KirtanKriya(whichispronouncedKEER-tunKREE-a)isatypeofmeditationfromtheKundaliniyogatradition,whichhasbeenpracticedforthousandsofyears.Thismeditationissometimescalledasingingexercise,asitinvolvessingingthesounds,SaaTaaNaaMaaalongwithrepetitivefingermovements,ormudras.Thisnon-religiouspracticecanbeadaptedtoseverallengths,butpracticingitforjust12minutesadayhasbeenshowntoreducestresslevelsandincreaseactivityinareasofthebrainthatarecentraltomemory.WhatdothewordsKirtanKriyamean?InSanskrit,akirtanisasong,andkriyareferstoaspecificsetofmovements.IntheEasterntradition,kriyasareusedtohelpbringthebody,mindandemotionsintobalancetoenablehealing.WhatdothesoundsSaa,Taa,Naa,Maamean?ThemantrathatisrepeatedwhilepracticingKirtanKriyaisdesignedtobeuplifting.Thesoundscomefromthemantra‘SatNam’,whichmeans“mytrueessence’.Isitessentialtousethesesoundsduringthemeditationorcanothersoundsbeusedasasubstitute?FromanEasternperspective,itisbelievedthattheplacementofthetongueontheroofofthemouthwhilemakingthesesoundsstimulates84acupuncturepointsontheupperpalate.Thiscausesabeneficialbio-chemicaltransformationinthebrain.Inaddition,Westernresearchhasrevealedthatutilizingthefingertippositioninconjunctionwiththesoundsenhancesbloodflowtoparticularareasinthemotor-sensorypartofthebrain.ClinicalresearchhasshownthatpracticingKirtanKriyaforjust12minutesadaycanimprovecognitionandactivatepartsofthebrainthatarecentraltomemory.ReplacingtheKirtanKriyasoundswithothersounds,orreplacingthemeditationasawholewithotherrelaxingtasks,hasnotbeenshowntobeeffective.TheAlzheimer’sResearchandPreventionFoundationbelievesthatthevariouspartsofKirtanKriyaareeachvitaltothewhole,andrecommendspracticingitinthetraditionalwaytofullyreapthebenefitsoftheexercise.Thatsaid,othermethodsofreducingstress,likedeepbreathing,listeningtomusicandothertypesofmeditationmaybebeneficialtoyourhealth.“IamenjoyingtheKirtanKriyameditationalot.Iwilltellothersinmybookclubaboutitandhopefullyyouwillgetmoretakers–withadonationofcourse.ThanksforofferingtheCD.Irea