Yoga, meditation may sharpen your mind: study

Meditation and ancient yogic breathing practices, such as pranayama, may act like a brain fertiliser, and strengthen our ability to focus on tasks, a study claims.

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland explained for the first time the neurophysiological link between breathing and attention.

The study, published in the journal Psychophysiology, shows that breathing - a key element of meditation and mindfulness practices - directly affects the levels of a natural chemical messenger in the brain called noradrenaline.

This chemical messenger is released when we are challenged, curious, exercised, focused or emotionally aroused, and, if produced at the right levels, helps the brain grow new connections, like a brain fertiliser.

Yogis and Buddhist practitioners have long considered the breath an especially suitable object for meditation, according to Ian Robertson from Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity