Yoga classes offer a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes Yoga students develop bonds outside the class because they are like minded people, with a pro-active view toward life. The people you socialize with each day will make you or break you.

When I grew up, parents would often mention how you should be careful about cultivating friendships with the right kids. As children, we would hear the saying, guilty by association, which meant, if our friends got into trouble, so would we, and there were always consequences.

Why is it that many adults forget this still applies to adult life? If anyone, of any age, exposes himself or herself to negative people, there will be consequences. Years of under achievement usually indicate that we have been in the wrong place or listened to the wrong information for far too long.

It is written in Proverbs 12:26: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully. For the way of the wicked leads them astray." This should be hard wired into our memories, but we often forget.

Make sure that you consult with people you deeply trust and who have a track record of integrity. These are trusted friends and a priceless asset in your life.

If the people you associate with are negative thinkers, and cannot be trusted, you should make some major changes in life. This is hard talk, but you cannot rid yourself of anxiety, or improve your life, to its complete potential, in a negative environment. You can take control of your life by changing your environment.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

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The results are in: yoga breathing can significantly improve memory. In particular, yoga breathing can improve spatial memory. This is the part of memory responsible for recording information about your environment. Spatial memory keeps track of where things are that you can see, where things are that you cant see, where you are, and how that all fits together. If you tend to have difficulty remembering where you put your keys or finding your way around large cities, then you may benefit from some intentional breathing.

What exactly is meant by yoga breathing? Several types of yoga breathing were included in the studies that revealed the astounding improvement in spatial memory. These included pranayama (voluntary regulation of breathing), nostril breathing (left, right, or alternating), and simple breathe awareness.

Heavy breathing during aerobic exercise wont cut it. One study of 85 elderly adults found that 16 weeks of aerobic training yielded no improvement in memory retrieval scores. Yet, a study of 108 individuals practicing nostril breathing or breathe awareness, found that they experienced an average 87% improvement in spatial memory scores after only 10 days. Another study had 30 children practice yoga breathing for 10 days. The children experienced a 43% increase in spatial memory scores.

Yoga breathing is easy to do and can be done just about anywhere at any time. The following is a simple nostril breathing exercise. Try this exercise for at least a week to experience the benefits of intentional breathing:

-Try to sit with your head, neck and spine in a straight line.

-You will inhale through one nostril, hold the breath, then exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4 counts.

-Use the thumb and ring/pinky fingers of your right hand to close the right and left nostrils respectively, and close both nostrils when you hold the breath.

-Once each nostril has had a chance to inhale and exhale, this is called a round. Start with 3 rounds a day and build up slowly to twenty rounds, extending the count within the 2:8:4 ratio (for example, 4:16:8).

There are many other benefits ascribed to breathe awareness besides improved memory, including stress relief and increased attention span. Improving your mental health can have significant positive effects on your physical health as well. As the above studies show, we all have the power to create profound results for our own well-being.

References:

Madden DJ, Blumenthal JA, Allen PA, Emery CF. Improving aerobic capacity in healthy older adults does not necessarily lead to improved cognitive performance. Psychol Aging. 1989 Sep;4(3):307-20.

Manjunath NK, Telles S. Spatial and verbal memory test scores following yoga and fine arts camps for school children. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004 Jul;48(3):353-6.

Naveen KV, Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR, Telles S. Yoga breathing through a particular nostril increases spatial memory scores without lateralized effects. Psychol Rep. 1997 Oct;81(2):555-61.

Nicole Evans is an alternative medicine researcher/developer turned medical student. She also enjoys working with King Bio, a homeopathic company dedicated to empowering people to safely and naturally improve their health. For cutting edge water-based homeopathics visit http://www.kingbio.com .

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