Yoga_Journal_-_June_2016_

20 FROM TOP: GREENSTOCK; GOJAK/ISTOCK

june

2016

yogajournal.com

waterworks

CUE

THE

The next time you feel your productivity and mood slipping at work, try a little babbling-brook therapy:

Listening to natural sounds like flowing water significantly improved employees’ productivity and mood

compared to sitting in silence, according to a study presented at an Acoustical Society of America meet-

ing. “Complete silence isn’t the best environment in which to concentrate because in nature, a silent envi-

ronment can signal danger,” says study author Jonas Braasch, PhD, an associate professor at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. So, the next time you need a reset, take a short walk next to a

creek, enjoy your lunch beside a fountain, or if you can’t escape your desk, go to naturesoundsfor.me

to create a free, custom-mixed natural-ambience soundtrack. KAREN ASP

50

live well

WHAT’S THE BUZZ

percent

That’s how

much range of

motion some joints

lose as we age.

Good thing your

flexibility-enhancing

yoga practice tops

your to-do list.

Source: American Academy

of Orthopaedic Surgeons

To reach a healthy

weight, tune in to your

current feelings

and emotions. This

“dispositional mindful-

ness” can reduce your

risk of obesity,

fi nds a new Brown

University study.

Dark chocolate has practically reached health-food status these days,

with numerous studies demonstrating its nutritional benefi ts—

including a new one published in the journal Appetite that found

you may be able to boost cognitive function by regularly giving

in to your craving. Researchers analyzed study participants

over a 3o-year period and found that those who consumed

chocolate at least once a week performed signifi cantly bet-

ter on cognitive tests compared to those who never or

rarely ate chocolate. They point to cocoa’s fl avanols,

which boost blood fl ow to the brain, keeping it

healthy. Chocolate’s small amount of caffeine,

which improves alertness, likely helps, too.

More cheers for chocolate

Here’s another reason

to thank yoga (and your

mother’s nagging) for help-

ing you to sit up straight:

Your good posture will put

you in a more positive

headspace. When you

slump, your brain takes

almost twice as long—and

has to work significantly

harder—to access positive

memories than when you

sit upright, according to a

new study published in the

journal NeuroRegulation.

Find Your

(Upright)

Seat

THINK

SLIM