Anybody can develop brain fog. It doesn’t depend on the severity or age.
Brain fog symptoms are short-term memory loss, confusion, and difficulty concentrating or feeling different. I first heard it during a Kundalini yoga class many moons ago, and I’m now trying to knack my brains to recall who introduced the meditation.
I am now struggling with brain fog, and it is apparently an after-effect of the coronavirus. Note though there are other after-effects of coronavirus. I still cough, which scares people off. My doctor says it’s part of the airway repair and should resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. My brother’s after-effect is more severe. After four weeks, his CT scan showed that 60% of his lungs were covered with ground-glass opacities (GCO). These are hazy, white-flecked patterns in his lungs.
I’m trying my best to cope with memory loss. I’d go into a room or open my laptop and forget what I’m supposed to do. The worst is I threw my yoga pants in the trash last week instead of the washing machine! And God knows what I’ve done and don’t remember.
To help me deal with this condition, I strive to write everything down, from tasks to names that I have to contact during the day. I’m in bed by 9 pm to get seven to eight hours of sleep. As soon as I wake up and after, I take cold showers, pray the rosary, and do breath work, yoga, and meditation. And now that I tested negative, I started walking again. And hopefully, as MECQ ends today, I can take forest baths in Antipolo or La Mesa for that much needed phytoncides!
If you or a loved one is experiencing brain fog, try this Kundalini Yoga meditation called Kirtan Kriya.
Kirtan Kriya is the most important meditation in the practice of Kundalini Yoga. It is recommended for everything from breaking habits to achieving emotional balance. Doing this daily for at least 40 days will help you focus and center yourself. As early as 2016, Meg Sullivan reported that clinical research by a UCLA-led team of neuroscientists showed that practicing Kirtan Kriya “helped minimize the cognitive and emotional problems that often precede Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.”
Here’s how to do it:
Sit with a straight spine. Bring your mental focus to the brow point. Chant each sound of the mantra SA TA NA MA while alternating pressing the thumb with the four fingers. Start with the index finger and thumb tips together with Sa, then move to the middle finger and thumb tips on Ta, then the ring finger and thumb tips on Na, then the pinky finger and thumb tips on Ma. Keep repeating in a stable rhythm and keep the hand motion going throughout the whole meditation.
Visualize each sound coming from the top of your head, down to the brow point, and out to infinity. This is very important and must be done with each sound. It is an essential part of the cleansing process.
The whole meditation is only 11 minutes long. Follow this timing:
2 minutes of chanting out loud
2 minutes chanting in a whisper
3 minutes silently chanting while keeping the fingers and tongue moving
2 minutes chanting in a whisper
2 minutes chanting out loud
Then a minute of sitting quietly without moving the fingers.
To end, inhale deeply, raise the arms and shake to move and release the energy in the body. Exhale. Repeat two more times.
I guess my own frustration is that while I forget, I remember when I was better at remembering things. I am taking it slowly, and I hope you do too.
In loving service,
Rosan
