Every day after you wake up, the health of your body sets the tone for the day. Any ailment in the body can put a damper on your enthusiasm and become a hindrance inperforming daily tasks. There are many yoga asanas that can help you stay healthy physically, but that’s not the only prerequisite for holistic well-being. Your mental health is equally crucial.
Your brain plays a phenomenal role in carrying out daily tasks. Your ability to respond, comprehend, perceive and function well is related to the health of your brain.
Yet, most of us do not realize that like every other organ in the body, the brain needs nourishment and energy every day. Just like exercising helps keep the body in a good shape, so do brain exercises for the intelligence powerhouse. Yoga asanas, particularly,help in thebetter overall functioning of the human body.
Yoga asanas and pranayama for the brain
Yoga is a science that harnesses the innate capability of the body to improve its powers and functioning. It can act as an instant cognitive boost. It helps relieve stress, which enhances the functioning of the brain. Also, breathing through the left nostril activates the right brain and vice versa. Super brain yoga has also caught on among professionals and educators. It is a short and simple exercise to increase your brain power.
Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breathing)
- Helps calm the mind
- Releases negative emotions like anger, agitation, frustration, and anxiety
- Improves concentration and memory
- Builds confidence
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
- Stretches the spine, helps relieve stress
- Relaxes the mind by removing negative emotions like irritability and anger
Halasana (Plow Pose)
- Helps improve blood flow to the brain and calm the nervous system
- Stretches the back and neck, reducing stress and fatigue
- Strengthens and stretches the neck and spine, relaxing tight muscles and improving blood circulation to the brain
- Calms the brain and nervous system, thereby reducing anxiety, stress, and depression
- Regulates and normalizes the functioning of thyroid and parathyroid glands, thus improvingthe brain’s functioning
- Nourishes the brain as more blood reaches the pineal and hypothalamus glands
- Helps improve all cognitive functions
How to do super brain yoga?
- Stand tall and straight, with your arms on the side.
- Lift your left arm and hold your right earlobe with your thumb and index finger. Your thumb should be in front.
- Lift your right arm and hold your left earlobe. Your right arm should be over your left arm.
- Inhale deeply and squat down slowly to a sitting position.
- Stay in this position for 2-3 seconds.
- Gently exhale as you rise up again. This completes one cycle.
- You may repeat this cycle about 15 times every day.
Benefits of super brain yoga
Super brain yoga activates acupuncture points on the earlobe that helps stimulate your gray matter. This exercise helps your brain by:
- Synchronizing left and right side of the brain
- Distributing energy levels and increasing sense of calmness
- Stimulating thinking capacity
- Increasing mental energy
- Making you more creative
- Developing cognitive powers
- Improving focus, concentration and memory power
- Boosting decision-making skills
- Relieving stress or behavioral problems
- Making you more psychologically balanced
This brain exerciseis known to help patients with Alzheimer’s, mild depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down’s syndrome, Autism, and Dyslexia among others. You could also follow-up this exercise with a session of guided meditation.
Increase brain power with meditation
Most of us know that meditating is a great way to reduce stress. Meditation improves blood circulation to the brain. About 6 hours a week of meditation may actually change the brain structure. These changes help sharpen focus, improve memory and multitasking skills.
A 2011 study by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) substantiated this. Meditation is associated with a thicker cerebral cortex and more gray matter. These are the parts of the brain linked to memory, attention span, decision-making, and learning. Thus, meditation is a means to increase brain power.
So, you see yoga asanas, super brain yoga, breathing, and meditation can all stimulate your brain power. Spare some time every day and lead a smart life!
