Brain Yoga: Get Fit to Learn

Grow smarter with this fascinating technique that takes just 2 minutes a day.

Before you dismiss this as just for kids, remember, a Yale neurobiologist is doing this every day.

According to research done by Carla Hanford,  PhD and discussed by Eric Jensen in his book Brain-Based Learning, "Since the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa, engaging the arms and legs in such a way forces the brain to 'talk to itself.' A brain which is fully engaged is far more efficient and effective"  and is "particularly effective for students who are sleepy, overwhelmed, frustrated, or experiencing a learning block."

How to do it:

• Remove any jewelry before proceeding.

• Take your left hand and hold your right earlobe with your left pointer finger and thumb. Your left thumb should be on the front of your earlobe. Make sure that the thumb nail is facing away from you.

• Take your right hand and hold your left earlobe with your pointer finger and thumb. Once again, make sure that your thumb nail is facing away from you.

• Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth as when saying LLLL.

• Inhale through your nose and slowly squat down to the ground. Stop gently; do not bounce.

• Exhale through your mouth as you stand back up to a standing position. Continue holding your earlobes and sticking your tongue to the roof of your mouth as you perform this exercise.

• Repeat a total of 15 times every day. You may not notice a change immediately, but after a few weeks an improvement in concentration should become apparent.