b'grocery store, and trac can be some of the Even a few minutes a day can have a profoundhighest stressors, and when using our breath eect on overall health and memory.is most eective. Adding an essential oil to Other Considerationsthe mix of mindful breathing can add abenecial boost for blowing out brain fog.With all of the useful therapies available,Essential oils things we do daily have the most eect, suchas good quality sleep, diet, regular exercise,MindBodyGreen.com and using cognitive brain games to helplists five essential oils stimulate our brain function. Being part of athat can help with brain community, such as an MS support group,function and memory talking with friends and having a good laugh,boosting: lavender, frankincense, vetiver, or volunteering locally can all help keep ourlemon, and peppermint. These essential oils brains stimulated and hopefully in a morecan be a quick and simple therapy for brain positive space. stimulation. Put the oil on a tissue and carry Our brain is a use it or lose it muscle.itwithyouthroughoutthedaytouseas Staying mindful of what we do and also howneeded.Holdthetissueafootawayfrom we do it can have a big eect on brain fog andyour nose and take a few deep breaths.memory function. If you are having signicantissues with brain function and clarity, checkPlease be mindful of those around you in with your healthcare team. A medicationwho might be hypersensitive to fragrances, you are taking, or MS related stress, couldthough, as it can have a negative eect on also be having an eect. Your overall heath isthem. Also, never ingest essential oils and most important, and making good decisionsnever put them directly on your skin. is part of that process. For now, take a deep,mindful breath, smile, and keep being awareYoga and exercise of yourself and how you are feeling. Anneke Bender, MPT,from the Shepherd Centerin Atlanta, said, Yoga andothermindfulness-basedmovement practices havethe potential to improvecognitive function by trainingattention. In the case of yoga,we direct attention to subtle physical sensations,often while maintaining a challenging postureor position. Over time, we improve our abilityto maintain focus, not get distracted, and morecalmly approach challenging situations-good medicine for the mind and body. Adaptive yoga and chair yoga are greatalternativestoatraditionalyogapractice.39 msfocusmagazine.org'