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Modern medicine, for all its advances, knows less than 10 percent of what your body knows instinctively Deepak Chopra

The human brain is similar to an immensely powerful computer that controls our thoughts, movements, memories and decisions. An evolutionary marvel, it is made up of billions of brain cells that send and receive information at the speed of light. The structures that make up the oldest parts of the human brain are largely shared and indistinguishable from our animal (mammal) friends. What makes the human brain unique however is its immense size. In fact our brains are three times larger than the brains of similar sized mammals. The reason for this is the cerebral cortex (otherwise known as the cortical part of the brain) which is extremely developed in humans and therefore quite large. Located on the outside of the brain the cortex grants us the ability to mull over the past, prepare for the future, and analyze abstract situations and problems. This part of the brain is what really makes us human and gives us the brainpower to create everything from striped toothpaste to airplanes. In life, however, it is often the case that for every positive, no matter how great, there is often a negative and it is true in this case as well. Although our reliance on our cerebral cortex brings many benefits it also limits us in that it can overwhelm our more basic instincts from our more ancient subcortical brain. This is why so many of suffer from increased aches and pains as we age.

To better understand this concept it is helpful to look at the brain as a computer. The cerebral cortex, or cortical parts of the brain, is like the RAM in a computer in that it readily accepts new instructions to be carried out. When you are learning something new for the first time, such as swinging a tennis racquet, this is the part of the brain you are using.

The subcortical part of the brain is like the firmware or ROM parts of a computer. Instructions are much more permanent here and are much harder to change. Bodily functions such as keeping your heart beating and regulating your breath are controlled here. Automatic reactions such as instantly pulling your hand back if you touch a hot stove are rooted in your subcortical brain. When you accidently touch a hot object you dont have to think about it. Instead, your subcortical brain takes over in order to save you from danger. These kinds of instructions were likely programmed into our brain during caveman times and they havent changed much since then.

How does this knowledge of the cortical and subcortical parts of the brain relate to rejuvenating your body? Heres how. As you live your life you will experience both mental and physical trauma. For example most of us have had the experience where we have attempted to lift a heavy object only to feel anything from a twinge to an intense pain from our back. This is obviously an example of physical trauma. What is going on here is that our conscious, cortical part of our brain is attempting to carry out an instruction to lift a heavy object. However the object you are lifting is too heavy and the possibility exists that you might injure yourself. This is where the subcortical brain takes over in order to protect you. Without you having to think about it your back muscles spasm or seize up and you drop the heavy object. This kind of reaction is exactly the same kind of response you get if you were to touch that hot stove. Without thinking your subcortical brain instantly reacts to protect you from harm.

Although it is typically a slower process emotional trauma can have the same physical effect on your body. For example, lets say you are facing a tight deadline at work that you are worried you might miss. Although the trauma you are experiencing is purely mental your sub cortex will attempt to protect you in a physical way. This is why various muscles will tense up and you are much more vulnerable to conditions like back spasms when you are stressed. Once again your subcortical brain is simply trying to protect you.