Building Your Best Brain

Using science, practical tools, cutting-edge research and human experience to empower you to have the healthiest and happiest brain. Tune in to learn the what, why and how to empower yourself to build to your best brain.

Ep 18 – The Brain’s Secrets for Changing Old Memories 06/19/2025

Ep 18 – The Brain’s Secrets for Changing Old Memories Welcome back to Building Your Best Brain! Today, we’re getting REAL about the power that lies within your skull—specifically, how you can literally change your memories using neuroscience. 🧠✨ Here’s what we cover in this episode: What it actually means when your brain brings up a memory How to tap into neuroplasticity to rewire your brain’s circuits Signs your memory is stuck in the amygdala—and how to release it How to access deep subconscious memories and change them from within Question for You Which topic do you want to explore even deeper in a future episode? 🌀 Neuroplasticity? 🧘‍♀️ The Amygdala? 🧠 Deep brain states? DM me your vote over on Instagram 👉 Want to go deeper with me? If you'd like to be added to the waitlist for 1:1 neurofeedback coaching to jumpstart your rewiring journey, DM @synaptic.sylvie on Instagram with the word REWIRE. — Let’s connect: 📱 Instagram & TikTok – 🎥 YouTube – 🌐 Website – 🧘‍♀️ Insight Timer – Resources: 🧠 /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/37083020

Ep17: Brain FUNdamentals - What I Wish Everyone Knew 05/06/2025

Ep17: Brain FUNdamentals - What I Wish Everyone Knew Welcome back to Building Your Best Brain! This might just be my geekiest episode yet—and honestly, it’s long overdue. In this foundational episode, we’re diving into the basics of neuroscience—the tools I believe everyone should have in their mental toolbox to better understand what’s going on in their brain and body. Whether you’re learning something new, fact-checking brain claims you see online, or just want a quick refresher—this episode is your go-to guide. Think of it as your neuroscience reference point, now and for future episodes. Here’s what we cover (with timestamps): 00:00 – Intro 01:40 – Brain resources I love 05:10 – Neurons 07:12 – Neurotransmitters 07:54 – Synaptic connections & neural communication 09:39 – What is a neural circuit? 11:48 – How circuits are formed 15:00 – “Cells that fire together, wire together” 15:46 – Defining neuroplasticity 17:45 – Major parts of the brain 22:10 – Neural networks 26:26 – Brain wave activity 31:40 – Brain entrainment What should we explore next? 🌀 Breathwork & stress? 🧘‍♀️ Meditation & the brain? 🧠 Neurofeedback & brain entrainment? DM me or comment to cast your vote! Let’s keep learning how to get our brains working for us—not against us. — Let’s connect: 📱 Instagram & TikTok – 🎥 YouTube – 🌐 Website – 🧘‍♀️ Insight Timer – Bonus Resource: 🧠 /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/36461600

Ep 16 - Communication, Confidence & the Art of Celebrating with Dr. Claudia Belliveau, PhD 03/18/2025

Ep 16 - Communication, Confidence & the Art of Celebrating with Dr. Claudia Belliveau, PhD Welcome back to Building Your Best Brain! This episode features the incredible Dr. Claudia Belliveau—a neuroscientist, science communicator, and entrepreneur who’s passionate about making science accessible to everyone. Claudia earned her PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University and founded a scientific consulting company during her studies to bridge the gap between research and the public. Today, she’s a freelance science consultant, content creator, and small business owner, running an Instagram platform with 85K+ followers and crafting unique gifts for recent graduates. She’s also navigating the transition from academia to the pharmaceutical industry. In this episode, we cover: Claudia’s journey from research to consulting to social media The challenges of science communication & battling misinformation How to strengthen your communication skills Overcoming imposter syndrome Treating productivity like a recipe The importance of celebrating your wins Connect with Claudia: Instagram/TikTok: @c.belliveau.science Website: cbelliveauscience.com Resources Mentioned: NIH (National Institutes of Health) – WHO (World Health Organization) – Harvard Press – /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/35744220

Ep15 - Long-Term Benefits of Meditation on Your Brain (Workshop Sneak Peek) 03/12/2025

Ep15 - Long-Term Benefits of Meditation on Your Brain (Workshop Sneak Peek) Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain! In this episode, we: Outline my "Meditation and Your Brain" workshop Share a sneak peek of two out of five of my favorite studies on the long-term benefits of meditation for your brain, especially for experienced meditators Open the floor for your questions, so we can dive even deeper into these fascinating topics Drop your questions below, and don’t forget to follow along for more tips on building your best brain! Study 1 (BDNF) - Gomutbutra et al., 2020, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02209. Study 2 (epigenetics) - Chaix et al., 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.016. Instagram/TikTok - @synaptic.sylvie YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@synaptic.sylvie5584 Website - synapticsylvie.com InsightTimer - https://insighttimer.com/synaptic.sylvie/ /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/35653495

Ep14 - Rest is Productive - Burnout at the Workplace with Nina Nesdoly 01/20/2025

Ep14 - Rest is Productive - Burnout at the Workplace with Nina Nesdoly Welcome to Building Your Best Brain Podcast! And Happy New Year! First episode of 2025! And we kick it off with a brilliant guest (and first one ever on this podcast! Our Brain loves a good first!) Here we are chatting about all things neuroscience, work-place and burn out prevention! In this episode we cover: A masterclass announcement Stress Detox happening January 26th 12 pm EST (see link with promo code below) Nina’s story how she went from burn-out to a thriving business owner in work-life The definition of burnout What is good workplace stress vs. bad workplace stress Perfectionism at the workplace Burnout personality profiles How Nina helps companies prevent employee burnout How Nina balances worklife and PhD life Nina’s Bio Nina Nesdoly is a speaker, researcher, and expert on the neuroscience of work-life balance, stress, and burnout prevention. She leverages her background in neuroscience (BSc) and Management (MSc) to help people and organizations build better work-life balance. Nina is currently her pursuing her PhD study work-related stress and her TEDx Talk “How to relieve stress when you’re overwhelmed” was selected as an Editor’s Pick by TED Resources from Nina Nina’s website - Nina’s TedEx - IG, TikTok - @Ninanesdoly Workplace culture paper - Lewin equation - Join live virtual workshop “Stress Detox : Master Your Stress with Science” if you are done guessing how to manage your stress and ready to train your brain to respond in a different way. Don’t forget to use the promo code for 25% off - SYNAPTIC25 /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/34921470

Ep13 - Stress is not BAD for your brain and here is WHY 12/11/2024

Ep13 - Stress is not BAD for your brain and here is WHY Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain podcast! In today’s episode we talk about: How stress gets a bad rep and that is misleading How presentation of stressors impacts your brain The two different stress response your brain has and how it impacts your body A personal example of how I used stress to my advantage The perception shift that has made a HUGE difference in my life. Got questions? Drop them in the comment section below and follow along for more tips on how to build your best brain. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/34395865

Ep12 : Why doing the MOST is hurting your brain 12/04/2024

Ep12 : Why doing the MOST is hurting your brain Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain podcast! In today’s episode we talk about: How I do the MOST in my life The science behind why doing the MOST is hurting your brain Some simple shifts I use to do less Looking for more examples? More tools? Got questions? Drop them in the comment section below and follow along for more tips on how to build your best brain. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/34284885

Ep11 - 5 reasons why meditation is NOT for you 11/26/2024

Ep11 - 5 reasons why meditation is NOT for you Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain podcast! In today’s episode we talk about: 5 reasons why meditation is NOT for you Finding your WHY when it comes to meditation Journal prompts to set up a consistent meditation practise Use these following journal prompts once to establish what your meditation practise looks and feels like (use as many senses as possible)! This will stimulate the right circuits before you even dive into your practise. Whenever you are struggling to meditate, pull these answers back up to remind yourself how it looks and feels like. Journal about your BEFORE What activities are you doing right before, how to prepare, your setup, where is your phone, how to feel Journal about your DURING What time of day is it, where are you, what is around you, what are you wearing, what is our state of being Journal about your AFTER What are your closing activities, how do you feel, what do you do next, how does the rest of your day feel You can always come back to this to refine your meditation practise set up, so be kind Message me to let me know how it is going and follow along for more tips on how to build your best brain. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/34154805

Ep10 - Missing Piece to Building a New Brain Circuit 11/08/2024

Ep10 - Missing Piece to Building a New Brain Circuit Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain podcast! In today’s episode we talk about: Your limbic system Neurobiology of your fear response Emotions as energetic fuel Looking for more examples? More tools? Got questions? Drop them in the comment section below and follow along for more tips on how to build your best brain. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/33847412

Ep9: Placebo Power: How Belief Shapes Your Brain and Body 10/28/2024

Ep9: Placebo Power: How Belief Shapes Your Brain and Body Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain In this episode we: Define the clinical and scientific definition of placebo effect Unpack a fMRI study looking at placebo and pain relief How to apply placebo to your limiting beliefs Drop your questions below and follow along for more tips on building your best brain! Study video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REaiu-7wRvs&t=112s Review paper placebo and pain- Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - InsightTimer - https://insighttimer.com/synaptic.sylvie/guided-meditations/refresh-and-renew_1?_branch_match_id=1229844450865890638&utm_source=copy&utm_medium=home&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8wrzkzXyyjRL%2FaPcvctS05ycU8CALuBbPYcAAAA /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/33639527

Ep8 : Getting triggered is the best thing for your brain 10/21/2024

Ep8 : Getting triggered is the best thing for your brain Welcome to another episode of Building Your Best Brain podcast! In this episode we: Little life update Whats next for the podcast this month Why triggers are your brain’s best friend Drop your questions below and follow along for more tips on building your best brain! /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/33545417

Ep7: Neuroscientist's Review on Alpha Brain Supplement 08/02/2024

Ep7: Neuroscientist's Review on Alpha Brain Supplement Welcome to building your best brain podcast! In this episode we dive into a HIGHLY requested topic which is on the popular ONNIT Alpha Brain Supplement. Here I walk you through the website where I review the ingredients, mechanism of action, references and reviews. I also give you my opinion on whether or not I would try Alpha Brain as well as other options. Drop in the comments your experience, prespective and questions! And subscribe to learn more tips on building your best brain. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/32398422

EP6: How to Handle "Health Hack" Overload 04/16/2024

EP6: How to Handle "Health Hack" Overload Welcome to the episode of Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: Different types of information overload The dangers of the “if then” statement Three ways to overcome “health hack” overload Resources: Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/30844773

Ep5 - The Brain-Breath Ballad 04/09/2024

Ep5 - The Brain-Breath Ballad Welcome to Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: The communication highway between your breath and your brain The autonomic nervous system The lizard brain - star is medulla oblongata Your breathing muscles - main vs. accessory Inhale vs. Exhale Your stress réponse and breathing rate overtime Resources: Instagram page - YouTube - Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/30746098

EP4: Meditation Brain Plan 04/01/2024

EP4: Meditation Brain Plan Welcome to Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: Benefits of a long, less frequent meditation practise vs. shorter more frequent meditation practice Journal prompts to build your meditation plan that will actually stick! Some free meditation resources to get your started. Journal prompts; What do you hope you will gain from a consistent meditation practise? What is a small, specific, feasible goal you can implement right now? What tools or resources can you use right now to help strengthen your meditation practise? What emotions/thoughts come up when you think about implementing a daily meditation practise? What is an antidote thought to help nurture a positive learning environment? What is a science fact that you are most attracted to and/or find most motivating to maintain a meditation practise? Resources: Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site InsightTimer - https://insighttimer.com/synaptic.sylvie/guided-meditations/refresh-and-renew_1?_branch_match_id=1229844450865890638&utm_source=copy&utm_medium=home&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8wrzkzXyyjRL%2FaPcvctS05ycU8CALuBbPYcAAAA References: Levi K, Shoham A, Amir I, Bernstein A (2021) The Daily Dose-Response Hypothesis of Mindfulness Meditation Practice: An Experience Sampling Study. Psychosomatic Medicine 6: 624-630. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/30629413

3: Rewriting Your DNA through Meditation 03/26/2024

3: Rewriting Your DNA through Meditation Welcome to Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: What is DNA? How is it organized? Where do we get it? How is each cell so different but have the exact same DNA? Where our genes meet our environment. What is meditation? Meditation, aging and your epigenetics. Epigenetic aging. What does this mean when it comes to meditation? Resources: Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site InsightTimer - https://insighttimer.com/synaptic.sylvie/guided-meditations/refresh-and-renew_1?_branch_match_id=1229844450865890638&utm_source=copy&utm_medium=home&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXz8wrzkzXyyjRL%2FaPcvctS05ycU8CALuBbPYcAAAA References: Chaix R, Álvarez-López MJ, Fagny M, Lémée L, Regnault B, et al. (2017) Epigenetic clock analysis in long-term meditators. Psychoneuroendocrinology: 210-214. Chaix R, Fagny M, Cosín-Tomás M, Álvarez-López MJ, Lémée L, et al. (2020) Differential DNA methylation in experienced meditators after an intensive day of mindfulness-based practice: Implications for immune-related pathways. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity: 36-44. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/30550873

EP2: Cells that Fire Together Wire Together - the Science, the History and the Principle 02/13/2024

EP2: Cells that Fire Together Wire Together - the Science, the History and the Principle Welcome to Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: Sylvie’s favorite saying in all of neuroscience research! What is a neuron? What are the building blocks of a circuit in the brain? Excitatory vs. inhibitory neurotransmitters. Dr. Donald Hebb “Hebbian Learning” The famous rhythm by Dr. Carla Shatz The break-through research that brought it to life What is neuroplasticity? Resources: Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site References: Hebb D. 1949. The organisation of behaviour. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons. Shatz CJ. 1992. The developing brain. Sci. Am. 267, 60–67. ( 10.1038/scientificamerican0992-60) Song S, Miller KD, Abbott LF (2000) Competitive Hebbian learning through spike-timing-dependent synaptic plasticity. Nature Neuroscience 9: 919-926. /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/29933883

How to Befriend Your Brain 02/07/2024

How to Befriend Your Brain Welcome to the FIRST episode of Building Your Best Brain Podcast! In this episode we: Sylvie’s journey to brain health How your brain is always communicating with you How to be mindful when you talk about your mind How to make small actionable steps and avoid wellness/health overwhelm Using your intuition as a guide What you can expect frog this podcast in the future Resources: Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/synaptic.sylvie/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aDm5czIeiOSSdeQLjbJUw Website - https://yoga-with-synapticsylvie.square.site /episode/index/show/4ef5c919-61aa-479a-b2f3-980ff077d47a/id/29842503

Building Your Best Brain

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