How just 12 minutes a day of this meditation can improve your brain

The remarkable benefits of kirtan kriya

Many studies have been done looking at the effects of meditation on the brain, heart, and vagal nerve tone. One particular favourite of mine is kirtan kriya, a meditation that involves chanting, finger movements, and visualisation.

Kirtan Kriya is a meditation from the kundalini yoga tradition. Kirtan means sound, and kriya means action. Each of the components of kirtan kriya – chanting, finger movement, and visualisation – contribute to the positive changes in the mind and body.

Participants who did twelve minutes daily over eight weeks showed the following improvements (Khalsa et al. 2009; Black et al. 2013):

Reduced stress

Reduced depression

Increased energy

Improved sleep

Improved memory

Increased expression of nineteen anti-inflammatory genes

Reduced expression of forty-nine pro-inflammatory genes

Increased telomerase enzyme (43 percent), an antiaging enzyme

The mantra is “Sa Ta Na Ma”. The finger movements are sequential in response to each part of the mantra as it is recited and are done using both hands at…