Fight Brain Drain in Just 3 Minutes. ~ Catie Joyce

Via elephant journalon Jun 3, 2013

Brain drain.

You know what I’m talking about—that effect we get from spreading ourselves too thin, from being over-busy, over-productive and super stressed.

This leads to a lack of energy, depressed cognitive functioning and your joie de vivre flying out the window.

Here’s something you can do to fight it. And the best part? You can do it in three minutes.

I found this little gem of a meditation while preparing to teach a Kundalini Yoga class on the sixth chakra. This is the chakra associated with the brain and the pituitary gland. The pituitary, often referred to as the “master gland,” has its hand in most of our body systems, including metabolism, blood pressure, pain sensation, functioning of sex organs, adrenals and thyroid, to name a few.

This meditation stimulates the pituitary gland, balances the sixth chakra and replaces mental fatigue with a powerful renewed energy.

I have been practicing this before bed for the past few nights and sinking into an easy peaceful sleep immediately after. By releasing my mental stressors, I am able to create a space for new-found energy.

The more days in a row you do it, the more energized you will feel. Here’s how to do it:

Meditation for Mental Fatigue

This meditation should be done only when you can relax afterwards. That’s why doing it right before bed is perfect!

1. Sit cross-legged or in a chair (or in bed) with a nice straight spine. Center yourself by chanting Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo three times. This mantra taps into the wisdom deep within us and all around us.
2. Set a timer or your cell phone for three minutes.
3. Interlace your fingers, right thumb over your left thumb and extend your two ring fingers so they touch. Your hands will be several inches from your chest, and ring fingers facing up and out at a 60-degree angle.
4. Close your eyes and focus at your brow point, the space between your eyebrows, your third eye.
5. Begin chanting a long Ong, by drawing out each sound in the syllable until you run out of air (Oooooooooonnnnnngggg). Inhale and repeat for 3 minutes. The sound will vibrate in your nasal cavity, giving it a nasal quality. This vibration stimulates the pituitary gland.The sound Ong is the vibration from which all creativity flows, or more simply, the Infinite. It is very similar to Om but is a more active form of the word. You can think of Om as the noun and Ong as the verb.
6. When the timer goes off, inhale and hold the breath in for 10-20 seconds. Exhale and relax.

Sleep tight, sleep light, and feel that mental fatigue just melt away!

This meditation can be found in the book Meditation as Medicine, by Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, and Cameron Stauth, a great resource on meditation.