Use Ayurvedic Herbs and Aromas
In Ayurveda, there is a special class of herbs called Medhya herbs which are especially useful for the brain. The Medhya class of herbs enhances the coordination between the three factors—dhi, dhriti, and smriti—by providing powerful nourishment for the brain. Some well-known Ayurvedic herbs that promote health and functioning of the mind include Shankhapushpi (Bindweed), Brahmi (Indian Hyssop), Manduki  parni (Indian Pennywort), and Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry). Besides these, there are also some essential oils utilised in aromatherapy to relax and soothen the mind. Rosemary oil improves mental clarity and alertness, basil oil dispels mental fatigue and enhances concentration, and peppermint oil and lemon oil improve brainpower.

Minimise Stress Levels
Stress and anxiety are the two elements of our daily life that have a significant negative impact on our mental performance as they are known to damage or destroy brain cells. Many prescription drugs too are detrimental to mental health due to the undesirable side-effects that accompanies them. We cannot expect positive outcomes such as better focus and attention span, retention of knowledge, and improved problem-solving ability without a mind that is calm, serene and centred in its equilibrium. It is, therefore, important to manage stress before it takes the form of a severe problem by applying some simple techniques such as planning future tasks, managing timelines, taking occasional short breaks during periods of intense mental activity, and maintaining a healthy balance between work and relaxation. Meditation is a great stress buster. Other means to deal with stress include listening to relaxing music, diffusing soothing aromas such as sandalwood or lavender, or going out for a quiet evening stroll with a companion. You can try out a few ‘cool’ stress-busters that enhance the flow of prana in the brain such as getting a head massage with almond oil in the evenings after work, doing deep-breathing exercise and performing shvashana (a form of yoga).

Get Quality Sleep
According to Ayurveda, sleep is the diet of the mind. A good diet and a nourishing lifestyle should be accompanied by quality sleep in order to gain a healthy mental and physical state. The importance of sleep should not be measured only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality. For a sound state of mind, you need to get 6–7 hours of quality sleep everyday, which is possible when the mind is totally disconnected from the senses. Quality sleep improves both short-term and long-term memory by recharging and rejuvenating the mind.

For peaceful and good quality sleep you need to make certain changes in your lifestyle such as cutting down on stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, avoiding taking back home work-related stress, and abstaining from stimulating activities such as rigorous exercise to help prepare the mind for restful sleep.

Aromatherapy in the form of fumes such as blend of lavender, chamomile, jasmine and sweet orange pacifies the mind and helps in getting quality sleep. A daily warm-oil body massage using sesame oil too increases stamina during the day and promotes quality sleep at night.

Exercise Your Brain Regularly
Practice makes a man perfect. Similarly, using your brain constantly will help retain its power. In order to keep your brain constantly challenged you need to keep your brain engaged in tasks such as solving logical puzzles such as Sudoku, memorising lines from spiritual books, or learning a new skill such as a new recipe, a new craft, or a new magic trick for your children. Regardless of your age or occupation, you can always try memory-enhancing methods such as asking questions to clarify things in your mind, using visualisation techniques, and playing associative memory games.

Endnote
The above tips will come in handy if you have problems such as memory disturbances in the form of attention fluctuations, concentration impairment, language and learning disability, behavioural disorders in the form of alcohol addiction, asocial behaviour, temper tantrums, aggressive behaviour, anxiety and stress-related disorders, and mental fatigue. These tried and tested suggestions, if put into practice, can help even a normal person improve his memory and mental ability thus paving the way to a happy and successful life.

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