| I’m lucky enough to spend time with private clients every week.
I get to know these folks pretty well.
Most of my clients, like me, are “long lived” adults, which means we are older.
Recently I met with a long lived private client via Zoom. My client seemed, well, not quite their normal self (and I did ask permission to refer to our session in this blog post).
My client appeared physically and emotionally down – sort of Eeyore-like slumped.
Who hasn’t felt a bit Eeyore-slumped during this global pandemic? There have certainly been slumpasana days for me.
While I directed my client through a yoga movement series, including gluteal strengthening activities, dynamic single leg balancing, upper body stabilization, and deep hip mobilization, things started to change.
My client’s posture became more upright, following directions became easier, confidence increased, awareness of how the body was reacting to what it was being asked to do became more pronounced, a smile appeared, and the patina of melancholy was replaced by a sense of self-efficacy.
We were laughing and engaged in joy by the end of one hour!
What happened to make such a change occur in one hour?
Scientific studies have certainly established that physical activity has a large and significant anti-depressant effect in long lived adults via hormonal changes, decreasing levels of inflammatory markers, increasing neurogenesis (nervous tissue growth), and positively influencing cortical structure and function (Schuch et al., 2016).
But I think there was more to it than that.
Not only did my client engage in physical activity, but they did so with what is called “attentional engagement” and because of their ongoing relationship with a yoga practice, “attentional engagement” is something that is well honed.
What I mean by “attentional engagement” is the use of directed effort of our cognitive resources toward one main task.
Attentional engagement is practicing mindfulness – we direct our attention specifically and with effort to that which we are doing in the moment.
There is a link between this honed skill of attentional engagement used in our yoga practices and the act of bending the aging curve in our favor.
Normal aging processes have been associated with structural and functional brain changes. Aging is associated with a general decrease in gray matter, along with a deterioration of working memory (Afonso et al., 2017).
Gray matter is the outermost layer (cortex) of our cerebrum (principal and most anterior part of the brain where executive function occurs).
Gray matter is populated with large numbers of neurons, which process information and release information controlling movement, memory, and emotions.
What does this have to do with yoga, attentional engagement, and bending the aging curve?
Cortical thickness was measured in female yoga practitioners with at least 8 years practice. The measurements showed significantly more cortical thickness compared to a control group of similarly aged females who had not practiced yoga (Afonso et al., 2017).
Cortical thickness means more gray matter volume.
More gray matter volume means more neurons.
More neurons means positive alterations in brain areas of executive function, attentional control, and working memory.
The study authors believe that the difference measured in the cortical structure of long lived women practicing yoga has to do with the attentional engagement required in yoga poses, breathing, and meditation (Afonso et al., 2017).
This suggests a neuroprotective effect on the brain for aging in those of us who practice yoga over time, thus providing a significantly positive effect on not only our cognitive function and brain structure stability, but also on our mental health.
 All of this means bending the aging curve!
What I saw the other day in my zoom appointment was someone who had already developed and practiced the skill of attentional engagement over a long period of time in their yoga and movement practice.
It was simply the effort to get my client moving and practicing attentional engagement for the Eeyore-like slump to change to a more Tigger-like state.
References
Afonso, R.F., Balardin, J.B., Lazar, S., Sato, J.R., Igariashi, N., Santaelaa, D.F., Lacerda, S.S., Amaro Jr., E., & Kozasar, E.H. (2017). Greater cortical thickness in elderly female yoga practitioners – A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, (9)201, 1 – 6.
Schuch, F.B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Richards, J., Ward, P.B., Veronese, N., Solmi, M., Cadore, E.L., & Stubbs, B. (2016). Exercise for depression in older adults: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials adjusting for publication bias. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, (38)3, 247-254. |
