Being bilingual has serious, practical advantages in this global economy; but there may be some hidden cognitive advantages to speaking two languages as well. Research into the benefits of bilingualism has yielded results that seem to indicate that bilingual individuals are at a cognitive advantage over single-language speakers. Research into this topic has shown time and again that the cognitive differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals that may be pronounced enough to make the idea of taking online classes in a foreign language seem quite enticing.

Types of Tests

The differences between bilingual and monolingual children are most notable when testers are asked to complete mental puzzles. In the study that showed the most pronounced difference between the two groups, children were asked to sort colored shapes into digital bins. This type of test is a measure of the brain’s executive function, or command system. Because bilingual testers so markedly outperformed their monolingual, same-aged peers, the test seems to indicate conclusively that bilingual children are at a cognitive advantage.

Advantage Causes

Once researchers discovered that bilingual individuals performed better on some forms of cognitive testing, they turned their efforts towards determining why these dual-language speakers outperformed their peers. Though no definitive answers have been discovered, there are a number of likely causes for this advantage.

One school of thought is that these bilingual testers do better because they have an enhanced ability to focus by inhibiting part of their brain. These two-language speakers can turn off part of their brain when they want to speak one language and turn it back on at will to speak the other, something that could aid them in focusing on complex mental tasks.

Another idea is that bilingual individuals are simply better at monitoring their environments, as they have to be aware of where they are and with whom they’re communicating when they decide which language to speak. Many researchers believe this extra environmental monitoring practice makes these individuals more adept at taking in environmental cues and using them to solve problems.

Potential Research Problems

While many research studies have been done on this topic, and a large number support the idea that bilingualism could have a more complex effect on mental processes than it may initially appear, other researchers caution that individuals shouldn’t view these results as entirely conclusive. These researchers point to the fact that other factors could be contributing to this perceived mental advantage, including, but not limited to, the fact that bilingual children are generally more likely to be affluent children, as parents with means are more likely to have the option of exposing their children to language learning at an earlier age.

Because affluent children generally do better than children of lower socio-economic classes in academics in general, this could minimize the overall impact of these findings. Researchers who continue to tout the benefits of bilingualism counter this argument by maintaining that the benefits of bilingualism extend well beyond childhood; elderly dual-language speakers experience reduced rates of dementia, a condition largely not impacted by socio-economic status.

Later-in-Life Learning

While most of the research on this topic has been performed on children who are bilingual, researchers contend that these advantages aren’t reserved for dual-language speakers who grew up speaking two different languages. These researchers argue that adults who receive language education and develop bilingualism later in life may still reap many of these benefits, even if they are less pronounced than those experienced by lifelong bilinguals.

Speaking two languages is a skill many would like to possess, regardless of the added cognitive advantage bilingual individuals may experience. For those considering picking up another language, the knowledge of this potential mental benefit will likely provide just another reason to study up and acquire these added language skills.

About the Author

Harper Mac

Lindsey Harper Mac is a writer and editor living in Indianapolis. She writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University.

Cycling is a pleasurable activity that does not seem much like an exercise, but yields impacts even higher than a tough workout. It has a great appeal for even the layman because all parts of the body benefit from cycling; it bring forth a host of advantages for various body organs and the largest muscle groups in the body. Let us review the health benefits of cycling, with a special emphasis on correlation between physical well-being and cycling.

Balancing is the main skill in cycling and it engages in work all the muscle groups of the body, and synchronization between them increases considerably, also resulting in an enhanced equilibrium. Indolence lowers the muscle strength, while a proper usage of muscles (for instance in cycling) ensures a healthy and balanced life. Not only it yields a lesser risk of strain, it also makes the muscle tone perk up over the time.

Cycling improves the wits by bringing in a challenge for physical fitness. The mind is also lightened up through the natural spectacle that we witness while cycling. It is also proven to perk up the functioning of heart and lungs, which in turn reduces stress and depression. The reduction in stress is also been accompanied by amplified freedom and relaxation. Regular cycling has been verified by physicians to cut down the risk of heart diseases by half and to build a stronger immune system, thus resulting in an enhanced fight against infections and diseases. Aerobic exercise (which also includes bicycling) is famous for its anti-depressant effect on mind.

The recurring movement and rhythmic pattern of cycling is also known to help arthritis patients by building an agile skeletal structure, which is achieved through optimal level of strain as in cycling. The strength and durability of spinal cord is increased by cycling activity which in turn results in lesser likelihood of back aches and associated issues. Additionally, it augments endurance and resistance level to wrestle back ailment. An additional benefit is that major joints of body get fortified through cycling activity.

Cycling brings the heart rate to an optimal level, and to achieve even enhanced results, medical experts suggest taking deviations in speeds, or it is even better to ride on a sloped surface. The periodic movement is also best known for burning the extra calories and fat from the body, thus aiding people who are aiming at weight loss.

While there is no special skill set or expensive equipment required for biking, it yields a supplementary benefit of extending the multi-tasking abilities of the rider since he/she has to focus on many parameters at the same time, which in turn improves efficiency and working of the mind.

Not only is cycling beneficial while one is performing it, but also the metabolic rate enhances even when the physical activity is over. It also reduces high blood pressure, thus regulating the overall functioning of body. Other than being beneficial for the individual, it adds to the well-being of society, owing to being environment-friendly and reducing the traffic load on the streets.

So, get onto your bike for a healthy and enjoyable ride!

About the Author 

Nancy Kalinton is a keen recreational cyclist and she loves to write in spare time. She guides young cyclists, climbers, and skiers about Garmin 910 xt and Heart Rate Monitors.

There are many causes of negativity. Sometimes, a person can be their own worst enemy. Be honest, have you ever caught yourself thinking negative thoughts? Self-sabotage is only one area that might be causing negativity in your life. Friends and family just might be another.

“I’m not pretty enough.”

“I’m not smart enough to get that new job.”

“No one would want to hire me.”

“I can’t ask someone out. Who would want to date me?”

Everyone has had a negative thought run through their head from time to time, but allowing these kinds of thoughts on a day-to-day basis tends to turn the thoughts into reality. If you tell yourself enough times that you can’t get a job, or a partner, or a raise, or what have you, in the end, you’ll be right. If you want to truly improve your life, you must stop the cycle of self-sabotage.

Sometimes it isn’t just you telling yourself that you’re not good enough. Sometimes it is those who are supposed to love you the most, your friends and family. They may not even realize they are doing it. At times, they may feel they have your best interest at heart. Perhaps they are simply unhappy in their own lives and are living in their own cloud of negativity and don’t realize how it is affecting others.

You can break out of the negative hold your friends and family have on you. It truly is your choice. That may seem odd, but only you can decide how someone else’s actions will affect you. Just because they are negative or upset about a situation, does not mean you need to be as well.

It is your choice whether or not to be involved in their issues. Sometimes a little distance is a good thing. You might not be able to pick your family, but you did pick your friends. If you find that your friends are bringing negativity into your life, it might be time to consider letting them go.

It’s never easy to end a friendship, but sometimes it is necessary. People tend to attract what they put out. If your friends are negative, it’s important to take a good look at yourself first. If you are projecting negativity, then you are likely to attract it. If you can attract the bad, you can also attract the good.

Once you determine what is causing the negativity in your life, it’s up to you to take the necessary steps to drive out the negative and bring in the positive.

Need More Help? Psychic Source live advisors can help you with the questions you may have about life. Their psychics will use clairvoyance to see the true direction for you.

About the Author

Beth Sager is a freelance writer of web content for the past three years. She also writes plays and has had several produced and published. She has a BA and MFA in Creative Writing. She lives in South Carolina with her two dogs, Truman and Sammy. She wrote this article on behalf of Psychic Source.

Releasing  negative energies, transforming unresolved situations, and cleansing ourselves from past doubt and calming our minds and meditating on new solutions are possible since we can learn to meditate and use methods supported by new age studies. As we learn about healing crystals, meditation, and new age techniques – such as vibration and sound theories – we become aware that we are supported in our quest to ascension. The beauty of nature is a source of inspiration as the colors and sounds and wonders leave us captivated.

Tarot correspondences help us reveal our own soul light even at times when our own inspiration and vision require attuning. Since our own vibrations fluctuate as our energy levels are adjusting to the stimuli around us, we can focus and mediate, to be tuned in with our own soul journey, clearly perceiving the light of our existence.

Understanding the nature of crystals, vibrations of matter, allows us to appreciate the diversity of healing facets in creation; and as we open ourselves to the energy of their beauty, we learn to channel our focus on the positive pulsation of the universe. Color associations are vital as these relate to auras, energy, and inspiration. As many signs and symbols urge and guide our quest, like a river flowing, our words fill the world with instruction. We are vessels of the light, each one vital. And moving ahead is simply transforming points in time where we rise again, correcting our own mistakes.

Finally, through sights and sounds, we are stirred through our senses to processes and appreciate nature; we are touched and we are healed by the experience. Harmonics and vibrations of sound can move us, transform us, and heal us through the sound field. As cycles return and we look at ourselves, we realize that we have experienced, appreciated, and have known. When we have reconciled our past with the present, we realize that our decisions are vital in shaping our future; we cannot always see the whole picture in the barrage of new stimuli that a new situation brings; however, we can get through the deep freeze of life’s path as we understand that our instincts and steps are bringing us closer to who we want to be.

About the Author

Michaela Sefler is a new age writer, poet, children’s fairytale writer singer-songwriter, radio broadcaster. Her work is esoteric, drawing on love and soul, to convey a message of hope and survival. Focusing and harmonious aspects of creation, she inspires readers with healing facets of our own existence as related through ancient studies. She has seventeen published books, and a mystical songs CD, and has hosted her radio show Poetry Music and Transcendence Radio show on various networks. Michaela is also a holistic coach and has been published in many magazines including the holistic print journals Light Bridges Magazine, and Recovering the Self. Visit her online at http://msefler.webs.com.

The coming issue of Recovering the Self (April 2012) takes the theme of “Starting Over”

thorough the writings of people had those hard times in their personal and/or professional lives and had those “awakening moments” whereby we receive the gift of valuing life in the present as we have it in and around us.

This issue features the following articles:

• Taking the Opportunity by Ken La Salle
• The Woman Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming by Dinah Dietrich
• The Blue Dots by Nancy-Gail Burns
• Forgiveness Is Not A One-Time Act by Rosana Brasil
• Starting Over by Kat Fasano-Nicotera
• Take Pride, Not Sorrow by Sarah Jane Conteh… and many others.

Also included in the issue will be a special interview with psychologist Steve Taylor of the Leeds Metropolitan University, author of the recent book Out of the Darkness, which explores the subject of how people transform spiritually after turmoil or hitting rock bottom at some point in their lives.

Inspirational, healing, and empowering, the April 2012 issue is all you want to read for your life to come live again!

For ordering copies in advance with special discount, write to editor@recoveringself.com.  

In a recent proclamation, President Barack Obama named April 2012 as National Donate
Life Month. In doing so, he brought attention to the great need for organ donors. There are currently more than 114,000 people on organ transplant waiting lists. While many people have chosen to donate vital organs upon their deaths, many more are still needed, making this a timely announcement.

Growing Need for Suitable Donors

In late 2011, there were 100 million donors registered to give their organs to people on the waiting list upon their deaths. This number surpasses the number of people on the waiting list. However, the complication in finding successful organs lies in the matching process, which determines transplant compatibility. The more people who donate their organs, the greater the chance of finding a match during this arduous process.

Many people are hesitant to donate organs because they believe they may be too old. Additionally, individuals with certain illnesses may not realize they can still donate. Even if a person has one organ that is not usable, he or she may have several other organs from which someone else can benefit. Medics are not just looking for major organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and liver; they also have people on waiting lists that could use skin, veins, tendons, heart valves and bone marrow. One donor can potentially save the lives of eight people.

Getting on the List

In addition to the national and state donor programs, there are donor networks that have added a twist to this process. LifeSharers is a newly-developed network of organ donors. LifeSharers works on a give-and-take basis. People who agreed to donate their organs will receive organs first before people who have not donated. The creation of this network was an excellent idea to give some incentive to people who have not yet decided to participate. Life is something that should be shared. Therefore, anyone who wants to save his or her life should be willing to save someone else’s life as well.

Events that Highlight Need

IU Health and Riley Hospital for Children held a ceremony earlier this month in Indianapolis to congratulate and thank the many people who have donated their organs to people in need. Together, IU Health and Riley Hospital have performed more than 500 organ transplants since the 2010, making them the fourth-largest transplant center in the U.S. In addition to thanking donors, the ceremony was intended to encourage people who have not joined donor lists to do so.

In addition to National Donate Life Month, Donate Life America will continue to raise awareness by naming August 1^st as National Minority Donor Awareness Day, September 15-October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month—used to celebrate and honor organ, eye, and tissue donations made by Hispanics and to encourage more Hispanics to donate—and the National Donor Sabbath, observed two weekends before Thanksgiving, during which members of faith communities are encouraged to focus on the hope that is passed to others through organ donation and educate their congregants about this issue.

For those waiting patiently to receive a life-saving organ transplant, the days and nights of waiting can seem never-ending and wearisome. Thanks to advances in science, this doesn’t have to be the case. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming an organ, tissue or blood donor, contact a donor program right away.

About the Author

Harper Mac

Lindsey Harper Mac is a writer and editor living in Indianapolis. She writes on behalf of Colorado Technical University.

After writing a year’s worth of blog entries here on Recovering The Self, I was feeling very pleased with myself. I had started out unsure about my ability to even talk about following your dream and had ended the year able to announce publication of Climbing Maya, which was a dream of my own! Surely, it didn’t get much better than that.

And that’s when Vicky said, “But not everybody is like you. Not everyone has dreams.”

The problem with marrying someone who is your intellectual equal is they tend to be right pretty often.

Was it possible that my gung-ho attitude towards pursuing your dreams wasn’t as universal as I thought? Let’s recap: I’ve been pursuing my dream of being a writer for nearly 30 years, writing novels, non-fiction, plays, poems, whatever I could come up with and lots of it. I also dream of cycling my next century and being a better runner, of losing a little weight (okay, a lot of weight), and on and on. My life is all about working on my dreams and making them come true.

The problem, I realized, is that not everybody can be so gung-ho. Vicky’s point is one I tend to forget: that most people are just trying to make a living, have a life… get through. Vicky can’t relate to my method of setting your sights on the horizon and striving to get there because she lives very differently, a lot more sensibly. She sets a goal down the road a ways and gets there easily, then she sets another goal another short distance beyond, and another, and another. It isn’t nearly as exciting as setting sail for the horizon but, you know what? It works. It makes sense.

But isn’t that also a dream?

One of the things Vicky loves to do is teach, which she now does as the result of a hundred choices she made along the way. When I realized that teaching is just as much a dream for her as any of my dreams, I knew that we were looking at the same thing from a different perspective.

And what is that? What is a dream? What makes it worthwhile?

Dreams don’t have to be out on the horizon, though they can be. You can decide you want to devote your life to some extraordinary goal or you can commit yourself to something more sensible and achievable. A dream can be something very personal or it can involve the world. Dreams can take you on the journey of a lifetime or they can be a goal just a few months out. They’re all dreams.

And you make them worthwhile. You do this with your decision to commit yourself to making them come true. Without commitment, dreams are worthless. They’re nothing more than wishful thinking, sitting on your sofa and saying, “I wish I could do that.” When you make your dream worthwhile, you provide worth to yourself as well.

That’s how I feel when I go cycling, which is a good, short-term dream because the dream is also in the doing. It’s how Vicky feels when she teaches, and when she creates her next dream and her next. Making a living as a writer is not something I do, yet; but every move in that direction is worthwhile.

Sure, you can plug in different synonyms like “goal” or “objective” and if that helps you make things happen, you should do that. I recognize them as dreams because I feel it invests the correct amount of importance in the undertaking. Anyone can have a goal or objective but… a dream? A dream that will fill your heart and make your life so much more than it might be otherwise? Those are special.

And we all have them.

And I firmly believe that life is never fully lived if we’re not going after them. It’s certainly a lot more fun.

About the Author

Ken La Salle

You can find out more about Ken La Salle at www.kenlasalle.com. Climbing Maya, An Exploration Into Success by Ken La Salle is now available from all major e-tailers by Solstice Publishing (http://www.solsticepublishing.com/).

Sometimes I feel like a thing instead of a person, an “it” instead of a “her”, more akin to a robot that mechanically does everything – its emotional valve shut off for repair. And it’s no wonder. I was objectified from an early age. My body was used and abused by predators.

A separation from the self can occur during trauma. Instead of entering a normal “fight or flight” pattern, some people, like me, freeze. We get stuck in the moment and our minds separate from our bodies. In the process, our emotions shut down. On one hand, this is good because the shut-down effect helps us to survive the trauma. On the other, well… being shut down makes it hard to be human.

The feeling was very distinct and unforgettable. His rough hands touched my skin and I disappeared into the fluorescent lights of the exam room and watched the rest of the attack from on high. It was like a light switch clicking OFF. One moment I was lively and outgoing; the next I was sullen and introverted. My life before, my life after:  night vs. day or a dream about unicorns and cotton candy vs. a nightmare about the scariest of monsters.

I may have disappeared into the overhead light that night, but the light inside of me clicked OFF. And it was just easier to keep it off than to switch it back on and deal with emotions, which had become messy, scary things. For the longest time, I would find comfort in emotional disengagement. The isolation that came with it seemed a better option than engagement because engagement came with a big risk for hurt. But isn’t being human all about taking such a risk? Love, for example, doesn’t come at the exclusion of hurt. If anything, love is a pact: a coexistence of joy and pain. Pain because, to love, one must become vulnerable, and vulnerability lends itself to potential wounding.

In recent years, I’ve made great strides toward integrating my long-neglected soft interior. I can love today; I can engage. And I accept any hurt that comes with loving and engaging as a part of the human being process. But I’m not perfect. I still relapse into robot mode sometimes. And I usually don’t even know I’m there until something happens that makes me ache in that exhilarating, yet sad human way.

Take today, for example. Seeing this and reading this reminded me that my innards are all bloody and irregular – not perfectly formed and programmed like the computer chips that live inside the chests of robots.

About the Author 

Tamryn Spruill is a nerdling, wordsmith, truth-chaser, reformed good girl, and emerging blabbermouth blogging from the Land of the Unshrinking Violet at: http://www.tamrynspruill.com/uv-blog.html. She invites you to join her on Facebook and Twitter.

Depression is one of the most complex and misunderstood disorders out there. Like anxiety, depression can strain one’s mind, throw off focus, and send our daily routines into disarray. Getting out of emotional trenches can be difficult, even with the aid of medication. Stressful signals such as problems with work, personal life and other constant triggers can be a crux for a person battling depression.

This disorder affects nearly 21 million people around the nation, roughly 15 percent of the general population. Those affected can be hamstrung to a certain situation differently than others, and sometimes general perception from others about the disease doesn’t help that person deal well with the disorder as a whole.

But as science and medicine advance with the help of independent clinical trials and research, so too do treatments and medications to help contain some of the most aggressive sensors and triggers of depression. Even still, there are non-medical aides out there, as well. From support groups on down to eating habits, here are a couple ways to help contain the stresses of depression.

Feeling Well through Healthy Foods

Eating well helps constitute a better balance with your body. Meals high in fruits and vegetables (home-cooked meals, no less) and protein with natural ingredients is very impactful on not just how a person feels for that day, but over a long period of time with the right regimen. Balancing proper vitamins and the levels of water and juices consumed throughout the day is just as important.

Surround Yourself with the Right Crowd

This touches base on support groups and being around those most dear to you and who make you feel great all-around. Friends and family members who will be there for you in your time of need and can help work through the problems together. Trusting your emotions with those who are willing to reciprocate the same gives you the calming assuredness needed to fight off most any depression trigger.

Exercise

Proper exercise releases those “feel good” endorphins into your body, a sense of rejuvenation and positive mindset that can help reverse downtrodden feelings associated with depression. Working on proper breathing exercises will help control the flow of oxygen throughout the body, while relaxing (but demanding) workouts, like Yoga or Pilates, can help keep your body in shape from both a physical and mental standpoint.

Adapt to Certain Situations

There are two sides to this coin because some may react differently to one situation versus another. Since this being said that depression can be linked to certain anxiety disorders, social phobia symptoms can range from anything like inability to connect with large social situations, such as talking to strangers or meeting new people. For some, the feelings of having to talk to strangers could trigger very intense moments of high blood pressure spikes, nervousness, nausea, trembling, and other common symptoms to the point their emotional state is fragile.

With the help of your support group, it’s possible to gradually work one’s way into confidence-building conversations, participating without fear of thinking you’re doing something wrong when you’re not, and working out the kinks of isolation and shyness that compounds bits and pieces of depression.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, there are medicinal aides as well as personal therapists out there to help guide sufferers through the disorder, but it’s good to know that disorders such as depression and anxiety can be combated through doing activities and maintaining a healthy regimen to achieve as active a life as possible. Because at the end of the day, depression shouldn’t have to be an inhibitor to one’s daily routine.

About the Author

Kyle is a freelance writer who has consulted for CTT Research, a clinical research company.