Discover The Benefits Of Kirtan Kriya For Stress Reduction

A growing number of medical studies confirm that Kirtan Kriya (KK) meditation is not only a stress management tool, but can also aid in the treatment of cognitive impairment, memory improvement and, as a result, it plays a role in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention¹. KK has also been proven to improve sleep, reduce depression, reduce anxiety, activate immune system genes², and even increase telomerase³. Therefore, it is obvious that we paid our attention to Kirtan Kriya benefits for a reason, since it has already passed a rigorous randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. So, its effectiveness has been confirmed experimentally. We will start by telling you more about the research carried out. Hopefully, after reading this, some of you will make this wonderful practice a part of your healthcare plan.

This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on January 24, 2020. This article was last modified on 7 March 2021.

RELATED ARTICLES

In addition, all program participants were administered extensive tests assessing their cognitive abilities. Researchers assessed their verbal and visual memories, visual-spatial skills, individual executive, and executive functions. People were also tested for depression, present symptoms of apathy, and psychological resilience to stress. You can also take these tests by downloading👇 the app.

The participants of the experiment passed such testing several times. The tests were passed at baseline (pre-intervention) and repeated at 12 and 24 week post-intervention.

Let’s say a few more words about what exercises were performed in the yoga group. First, once a week the participants would hook up for a 60-minute kundalini lesson. In addition, all participants were required to do a 12-minute Kirtan Kriya meditation daily.

Results

As a result of the experiment, both groups had significant improvement in memory. However, the yoga team additionally showed a broader effect on executive functioning, with greater improving in their mood⁴. In addition, such positive dynamics persisted after the end of the training. Impressive, isn’t it?

A similar RCT was conducted in 2016⁷. Here the results of the meditation group were compared with the machine learning program. The researchers came up with the same result. Kirtan Kriya meditation can help people with early memory loss. It is worth mentioning that the participants practiced the 12 minutes kirtan kriya meditation only. And this is only 12 minutes a day at home and at a convenient time.

» Learn more about how blood tests can reveal the extent of cumulative stress on your body.

Cerebral Blood Flow Changes

Interestingly, Kirtan Kriya benefits also showed cerebral blood flow changes during the practice of KK⁸⁹. Thus, there was observed a significant increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) within the frontal lobe and right superior parietal lobe. Moreover, the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) is also activated. All this suggests that such activation of the brain with increased blood flow may have a beneficial effect or provide protection against neurodegeneration². However, a larger study is needed to confirm this conclusion.

And finally, Luders’s study concluded that someone who practices meditation regularly, has a 7.5 years younger brain¹⁰.The age was calculated as BrainAGE index. It was also found that with every passing year, meditators’ age reduced. Thus, the researchers concluded that Kirtan Kriya benefits help maintain the brain and its activity in good shape.

Kirtan Kriya Helps to Improve Mood

Various studies have shown that Kirtan Kriya markedly improves mood, reduces anxiety, tension, and fatigue. There was also a significant improvement in depressive symptoms and mental health. And this effect was observed both in healthy people¹¹, so in people with memory loss⁸. It is worth mentioning that the latter participated in the 8-week Kirtan Kriya meditation program, which highlights Kirtan Kriya benefits.

Studies have also shown that 8 weeks of KK helped in alleviating worry¹² and soaring positive mood and energy. In addition, a majority of patients found the sessions relaxing, calming, peaceful, and uplifting, demonstrating the multiple Kirtan Kriya benefits.

Better Sleep

In the same way, sleep disruption has negative effects on health, performance, and quality of life. It is also known to impair cognitive function in healthy people¹³, to accelerate cognitive decline¹⁴, and to predict incident MCI and dementia¹⁵. In addition, sleep disturbances can generate glucose intolerance, obesity, and hypertension¹⁶. And finally, sleep impairment has likewise been linked to increased risk for type 2 diabetes and some other diseases.

That being said, research shows that an 18-week 12-minute daily meditation program may be effective in reducing stress and improving sleep and mood¹⁷¹⁸.

Influence at Telomere Length and Activity

Research supported by the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF), and by the National Institutes of Health³ published the results of a study on the effect of two 12-week Kirtan Kriya meditations on telomere length (TL), telomerase activity (TA), and plasma amyloid-β(Aβ) levels (biomarkers of cellular aging). In addition to biomarkers, the researchers also assessed cognitive function and psychosocial status. For this, an assessment was carried out at baseline, after 3 months and 6 months.

So, during the experiment, all participants were randomly divided into 2 groups. Thus, one part of the people joined a group of the 12-minute Kirtan Kriya (KK). The second group of people joined the music listening (ML) program. They were instructed to listen to 12-minutes of relaxing instrumental music each day. The ML CD contained selections from Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Mozart, Pachelbel, and Vivaldi. They were asked to try each composer at least once in 12 weeks.

As a result, the KK group showed a significantly greater increase in Aβ40 than the ML group. At the same time, the activity of telomerase TA increased in both groups. Increases in plasma Aβ levels were significantly correlated with gains in memory and cognitive function. There was also an improvement in mood, stress, sleep, and QOL.

A similar conclusion was also reached in a study of the effect of meditation on family dementia caregivers¹⁹. First, the practice of Kirtan Kriya resulted in improved mental health and decreased depressive symptoms. Second, this improvement was also associated with increased telomerase activity. This indicates an improvement in stress-induced cellular aging. However, these findings will need to be replicated in a larger sample.

» Discover everything about what your cholesterol results mean.

An alternative Treatment for Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. In its turn, researchers are studying yoga as an alternative and complementary treatment for depression. As a rule, yoga is usually combined with other treatments for depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Studies, in turn, support this approach, for example, with antidepressant treatment (Janakiramaiah et al., 2000).

However, research Shahidi et al. (2011)²⁰showed that yoga itself is a fairly effective tool, at least as effective as a group exercise program in improving depression. How significant is this improvement?

The study of 2017, which we’ve already written above⁴ also revealed Kirtan Kriya benefits with a significant improvement in a depressive mood.

How to do Kirtan Kriya Practice

So, in all studies, Kirtan Kriya was used as a home exercise. What does it look like? In fact, KK meditation involves repetitive finger movements while chanting the mantra “Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa”, which means “Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth.” Although kirtan kriya can be of various durations, 12 minutes-one was used in the studies. So, below we will describe the technique in detail.

To start the practice, sit on a chair or on the floor and relax. You need to find a comfortable sitting position with a straight back. Straighten your shoulders, straighten your neck and back.

Eyes

Eyes are closed.

The finger movement

To start the lesson, you need to take a comfortable sitting position with a straight back. You can sit cross-legged or just sit on a chair. Straighten your shoulders, straighten your neck and back.

The sounds

As we wrote above, KK uses the sounds Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa. Sing “Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa” while also performing the movements with the fingers of both hands (as shown in the picture above). Wherein, follow the next sequence:

1. Sing out loud for two minutes.
2. Then, for the next two minutes, sing in a whisper.
3. For the next four minutes, say the sound silently to yourself.
4. Return to a whisper for two minutes
5. And complete the sequence by singing out loud for the last two minutes.

It is convenient to use a ready-made audio recording, where the out loud / whisper / silent transitions are already timed. If outside thoughts intrude, simply return your focus to the sounds and visualization.

The sound is visualized coming down from the top of the head, and out the middle of the forehead (the third eye).

FURTHER READING

1. Determining the mechanism behind yoga’s effects on preventing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
2. Stress, Meditation, and Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention: Where The Evidence Stands
3. Effects of Meditation and Music-Listening on Blood Biomarkers of Cellular Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease in Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial
4. A randomized controlled trial of Kundalini yoga in mild cognitive impairment
5. The Memory Aid study: protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of computer-based working memory training in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
6. Mild cognitive impairment as a diagnostic entity
7. A randomized controlled trial of two simple mind-body programs, Kirtan Kriya meditation and music listening, for adults with subjective cognitive decline: Feasibility and acceptability
8. Effects of an 8-week meditation program on mood and anxiety in patients with memory loss
9. Meditation effects on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow in subjects with memory loss: a preliminary study.
10. Estimating brain age using high-resolution pattern recognition: Younger brains in long-term meditation practitioners
11. The Efficacy of Yoga as a Form of Treatment for Depression
12. Benefits of mindfulness training for patients with progressive cognitive decline and their caregivers
13. Prevalence of sleep disturbances in mild cognitive impairment and dementing disorders: a multicenter Italian clinical cross-sectional study on 431 patients
14. Sleep in dementia and caregiving–assessment and treatment implications: a review.
15. Sleep disturbances in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
16. Inflammation, sleep, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
17. The effects of meditation on perceived stress and related indices of psychological status and sympathetic activation in persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers: a pilot study
18. Mindfulness-based stress reduction in relation to quality of life, mood, symptoms of stress, and immune parameters in breast and prostate cancer outpatients
19. A pilot study of yogic meditation for family dementia caregivers with depressive symptoms: Effects on mental health, cognition, and telomerase activity
20. Laughter yoga versus group exercise program in elderly depressed women: a randomized controlled trial.