When I think about yoga and cognitive issues, I am most inclined to reflect on those with which I am most familiar. As a teacher of yoga to seniors, I am aware of the positive affect that yoga can have on delaying the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. As someone who has worked with kids with learning disabilities, I’ve seen the benefits that programs incorporating yoga and mindfulness have for youth who are challenged by a different cognitive slant. As a teacher that focuses on using yoga therapeutically, I know how stress can interfere with cognitive function and how using yoga to calm the nervous system can both relieve stress and improve thinking in people with conditions as varied as Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, anxiety or depression.
So, as a start to Canadian Yogi’s issue devoted to yoga and cognitive issues, let’s take a brief look at these three areas.
So, as a start to Canadian Yogi’s issue devoted to yoga and cognitive issues, let’s take a brief look at these three areas.
A growing body of evidence is showing that yoga reduces stress and benefits both physical and mental health via down-regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system. This is good news for our minds.
Studies of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), which includes mindfulness meditation and Hatha yoga as part of the program, have found that it reduces feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. In turn, less stress leads to better thinking.
For an in-depth look at how MBSR reduces stress and stimulates well-being and healing, read Jon Kabat-Zinn’s work Full Catastrophe Living. For more on how yoga can help with emotional well-being, check out Amy Weintraub’s book Yoga for Depression. If you want a good book on exercise and the brain, John Ratey’s, Spark demonstrates how and why physical activity is crucial to the way we think and feel. But don’t stop with these, they’re only a few of the great resources that explore the mind-body connection.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
Healthy aging is a process that should begin sooner in life, rather than later, in order to keep the body and mind healthy for as long as possible. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that seniors who were physically active at least three times a week were 38 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who did not. |
Not surprisingly, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada has called for prevention programs based on a healthy diet and physical activity to delay the onset of dementia.
Dr. Antonio Convit of the New York University School of Medicine summarizes research on the aging brain– “We thought that we were born with a brain that degenerated as we aged until we died. Now we know that there are many triggers that make parts of the brain regenerate themselves”. One of those triggers is your fitness level, another is your stress level, and yet another is challenging your brain. Meditation, in particular, has shown great potential for preventing cognitive and memory decline because of its stress-reducing effects.
A good yoga program, geared to seniors, can provide appropriate exercise, stress reduction (through the incorporation of breathing, mindfulness and meditation practices), and mental challenge (by utilizing cross-patterning or other movements proven to “exercise” the brain).
Learning Disabilities
The Integra Foundation/Child Development Institute is the only accredited children’s mental health agency providing evidence-informed, therapeutic programs and services to children, youth and their families who are dealing with mental health issues complicated by learning disabilities (LDs). |
They are well known for their Mindfulness Martial Arts (MMA) program, a holistic treatment program that incorporates mindfulness, yoga, cognitive behavior therapy and martial arts. The program is geared towards youth aged 12-18 with LDs and co-occurring mental health difficulties (including ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, anxiety, depression, externalizing behavior problems, and peer relation difficulties).
Several studies have investigated the efficacy of the MMA program with participants showing marked improvement in a variety of areas including self-awareness, the ability to stop and think, better identification of emotions and thoughts along with the ability to self- regulate, reduced anxiety, mental flexibility and more. For more detailed information on the program and the research, visit http://www.integra.on.ca/research8.htm.
This is just a smattering of how yoga can improve cognitive function. For more takes on this topic, dig into our fall issue of Canadian Yogi.
Joanne Preece
Editor
Joanne Preece
Editor