Dr. Srividya Muthuvel, Founder and CEO of Voice and Vision, Pune, Maharashtra, points out whether we have ever wondered how we remember names, solve problems, or build new skills. Our brain is constantly forming and adjusting connections to support these abilities. It responds to what we focus on and repeat. Over time, these changes shape who we are and what we can do.
Our organisation, Voice and Vision, tries to encompass the skills and the development of engaging children and adults in public speaking, soft skills development, leadership development, getting along with teachers’ training, and our institute concentrates on a lot more. We should know about curating neuroplasticity and how our brain changes every day.
Understanding how the brain works is not only important for children but also for adults. Development does not stop at a particular age. Learning does not stop after school or college. Growth is a lifelong process. When we understand how our brain rewires itself, we begin to understand how we can reshape our lives.
Story of pungi and shehnai
To start with, we will go through a very small story. The story will be the revolution of the musical instrument pungi to the shehnai. We know the instrument called pungi, and we will see its evolution into the shehnai. One fine day, this musical instrument, the pungi, was played in the Darbar of Aurangzeb. All the people disengaged from the tune of the pungi, stating that it had to be eradicated from the Darbar because the music was very shrill to the ears.
When this decision was made, there was a barber who used to come to the Darbar to do haircuts for the people there. He used to listen to the music of the pungi every day. One fine day, when the decision was taken to discard the pungi, the barber humbly requested Aurangzeb whether he could work upon the synopsis of the pungi.
What do we understand from this? By profession, he was a barber, but that did not mean he should not be engaged in new knowledge of how to encompass the environment to acquire a new synopsis of learning the music of the pungi. Very humbly, he requested whether he could make some changes to the music of the pungi so that it would not sound shrill. For him, it did not sound shrill, but for the others it did. He was granted permission by Aurangzeb, and he worked on the structuring of the pungi. He recomposed it into a shehnai. He made new holes, giving it a new structure and a new identity.
Even though he was a barber, he recomposed brain neurons to understand the composition of the music, and his designation did not interfere with his brain’s development, curating the new instrument called the shehnai. This is why it is named the shehnai, because it was developed in the chamber of Aurangzeb and redeveloped by the barber. This is the beauty of neuroplasticity, where one challenge is to rewire the neurons of the brain even if the person is not remarkably engrossed or engaged with that designation.
What is neuroplasticity
To define neuroplasticity, it is the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganise, rewire, and adapt its neural connections throughout life. This discovery has revolutionised our understanding of the human brain. The example of the barber shows how he was able to reorganise and rewire. He changed the situation and gave us a new instrument called the shehnai. Neuroplasticity was once considered limited only to childhood, but this has now been proven wrong. It continues throughout lifelong growth experiences that we choose to develop for ourselves. Dr. Andrew Bustin says that neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to learn, remember, and change as and when required.
As the example of the barber shows, he felt that the pungi had to be given a change; he intervened, revolutionised, and innovated. That comes under neuroplasticity. Even without any prior experience with musical instruments, taking risks and handling new challenges to the brain falls under neuroplasticity. When we challenge the brain, we allow it to grow. When we innovate, we allow it to expand.
Brain changes every day
Our brain changes daily. The first one is the synoptic pruning. Each experience, every thought, every action leaves an imprint in the brain. Every new experience strengthens some neural pathways while trimming others, optimising the brain’s efficiency through selective reinforcement. When we repeat a skill, those neural pathways become stronger. When we stop using certain skills, those pathways weaken.
We know that Ustad Bismillah Khan was one of the phenomenal shehnai players. His family background had a shehnai-playing tradition. However, when he was three years old, he was not formally taught how to play the shehnai, but he learned through listening and observing.
What happens is that our neural pathways, when engaged in a certain activity, begin to optimise our thought process. There is no need for us to be taught. We can self-learn. This is what was experienced by Ustad Bismillah Khan through keen observation and listening. Our brain forms new synapses and generates new neurons when we learn a new skill. Everything gets recorded structurally in the brain in the right hierarchy. The hippocampus is the area where new developments are recorded and where short-term memory turns into long-term memory through repeated engagement and innovation. Undamaged brain regions can take over functions after injury, demonstrating adaptability and recovery potential.
We have seen many cases where, after an accident, doctors say that a person will not be able to walk for the rest of their life. Yet we see the efficiency of the person when he or she starts walking again. That happens when the unaffected neurons start communicating with the affected neurons in order to demonstrate the functions of the body. It is not easy, but it is possible. It comes with internal communication of the body parts with the brain.
Learning new languages or skills reshapes our brain’s grey and white matter within weeks. The grey matter is found in the brain and spinal cord. It is made of tissue cells. The white matter acts as the communicator between the grey matter and different parts of the body. The grey matter works on memory, learning skills, cognition, and empathy towards others. Everything is stored in the grey matter. The white matter allows us to engage not only with the grey part of the memory but also with the other parts of our body. All these come under neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity allows the brain to communicate with itself. We nurture the composition of the brain rather than allowing the brain to dictate to us.
Double-edged nature of brain plasticity
Neuroplasticity can be positive and negative.
Positive benefits
- Lifelong learning capacity when engaged with intuition and designing brain plasticity. We become ready to learn any new information
- Enhanced memory formation in the hippocampus, where memory is stored and utilised when needed
- Recovery from brain injury
- Delayed cognitive decline in old age if the brain is active, thinking, and making practical adjustments
- Reduced dementia risk
If the grey matter is active and in good relation with the white matter, cognitive decline can be delayed even in later stages of life. People aged 70, 75, or even 80 may not experience severe cognitive decline if they actively engage their brains.
Potential challenges
- Maladaptive neural changes, as the brain is complex, making it difficult for people with depression to come out of it, but possible
- Chronic pathways when the brain gets used to a particular product and becomes resistant when the product is changed
- Addiction reinforcement, such as alcoholism and tobacco consumption, is not beneficial
- Negative habit formation, such as getting up late or being lazy all the time
- Stress-induced alterations, such as being unable to get into a different zone, keeping the brain in a closed zone, unable to think
Children or people experiencing depression may find it difficult to break patterns already recorded in their brains. Chronic pathways develop when the brain builds resistance. Addiction reinforces unhealthy neural circuits. Stress can close the brain into a limited zone of thinking. The key is nurturing positive plasticity through intentional lifestyle choices that promote healthy brain adaptation.
Inspiration from Ustad Bismillah Khan
When Ustad Bismillah Khan became a potential shehnai player, there was a raaga that maestros refused to infuse into the shehnai. He did not accept that limitation. He sat near the river Ganga. He immersed himself in the sound of the flowing river, the Ganga. Inspired by the flowing river, the music was ingrained in his neural pathways. He was able to inculcate and infuse the raaga into the shehnai. The pathway that was declined by other maestros was practically achieved by him because he allowed adaptation. Nothing is impossible. It is how we communicate with ourselves. Challenges should never stop us.
Harnessing neuroplasticity every day
We can keep our brains active through simple daily practices:
- Exercise regularly, especially aerobic exercise, to boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes neural growth and survival.
- Challenge the mind by learning new skills, languages, or musical instruments to strengthen the cognitive resources
- Practise mindfulness and manage stress through meditation, to protect brain plasticity and get positive neural changes in a positive way
- Maintain rich social relationships
- Eat brain-healthy foods
- Prioritise quality sleep
Proper rest allows efficient thinking and innovation. The mantra of the day for us is simple: our brain is adaptable. Every day is a new opportunity to rewire and grow.
Creative thinking and problem-solving
Critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving are essential from womb to tomb to stabilise ourselves in the world. Critical thinking arises when a person observes uncertainty and questions its cause. Why is only one method used to prove something? Can another method be applied? Such creative thinking allows us to present something in a better way. Problem-solving combines both skills. When critical and creative thinking work together, innovation happens.
Educators incorporating neuroscience
In a classroom of 35 to 40 children, educators must understand that they are addressing 40 different minds. The objective should not only be to complete the syllabus. Engagement and neural processing are important. Allow children to speak for two or three minutes after the previous class, as it would have been stressful. Relate their discussion to the topic. This engages the class effectively.
Neuroplasticity in daily life and adult growth
We often grow in a programmed educational channel. However, practical experiences shape neuroplasticity. Some individuals without formal schooling achieve great success through practical learning. We are here to find our purpose. When we find our purpose, neurons start working towards it. Approaches may differ even if goals are similar. Institutions such as NASA and innovators like Elon Musk with SpaceX may share goals but use different approaches, as was proved in the case of bringing astronauts from the International Space Station. Neuroplasticity in adults allows different pathways to success.
Breaking habits and reprogramming brain
One of the biggest challenges in harnessing neuroplasticity is breaking habits, which is not very easy. Breaking habits requires patience. Internal communication between neurons and the body is important. We cannot convince others to believe in different perspectives. It is difficult to convince ourselves because the brain masters thought processes. The one who masters the brain becomes the master of life. Reprogramming requires understanding why, what, how, and which. The day we understand these questions, the problem begins to resolve itself.
Contact details
Dr Srividya Muthuvel
Founder and CEO, Voice and Vision, Pune, Maharashtra
M: 77984 91241
E: srividyamuthuvel12@gmail.com