Meditation practice is being held up as a holistic way to arrest cognitive decline, as also learning a new language. Discover magazine reports that ‘different brain regions get activated when you meditate, including the neural structures involved in attention, which might explain why four to five days of meditation training can enhance the ability to concentrate on a stimulus….’
Indic tradition offers a wide variety of meditation techniques, including Transcendental Meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Mindfulness Meditation as proposed by sages like Thich Nhat Hanh, Pyramid Meditation of Osho, Spiritual Meditation as practised in Christianity, Judaism and Sufism, Mantra Meditation, Movement Meditation and Focused Meditation. All one needs is a good teacher or guide who can impart the practice to get one started.
The mind gets relaxed and alert when we read at leisure – not to study or accumulate information but enjoy the various facets of comprehension, reasoning and analysis without getting stressed about it. And keep alive a real-time supportive social life rich in positive interaction.
