Cherry blossoms are a favorite this time of year. Filled with color and fresh fragrance they lift our spirits after a cold, often bleak, winter. Bird songs rise this time of year, too. Enjoy our Spring haiku titled, Spring Song.
Author Archives: BEST Admin
Neurodragoneering! What The Heck Is That?
You’re sitting around the table with several friends and one begins to speak, “It’s dusk and the road is dusty and rutted. The town is another half day’s walk. Your pack is getting heavy and it begins to rain.
As the rain continues you feel cold as the dampness of your rain-soaked clothes settles into your bones. Thunder rumbles in the distance and suddenly the sky lights up with a flash of lightning.
You peer through the grey and shadowed trees just off the road as you scan the area for someplace to take shelter. You can’t see much, but you know from the many times you’ve taken this route between Scarsdale and Oren, there isn’t a soul or house or even a cave nearby.
What do you do now?” And so the story begins.
With all the chatter and YouTube videos, plus the new Dungeons and Dragons movie, there aren’t too many people who haven’t heard about the game. But if we move past the hype we’re left with the question what’s it really all about?
Essentially, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game. It’s a mix of roleplay, storytelling, strategy, and chance all rolled (forgive the dice pun) into one immersive game.
I’ve been playing DnD since 1975 and every time I play it’s different. The people, the mix of characters, and the choices we make always provide a fun and exciting experience each and every time I roll the dice.
Pandemic shutdowns over the past three years have given me the opportunity to share my passion with more people because the tools available are amazing!
And now, we’re adapting our adventures to engage our community. Why?
Because D&D can be a highly beneficial activity for neurodiverse participants. It provides opportunities for social interaction, creativity, skill-building, and personal growth. The game provides a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals can explore their identities, practice new skills, and build connections with others.
It’s one more tool in our Empowered Self Program toolkit that can have many benefits for neurodiverse individuals. From improving social skills to fostering creativity and strengthening executive functioning, DnD has a lot to offer.
Let’s start with improving social skills. D&D involves group problem-solving and cooperative storytelling, which can help neurodiverse participants improve their social skills and build connections with others in a structured and supportive environment. Through role-playing their characters, they can practice different social behaviors, communication styles, and problem-solving techniques.
What about encouraging creativity? D&D is a game that encourages creativity and imagination. A player creates and develops 
their character, giving them an opportunity to explore different aspects of their personality, express themselves, and develop their own storylines which further provides an outlet for their creativity and imagination.
One of the most important aspects of playing is that the game helps develop executive functioning skills without focusing on lists, calendars, and reminders. After all, D&D requires planning, organization, and the ability to prioritize and execute actions. These skills are important for neurodiverse individuals who may struggle with executive function. Through playing the game, they can practice these skills in a fun and engaging way. For example, they may need to manage resources, make strategic decisions, and keep track of multiple pieces of information at once.
Playing DnD also helps players build confidence because they step into the shoes of their characters and take on new personas. This can help to also build self-esteem as they explore new roles and try out new behaviors. The game provides a safe space to experiment with different identities and practice being assertive, confident, and proactive.
As I just mentioned, we play a game that provides a safe and non-judgmental space for neurodiverse participants to express themselves and try out new ideas without fear of serious consequences. D&D is designed to be inclusive and accepting of different identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. This can be particularly important for individuals who may feel marginalized or misunderstood in other social contexts.
DnD also helps improve the communication skills of everyone at the table. Communication between players and the Dungeon Master (DM) is vital to moving the story forward and solving challenges. This can help neurodiverse participants improve communication skills such as active listening, asking for clarification, and practicing giving and receiving feedback.
So … what the heck is a “Neurodragoneer”? Simply, it’s our special kind of adventurer. We’re a family of different thinkers. It made sense to blend the two concepts into a fun, unique, and utterly BEST concept; the Neurodragoneer.
Interested in playing? Look for upcoming openings in several adventures you can register for. Keep your eyes open for announcements and updates.
See you at the table!
 | Gloria's career as an independent nonprofit consultant, trainer, and writer spans over 30 years giving her lots to talk about. She has a deep passion for sustainability, both environmentally and organizationally. Enjoy her perspectives on community, development, and tales from her virtual world travels. |
Brain Busters Is Going Gang Busters In SL
Virtual worlds, especially Second Life, provide an invaluable lifeline for many in our community who are isolated for a variety of reasons. I’ve written about this before and personally experience how helpful Second Life can be. The immersive experiences and connections with others have been especially helpful over the past three years as shifting health mandates and recommendations are more often confusing than helpful.
The big push for video meetings, aka “zoom meetings” with the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020 helped some and left many others without the connections they craved and that, as humans, we need.
For neuro-divergent individuals, 2-dimensional video meetings, especially in groups, proved to be cognitively overwhelming. To respond to the needs of our community we set up phone trees, conference calls, and hosted more activities in Second LIfe.
Trying to manage everything that is happening during a video meeting is challenging for those with cognitive challenges. It’s more than “squirrel”. It’s about people talking over one another, delays, bad video connections, and all the myriad lumps and bumps that come with video meetings.
Many people use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to connect with friends and family. but what if you could go shopping together or take a long walk through Norwegian fjords? Go to a play or a concert? And never leave your home. This is what virtual worlds offer.
In Second Life BEST facilitates discussion groups and workshops. We host concerts, dances, tours, drumming circles, and more. We offer caregiver respite activities monthly. We partner with other organizations that, also, host activities in Second Life.
Since 2020 BEST has partnered with Whole Brain Health in Second Life to bring monthly discussions on important topics that impact brain health. Topics include neuroplasticity.
We meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 11am PST/SLT at the Brodman Brain on Inspiration Island. Get more information on our calendar.
The Lotus Blossoms In the Muddiest Water
Did you know that the lotus grows in muddy water? It is said that the muddier the pond, the more beautiful the flower.
The lotus flower has great meaning in Buddhism. An open flower, one that has bloomed, represents enlightenment and the muddy water represents the turbulence and challenges of our daily life.
The Buddha said that “as a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water, and rises out of the water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world.”
10 Immune System Boosters
This is the time of year when your immune system takes a beating; flu, common cold, bronchitis, stomach bug, and even COVID. Yes, any virus can sneak in and take control whenever your immune system is weakened. That includes some medications (talk to your doctor about this if you have concerns about your prescriptions).
Sure we can get a pill or vaccine or some over-the-counter snake oil, but if we focus on good nutrition and a reasonable amount of daily exercise we create a great foundation for sustained health. Add to that the 10 immune system boosters in this article and you just might get through the season with your armor of good health undented.
#1 – Eat your leafy greens. Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, parsley, collard greens, beet greens, cabbage, swiss chard, arugula, and endive are just a few of the many delicious leafy greens you can enjoy just about year-round. Leafy greens are packed with powerful nutrients, antioxidants, and plenty of fiber to help boost immunity.
#2 – Physical activity. This doesn’t mean you have to go to a gym four days a week or run a marathon. It does, however, mean that you have to move. Research shows that when it comes to boosting your immunity, moderate-intensity exercise is best because it can stimulate cellular immunity by increasing the circulation of immune cells in your body. Walking, swimming, gardening, yoga, tai chi, anything you can do
#3 – Onions and garlic. Garlic can boost your immune function which is linked to increased white blood cell responses that fight common winter viruses. Did you know onions were worshipped by ancient Egyptians? It’s less likely that it was for its health properties and more so that the rings represent the circle of life. Aside from any religious association, onions containe the trace mineral selenium. Selenium helps reduce inflammation and stimulates immune function. It is found to be more concentrated in onions than in other vegetables.
#4 – Sunshine. 15 minutes a day of sunshine maintains healthy vitamin D levels and boosts your immune system. Millions of people develop avoidable diseases that can be avoided with regular exposure to natural sunlight. There are ways to easily add sunshine to your day; eat lunch outside instead of inside, take a walk, or do your exercise routine outside.
#5 – Cold-pressed oils. What oil and how it’s processed is more important to good health than you might think. Standard oils are processed with heat and solvents adding toxins to your diet and diminishing nutritional value. Cold-pressing olives, avocados, and coconut ensures these oils retain nutritional value without adding any toxins. AND cold-pressed oils are not processed with solvents or heat.
#6 – Fermented foods. Research shows that fermented foods enhance the diversity of gut microbes and decrease inflammation while boosting your immune system. Examples of fermented foods you’ll enjoy include yogurt, kefir, sourkraut, miso, kombucha, and kimchi.
#7 – Regular sleep pattern. We can never say enough about the many benefits of good sleep, but, it’s important to note that sleep plays a role in how well your immune system works. Did you know that T cells contribute to the body’s immune response when potential nasties enter your body? A study was done in which T cells were taken from some volunteers who slept and some who remained awake. After analyzing these samples, the research team saw that the T cells of sleeping people had higher levels of integrin (a type of protein that allows T cells to attach to and tackle their targets) activation compared with the same cells taken from people in a waking state.
NOTE – If you have trouble falling asleep when you go to bed try turning off all devices and stop watching TV at least one hour before going to bed.
#8 – Minimize the amount of sugar you eat. We know that lowering sugar intake can decrease inflammation and aid in weight loss. Minimizing sugar (less than 5% of daily calories) reduces the risk of chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A 2021 study determined that hyperglycemia can contribute to atherosclerosis by altering the adaptive immune response.
#9 – Drink water. Water is a fantastic immune booster. Drinking water hydrates your cells and flushes toxins and bacteria from your body allowing your body to better fight viruses. Water also helps you absorb important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your food, which will increase your chances of staying healthy.
#10 – Manage your brain bucks to better handle stress. Stress can reduce the number of lymphocytes in the body, which are needed to fight viruses. Chronic stress can produce higher-than-normal levels of the hormone cortisol. This can hamper the body’s anti-inflammatory response and cause continual infections, according to a variety of immunology research studies. By managing your mental energy well you are better able to deal with stress.
| Gloria's career as an independent nonprofit consultant, trainer, and writer spans over 30 years giving her lots to talk about. She has a deep passion for sustainability, both environmentally and organizationally. Enjoy her perspectives on community, development, and tales from her virtual world travels. |
