Yoga Poses to Boost Brain Power

Yoga, which has been around for more than 5,000 years, is an ancient Indian practice that aims to help the body achieve a better sense of balance. While many know all about its physical benefits, they are unaware of the mental and emotional breakthroughs that can be achieved by regularly practicing a comprehensive yoga routine.

Did you know that there are certain yoga poses that can help stimulate your brain power, improve its functioning, and boost concentration? When practiced regularly, these poses can help improve your overall fitness and well-being.

Check out these six yoga poses that are guaranteed to help improve your brain power.

Six Yoga Poses That Improve Your Brain Power

1) Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

This standing pose can boost brain power by helping you focus your mind on your breathing and through relieving headaches and insomnia.

Here's how you do this posture:

Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, arms hanging at your sides, palms facing the ground.
Bend your knees a little, and keep your abdomen engaged but your pelvis neutral.
Broaden your collarbone, and roll your shoulders back; then spiral up to the ceiling as you feel your spine lengthen.
Breathe in and out through your nose, making a gentle “ha” sound as you exhale.

2) Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

To boost your brain power, try this inversion exercise. This will nourish the hypothalamus and pineal glands in your brain, which will then increase blood flow to boost memory and concentration.

To do this pose:

Lie on your back, and slowly lift your legs into the air.
Keep them straight and together as you raise them in a controlled manner.
Rest your elbows on the floor.
Keep your hands beneath your hips with palms facing up, and breathe normally as you slowly raise your pelvis, followed by your trunk, off the mat/ground.
Hold for a few seconds and continue to breathe normally.
Slowly lower yourself back down after holding for a few seconds.

3) Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

This is a foundational pose that many yoga practitioners tend to overlook while building a routine. However, extending the top half of the body over the seated lower half helps boost brain power and flexibility. Folding inward in this way will also help you enjoy a sense of calm.

To do this exercise, here's what you have to follow:

Start in Staff Pose with a folded blanket beneath your sit bones.
Press your heels away from your body; press the base of each palm evenly into the floor beside your hips. Inhale.
As you exhale, lean forward from your hips and walk your hands out along the outside of each leg as far as they will go.
If you can reach your feet, hold them with your hands.
With each inhalation, lift and lengthen your front torso slightly; with each exhalation, release a little more fully into the forward bend.

5) Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

This pose calms the mind, soothes tension, and washes away fatigue.When you relax and unwind, your brain is able to rejuvenate itself to boost brain power and be more alert to take on new challenges.

Here's how you do this pose:

Begin seated on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you and heels close to your abdomen.
Bend your right knee and place it on your left thigh, as well as the heel of your left foot.
Bend your left knee and place that foot on your right thigh.
Place your hands in any mudra of your choice; for example, interlock all fingers except for your index fingers, which extend straight.
Keep both knees bent throughout this exercise and ensure that you keep a straight spine throughout. Take long breaths in and out through the nose.

6) Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana)

The bridge pose is a restorative pose that calms your mind and boosts brain power. It revitalizes your nervous system and boosts the blood supply to the brain. It is good for your body as well as your mind since it helps reduce migraines.

To do this pose, check out these steps:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor a few inches apart.
Try to touch your heels with your fingers and stretch out your arms. Your palms should face down.
Let your eyes rest on your knees.
Breathe in as you roll up through the spine, beginning with your hips.
Go as high as you can and hold this pose for 3 to 5 breaths before exhaling and lowering yourself slowly (feel one vertebra lower at a time).

Takeaway

Yoga is indeed an amazing brain power booster. It's flexible enough to be practiced by people of all ages, body types, and fitness levels, which means the fun doesn't stop once you've mastered the basics. When done correctly, these poses can lead to a calming effect on your nervous system, which encourages overall relaxation and better awareness of your senses.

So don't be afraid to experiment with these moves and breathing techniques—you never know when they might help change your life for the better.