Come join us at Symphony Hall, Birmingham for a super fun 3-hour yogathon and use you energy to raise money for YOGA FOR ALZHEIMER’S  3 hours you say?!  Don’t worry, you can do as much or as little as you like. There will be plenty of relaxation in-between the postures, and you can even sign-up as part of a team.  Sign-up here

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease of the brain which causes memory loss and cognitive decline. The disease can start mild and get progressively worse over time. No matter your age or ability, whether beginner or expert, you can help raise money to defeat dementia. Meet us at Symphony Hall, Monday 13 June 2016 at 11.30-2.30pm to be part of Yoga for Alzheimer’s, a nationwide event by Alzheimer’s Research UK. Entry costs £15 per person and by asking friends and family for sponsorship, you can be part of the fightback.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, one in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and two-thirds of people with dementia are women. The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2021, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around 1 million.

All funds raised from Yoga for Alzheimer’s events will be used to fund a project looking in to the link between stress and Alzheimer’s:

A protein called REST plays a role in controlling the brain’s response to stress. Recent studies suggest that people with Alzheimer’s disease have lower REST levels in the blood and brain than healthy people. By exploring the link between REST and Alzheimer’s, Dr’s Killick, Marchant and Hye at King’s College London aim to understand whether the protein could form the basis of a future blood test to detect early signs of the disease. Such a test could aid the timely and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s – a vital way to ensure people receive the correct support and access future treatments. The team is also looking at REST levels in blood from people taking part in stress reduction classes. This will help them understand whether reducing daily stress could play a role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Both yoga and meditation are ‘brain exercises’ that engage different parts of the brain based on the components of practice (breathing, movement, postures, chanting, visualization, concentration), and can help to stimulate neuroplasticity, ie. the brain forming new connections and recovering from injuries.

Come yoga with your favourite Barefoot teachers, Suzi Vavrikova, Faye Fenton and Afiah Bahtiar and dedicate your practice to a cause that needs your positive energy! Sign up HERE.

Photo credit: Boston Magazine