If you fear or are experiencing memory loss as you get older, you're not alone. Polls by Research America and Parade Magazine indicate that for most aging people, the fear of losing mental capacity is much greater than fears of losing physical abilities.

According to Karen Lawrence writing for Suite 101, experiments show that even though stress and depression can damage memory, treatment encourages regeneration of brain cells responsible for long-term memory function.

Paying attention to stress levels in the body by incorporating soothing and healing practices into one’s lifestyle may prove to be one of the best defenses against a deteriorating brain. While stress is certainly an inevitable part of life, adding simple measures to not only slow cell damage by reducing the production of cortisol, but also by encouraging the regeneration of cells can be another easy step towards keeping an aging brain sharp.

In fact, consider these effective techniques:

Deep Breathing. Deep breathing is an ancient and simple way to induce the relaxation response.

Guided Imagery and Visualization. Guided imagery is following the guidance of a soothing voice that is suggesting scenes of inner focus to elicit the relaxation response like “see yourself on a beautiful beach.”

Classical Music. The complex textures and harmonies of classical music can help usher one into a meditation state.

These techniques and benefits are just a few of the many that have always been incorporated into Alive, and they help with much more than getting better performance from an aging brain. Beyond the fun computer games and environments, Alive also includes off-screen exercises you can practice easily in the course of your busy life. They can be found in the Alive User Guide, and you don't even need to buy Alive to try them out!