86 Yoga for Speech-Language Development
Figure 6.3 Whale breath
Motor planning for speech in yoga
Children’s yoga practice can include chanting, a series of syllables
or words sung either on the same note or a narrow range of notes.
Chanting is not unique to yoga. In fact, it is commonly observed
during sporting events and religious services. Yogic chanting
provides an opportunity for children to execute motor planning
and programming for speech. The neural substrates for these
functions are located in the left hemisphere of the brain, especially
the prefrontal, premotor cortex. Broca’s area and the supplementary
motor area are the most notable parts of the brain for speech
production (Duffy 2012; Van der Merwe 2009). Recent research
using positron emission tomography (PET) scans of individuals
engaged in chanting indicated increased blood flow to the areas of
the left hemisphere responsible for language processing. Moreover,
repeated chanting of a mantra (sound, syllable, word, or group of
words) resulted in increased blood flow to the motor cortex areas
associated with movements of the mouth, including Broca’s area