Brain Balance

Mindfulness and Yoga Meditations for Brain Health

Emer DuffySpecialist Occupational Therapist and Yoga TeacherLiving Life Therapy26/9/15

Brushing Teeth= Daily Dental Hygiene

Meditation=Daily Brain Hygiene

Tools to ‘Give your Brain a Break’

• Posture- Highway to your brain

•Body Scan and Long Deep Breathing

•Mindful Meditation

• Loving Kindness Meditation

•Kirtan Kriya-Yogic Meditation

Posture

• Never Stress or strain go within your limits. Check with your G.P. if you have any queries.

• Spinal Flex. Try 1-2 mins to start. Aim to relax and release your spine with gentle movements. The spine is the highway to the Brain.

Taken from http://omtownyoga.com

Sitting for Meditation

• Upright posture

• Feet Flat (use a book/block)

• Chin gently tucked in Shoulders down

• Chest lifted.

• Relax your hands

• Eyes can be shut or slightly open staring in front of you

http://www.garmaonhealth.com/meditation-posture-manifests-goals/

Mindfulness is not…

• About Doing …it’s about Being

• Relaxation

• Zoning Out

• Not judging whatever is happening as ‘good’ or ‘bad’

• About getting rid of life’s pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head and body.

• Mindfulness is not just about meditation.

• Mindfulness is not religious.

• Mindfulness is not about perfection.

Mindfulness is …

Paying attention to the present moment in a particular way with

• Curiosity

• Kindness

• Compassion for self and others, at every possible opportunity.

It can bring us closer to difficulties but without becoming caught up in our emotional reactions.

Evidence based in MS and has been associated with reduced fatigue, improved pain management and enhanced mood.

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Hormone

Memory brainCells

Frontal lobe and attentionNetwork

Heart rate/

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Improved Self

Regulation

30 mins per day over one month improves attention and self-regulation.

Changes can be seen very quickly: anyone doing 8 weeks of meditation can increase cortical gray matter density.

Bigger Brain

Blood Flow

to brain

Meditation: The Original Brain Training

Cortisol

Why isn’t everyone doing ??

• Because it’s challenging! Simple concept but not easy

• Skill- You need to practice

• “Monkey Mind”

• Unpleasant feelings/ thoughts can arise

• Seen as “new age”

Mindful Body Scan and Deep Breathing

Long Deep BreathingResearch indicates reduces heart rate.

Lower heart rate =less brain stress

Mindful Meditation

“Counting is like a string that attaches Mindfulness to your breath”

Thich Nhat Hanh

• Counting 1- 10: Inhale 1 Exhale 1, Inhale 2 Exhale 2…….

• If you lose your count, go back to the last number you remember.

• If thoughts come into your mind go back to the numbers

• Once you get to 10, let your mind settle and simply follow the inhale and exhale.

• Start with 3 mins and build up. With practice, this technique can result in deep concentration.

Free PDF of the Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh https://www.google.ie/#q=miracle+of+mindfulness+pdf

Loving Kindness Meditation

• ‘May I be well in my body”

• ‘May I be well in my mind”

• ‘May I be well in my heart”

• ‘May I dwell in peace”

Repeat each sentence 5 times either silently or out loud. Start with 3 mins and build up.

Associated with

• Decreased Pain Response

• Activates and strengthens empathy & emotional intelligence brain areas

• Bigger brain volume

Good scientific review: http://www.emmaseppala.com/18-science-based-reasons-try-loving-kindness-meditation-today/

Yoga Meditation for Brain Health: Kirtan Kriya

• Loosely translated as “singing action”

• Brief meditation technique that originates in the non-religious practice of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

• There are four principle components:

1) Mantra (chanting)

2) Mudra (hand movements)

3) Voice

4) Visualisation

Brain Health Research: Kirtan Kriya

Kirtan Kriya is being increasing researched in the field of Alzheimer’s disease in the US.

• Short (12 minutes)• Simple • Cost effective meditation practice

Associated with enhancement of memory, energy levels, sleep quality and wellbeing.

Up regulate positive genes, down regulate inflammatory genes and activate significant anatomical areas of the brain-Frontal Lobes.

Not yet studied in MS

How to do Kirtan KriyaGentle Neck Lock:

Gently tuck your chin inwards and downwards. This helps keep your spine in alignment.

1) Mantra:

SAA, TAA, NAA, MAA. In Yoga Philosophy this is seen as the cycle of creation. This meditation is considered a ‘Spring Clean’ for the mind, helps to focus the mind

The full meditation is chanted for the following cycles

• 2 minutes out loud

• 2 minutes whispering

• 4 minutes silent

• 2 minutes whispering

• 2 minutes loud

Starting out you can cut time in half and just do 6 mins or even 3 mins

How to do Kirtan Kriya

2) Mudras (hand movements)

During the silent phase silently mouth ‘Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa’ and continue the hand gestures.

Kirtan Kriya cont..

• 3) Eye Position: Eyes are closed and if comfortable focused between the eyebrows

• 4) Visualisation:

While you are chanting imagine the sounds coming in through the crown of the head through the brow point in an L shape. This helps to keep focus and avoid headaches.

Eye position: Your eyes will be closed during the meditation and you are aiming to look up to your

third eye point or brow point. This is the point between your eyebrows.

Visualisation

(http://yachnayoga.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/l-kirtan-kriya.png )

While you are chanting imagine the sounds coming through

the crown of the head out through the brow point in an L

shape. This will help to keep you focused and avoid

headaches.

Mindfulness and Yoga Meditations are …..• Free

• Non-pharmacological

• Holistic

• Adverse side effect free

• Quick

• Reduces stress

• Boosts mood

• Bigger and Better Brain- Brain Balance

• There are so many different types of meditation that can balance your brain, so don’t give up after the first try!

• Give it time and the daily mental shower a meditation session brings will be one if the best investments you can make

0894166922emer@livinglife.iewww.livinglife.ie

Any Questions?