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Simple Habits for Relaxing and Rejuvenating Sleep – Neuroscience Yoga

Simple Habits for Relaxing and Rejuvenating Sleep – Neuroscience Yoga

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Good quality sleep is vital to the health of the body and mind. Long term sleep deficiency or irregular sleep is known to carry significant health risks. So far, in a series of three posts related to sleep, we covered the importance of sleep, the brain waves and stages of sleep from a neuroscience perspective. In this post, we will cover some simple habits to help you get a relaxing and rejuvenating sleep. There is nothing more rewarding than awakening refreshed…

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Neuroscience Evidence of Benefits of Yoga on Brain Health

Neuroscience Evidence of Benefits of Yoga on Brain Health

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A recent study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Wayne State University indicates that Yoga has a positive effect on the structure and function of key brain areas associated with memory. The findings provide evidence that yoga may hold promise in mitigating the age-related and neurodegenerative decline. The practice of Yoga originated and developed over many thousands of years by sages in ancient India, is known to have a positive effect on body and mind. Yoga…

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Stages of Sleep – Neuroscience and Yoga Perspective

Stages of Sleep – Neuroscience and Yoga Perspective

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After learning about the brain waves in the previous post, let’s explore the stages of sleep and what happens in each stage. The neurological understanding of sleep cycle and brain waves will be useful in correlating the Yogasanas and Pranayam with their benefits in various sleep-related disorders. It will also help avoid habits that are detrimental to health. This is the third part of the sleep series. In the first part, we covered the and the second one was about…

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Brain Waves – A Neuroscience Measure of State of Mind

Brain Waves – A Neuroscience Measure of State of Mind

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In our previous post, we covered the Neuroscience perspective of the importance of sleep, and what happens when we sleep. Before we discuss the next topics on sleep i.e. the stages of sleep and how Yoga helps in improving quality sleep, it is important to understand the neuroscience of brain waves – a measurable indicator of the state of mind. Our brain has approximately 80 to 100 billion neurons, which communicate with each other by transmitting electrical impulses through neural…

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Why is Sleep important – a Neuroscience Perspective

Why is Sleep important – a Neuroscience Perspective

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Good quality sleep is vital to the health of the body and mind. Adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night while adolescence needs around 9 to 10. We are just beginning to understand through Neuroscience why we need sleep. Sleep deprivation or poor-quality sleep can lead to disorders. It can be as simple as irritability, fatigue, and loss of concentration in the short-term. Long-Term sleep deprivation can lead to immune system related disorders (like inflammation, autoimmune diseases),…

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Understanding the Basics of Breathing from a Neuroscience Perspective

Understanding the Basics of Breathing from a Neuroscience Perspective

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Through this post let’s understand the basics of breathing. This will help the readers with future posts, where we will cover the influence of breathing in Yogasana and Pranayama techniques on high-level functions from a Neuroscience perspective. In Yogic texts, the mind is considered the master of the body (senses), and the breath is considered the master of the mind. Neuroscience now has evidence of this link between the body, mind, and breath. Now it is known that our breath…

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Neuroscience Evidence of Baroreflex in Yoga Inversions for Relaxation

Neuroscience Evidence of Baroreflex in Yoga Inversions for Relaxation

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This is a continuation of the previous post titled “Baroreflex – the secret behind Inverted Yoga poses like Sirsasana”. In that post, we covered the role of a Neuroscience reflex called “Baroreflex” in making Yoga inversions effective in bringing relaxation and calmness. Many readers may find this post too technical, but this the intention. This is written on the requests from many readers asking for the background and scientific evidence of what we covered in the previous post – and…

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Baroreflex – The Secret Behind Inverted Yoga Poses like Sirsasana

Baroreflex – The Secret Behind Inverted Yoga Poses like Sirsasana

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It is a popular belief that the secret behind inverted Yoga poses (like Sirsasana and Sarvangasana) is the increase the blood supply to the brain that promotes relaxation and calmness. But it is not true. Then, what makes inversions so effective for mental health? It’s a body-mind Neuroscience reflex called “Baroreflex”. Let’s look at it from a neuroscience perspective. Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) is a measure of the blood supply to the brain in a given period of time. In…

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Yoga Stimulates Vagus Nerve to Induce Relaxation Response – a key to Emotional Health

Yoga Stimulates Vagus Nerve to Induce Relaxation Response – a key to Emotional Health

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Vagus Nerve is the largest cranial nerve in the body. It starts at the base of the skull and runs throughout the whole body. It plays a central role in your emotional and physical health. It directly influences the nervous system – particularly the Parasympathetic branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (covered in a previous post). Our breath, heart rate, and digestion — as well as our overall ability to experience the world (particular how to handle the stress in…

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Neuroscience Evidence of Pranayama – Influence of Breath over Mind

Neuroscience Evidence of Pranayama – Influence of Breath over Mind

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Neuroscience is now discovering what Yogic science has known for many millennia – the influence of breath over the mind. Verse 29 in Chapter 4 of ancient yogic text called “Hatha Yoga Pradipika” says: इन्द्रियाणां मनो नाथो मनोनाथस्तु मारुतः । मारुतस्य लयो नाथः स लयो नादमाश्रितः हठयोग प्रदीपिका (अध्याय ४, श्लोक २९) Indriyānām mano nātho manonāthastu mārutahMārutasya layo nāthah sa layo nādamāśritah Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Chapter 4, Verse 29) The meaning of the verse goes like this – “The Mind (मन) is…

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