Have you thought of other benefits besides physical wellness that you might get by doing yoga poses? If you didn’t know, yoga can greatly improve your memory.
Counteracting Memory Loss
The thought of experiencing memory loss can be scary. Living with it is even scarier. It costs you your confidence. Imagine a life where you keep forgetting important appointments. You misplace things and even losing track of time and important events. Isn’t it quite depressing?
However, you can fix your memory problems and improve your concentration. Practice different yoga poses that trigger the brain as well as the nervous system. For example, Pranayama is what you need for a more healthy brain and better concentration. Meditation requires focus, which is what you need to always keep it together.
Boost Your Concentration
Yoga poses play a huge role in boosting your ability to concentrate. It also makes sure that your concentration levels don’t drop below where they are. One of the tricks that yoga does to your body is relaxation. With your nerves calmed down, you are able to think more clearly.
One’s level of concentration is subject to many factors including age and stress. The more you do yoga poses, the more your ability to concentrate increase.
Stress Reduction
Yoga poses like downward dogs can make you relax and stress less. They also boost your brain’s functionality.
Stress reduction remedies like yoga reduce anxiety and stress. It even reduces the chances of one getting depressed.
25 adults over 55 years of age were studied to reveal the effectiveness of yoga poses in fighting memory loss. These adults suffered from memory loss that sometimes led to Alzheimer’s disease. They were on a three-month yoga course with poses known to boost brain power.
In the end, the individuals saw significant improvement in visual-spatial memory. This is a form of memory responsible for recalling locations.
It is evident that yoga poses make you feel relaxed, peaceful, and makes you reconnect your mind with your body.
11 Foods to Help Boost Your Memory Along With The Yoga Poses
Fatty Fish: Fatty fish is a rich source of omega-3s, a major building block of the brain. Omega-3 plays a role in sharpening memory and improving mood. Also in protecting your brain against decline.
Coffee: Coffee can help boost alertness and mood. It may also offer some protection against Alzheimer’s. This is due to its caffeine and antioxidants.
Blueberries: Blueberries with antioxidants may delay brain aging and improve memory.
Turmeric: Turmeric and curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Which help the brain. In research, it has reduced symptoms of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Broccoli: Broccoli contains many compounds. These have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, including vitamin K.
Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds are rich in many micronutrients. They are important for brain function, including copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
Dark Chocolate: The flavonoids in chocolate may help protect the brain. Studies have suggested that eating chocolate could boost both memory and mood.
Nuts: Nuts contain a host of brain-boosting nutrients. Including vitamin E, healthy fats and plant compounds.
Oranges: Oranges help defend your brain against damage from free radicals. And also other foods high in vitamin C
Eggs: Eggs are a rich source of several B vitamins and choline. These are important for proper brain functioning, development, as well as regulating mood.
Green Tea: Green tea is an excellent beverage to support your brain. Its caffeine content boosts alertness. While its antioxidants protect the brain and L-theanine helps you relax.
Here are 10 Memory Improving Yoga Poses
1. Crane Pose
- Stand in the position of Tadasana.
- After taking the position of Tadasana, come down to the Uttanasana position.
- While doing Uttanasana, keep your hands on the floor in front of your feet. For this, you’ll need to bend a little more from your hips.
- If you’re not capable of balance, attempt to keep a folded blanket below your hands. So your body gets a platform to rest on.
- Now Bend your arms a bit (as much as possible).
- Attempt to carry your left leg up in the air.
- Fold your knee and take a look at to rest your left knee on the outer facet of your left arm.
- Fold the right leg from the knee and take a look at to put the right knee on the outer facet of the right arm.
- There ought to be an acceptable distance between each of your hands. So it becomes easier for you to balance your body on your hands.
- Stay steady in this position for about 15-20 seconds, after that release very slow.
- Repeat this process three times a day.
2. Lotus Pose
- Sit on the floor and stretch your legs, your legs should be straight in front. Hold the right leg in both hands, fold the legs and place it on your left thigh. Make sure your feet touch your navel.
- Same like earlier fold the left knee, and hold it with both hands and place it on the right thigh close to the other. At this point, your knees should touch the floor and the feet should face upward.
- Your spinal cord should be straight at this point. If you feel some difficulty while sitting in the posture for a long time, you can switch the legs.
- Your spine should be erect. Both hands should be together or put the palms facing upside on the knee joints. The thumb must touch your index finger and the other fingers should face upward.
- Breathing process should be slow – slow and deep. Inhale and Exhale. Focus on your breathing.
- Do this asana for 2 to 3 minutes in the beginning stage, once you are used to it then increase the time by 15 to 30 minutes.
- Remember 1 most important thing don’t bend our body or head while doing this Asana.
3. Standing Forward Bend
- Take a standing position; keep your feet and shoulder distance apart and parallel to each other.
- Press your feet down into the ground and ground yourself powerfully.
- Now breathe out and bend down from the hips (not the waist) and place your chest and stomach on your thighs.
- If you are a beginner, you ought to bend your knees slightly to do this. If you bend your knees, make sure that they’re straight over your toes.
- Slowly begin to straighten out your legs. But, check that your chest and abdomen never leave your thighs.
- Now elevate your hips as you straighten through your hamstring muscles. At the same time pressing your heels into the ground.
- While holding this position, gently inhale and exhale.
- While breathing in, try to lift and lengthen your torso. With each exhalation, try to go deeper and deeper into the stretch.
- Don’t shut your eyes throughout this Asana. Try to hold this pose for 30 seconds.
- Release this pose by placing your hands back on to your hips. With a deep breath in (inhale), extend your back and come up to the initial position.
4. Shoulder Stand Pose
- Lie down on your back straight.
- Breathe in and breathe out, lift your both legs in the upward direction.
- Stop at that point when both legs make a 90-degree angle with the floor.
- Make the Leg Raise Pose. While exhaling lift your waist; push your legs back over the head.
- Use both hands for supporting the waist.
- Get your legs, back, and waist in one straight line.
- Stretch your toes towards the sky, keep your eye on your toes.
- Hold the position for some time, keep normal breathing.
- Slowly get back to the initial position.
- Repeat this for three to four times.
5. Plow Pose
- Lie on the yoga mat or carpet and join the legs together.
- Raise your legs to make an angle of 90 degrees.
- Push the palms down, raise the waist and legs. Bend forward curving the back and resting the legs on the floor above head.
- Try to place the big toe on the floor and keep the legs straight.
- Balance the whole weight on the shoulder blade. Shift both the hands over the head, join the fingers and hold the head with it and relax the elbows on the floor.
- Try to remain in the position till the count of 100.
- Release the fingers above the head, pressing the palms on the floor. Take back the big toe and bring the body and legs to the floor
- Relax and practice for 2 round more.
6. Seated Forward Bend
- Sit up with the legs stretched out straight in front of you on the floor.
- Keep the spine erect and toes flexed towards you.
- Bring your respiration to normal.
- While breathing in, raise both arms straight above your head and stretch up.
- Slowly breathe out and bend forward from the hip joint. Your chin moving toward the toes keeping the spine erect.
- Place your hands on your legs, wherever they reach, without straining.
- If possible hold of your toes and pull on them to help you go forward.
- Stay in this position as long as possible.
- After you reach the exertion limit, inhale and raise up. Stretching up your arms straight above your head.
- Breathe out and bring your arms down placing the palms on the ground.
- Relax for a while and try to feel the changes occurred in the body.
7. Tree Pose
- First, stand straight. Place your feet together and keep your knees completely straight.
- Keep your arms at your sides.
- Without twisting your left knee, lift up your right foot and hold the lower leg (ankle) with your right hand.
- Now fold your right leg at the knee joint.
- By using both hands, put the right heel on the left thigh as high as possible under the circumstances. Your toes point downward.
- Your right heel should press within the thigh.
- Now try to balance yourself on the left leg.
- Join your palms and fingers and place them to the mid-section of your chest. Point your fingers upward like the petition to God posture.
- Now breathe in and lift up your held hands over your head.
- Try to stretch yourself up and stand straight along with keeping your balance.
- Look out straight ahead and keep up this posture breathing normally. Hold the position as long as you can.
- Breathe out and bring down your hands to the chest.
- Come back to the initial position.
- Repeat the pose with your other leg.
8. Easy Pose
- Sit down on the floor. (If you are not comfortable, then keep one thick folded blanket on the floor for a firm and flat base for sitting). Stretch out your legs in front of your body.
- Now cross your legs and broaden your knees, in order that you can slip both your feet under the opposite knee.
- After that, you have to bend your knees along with folding your legs.
- Keep your feet loose, in order that the external edges lay on the floor. The inner curves settle beneath the inverse leg.
- Your thighs and crossed legs ought to frame a little triangle. Keep some space between your feet and pelvis.
- Now sit with your buttock in a neutral position. (For this, you have to press your hands opposing the ground and lift your sitting bones a bit). Attempt to hold for a breath or two and after that gradually bring yourself back on to the floor.
- Balance your tail bone and pubic bone in a manner that they are equidistant from the floor.
- Keep your hands on your knees with palms facing down and expand your tailbone against the floor.
9. Diamond Pose
- Sit on the flat floor. Fold your both legs and place your feet under the hips. (Both heels are protruding outwards and the toes are touching your hips. In this position the thumbs of both toes should be touching each other)
- Keep your spine and head erect with eyes closed.
- Your knees should be touching each other.
- Keep your right palm on the right knee and left palm on the left knee.
- After that inhale and exhale through your nostrils. (Normal breathing).
- When you breathe out try to assume that all your disorders are coming out from your nostrils.
- In the beginning, try to practice Vajrasana for 5 minutes after lunch or dinner. Once you are used to it, increase the time of asana about 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
10. Downward Facing Dog
- To begin this stance or pose, you ought to begin on your hands and knees. Keep your knees beneath the hips and your hands a little before your shoulders.
- Give your palms a chance to spread out and your forefingers somewhat turned out or parallel.
- Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor far.
- At first, you can keep your knees somewhat bowed and your heels lifted up from the floor.
- At that point, stretch your tailbone far from your pelvis and press it to the pubis.
- Raise your sitting bones against this resistance toward the roof. Draw your legs into the crotch.
- During exhalation let the highest point of your thighs push back. and your heel extended against the ground.
- Try to keep your knees straight but not bolted.
- Keep your thighs firm and roll the highest point of your thighs inwards. The front of the pelvis should be kept tight.
- Brace your arms and press your index finger into the floor.
- From regions of the forefingers try to lift yourself. This ought to be done from your wrists to the shoulder tops.
- Keep your shoulder bones firm. At that point broaden them and convey them to the tailbone.
- Your head ought to be between your arms. Abstain from giving it a chance to drop.
- You can stay in this stance for a couple of minutes.
- For leaving this stance, you ought to twist your knees to the ground, breathe out and stop in Child Pose. Rest for a minute then continue this pose for 5 to 6 times.
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