Kundalini Yoga for Cognitive Decline

A 2024 study published in Translational Psychiatry looked at whether Kundalini yoga could help older women who are at risk for memory problems and dementia.

Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that integrates movement, breathing techniques, meditation, and sound (mantra). It is distinct from other yoga traditions in its use of specific exercise sets (called kriyas), each targeting a particular purpose—such as improving memory or reducing anxiety. The practice also emphasizes personal growth and spiritual connection.

The study enrolled women aged 50 years and older who both had signs of early memory decline and health issues like high blood pressure or diabetes, which increase the risk of dementia.

Researchers compared two groups: one group practiced Kundalini yoga and the other took memory enhancement training (MET), a more conventional brain-training program that uses verbal and visual memory-building exercises. Both groups met with an instructor for one hour per week over 12 weeks and were asked to complete 12 minutes of daily at-home practice for the duration of the trial. The yoga participants' daily practice included a meditation called Kirtan Kriya, involving chanting, finger movements (mudras), and visualization designed to engage multiple senses and support cognitive function.

At the end of the study, the yoga group reported stronger improvements in how they felt about their memory. Gene testing revealed that the yoga group also showed beneficial changes in biological pathways linked to aging and inflammation; these beneficial changes were not seen in the conventional brain-training group. In fact, levels of a harmful inflammation-related protein called eotaxin-1 rose over time in the brain-training group but remained steady in the yoga group.

Additionally, brain scans from a small group of participants showed that only the yoga group had increases in hippocampal size (a part of the brain key to memory) and improved connectivity between memory-related brain regions, while the brain-training group showed these brain areas shrinking.

Together, these results suggest that Kundalini yoga may support healthy brain aging by improving subjective memory, reducing harmful inflammation, and potentially protecting key memory regions in the brain.