How to Improve Your Memory (hint: Breathe!)

I have to say that for as much of a flag-waving proponent of the amazing effects of conscious breathing techniques (CBTs) as I am, I've always been a bit skeptical of some of the techniques and claims.

Alternate nostril breathing techniques fall into that category. I've never seen the kind of convincing studies that have proven many of the other claims around CBTs. But now we have the YOU docs - Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen making some pretty bold claims around improving memory using left nostril breathing in the ezine "healthzone.ca."

According to healthzone.ca "undergraduates who did left-nostril breathing before a memory test scored 16 per cent higher than those who didn't. And left-nostril breathing improved spatial memory scores in kids by 43 per cent." What is really quite fascinating is that right nostril breathing had no effect (on those tests). We'll have to wait for the sequel to find out if right nostril breathing can help me write that hit song!

You might want to read the whole article. Now where are those car keys...

From 'Economic Times': Watch the Breath. It'll Make You Smarter

Couldn't help but read a recent post in the Economic Times. It contained the usual stuff about breathing, that most of us breathe on average 15 times a minute, that slowing that rate down is better for you, that yogi masters like B K S Iyengar and Sage Patanjali have studied breathing for most of their lives, the latter mentioning that "it’s not for nothing that in the Hathayoga-Pradipika, Swami Swatvarama likens the taming of the breath to the mastering of wild lions, tigers or elephants, to be carried out gradually (shanai-shanai)."

But what really caught our attention was this comment by writer Vithal C Nadkarni: "Modern research has uncovered spectacular benefits of mindfulness breathing. One recent study found evidence, for instance, of daily meditation thickening the very parts of the brain’s cerebral cortex that were responsible for attention, memory and decision-making.

"Research has also indicated that meditation retards the natural thinning of the cortex that occurs with advancing age. Ironically, the same effects cannot be achieved by goofing off or by taking a nap. Doctors have found that meditation restores nerve cells much like sleep but without associated grogginess.

"That may explain why a growing number of MNCs [multi-national corporations, we assume] including Google and Hughes Aircraft are offering meditation classes for their workers. Their EQ soars.

"So watch that breath. It’ll make you smarter."

We've been saying that for years.

Read the full article here.

health science