Is your mind sharp and clear? Is your memory as good as it used to be?Most people past 40 years of age will agree that they have experienced a decline in mental ability, their brain may be a little slower to understand things, their retention may not be as good and who amongst us has not heard of someone they know who has declined in their old age into some type of dementia?
But it’s not just old people who have memory problems. Not everyone breezes through their studies with A’s and A+’s. Many students know the grind and pressure of study and parents may even know the expense of having to provide tutors so their sons and daughters can pass their exams.
Many people from all walks of life would agree that a sharper clearer mind would be a wonderful asset.
Well good news! A study carried out by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2007 has provided good evidence that just 12 minutes of meditation a day can improve cognitive abilities.
This heartening study was conducted amongst the 52 – 70 age group who already had some form of mental decline and after just eight weeks of daily meditation their memories showed startling improvements.
Andrew Newberg, M.D., the study’s principal investigator, said, “For the first time, we are seeing scientific evidence that meditation enables the brain to actually strengthen itself, and battle the processes working to weaken it.”
Other studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region and some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
There are many, many good reasons to add a regular meditation practice to your life and a sharp clear mind is just one of them.
Gayatri
Instructor
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga
