Similar to other interdependent fields – engineers, physicists and mathematicians enjoy sharing jokes about the other disciplines and their varied problem solving approaches.
We often see the younger generation of applied mathematicians feeling a bit defensive at the observations. As newcomers to the cerebral field, the characteristic joking can feel diminishing. As for myself, a middle aged theoretical mathematician, I find this joke more truthful than not. As it pertains to flocks of sheep – I’ve always defined myself as the ‘outside‘.
A Mathematician’s Journey to Cognitive Wellness
I used to believe that the world built on numbers, governed by academic logic and precision was the only world of any consequence. As a mathematician and educator, I spent years teaching others how to solve for x, how to prove theorems, and how to construct models that captured the mechanisms of the universe. But life, does not always abide by the principles of academic logic. Sometimes, an equation is unsolvable by the usual means and some variables refuse to be defined.
Tragedy is one of life’s undefined variables.
The day my life changed was the day I lost (almost) everything that anchored me to the world. The details are left to another post, but suffice it to say that grief and disillusionment shattered my stability. So I had to leave that definition of the world or die in it. I discarded the pseudo-comfort of metric driven solution sets and forged a different path, one of healing and restoration.
Yet, the mathematician in me refused to let go of the expansive mental tools that mathematics had developed over the years. The mathematical symphony is part of my DNA, it’s the gift tragedy didn’t reclaim.
For years (7), I wandered, not physically, but mentally and immersed myself in research. Soon I discovered the intricate relationship between brain chemistry, and emotional well-being, the power of adaptogens, and the role of cognitive flexibility in resilience. Slowly, methodically, I rebuilt recreated myself, not just as a mathematician, but as a seeker, a student of the mind’s vast potential – as a ‘knowledge healer’.
I see in my customers reflections of myself: thought leaders, creatives, intellectuals searching for clarity and balance, individuals on their own journeys of mental and spiritual/ emotional transformation. Nutrition has profound effects on the mind’s ability to function – the mind needs the brain to act as the power station and brain chemicals act as the switches in this power station.
Ensuring that our brains have adequate rest and nutritional support is critical to our growth -actions that are often overlooked during the intensity of the pursuit. Magnesium, for example, plays a crucial role in neurotransmission and neuroplasticity, helping the brain adapt and form new connections. Bacopa extract, an ancient herb, enhances memory and reduces stress by supporting the brain’s natural ability to retain information and regulate emotions. Green tea extract, rich in antioxidants, provides a gentle stimulant effect that improves focus without the jitteriness of caffeine overload.
Eventually, this journey of knowledge led me to create something entirely new.
“Behold, I will do a new thing,
-The Lord
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.”
Lebombo’s Bone (my Monkey Man) was born and he brought forth a business. One devoted to natural supplements designed to enhance cognitive function and mental clarity. But selling supplements was not enough. I realized that true well-being required more than just biochemical support – it required a shift in perception, a willingness to embrace the unfamiliar rather than resist it. And so, I expanded the business to include courses on cognitive flexibility (The Mind Gym Series and S.M.A.R.T.), teaching others how to reshape their mental constructs to foster emotional and spiritual well-being.
At first, people questioned the dichotomy. How could a mathematician—a logician, a person of numbers—suddenly become a holistic wellness peddler? How could I reconcile these seemingly opposing worlds? Honestly, at first, I struggled with it too. Not intellectually, but I was very nervous about perception.
The left brain and the right, the empirical and the intuitive, the quantifiable and the ineffable. Some people see the connection more easily than others – it felt, at times, like I was standing between two irreconcilable realms.
I had kept the physical and the metaphysical in separate silos for most of my life, therefore I lacked the words – the syllepses that could possibly join these disparate concepts. But then I saw the Way. The verbal segues and mental paths that lead to Peace of Mind.
Just as mathematics is about recognizing patterns, so is the mind’s evolution. Just as numbers describe the underlying order of the universe, so does cognition dictate the architecture of our thoughts. There was no contradiction. Only a deeper, more profound equation – one that balances logic with intuition, intellect with emotion and calculation with transcendence. Then topped with a healthy dose of the common sense learned from those who learned it first.
A ripple emerged as people began to see what I see – that optimizing cognitive function is not merely about logistics and intelligence, but adaptability, creativity, and spiritual alignment. Students who flourish with The Mind Gym Series embrace the idea that true mental acuity is not rigid, but fluid and that wisdom is appreciation of the quilt and love for the threads that made it. Even the frayed one in the middle.
I am still a mathematician. That’s who I am. But I am also a healer, a teacher, and a guide. My journey taught me the value of activating my total self and that sometimes, the most important equations are not those that can be solved, but those that must simply be lived.
And in that, I found the most beautiful solution of all.
Welcome to the ‘ Mind Full’ Excursion!
Another engineer, physicist and mathematician joke. Enjoy!
