ebt b a s i c s W IR E D FOR J OY
EBT Basics
Wired for Joy
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EBT Basics Copyright 2012 by Laurel Mellin. Patent Pending Author: Laurel Mellin Printed in the United States of America. Graphic Design: Joe Mellin Graphic Production: Daniela Lien Editorial Production: Katherine Morningstar ISBN: 978-1-893265-23-3 Distributed by: The Institute for Health Solutions Published by: EBT, Inc. 77 Mark Drive, Suite 5, San Rafael, CA 94903 TEL: 415-457-3331• FAX: 415-457-4551 Website: www.ebt.org
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Welcome to EBT: Wired for Joy! The emotional brain controls mood, behavior, stress and pleasure drives. In this course, you will learn fundamental tools to create more balance in your emotional brain. By creating more balance in your emotional brain, problems that are stress symptoms will naturally fade. By addressing the root cause, you can experience a solution. In this course, you will learn how to identify your brain state and change it. You will become comfortable with the group and set your sights on the rewards that you most what from EBT. We hope you enjoy your EBT Group, as the emotional brain is the social brain. It changes most easily with warm connection and inspiration that being with others provides. Also, the emotional brain changes when it is exposed to a variety of novel experiences, so we have created the EBT video courses and community to enrich your experience. Log onto EBT.ORG for a few minutes each day. The EBT Team is dedicated to improving world health through EBT. On behalf of then, it is my pleasure to welcome you to EBT! JOY! Laurel Mellin EBT Founder 3
Wiring the Brain for Joy The wires that determine how we respond to life are stored in the emotional brain. n
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The emotional brain includes the reptilian brain, the seat of the stress response, and the mammalian brain, the seat of emotions, relationships, spirituality and reward drives. The thinking brain, or neocortex, is the overseer of our emotional brain, and the part of us that thinks, plans and decides.
In this course, you will train your thinking brain to rewire your emotional brain.
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All thoughts, emotions and behaviors are wires. They are strings of nerve cells that fire over and over again in our brain. The “circuits” that determine how we respond to life are in the emotional brain. There are two kinds of circuits: Joy Circuits (effective): When these wires fire, we move through stress back to joy. We know what we need to do and we do it. These wires promote health, happiness and productivity. Stress Circuits (ineffective): When these wires fire, we get stuck in stress. We don’t know what we really need, and even if we do, we don’t do it. These wires block health, happiness and productivity. In this course you will learn tools to strengthen the Joy Circuits and weaken the Stress Circuits. Each moment that you are feeling present, aware and positive, you strengthen the effective wiring and weaken the ineffective wiring. In time the Joy Circuits take over and you naturally process daily life more effectively. Health, happiness and productivity tend to improve.
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Each time you use the tools you will probably notice that you feel better. Small but important changes occur in your brain. Over time, it all adds up.
When the Brain is Wired for Joy n
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The Thinking Brain (prefrontal cortex) is more effective at focusing your attention and tuning into your emotions. The Worry Center (amygdala) doesn’t get triggered as often. You don’t overreact to stresses. The Calming Center (hippocampus) is more effective, and you feel more relaxed. The Reward Centers send surges of pleasure through your body from natural rewards, like eating healthy food and exercising. The drives for artificial pleasures and unhealthy habits decrease. The Emotional Pipeline (vagal nerve) gets more effective in sending emotional messages to the brain, especially compassion and love. The Habit Center (basal ganglia) learns how to process stress and how to get pleasure in healthy ways. It becomes natural and easy more of the time.
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All these things occur because we change how we experience the moment. We focus on our process rather than the outcome and savor the rewards that sustained our ancestors: sanctuary, authenticity, vibrancy, integrity, intimacy, spirituality and freedom. Throughout the day, we know that we will be in all the levels of stress, some of which are given to extremes of emotions, thoughts and behaviors. We can accept that! We are creating joy in our lives, not happiness but bittersweet, gritting, tender, raucous, peaceful moments of joy. In that brain state, most problems vanish, and those that remain we can handle in a reasonably effective way. How do you start? You begin right where you are, and keep in mind that the goal of the day is to spend more moments in that brain state of joy. You say to yourself often:
I am creating JOY in my life! Then you take a two-minute vacation once each hour. In those two moments you relax and emotionally connect with yourself. You feel your joy.
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Your Rewards . . . What do you most want for yourself from this course? As you use EBT to improve how you process daily life, you will experience the rewards of life that are associated with the long-term survival of the planet. We all have a natural hunger for these rewards, as it is part of our genetic heritage. Stress blocks our capacity to experience these rewards, and using these tools rewires our brain to return to our natural state of reward. Please take a moment to identify which reward is most important to you: Sanctuary peace and power from within Authenticity feeling whole and being genuine Vibrancy
healthy with zest for life
Integrity
the capacity to do the right thing
Intimacy
giving and receiving love
Spirituality awareness of the grace, beauty and mystery of life Freedom
common excesses fade
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The Plan Use This Journal – Keep this journal with you for ready access to the tools. Jot down your progress day by day. Complete one chapter every 3 days, or take longer if you prefer. Check In – Pause and take a two-minute vacation hourly or about 10 times daily. This practice over time rewires the powerhouse of the emotional brain. Brain Fitness – Exercise, food and sleep improve brain fitness. Make small but important changes in them to improve your results. Get Support – Visit our website for videos, webbased tools, coaching, groups and telegroups. Share Your JOY – Share these ideas and tools with friends and family, so that they can benefit, too. The world is full of stress, impossible demands and harsh realities. Keep in mind what you are doing. You are wiring your brain to find peace and power from within. This rewiring helps to create a happy, healthy, productive life.
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