How Yoga Benefits Your Brain? 5 Super-brain Yoga Poses to Try

Yoga is a way of combining mental as well as physical exercises. It's one of the most effective mind-body interventions that helps reduce stress and stay connected to your true self.

Yoga helps improve mental health and has several other benefits, like improving memory and concentration.

If you're looking for a way to improve your memory and keep your brain sharp, yoga is the best option.

The movements in this practice help stimulate circulation and make new neural connections in the brain. Yoga gives you peace of mind, better coordination, and improved vitality, allowing you to stay focused on all tasks.

Yoga Poses and Exercises to Keep Brain Healthy

You will be able to improve your brain health by doing yoga, and take a break whenever you want. You can do yoga 2-3 times a week and see how it helps keep dementia at bay and also benefits your physical and mental health.

On that note, here's a look at five yoga poses for a healthy brain:

1) Lotus Pose

The lotus pose is a simple posture that can reduce muscle tension, calm your mind, and make you feel more mindful. The lotus yoga posture helps improve brain functioning and eases physical tension.

How to do it?

Lying on the floor, extend your legs straight in front of you.
Bend your left knee, and place your left foot on top of your right thigh.
Bend your right knee, and place your right foot on top of your left thigh. Your feet should be facing upward.
Put your hands on your knees, and close your eyes.
Relaxing your mind, take deep breaths, and focus on breathing.
Stay in this position for about five minutes before returning to the starting position.

2) Shoulder Stand Pose

Sarvangasana or shoulder stand pose is considered to be the mother of all yoga poses.

It improves concentration and focus, and you can do it anywhere. This pose activates all the chakras (energy centers) and organs. It also keeps the brain healthy.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Lie on the floor, keeping your feet together and hands on the sides.
Lift your feet up till they're at a 90-degree angle with the body.
Extend your elbows, placing your palms under your waist, and lift your waist while keeping your legs straight.
Hold this position for a few minutes before returning to your starting position.

3) Seated Forward Bend Pose

The seated forward bend improves memory and reduces stress. This yoga posture is good for your sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight-or-flight response. This asana can help relieve headaches.

How to do it?

Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward and hands on the side.
Straighten your back, and bring your feet together.
Lift your arms, and bend forward from the hips.
Bend till your head touches the knees and chest makes contact with the thighs.
Touch your toes with your fingers, and hold this position for two minutes.

4) Standing Forward Bend Pose

The Padahastasana — or the standing forward bend — yoga pose energizes the nervous system, improving blood flow to the brain. That improves memory and brain power.

How to do it?

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands by your sides.
Lift up your hands, bending from the hips to place your palms under your feet.
Hold for about a minute before returning to your starting position.

5) Halasana

The Halasana or plow pose can help calm the mind and reduce stress. It's also great for the nervous system.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Lie on your back, with your feet together and hands by your sides.
Bring your legs to a 90-degree angle with your body, and place your elbows under your waist for support.
Raise your legs till they're at a 180-degree angle with your body, and touch your toes with the floor.
Hold this position for a moment before returning to the starting position. Repeat.

Takeaway

Yoga transforms the mind, body, and spirit. It'a a great way to relieve stress, improve focus and concentration, and help with depression and sleep.

Yoga improves overall health, regulates digestion, and helps deal with anxiety. If you're feeling stressed out or have a lot of work in hand, it's an ideal exercise routine to boost your mental health. Yoga poses that benefit the brain help you take care of your health in an amazing way.

It's important to note that any form of exercise is good for the brain. So if you suffer from physical ailments, such as osteoporosis, weak bones, high blood pressure, etc., doing a few yoga exercises can put your mind at ease.

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Edited by Bhargav