Benefits of Handwriting

I heard something today that reminded me that there is a difference between handwriting and using a keyboard as far as how your brain works.
An article I read said “When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,” said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris.
In another article it said that  "because putting ink to paper stimulates a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating Center, or the RAS."

I found more information about this as an educational issue for young children but I also know that I myself feel a distinct difference between writing something out by hand vs typing.  I can still relay my feelings and ideas, but handwriting seems to flow easier.

I journal daily.  It's my therapy, my friend, my companion.  My think tank for ideas.  As I write, I get even more information about my subject, often I get answers!  I can almost always figure out a dream if I write it down.

Dr. Wayne W Dyer mentioned many times in his writings and speeches that he always wrote out his books by hand, and that he always felt somehow guided as he wrote.
I have to agree that there is an ethereal element to this kind of process.  My daily journal writing has been very therapeutic.  I actually prefer this over long hours spent with someone who hardly knows me, not to mention the cost.

I also write out my to do lists, my project lists and I still send hand written cards.
So I imagine I am engaging a different part of my brain in this way, and hopefully stimulating it with new cells to keep me mentally fit for many years to come,  as this article states:  "According to The Wall Street Journal, some physicians claim that the act of writing — which engages your motor-skills, memory, and more — is good cognitive exercise for baby boomers who want to keep their minds sharp as they age."