Increased Blood Flow to the Left Frontal Cortex and
Thickening of the Cortex*
During
meditation, including stress reduction meditative yoga, there is an increase in
the blood flow to the left
frontal lobe of the brain. The frontal lobes are intimately connected with
the limbic system
(the emotional control area of the brain). The benefits of this to the
meditator include:
- Sharpened attention
- Sharpened memory
- Enhanced ability to control emotions
- Enhancement of processing of information
*It
is interesting that as we age, the opposite takes place; the cortex thins out
and memory begins to decline.
