Stimulate your brain with Kirtan Kriya
Clinical research by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation has found that practicing Kirtan Kriya for 12 minutes per day can improve cognition and activate parts of the brain that are central to memory.
Otherwise known to many as the ‘Sa Ta Na Ma’ meditation, Kirtan Kriya balances the brain through stimulating each of the finger tips while chanting the mantra ‘Sa Ta Na Ma’.
What does ‘Sa Ta Na Ma’ mean?
Sa: Infinity, cosmos, beginning
Ta: Life, existence
Na: Death, change, transformation
Ma: Rebirth
Posture: Sit cross legged in easy pose, with a straight spine.
Mudra: The elbows are straight while chanting, and the mudra changes as each fingertip touches the tip of the thumb with firm pressure in turn. On Sa, touch the index finger of each hand to your thumb. On Ta, touch your middle finger to your thumb. On Na, touch your ring finger to your thumb. On Ma, touch your little finger to your thumb.
Focus: Eyes closed, meditate at the Brow Point. As you chant, visualise each syllable of the mantra - Sa, Ta, Na, Ma - coming down into the crown of the head and projecting out through the third eye point.
Time: Begin the kriya chanting aloud for 2 minutes; then whisper for 2 minutes; then vibrate the sound in silence - continuing to play the fingers - for 4 minutes. Then come back to a whisper for 2 minutes, then aloud for 2 minutes.
To End: Inhale, then exhale. Stretch the spine, with hands up as far as possible; spread the fingers wide, taking several deep breaths.
The movement of the tongue while chanting stimulates 84 acupressure points in the mouth. This causes a beneficial bio-chemical transformation in the brain. In addition, research has revealed that utilizing the fingertip position in conjunction with the sounds enhances blood flow to particular areas in the motor-sensory part of the brain.