How Meditation Helps You Maintain Brain Health IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MINUTES
correlation between meditation and a higher concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus. The Amygdala Often called the fear center of the brain, the amygdala is triggered by stressful situations. But unlike the hippocampus, which shrinks in response to stress, the amygdala has been shown to become denser. In one study, people who attended mindfulness meditation classes showed a smaller stress response in brain scans compared to those who did not attend the classes. Meditation may help to decrease the density of the amygdala and therefore increase your ability to handle stress. Of course, in addition to these benefits, there’s a good chance that five minutes of meditation each day will simply make you feel better. People who meditate report an increase in overall well-being. Why not give it a try?
especially relevant. The studies point to evidence that meditation can strengthen certain areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala — that weaken as we age. The Prefrontal Cortex Your prefrontal cortex thins with age, which is associated with decreased cognitive function in your later years. However, meditation may reduce this age-related thinning. Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist specializing in the effects of yoga and meditation on cognitive and behavioral function, reports that long- time meditators don’t show a decline in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex. The Hippocampus Your hippocampus helps you process and form new memories, and it’s very sensitive to stress. In fact, research shows that your hippocampus will shrink in response to stressful situations and chronic stress. The remedy? Meditation. Dr. Lazar’s study showed a positive
Meditation has often been touted by New Age
gurus as a way to find inner peace and stillness. But what if meditating could reduce the effects of aging on your brain? According to research, taking a few minutes out of your day to meditate may improve cognitive function. As meditation’s popularity has spread, so have studies of the practice. The results of 100 studies examining the cognitive effects of meditation all show evidence of improvements in psychological and cognitive functions. Some of the results are intuitive, such as how meditation helps us deal with stress. But other results are incontrovertible, such as scans showing that meditation causes structural changes in the brain. For people facing age-related changes like memory loss, the results of these tests are
MY HEALTH HAS IMPROVED GREATLY IN MANY WAYS! IT’S WONDERFUL! What Our Patients Say
I first came to see Dr. Alff at the Ventura Spine and Nerve Center because I was having neuropathy pain in my legs and pain in my hip. I was really having trouble sleeping at night. I had some headaches, lots of allergies, sinus problems, and asthma. What has happened since embarking on Dr. Alff’s Health Transformation Program that he designed for me is that my neuropathy pain has gone! I am making such great progress with lessening the numbness that I am excited about it! My hip is doing much better too!
It’s not why I came here, but the other thing is that the asthma that I have had since I was 15 months old has amazingly decreased to the point where it’s not affecting my daily life. That’s wonderful! I also have gotten off corticosteroid drugs, and my face is no longer puffy. That’s great too! He has worked with me to make important lifestyle changes, and that, along with his anti-inflammatory diet, has helped me lose weight. I have lost
30 pounds since I started care in his office. It is all great! I am going to continue seeing Dr. Alff to keep my health getting better and better!
– Anna Byrne Thousand Oaks
www.venturaspineandnerve.com 2
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online