Yoga May Stave Off Alzheimer’s, Improve Memory

Can yoga and meditation really stave off cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease? Researchers at UCLA suspect that it may do that and more, like improve memory. A UCLA news release reports that researchers worked with 25 people, all over the age of 55. Eleven people received one hour a week of memory enhancement training and spent 20 minutes a day performing memory exercises — verbal and visual association and other practical strategies for improving memory. The other 14 participants took a one-hour class once a week in Kundalini yoga and practiced 20 Kirtan Kriya meditation at home for 20 minutes each day. Kirtan Kriya, which involves chanting, hand movements and visualization of light, has been practiced for hundreds of years in India as a way to prevent cognitive decline in older adults. Ready? The envelope please…After 12 weeks, the researchers saw similar improvements among participants in both groups in verbal memory skills — which come into play for remembering names and lists of words. But those who had practiced yoga and meditation had better improvements than the other subjects in visual–spatial memory skills, which come into play for recalling locations and navigating while walking or driving. Wait, there’s more: The yoga–meditation group also had better results in terms of reducing depression and anxiety and improving coping skills and resilience to stress.