Can I retrain my brain?

Only in the past few decades have we been able to break through and understand the maze underneath our skulls. Certainly, we're aware of the amazing things our brains do-in science, technology, art, music, in everything. Because we witness its remarkable power, maybe that's why it's so disturbing when we see people affected by neurological problems.

For as much potential as our brains have, seeing the late Ronald Reagan suffer from Alzheimer's disease or Muhammad Ali battle Parkinson's disease also shows us the potential devastation. World-famous musician Quincy Jones also knows what it feels like to experience such devastation. In 1974, he felt excruciating pain-like he was shot in the head. Jones blacked out, unaware of what was happening. It turned out that he had a ruptured aneurysm; one of the major arteries in his brain had burst. When he pulled through, he learned that he had to rehab his own brain to regain his capabilities. Jones used yoga and meditation to pull through his arterial problems, as well as that of a nervous breakdown he'd suffered.

The case of Quincy Jones is proof that your mind can have significant influence over your body if you challenge it. And that's a very important point. While the anatomy of your brain can seem as complex as learning a foreign language, the fact is that you can take charge of preventing your brain function from declining as you age.