How Exercise Fosters Brain Health

by Ram

Fostering Brain Health & Balance by Melina Meza

The concept “use it or lose it” for physical abilities applies to the brain as well. As long as we engage our brain in stimulatory activities, the brain actively grows and rewires itself in response to the stimulation and new learning. Brain fitness, mental fitness, and mental exercise all mean the same thing: it is the act of performing a mentally stimulating task that keeps the brain resilient. Additionally, it is well known that physical exercise can also either prevent or delay the onset of mental and physical diseases. Furthermore, age-associated memory loss can be prevented by physical activity/exercise as well. Engaging in regular aerobic activity leads to structural changes in the brain resulting in improved cognition. 

Physical exercise increases nerve branching and in some cases triggers regeneration of new nerve cells, especially in the memory centers of the brain. Owing to the structural changes, physical exercises help an individual to learn new things and to be more alert and attentive. Scientists believe that physical exercises trigger increased blood flow to the brain. The greater the blood flow, the more oxygen and other important nutrients that reach the brain. This may explain the cognitive improvements associated with exercise. Physical exercises will also help maintain optimal blood pressure, control diabetes, and lower cholesterol levels, all of which are potential mental risk factors.

Personally, my day doesn't feel right if I do not perform some kind of a physical activity. There are days when I feel so tired and my brain refuses to work smoothly towards the end of the day. Being aware of the fact that physical exercise is not only important for my body's health but it also helps the brain stay sharp, I force myself to go for a workout to the local gym. The same antidepressant-like effects kick in after exercising for just 20 minutes. I consider that a regular, well-rounded asana practice is also an excellent form of physical exercise, fostering strength, flexibility, balance, and agility. Several scientific studies point to the benefits of yoga on brain function, emotional well-being, and general mental acuity. Yoga increases brain chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalins that contribute to a feel-good response and ward off mental stress. It is akin to stimulating the brain in a positive way, which results in optimal brain function, which can keep an individual alert and sharp. While a trove of scientific studies supports the idea that physical exercise (including yoga) help the brain grow stronger, exactly how exercise alters and improves the brain was unclear until now. 

A recent study Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate provides an interesting answer linking physical activity to brain improvement. Although the study was not in humans but in mice, it appears that similar mechanisms may be manifesting inside human brains as well, thus giving additional credence to the study. For several years, scientists and neurophysiologists have understood that the brains of animals and humans who regularly exercise are different than those who are sedentary. Studies conducted in rodents clearly show that exercise triggers neurogenesis, that is, it induces the creation of many new cells in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning. Exercise also strengthens the growth and branching of these fragile, newborn neurons. Turns out that physical exercise boosts the production of a nerve-stimulating factor called BDNF (brain-derived nerve growth factor). BDNF supports the survival of existing neurons, and stimulates the growth and differentiation of new neurons. It also strengthens nerve-nerve communication. Although the vast majority of neurons in the mammalian brain are formed during birth, some regions of the adult brain retain the ability to grow new neurons in a process known as neurogenesis. Thus, BDNF plays an important role in neurogenesis. The more BDNF there is, the stronger the neuron and the nerve-nerve communication, making the brain more resilient. 

The question these researchers in this particular study asked was, how exactly does exercise turn on the production of BDNF? To get to the bottom of this question, the researchers divided mice into two groups: one group of mice had the luxury of having a running wheel put into their cages and the other was housed in cages without the running wheel. Rodents have a specific affinity for running wheels and can keep themselves busy for long hours on them. The group with the running wheels did just that, running very often and covering several miles a day. The group in cages without the running wheels was comparatively sedentary. After four weeks, the scientists measured the BDNF levels in the hippocampus of both groups of animals. As expected, BDNF protein levels were much higher in the brains of the runner mice compared to the sedentary mice. 

To better understand why the runners had more BDNF protein, the researchers used sophisticated testing methods and closely examined the BDNF gene in the animals’ DNA. To their amazement, they noticed that the BDNF gene was more actively synthesizing the BDNF protein among the animals that exercised than those that did not. How did this happen? Let me use an analogy to better understand the mechanism. To get to the heart of the artichoke, one needs to peel the outer layer by layer to reveal its core. Similarly, the BDNF gene is encapsulated by clusters of a particular molecule called HDAC, which can prevent the BDNF gene from receiving messages from the brain or body to synthesize the protein. In the non-exercising mice, these HDAC molecules clustered so densely over the BDNF gene that messages from the body and brain got blocked and could not reach the gene to activate it. As a result, the BDNF gene of the sedentary mice was subdued, pumping out very little BDNF protein. In contrast, among the runners, the physical activity literally peeled of the dense HDAC molecules covering the BDNF gene, thus exposing the gene to the messages from the brain/body telling it to turn on and produce the BDNF protein. 

Additionally, the physical exercise also triggered the production of ketones, which are a byproduct of the breakdown of fat. During strenuous exercise, the body relies in part on fat for fuel, thus ending up creating ketones, some of which migrate to the brain. Ketones act like molecular scissors, and in this case ripped off the HDAC molecules covering the BDNF gene making it easy for the BDNF gene to now make the BDNF protein. None of this occurred in the brains of the sedentary mice suggesting the importance of physical exercise. 

The question is: does a similar phenomenon happens in humans? While it is still not known whether the same mechanisms that occur in mice occur in our own brains when we exercise, undoubtedly we have more BDNF in our bodies after we exercise. Yoga is also known to increase the levels of BDNF protein (see Age-related changes in cardiovascular system, autonomic functions, and levels of BDNF of healthy active males: role of yogic practice). We also create ketones when we exercise that migrate to our brains to elicit its favorable effects. Thus, physical exercise together with the ketone bodies arising out of those exercises turn on the BDNF gene that in turn triggers the production of BDNF protein, which sustains and protects the neurons and nerve-nerve communication. 

So I’d just say that it is a very good idea to just keep moving or doing your regular yoga sessions.

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How to Foster Brain Health with Yoga

by Baxter and Nina

From "Tantra Song" by Jamme

When Baxter travels around the country sharing our ideas about Yoga for Healthy Aging, he often asks his students to list their top worries regarding getting older. Hands down, the number one fear they list is developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, even when there is no family history of it. So we’ve spent quite a lot of time learning about brain health and how we can use yoga to support it as we age. We're happy to report there are quite a number of ways!

So today we’re providing recommendations for how to use your yoga practice to foster brain health, including both your cognitive health and the health of your central nervous system. If you are already practicing well-rounded active sequences that include a few restorative poses (or at the least a good Savasana), breath work, and meditation, that’s a great start, because regular exercise, stress management, and meditation for brain strength are all going to help both your brain and your nervous system.

The following recommends recommendations are for those who want to focus especially on brain health, whether you are just concerned about brain health in general, or have a special motivation, such as a family history of brain problems, such as early onset dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

What to Practice. For your balanced practices that include asanas, stress management, and meditation, be sure to vary the sequences that you practice as well as the individual poses that you include to keep your practice sessions fresh and stimulating for your brain! On rest days consider practicing a short “brain practice,” which could include meditation, a yoga philosophy study session on your own or with friends, or even time spent reading yoga books to find new poses, practices, and sequences to try.

How Often to Practice. In general, work toward practicing five to six days a week. Because exercise is important for brain health, we recommend practicing an active asana sequence (or another type of exercise, such as walking) around three to four days a week. On the other days, either work on your short brain-stimulating practice, an equanimity practice of your choice, or—if chronic stress is a problem—a short stress management session (see below).

Static Poses. The more physically challenging a pose is, the greater the workload is for your heart, which is a particularly good way to exercise your cardiovascular system and foster brain as well as your heart health. So we recommend including the challenging poses in your sequences for brain health as you would for cardiovascular health. See Techniques for Improving Cardiovascular and Heart Health for pose recommendation and timings. 

Besides providing exercise to benefit the brain and nervous system, static poses stretch your tissues, including the tissue around your nerves. With a regular asana practice, you can release holding patterns around your nerves, permitting more slide and glide through muscles and joints, which allows them to function them more effectively. 

Finally, balance poses help improve your proprioception (see How We Balance), fostering the health of the specialized nerves that allow you to sense where your body is in space.

To add learning into your asanas, vary your static poses as much as possible. Switch which side you start on, change your arm positions, or create a new version of a static pose. 

Dynamic Poses. Dynamic poses and flow sequences practiced for their cardiovascular benefits also foster brain health. So we recommend including dynamic poses in your sequences for brain health as you would for cardiovascular health. See Techniques for Improving Cardiovascular and Heart Health  for recommendations for dynamic poses to practice and how fast to move between poses. 

Also, like static poses, dynamic poses stretch tissues, including tissues around the nerves, so you can use dynamic poses to release holding patterns around your nerves, permitting more slide and glide through muscles and joints, which allows them to function them more effectively. 

A special advantage that dynamic poses provide is that because you are moving quickly from one position to another, all dynamic poses and flow sequences improve the functioning of your proprioceptors (see How We Balance), the specialized nerves that allow you to sense where you are in space.

To add learning into your asanas, vary your dynamic poses and sequences as much as possible, and experiment with inventing new mini vinyasas and flow sequences.

Meditation. If you already have a regular meditation practice, simply continue practicing as usual, with your favorite technique. If you do not currently meditate, because meditation has been shown to improve brain structure and function, we strongly recommend that you start. See Yoga Meditation Techniques for information. 

Stress Management. When you’re not feeling particularly stressed out, a well-rounded practice that includes active asanas and short-sessions of the stress management techniques of your choice will help keep your stress levels in check. And if you chose meditate every day, or do breath practices, restorative yoga or supported inversions on your rest days, all the better. However, because stress management is so important for brain healthy, if you’re experiencing chronic stress or entering a stressful period in your life, we recommend practicing at least a short stress management session for about 20 minutes every day. What you practice for your short stress management sessions could be any of the relaxation practices you prefer or that work in your particular circumstances: seated or reclined meditation, calming breath practices, one or two restorative and/or supported inverted poses, or a guided relaxation program. See Stress Management for When You're Stressed.

Equanimity. Because cultivating equanimity as you age will allow you to think more clearly and make better decisions, as well as help you handle brain changes to the brain that might arise over time, consider focusing on equanimity practices, such as studying yoga philosophy, practicing yoga for emotional wellbeing, and meditating to understand your thought patterns, that help you stay balanced and cultivate contentment with what you have and what you don’t have. See LINK.

Healthy Eating and Digestion. Eating a healthy, nutritious diet fuels your brain and nervous system and helps support their health. And due to the way your gut is connected to your brain, keeping your gut healthy and happy through by maintaining a good diet and supporting good digestion, also benefits your brain and nervous system health. See How Yoga Helps Your Digestive System for information about how to use yoga to support healthy eating and healthy digestion.

Sleeping. If you have trouble sleeping for just one night, it can affect your brain function the next day. But if you have chronic sleeping problems, ongoing lack of sleep can more have serious effects, such as impaired memory, and may even be linked to dementia. So, if chronic insomnia is a problem for you, we recommend that you use your yoga practice to support better sleep. See 5 Tips for Better Sleep. 

Learning. Because your brain is “plastic” and continues to actively grow and rewire itself when it is stimulated, we recommend using your yoga practice as a way to keep learning. Try new poses or new variations of familiar poses, new sequences, and new practices beyond asana (such as mudras or breath practices) on a regular basis. We also recommend studying yoga philosophy, because in addition to helping you learn to cultivate equanimity, yoga philosophy will expose you to new concepts and terminology (some of which are quite challenging to work your head around!). And because learning a new language is especially effective for brain health, try working on your Sanskrit!

Community. Remaining socially active supports brain health and delays the onset of dementia. Social engagement is a learning exercise, and as with other mentally stimulating activities, helps build up healthy brain cells and the connections between them. Attending yoga classes and participating in your local yoga community is a good way to stay socially active as well as to keep your practice going strong. If you’re not already active in the yoga community, find a way to join:

• Find a regular class you can afford
• Attend free events at your local yoga studio
• Go on a retreat (if it’s in your budget)
• Attend yoga conferences
• Practice yoga with a friend
• Attend a yoga book groups
• Participate in an online yoga community
• Volunteer for yoga community service

We hope after all this you’re starting to feel encouraged, because you now have a rich set of techniques you can use to support your brain health. It’s never too early start supplementing your yoga practice with these techniques, so try something new today!

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Your Brain is More Than That Thing in Your Skull

by Baxter and Nina

Your brain is an organ of the body just like your heart or liver. Although the organ itself resides in the skull, it is not isolated from the rest of your body as you might tend to think. Through an network of nerves, it is essentially connected to all the other organs, structures, and systems of your body. 

So, what we do to keep our other organs and systems healthy has an effect on our brains and we shouldn’t be surprised by that. But we are surprised! We tend to think of keeping the brain healthy just by feeding it new information and experiences, such as by learning new languages, playing music, and doing crossword puzzles. But just plain physical exercise could be as or more important than mental exercise. In fact, a recent study that looked at both leg strength and cognitive ability in twins as they aged showed that those who maintained better leg strength as a result of exercising had better memory and other cognitive functions than their non-exercising twin. 

But targeting cardiovascular health with your practice could be especially helpful for brain health. As our colleague Ram says, “What is good for the heart is good for the brain.” And just as a healthy diet is important for the physical health of our heart and other organs, the same is true for our brains.

Learning a bit about the basic components that make up “the brain” will help you understand how your yoga practice can have a stronger influence over the health of your brain than you might first think:

Brain. The organ we call the brain is housed securely within your skull, and extends down your toward your spinal cord in the form of the brain stem. The part of your brain located in your skull has different areas that are associated with different functions. For example, the deeper parts of the brain deal with background functions, such as digestion, blood pressure, hormonal balance, to name just a few and the more superficial parts are involved in activities associated with our conscious thoughts and actions.

Throughout our lives, our brains can change, heal, and grow though a process called “neuroplasticity”. In response to stimulation and learning, the brain actively grows and rewires itself. With your yoga practice, learning new poses and practices, not to mention delving into yoga philosophy, will directly stimulate your brain. Other factors that influence your brain’s plasticity include lifestyle, environment, and exercise, so using yoga for exercise and stress management as well as to support healthy choices about lifestyle and environment will benefit brain plasticity.

Your brain is also strongly affected by your physical condition. For example, chronic stress can affect how your brain functions day to day, such as making your thinking foggy, and, over longer periods of time, even change the structure of your brain for the worse, such as shrinking certain areas. Your circulatory system influences your brain because a sudden change in blood flow could cause dizziness or fainting, or in extreme cases, a stroke, which could result in permanent damage or even death.

Sleep also has a strong effect of healthy brain function because too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable to concentrate in the short run, and leads to impaired memory and physical performance in the long run. And scientists now believe that sleep helps to clear out toxins from the brain as well as from the body, which is vital for the long-term health of your brain.

In general, using yoga for exercise, stress management, maintaining circulatory system health, improving sleep, supporting a healthy diet, will all contribute to the health of your brain, as does participating in your local yoga community.

Blood-Brain Barrier. The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by three layers of connective tissue, which create the blood-brain barrier. This barrier protects your brain, making it very hard for infections to get to the brain and preventing the fluid around the brain from seeping out. However, blood vessels still directly penetrate and surround the entire brain, so your circulatory system can deliver fuel to and remove waste from it moment by moment. You can have a positive influence on the moment-by-moment supply to your brain with your yoga practice by supporting good digestion and circulation, and lowering your stress levels. 

Nervous System. Your brain communicates with your entire body through your central and peripheral nervous systems. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system consists of the large and small nerves that connect your spinal cord to all the parts of the rest of your body. Together, they all work together to make up the entire nervous system. 

Because the nerves from your peripheral nervous system plug into just about every structure in your body, they create a two-way communication system between the brain and body. Due to this two-way communication, we can influence the function and physiology of the brain with our yoga practices. For example, when we use our breath, meditation, or asana practice to trigger the Relaxation Response, we not only create a mental state of calm but we also expand our thought-behavior repertoire to include a wider range of possibilities than those we have in stress mode (see Stress and Your Thought-Behavior Repertoire).

Gut. Although your brain has two-way communication with all the parts of your body, it may not surprise you to learn that your brain has a special two-way relationship with your gut. The human gut has a semi-independent nervous system, called the enteric nervous system, which derived from the same embryonic neural crest cells that give rise to the brain. Your gut is in constant communication with your brain, primarily through your central and peripheral nervous systems. But your gut also communicates with your brain through neuropeptides to regulate complex feeding behavior and pain perception. And there is new evidence that even your gut bacteria communicates with and coordinates signals between the gut and the brain. So keeping your gut happy and healthy through a well-balanced asana practice, stress management, and a healthy diet will benefit your brain health as well (see The Digestion System and Yoga).

Circulatory System. As mentioned above, the circulatory system supplies fuel to and removes waste from our brain each moment of our lives to keep the brain healthy and operating well. If the circulatory becomes compromised with conditions such as plaque build-up in the large blood vessels leading the brain, or if it has weak spots that could rupture and bleed, then the brain is at risk for strokes. Using yoga to keep your circulatory system healthy may lower your chances of developing cardiovascular disease (see Techniques for Improving Cardiovascular and Heart Health). And if a stroke does occur, yoga can be useful in your recovery. 

We hope this gives you a good appreciation of the ways in which your brain is closely tied to the other systems of your body, and a better understanding of how yoga can help you foster brain health. For specific tips about how to do this, see 6 Ways to Foster Brain Health with Yoga

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6 Ways to Foster Brain Health with Yoga

by Nina and Ram

Mademoiselle Ferrand Meditating on Newton by de La Tour

In his post Mental Exercise, Yoga, and the Perfect Brain, Ram mentioned six basic ways you can help prevent age-associated memory loss and foster brain health. Today I thought we'd look a bit closer at each of those ways, so if brain health is a concern of yours (and, really, who isn’t concerned about this?), you can target your yoga practice to help support your brain health as well as your overall health in general. 

1. Engaging in Physical Activity. Engaging in regular aerobic activity leads to structural changes in the brain that result in improved cognition. Physical exercise increases nerve branching and in some cases triggers regeneration of new nerve cells, especially in the memory centers of the brain. Physical exercises help you learn new things, and to be more alert and attentive owing to the structural changes. Scientists believe that physical exercise triggers increased blood flow to the brain. The greater the blood flow is, the more oxygen and other important nutrients that reach the brain, which may explain the cognitive improvements associated with exercise. Physical exercises will also help maintain optimal blood pressure, control diabetes and lower cholesterol levels, all of which are potential mental risk factors.

A regular, well-rounded asana practice provides an excellent form of exercise, fostering strength, flexibility, balance, and agility. But targeting cardiovascular health with your practice could be especially helpful for brain health (see About Yoga for Heart Health And Circulation). As Ram says, “What is good for the heart is good for the brain.” After all, your brain is one of the important organs of your body, just as your heart is.

2. Staying Mentally Active. Just as exercise and physical activity prompt muscles to grow stronger, mental exercise tones thinking skills and memory. Mental exercises maintain, build, and remodel neural network connectivity, trigger production of nerve growth factors that increase neuronal branching, and stimulate new synthesis of neural cells. The brain actively grows and rewires itself in response to stimulation and learning. Our brain grows stronger from use and from being challenged. This is called brain plasticity. Plasticity is the reason why stroke patients can relearn skills after a brain damage and also explains how a healthy part of the brain might assume the job of a damaged part. The brain is continually morphing/re-sculpting itself in response to new experience and learning. The greater the neural density, stronger and more resilient is the brain and mind that keeps the physical body strong, in turn promotes healthy aging.

According to Baxter’s post How Yoga Sequences are Brain Aerobics, to be a “brain aerobic” an activity: needs to engage your attention, must break a routine activity in an unexpected, nontrivial way, and must involve more than one of the senses. So practicing yoga asana mindfully, which not only engages your attention but involves more than one of your senses, can meet all three of these requirements if you intentionally keep your practice varied (see Practicing Yoga Mindfully and Stuck in a Rut?). Meditation and pranayama can also meet these three requirements, again, if you vary the practices. See How Yoga Sequences Are Brain Aerobics for more ideas. And, of course, simply learning new yoga poses and practices, and studying the scriptures (see The Power of Svadhyaya, Part 2) provide excellent learning opportunities.

3. Being Socially Active. Social engagement reduces the risk of isolation and depression. Remaining socially active also supports brain health and delays the onset of dementia. Because being socially active requires that you plan, participate, engage, and be attentive and alert, it qualifies as mental exercise. Social engagement is also a learning exercise for the brain and mind. As with other mentally stimulating activities, social activities help build up healthy brain cells and the connections between them.

Attending yoga classes and participating in your local yoga community is a good way to stay socially active as well as to keep your practice going strong. See 8 Ways to Join the Yoga Community for more ideas. You can even practice yoga with one or more friends (see Practicing Yoga with a Friend).

4. Eating a Healthy Diet. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol are potential mental risk factors and increase the risk of dementia. A healthy diet helps to keep these factors at optimal levels. Some of the consequences of chronological aging are increased oxidative stress, free radical production, and uncontrolled inflammation that not only hasten aging but also trigger rapid brain aging. A healthy diet soaks up free radicals and brings down inflammation, thus preventing brain decay. Eating a healthy diet promotes good blood flow to the organ system, which includes the brain.

Practicing yoga stress management techniques improves digestion, prevents stress eating, and reduces cortisol levels. Cultivating mindfulness with meditation and asana practiced mindfully can help make you more aware of what your body really needs (and what it doesn’t). And using your meditation practice to strengthen you will power will help support you in changing your eating habits. See Yoga for Healthy Eating: An Overview for further information. 

5. Managing Chronic Stress. Chronic stress (see About Stress: Acute vs. Chronic) causes havoc not just to the body but also to the brain. Chronic stress brings with it several health issues, including constant fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and memory deficits. 

While stress hormones do sharpen attention and spur us to take needed action, we are not designed to handle high levels of stress hormones day after day, year after year. In the brain these stress hormones weaken blood vessels, kill off neurons, and shrink the hippocampus, resulting in memory loss. Chronic stress also speeds up the normal aging of other cells that in turn affects normal structure and function of the brain.

Using yoga’s stress management techniques help you dial down stress levels when you are suffering from chronic stress (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). Cultivating equanimity in the face of life’s difficulties will help you from getting stressed out in the first place (see 7 Ways to Cultivate Equanimity with Yoga). 

6. Sleeping Well. Lack of sleep or sleep deprivation triggers accelerated mental decline. Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly. Too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable to concentrate, and leads to impaired memory and physical performance. If sleep deprivation continues, hallucinations and mood swings may develop. Just as sleep gives the body time to heal itself, sleep allows neurons to lower down their neurochemical activity and repair themselves.

Without sleep, neurons become “fatigued” and begin to malfunction. Sleep helps to clear out toxins from the brain as well as from the body (see Sleep, Alzheimer's Disease, and Yoga). Finally, the brain gets exposed to thousands of stimuli through the five senses, and sleep helps to reduce chaos and bring order to the information flow, helping to put an order to these information inputs and archive them as memories. 

Yoga can be really helpful for improving sleep because you can use it to manage your stress levels and reduce anxiety, both of which are frequent causes of insomnia (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga and 10 Ways to Soothe Anxiety with Yoga). If pain or physical discomfort is keeping you awake, you can use yoga pain management techniques (see Yoga for Pain Management). And soothing practices, such as restorative yoga and simple, calming forms of pranayama, can help you if you wake in the middle of the night. See Yoga for Insomnia, Part 1, Day to Night: Yoga for Better Sleep, and Five Tips for Better Sleep for further information.

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The Aging Brain: Brain Changes During Healthy Aging

by Ram

Self Portrait by Joan Miro *

I have written several articles in the past regarding the brain, brain pathology, the mind, and mental exercise. Much of that focused on the brain in a pathological setting in addition to modalities necessary to improve and strengthen the brain and mind including yoga, meditation, and pranayama. But an important question is: what happens to the brain during healthy aging? Do we know the changes in the structure and function of the brain as the individual ages without any underlying neuro-pathological condition? Actually, there are a number of laboratories that are focusing on brain changes during aging with hopes that this would lead to a better understanding of brain function during a pathological condition. Most of the evidence has come from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of age-related changes in brain. Thus far we know the following:

1. As a person ages, certain areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex (an area that covers the front part of the frontal lobe) and the hippocampus, shrink to size. Thus, the functions attributed to these two areas, namely, learning, memory acquisition and recall, planning, cognitive behavior, personality, social behavior and decision making, all are compromised as the person ages.
2. Shrinkage of the brain is associated with a concomitant increase in the ventricular space (the ventricles are cavities surrounding the brain region where the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is produced).
3. The cortical thickness is reduced by 0.5% and 1.0% in most brain areas.
4. The volumetric brain reduction is also associated with shrinkage of neurons, reductions of synaptic spine density and total synapses. There is a general reduction in white matter (myelin covered axons) due to neuronal death. This affects the communication between neurons resulting in reduced function.
5. Blood flow to the brain reduces with age because the arteries shrink and there is also reduction in the growth of new capillaries.
6. In some people, structures called plaques and tangles accumulate inside and outside of the brain that disrupt the communication network between neurons.
7. Aging also triggers the production of free radicals. Free radicals have a tendency to interact with cellular structures and cause their destruction.
8. The presence of plaques, tangles, and free radicals triggers inflammation. If inflammation goes unchecked, it can elicit several brain disorders.

What about mental function in healthy older people? Due to changes in the physical structures of the brain, mental capacity and functions also change. Generally people complain about a decline in mental ability, including learning new things, recalling/retrieving information, and keeping up with latest technological advances. Aged individuals will also perform poorly on complex tasks of attention, learning, and memory. In contrast, if these individuals are made to practice the same tasks, their scores are often similar to those of young adults. Furthermore, as they age, adults often show improvement in other cognitive tasks, including vocabulary, verbal knowledge, and information analysis. This may be due to the compensatory mechanisms unfolded by the brain to cope with difficulties that certain regions may be having.

While it is obvious that there may be a general decline in mental abilities, more recent evidence points out to the adaptive functions of the brain aka brain plasticity (see The Power of Mental Exercise) as people age. Learning/stimulating environments maintain, build, and remodel neural network connectivity and also trigger production of nerve growth factors that stimulate new neural connections (see How Yoga Sequences Are Brain Aerobics). The brain actively grows and rewires itself in response to stimulation and learning (see Svadhyaya, Reading, and Brain Strength). Other stimulating factors include lifestyle, environment, and genetics. 

Furthermore, the concept of cognitive reserve is being investigated to explain why some people remain cognitively healthy as they get older while others develop cognitive impairment. Cognitive reserve refers to: 1) the brain’s ability to function smoothly even when some function is disrupted and 2) the extent of brain damage required before changes in cognition are evident. Individuals differ in their cognitive reserve capacity owing to genes, education, occupation, lifestyle, or other life experiences, all of which provide immense resistance to deleterious changes and damage in the brain that occurs during aging. 

A list of lifestyle changes that older adults can implement to preserve healthy brain aging and an overall good health include:

• Controlling risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and obesity
• Maintaining a normal range of cholesterol
• Maintaining blood pressure at healthy levels
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Getting a good night & refreshing sleep
• Enjoying regular exercise and physical activity
• Low to moderate consumption of sugary foods
• Eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruits
• Engaging in intellectually stimulating activities
• Maintaining good social ties with family and friends

As discussed in previous posts (Mental Exercise, Yoga, and the Perfect Brain), a steady practice of yoga, meditation, pranayama, and cognitive exercises work beautifully as part of the preventive strategies. All the previous posts advocated incorporating some form of yoga on a daily basis that could not only add new life to the dull and routine tasks of everyday life but also keep the brain fit physically, mentally and emotionally.

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Balance, Strokes, and Brain Health

by Ram

Before reading this article, please attempt this exercise: 

1. Start with bare feet. 
2. Grab a pair of socks. 
3. From standing, bend one knee and raise that leg out in front of you, keeping your knee bent. From here, try to put a sock on your raised foot while maintaining your balance. 
4. Repeat the same procedure on the other leg.

If you successfully managed to put on both socks without losing your balance, congratulate yourself and do this exercise daily. However, if you struggled with your balance, you need to think about strategies to strengthen your balance centers in the brain as this may affect your quality of life and lifespan. According to a recent study, people who cannot stay balanced on one leg for longer than 20 seconds need to consult with their doctor as this may strongly correlate with the presence of tiny micro-bleeds in the brain that may be a harbinger for an impending stroke. The micro-bleeds can happen even when you’re otherwise feeling healthy, and if this is not stopped or controlled, it can serve as a greatest risk factor for future severe strokes.

To understand this concept better, let us take a closer look at the anatomy of the brain and the balance centers. There are three main components of the brain: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. Each component has a distinct function. The cerebrum is composed of two layers. The thick outer-most layer known as the cortex aka gray matter contains the centers of cognition, personality, and coordination of complicated movements. The inner white matter is a rich network of neuronal fibers that help the brain regions to communicate with each other. The entire cerebrum is divided into right and left hemispheres, with the left hemisphere controlling the majority of functions on the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controlling most of functions on the left side of the body. Any injury to the left hemisphere produces motor deficits on the right side, and vice versa. A stroke in the left or right hemisphere of the cerebrum can lead to impairment of perception and orientation, resulting in improper balance.

The brain stem is a region of the brain that connects the cerebral structures to the spinal cord. The brain stem is responsible for a variety of autonomic functions including respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, wakefulness and arousal among others. Some common effects of a stroke in the brain stem include problems with balance, coordination, weakness or paralysis among others.

The cerebellum, the second largest area, lies beneath and behind the cerebrum towards the back of the skull. It receives sensory information from the body through the spinal cord and helps to coordinate muscle action, fine movement, coordination, and balance. The effects of strokes in the cerebellar area result in improper balance, difficulty maintaining balance, inability to walk and problems with coordination and movement.

Unlike other regions of the body, the brain cannot function if it is deprived of oxygen even for a very short time. Without oxygen, brain cells start to die. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or if it ruptures. In either situation, portions of the brain do not receive the much needed blood and oxygen as a result of which the brain cells die. If brain cells die or are damaged because of a stroke, symptoms occur in the parts of the body that this region of the brain controls. A stroke can cause severe brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. A class of strokes called “whispering strokes” aka “silent" strokes do not result in any gross symptoms to raise concerns among victims. These strokes are often associated with tiny micro-bleeds (small blood vessel tear). Whispering/silent strokes that occur very frequently can serve as a greatest risk factor for future severe strokes and ultimately diminish patients' physical and mental functioning. But how does one recognize the presence of micro-bleeds if it does not trigger visible symptoms?

In a recent study Association of postural instability with asymptomatic cerebrovascular damage and cognitive decline: the Japan shimanami health promoting program study. published in the journal STROKE, a team of Japanese researchers noted that the inability to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or longer could be linked to whispering strokes due to micro-bleeds. The researchers recruited 841 women and 546 men who had an average age of 67. The participants were required to stand on one leg for up to one minute with both eyes open. They were asked to do this twice, and the best of the two timings was recorded. Then, the brain of each participant was examined using magnetic resonance imaging to check for any micro-bleeds. The participants were also asked to fill out computer-based questionnaires to assess any cognitive impairment. Using the brain MRI scans the researchers found that all those subjects who had micro-bleeds in their brains were also those that were unable to balance on one leg for longer than 20 seconds. Nearly 35% of those with a couple or more of micro-bleed lesions had trouble balancing, though they did not manifest any other gross symptoms. Moreover, balance problems were also associated with reduced thinking and memory skills.

According to the authors, small blood vessel damages in the brain coupled with reduced cognitive function in otherwise healthy people with no clinical symptoms can simply be observed by their ability to balance on one leg. Individuals who show poor balance on one leg will need serious attention, since this may indicate that small strokes or tiny bleeds have already occurred, which further means the risk for more serious strokes is high. One-leg standing time may thus serve as a simple, inexpensive, low-tech but powerful method to screen people for small cerebral vessel damage who are at risk for further strokes and thereby provide indication of their overall brain health.

So the question you must be asking is: what has this got to do with yoga? Firstly, how about taking preventative measures instead of waiting for the stroke (whether a silent/whispering or a major) to happen? How about strengthening the brain, the nerves, the cognitive skills and furthermore the balance centers of the brain? Remember all my rants The Power of Mental Exercise about the brain being plastic and how a combination of Yoga, meditation and pranayama helps to strengthen the neural connections that in turn improve memory, balance, speed and focus? We also need to be mindful of our relative balance abilities as we practice these modalities and look for ways to build, improve and maintain our balance.

In your regular yoga practice, you could bring in several one-legged balance poses, including, but not limited to, Vrkshasana (Tree Pose), Virabhadrasana 3 (Warrior 3), Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand to Toe Pose), Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (Standing Split), and Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose). Baxter recently wrote about some of these balance poses in his post Featured Sequence: Challenging Balance Practice. The more complicated the one-legged poses, the greater is the work on the brain to fire up the neural circuitry, which further strengthens the brain areas. So remember this adage: “Balance on one leg and fortify your brain!”

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Daydreaming: A Vacation for Your Brain

by Nina

by Melina Meza

I get some of my best ideas when I’m sweeping the kitchen floor, weeding the garden, waking up in the morning, and practicing yoga. Sometimes I won’t even realize that I’ve been mulling over a problem in the back of my mind when, like a gas bubble in the La Brea Tar Pits, an idea suddenly burbles up into my conscious mind.

Which reminds me—I recently saw Brad’s report cards from grammar school, and this super accomplished scientist, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from MIT, didn’t do very well during his early years. In fact he spent so much time daydreaming during one class that his teachers wrote, “Brad lives in another world.” At least in his case, we know that not paying attention didn’t seem to hurt his intellectual development one bit. 

Which reminds me: I heard Daniel Levintin, a neuroscientist and author of The Organized Mind, being interviewed on KQED radio (listen here) the other night and he said that daydreaming was a “reset button” for the mind that is overwhelmed with information, and that this state of mind was the mental state in which we’re most creative. So maybe the reason I get my best ideas when I’m doing some simple tasks (I’ll get to yoga in a minute), is that I’m getting a chance to daydream. In his NY Times article Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain, Levintin describes daydreaming:

“This brain state, marked by the flow of connections among disparate ideas and thoughts, is responsible for our moments of greatest creativity and insight, when we’re able to solve problems that previously seemed unsolvable. You might be going for a walk or grocery shopping or doing something that doesn’t require sustained attention and suddenly — boom — the answer to a problem that had been vexing you suddenly appears. This is the mind-wandering mode, making connections among things that we didn’t previously see as connected.”

He says that our brains have two dominant modes of attention: the task-positive network and the task-negative network. The task-positive network is active when you’re “actively engaged in a task, focused on it, and undistracted.” The task-negative network is active when your mind is “wandering” or daydreaming. Together, he says, “these two networks operate like a seesaw in the brain—when one is active, the other is not.” To fully absorb the information we’ve been exposed to, we need to spend some time in both modes. (This sounds very similar to the two modes of the autonomic nervous system: Fight or Flight and Rest and Digest, don’t you think?) 

We don’t get much time for daydreaming these days, what with all the multitasking we’re doing throughout the day and all the information we’re constantly being asked to absorb. In his interview, Levintin pointed out that multitasking isn’t really multitasking; it’s just switching very frequently and quickly between one task and another. That’s kind of overwhelming in and of itself. He also wrote, “According to a 2011 study, on a typical day, we take in the equivalent of about 174 newspapers’ worth of information, five times as much as we did in 1986.” So it makes sense that our brains, much like our nervous systems, would need a rest once in while.

Which reminds me: when I first starting practicing yoga in Boston and then later in Cambridge, England, my teachers always taught us a guided Savasana at the end of class. It was only when I moved to the West Coast of the US that I had teachers who told me to lie down in Savasana and then just quit talking and left me to it. That always puzzled me. Weren’t we supposed to have a focus for our minds as we lay there to guide us into a state of relaxation? Why were the teachers just leaving us to “rest” on our own? After all, just this week, I republished a post about Savasana in which I said that one of the things that made Savasana a pose was having a focus for your mind, and not just lying there spacing out. Having the focus for your mind is certainly what’s needed to invoke the Relaxation Response to put you in Rest and Digest mode. But what if your nervous system is in fine shape but your poor brain needs a bit of a vacation? Maybe lying in Savanasa and daydreaming for about 10 minutes could be just what you need? Were my West Coast yoga teachers on to something?

As for my own daydreaming while I do yoga, it’s probably happening while I’m doing restorative poses and long supported inverted poses, because sometimes I just relax physically without a specific mental focus. Oh, okay, sometimes my mind wanders a bit when I’m doing more active poses as well, especially ones I’ve been practicing at home for many years, even though I do try to keep my mind focused on my physical sensations. But until I heard Levintin talking about daydreaming, I had no idea that my wandering mind during my yoga practice was actually providing me with some important benefits! 

How about you? Does your brain ever feel overwhelmed by your work? Or what you’re learning in school? Or all the information that you’re bombarded with on a daily basis? If so, consider adding some daydreaming to your yoga practice. You could do it in any form of Savasana (see Savasana (Corpse Pose) Variations). Or, you could also do it while you’re practicing restorative yoga poses (see Restorative Yoga: An Introduction and Mini Restorative Practice), as these poses relax you physically while your mind is free to wander.

Which reminds me: Ram cautions that not all daydreaming is productive or helpful, and he recommends “controlled daydreaming.” That sounds like an oxymoron to me, but I assume he means that if you notice your mind drifting into violent or aggressive fantasies, or negative dramas of any sort, you could gently move your mind away from those thoughts and onto something less stressful.

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Fluid Intelligence and Yoga

by Ram

From "The Path to Holistic Health" by B.K.S. Iyengar

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika was written centuries ago and in the course of time produced several yoga masters and teachers, yet it took Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and B.K.S. Iyengar to bring innovation to the practice of yoga, including developing new poses and adding the use of various props. 

Similarly, it took the ingenuity of Robert Jarvik to design and implant the first artificial heart. And also, had those Harvard college kids, led by Mark Zuckerberg, not been interested in digitizing their assignment notes, we may never have seen Facebook. Examples of such innovative and ingenious incidents abound and reflect a specific type of intelligence. 

What is intelligence? Is it getting a very high score on the ACT or SAT? Is it having the ability to solve complex math equations? Or does being able to create a complex software program make you intelligent? In reality, intelligence is a little bit of all of these and more. As intelligence began to be better understood by cognitive psychologists, it became clear that many distinct sub-types of intelligence exist. Psychologists are of the opinion that intelligence comes in many forms and is comprised of a variety of cognitive skills and abilities. In broad terms, intelligence comprises two sub-components: 

Crystallized intelligence. This is the ability to make use of acquired information or knowledge. Crystallized intelligence involves knowledge that comes from prior learning and past experiences. People who possess high levels of crystallized intelligence are people who remember facts and retain a wealth of knowledge on specific topic(s). Examples of crystallized intelligence include vocabulary exams and geography or spelling bees. This type of intelligence is based upon facts and rooted in experiences. It is generally long-lasting and improves with rote learning.

Fluid intelligence. This is the ability to be innovative or ingenious  It allows you to quickly adapt to and solve problems, even in an unfamiliar situation. Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason, think and apply. In order for someone to have fluid intelligence, they must be able to reason and think conceptually, as well as achieve problem solving skills. Although abstract thinking and problem solving skills are achieved during a person's education, learning, and experiences, fluid intelligence is an innate ability that is independent of those things. Having an open mind and high level of awareness are key aspects of fluid intelligence abilities. On the yoga mat, fluid intelligence is all about ingenious methods of modifying a pose to reap the same benefits and avoiding any pains, distress or risks. 

Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence are both components of general intelligence and yet are distinct in their respective aspects. Two people with the same IQ may exhibit similar crystallized intelligence but dissimilar fluid intelligence. While both types of intelligence increase throughout childhood and adolescence, the general belief is that crystallized intelligence continues to grow throughout adulthood and then begins to decline after age 65. Nevertheless, as we age and accumulate new knowledge and understanding, crystallized intelligence becomes stronger. In contrast, fluid intelligence and the ability to reason and think conceptually begin to decline around age 40.

Now you may ask what do these concepts have to do with yoga? Well, results from a recent study investigating the relation between age and fluid intelligence in middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners, and matched controls indicated that fluid intelligence declined much slower in yoga practitioners and meditators combined, than in controls. Furthermore, mindfulness meditation was positively correlated with fluid intelligence. The study Fluid intelligence and brain functional organization in aging yoga and meditation practitioners involved 47 physically and mentally healthy participants (16 yoga practitioners, 16 meditation practitioners, and 15 controls), who were recruited after matching for age, gender, education, race, and handedness. Age-related decline in fluid intelligence and normal functional brain network properties in these participants were investigated. Fluid intelligence was tested using a variety of cognitive skills. Functional networks were also measured by the resilience displayed by neurons to actual lesions in the brain’s cortical areas or by simulating such attacks. The apparent rate of age-related decline in fluid intelligence was found to be lower in yoga practitioners and meditators combined as compared to controls. Furthermore, resting state functional neurons of yoga practitioners and meditators combined were more resilient to damage than those of controls. Interestingly, mindfulness meditation alone was effective in blocking the age-associated decline in fluid intelligence as well as increasing the neural network resilience.

The results of this study may also explain previous studies that indicated that older meditators have better attention performance than non-meditators. Both meditation and yoga requires the quality of mindfulness that in turn triggers functional neural network integration and improve fluid intelligence. The results are extremely relevant and important as they have a potential practical implication with a rapidly aging world population and increasing life expectancies. So if you wish to have a non-medicated, non-prescription-based method to strengthen your neural network and improve your fluid intelligence, unroll your mat and start your practice of yoga and meditation today!

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Featured Sequence: Brain Health Practice

by Baxter

Here's our new Brain Health sequence, which combines physical exercise and stress management to promote health of the organ in general with "brain aerobics" to challenge you mentally. If you want to practice this sequence on a regular basis, you'll need to change it up periodically (see Yoga Sequences Are Brain Aerobics for information).

1. Checking-In: Start by sitting and checking in with your mind: is your mind busy or quiet today? Is your focus good or scattered? What is your mood? As you take a few moments to observe your thoughts, notice if they have one of the following qualities: pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant. Can you notice this without necessarily having to act on this insight?

Next, choose a single yoga sutra, either from your Yoga Sutras book or by finding a sutra online, and read the Sanskrit aloud. Then, repeat the translation aloud three times in a row.

Now you’re ready for your asana practice. Set you mat up so the short end is touching a wall. Then stand at the front of your mat in Mountain pose, facing away from the wall.

2. Mini Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar): Practice the Sanskrit name for Sun Salutations. For general instructions on how to practice our Mini Sun Salutation, see Mini Sun Salutation. Start by practicing one round with your eyes open. Then attempt to do several rounds with your eyes closed, relying on senses other than vision to guide you. Because exercise is as important for the brain as it is for the heart, these Sun Salutations enhance basic brain health as well as stimulating brain function.

3. Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana 2): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then, facing the long edge of your mat, step your feet wide apart so that the outer edge of your left foot is flush against the wall (or only the heel if this is a problem for your hips). Then turn your right foot and leg out 90 degrees, towards the center of the room. Now, bend your right knee and raise your arms to come into the pose. Instead of looking toward your front arm, look back at your left hand as you enter, stay in the pose for 6-12 breaths, and then exit the pose. Turn to the other long edge of your mat and repeat on the second side.

Imagine the Wall!

4. Standing Forward Bend with the Wall (Uttanasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Now, stand with your back to the wall with your hips and shoulders touching the wall but your heels about 12 inches away from the wall. Bend your knees slightly and then tip forward from your hip joints to come into the forward fold, keeping your buttocks flesh on the wall and lowering down as far as you safely can. Caution: If you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, perhaps come only half way down. Stay for 12 breaths, and come up on an inhalation.

5. Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then, turn around on your mat so you can practice the left side of Triangle pose first. Facing the long edge of your mat, step your feet wide apart so that the outer edge of your right foot is flush against the wall (or only the heel if this is a problem for your hips). Then turn your left foot and leg out 90 degrees, towards the center of the room. Next, inhale your arms up to parallel with the floor, and keeping your attention on your left hand, come into full Triangle pose, using a prop for your bottom hand if necessary. As you stay in the pose for 6-12 breaths, keep looking at your left hand (your bottom hand) and continue to focus on your left hand as you come out of the pose. Then turn towards the other long edge of your mat and repeat the pose on the right side, following your right hand as you move into, stay in, and move out of the pose.

Imagine the Wall!

6. Powerful Pose (Utkatasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then, standing as you did for Wall Standing Forward Bend, keep your buttocks on the wall as you inhale your arms overhead, bend your knees, and tip your torso and spine forward over your thighs into the Powerful pose shape. See Powerful Pose for instructions about Powerful pose. Stay for 6 breaths. 

Imagine the Wall!

7. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsva Konasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Next, align your feet for the pose the same way you did for Warrior 2, with your left outer foot (or heel) at the wall. As you come into the pose to the right, using a prop for your bottom hand if necessary, keep your eyes fixed on your right hand (your lower hand), throughout the pose. For additional instructions, see Upper Body Strength Practice Stay for 6-12 breaths, and repeat on the second side.

Imagine the Wall!

8. Half Downward-Facing Dog Pose at the Wall (Ardha Adho Muka Svanasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then stand facing the wall with your hands on the wall at shoulder height. Bend your knees a bit and slowly back your feet and hips towards the center of the room until your arms and torso are parallel with the floor and your hips are positioned directly over your heels. If your back and hamstrings permit, slowly straighten your legs without rounding your lower back towards the ceiling. Float your head between your arms as you actively push your hands into the wall and your hips away from the wall. Stay in the pose for 6-12 breaths. To come out, bend the knees a bit and walk the feet back towards the wall as you lift your torso up to vertical. For additional instructions, see Half Downward-Facing Dog Pose at the Wall. 

9. Warrior 1 to 3 (Virabhadrasana 1, 3): Practice the Sanskrit name of the two poses. Now, stand facing the wall about halfway back on your mat (you will need to experiment with the distance to get it just right). Step your left foot back about three feet, and turn it out a bit to the left. Then, inhale your arms up alongside your head and bend your front knee forward over your right ankle, coming into Warrior 1. Then, tip forward from your hips and lean forward, bringing your weight onto the right leg, your hands to the wall and your left leg up behind you into Warrior 3. Try to keep your hips square with the floor beneath you and your head floating between your arms. This can be quite a vigorous pose, so stay for just 3-6 breaths. See Warrior 3 Pose (Wall Version) for further instructions. To come out of the pose, on an inhalation, step back to Warrior 1 as lightly as you can. On your exhalation, come out of Warrior 1 and step back to Mountain pose. Repeat on the second side.

10. Reclined Leg Stretch Pose (Supta Padangustasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then, lie down on your back with the soles of your feet against the wall. Practice version 1 of Reclined Leg Stretch on your right side (see (Reclined Leg Stretch Sequence ), keeping good contact of the sole of the left foot against the wall throughout the pose. The key difference here is the tactile awareness of the bottom leg foot on the wall. Stay for 6-12 breaths. Then repeat on the other side. 

Imagine the Wall!

11. Legs Up the Wall Pose (Vipariti Karani): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then, set up for a supported version of Legs Up the Wall pose, using whatever propping would feel good for you today. See Legs Up the Wall pose for instructions on practicing this pose. After going up into the pose, change the typical position of your arms today, and notice how that affects the pose on the level of sensation, breath, and emotions. Stay for 5-10 minutes if your schedule permits. This pose is great for managing stress levels, which is important for maintaining brain health as it helps reduce strokes (see Brain Health Interview with Ram Rao).

12. Simple Seated Pose (Sukasana): Practice the Sanskrit name of the pose. Then sit in Sukasana with your back against the wall and as much support under your hips as you need for your back to feel comfortable. See if you can recall the sutra you learned for today. If not, re-read it now. Then, use the translation of the sutra as a mantra for a short meditation session, repeating the sutra mentally to yourself as you breathe in and out comfortably. I usually set a timer for how long I want to do my final meditation, typically at least 10 minutes, but feel free to start with 3-5 minutes at first. Any type of meditation can be beneficial for brain health, as it may help build brain strength (see Meditation and Brain Strength).

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