Recently I've read a fascinating article in the Newsweek about how our brain changes as we grow older. It was fascinating for it dispelled some old misconceptions (at least from my part) about our mental capacities diminishing with age after our twenties.

About half way through the article I realized how bonsai is the perfect answer to keep us physically (as well as fiscally) and mentally fit as long as we live.

Here are some excerpts from the article followed by my comments:

Exercise physically. Numerous studies have linked physical exercise to increased brainpower. The positive effects may stem from increased blood flow to the brain, the production of endorphins, better filtration of waste products from the brain and increased brain-oxygen levels.

Hiking, mountain climbing or walking on collecting trips or for inspiration; as well as digging, pruning, or moving trees in our backyard, it's all physical exercise and part of doing bonsai.


Exercise mentally. The brain is like a muscle. Use it and it grows stronger. Let it idle and it will grow flabby. So choose something appealing and challenging—and don't be surprised if, once you start, you want to do more.

What can be more mentally challenging than creating great bonsai? We use both hemispheres of our brain, we learn new things about how trees and nature works, we use our creativity. It's a great way to keep our mind constantly working. And remember that we have to challenge our preconceived ideas and be open to learning. As soon as we close ourselves from the new, we are inevitably going into decline.


Pick challenging leisure activities. Getting a graduate degree isn't the only way to keep your brain fit. An important 2003 study identified five leisure activities that were associated with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline. In order of impact (from highest to lowest), the winners were dancing, playing board games, playing musical instruments, doing crossword puzzles and reading. Risk reduction was related to the frequency of participation. For example, older persons who did crossword puzzles four days a week had a risk of dementia 47 percent lower than subjects who did puzzles only once a week.

Bonsai is another challenging leisure activity. At higher levels, it can require intense participation, which can easily measure up to the activities mentioned above.


Achieve mastery. Research on aging has uncovered a key variable in mental health called "sense of control." From middle age onward, people who enjoy a sense of control and mastery stay healthier than those who don't. The possibilities for mastery are unlimited, ranging from playing a musical instrument to learning a new language to taking up painting or embroidery.

A sense of accomplishment and pride can be part of pursuing bonsai. Continually improving ourselves can lead to mastery, a very healthy thing, according to the article.


Establish strong social networks. Countless studies have linked active social engagement to better mental and physical health and lower death rates. People who maintain social relationships during the second half of life enjoy significantly lower blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk of stroke and its resulting brain damage. Social relationships also reduce stress and its corrosive effects, including anxiety and depression.

Being part of the bonsai crowd entails a great social life - as long as we accept that we are unique and different. Friendship and a sense of belonging are great side benefits.

We may think that bonsai is an expensive hobby. But if you add up the medical bills that result from a life of inactivity and lack of passion, it may turn out that at the end it saves you a great deal of money and gives you much more.

P.S.: A great example comes to mind: Harry Hirao. In his eighties, he is still roaming the mountains of Southern California. No wonder he doesn't want to slow down: bonsai keeps him healthy and happy.

(you can view the whole article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10753221/site/newsweek/
The Myth of the Midlife Crisis
By Gene Cohen, M.D., PH.D.
Newsweek)

Great research. Its nice to know that not only will I live longer, I will be in the right frame of mind to enjoy the culmination of decades of bonsai activity... remember, Attlia, you promised.

Very interesting article Attila. I'm only 20, so if I stay with bonsai I just might live forever.

I think for a lot of older people that have retired, finding anything engaging to do is important. The best thing about bonsai is that you are never finished. You can paint a still life but after you are done the canvas, there's almost nothing else you can do with it. But with bonsai, they are never finished, unless dead so even if you have 20 perfectly trained trees, they still need to be watered, pruned, repotted, and maintained. I think that is the allure for those of us in the hobby young and old, growing bonsai is a never ending process. So growing bonsai is flirting with immortality

Great , i'll be out of my 20's in another couple years, so now I have one more good argument for "doing bonsai" when the wife says "Stop killing those poor little trees,...you cut them bare!". LOL thanks man.

Mans quest for inner-self, yes even through the art of bonsai, achieving that harmony with nature, coupled with the desire to dominate it and to reproduce faithfully, though on a different scale, what nature creates.
Will the involvement in the art of bonsai make one live longer? I believe so, that, with other interests in which one can express ones self brings a peace of mind that indeed refreshes the soul . I'm 49 years, young.

I'm feeling better already. (Not that I was feeling bad before I read this.)


Thanks attila, well done.

Hec