5 Yoga Poses to Boost Memory

Try these easy and effective yoga poses at home to improve memory and brain health

Yoga is a part of a healthy lifestyle. It is not a cure of a disease or problem but definitely a way to reduce or manage the severity of symptoms and problems. Moreover, it should be a part of your lifestyle along woth the medicines, balanced diet, and over all healthy daily routine.

Yoga takes long time to show its results and it is not a miracle that will work in a day or two. Research has proved that yoga may improve information response time thus boosting memory. Yoga may also improve verbal and visuospatial memory and overall brain health by increasing the cerebral blood flow which in turn helps to reduce stress, anxiety and brain fog.

Thus, yoga can save you from the embarrassment of forgetting important dates, trouble recalling significant events, and misplacing goods and objects. Here are a few yoga poses to improve your memory. 

1. Plow Pose

Plow pose is also great for digestion and a healthy gut in turn helps maintain healthy and glowing skin naturally.

If you want to try the plow pose, follow the steps given here:

Press your arms to the floor, and lift your legs over your head towards the floor while inhaling. You will have to stretch out through the heels. Now slowly walk your shoulders towards each other while your chin is up and hands are placed on the lower back for support. Press through the arms, shoulders, and feet if they are on the floor.

2. Standing Forward Bend Pose

You can perform this pose by standing with your feet about 6 inches apart and folding the chest to the ground. Try reaching toward the flat surface or bend the arms, and clutch the opposite elbow with the opposite hand.

This pose not only helps deal with insomnia but reduces the frequency of headaches as well. This yoga pose also helps with anxiety. You must make sure that while performing the pose, you sway a little side to side and inhale. Bend your knees as much as required to prevent strain. Gradually you will feel the tension in the hips and legs releasing.

3. Tree Pose 

This pose will give you a sense of grounding while helping you improve your balance, and strengthen your legs, and back.

If you want to practise the tree pose, follow these steps.

• Let your right foot high up on your left thigh. Place the sole of the foot flat and firmly.

• Your left leg should be straight while you try to find your balance.

• Inhale deeply and raise your arms over your head while bringing your palms together.

• Keep your spine straight and take a few deep breaths.

• Slowly exhale while bringing your hands down and releasing your right leg. Back in the standing position, repeat the same with the other leg.

4. Shoulder Stand

A shoulder stand is one of the first poses that a trainer might ask you to try if you are someone who likes to try new and fun poses. It's an inversion pose and that is why it stimulates blood flow to the glands of the upper body and good blood flow promotes good skin.

It is believed that this yoga pose also has a positive effect on the efficiency of the thyroid. Your chin tucked into your chest for this yoga pose is believed to benefit thyroid function as well.

You can try this at home by bending your elbows and placing your hands on your lower back in such a way that your fingertips point up toward the ceiling. Place your elbows on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Make sure your elbows do not splay out to the sides. When you get comfortable, slowly lift your thighs in a vertical position while keeping your knees bent.

5. Lotus Pose

Lotus Pose derives its name from the Sanskrit word for lotus. You have to sit in a cross-legged position with an erect spine and both your feet should be placed on the opposite thighs. Padmasana also helps open up your hips, stretches your ankles and heels, calming your mind and making your brain function better.

1. Extend your legs and sit properly. Then put your left foot onto the right thigh and your right foot onto the left thigh and make sure the soles of your feet face upwards.

2. Make sure to maintain a straight spine while performing lotus pose and keep your hands in mudra position.

3. You can sit on a folded mat or on a blanket to prevent the spine from rounding.

4. Then focus on your breathing and inhale slowly and exhale.

5. This pose requires flexibility and if you cannot do it properly, try the half lotus pose by keeping only one foot on the opposite thigh and the other one below the opposite knee.