The Yogi Masters Were Right… Meditation Sharpens the Mind

A new study shows that the ancient yogi masters and Buddhists were right… Meditation makes your brain sharper. And researchers at Trinity College in Dublin have discovered how it works.1 There are different kinds of meditation. Types that focus on breathing have long been known to have particular benefits, such as better ability to focus, and a more positive state of mind. A reduced tendency to emotional reactions is another plus. Science was at a loss to explain these apparent benefits… Until now. The brain contains a chemical messenger called noradrenaline. It is a neurotransmitter that is released when we are feeling challenged, curious or emotional. At certain levels noradrenaline creates new brain connections. The new research shows for the first time that the way we breathe directly affects our levels of noradrenaline. This is apparently why the sort of controlled breathing practiced in meditation and yoga can enhance brain health and mood. The study was conducted at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity. Participants were given a task that demanded their attention. The subjects who focused best were found to have better breathing patterns that synchronized with their work. Researcher Michael Melnychuk was lead author of the study. He described noradrenaline as the brain’s “all-purpose action system.” When we feel stressed, we produce excess noradrenaline and can’t focus. When we feel sluggish, we “produce too little…and can’t focus,” he said. But there is a happy medium of noradrenaline “in which our emotions, thinking, and memory are much clearer.” This is what meditation and yogic breathing seem to attain. Supercharge Your Brain with Mindfulness Meditation Here’s an easy breathing-based meditation method…2 Sit comfortably in any quiet place and focus on your breathing. When your attention wanders, return. Find a seat. Sit on […]

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