Insights from neuroscientist Isabelle Simonetto on the connection between yoga, the brain, and workplace performance

To fully understandthe importance of taking Yogist breaks, I wanted to hear from an expert: Isabelle Simonetto, a doctor of neuroscience and a lecturer specializing in memory. She left the field of basic research to focus on applied research in the industrial sector. She specializes in three areas: memory disorders, memory activation (how to improve its potential), and automatic errors (avoiding mistakes in high-risk environments). I met Isabelle during a training program for business leaders that I attended in 2018, which inspired me greatly.

Isabelle has dedicated her life to studying the mechanisms of memory and sharing her knowledge with as many people as possible. She has a knack for making even the most complex topics accessible and engaging. Beyond her scientific expertise and academic credentials, what I particularly admire about her is that she has been practicing yoga and following the principles of Ayurvedic nutrition for many years.

When we met, she was about to leave for a two-month stay in Kerala to undergo treatment and had drastically changed her diet. In my view, Isabelle is the perfect “bridge” that has been missing between scientific knowledge and yogic practice, and she will help convince even the most rational-minded people of the benefits of these practices.

Structurally speaking, our brains have not changed for thousands of years. New technologies have not altered their structure per se, but they have had a significant impact on our cognitive abilities and our ability to concentrate, as well as on the quality of our short-term memory.

In our “normal” state, our focused brain is like a tightrope walker balancing on a rope, to borrow an image from Jean-Philippe Lachaux, author of the book *The Tightrope-Walking Brain*: it remains deliberately unflappable, wholly dedicated to its goal, despite the disruptive factors that could cause it to fall. The metaphor is spot-on: the tightrope walker succeeds not only because he focuses solely on his goal, but because he is able to identify, suppress, and silence external or internal distractions.

Today, our brain’s “tightrope walker” finds it very difficult to resist and reject the pull of emails, social media notifications, text messages, and the information displayed on our many screens, because it perceives them as rewards. We don’t want to miss out on this information—these digital mini-events—because they stimulate a part of our brain that processes the exploration of novelty. In short, screens make us addicted, in the truest sense of the word, and cause our attention to falter by offering it a myriad of pleasant and easy distractions.

To perform at its best, the brain needs rest. Since the brain consumes a lot of energy, it needs to rest in order to function optimally. Before reaching its optimal level of concentration, just like an athlete, it must first “warm up.” If you interrupt this process by responding to digital notifications or checking your phone, you have to start all over again: your brain must restart the warm-up process from the beginning.

These distractions and constant interruptions eventually lead to fatigue and diminish cognitive abilities—including short-term memory—as well as productivity. That is why “brain breaks” are necessary. But we need to define what they actually are, because they’re not about surfing the Internet! A brain break means doing nothing—without actually sleeping. It means, for example, letting your mind wander without any specific idea or thought, without questioning. It means watching people talk on the subway instead of tapping away on your phone; it means contemplating a landscape or observing those around you; it means simply breathing…

We used to naturally take these mental breaks when we didn’t have smartphones in our hands. Today, you can train your brain to rest by changing your habits and adopting different work and focus routines. You can decide to isolate yourself to focus completely for twenty-five minutes, then get up, change locations, and take a two-minute break before resuming your task. This is the ideal rhythm for our brain to fully utilize its concentration and memory capabilities.

People today absolutely need to breathe. We must never forget that our brain uses 20% of our energy—that’s a huge amount! It needs two things to function properly: oxygen and sugar. We don’t lack sugar; there’s an abundance of it in the diets of our developed countries. But when it comes to oxygen, that’s a different story. We’ve lost the habit (or never learned it in the first place!) of breathing deeply and consciously.

However, a lack of oxygen—even when it doesn’t threaten our survival—has immediate consequences for our mental acuity and brain plasticity, that is, our ability to form numerous connections between neurons. In short, our ability to think clearly. For example, a person experiencing hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) in a room filled with CO₂ may perceive the danger of poisoning, but may not think to flee. Their brain will no longer be able to “react” properly or make the right decisions.

Yogist breaks are great for your brain because they combine breathing with physical movement: the “break” is doubly effective, benefiting both body and mind, especially since the method is perfectly aligned with the body’s natural mechanics.

Yogist breaks help your employees stay healthy in body and mind!
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