I just love synchronicity, don’t you? Right when I was looking for research on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation (Kirtan Kryia meditation), Amy Weintraub sent me a copy of her newsletter, LifeForce Yoga.  My eyes popped out of my head with delight because she had compiled an excellent review of the literature on this meditation technique that improves memory.  She generously said that I could share what’s below with you.  I highly recommend Amy Weintraub – be sure to check our her website at LifeForce Yoga:  Manage Your Mood. You will also benefit from and enjoy registering for her newsletter and going to any and all of her workshops.

RESEARCH:  Kirtan Kriya Effects Cognitive Function, Memory and Stress

In three separate studies published this year and in one that is on-going, Kirtan Kriya, as taught by the Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan, was shown to increase short term memory, cognitive function and to reduce stress.  In separate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and one continuing at the University of California (UCLA), researchers measured cerebral blood flow in the brain (rCBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine which areas are more active and which are less during the practice.  One study compared long-term meditators to non-meditators.  Another study compared those practicing the meditation with those who listened to a Mozart violin concerto.  A third study compared the more active meditation to a relaxation exercise.

Kirtan Kriya is a 12-minute active meditation that include mudra (hand gesture), mantra (out loud, whispered and repeated silently), and visual imagery,

In the on-going study at UCLA, those practicing 12-minutes of Kirtan Kriya meditation are being compared with those using a 25-minute relaxation tape.  Preliminary results from the 39 caregivers who have already completed the study (23 practiced Kirtan Kriya, 16 listened to a relaxation audio tape) indicate:

• Both groups demonstrated improvement in depression and anxiety, resilience and perceived burden.
• The meditation group improved significantly more compared to the relaxation group on measures of perceived support, physical suffering, energy, emotional and well-being, as well as in cognitive tests of memory and executive function.
• A subgroup of the meditation group also showed marked improvement in the reduction of inflammation This groundbreaking work also reveals that Kirtan Kriya increases telomerase, an exquisite marker of health and longevity, in only 12 minutes a day.

In a study at the University of Pennsylvania, published in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that compared Kirtan Kriya meditation to listening to Mozart, findings show:

• CBF was increased in the Kirtan Kriya group in the frontal lobe regions and the right superior parietal lobe
• In contrast, a non-significant increase in cerebral blood flow was seen in the music group in the amygdala and precuneus areas of the brain
• The Kirtan Kriya group had statistically significant improvements in a neuro-psychological test which measures cognition by asking subjects to name as many animals as they can in one minute
• Improvements were also seen in the Kirtan Kriya group in three other cognitive tests that measured general memory, attention and cognition
• There were no statistically significant improvements in cognition in the music group
• Participants found the meditation to be enjoyable and beneficial and perceived their cognitive function to be improved

In the study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in 2010, researchers found an activation of rCBF on the posterior cingulate, which is associated with memory.  This corroborates other studies that show cognitive improvement in memory after the practice.

For Links to these findings online:

Meditation Effects on Cognitive Function and Cerebral Blood Flow In Subjects with Memory Loss: A Preliminary Study

Cerebral blood flow changes during chanting meditation

Cerebral blood flow differences between long-term meditators and non-meditators

Meditation Use to Reduce Stress Response and Improve Cognitive Functioning in Older Family Dementia Caregivers Methods

For more information on Kirtan Kriya and the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation which has partially underwritten these studies, please visit

www.alzheimersprevention.org/research.htm.

More Resources…

• Good info on the 12 minute meditation to improve memory – sa ta na ma meditation.  Features a cool video.
  
  
• Go here for written instructions on exactly how to do the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory.
• Go here for relevant research from UCLA and University of Pennsylvania on the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation for improving memory as reported in 2010 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

• Get a recording that will help you practice the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation with the correct timing.
  

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation CD

Sa Ta Na Ma is a powerful mantra. Scientific studies have shown this 12-minute meditation will increase memory, concentration, cognition & more. This is accomplished when the mantra is specifically said daily for 2-minutes out loud; whispered for 2-minutes; repeated silently for 4-minutes; whispered for 2-minutes; and out loud for 2-minutes. Special finger movements, called mudras, are also done throughout. The intro to this CD describes all you need to know to get started. The meditation track keeps track of the time for you with a beautiful chorus of voices.

One Response to “Research Studies on Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation and Memory”

1. Kirtan Kriya meditation shows promise in research of memory functions – Better Day Yoga Says:
   August 6th, 2011 at 4:17 pm

   [...] “In three separate studies published this year and in one that is on-going, Kirtan Kriya, as taught by the Kundalini master Yogi Bhajan, was shown to increase short term memory, cognitive function and to reduce stress.”  http://wholesomeresources.com/1862/1862/ [...]

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