11 minute read
Tune The Brain
15 Austin South Asian | September 2022 Potential Way To Tune The Brain Into Learning Mode
Summary: Study reveals how the element of surprise helps facilitate learning and memory retrieval.
Source: University of Manchester
A study by University of Manchester neuroscientists into the effect of surprise on our memory has inadvertently discovered a method which might help us to perform better in exams.
In the study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, 26 people were shown pictures of objects that were either natural, such as fruit, trees and flowers, or man-made, such as a computer mouse and telephone. “But the reverse is also true: when trying to remember something already learned during the exam itself, a familiar and expected environment could be helpful, and support retrieving information from memory.”
Experiencing Surprise: The Temporal Dynamics of Its Impact on Memory
In the study, the scientists trained the participants to expect manmade or natural objects using cues such as a triangle or a square. The whole experiment was then repeated with another 24 people having a functional MRI scan to reveal which regions of the brain were used to learn and retrieve the information.
Half of Moms of Kids With Autism Have High Depressive Symptoms
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In the current study, the researchers repeatedly measured maternal depression and children’s behavior problems in 86 mother-child dyads across 18 months. Half of the mothers had children with ASD and half had neurotypical children.
The age range of children in the study was two to 16 years old, though the majority (75%) of the children were elementary age or younger.
Maternal depression was measured using the Inventory of Depressive Symptoms, a self-report scale completed by mothers.
Child behavior was measured through maternal report on the Child’s Challenging Behavior Scale, which focuses on externalizing behaviors such as tantrums, aggression and defiance.
The researchers said future studies should also look at associations between maternal depression and children’s internalizing symptoms (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, emotional reactivity).
Few studies on maternal depression, child behavior in ASD context Bidirectional associations between maternal depression and child behavior problems have been reported in prior research.
However, few studies have examined these relationships in families with autism.
Families with autism tend to experience more marital conflict, lower relationship satisfaction, and many other challenges, said Roubinov.
“A stressful family environment may spill over onto family members and could change the ways mothers and children relate to each other,” she said.
We wanted to see whether the link between maternal and child mental health was different in the context of a high-stress family system, such as when a child has autism.”
Although the study acknowledged that families with a child with ASD experience high levels of stress, the authors were cautious to note that stress is not their only defining characteristic.
“Many mothers of children with autism also report high levels of emotional closeness and positive interactions with their children,” Roubinov said. “These are important experiences that supportive programs can build upon.”
Following the study, the researchers offered mindfulness classes to all parents to help manage parenting stress.
“The parents were grateful to share common challenges and learn inner strategies to cope,” Epel said.
“Many studies have shown that mindfulness training can help with parenting stress, and we also found our parents showed improved mental health.”
It is important to experience and notice positive emotions and joy, despite having a more challenging life situation, said Epel.
“Given the effects of chronic stress on health and mood, caregiving parents need extraordinary emotional support in addition to the special services for their child,” she said.
“It’s as vital to provide support for parents’ mental health as it is for children’s mental health.” (Courtesy: https://neurosciencenews. com/) When an expected event—such as a triangle preceding a man-made object—followed a similar but unexpected event—a triangle preceding a natural object—the participants’ memory was boosted.
The second study in the MRI scanner gave exactly the same behavioral results, and showed activation in the brain’s hippocampus—the memory center, midbrain regions—which release dopamine, and occipital cortex—the vision center. In contrast, a sequence of two unexpected similar events also triggered visual areas in the brain, but did not enhance memory performance.
Lead author Dr. Darya Frank, a cognitive neuroscientist from the University of Manchester, said, “We already know that if expectation is violated before or during learning, it triggers an adaptive mechanism resulting in better memory for unexpected events. This experiment shows how the mechanism is also affected when we are trying to retrieve information.”
The hippocampus encodes—or creates—memories, but also retrieves memories. With only a finite amount of resource to allocate to either, the two mechanisms are in conflict. So when something unexpected happens, our brain focuses on the outside environment so it can learn something new, something it did not initially expect.
Scientists already know that surprise turns on the brain’s learning mode, add link however, the current study is the first to investigate how the brain uses the mechanism when we are trying to retrieve information.
Dr. Frank added, “Though our study did not assess the impact of these findings on exam revision and performance, it is logical to see its implications.
“So when the goal is to retrieve information—encountering surprising events like revising in a café or other unfamiliar surroundings would engage an encoding mechanism that may enhance memory for a future exam. To efficiently process information, the brain shifts between encoding and retrieval states, prioritizing bottom-up or top-down processing accordingly.
Expectation violation before or during learning has been shown to trigger an adaptive encoding mechanism, resulting in better memory for unexpected events.
Using fMRI, we explored (1) whether this encoding mechanism is also triggered during retrieval, and if so, (2) what the temporal dynamics of its mnemonic consequences are.
Male and female participants studied object images, then, with new objects, they learned a contingency between a cue and a semantic category. Rule-abiding (expected) and violating (unexpected) targets and similar foils were used at test.
We found interactions between previous and current similar events’ expectation, such that when an expected event followed a similar but unexpected event, its performance was boosted, underpinned by activation in the hippocampus, midbrain, and occipital cortex. In contrast, a sequence of two unexpected similar events also triggered occipital engagement; however, this did not enhance memory performance.
Taken together, our findings suggest that when the goal is to retrieve, encountering surprising events engages an encoding mechanism, supported by bottomup processing, that may enhance memory for future related events. (Courtesy: https://neurosciencenews.com/)
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The ultimate goal of Kundalini is to increase your self-awareness by silencing your mind and unblocking your chakras so that your vital energy can flow freely.
“The practice of kundalini is filled with really challenging breath exercises coupled with asanas and meditation,” says yoga instructor Caley Alyssa in our 28 Days To Yoga Bliss class.
“These are often practiced in repetition for a pretty lengthy period of time and move a lot of energy around in your body.”
There’s a reason why the practice has gained popularity only recently: The ancient teachings of Kundalini yoga were kept secret for a very long time, only taught to royalty and nobility for thousands of years until Bhajan brought it to the West in the late 1960s and began to teach it publicly.
What are the health benefits?
There are a lot of reasons why people choose to practice Kundalini—like its effect on both your physical and psychological well-being.
Below are some of the most popular health benefits of Kundalini, including a faster metabolism, better mood, and lowered stress levels.
1.Builds strength
Because you hold each posture for an extended period of time (sometimes up to five minutes!), Kundalini yoga is a great way to strengthen and tone your muscles. Some of the more intense breathing techniques—like Breath of Fire—can also build core strength, as you have to engage your abdominal muscles with each exhale.
2. Improves your mood
That “high” you get after a sweaty yoga class is a real thing—research has found that regularly practicing Kundalini yoga increases the production of serotonin (the happy hormone) in your brain.
3.Lowers your blood pressure and heart rate breathing techniques used during it—can decrease the risk of hypertension.
Long, slow breaths calm your autonomic nervous system and reduce stress, thus lowering both your blood pressure and pulse rate.
4.Enhances your memory and focus
According to research, Kundalini yoga can impact cognitive functioning, boosting both your concentration and memory. Even the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation recommends a Kundalini kriya for improving memory retention.
5. Boosts your metabolism and digestive system
Through the combination of breath and postures, Kundalini yoga is focused on strengthening your core and diaphragm. This in turn improves your digestion and has been shown by researchers to speed up metabolism (meaning your body processes energy more efficiently). How to practice.
A typical Kundalini yoga class is comprised of three parts: an opening chant (known as “tuning in”) followed by a brief warm-up for your spine, a kriya (which is a sequence of postures paired with breathing techniques), and a closing meditation or song. Each kriya—which is Sanskrit for “action”—pairs a physical pose with a breath or meditation.
These poses can be anything you choose based on the part of your body that you want to focus on, like cobra pose for your spine or warrior for your legs and glutes. You can also expect a meditation-heavy class. Each set during Kundalini yoga has different poses that involve movement, breathing techniques, mindfulness, and a mantra.
Between postures, you’ll have a minute or two to relax and focus inward. After the entire set, there’s a relaxation followed by a meditation, then a mantra before class closes.
Bonus: While you don’t have to wear headto-toe white, it is common in Kundalini. That’s because the color white is thought to ward off negative energy and extend your own aura.
Teachers will often also wear a white head covering, such as a hat, scarf, or turban, to contain the energy within the body. (Courtesy: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/)
While different kriyas use different breaths, one of the most popular breathing techniques is Breath of Fire, which consists of short, quick breaths (almost like a dog panting).
Guinee’s Record Gita Chanting At Dallas
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This sacred event and the mass chanting, a representative of the Guinee’s Book of World Records, presented Shri Ganpati Sachidanand Swami with a record of “largest and simultaneous Hindu text recital” The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has sent a letter of appreciation to Avadhoota Datta Peetham and he extended his wishes for this remarkable event. According to some reports, the practise process for this record was conducted over a year span.
The “Bhagavad Gita” is the most sacred and holy scripture in Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism). It is the primary holy book in “Vaishnavism” denomination of Hinduism along with the Shrimad Bhagavatam.
It is a part of the larger Indian Epic “Mahabharata” written by Maharishi Vyasa. There are many sub sections of the Vaishnava Tradition such as: Nimbarka, Pushti Marg etc.
However, the credit for expansion of the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita has been popularised by Gaudiya Vaishnavism (originated in Bengal) and ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
It is said that Lord Krishna instructed a dejected Arjuna who was not ready to take arms and fight his own kinsmen (Kauravas). Lord Krishna describes himself as “Swayam Bhagwan” and causes of all causes. He gives shelter to any one be it a beast, man or someone belonging to different social status. (poor/rich etc.). The most oft quoted verses from the Gita are:
“Whenever there is a decline in the Dharma, (righteousness) and increase in Adharma (unrighteousness) I take avatar age after age to restore Dharma.”
The present day Kurukshetra in Haryana is the place where the Gita was preached to Arjuna. It is believed that the departure of Lord Krishna to his abode “Vaikuntha” marks the start of Kaliyuga.
Calculations by many astronomers have provided us a tentative date (12th February 3102 BC) which was 5000 years ago at Bhalka Tirth in Somnath.
The Bhagavad Gita has been translated into many languages and published by various publishing houses. The Gita Press of Gorakhpur is the leading publisher of Hindu Scriptures including the Bhagavad Gita.
The most well read and recommended book on Bhagavad Gita is that of Srila Prabhupada. (The Bhagavad Gita as it is). Gita Jayanti is celebrated annually every December. (Courtesy: https://organiser.org/)
breathe in and out of your nose at a rate of about two to three breaths per second. As you breathe, expel the air in powerful spurts to engage your core.
Chanting and singing are also key components of Kundalini yoga. There are endless mantras and songs that you can recite during your practice but most classes start with the Adi Mantra, which means “I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within.” Another common chant you’ll hear in a Kundalini class is Sat Nam, which means “I am truth.”
