Meditation for Brain Fitness

Back in April of this year, I wrote about an exciting, if preliminary, study that showed that even brief meditation practice can make a difference in thinking (click here to see that post). More and more evidence shows that meditation may be a key element of a brain fitness program.

A study from this past summer in the prestigious journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that even 11 hours of a special kind of meditation can’t make a difference in the connections in your brain.

The technique, called “Integrative Body-Mind Training” or IBMT is based in Chinese method. The publications are a little sketchy on the exact details of the procedure, but it involves a combination of mental imagery, breathing, and posture exercises done under the guidance of a “coach,” all while listening to relaxing music.

Researchers at the University of Oregon, including the well-known cognitive neuroscientist Michael Posner as well as IBMT’s founder Yi-Yuan Tang used a neuroimaging technique called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study changes in the brains of students being trained in IBMT.

Results showed that just 11 hours of training resulted in significant changes in connections to the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain involved in emotion and self-regulation. The researchers had already shown that IBMT increased activity in the anterior cingulate and improved self-regulation. The new study shows that even a brief intervention can actually change connections in the brain.

The implications are that specific types of meditation practice cna improve cognitive functions, such as attention and resistance to distractions. That could add up to better study skills, being more productive, and possibly even better memory.

References:

Tang YY et al. (2010). Short-term meditation induces white matter changes in the anterior cingulate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 15649-15652.

Tang YY et al. (2009). Central and autonomic nervous system interaction is altered by short-term meditation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 8865-8870.

5 Ways to Improve Your Brain Fitness Today

On Monday, I posted a list of 5 ways to improve your brain fitness almost immediately. Things like decreasing stress and improving your attention can be done immediately. Today I have a list of things you can do at some time today, and incorporate in your life every day. Here they are:

• Take two minutes to focus on something around you. Look at something near you – a chair, something on the wall, anything. Pay attention to it. Look at its color and shape. Attention may be a key in improving your memory, and improving attention skills may be a way to improve your brain fitness.
• Find a new way to the grocery store. More and more, my reading of the research on ways to maintain and improve cognitive functioning is that novelty is a key. It’s probably the element of experience that can stimulate new nerve cell growth. Research has shown that people with lives that include travel, learning new languages, and education are less likely to have cognitive problems as they get older. So find a new way to the grocery store or to your work. Explore your neighborhood, or take a look at the store next to the store you always visit. Give yourself a new experience.
• Park farther away from your job or at the store. Many people try to find the closest parking spot at work or at a store. Increase the amount of exercise you get today by parking farther, rather than closer.
• Identify one hassle today and deal with it. Odds are that the things that annoy or bother you are causing you stress. One of the worst things about stress is that over time we tend to forget it. We get used to it, and no longer pay attention to it. But the stress is still there, associated with increased levels of things such as cortisol and immune system factors. Your goal today: find one hassle and do something about it. If driving through one intersection makes you nervous, find a new route. If something your spouse, partner, or children do bugs you, say something about it. Some hassles can’t be eliminated. Figure out how to cope with the hassle by not reacting to it.
• Eat an extra serving of broccoli today. Experts say we all should eat 4-5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and research shows that the substances in fruits and vegetables can improve your brain fitness.

Brain fitness is probably not a one-time computer program. It’s a way of life. Try these 5 things for a week and then ask yourself how you feel.