The dementia or Alzheimer's diagnosis of a family member can feel like a catastrophic leap into an unknown future full of uncertainty and sorrow. My mother began to show signs of Alzheimer’s in her late sixties, when I was in my twenties. Her official diagnosis didn't come until later, when I was a young mother in my thirties and after she had a severe case of shingles that accelerated her mental decline. Her symptoms were cyclical, and she had long periods where we could pretend she was somehow going to get better, followed by seasons of severe symptoms and decline. It was a rollercoaster of hope and despair.

When you realize that you have the genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's or Dementia, it changes the way you react to the effects of aging on your own mental abilities. Normal things like forgetting where you set your car keys when you are under stress becomes worrying, even though you logically know it happens to everyone! At my moms diagnosis, I began researching not only ways to help my mother using yoga and other activities, but also how to maintain my own cognitive health. Since yoga, by its very nature, connects mind and body, it is a natural tool for maintaining mental alertness and cognitive function. Some types of yoga, particularly those that are more meditative, are better served for enhancing mental activity and wellness as we age. Research suggests over and over that physical activity and a healthy diet can slow or prevent Dementia and cognitive decline.

Self-care supports our mental and physical health and also our cognitive well-being. Unmanaged stress, chronic disease driven by poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle - all of which contribute to cognitive decline - can be managed with medical intervention, but also by the most basic of care activities - diet and activity. Yoga makes a great deal of sense as an activity to manage cognitive health because of its adaptability to all fitness levels, body types, and the opportunity to practice even with mobility issues or other health challenges.

Alzheimer's patients have been shown to experience cognitive improvement with 1-2 hours of weekly, low-impact yoga. I have consistently worked with students with both Alzheimer's and Dementia over the past ten years and can attest to the noticeable improvement in function and mood stability among those that practice with an instructor trained in the types of yoga that assist with cognitive health. When my mother reached the stage that involved psychotic episodes, yoga was an incredible tool to reduce frequency of difficult behavior. Even in the advanced stages of dementia, when the individual becomes non-verbal or bed ridden, specialty yoga can be employed to help manage cognitive symptoms.

So how can you use yoga for memory care, no matter your age? A focus on holding more restful and meditative poses for longer periods, such as a restorative yoga practice, combined with focus or meditation, can help "reset" stress response and connect mind and body (and spirit) in a beautiful way that enables better mental health, can assist with anxiety reduction and can improve brain function. A practice that incorporates a focus on the breath can help oxygenate the body and relax both body and mind. My adult classes combine these types of practices with more traditional Vinyasa flows to support overall physical and cognitive health. Even 30 minutes a week can make a difference.

If you or a loved one would benefit from working with a yoga teacher trained in memory care, I would love to connect with you!