Brain Yoga Archives - Wholesome Resources

Get-a-Dose of MindBody Bliss

June 21, 2021 by Julie Lusk

What’s your morning routine most days? This is your choice to make. It really will influence the rest of your day.

It’s said a bird doesn’t fly from its morning branch till it sings a song.

Do you drag out of bed, rush through cleaning up, gulp gobs of caffeine, get your kids and pets up, and grab your device to catch up on news, emails & your feeds?

Do you get up, eat something to fortify yourself for the day and spend time looking at something uplifting, pray, meditate, do yoga nidra, sing/chant, or stretch with yoga or tai chi?

Keep in mind that starting your day rushing and stressing will kick in stress hormones (cortisol, etc.) and beta brain waves. Anxiety and fear are sure to follow if high beta brain waves are activated.

Get-a-Dose of MindBody Bliss. Here’s how ..

If you jumpstart your day meditating, your baseline will be a happy dose of mindbody bliss, emotional ease, and mental clarity. Alpha and maybe even theta and delta brain waves will be your foundation. This helps you generate a recipe of positive and helpful neurochemicals/ neurotransmitters and hormones to see you through the day.

Here’s what can happen. Use the acronym – Get-a-Dose – for mindbody bliss. Research suggests the ones listed are only some of what happens. There’s more! Learn more about brain waves and meditation here.

Benefits of Meditation

Hormones Neurochemicals & Neurotransmitters	Purpose	Brain Waves	Purpose
GABA	Anti-anxiety	Gamma	Insight, integration, high level learning, whole brain integration
Endorphins	Pain killers, happiness	Alpha	Calm relaxation, intuitive awareness, integrates brain. Stops fear and anger.
T
Anandamide	Bliss, happiness.	Gamma	Insight, integration, high level learning & memory
Dopamine	Pleasure, motivation, reward	Theta	Flow, imagery, intuition
Oxytocin	Bonding, the ‘hug drug’	Delta	Clears brain toxins, helps memory, learning
Serotonin	Happiness, emotional balance,	Alpha	Calm relaxation, intuitive awareness, integrates brain. Stops fear and anger.
Endocannabinoid Naturally made inside your body	Happiness, anti-inflammation. Improves mood & concentration	Delta	Clears brain toxins, helps memory, learning

Goose getting blissed throughout the day with mindfulness breaks, especially when you get knocked off your game when weird or upsetting stuff happens. Breathing intentionally can regulate your heartrate, nervous system and up your awareness quotient. Here’s some ideas.

Get Yoga Nidra Meditations by Julie Lusk & Bliss Brain by Dawson Church to learn more!

Author: Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has over 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery and meditation as an international author, recording artist and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra Meditations: 24 Scripts for True Relaxation, Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her audio downloads and CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Yoga Nidra Essentials, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at JulieLusk.com

Yoga Nidra and Your Brain Wave Fluctuations

January 6, 2019 by Julie Lusk

Yoga Nidra and Your Brain Wave Fluctuations ©

Written by Julie Lusk

Yoga Nidra is an empowering meditation that starts with relaxation. It systematically changes and cycles through brain wave states, lowering beta and increasing alpha, theta and delta for the better.

Yoga nidra literally changes the ‘fluctuations of the mind’ by slowing down brain wave frequencies. Biological sleep only refreshes the bodymind and cannot promote self-realization like yoga nidra can. Feelings of meditative expansiveness are objective biological facts that can be measured in DNA, neurotransmitters, brain waves and more. The physical body changes as the mind changes.

Here’s what can happen during yoga nidra:

During stage one, physical relaxation, stress is reduced causing beta brain waves to lower considerably.
In the second stage, abdominal breathing produces a rise in the “feel good” neurotransmitter serotonin as shown on EEGs. Alpha, theta, and delta brain waves also increase. (Fumoto, et al., 2004).
The third stage of yoga nidra promotes alpha brain waves. During this stage, mental and emotional balance and mindfulness are the focus. Mindfulness stimulates all 9 functions of the frontal cortex of the brain, promoting memory, concentration, and problem-solving while reducing anxiety and depression.
Intuition and creative solutions are associated with theta, the fourth stage of yoga nidra. Anandamide, the “bliss molecule” inhibits the formation of cancer cells. Yoga nidra is happening when the brain is in delta, yet one remains aware.
In summary, yoga nidra produces low beta, increases and balances alpha and theta, and produces delta. The physical body changes as the mind changes. Yoga nidra literally changes the ‘fluctuations of the mind’ by slowing down brain wave frequencies.

Beta – Oscillates at 13-25 Hz

Beta at 13-15 Hz reflects the conscious, thinking mind and the waking state. It’s required for processing information and for linear thinking. Normal levels of beta are good. Low beta, from 13-15 Hz is associated with the body’s housekeeping duties. High beta, from 15-25 Hz, is linked to stress. Anxiety is produced in abnormally large amplitudes of high beta. High beta is also associated with “monkey mind.” It produces high levels of cortisol and adrenaline and many adverse reactions in your body. Fear and anxiety produce high beta. Many beneficial cellular functions are inhibited. Aging is much faster when your brain is bathed in high beta waves. It’s important to know how to keep beta brain waves in check.

Alpha – Oscillates at 8-13 Hz

Alpha is an optimal state of relaxed alertness. During alpha, all brain wave levels of the mind are integrated by connecting the brain’s higher and lower frequencies. Alpha links the thinking mind of beta with the associative mind of gamma with the lower frequency brain waves, which are theta and delta. This allows a flow of consciousness. The alpha state disappears with negative emotions, like fear. A truly integrated person generates large amplitudes of alpha.

Alpha tunes the brain to peak performance as well as facilitates gene expression for better health. Alpha improves the immune system.

Alpha increases levels of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

The synapses in the learning and memory circuits of the brain are enhanced at 10 Hz. The alpha frequency of 10 Hz results in significantly increased synthesis of DNA molecule (Takahashi et al., 1986)

Neurons in the brain’s hippocampus fire in the alpha range (4-12 Hz).

Heart coherence is associated with increased alpha brain wave activity. It is a state in which the interval between heartbeats is regular and constant. It produces “an orderly and harmonious synchronization among various systems in the body such as the heart, respiratory system and blood-pressure rhythms,” as reported by HeartMath. It’s produced by positive emotions such as love and compassion. Negative emotions disrupt heart coherence.

Feelings of meditative expansiveness are objective biological facts that can be measured in DNA, neurotransmitters, brain waves and more.

Theta – Oscillates at 4-8 Hz

Theta is characteristic of light sleep and with day and night dreaming. It is the dominant frequency of healers and people in highly creative states. Theta increases in people under hypnosis or in trances. (Kershaw & Wade, 2012).

Theta waves are found during DNA repair. It increases the activity of antioxidants.

Human cartilage cells are regenerated at the 6.4 Hz frequency.

Delta Brain Waves – Oscillates at 0-4 Hz

Delta is characteristic of deep, dreamless sleep. High amplitudes of delta are found in people who are in touch with nonlocal mind, even when they’re wide awake. Meditators, intuitives, and healers have much more delta than normal.

When our brains are producing delta, we are enriching our cells in a frequency that has the potential to produce a whole gamut of beneficial physiological changes at the level of our cells, from growing our telomeres and boosting GH levels to regenerating our neurons and sweeping our brains clear of beta-amyloid plaques. This is what happens during yoga nidra.

Growth hormone secretion is at its highest when delta waves peak in the brain. Growth hormone repairs and regenerates cells. It is associated with the immune system, bone mineralization, muscle mass, fat breakdown and protein synthesis, growth and regeneration of all internal organs and homeostasis.

Ahmed and Wieraszko (2008) took slices of the brain that governs memory and learning. They found that a very low delta band, 0.16 Hz, increases activity in the synaptic connections between neurons in the hippocampus. This suggests that memory and learning may be enhanced by delta activity.

Beta-amyloids are sticky plaques between neurons in the brain, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (Kang et al., 2009). They found that during sleep, when brains are primarily in theta and delta brain wave states, beta-amyloid production in the brain stops, and toxic material is cleared away. The effect was even greater during the delta brain wave state.

The ends of chromosomes have stretches of DNA called telomeres. Telomeres protect our genetic data, cause cells to divide, and slow aging. Telomeres normally shorten each time a cell divides. The resonant peaks for 10 telomere sequences clustered around a frequency window of 0.19 Hz and 0.37 Hz (delta). Other frequencies did not affect telomerase (Cosic, et al., 2015). Meditation preserves and increases telomere length.

Delta brain waves are seen on EEGs when people are having a sense of connection with the infinite.

Anandamide, the “bliss molecule” inhibits the formation of cancer cells.

Delta frequencies between 0.5 Hz and 3 Hz stimulate the regeneration of nerve cells (Sisken, et al., 2007).

Gamma – Oscillates at 25-100 Hz

Gamma is associated with the integration of information from all the brain’s regions, as well as with coherence as they all synchronize (Gray, 1997). It’s associated with flashes of insight, performing difficult tasks perfectly. Meditation increases gamma.

At the gamma frequency of 40 Hz, beta-amyloid decreased by half. zHz

At 50 Hz, results in the body increasing its production of stem cells, the “blank cells” that differentiate into muscle, bone, skin, or whatever other specialized cells are required (Ardeshirylajimi, & Soleimani, 2015).

At 60 Hz, expression of stress genes (cortisol) is regulated.

A frequency of 75 Hz is epigenetic, triggering the genes that produce anti-inflammatory proteins in the body (De Girolamo et al., 2013).

References: Much of this material is from Mind to Matter by Dawson Church, PhD. Hay House, 2018.

Compiled by Julie Lusk – Feb 2, 2019. JulieLusk.com

Resources: Books, Recordings & More

Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief - Printed Book & Audio download

If you feel stressed out, you’re not alone. Stress is a modern-day epidemic that can take a toll on your mind, body, and spirit. That’s why it’s so important to develop relaxation skills to restore your health, happiness, and inner strength. Yoga Nidra—a powerful and unique state of deep relaxation, mental clarity, and insightful awareness—is the answer. In this book, mind-body health professional Julie Lusk presents a powerful Yoga Nidra program to stop stress in its tracks. Yoga Nidra, based on classical yoga and backed by contemporary science, focuses specifically on alleviating both mental and physical manifestations of stress so you can find your calm spot and live a more balanced, confident, and meaningful life. Packed with empowering relaxation exercises, meditations that soothe, and visualizations that renew, the practical exercises in this book will help you unwind, replenish, and feel revitalized with durable peace and unconditional joy. CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...

Yoga Nidra Essentials CD

Find your calm spot and brighten your energy for a more enjoyable, meaningful life. Benefit from six levels of relaxation to reclaim optimal health for your body, mind and heart. Laura, a HS teacher says "This focused my mind. I was 100% worry-free. It's easy to experience. Yoga nidra is wonderful." This is from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, a book and audio set by Julie Lusk. Digital downloads of Yoga Nidra Essentials are also available.

Guided Mindfulness Meditations: Practicing Presence & Finding Peace CD

Julie eases your way into being more mindful with her clean, user-friendly, body-based, joyful approach. The net effect is calmer nerves, a brighter outlook, stronger memory, sharper focus, healthier body awareness and a more balanced perspective. With repeated use, listeners become more fully attentive to what is happening right now, neither resisting nor clinging to each moment, but letting experiences come and go and be just as they are. This program offers a 5-minute track of training tips; a long (18 min) and a short (6 min) mindfulness experience; and ways to be more mindful informally during the day (4 min). (39 minutes total) Published by Health Journeys.

Yoga Nidra: Guided Meditations for Relaxation & Renewal CD

Yoga nidra is a powerful and unique state of relaxation, mental clarity and insightful awareness, done lying down. Julie's clear, step=by-step guidance for experiencing deep relaxation, specialized breathing, guided imagery, and mindful awareness, creates 6 replenishing levels of relaxation and a deeply meditative state. Restless thinking and emotional upsets tend to fade away. Used together or in segments, the net effect is to discover an inner reservoir of heartfelt peace, intuitive understanding and unconditional joy. Studies show one hour of practice is equivalent of about four hours of deeply restorative sleep. Published by Health Journeys.

Yoga Nidra for High-Level Living CD (Shop @ Amazon / iTunes = We are sold out temporarily)

Brighten your energy with self-understanding for mental sharpness, emotional equilibrium and insightful awareness. Mindfulness, setting a sankalpa (resolve), autogenic training and the paradox of opposites will tame stress once and for all. Jeanne, a musician and former nun says, "Exhilarating! This truly raised my spirit. I've never experienced such deep euphoria so easily. I felt so relaxed!" This is from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, a book and audio set by Julie Lusk. Digital downloads are also available.

Yoga Nidra for Inner Strength and Balance CD (Shop @ Amazon / iTunes = We are sold out temporarily)

Find your calm spot and live a more balanced, confident and meaningful life. Feel totally relaxed with an empowering tour of the bodymind. Guided relaxation and imagery are effectively used for balancing all your energy centers or chakras. Nancy says "This gets me totally calm and in touch with myself. Afterwards, I feel awake, refreshed, centered and ready for my day." This is from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, a book and audio set by Julie Lusk. Digital downloads of this CD are also available.

Yoga Nidra for Unshakable Peace and Joy CD (Shop @ Amazon / iTunes = We are sold out temporarily)

Experience six amazing levels of relaxation using progressive muscle relaxation and specialized breathing techniques that reliably work. Laura, a HS teacher says "This focused my mind and I was 100% worry-free. It's easy to experience. Yoga nidra is wonderful." This is from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, a book and audio set by Julie Lusk. Digital downloads of this CD are also available.

Real Relaxation: Yoga Nidra CD (Shop @ Amazon / iTunes = We are sold out temporarily)

by Julie Lusk

This CD takes you into a deeply relaxing and powerful state of being fully aware while being in the state of deep sleep.

Its many benefits include:

Listening for 1 hour equals 4 hours sleep
Improves immunity
Increases heart health
Relieves stress
Brings inner peace and balance

Digital downloads of this CD are also available.

CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...

Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, is a Hatha Yoga Nidra Ambassador. She has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her audio downloads and CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Yoga Nidra Essentials, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at JulieLusk.com

Brain Yoga

October 20, 2018 by Julie Lusk

To Improve Your Memory, Concentration & More

Julie Lusk, M.Ed., E-RYT-500

A sharp mind and a good memory are important qualities that all of us need and want. Concentration is valuable at home, work, and while pursuing sporting, artistic and other activities. Many of us get concerned when forgetfulness happens to us or to those close to us. This is particularly troublesome as we age and especially if we have a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Try Brain Yoga!

It’s never to soon to start taking better care of your brain. The brain, after all, is the most important and complex organ of the body. It controls everything that goes on, physically, mentally, emotionally.

Brain Facts: According to Piedmont Healthcare, the average adult human brain weighs three pounds. It has a texture like firm jelly and is made up of 75 percent water. The average person has 70,000 thoughts every day. Each time your heart beats, your arteries carry 20 to 25 percent of your blood to the brain. The harder you think, the more oxygen and fuel your brain uses from your blood – up to 50 percent. Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, you create a connection in the brain. There are 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) in the brain, but they make up only 10 percent of the brain. These neurons branch out to 100 trillion-plus trigger points, forming what experts call a “neuron forest.” There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain. The distance around the world at the equator is 24,900 miles.

Lifestyle factors such as good nutrition, sleep quality, stress levels, smoking habits, alcohol and drug use, and exercise can either help or hinder brain functioning. It’s smart to wear a helmet to protect your head and brain. Good friendships and learning new things can have a positive effect. Yoga has much to offer. Its benefits extend well beyond gains in flexibility, strength, coordination, and increasing physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Yoga improves brain health.

Brain Yoga to the Rescue
Here are my suggestions for effectively improving your brain power – yoga style.

♥ Mudras / Meditation / Yoga Nidra ♥

Mudras are yoga positions, gestures, and seals for your hands and fingers that facilitate health, healing, psychological balance and spiritual growth. They are effective, easy to learn, practical and powerful. Anyone can do them. Learn more about mudras here.
- Hakini Mudra is one of my favorite hand mudras. It’s good for the brain because both hemispheres of the brain are integrated and invigorated. Using this mudra throughout the day can help clear your mind. It boosts memory, concentration, and assists problem solving. Complete and full breathing is facilitated effortlessly, giving the brain the oxygen-rich blood it needs to perform optimally. It has a positive effect on the entire body by stimulating and harmonizing the first six energy centers (chakras). Learn how easy the Hakini Mudra is to do here. It takes no time at all.

Meditation improves mental functioning. According to a study conducted at the University of Kentucky, subjects who took a late-afternoon test after meditating for 40 minutes had significantly better scores than those who fell asleep for the same period. Another study at Massachusetts General Hospital showed a beneficial thickening in the cerebral cortex that has responsibility for decision making, increased attention and improved memory. Increased activation in the left part of the frontal region was also demonstrated. This activity is associated with lower anxiety and a more positive emotional state. Learn more here.Here are a few meditation techniques to get you started.
- Mindfulness is the moment to moment awareness of inner and outer experience in the present time with a non-judgmental and non-evaluative stance. Research shows that a mindfulness practice helps develop all 9 functions of the Pre-Frontal Cortex.
  - Learn about Mindfulness & Why it Matters.
  - Get Guided Mindfulness Meditations: Practicing Presence & Finding Peace CD, MP3 or Playaway here.
- Kirtan Kriya Meditation – Sa Ta Na Ma: A research study by Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD shows Kirtan Kriya increased brain development for memory, concentration and focus using a simple 12-minute meditation and yoga mudras. The Sa Ta Na Ma meditation technique can stop the mental chatter, bringing about a clear mind. It’s calming too.

Yoga Nidra is another highly effective method for brain-body integration. It improves memory and learning by producing specialized brain waves for maximum receptivity, increasing the ability to absorb, process and recall information.

The rotation of consciousness technique found on Yoga Nidra Essentials is especially effective. It’s simply done by mentally scanning the body using a specific order and duration based on the sensory-motor cortex, also called the homunculus. This creates a healthy synchronization of energy throughout the brain and body.

If you look closely at the diagram of the brain’s sensory-motor cortex below, you will notice that more area is devoted to certain places than to others. For instance, compare the relatively large amount of area dedicated to the hands and fingers with the small amount dedicated to the hips. Therefore, more time is intentionally spent scanning specific areas of the body than others during yoga nidra.

Sensory-motor cortex illustration used by permission from Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief by Julie Lusk, New Harbinger Publications

Use this Yoga Nidra FAQ for more information and learn how it’s done.
Learn about Yoga Nidra and Your Brain Wave Fluctuations
See the benefits of yoga nidra here.
Get Yoga Nidra Training & Certification here.

♥ Breathing / Pranayama ♥

Your brain needs blood and oxygen to think. Twenty to 25 percent of your blood is delivered to the brain with each heartbeat. Your brain needs up to 50 percent more oxygen the harder you think. It makes sense to oxygenate your blood supply and to use your full lung capacity by breathing deeply rather than shallowly. Follow these instructions to improve your breathing right now. Abdominal breathing produces increases in the “feel good” neurotransmitter serotonin as shown on EEGs. Alpha, theta, and delta brain waves also increase.

Complete Yogic Breath: Dirgha Breathing for better respiration and brain waves
Alternate Nostril Breathing / Nadi Shodhana creates a sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being. Here are complete instructions for alternate nostril breathing plus five breathing ratios to try.

♥ Postures / Sequences ♥

A well-rounded hatha yoga practice is ideal, especially done mindfully. Concentrate on postures that reduce physical tension to lower cortisol levels and improve circulation. Doing so helps clear the mind and calm the emotions. Postures that strengthen legs and improve balance are highly recommended. Scientists studied leg strength and cognitive skills in twins in a 2016 study published in Gerontology. The twin with stronger legs to start demonstrated better cognitive functioning by 18% 10 years later, “even when controlling for factors including fatty diets, high blood pressure, and shaky blood-sugar control.”

Sequences such as the Sun Salute and Moon Salute
Standing postures
Crossovers
Gentle spinal twists
Inversions
Shavasana
Superbrain Yoga ® (with video) is a simple 3-minute technique to energize and recharge the brain. It can integrate and balance both brain hemispheres. In one study, an electroencephalograph (EEG) showed increased amplitude in the parieto-occipital region of the brain following the Superbrain Yoga. This indicates increased brain electrical activity following the exercise. It’s great for adults and children.

♥ Mental / Emotional Strategies ♥

Guided imagery is intentional and useful daydreaming that is multi-sensory (sights, sounds, smells, etc.) and practiced while in a relaxed state. It is used for relaxation, healing, increasing insight and intuition, making personal changes and for self-understanding. It primarily uses the mindbody connection. Start here.

Gain from Guided Imagery & Relaxation and understand its benefits with how-to instructions
Cultivate the Positive: Pratipaksha Bhavana is a simple meditation technique to improve your outlook and body chemistry

♥ More ♥

Eye Exercises can benefit vision and the brain
Sleep Solutions – Yoga Style to combat the negative impact of insomnia and sleep deprivation
Multitasking is hazardous to one’s memory. Find out why and get solutions here
Enjoy more brain power by having more creativity and beauty in your life
Use the Best Yoga Mantras & Chants for clearing useless mental chatter, lifting energy, and serving as a shield against mental and emotional disturbances

♥ Books, Audios, Workshops, Training ♥

Julie Lusk’s newest book, Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation & Stress Relief – Printed Book & Audio download is now available! Here it is in French and Italian. Spanish and Czech Republic editions coming soon.
Julie’s current class schedule (greater Cincinnati area – Milford, Anderson, OH)
Julie’s national and international workshop schedule
Get Yoga Nidra Training & Certification

Sources

Steves, C. J., Mehta, M. M., Jackson, S. H., & Spector, T. D. (n.d.). Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26551663

Julie Lusk, MEd, E-RYT 500, has more than 35 years of expertise in stress relief, yoga, relaxation training, guided imagery, and meditation as an international author, recording artist, and workshop leader. Julie is the author of Yoga Nidra for Complete Relaxation and Stress Relief, Yoga Meditations, two volumes of 30 Scripts for Relaxation, Imagery and Inner Healing, and Desktop Yoga®. Her audio downloads and CDs include Wholesome Relaxation, Power of Presence, Yoga Nidra Essentials, Blue Moon Rising, and many others. Learn more at WholesomeResources.com