Motorcycing for MENSA

I ride because I love to ride,  it's as simple as that!  .... Well, OK... full disclosure:  I do also love the mechanical esthetic of a motorcycle.  Some bikes don't even need to be ridden to be enjoyed - they are fine works of art and industrial design.  The mere sight (or sound) of them is not only pleasurable, it evokes a sense of well being, brotherly love, and.... yes,  even world peace!  OK, OK, maybe not the latter, but lets just say there is much more to the motorcycle than the inanimate object that it is.

So, imagine my excitement when I read a synopsis of a study conducted at the University of Tokyo demonstrating a significant improvement in the cognitive functioning of motorcyclists that commuted every day to work relative to a control group of individuals that commuted in cars.

Your Brain on a Motorcycle

The study also revealed that the use of motorcycles in daily life improved cognitive faculties related to memory and spatial reasoning capacity.  Participants in the study reported that their stress levels were reduced and their mental state had improved over the course of the study.

I don't think these findings would shock or surprise any avid motorcyclist.  We all experience the benefit of the release of endorphins while riding and with all of the mental inputs involved in safely maneuvering a bike through traffic or on seriously twisty roads, it's no wonder that there is a temporal physiochemical boost or perhaps even a lasting cerebral benefit from riding.  If nothing else, we are engaging in an activity that we love and extract immeasurable pleasure from.  And sometimes, for long periods of time -  8-10 hours a day for multiple consecutive days.

In a related study involving the Yamaha Motorcycle Corp. researchers also observed that the architecture of the brain was remodeled in that the brain devoted more cortical volume to the activity while riding.  Moreover,  the mental benefits of riding were extended beyond the ride to merely thinking about riding!

NOW we're talking!   Not only do we get a gray matter benefit while riding, we get a similar boost in cognitive function by simply thinking about riding.  Ohmmmmm ...

So, think of it this way the next time you are out for a ride... you're not just riding to get from point A to point B... you're not just commuting... you're not out just for the enjoyment of it... you are out building brain power!

So, don't be surprised if in households all across the globe you hear...."Honey, I'm off to dramatically improve my cognitive reasoning skills, develop my memory and spatial reasoning capacity .... and maybe just find world peace in the process!"  -LD

Riding With Soul

Disclaimer: This will NOT be a commentary on that feeling you get while cruising down the highway to the beat of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, or Gladys Knight's soulful tunes coming through the headset, although that is definitely a worthy definition of Riding With Soul.

No, I'm talking about riding with THE soul... MY soul... YOUR soul...

Those of you that ride, especially longer distances spanning multiple days, will relate to a special feeling that accompanies such trips.  The inner peace that comes as a result of escaping your day-to-day world and replacing that space-in-time with a focal point that is The Ride itself.  The experience is transcendental in that it is exacting in it's demand for precision; present, yet at the same time distant; mentally and emotionally demanding, but in no way taxing;  and, although confining (the cockpit), at the same time, it is completely liberating to the mind and spirit. The feeling is not unique to motorcycling, but, I will offer that the more intimate, contemplative, and introspective the activity, especially when exercised for hours on end, day after day, the more soulful the experience becomes.

How many times have you heard, or perhaps even said, I need to refocus life's priorities, -get in touch with my myself, -find myself!!  What we are really saying is that "I need to reconnect with my soul".  I need to connect with that part of me that defines the essence of who I am.  And, lets be clear, our soul is not a part of who we are, it IS who we are.

C. S. Lewis said, "You don't have a soul, you are a soul.  You have a body".  Quite too often we identify more with what we see in the mirror rather than what resides within our eyes.  Moreover, as unique as we are in body, mind, and personality, we are equally - understandably - unique in soul.
 
But, what does our soul have to do with riding?

My soul leaps at the thought of the open road, a handful of throttle, warm sun on my face, a deep exhaust note resonating through my body, and before me...  an endless chicane of sweeping mountain curves that stretch from here to the horizon and beyond.  There are few things in life that sound more appealing.  To my soul this scene is one of pure beauty.  And beauty, defined for each of us from within our soul is itself a continual spring of renewal.  It's now wonder we dismount from our ride with a smile on our face.  Our bike has become our vehicle, not just for transportation from point A to point B but to the very core of our being.

Souls In Flight: In some Middle Eastern cultures, birds symbolize soul transporters.  The soul guide in Jewish tradition is a dove.   In Syria, the images of eagles on a tomb symbolized the guides that lead our souls to heaven.  For motorcyclists, the soul vehicle of choice is obvious.  -LD