22 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • DECEMBER 3, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
How to boost mood and memory at home
Society has become much better at recognizing
the importance of mental wellness
practices. It’s now common knowledge that
exercise, a healthy diet and quality sleep
are essential to both physical and mental
health. Th is is great progress, but many
people overlook other ways to take care of
mind and mood besides treating the body.
Mental hygiene practices directly
improve mental wellness and go beyond
simply managing stress. A wave of new
research has demonstrated that implementing
practices like meditation can
increase mind-body awareness/mindfulness,
raise self-esteem, improve concentration,
strengthen memory and prevent
depression.
An example that is trending for its eff ectiveness
and accessibility is the Kirtan
Kriya meditation. A type of meditation
from the Kundalini Yoga tradition, Kirtan
Kriya has been shown to reduce symptoms
of depression and dementia, while
being benefi cial to both mood and overall
mental wellness.
Scientifi c support
Recent studies show the numerous
mental health benefi ts of this non-religious,
meditative practice. For example,
researchers out of UCLA, West Virginia
University, and the Alzheimer’s Research
and Prevention Foundation have used
functional imaging studies, genomics,
biomarkers, and neurocognitive testing
to study the eff ects of Kundalini Yoga and
Kirtan Kriya on individuals with cognitive
decline over six months.
Intervention groups practicing Kirtan
Kriya saw improvements to memory and
cognitive functioning as well as improved
mood and quality of life. Th ese fi ndings
are supported by other research studies on
the practice, with Kirtan Kriya meditation
shown to improve blood fl ow to the brain,
reverse memory loss and ease depression.
Th e results demonstrate how Kundalini
Yoga and meditative practice are benefi -
cial for memory and may even stave off
the symptoms of cognitive decline, which
are oft en a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
Practice from anywhere
Experiencing the benefi ts of Kirtan
Kriya can happen in just six minutes of
practice each day. Since yoga and meditation
techniques can be done at home, it’s
something that anyone can do to support
their mental wellness. To make Kirtan
Kriya meditations part of your mental
hygiene routine, follow these steps:
Position:
• Sit comfortably in a chair with feet fl at
on the fl oor or sit on the fl oor with legs
crossed. Th e key is to be comfortable with
the spine straight. Keep eyes closed and
breathe naturally as the meditation unfolds.
Mantra or Chant:
• Th e chant uses the basic sounds, “Sah,
Tah, Nah, Mah”, taken from the Sikh
words “Sat Nam,” meaning “my true
identity.”
Mudra or Hand Position:
• Th e thumb is touched to each of the
other four fi ngers in sequence. Both
hands perform the same sequence
simultaneously.
• When you chant Sah, touch the index
fi ngers of each hand to the thumbs.
• On Tah, touch your middle fi ngers to
your thumbs.
• On Nah, touch your ring fi ngers to your
thumbs.
• On Mah, touch your little fi ngers to
your thumbs.
The Timing:
• Sing the sounds “Sah, Tah, Nah, Mah”
while performing the mudras sequence
with the fi ngers of both hands. At the
same time, visualize the sound fl owing
in through the top of the head and out
the middle of the forehead.
• For one minute, sing the sounds out
loud.
• For one minute, use a loud whisper.
• For the next two minutes, repeat the
sounds silently to yourself.
• Th en whisper the sounds for one minute
and then sing out loud for one minute,
for a total meditation time of six
minutes.
To come out of the exercise, inhale
very deeply, stretch hands above the head
while stretching the fi ngers wide. Stretch
the spine and take several deep breaths.
Relax.
To learn more about the mental benefi
ts of Kirtan Kriya and Kundalini Yoga,
please visit kundaliniresearchinstitute.
org.
— Courtesy of BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
