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In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging

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This is a short story about a `friend'. My `friend' spent most of his adult life as an unhappy individual. This `friend' hated the work he was doing but stayed with the same employer for 25 years. He didn't particularly care for his neighbors but is living in the same house for 17 years. He didn't want to keep in touch with friends or relatives unless he absolutely had to.
During his 30's and 40's, he was always complaining about his health and the aches and pains that conveniently kept him home from work and was also a good excuse to avoid keeping in touch with friends and family. He spent too many days going from doctor to doctor and hospital to hospital, throughout his life, only to get the same answers to all the tests he subjected himself to. The tests were all negative, but this `friend' was not convinced that there was nothing wrong with him.
This `friend' was living a self-fulfilling prophecy. He had used his failing health as an excuse for so long that he had convinced himself that he was really sick. Instead of being happy that all the test results were negative, he complained that the doctors could not find the problems, which made him feel sicker.
Finally at age 58, this 'friend' went to see a doctor who happened to be of Korean origin. After another round of tests with still negative results, this doctor told this 'friend' that he was in good health, in fact, he was in very good health. The doctor recommended that he should get into an exercise and diet program before long or his health would start to deteriorate. The doctor suggested that he should look into a Yoga program which is both physical as well as educational.
So this `friend' found a Dahn Yoga Center only a few blocks from his home. He gathered enough courage to go upstairs and speak with the Instructor. After a 20 minute initial exam, the instructor was describing all the ailments this 'friend' was experiencing, and he was right on. After an introduction to the Yoga exercise routine, this 'friend' attended his first Yoga class the same evening. Although he was always skeptical and doubting everything in his life, something about the Yoga class made him feel different. He continued with the classes and participated in educational programs called B.E.S.T.
The instructor recommended the he read a book named; In Full Bloom: A brain Education Guide For Successful Aging, by Ilchi Lee and Doctor Jessie Jones. This book helped this `friend' to understand how he was creating his own problems and how to start to correct his physical and mental balance back to a healthy body and mind.
If you didn't guess by now this `friend' is really me. At age 58, I am now able to realize that my negative outlook was causing my aches and pains. It all took place in my head. For over 25 years my constant complaining and whining brought myself and everybody around me down.
Just to be able to write this story shows how much I have changed. In one year I lost 14 lbs., my aches and pains have gone away, and my attitude has changed from negative to positive.
But writing this story serves another purpose. If anybody reading this story has the same or similar attitude, I urge you, I'll even beg you, don't wait for your life to pass by without changing how you feel. Get a copy of: In Full Bloom, and / or visit a Yoga center near you. You owe it to yourself to enjoy the rest of your life. It's never to late to change.

My dad is going to turn 70 this year (wow). So despite the fact that his health and mental clarity are currently great, the aura of fear around aging in our culture - especially regarding mental decline - has caused him and the rest of our family to become increasingly more concerned about ensuring his continued good health throughout his latter years. Yet when I read this book, it really helped me see that aging can actually be a very positive, empowering process. Ilchi Lee and Jessie Jones are a perfect match for this book: combining Lee's wisdom and spiritual know-how with Jones' years of expertise on the aging process. Together they've managed to create a compelling (and even reverent) case for a person's final years to be their very best, while maintaining a sense of light-hearted simplicity throughout. By presenting the latest scientific discoveries about aging (which challenge many preconceptions we've all had about aging and mental decline), providing helpful holistic exercises for body and brain, and delivering a powerful spiritual message about being in charge of your own health and wellness as you age, this book is sure to make its mark as an essential guidebook for anyone who wants to be at the top of their game until their last moments on this earth.

If you want another great read by Lee, check out this book: Human Technology: A Toolkit For Authentic Living

I'm still in my 30s, but I found this book very inspiring. It presents an overall approach to health and explains how the brain is the basis for our health and our overall quality of life. It really puts the responsibility on each person to take charge of their life and create a life and a world that they want. But the book doesn't just confer responsibility, it gives step-by-step directions on how to do it.

In Full Bloom's approach to health is very holistic, offering methods that anyone can use without taking medication. As part of the whole picture it explains some scientific basis, as far as it exists, for the concepts and techniques it teaches. It also debunks common myths about aging that makes getting older seem full of possibility and hope.

I am already taking advantage of everything I learned in this comprehensive and useful book.

As someone who is always looking for new ways to create health and find ways to age gracefully this book is a treasure. It clearly explains some of the concepts and uses of meditation, showing how simple it can really be. I particularly enjoyed the smiling meditation. I felt a little silly, and that helped me relax and enjoy the experience. After only about five minutes of smiling, I really felt better!

This book is a whole lot more than your typical brain development book. It really looks at your whole brain in relation to your whole life. Like the title suggests, it is all about living a fully realized life, right through to the end of your life. This one by Ilchi Lee is a good companion: Principles of Brain Management: A Practical Approach to Making the Most of Your Brain.

At 58, I'm noticing little memory lapses that frighten me - could Alzheimer's be in my future??? I was comforted to learn that the brain continues to grow new brain cells throughout life - there isn't a finite number of them as scientists once believed! I learned that what we need to do to keep our brains youthful and responsive is USE THEM by indulging in new activities and exercising our bodies. The key is to continually form new neural pathways to make our brains "flexible" and conditioned for learning new tricks, much like a baby learning to crawl to form neural pathways that will lead to learning other skills later on.

The book offers detailed instructions for easy and fun exercises that will "light up" all parts of the brain. I actaully feel good both physically and mentally after doing them. It also suggests how to essentially recreate ourselves so that we can feel happier, healthier and more inspired than ever before, making life more interesting to us and making us more interesting to others.

I've practiced yoga for ten years, but for the first time I really understand what it means to connect body, mind and spirit. There won't be a dull, dim-witted old lady in my future!

The approach outlined by Lee and Jones strikes a good balance between physical and mental exercises to promote overall health. The sooner you get started the sooner you get results. The optimistic can-do theme of the book should greatly encourage people of all ages. You can take charge of your brain the same way you can take charge of your body by going the gym. The brain is like a muscle in that you can work it, develop it, improve it -- make it beautiful. Made me look at things differently. Definitely worth checking out.

WOW! I have benefited greatly from this book in only a few weeks of following the exercises. I feel my attention span is greater, my short term memory is stronger, my ability to focus is strengthened and my body is more relaxed from the stretching. It seems if followed the simple exercises really work a miracle. I bought 4 more books for other family members to benefit the way I have. I highly recommend the book for all ages, we can all benefit from it. How exciting! Jeff Adler-New Jersey

Thank you Dr. Jessie Jones and Dr. Ilchi Lee guiding me to know and feel my body ever than before. It is amazing to see how my brain and body work together through these exercises. This is a wake up call to me. My health, my happiness and peaceful mind are depended on my brain, not a doctor. Isn't it amazing? To have a better life style or not is my choice. I can create a happy moment at any time and any place I want. I pray each human will use his or her brain well to creat a harmory peace world. Amazing brain!

Whether you're 22 or 92, this book is for you! In Full Bloom is well-written, clear, concise and practical. It features simple yet powerful exercises that will help improve your body and mind and, best of all, help them to work more harmoniously together. In this stressful world, where many of us are tight, inflexible and have to juggle so many things we have a hard time remembering where we left our keys - this book can help. By doing just a few of these simple exercises everyday, we can calm our minds, energize our bodies and live more fulfilling lives.