Yoga for the Brain (Brain Awareness Week)

Meditation and yoga are excellent exercises to do any time of the day. It gives your brain a workout and soothes your nervous system. Focus on your breathing, poses, and how you feel at that present moment. There are various breathing techniques, but the Humming Bee Breath is used to calm down the nervous system. Place your tongue behind your front teeth and close your ears with your thumbs.

Then take a deep breath and exhale by making the sound, “hmmm” which is how it gets its name. It is named after the black bumble bee. This type of breathing quiets your mind and lowers your blood pressure. However, this technique is not recommended if you have high blood pressure or a disorder that causes seizures. You can do the Humming Bee Breath in the morning or at a later time at night.

Training your body and mind with yoga strengthens you and is useful for your memory. Yoga makes you exercise your brain without thinking concretely. The Big Toe pose is an example of how your brain gets in shape and re-wires itself. This pose is done by standing up and touching your toes. Another variation of this pose is by laying down and lifting your leg to touch your toe.

It is a simple pose to do but it makes your brain send signals for concentration. If you have anxiety, it gives you relief by calming your brain. This yoga pose also strengthens your thighs. Additionally, it relieves you from a headache. Do not do this pose if you have back and neck challenges or get dizzy. 

The Diamond Pose is done by bending both knees into a kneeling position and your hands on top of your thighs. This yoga pose helps to breathe slowly and in a relaxed state. The nervous system calms down as your stress is released through meditating and doing this pose. While the digestive system is enhanced, it makes you think. It is not recommended to do this yoga pose if you have injuries or arthritis.

More poses help your brain to think clearly. After doing yoga, your mood, and your alertness change for the better. This week is called Brain Awareness week which begins on March 13-March 19^th. It is an important week to bring awareness of understanding the brain and conditions that affect the brain. As well as a great week to learn how to exercise your brain through yoga, meditation, or other calming techniques to improve your memory and brain function.

Nevertheless, always consult with your doctor before doing yoga. Furthermore, any type of exercise is helpful for your body and your brain. It is good to have stress but not too much of it because it makes your body and brain short-circuit. Too much stress overloads your brain and not taking breaks from work or everyday tasks is a bad idea. Here are more resources about the brain and yoga.

 

Yoga for Better Mental Health-Harvard Health:

Yoga for better mental health - Harvard Health

Yoga and the Brain-Psychology Today:

Yoga and the Brain | Psychology Today

10 Yoga Poses for the Brain to Improve Memory and Focus-Cure Joy:

10 Yoga Poses For The Brain To Improve Memory And Focus (curejoy.com)

Bhramari Pranayama-Banyan Botanicals:

Bhramari Pranayama | Banyan Botanicals

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