Alzheimer’s and dementia is a condition that slowly destroys our personality and memory over a period of time. Before you actually realise it, you will be looking at someone without being able to recognise him or her. In fact, that person in the mirror might not even be able to recognise you.
Looking after someone with such a condition can somewhat place a burden on a person, almost as much as the one with Alzheimer’s. As for those who are caring for someone with dementia, it would be satisfying to know that there is more hope now for those suffering from Alzheimer as compared to before. According to Harvard researchers, they have managed to find a rather simple method that can aid in slowing the advancement of dementia and Alzheimer’s. This method can also return some much needed to your loved one.
A study conducted at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center concluded that by incorporating yoga and meditation for just two hours each week, it significantly slows down the breaking down of the part of the brain that is associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The study involved adults aged between 55 and 90, who suffer from mild cognitive impairments. They were instructed to practice mindfulness through yoga and meditation for a minimum of two hours a week over a period of eight weeks. Despite it being only two short months, the group that practice yoga and meditation were found to have better connectivity in the parts of their brains responsible for memory. Apart from that, there was also far less damage and atrophy in the hippocampus, the major memory center of your brain. One of the clear signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia is a shrinking hippocampus. With just a few hours a week set aside for yoga and meditation, it was sufficient to assist the folks in keeping the hippocampus intact. If you would like to read the full story, do check it out here.
For those suffering from such a condition and would like to get started, there are two pieces of good news. Firstly, there is no side effects from yoga and meditation. Secondly, one can use this therapy straight away. There are many places offering various types of yoga classes. It would be recommended that you check with the instructor on the style of yoga most suitable towards your needs. If you are concern about your health, you can always seek clearance from your doctor as well. At OMG Yoga, we offer private yoga classes of different styles to suit our students’ varying needs. For more information, you can refer to our website.