Practising yoga may be beneficial for both your memory and wellbeing, according to a recent study published in the PLOS ONE online journal.
The study examined the effect of yoga practice on cognitive function, by looking at measures of working memory both before and after six sessions of yoga. More than 40 participants were asked to recall digit spans both forward and backward and letter-number sequences to test their working memory. In addition, mindfulness scores were recorded for the participants using the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale.
The results showed significant improvement on maintenance and manipulation in working memory following yoga sessions. Improvements in mindfulness scores were also recorded. However, there appeared to be no link between the mindfulness and working memory measures.