An Introduction to Upgrading Your Brain Function with Kirtan Kriya Meditation
Can Kirtan Kriya Meditation Really Boost Your Memory?
Awaken Your Ability to Fight Against Memory Loss, Distraction, and Blockages so You Can Learn Faster, Work Better, and Retain More
Our life is a complete circle. We don’t remember anything of our birth or the beginning years.
If you are like most of us, your earliest memory will be when you were three years old or so. After that, you start recognizing people you see every day due to memory. You start remembering your loved ones, creating passions, following them, and living life like you want to. All these different endeavors of your life become beautiful memory in your old age.
Aging is a part of our life, but along with our age comes many health problems. One of the health issues among old age is memory loss. Pathologically, memory loss is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but it is essential to remember that every person with memory loss does not have Alzheimer’s. Memory loss is also accompanied by many other old-age disorders.
Memory loss is mostly an aging disorder due to decreased brain function overage. Parts of the brain associated with retaining memory are the hippocampus, the amygdala, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Overage, these parts of the brain do not work as effectively as possible due to various problems (natural and pathological). This is one of the many reasons for brain function degression. Many other aging disorders like mental conditions, emotional stability, chronic medical conditions, and different types of dementia cause memory loss.
Just the word memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease in conversations with friends or mostly with doctors may cause anxiety for young people itself, so older people have the definite stress caused by their inability to not remember- cognition impairment.
This condition can be prevented by practicing an exercise for 12 minutes every day- yes, you heard it right! Just 12 minutes of simple exercise can help you be healthy.
Memory Brain Function- Kirtan Kriya Meditation
Kirtan Kriya meditation is a type of meditation in the Kundalini yoga tradition practiced for thousands of years. It originated in India and has so many benefits. This is a simple exercise of 12 minutes which activates many parts of the brain and helps in improving brain function.
Kirtan Kriya meditation combines breathing, singing(or chanting), and hand movements (through mudras). This is done simultaneously by a visualization in your brain, which you need to repeat during every breathing movement.
How To Practice Kirtan Kriya Meditation
Instructions :
Sit in your most comfortable chair with your feet flat on the ground.
You can also sit on the floor with your legs crossed, but it is more comfortable for older people to sit on a chair.
Whatever position you choose, make sure to keep your spine straight.
As a warm-up, breathe in and out for a few seconds while keeping your eyes closed.
Relax your arms by resting them against your torso. This will let your hands rest on your laps. ( rest your hand’s palms up, not palm down)
Once you start feeling relaxed with the initial breathing movements, begin singing “ Saa Taa Naa Maa” ( this mantra “Sat Nam” means your highest self )
For the first two minutes, sing it out loud. Then, in the next two minutes, sing it as a stage whisper. Then sing it to yourself for the next four minutes.
For the next 4 minutes, reverse the order. The first two minutes whisper the chant, and the last two minutes sing it out loud.
Add finger movements to your singing. These movements are called “mudras.”
The mudras to follow are (Use both of your hands)
On “Saa,” touch the index fingers of both your hands with respective thumbs.
Now, on “Taa,” touch the middle fingers of both your hands with respective thumbs.
Next, on “Naa,” touch the ring fingers of both your hands with respective thumbs.
Last, on “Maa,” touch the little fingers of both your hands with respective thumbs.
Repeat these movements for every “Saa Taa Naa Maa” chant you sing throughout the exercise. (always remember to follow the order of these mudras, do not reverse the mudras.)
Another essential part of this exercise is the visualization while doing the singing/chanting.
Close your eyes and imagine energy entering your head from above (universe or spirit, whichever makes you feel powerful). This energy passes through your brain and leaves through the middle of the forehead (also known as the “third eye” located in between your eyes).
Just like the energy, visualize the sound you are making the pass in the same way. this visualization looks like an L-shaped alphabet which is often called the “ L form of concentration.”
After 12 minutes, come out of exercise like this :
Inhale deeply (fill your lungs as much as possible)
Stretch your hands above your head ( this will help the spine to relax)
Bring your hands to the side and exhale deeply simultaneously.
Benefits Of Kirtan Kriya Meditation
You may be skeptical of the different benefits of Kirtan Kriya meditation, but scientists have confirmed all of them!
This combination of breathing, singing/chanting, finger movements, and visualization stimulates 84 acupuncture points present in the mouth.
The activated acupuncture points send a signal to various parts of the brain.
The finger movements(mudras) activate the motor and sensory parts of the brain.
It improves memory retrieval by increasing blood circulation to the gyrus part of the brain.
By increase in blood circulation to the brain, it helps the brain to think better (the brain – you)
It sharpens our attention, concentration by increasing the activity of the frontal lobe.
Age may naturally decrease the production of neurotransmitters, but this meditation stimulates the brain to produce neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, and epinephrine.
It is also very effective in reducing stress and depression.
Kirtan Kriya meditation is an effective exercise for many health problems. It can be practiced by any age group to prevent health problems and relieve their stress and achieve a sense of peace.
So, are you going to give this a try?