How to Reduce Stress and Improve Memory in Just 15 Minutes

Co-author: Neha Nasar.

A hand in gyan mudra pose, one of the hand movements used in KK yoga

Source: Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich/Pexels

We’re all looking for ways to de-stress these days. A study done by one of my students (Neha Nasar) for her senior honors thesis examined a simple and very effective method of reducing stress and improving cognitive function.

That method is a system of yoga and meditation called Kirtan Kriya yoga or KK yoga. KK yoga involves a series of “mudras,” or hand movements and chanting. It is easy to learn and takes only about 12 to 15 minutes to complete.

What is KK yoga?

KK yoga has been shown to improve memory, attention, overall cognitive function, sleep, and immune system function, in addition to reducing depression, stress, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in patients who have Alzheimer’s disease (Newberg et al., 2010; Khalsa, 2015).

The mudras and chanting that characterize KK yoga are thought to stimulate 84 acupressure points, resulting in increased cerebral blood flow to the prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex.

These brain regions are vitally important in executive, cognitive, and emotion functions. In addition, reduced blood flow to these brain regions are early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, sometimes predating the diagnosis of the disorder. KK yoga has also been shown to successfully improve memory in individuals experiencing mild cognitive deficiencies and impaired memory, as well as those in high-stress environments (Khalsa, 2015).

Neha designed a longitudinal study involving participants that were quite unlike those in most studies of KK yoga effectiveness. In her study, healthy, non-cognitively impaired undergraduate students volunteered to practice KK yoga once a week for six weeks.

At the beginning of the six weeks, and again at the end of the six weeks of yoga practice, participants took part in a group KK yoga session, learning and practicing the hand movements and chanting. During these group sessions, we used an online visual version of the digit span memory test (DSMT) to assess the effects of the yoga on working memory.

In the DSMT, participants are shown a random series of digits, one number at a time, and are asked to recall those digits first in the same order (e.g., if the digit sequence was 1 5 7 8, the correct recall was 1 5 7 8) and then in reverse order (if the sequence was 1 5 7 8 the correct reverse recall was 8 7 5 1).

The lengths of the digit sequences increased by one digit on each trial from five to ten digits. The speed of presentation of the digits varied from one number every ~1.3 seconds (slow) to one number every ~0.7 seconds (fast).

Studies have shown that the “forward” recall trials assess working memory and attention and the “backward” recall trials measure cognitive control and executive functioning. The long-term effects of KK practice were measured by comparing DSMT scores in the initial group practice with the final group session six weeks later.

We also collected samples of saliva using the SalivaBio Oral Swab (SOS) Method provided by Salimetrics.com. These samples were frozen after collection and shipped to Salimetrics® for ELISA assay of cortisol. Cortisol swabs were obtained just before KK yoga practice and again 15 minutes after completing the yoga. Comparisons of the short-term effects of KK yoga on cortisol levels were obtained by comparing the before and after yoga samples. The long-term effects of KK yoga were measured by comparing levels at week one with levels at week six.

During the intervening six weeks of the study, we asked participants to take part in one online KK yoga session per week. On the evening prior to the yoga session, participants completed a survey of their moods, rating their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.

The Results

Overall, KK yoga effectively reduced cortisol levels, depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. At both the beginning and the end of the six-week training period, cortisol levels were significantly lower 15 minutes after KK practice than those obtained before yoga.

Levels of cortisol after six weeks of yoga practice decreased, but the decrease was not statistically significant, perhaps because the number of stressors on our participants also increased toward the end of the study as final exams approached.

KK yoga practice significantly decreased depression and a marginally significant decrease in self-reported stress over the six weeks. Finally, the individual conditions (forward and backward recall) on the DSMT were differentially affected by KK yoga.

Stress Essential Reads

Redefining the Debt Experience

The 'Why' Behind Weekend Fighting

The participants’ performance on the DSMT from the beginning to the end of the six weeks improved most in the fast forward and fast backward conditions, indicating that KK yoga influenced the participants’ working memory, attention, and cognitive functioning.

So, an easy-to-learn, time-efficient combination of yoga and meditation appears to have significant benefits in improving mood and memory in a population of healthy, non-cognitively impaired students. It would be a simple addition to the daily routines of busy students, demonstrates enormous psychological benefits, and could also serve as a therapeutic tool to deal with stress.