Poetry and Your Brain

I remember 6th grade graduation being a really big deal. There was a lot of preparation and sweet gestures to commemorate it with, a personal autograph book being one of them. The autograph book. A tiny 4x6 inch, embossed book that you'd pass around to your classmates so they could write "deep, meaningful sentiments" like, "keep smiling", "have a great summer", and "stay cool". I loved mine and especially loved reading and rereading each page. One evening as I reveled through my pages I ran across a new entry by Gary Martinez. Gary was my 6th grade crush. He had dimples, could run fast and was really good at handball. As I read his words my eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled. It said,  

Roses are red 
Violets are blue 
I hope you love me 
Like I love you

Okay, it's 6th grade, what do you expect?! Gary was not amazing like, Poet Laureate, Amanda Gordon but his beautiful poetic words touched my twelve-year old soul in, exactly the same. That, is the power of poetry (as we've known it).  

But guess what? Some studies have shown that poetry not only impacts us emotionally but is actually hardwired into our brains, in an intuitive way. That to think about poetry (as we hear or read it) or even the struggle to understand poetry leads to more flexible thinking, and the ability to ponder multiple meanings. This then, helps us to navigate unpredictable events and subsequently make choices in our everyday lives. And that's a win-win proposition. So, whether you write it, read it or listen to it, take some time to immerse yourself in poetry and reap both the emotional and physical rewards. 

Take care and be safe.
xo Kathryn
A Happy Balance