for you, friends & colleagues!  To those who write books, I cheer for your books too!  The subject matters in your books and Dr. Doidge’s books carry plenty of connections.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Conversations with our own Brains about what we want for our Bodies.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

My father suffered from Parkinsonian Disorder.  The disease impacted the safety of his walking.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment (after reading Norman Doidge, M.D.’s book The Brain’s Way of Healing

… especially Chapter 2 “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms”

and learning how to ask Papa’s neurologist the right questions)…

Questions that led Dr. White to  order “specific” physical therapy for Papa – therapy NOT for injuries like a broken leg from a skiing accident but therapy for movement disorders -  to help Papa reverse the Parkinson’s “shuffling” gait and “freezing” gait as well as improve posture. Thank you, Dr. White!

The Brain is smart. When one set of instructions “doesn’t connect” another set of instructions will. At one appointment with neurologist Dr. Luthra when she said to my father: “Let me see you walk.”

I offered information: “Dr. Luthra, when Papa is at a doorway to enter or leave a room, and, at elevators (lifts) … his legs lock … he can’t move. That’s dangerous when the elevator door closes and he cannot move. Or when his walker gets caught by a rug that is not properly secured to the floor.”

Dr. Luthra stepped out of her small office and stood in the hallway, facing Papa. She smiled, gestured for Papa to walk out of the room.  At the threshold, his legs wouldn’t cooperate. He lurched forward with his walker, but his legs couldn’t move.

Dr. Luthra: “Mr. Leung, keep one hand on your walker, raise your other arm.” She demonstrated. She raised her right arm straight up. She added: “Raising your arm tells your Brain that you want to move.”

Papa kept his left hand on his walker, he raised his right arm, then lowered it back to the walker

I watched with astonishment as he and his walker walked out the room with ease.

Later, Movement Disorder Physical Therapist Brenda taught Papa more tricks to help his Brain and his Body talk to each other, learn from each other.

If I hadn’t learned what I had learned from Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D.’s books and asked my father’s physicians the right questions, perhaps my father wouldn’t have received the level of attention from people who had the power to prescribe and deliver specific therapies, specific treatments… appropriate to Papa’s needs.

One day I was thinking out loud to my dear friend Sue R.  I said: “I wish there was a Chinese edition of Dr. Doidge’s book. Papa would benefit so much if he could read Chapter 2 himself.” Sue told me that Wen Hsu worked with publishers in Taiwan.

Fast forward….  Wen contacted the publisher in Taiwan who was translating  THE BRAIN’S WAY OF HEALING into Chinese. Wen wrote to the editor, explained to her/him about my father’s situation; the editor emailed Wen the “advance copy” of Chapter 2.  One of the happiest moments in my life was presenting Papa those pages – Chinese transalation of “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms – How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia”

Then, when the Chinese edition came out in print, Wen helped me order many copies of the book from the publisher in Taiwan.

 ****

Papa and his friends read this wonderful book in their native language.  I am forever grateful.

https://normandoidge.com/

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Has it really been more than nine years ago when I published my October 21st, 2015 blog post

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/the-brains-way-of-healing-chapter-titles-and-index-in-book-spark-hope-and-motivation-to-ask-physicians-the-right-questions/

Through http://www.duskyswondersite.com Dusky Pierce, I had found a remarkable book that has enriched my life, my papa’s, my friends’, Papa’s friends.

Please ask your librarians and booksellers to make this book available.

The book is The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Dr. Doidge’s first book:  The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

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Here is the YouTube link to Dr. Norman Doidge’s lecture in Melbourne, Australia

posted April 23, 2013  An astonishing new scientific discovery called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the adult human brain is fixed and unchanging.  The Brain is, instead, able to change its own structure and function, even into old age.

Melbourne Conversations: Your Brain – How it can change, develop and improve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibpbkV7xc24&list=PLcU9gOvQNUr8XPza1RhGAjp06-f3E4QAL&index=2

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A thousand thanks to Michael J. Fox Foundation

https://www.michaeljfox.org/

 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

https://movementdisorders.ucsf.edu/

The UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center is a well-established, internationally recognized program. It is also one of the busiest deep brain stimulation implanting centers on the West Coast with a wide referral base.

The mission of the center is to provide state-of-the-art comprehensive multidisciplinary care to patients with movement disorders. They offer a variety of services that include comprehensive neurological evaluations, medication treatment and disease management, botulinum toxin injections, neurosurgical procedures including deep brain stimulation, and deep brain stimulation programming.

The medical staff includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, radiologists, and nurses who have specialized training in movement disorders and the problems associated with these conditions whose goal is to provide individualized comprehensive care.

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Thank you for reading my blog post:

The Extraordinary and Beautiful Ever-changing Brain, Healing Body to Improve Daily Life, Neuroplasticity

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For other posts related to “Neuroplasticity” … please look at the right side of my blog… under “Categories” please click on “Beautiful Brain Neuroplasticity”

delicious soup from Madame Cornet in Aix-les-Bains

I wish you and everyone around you – vibrant health, peace and happiness.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Author / Blogger / Story-Theme Consultant / Photo Historian

https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videos for

short short movies of Paris, FRANCE; Portland, Oregon USA; Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA 2024

https://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog/  goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog on Wellness, Story Themes, Archetypes

Love Made Of Heart ®

Hello, Everyone!

I wish you total wellness!

Please help spread the word.

Compassionate Dr. Kim McMillon is teaching ONLINE class

first four Saturdays in December 2023

December 2, 9, 16, 23

10:00am to 1:00pm

U.S. Pacific Time

“THE POETRY OF HEALING: THE BODY” – ONLINE class

at San Francisco Creative Writing Institute

https://sfwriting.institute/events/the-poetry-of-healing-the-body/

cost:  $395.00

In this 4-week workshop, Body Memoir-Healing with Poetry, we stand as flowers watered by healing words. Our bodies are a memoir to ourselves. We will write poems to our hearts, minds, bodies, and emotions. The most important person in this course is you. You will use words to create poetry that celebrates you.

This class is open to all. You don’t need to have ever written a poem. This is an opportunity to explore yourself through words that you create. We will also read poems that you select that support your discovery of how exceptional and beautiful you are.

The poems you create are meant to be a memoir about how you celebrate, explore, and support yourself.

INSTRUCTOR: Kim McMillon, Ph.D.

Dr. Kim McMillon is a producer, playwright, and contributor to the anthology Some Other Blues: New Perspectives on Amiri Baraka (Ohio University Press, 2021).

McMillon is the editor of Willow Books’ anthology Black Fire—This Time published March 15, 2022.

She is also the host of Berkeley Community Media’s Bay Area Artbeat.

McMillon produced the Dillard University-Harvard Hutchins Center Black Arts Movement 2016 Conference in New Orleans, and with UC Merced’s Center for the Humanities, ASUCM, and the Office of Student Life, Ms. McMillon co-produced the 2014 UC Merced Black Arts Movement Conference, Fifty Years On.

McMillon edited the April 2018 special edition of The Journal of PAN African Studies on the Black Arts Movement and contributed a chapter on the Black Arts Movement to the Black Power Encyclopedia (1965-1975), a two-volume reference work that explores the emergence and evolution of the Black Power Movement in the United States.

McMillon produced, wrote, and starred in her one-woman show, Confessions of a Thespian: When Spirit & Theatre Collide, directed by Margo Hall and staged at the Julia Morgan Theatre in Berkeley, CA in March 2000.

McMillon also produced, wrote and directed VOYAGES, which premiered at the Nova Theatre in San Francisco in March 1986, and was produced at Zellerbach Playhouse in August 1987. In January 1988, Berkeley’s Black Repertory Group produced Voyages. A musical excerpt from Voyages was staged at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center on February 4, 2023.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I am grateful to:

***

Kim McMillon, Ph.D. (poet, playwright, producer, editor, teacher, interviewer, talk-show host, her name synonymous with Black Arts Movement conferences and reference work) who encouraged to put pen to paper 40 years ago.  https://www.facebook.com/kim.mcmillon

***

Stephanie Wilger, NC for Chi Nei Tsang, Breast Wellness, Nutrition  https://stephaniewilgernc.net/

***

Gilles Marin, master teacher and practitioner of Chi Nei Tsang, who gave me new hope on my journey.
USA: https://www.chineitsang.com/   France: http://chineitsang.marin.free.fr/

***

Marie-Christine Cornet in France who taught me to be gentle with self wherever I am  http://www.mariechristinecornet.com/

***

Stephanie Doucette, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. OM, for her kindness and acupuncture treatments

***

Danielle Rosenman, M.D. for coaching me in Neuroplasticity at the beginning of my journey in the autumn of 2020

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thank you for reading my blog posts.

I wish YOU vibrant health and happiness always!

Sincerely,

Teresa_Jade_LeYung,_photo_by_Nan_and_MEK

Teresa Jade LeYung

(formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan)

author Love Made of Heart - the mother-daughter novel (archived at the San Francisco History Center)

author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days

author of the Talking To My Dead Mom monologues

author of all the blog posts at https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

Writing Coach Teresa says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

amended July 9, 2025 (Paris, FRANCE)

This blog post could be “sticky” which means I have positioned the post as the “front page”

To read other posts, please click on the top left tab [ Home ] … then scroll down the screen …

And… to get a list of posts pertaining to a specific topic, please type keywords into the “Search for” box, then click on [Search]. After you get the list… click on a word in the title of the post to open the post.

Hello Everyone,

I wish you vibrant health!

Thanks to Everyone Who Cares About me,  Healers, Books, Our Immune System, Our Beautiful Ever-Changing Brain, Our Internal Organs, Our Body and Vitality!

In August 2020 (which was five months into “Shelter In Place” in the county I lived in during the COVID pandemic), Shingles virus “woke up” in my body …oh the pain and the rash on one side of upper torso. Then after the blisters cleared, the overwhelming pain stayed. This condition is called “postherpetic neuralgia”.

Brain-Body worn out from fighting.  So-called pain meds flooded my systems to the point I was too dizzy to make my way to the toilet without having to use the nearest wall for support. Warning labels on prescriptions said “take with food” which meant setting the clock to wake myself every few hours… depriving my body of rest.

The reason for “take with food” and how just one accidental overdose of pain meds could damage my liver or kidneys and how to give myself uninterrupted sleep  … were explained to me by a nurse who practiced “slow medicine” on the phone with me; she even helped me create a schedule so that I wouldn’t be taking the meds that require “take with food” while I should be sleeping.

I thank Victoria Sweet, M.D. for writing her books:

GOD’S HOTEL: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine.

SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing

My pain just would not stop, even though the Shingles virus had run its course and the rash had healed.

Fast forward

Luckily for me, through neuroplasticity coaching from Dr. Danielle Rosenman, and,

books by Norman Doidge, M.D., and,

lectures by Professor Lorimer Moseley about the “role of pain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

and the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION by Dr. Michael H. Moskowitz  and Dr. Marla D. Golden,

and, moral support from dear folks  who care about me …

I was successful retraining my Brain to stop sending chronic pain signals to Body Tissue.

However the pain sensation morphed into a sticky damp heat sensation.

These symptoms then awakened another virus in my nervous system. Also, COVID-Vaccination worsened my condition.

My internal thermostat is stuck at an uncomfortable down right yucky setting. My immune system had needed to use heat when Shingles virus got activated; however, my system is still in “fight” mode three years later.

Illness leads to depression … a nasty loop.

This is what happens when our systems are “too aggressive” trying to protect us.

By the way – Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near the spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. https://www.mayoclinic.org/

The “memories” of viruses (keloid scars from Shingles rash a “convincing” reminder)… telling my systems to continue fighting. Body doesn’t forget anything!

Fast forward, again…

Through receiving Chi Nei Tsang treatments from Marie-Christine Cornet,  and from Gilles Marin, master teacher and practitioner, and from  Stephanie Wilger, NC, instructor-level practitioner … my Body learned new ways to communicate with the Brain

Through sessions with Dr. Amy Grace Lam, my conscious Brain learned how to listen to my Body and how to respond.

Through receiving Neuro Integration System (N.I.S.) treatments and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) treatments from a master-level practitioner who is a chiropractor  – Dr. Jae Reed, D.C … my Body-Brain circuitry is learning how to reset and restore systems to harmony.

Clear communication between Brain and Body REMOVES the obstacles, letting the Body repair itself the best way possible -  naturally.

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Chi Nei Tsang translates as “internal organs chi transformation”.

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Thanks to the encouragement from the folks I care about and who care about me, I  resume my work as a writer and story-consult and blogger, go to treatments, re-read books to learn about how hard the human body works, and, I turn depression into appreciating one moment at a time.

My Quest to Wellness by learning from Holistic Healers on how to receive and send instructions for what I call “Brain-Body peace talks”.

I am grateful to:

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I wish everyone vibrant health always!

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Here are the BOOKS!

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the book - Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive

Thank you, dear Sue, for gifting me the book

Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive

by Philipp Dettmer, creator of the popular science YouTube channel “Kurzgesagt—In a Nutshell”

https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt/videos

Page 62 of the book IMMUNE: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive by Philipp Dettmer
“Inflammation is the universal response of your immune system to any sort of breach or damage or insult. No matter if you burn yourself, cut yourself, or get a bruise. No matter if bacteria or viruses infect your nose, lungs, or gut. No matter if a young tumor kills a few civilian cells by stealing their nutrients or you have an allergic reaction to a food, inflammation is the response. Damage or danger – PERCEIVED OR REAL – causes inflammation.”

Book description from the publisher:

“You wake up and feel a tickle in your throat. Your head hurts. You’re mildly annoyed as you get the kids ready for school and dress for work yourself. Meanwhile, an epic war is being fought, just below your skin. Millions are fighting and dying for you to be able to complain as you head out the door.

“But most of us never really stop to ask: What even is our immune system?

“Second only to the human brain in its complexity, it is one of the oldest and most critical facets of life on Earth. Without it, you would die within days. In IMMUNE, Philipp Dettmer, the brains behind the most popular science channel on YouTube, takes readers on a journey through the fortress of the human body and its defenses. There is a constant battle of staggering scale raging within us, full of stories of invasion, strategy, defeat, and noble self-sacrifice. In fact, in the time you’ve been reading this, your immune system has probably identified and eradicated a cancer cell that started to grow in your body.

“Each chapter delves into an element of the immune system, including defenses like antibodies and inflammation as well as threats like bacteria, allergies, and cancer, as Dettmer reveals why boosting your immune system is actually nonsense, how parasites sneak their way past your body’s defenses, how viruses work, and what goes on in your wounds when you cut yourself.

“Enlivened by engaging full-color graphics and immersive descriptions, IMMUNE turns one of the most intricate, interconnected, and confusing subjects — immunology — into a gripping adventure through an astonishing alien landscape. IMMUNE is a vital and remarkably fun crash course in what is arguably, and increasingly, the most important system in the body.”

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Thank you, dear Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, MFT, for having introduced me to:

the book - The Brain That Changes Itself

Dr. Norman Doidge’s first book – 

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

the book - The Brain’s Way of Healing

Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book –  

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

https://www.normandoidge.com

Look for Dr. Doidge’s interviews on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@normandoidge6991

Thank you, YouTube Channel User The Agenda | TVO Today for posting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifYcE4-eI_s

“For a very long time scientists thought the brain was an organ beyond treatment. If something went wrong or if one was born with a deficit, the conclusion was ‘tough luck.’ Not so anymore. There are revolutionary techniques that can alleviate anything from chronic pain to Parkinson’s disease or Down syndrome. Dr. Norman Doidge lays it out in his book The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity. He’ll discuss this, and more, with Steve Paikin. ”

Dr. Norman Doidge explains:

“The Brain is NOT like a fixed hard-wired machine. The Brain changes it’s wiring – the word that describes this property is neuroplasticity. The Brain’s structure and functions can be changed by our activities and by our mental experiences.”

“Using energy to facilitate neuroplasticity for healing.  The ancient word ‘hælan’ – to cure, to restore, to make whole again.”

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Thank you, dear LaH, for having introduced me to Master Teacher and Healer Gilles Marin!

the book - Five Elements, Six Conditions

Five Elements, Six Conditions – a Taoist Approach to Emotional Healing, Psychology, and Internal Alchemy

Gilles Marin is the Founder and Director of the Chi Nei Tsang Institute and School of Taoist Healing Energetics, California, USA https://www.chineitsang.com

Co-directeur de  l’institut de Chi Nei Tsang, Nice, FRANCE   chineitsang.marin.free.fr

TaoTouch: The art to help people heal, get rid of pain, and bring back vibrant health by reconciling self, soul and spirit while triggering emotional processing.  This is done through a traditional Taoist monastic healing practice called Chi Nei Tsang, which works with deep and gentle abdominal touch to enhance health and vitality to the internal organs.

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the book - TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN

Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO

TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION

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the book - SLOW MEDICINE

Victoria Sweet, M.D.’s book SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing 

https://www.victoriasweet.com/  Over the years that Victoria Sweet has been a physician, “healthcare” has replaced medicine, “providers” look at their laptops more than at their patients, and costs keep soaring, all in the ruthless pursuit of efficiency.

Victoria Sweet, M.D. is the award-winning author of God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine.

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My blog post https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/brain-pain-scientist-professor-lorimer-moseley-uses-humor-to-help-us-understand-dark-side-of-pain/  contains my notes from –

“Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley – Successful Ageing Seminar 2013?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

“What we now understand about pain.”

Taoist Meditation: The Six Healing Sounds – YouTube  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7UZa_zhOg9A

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung,

formerly Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Teresa_Jade_LeYung_wishes_everyone_peace_and_wellness__photo_by_Nan_and_MEK

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com  goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog

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Writing Coach Teresa says:

“I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

[ Addendum 2022 October 2

On YouTube Plum Village channel

“A Regulated Nervous System: An Orientation by Jo-Ann Rosen | #11″

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GOsXEWuPy-4

(Beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, founder of the International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, passed away on 22nd January 2022.)

WALKING helps Beautiful Brain produce dopamine, serotonin, etc. for ease of movement.

If you cannot walk… then visualize WALKING.

I, Teresa Jade LeYung, wish everyone wellness, loving kindness, peace and happiness.

Merci beaucoup, Sasa Southard, for the inspiring message on card!

Recovering from illness continues to teach me how to listen to Beautiful Brain/Body and respond with intention. I am so very grateful to everyone who cares about my well-being.

I know now that aftermath of any virus is not for me to dismiss. Living with post Shingles* virus symptoms that impact my nervous system / work life / private life  is sobering and humbling. I am thankful for “healthful” lessons.

[ * Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person has had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near the spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles. https://www.mayoclinic.org ]

Our beautiful brains. Our beautiful central nervous system!

THIS WEEK, THE TOPIC OF THIS ARTICLE GRABBED MY ATTENTION –

“COVID Raises Risk of Long-Term Brain Injury, Large U.S. Study Finds”

Sept. 22, 2022  By Julie Steenhuysen

[....]

Compared with the control groups, people infected with COVID had a 77% higher risk of developing memory problems.

People infected with the virus also were 50% more likely to have an ischemic stroke, which is caused by blood clots, compared with the never infected group.

Those who had COVID were 80% more likely to have seizures, 43% more likely to have mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, 35% more likely to have headaches and 42% more likely to suffer movement disorders, such as tremors, compared with the control groups.

Full article: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-09-22/covid-raises-risk-of-long-term-brain-injury-large-u-s-study-finds 

[ Addendum 2022 October 19

What this engaging article and many other engaging articles don't offer is a summary of the biology, how this virus is passed around, and what we can all do to decrease spreading this virus and variants.

Inhalation. Exhalation. Outdoors. Indoors. Droplets. Aerosols. Wearing masks. Proper ventilation. Air filtration. Vaccination. Consequences. Getting tested. Isolate. Quarantine. Exposure to people who are exposed to large numbers of other people. Variables. Where is the float plan? ]

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OUR BEAUTIFUL BRAINS

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Danielle Rosenman, M.D. says:

“The brain changes itself constantly throughout our entire lives. All of our experience changes the brain.

“Everything that we experience, think, feel, believe, and learn changes the physical structure of the brain, the chemicals in the brain, and electricity in the brain.

“This ability of the brain to change is called neuroplasticity.

“Neuroplasticity lets us learn through our entire lives.  The more often we repeat a task, the better we learn it. Repetition helps us learn things like reading, adding numbers, or playing a musical instrument. We often call this type of learning ‘practice’.”

During neuroplasticity coaching, Dr. Danielle Rosenman instructs:  “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your brain. When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.”

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Professor Lorimer Moseley says:

“The mechanisms that cause us to change in a good way can also cause us to change in a way that makes our lives more difficult and more unpleasant….  Our brain produces pain.  Pain is our most sophisticated protective device. Your systems learn how to make pain….” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

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On page 4 of workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION,

Dr. Michael H. Moskowitz  and Dr. Marla D. Golden enlighten:

“Without your brain, there is no pain. Your brain doesn’t just receive information from your body, but sends directions back out to tell your body what to do.

“Your brain ‘reads’ everything going on in your body 30 times a second for your entire life.

“The adult brain changes throughout our lives based upon the information it receives from our bodies.

“We only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.”

“This is why during surgery, when general anesthesia shuts down the thinking part of the brain, the person doesn’t feel pain.”

And… Dr. Moskowitz and Dr. Golden say: “The more sensation each part of your body has, the bigger the image of that body part in your brain (page 4 of workbook) … Shrink the pain map by flooding the brain using:

…thoughts, images, senses, memories, soothing emotions, movement, beliefs.” (page 13 of  their workbook) 

http://neuroplastix.com/

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Dr. Norman Doidge’s first book – 

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

Dr. Norman Doidge’s second book –  

The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

https://www.normandoidge.com

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Another book that inspires me to conduct research, collect my data before seeing a doctor, prepare my questions, and trust my intuition –

Victoria Sweet, M.D.’s book SLOW MEDICINE The Way to Healing 

https://www.victoriasweet.com/  Over the years that Victoria Sweet has been a physician, “healthcare” has replaced medicine, “providers” look at their laptops more than at their patients, and costs keep soaring, all in the ruthless pursuit of efficiency.

Victoria Sweet, M.D. is the award-winning author of God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine.

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My deepest gratitude goes to everyone who cares about my well-being, and to all the authors / physicians referenced above, and, since my “adventure” which began in August 2020… to the physicians / healers listed below… in “reverse order of appearance”…

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Stephanie Wilger, NC of HEALTH HAPPENS, LLC says:

“As an internal organ and reproductive organ specialist, I feel the way your internal organs, tissues, fluids, energy, bones are responding, and gently assist to coordinate them for better communication and function.  You relax and let go of tensions, stored emotions, becoming more vibrant, more yourself.  Adhesions and scar tissue:  from C-sections, surgery, accidents, are also released for more energy flow and movement.”  https://stephaniewilgernc.net/

Thank you, Stephanie, for telling me about

Taoist Meditation: The Six Healing Sounds
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7UZa_zhOg9A
YouTube channel: Andrew McCart

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Master practitioner and master teacher Gilles Marin says:

“TaoTouch is the art to help people heal, get rid of pain, and bring back vibrant health by reconciling self, soul and spirit while triggering emotional processing.  This is done through a traditional Taoist monastic healing practice called Chi Nei Tsang, which works with deep and gentle abdominal touch to enhance health and vitality to the internal organs.”

Look for Gilles Marin’s books, lectures, CDs and podcasts.

www.chineitsang.com      http://chineitsang.marin.free.fr/

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Dr. Danielle Rosenman

Dr. Rosenman uses neuroplasticity, imagery, meditation, psychotherapy, and other techniques in her Medical Counseling practice and in the innovative “Tools for Healing” groups.  She counsels people about options, and provides recommendations for standard and complementary/alternative medical treatment, problem-solving, and decision-making, all focusing on how to feel better.

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Dr. Amy Grace Lam says: “Reconnect to your body’s knowing.”

Dr. Lam is a healer, writer and activist committed to supporting diverse global communities for healing and transformation. Through her vibrational energy coaching, Amy creates experiences for individuals to bridge spiritual and physical realities into a magical conversation with each other.

She loves working with individuals to connect to their inner wisdom, step into their leadership and confidently manifest their gifts to the world. Amy’s writing and art have been featured in literary and academic journals and Bay Area performance and artistic venues.  Please visit:   http://amygracelam.com/

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Marie-Christine Cornet (now in France), Chi Nei Tsang and Somatic Experience practitioner, says:

“Connecting to your body and its wealth of intelligence and wisdom is the portal to living Life deeply and authentically.” http://www.mariechristinecornet.com/

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Stephanie Doucette, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. OM,  California Licensed Acupuncturist and Clinical Herbalist is

nationally certified as a Diplomate in Oriental Medicine and practices integrative orthopedic therapy, bringing together acupuncture, deep tissue massage and manual orthopedic techniques to treat neuromuscular injury and chronic pain.  http://www.stephaniedoucette.com/

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A thousand thanks to “Country Doctor LaH” and her petite Gracie for taking excellent care of me during Shingles outbreak in  2020. Your loving kindness was a powerful medicine.

To everyone who wished me wellness and extended your loving kindness, I wish you vibrant health, loving kindness, peace and happiness always!

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Then, there’s the author whose book taught me how to show respect and particular appreciation to everyone when I am in beloved City of Light.

The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious – and Perplexing – City 

by David Lebovitz  https://www.davidlebovitz.com/

Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Lebovitz!

Merci beaucoup, author and photographer Margie Yee Webb, for gifting the book in 2016!

Merci beaucoup, world traveler, teacher and author Elisa Sasa Southard www.SasaSouthard.com, for introducing me to the city my heart calls Home!

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Thank you, gardener extraordinaire and world traveler Nan Noonan (mama to Gracie and Kiki), for letting me visit your “wellness center” as often as I need.

Thank you to my sister Maria Kawah Leung (author of LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET) and Happy Dog and ALL precious friends, clients, colleagues, mentors, family members, and readers and writers.

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Thank you for reading my blog post:

“Beautiful Brain Body, Nervous System, Viruses, Wellness, Neuroplasticity Throughout Our Entire Lives”

I wish you vibrant health, loving kindness, peace and happiness always!

Sincerely,

Story Theme Consultant / Photo Historian / Author / Public Library and Public School Advocate

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com goes to Teresa’s Blog

Writing Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

Dear Reader,

I wish you total wellness.

If not for shingles and postherpetic neuralgia which led to the past 12 months of reading and rereading books and listening to lectures about pain and our brains … I wouldn’t have learned why I experience pain and other unpleasant signals when there is no new injury to a body part.

After receiving COVID-19 vaccine … I experienced occasional pain signals in my right knee and in my right shoulder blade, then, dull headaches, and, my two front teeth felt weak.  The knowledge I have gain about pain signals helped me understand what could be happening and how I could help myself feel better.

 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

I have learned from webinars and the workbook

TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION 

written by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO  http://neuroplastix.com that …

“We only experience pain when the electrical signals reach the thinking part of our brains.”

“This is why general anesthetics work – by separating the thinking conscious brain from the automatic survival brain. During anesthesia, the survival part of the brain stays active, but, the perceptive part of the brain is turned off.”

“The brain doesn’t just receive information from the body, but sends directions back out to tell the body what to do.” (page 4 in workbook)

“The brain ‘reads’ everything going on in the body 30 times a second for an entire life.”

“Acute pain is an alarm going off in the brain that signifies danger and/or damage to the body…. ” (page 10)

“Persistent pain … signals sets up an endless loop between body and brain, inflammatory processes become chronic, anti-inflammatory processes are overwhelmed and the nerve cells dedicated to pain increase up to five-fold.” (page 10)

“Acute pain helps with survival, while persistent pain transforms danger into misery.” (page 10)

I have learned … from Clinical Scientist / Professor Lorimer Moseley  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc that…

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

“The term ‘neuroplasticity‘ refers to the adaptability of our nervous system. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called ‘the dark side’.”

“You can experience SEVERE pain but have NO damage.”

“You can experience NO pain but have severe damage.”

“Pain depends on how much danger your brain THINKS you are in, not how much danger you are really in.”

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As I was saying … after receiving COVID-19 vaccine … I experienced occasional pain signals in my right knee and in my right shoulder blade, then, dull headaches, and, my two front teeth felt weak.

According to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html Updated Oct. 18, 2021

mRNA Vaccines 

According to  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/viralvector.html  Updated Oct. 18, 2021

Viral Vector Vaccines

[....]

In Step 2. Next, the cells display the spike protein on their surface, and our immune system recognizes that the protein doesn’t belong there. This triggers our immune system to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to fight off what it thinks is an infection. This response is what your body might do if you got sick with COVID-19.

mRNA Vaccines and Viral Vector Vaccines have this in common  – “… activate other immune cells to fight off what it ‘thinks’ is an infection.”

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

I know that my brain records my experiences throughout my lifetime … and that pain depends on how much danger my brain THINKS I am in, not how much danger I am really in.

Also, I understand why my brain would send me “danger signals” (my knee, shoulder blade)  after vaccination if my immune system “thinks” there is an infection in my body.

Why my two front teeth?   I’ve never sustained injury there.  Have I experienced pain there?  Yes I have!  For three years during my teenage years, my teeth were tortured once a week when the orthodontist tightened the wires. The front teeth needed the most “straightening” (they did sustain “injury”).  Even though that was 45 years ago, my brain remembers the pain!

To communicate to my teeth, my knee, my shoulder blade, and my temples …  that I have not sustained new injuries …  I put my hand on each body part and also tell my Brain “I have not injured myself.”  Voila!  Pain signals go away.  Beautiful Brain (I call “BB”) wants to protect Body, therefore BB occasionally sends signals, and, it’s up to me to “talk back” (communicate).

Today (October 31, 2021), while enjoying my walk, I felt an itchy stinging pain on left elbow, then the signals flowed down my arm. I applied firm comforting squeezes on those areas with my right hand. The pain went away.

Then today (November 3, 2021, 13:44) I felt a sharp pain on LEFT upper arm where vaccine would have entered BUT I had received the vaccine on my RIGHT arm.

Beautiful Brain sending me  “false alarms”.

In no way am I saying that retraining my brain is easy work.  I am still a newbie.  I am happy to report that I’ve developed a new attitude — I look forward to each new day. For me, this is BIG

I am forever grateful to everyone who cares about me and encourages me to continue helping myself heal.

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My “Get to Wellness Kit” is growing

Norman Doidge: Brain’s Healing Energies on YouTube  https://youtu.be/ifYcE4-eI_s  Dr. Doidge talks about our brains, pain, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Moshe Feldenkrais (Physicist, Black Belt, Healer),  electrical circuits, chemistry, light, sound, vibration, brain-body connection.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Continue using  Feldenkrais techniques that Naomi Schaeffer Draper, M.S. Physical Therapist had taught me.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Continue using the workbook TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION  by

Michael H. Moskowitz, MD and Marla D. Golden, DO

Refer to the 10-page guide from Dr. Danielle Rosenman who coached me.

My job is to interrupt pain and other unpleasant signals by using any of the seven modalities or a combination of them.

Dr. Rosenman adds: “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your Brain.”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Continue practicing techniques I learned from Dr. Amy Grace Lam  http://amygracelam.com 

Recently Dr. Lam  gave me links to demonstrations of “tapping” to rid pain and other unpleasant symptoms.

Professor Lorimer Moseley says: “Brain is the most trainable we’ve got!”  https://people.unisa.edu.au/lorimer.moseley

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

(Addendum November 4, 2021)

Continue using the 2 books written by Norman Doidge, M.D. for inspiration (Thank you, dear Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, MFT, for having Dr. Doidge’s book on your shelf many years ago)

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (translated into 26 languages)

Dr. Doidge’s second book – The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity (translated into 19 languages so far)

https://www.normandoidge.com/

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

About shingles and postherpetic neuralgia

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postherpetic-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20376588  says:

“Postherpetic neuralgia is the most common complication of shingles. The condition affects nerve fibers and skin, causing burning pain that lasts long after the rash and blisters of shingles disappear.

The chickenpox (herpes zoster) virus causes shingles. The risk of postherpetic neuralgia increases with age, primarily affecting people older than 60. There’s no cure, but treatments can ease symptoms. For most people, postherpetic neuralgia improves over time.”

I am forever grateful to the excellent care that “Country Doctor LaH” and her precious Gracie gave me during my illness.

I am forever grateful to everyone who cares about me and encourages me to continue helping myself heal.

 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

As I write … I am running the movie ONLY WHEN I LAUGH (screenplay by Neil Simon; starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett; continuity by Joan Samson).  I love stories about the protagonist’s taking control of her/his own life, in spite of . . . .  The mother-daughter storyline – Wow!

ONLY WHEN I LAUGH is based on the play THE GINGERBREAD LADY by Neil Simon.

Taking control of one’s own life!  Taking control of one’s own body!  Taking control of one’s own thoughts!

  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Taking control of my own life!  Taking control of my own body!  Taking control of my own thoughts!

Thank you for reading this blog post: “Beautiful Brain remembers old pain experiences, relays signals after shingles, after vaccination,” says author Teresa Jade LeYung.

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains, Pain, and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

I wish you total wellness!

Sincerely,

author Teresa Jade LeYung in Paris 2018, photo by Sasa and Nan

Story Consultant and Photo Historian Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

Dear Reader,

Three people I care about inspired me to blog about this topic. Do you get pain flare-ups? Your hands, knees, or your back?

* * * * * * * * *

What I do when I experience a flare-up and my right hand hurts:

Learn about what is happening in the brain during acute pain and persistent pain – visit Dr. Michael Moskowitz’s and Dr. Marla Golden’s website http://neuroplastix.com  Look at the graphics.

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

 

I wish you and your Beautiful Brain safety, kindness, excellent health.

Sincerely,

 

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung by Mary E. Knippel

 

Teresa Jade LeYung

Story Consultant and Photo Historian Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication. Reach out, not stress out.”

Love Made Of Heart ®

Dear Reader,

I hope you are well.

Several people I care about are struggling with illnesses and side effects of medications. This blog post is to share what Dr. Danielle Rosenman has taught me – to retrain Beautiful Brain to wellness.

Dr. Rosenman herself needs our prayers and well wishes right now.  She needs her “bag of tricks”.  I hope Dr. Rosenman’s family members have photos of her in every room, in her field of vision, so that her Beautiful Brain can “register” her own vibrancy. “Seeing” one’s vitality helps Beautiful Brain relearn wellness.  May Dr. Rosenman enjoy complete wellness soon.

[When we don't have photos or when we have weak or no eyesight  or when no one is around to help us - we send our thoughts to memories of our vibrant selves. ]

During neuroplasticity coaching, Dr. Danielle Rosenman instructs:  “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your brain. When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.”

A thousand thanks to Dr. Rosenman for the coaching sessions, and to Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden for their magnificent workbook and webinars, to Professor Lorimer Moseley for his wonderful presentations (find him on YouTube), to Dr. Victoria Sweet for instilling appreciation of “slow medicine”, to Dr. Norman Doidge for his books (find him on YouTube), Dr. Amy Grace Lam for extraordinary healing, and, of course to all the dear hearts who care about my well-being.

Thank you, Loduskia “Dusky” Pierce, for leading me to Dr. Doidge’s books. Thank you, Linda Harris, for remembering that Dr. Rosenman uses Dr. Moskowitz’s techniques.

Prior to August 2020 . . .  “Shingles”  “chickenpox reactivated”  “postherpetic neuralgia”  “persistent pain”  “neurological disorder” “keloid scars”   were just words to me.

When Shingles rash broke out, and the pain, oh the acute pain  (thank you dear Linda Harris and GH for your loving care) . . . my primary care physician prescribed Gabapentin, in addition to Tylenol and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.  After the rash began to heal … but the pain would not go away  (persistent pain) and depression set in …. I was in bigger trouble.

In his engaging talks, Professor Lorimer Moseley explains:

“If you have a brain, you will experience pain. If you don’t have a brain, you won’t experience pain.

“We feel pain in our body, and, we feel it in a particular location, but, it is impossible to feel pain without a brain, and, it is completely possible to feel pain without the body part.

“Pain is our most sophisticated protective device.”

“The term ‘neuroplasticity‘ refers to the adaptability of our nervous system. The other side of neuroplasticity is sometimes called ‘the dark side’.

“The mechanisms that cause us to change in a good way can also cause us to change in a way that makes our lives more difficult and more unpleasant.”

Unpleasant sensations?  Pain. Depression. Anxiety. Dizziness. And, what I call “Ick”

 Truths help me persevere in retraining “Beautiful Brain” (“BB”)

From Dr. Moskowitz’s and Dr. Golden’s workbook, from Dr. Rosenman’s guide, from Professor Moseley’s talks, from (Teresa Jade LeYung) my own experiences:

• The brain doesn’t just receive information from the body, but sends directions back out to tell the body what to do.

• The brain “reads” everything going on in the body 30 times a second for an entire life.

• The adult brain changes throughout our lives based upon the information it receives from our bodies

• The brain changes whenever we learn to do something new or when we stop doing something

• The brain stores not only all my experiences, but also, everything I’ve watched and heard, in addition to genetic information

• The adaptable nervous system – adaptability which scientists call neuroplasticity.
  

• Without the thinking conscious brain, I wouldn’t feel any sensation – pleasant ones or unpleasant ones.

• What is the antidote for pain, depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant symptoms?  PLEASURE.

• Beautiful Brains (doing their jobs to protect Body Tissue) can make mistakes, mistakes that deplete vitality.

• Thank goodness BBs (even when stubborn) can be retrained!

• The simple act of smiling for myself  helps BB’s natural production of chemicals that include GABA, Anandamide, Endorphins, Oxytocin.

• My BB is THE expert of my experiences; however the expert can and does make mistakes; I can retrain BB to gain wellness

I was successful retraining Beautiful Brain (“BB”) to stop sending pain signals.  My troubles were over . . . so I thought.

Gradually, pain morphed into another unpleasant symptoms / awful sensation. It even spread to parts of the body that never had Shingles rash.

[2021 August 15, 12:03pm Addendum –

Also, Beautiful Brain reactivates pain signals from past injuries (in my hand and in my knee). BB’s wanting to protect body tissue, so BB sends signals to grab my attention, except grabbing my attention this way saps my energy.  It’s like an alarm clock’s “snooze” setting in malfunction, going off at random.]

Remembering what Professor Moseley said -  that “Pain is our most sophisticated protective device” – and what my mentor (author Margaret Davis) said to me: “Teresa, can’t you apply the very same techniques you used to retrain your brain on pain to rid this undesirable sensation?”

YES, I can.

Through their workbook, Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden instruct: ” … harness the power of our brains.”   On the last page of their workbook, they leave us with plenty of hope: “Neuroplastic Transformation opens a new approach to treating people living with persistent pain ….   The overarching message is that persistent pain can be challenged and defeated  by using the same principles that have created it.”

Interrupt unpleasant signals with pleasurable …

- THOUGHTS

- IMAGES

- SENSATIONS

- MEMORIES

- SOOTHING EMOTIONS

- MOVEMENT

- BELIEFS

Dr. Michael Moskowitz and Dr. Marla Golden http://neuroplastix.com/

My February 11, 2021 blog post “Brain / Pain Scientist Professor Lorimer Moseley uses humor to help us understand Dark Side of Pain” is at:

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/brain-pain-scientist-professor-lorimer-moseley-uses-humor-to-help-us-understand-dark-side-of-pain/

which highlights  “Getting a grip on pain and the brain – Professor Lorimer Moseley - Successful Ageing Seminar 2013?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6sbi_0lLc

I am convinced that one safe place is my own thoughts. However the same place could be my enemy, so, it’s up to my will power to go to safe thoughts, beautiful thoughts, healing thoughts. The words in my thoughts hold much power.

I am one of the fortunate ones – to live with housemates who care about me, in a pleasant environment, and in a position to shelter-in-place during this pandemic.

Other folks are not so fortunate – their external world could be chaotic, even traumatic …  The only safe place could be their beautiful thoughts.

I remember Dr. Danielle Rosenman telling me during neuroplasticity coaching:  “Smile for yourself and talk out loud to your brain. When you learn to talk to your brain, you are opening up a new life.”

Also I remember how she taught me to create my unique “bag of tricks” to retrain Beautiful Brain (small items to look at, to smell, to touch…to recall pleasure, vibrancy, peace).  But, what about when there is no physical “bag of tricks”?   I have my thoughts! Thoughts of Beauty!  No no can take that away from me.

This blog post has taken many hours over many days – this is what it’s like to work while retraining Beautiful Brain with a neurological disorder

2021 August 4, 02:02-02:38; 15:54; August 5, 18:48; August 6, 14:55, 23:56; August 7, 00:10; 21:57; August 8, 13:56; August 10, 12:58pm; August 11, 17:17, August 12, 13:44; August 13, 17:14; August 14, 20:45  California

Thank you for reading this blog post  “Retraining Beautiful Brain By Rewriting My Personal Truths With Wordplay” by  Teresa Jade LeYung

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

I wish you and your Beautiful Brain safety, kindness, excellent health.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung in Paris by Nan and Sasa October 2018

*****

Thank you, MT et MYW, for masks; Starry Starry Night mask by Dahlynn & Ken of WoodstockAndYarn at Etsy

Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog Post #604

Last week, I was at a place not far from where I live -  to escape from construction noise (neighbors modifying their house to “age in place”).  While I am happy for anyone who can do that … the persistent noise produced by power tools and hammers reactivated my persistent pain pathways in such a way that I don’t have words to describe the sensations. For sure they are “unpleasant” and “undesirable”.

On March 10, at this place of tranquility, I woke up to the sound of power pruning.  NO!  I thought Am I being tested?

On March 11, another unpleasant incident occupied my thoughts.

On March 12, I read the email from kindhearted mentor author Margaret R. Davis.  Margaret asked: “Teresa, can’t you apply the very same principles you use to reduce pain to block out the irritation of the construction noise?”

Margaret is referring to what I have learned and what I continue to learn from Dr. Norman Doidge, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Danielle Rosenman, Professor Lorimer Moseley about retraining my brain / practicing neuroplasticity.

Thank you, Margaret! Thank you to ALL the dear hearts in my life who care about my well-being.  I am most grateful!

Soothing thoughts. I thought about LaH who delivered me to this lovely place and how MT, SS, NN individually visited me and brought delicious foods, and, everyone who sent cards, emails, text-messages, voicemail, thoughts, prayers.

On the evening of  March 13,  2021, I wanted to watch the movie PRIVATE BENJAMIN (starring Goldie Hawn) again.

Well, not only did I find clips on YouTube, but also, I was rewarded with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZsGZZA3LNM  Ms. Goldie Hawn’s inspiring presentation  “Importance of Mindfulness” 

I was overjoyed listening to Ms. Goldie Hawn’s sharing stories of children learning about how their brains work, and talking about their amygdala, prefrontal cortex … what is neuroplasticity, practicing “Brain Breaks” (meditation) with their teachers three times a day in school, using soothing thoughts to quiet their hardworking brains, and, the children going home to share their knowledge with their parents and other family members.

At 19 minutes Ms. Hawn shows the audience a film on MindUP – the signature program for children of the Goldie Hawn Foundation.

At 39 minutes  Ms. Hawn talks about intentions; to witness thoughts, and not get attached to them.

[ Teresa Jade LeYung here…

“Wow, witness my thoughts but not get attached to them. I thought about my lineage….  If as children my grandparents on both sides were given the opportunities to practice this skill, then, as adults they would have passed it onto their children (my parents), and my parents would have passed it onto me and my siblings.

“My parents were young people during World War II; my mother was orphaned; my father had to leave home to find work and send money to support his mother and siblings; then, they experienced colonization . . . such chaotic lives . . . and no one to teach them how to create peace for their beautiful brains.

“Last week, while I was at that lovely place that turned out to be not so tranquil, I said to my pals ‘I am what I think.’  If I am to truly heal from persistent pain and unpleasant sensations (all produced by Beautiful Brain), I must practice detaching myself from worrisome thoughts, and, use soothing thoughts to create pleasant sensations.” ]

 * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * *

Above graphics of the brain is from TRANSFORMING THE BRAIN IN PAIN: NEUROPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION workbook

by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD & Marla D. Golden, DO

http://www.neuroplastix.com 

https://shop.neuroplastix.com/Neuroplastic-Transformation-Workbook-92-W8PZ-LIIY.htm

 [ Teresa Jade LeYung here…

“I wonder if Dr. Moskowitz, Dr. Golden or Dr. Danielle Rosenman know about Ms. Hawn’s foundation and that the children in the MindUP program know what their Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex and other parts of their brains do and how they (the children) learn to develop mental fitness.

“In our family, no one taught us anything resembling mental fitness.

“The adults were inept. In the 1970s, my escape was watching movies from the 1940′s, but, many of the characters in those films were lost souls. Our brother turned to music. Our little sister relied on her imagination; her stuffed animal companion Happy Dog was her loyal and gentle confidant.

“As an adult, my sister always chose careers that involved helping children.  She is Maria Kawah Leung – author of LITTLE HEROES OF BAY STREET: And How They Stay Strong in an Unhappy Home.  The protagonists in her illustrated book are Mia and Happy Dog.   To hear a reading of Maria Kawah Leung’s book by Hannah Yeoh, a member of Parliament in Malaysia, and to hear Happy Dog’s message to children, and Maria’s comforting words to children and adults … watch on Youtube  https://youtu.be/9k8DLcJlvVg

“If MindUP had existed during our childhood . . . I can just see my little sister coming home to show our parents how to “quiet their hardworking brains” ]

* * * * * * *

 https://mindup.org/

The heroes at MindUP announce:  “We are happy to announce MindUP will now be rebranded to MindUP For Life.  Evolving the visual identity to embody its new holistic direction.

We are thrilled to unveil our new brand identity and share with you that MindUP is evolving to become MindUP for Life. After many years as a school-based program for educators, MindUP for Life will now also be available to parents, families, and adults. This rebranding marks an exciting time in MindUP’s history, as we are launching the 2nd edition of our curriculum as well as an interactive online platform projected to launch this spring to support our growing audience. Over the last few months, we have worked with the amazing team at Le Parc Design to create a new image that would accurately depict our growth and helps us impact as many individuals as possible.

 * * * * * * *

Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading this blog post:  Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Everywhere I go, I learn about our beautiful brains. This week, MindUP, Ms. Goldie Hawn’s foundation”

I wish you and your beautiful brains – safety, kindness, excellent health, clear water, blue sky, delicious eats, smiles, sweet laughter, soothing thoughts and more soothing thoughts!

Sincerely,

photo of Teresa Jade LeYung by Sasa Southard, world adventurer

Teresa Jade LeYung

Theme Consultant / Platform-Building Coach

Coach Teresa Jade LeYung says: “I love helping writers identify the themes in their manuscripts to hook readers, and, build and fortify their platforms before and after publication.  Reach out, not stress out.”
www.TeresaJadeLeYung.com

Coach Teresa’s workbook -
Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW  — print edition and ebook

author Teresa Jade LeYung (mask and photo by Emily)

http://www.OurBeautifulBrains.com   takes you to Story Continuity / Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung’s blog - resources regarding our beautiful  brains  / persistent pain / depression  / wellness

Love Made Of Heart ®

Teresa Jade LeYung says “Be kind to our beautiful brains.”

“Beautiful Brain” Haiku poems

by Teresa Jade LeYung

November 2020

When Brain makes mistake

with endless loop pain signals

I reply with Sooth

Oh Beautiful Brain

Storing experiences

Of pleasure and pain

Brain changes itself

Through learning or ceasing tasks

Retrainable yes

2021 February 28

When Beautiful Brain

changes, for better, for worse

that’s plasticity

2021 March 2

I am THE expert

of my memories and thoughts

Can choose soothing ones

Because I had entered the Haiku poems written in November 2020 to the Jane Underwood Poetry Prize, I couldn’t published them on my blog at the time.  On February 26, 2021, The Writing Salon’s email says that they had received nearly 350 poems. Congratulations to everyone!

The announcement from The Writing Salon says:

The final judge, David Hernandez, has selected Kelly Grace Thomas’s “Nothing Roots or Infertility” as the winning poem. Next Wednesday, March 3, 2021 The Writing Salon will publish the poem at our website. The finalists are Tony Barnstone, Twila Newey, Emily Pulfer-Terino, and Lizabeth Yandel.

The Jane Underwood Poetry Prize was established to celebrate and memorialize Jane Underwood, the founder and long-time director of The Writing Salon who passed away in 2016. Jane was a gifted poet who made The Writing Salon a prominent and respected creative writing school in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was well known for her generous spirit and her direct and encouraging teaching style. A posthumous collection of her poems, entitled When My Heart Goes Dark, I Turn the Porch Light On, was published in 2017.

Thank you to all the folks at The Writing Salon for keeping the writing community strong!

Thank you, Frances Kakugawa (beloved author /poet / teacher / speaker) and your Wordsworth, for inspiring me to compose Haiku poems.

https://franceskakugawa.wordpress.com/category/caregiving-haiku/

https://franceskakugawa.wordpress.com/2020/02/16/a-lesson-in-haiku-writing/

https://franceskakugawa.wordpress.com/category/wordsworth-the-poet/

Artist Chandra Garsson's "Jade protected by BIG Angel Wings" To see more Chandra Garsson's works of art - https://www.facebook.com/butterflybonesandhummingbirdsongs

Thank you for reading this blog post – Author and Theme Consultant Teresa Jade LeYung says: “Beautiful Brain inspires Haiku poems”

For other posts related to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity  in my blog  https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog …  If you look at right side near top of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get all my blog posts pertaining to the topic.

I wish everyone and your Beautiful Brains easy access to BLISS via SOOTHING thoughts; images,; senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch); memories,; emotions,; movement; and beliefs.

A thousand thanks to Dr. Michael Moskowitz, Dr. Marla Golden, Dr. Norman Doidge, Dusky Pierce, Dr. Danielle Rosenman, Linda A. Harris, Dr. Amy Grace Lam, Cynthia Tom and her program A PLACE OF HER OWN, Professor Lorimer Moseley, and all the precious people in my life.

Thank you, MT et MYW, for masks; Starry Night mask by Dahlynn & Ken McKowen of WoodstockAndYarn

Love Made Of Heart ®

Teresa Jade LeYung, an American naturalized citizen of Chinese ancestry, is a story/theme consultant, author of LOVE MADE OF HEART (daughter-mother novel archived at the San Francisco History Center and used by college professors), BUILD YOUR WRITER’S PLATFORM & FANBASE IN 22 DAYS (a workbook), and TALKING TO MY DEAD MOM Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood Writers Ten-Minute Play Festival), an alumna of artist Cynthia Tom’s A PLACE OF HER OWN, an advocate for public libraries and public schools, creator of http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/ , and, admirer of City of Light. Composing Haiku poems is a new love for LeYung.