Do you find yourself forgetting appointments? Losing your keys? Remembering faces but not names?

Memory lapses like these are common, especially if youre over 40. But they dont have to be.
According to ayurveda, you can give your memory a power boost at any age. Try the tips below and
see if they work for you.
Stay Active
At least five days a week, take a 30-minute walk in the fresh air, or do 12 cycles of the hatha yoga
series known as the sun salutation. Add inversions like the shoulder-stand and plow pose to increase
blood flow to the brain.
Breathe!
Two yogic practicesalternate nostril breathing and anuloma vilomastimulate the left and right
hemispheres of the brain and improve memory. Or try this exercise: Stand straight with your eyes
gazing forward. Gradually inhale, constricting the epiglottis (located just behind the base of your
tongue) as you tilt your head back, looking up at the sky at the end of the inhalation. On the exhale,
keep the epiglottis constricted as you slowly bring your chin to your chest, looking down to the ground.
Youll know youve got it right if it sounds like the ocean when you hold a seashell up to your ear.
Repeat this cycle 7 times.
Study Up
Memory is like a muscleif you dont use it, you lose it. Exercise your mind by memorizing a new
prayer, poem, or Sanskrit scripture, reciting it every morning until you know it by heart. Then start
learning a new one.
Feed Your Brain
According to ayurveda, memory-boosting foods include sweet potatoes, okra, spinach, oranges,
carrots, milk, ghee (clarified butter), tapioca, and almonds.
Detoxify Your Body & Mind
A five-day mono-diet of kitchari (an ayurvedic rice and bean dish) will cleanse your system of ama
(toxic residue), which can weaken memoryand lead to illness as well. To make kitchari, double rinse
1 cup each of basmati rice and yellow split mung dal. Add the rice, dal, and a small handful of
chopped cilantro leaves to 6 cups of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then
reduce the heat to low and cook partially covered for 25 to 30 minutes. Eat kitchari garnished with
freshly chopped cilantro and a teaspoon of ghee three times a day for five days to cleanse your body
and mind.
Herbal Rx
Ayurvedic scriptures have a special classification for memory-boosting herbs: medhya (translated as
that which improves memory). Some of the best herbs in this category include brahmi, jatamamsi,
bhringaraj, and shanka pushpi, which can be found online or at Indian grocery stores. Here are a few
ways to get these herbs into your system:
Make a Memory-Boosting Tea
Steep 1 teaspoon total of the four herbs listed above in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and
drink on an empty stomach twice a day.
Oil your Nostrils
According to ayurveda, the nose is the doorway to the brain, and thus, to memory. Thats why the
smell of a particular flower may remind you of the day you strolled through Central Park in New York
City, or why a waft of marinara sauce reminds you of family get-togethers. To stimulate the olfactory
bulb (the nerve center in the brain that is responsible for your sense of smell) place 5 drops of
warmed brahmi ghee (which you can purchase online) in each nostril at bedtime, lying down on your
back with your head tilted up to the ceiling. Then inhale gently several times to help move the oil into
the sinuses.