By Peg Lopata, Contributing Writer
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REGION – It’s projected that up to 152 million people worldwide will be living with Alzheimer’s disease by 2050. That’s a frightening statistic, but there may be ways to keep brains healthy and possibly prevent succumbing to this disease or dementia in general.
One way to keep brains healthy could be meditation. And luckily meditation can be learned by practically anyone. Even if you’ve never done any kind of meditation before, the good news is you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Our brains are ever-changing. “The studies on meditation in older individuals is exciting. It proves that the brain can continue to change and adapt throughout the lifespan,” said Dr. Andrew Newberg, research director at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. “Meditation can be considered a type of exercise for the brain.”
Mindfulness technique
First and foremost, if you want to keep your brain healthy, just like you might for your body, it’s best to find a meditation type that you enjoy. There are many on offer, but some have been more studied regarding brain health than others.
According to one Boston study (albeit a small one) conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, there is promising evidence that adults with mild cognitive impairment who practice mindfulness meditation may boost “cognitive reserve.” Cognitive reserve is your brain’s ability to improvise and find alternate ways to get something done.
Mindfulness meditation is a type of awareness where you pay close attention to your thoughts, feelings, and your surrounding environment in a non-judgmental way. For example, you can brush your teeth mindfully. If thoughts arise that judge what’s happening in those moments when you’re brushing your teeth, such as your toothpaste tastes yucky, in mindfulness meditation you tell yourself that yes, you’re having a judgmental thought. Then you try to gently remind your brain to let the thought go away and bring your attention back on the sensations you’re experiencing without going deeper into thought, such as thinking: better get a different type of toothpaste next time.
Singing meditation
Kirtan Kriya is another type of meditation―a singing meditation―that involves four sounds, breathing, and repetitive finger movements.
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“Many types of meditation like Kirtan Kriya activate the frontal lobes of the brain. This increased activity in the frontal lobes helps to improve concentration, but also regulates emotions,” explained Dr. Newberg. “By improving concentration and reducing anxiety and depression, overall cognition improves.”
Dr. Newberg continued, “In one of our early studies which looked at Kirtan Kriya, after just eight weeks of doing this meditation, older individuals who originally complained of memory problems were found to have significant improvements in both brain function and memory.”
“Kirtan Kriya has a demonstrable effect on the brains of seniors with and without memory loss,” added Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, president of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation in Chicago.
Grow a bigger brain, grow a better brain
According to Dr. Newberg, studies show that meditation can result in a physically bigger brain, as well as a better functioning brain. But there’s a catch. You must like the meditation you are doing.
“One of the important findings from studies on meditation in older individuals is that it’s essential for people to find practices they can fully engage in,” noted Newberg. “This means that people should find practices that they enjoy and would like to make part of their daily routine.
When people fully engage in a practice, that is when the brain becomes most active and you’re likely to reap the most benefit.”
For free meditation instructions, guided meditations, and more visit uclahealth.org/marc/.
