Can yoga and meditation help stave off cognitive decline and increase your brain’s efficiency and resilience? A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, says the answer may be yes. An international team of researchers examined the brain functioning of 47, healthy middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners and normal controls to see whether the groups differed in fluid intelligence, resilience, function and efficiency. Participants included 16 yoga practitioners

Neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s impact millions world-wide. A recent review published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience finds that yoga may be an effective adjunctive treatment. Yoga and other mind-body therapies are unique in that they combine breathing exercises with movement and meditation. Emerging research finds that these practices may impact brain structures and neural networks, as well as the aut

Researchers at Stanford University may have uncovered link between how you breathe and how your brain functions. It has long been known that slow, deep breathing induces relaxation and a sense of calm. Despite the benefits of controlled breathing, research has yet to fully elucidate the mechanisms through which alterations in breath reduce stress and anxiety. In a new study, researchers at Stanford University may have solved this mystery, at least in mice. Breathing is an aut

New research shows meditation may protect the aging brain from decline. Most of us begin to misplace our keys, forget people’s names, or solve math problems less readily as we approach middle age. This is often referred to as age-related cognitive decline. Years ago, scientists believed that this decline was inevitable, but extraordinary research in the past two decades has shown that the adult brain changes with experience and training throughout the lifespan—a phenomenon kn

Can yoga slow down the rate of cognitive decline? New study provides hope. Aging is linked to changes in brain structure and function that may lead to cognitive decline and dementia. New research published in Frontiers of Aging Neuroscience reveals potentially significant brain benefits of yoga for elderly women who practice regularly. There are a number of changes that occur as our brains age that increase the likelihood that we will forget where we put our keys or parked ou

It’s hard not to get excited about the brave new world of neuroscience, and what we’ve learned about the brain. But is that enthusiasm premature? Researchers at the University of California San Francisco, who discovered that brain development research may be skewed, think so. One of the basic principles of research is that the sample of people selected for a study should be similar to the larger population. Studies that deviate from that standard run the risk of producing bia

Canadian researchers have discovered that other people’s stress can alter your brain as much as real stress. We all know that chronic stress is bad for us. Research just published in the journal Nature Neuroscience shows that other people’s stress can change our brains in the same ways that real stress can. The effects of stress are widespread. Psychologically, stress is tied to depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD. Physically, chronic stress is linked to inflammation that

Can yoga, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle help stave off age-related declines in memory, concentration, and information processing, and improve the ability to regulate thoughts and emotions? Groundbreaking new research exploring the interface of yoga, meditation, and brain science suggests that these and other strategies may keep your brain fit. For nearly a century, scientists believed that the trillions of brain cells that you’re born with are pruned and eventually die,

Researchers at Columbia University find evidence that healthy older adults can generate as many new brain cells as younger people. For well over a decade, research has shown that the brain is able to form new connections; a process referred to as neuroplasticity. Since then, there has been an ongoing debate over whether the aging adult human brain can also produce new cells (neurons). Now, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell shows that aging brains are capable of

For the first time, researchers at Trinity College Dublin show a neurophysiological link between breathing patterns and attention. For years studies have linked yogic breathing practices and breath-focused meditation to everything from increased relaxation, positive emotion, greater focus, heightened attention and decreased stress to less mind wandering. To date, we’ve yet to understand why this occurs. In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Trinity College Institute of Ne

Polyvagal Theory and ancient yoga philosophy share similar views when it comes to how yoga can increase self-regulation and resilience. Polyvagal Theory (PVT) has gained considerable attention among health professionals since a book of the same name was published in 2011. Based on brain science, the theory describes how information exchanged between the brain and body affects self-regulation, resilience, and how we interact with others. The vagus nerve is a key player in the

Here's how mindfulness-based therapies may help to ease traumatic stress symptoms. Pain, loss and traumatic events are part of the human experience. Approximately 60-75% of North Americans experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Some of these individuals may go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A review of the research finds that mindfulness-based programs such as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may provide relief from post-trau

Part of the brain commonly associated with memory and dementia could also hold the key for depression, anxiety and emotional regulation. The hippocampus is an area of the brain commonly linked with memory and dementia. But new U of T Scarborough research finds that it may also yield important clues about a range of mental health illnesses including addiction, anxiety and depression. The research, authored by a team of neuroscientists, found that a specific part of the hippoca

Researchers in Alberta Canada discover that stress is contagious, and that social support may help buffer these effects, but only for women. Last year Americans reported their highest stress levels in over a decade according to an American Psychological Association survey. Emotion researchers have long known that feelings like joy, sadness, and anger are “contagious.” Could this also be true for stress? A team at the Cumming School of Medicine’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute at t

A study finds that the rhythm of your breath can influence brain activity that enhances memory recall and emotional experience. Breathing doesn't just keep you alive. Research shows that it is directly linked to brain function and behavior. For the first time, a team of scientists Northwestern Medicine have discovered that the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall. These effects depend on whether you i

New research from Finland finds that the sensations in your body give rise to your emotions. Think of the last time that you were extremely hungry. Do you remember how you felt? More often than not, unpleasant physical sensations like hunger are accompanied by unsavory emotions like anger, irritability or impatience. Now, a team of researchers have found that what you feel in your body also affects your brain function and conscious experience. In the study, over 1,000 adults