Chair Yoga with Deb

03/03/2025

A recent study found that six 40-second sprints at max effort increased plasma BDNF by nearly 3 times MORE than 90 minutes of light exercise.

BDNF is your brain’s fertilizer—it drives neuroplasticity, sharpens memory, and protects against cognitive decline. It plays a critical role in mental health, mood regulation, and even metabolism.

Higher BDNF levels are linked to lower rates of depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

The study also reveals that fasting for 20 hours does not impact exercise-induced BDNF levels, meaning you can maximize brain benefits whether you train fasted or fed.

So if you only have 6 minutes in your day, make them count—just a few bursts of high-intensity movement can rewire your brain, boost resilience, and protect long-term cognitive health.

DOI: 10.1113/JP287154

05/10/2022

Good morning beautiful souls☀️☀️☀️

We are the masters of our mind! I know it’s not possible to feel happy all the time, but we have the capacity to change the way we experience the day!

I’m getting firsthand experience in how to shift my negative emotions 😡 after I acknowledge and feel them first.

Setting up your day first thing in the morning after a good nights sleep is a great start😊

04/15/2022

I think you'll enjoy this article by Dr. Axe.

A single gentle yoga class can boost levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, by 27%! But that's just the beginning...

04/14/2022

ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW CLASS
Yoga for the Brain Health
1st class starts tommorrow 4/15/22

In all my classes I often reference how much Yoga positively influences our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life.

However, I have yet to devote a class to Brain Health. As some of you know, I've been working on a Certification in Brain Health with Dr. Amen, to compliment what I've already been taught about the Neuroscience of Yoga.

NOW is the time to add this class offering!

For more details and findings you can read here:

With its emphasis on breathing practices and medita­tion—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work better.

03/21/2022

This just gets me every time😁😁😁😁

02/03/2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8uDl0_T5QI

5-minute daily energy routine: Super brain yoga and a shortened version of Donna Eden's routine plus the Prana Mudra.Please visit www.janinefafard.com (previ...

01/24/2022

In my Sun Salutations each morning I praise God for being able to get out of bed and start my day! My cranky body begins to feel better as I move and praise.

01/20/2022

Yoga for Balance - Friday 1/21/22 1:30 - 2:30 at Stretch Physical Therapy and Total Wellness in West Chester.

Most of this class is standing poses, to build strength in your ankles, legs and glutes, which is essential for maintaining and keeping your balance.

Yoga Increases Proprioceptive skills, which is knowing where your body is in space! With increased proprioception, you can prevent the risk of tripping or falling. Many of the movements I teach in class sharpens this awareness. The body is able to produce smooth, controlled movements with a lower risk of injury.

01/05/2022

Stay tuned! I'll soon be teaching more on the The Neuroscience of Yoga and how it supports sleep!

01/05/2022

According to my Yoga teacher Kristine Weber and to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, sunrise and sunset are very important times to be outside because the biophotons in the atmosphere help to regulate our hormones and circadian rhythms and this, in turn, improves sleep.

It is said that these 2 times of the day are the best for meditation practices! "Dawn and dusk are the liminal spaces that offer the best opportunity to experience deeper, internal wisdom, hence they have been traditionally considered the best times to meditate."