Yoga and Cognitive Function
Weightlifting strengthens your muscles, which you can see when you look at a bodybuilder like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is tangible evidence that is clearly shown upon glancing through muscle and fitness magazines. Movement of any kind is great for your physical health. However, I want to bring up a beneficial factor about the specific movements of practicing yoga that *benefit more than your muscles. It isn’t always easy to SEE, but let’s talk about cognitive function. Cognitive function is a broad term that includes the domains of perception, memory, learning, attention, decision making, and language abilities.
Studies have shown that those who regularly practice yoga and meditation have a thicker cerebral cortex and hippocampus compared to non-practitioners. The hippocampus (first and foremost is a very fun word) is responsible for learning/memory and the cerebral cortex is responsible for information processing.
As we age these areas of the brain typically shrink. The studies done have shown that those who practiced yoga showed less shrinkage in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex than those who did not participate in yoga. How cool is it to know that you have such a powerful tool to strengthen your body and your mind! The studies have proven that yoga is a powerful tool to combat age-related memory issues and other cognitive functions.
Regularly participating in yoga and meditations has shown to improve executives functions such as :
- Learning
- Reaction Time
- Decision Making
- Reasoning
- Organizational Skills
- Attention Control
It’s amazing to think that the practice of yoga gives you peace of mind in the moment but with each time we flow through an asana we create a more powerful mind!
Michell Llovet
Michell Llovet is a Licensed Health Coach and 200hr Yoga Teacher. She also obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from FIU in Health and Physical Education. Michell has taught Life Management to teens for over 23 years. In her lifelong journey in the health and wellness field Michell first discovered yoga as a college athlete and used it to heal and recover physically.