The Prefrontal Cortex and Asanas Influencing cognitive behavior

By Tanmay Bhati -


"The prefrontal cortex ponders the questions of existence, unravelling the mysteries of the human soul one thought at a time."


                The human brain is a marvel of nature, comprising various regions responsible for different functions. Among these, the prefrontal cortex stands out as a centre of higher cognitive functions, often associated with decision-making, social behaviour, and personality. 


Image showing the region of The Prefrontal Cortex


            In this article, I tried to explore the philosophy of the prefrontal cortex, its role in human cognition, and how the practice of yoga asanas can influence and enhance its functioning.


The Prefrontal Cortex -

        The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is located at the front of the brain, specifically in the frontal lobes. It is one of the most evolved and complex parts of the human brain and plays a crucial role in executive functions. Executive functions encompass a range of cognitive abilities, such as -


1. Decision-Making - The PFC helps us make informed decisions by evaluating potential outcomes and considering consequences.

2. Emotional Regulation - It regulates our emotional responses and aids in maintaining emotional balance.

3. Social Behavior The PFC involves social cognition, empathy, and understanding others' perspectives.

4. Working Memory - This region is essential for holding and manipulating information temporarily, aiding in problem-solving and planning.

5. Goal Setting and Achievement - It assists in setting goals, making plans to achieve them, and monitoring progress.

6. Personality and Self-Awareness - The PFC contributes to our sense of self, self-awareness, and personality development.

 

Asanas and the Prefrontal Cortex -


1. Stress Reduction - Yoga asanas are renowned for their stress-reduction properties. Chronic stress can impair PFC function, but regular yoga practice helps alleviate stress, promoting optimal PFC performance.

2. Improved Concentration - Asanas require focused attention on body movements and breath control. This enhanced concentration can translate into improved PFC-related tasks such as decision-making and working memory.

3. Pranayama (Breath Control) - 

   Practice - Engage in deep breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing or alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana).

   Effect - Controlled breathing calms the nervous system, reduces stress, and improves concentration—key factors in PFC health.

4. Enhanced Cognitive Flexibility - Yoga encourages flexibility not only in the body but also in the mind. This mental flexibility is associated with the PFC's ability to adapt to changing circumstances and switch between tasks.

5. Balanced Autonomic Nervous System - Yoga asanas, particularly those involving deep breathing, help balance the autonomic nervous system. This balance can contribute to emotional stability and improved PFC function.

6. Increased Grey Matter - Some studies suggest that regular yoga practice can lead to increased grey matter volume in the brain, including the prefrontal cortex. This may signify enhanced cognitive abilities.


       The PFC is engaged in features that distinguish humans from other animals, including self-awareness, sophisticated planning, problem-solving, learning and memory, executive processes, personality expression, decision-making, and social behaviour regulation. It is a vital hub of human cognition and behaviour, governing executive functions that influence our decision-making, emotions, and social interactions. While yoga offers numerous physical and mental benefits, it also profoundly impacts the brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex. 


- Tanmay Bhati

...................................................................................................................................................

Comments

Post a Comment

If there is any topic, do write us or mention in the comment box, in our next article we will definitely try to get on that.

Popular posts from this blog

Trividha Nadi's - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna

By Tanmay Bhati -
Image
  The fundamental question is, in a day, how much of your thoughts, emotion, physical activity, breath, heartbeat and everything else is conscious. - Sadhguru The Nadi's that  has always kept me captivating. It's like when i was in school, I heard about Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadi. But then these were mere mysteries, because Yoga was then unknown to me. Then after years of practicing, the series of asana, and keeping awareness of breath while maintaining the mahamudra, I began feeling the zilt of these Nadi's. I came across a subtle feeling that can only be felt and cant be explained. The left and right part inside my body are being distributed in genealogical form. It made me sensitive to vibration, and these vibrations were happening in these nadi's that brought change in me, a change impossible to explain with mere words.  - Tanmay Bhati  Ida, Pingla and Sushumna Nadi If we are not living in our bodies, honoring them as our temple. We are closing off the divine ch
Read more

Anahad Naad (An Unstruck Sound)

By Tanmay Bhati -
Image
"Listen to the Un-struck Sounds and What Sifts Through That Music"- Rumi An unstruck sound, deep inside the matter, when closely examined through magnification, can bump your ears with the Soundless Sound of vibrations, These are the strings of the quarks, or so, The Anahad Naad, a cosmic sound, that depicts a completeness of oneself, One who can hear this Naad, is so extrasensory perceptible, that he can know the entire working of the cosmos, and attains Nirvikalpa Samadhi. -Tanmay Bhati   Anahada Naad, An Un-struck Sound -     If you started out knowing everything theoretically, then there is no magic or wonder occurring in the cosmos. Here, I've connected the String Theory with the so-called Anahad Naada, a soundless sound. Since every particle in the universe, whether it contains life or not, is vibrating constantly. Additionally, practically everything in the universe has a fundamental sound that we are unable to perceive with our usual senses. As we move closer to t
Read more

Energy and Kundalini

By Tanmay Bhati -
Image
  Energy and Kundalini Everything around us, including the silent mimicry of trees during the rainy season, the flow of water, the beauty of a rainbow, the free flow of an artist at his highest level of precision, the dance of the peacock, and the fragrance of a flower, transpires without flow when we are in our actual conditions, unquestionably in its most natural state, this is what Kundalini means. Kundalini awakening is not a process, it is the transformation of a physical being to an energy being, more subtly.   A 2017 study published in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology looked at the connection between spiritual experiences and Kundalini activation. The research discovered a variety of spiritual experiences, including mystical encounters, feelings of oneness with the universe, and heightened intuition, was linked to Kundalini rising. Kundalini" means "coiled serpent." At the base of the spine, robust and dormant energy is thought to reside. The chakras, or en
Read more