A bonfire burns hotter when the wind blows.
Look at the bonfire.
Notice that when the wind blows across the coals that they glow brighter.
Notice that when you add more wood that the fire gets bigger and brighter.
Your brain is much like the bonfire it needs oxygen and nutrients to get brighter and yoga is one of the ways to give the brain the fuel that it needs.
What is the problem with the brain
As we get older our brain slowly loses some of its capability. Along with losing muscle tissue, joint flexibility and bone density, your brains shrinks as you get older.
As you get older you tend to exercise less. This lack of exercise results in a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood. And the more sedentary lifestyle also results in a reduced blood flow to your brain.
How can you help the brain
Your brain is a very demanding organ. It requires lots of oxygen and lots of blood flow to keep it healthy.
Remember how the bonfire got brighter when you added more fuel in the form of air movement and wood. Your brain needs more fuel in the form of oxygen and blood flow to keep it healthy and bright.
Several recent studies have shown that regular and frequent aerobic exercise will improve the health of the brain. In fact the studies are not from just one branch of ‘brain study’ or just one institution either.
It seems that on this fact that the experts across a broad spectrum are agreeing with each other: Aerobic exercise keeps the brain young, healhy and smarter.
University of Illinois
Dr. Art Kramer, a neuroscientist, found from his studies that sedentary older adults that start a regular aerobic exercise program can improve their scores on cognitive function tests by 15 – 20%. His studies have shown that the ageing of the brain is not a one-way street. The ageing process can be reversed.
University of British Columbia
Dr. Brian Christie, a neuroscientist, found that the brain is a very demanding organ which requires vast amounts of nutrients and oxygen. His studies have shown that exercise can actually stimulate growth in the brain. Once sedentary people adopt an exercise program he has observed an increase in brain volume.
University of Washington in Seattle
Dr. Laura Baker, a neuropsychologist, says that there are many lines of research investigating why exercise helps the brain to stay younger. Exercise produces growth factors in the brain that preserves and protects neutrons. Exercise may, in fact, stimulate neural stem cells to produce new brain cells thus restoring brain tissue that have lost its capability over time.
Harvard University
Dr. Jon Ratey, a psychiatrist, says that the amount of exercise to stimulate the stem cells to grow new brain cells appears to be reasonable. Most studies indicate that forty minutes to an hour of moderately intense aerobic exercise three or four times a week seems to be enough to stimulate the brain.
How Yoga helps your brain
All of these studies have found that 40 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 4 times a week will improve the health of the brain.
A regular yoga practise is a good aerobic exercise to keep your brain healthy and smart.
- The breath work during a yoga practise supplies lots of oxygen to the body.
- The asana practise causes your heart rate to increase. The more vigorous styles of yoga such as Ashtanga Yoga and Power Yoga will get your heart rate into the aerobic zone for extended periods of time.
But I do puzzles and read to keep the brain active. Isn’t that enough?
It is important to keep the brain stimulated and challenged. But you need to keep the brain well feed with oxygen and nutrients in order to take full advantage of these activities. The combination of these activities: exercise, puzzle solving and reading will keep your brain in top condition.
Summary
Several studies have shown that aerobic exercise 3 to 4 times a week will improve the health of your brain. Increasing oxygen and nutrient flow to the brain will keep it healthy and reduce the impact and in some cases reverse the impact of ageing on the brain.
If you want your brain to glow and get brighter like a bonfire be sure to give your brain lots of fuel. Yoga is one of the best ways to give your brain the fuel it needs to stay young and healthy.
Next Steps
Share this article with your friends. Tell them how they can keep their brains healthy and young.
A bonfire burns hotter when the wind blows.
