International Yoga Day 2023: Does Super Brain Yoga Or Toppukaranam Increase Your IQ?

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Most of the old timers, probably born in the 1960s would be aware of this interesting yoga kriya called Toppukaranam, or Baski as it is known in Kannada.. This was an age old every day practice of our ancestors who used to visit Ganesha temple every early morning to do Toppukaranam before the lord. Let us understand what Toppukaranam is all about. What is its equivalent in English?

This was also used in schools as a punishment for truant school kids who did not do well at school. It is also practiced by wrestlers for improved fitness. It is nothing but a dynamic utkatasana in the yogic language.

A few years ago, there was CNN (US) report on 'Super Brain' Yoga, which is a 5-minute exercise that benefits not only the students, but senior adults who were afflicted with Down Syndrome, Alzheimers, and kids with growth challenges and cognitive delays.

The super brain yoga cures all this. This is nothing but toppukaranam which every one of us have done sometime or the other in our lives.

They went on to say further that Thorpi means hands and Karanam means ears. This exercise basically involves ears and hands. The right lobe activates the left brain and the left brain activates the right brain

After performing this exercise, EEG scans show good synchronization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Hindus have been doing 'Super Brain' Yoga in front of temples of Shri Ganesha since time immemorial.

Thoppu Karanam (Super Brain Yoga) should be practiced early in the morning, facing the sun. start with the left hand.

Benefits Of Thoppu Karanam:

1. Children to adults, everyone has benefitted by doing this in US and India.
2. It also has helped greatly, the kids with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and cognitive delays by improving their academic performance, social skills and general behaviour.
3. It rids the practitioner of tension and stress, and improves mental energy, IQ and creativity, Memory, ability to participate in group activities, performance in studies, and focus.

Additional Hints:

Practice it every day for maximum benefits. Over a period of time, if practiced, this yoga will keep your children fit on all the three levels. In just 3 months of practice, you can see them improving in behaviour and academic performance. All it takes is just 3 minutes daily and the results are really mind blowing,

How To Do Thoppukaranam ?

In India, we practice Thoppukaranam facing the Ganesha idol. This activity moves up oxygen and energy to the brain.
1. Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
2. Cross your arms in front of your chest so that your right arm is over the left arm.
3. Raise your hands and grab the opposite earlobe. Your thumb should be on the front of the earlobe and index finger at the back of the earlobe. Squeeze slightly.
4. Bend your knees slightly, lower your torso assume a squat position, and keep your knees over your heels.
5. Exhaling, rise up and stand.
6. Do 15 such squats.
7. The tongue should remain on the roof of the mouth because it stimulates the hypothalamus.
8. You should face a particular direction while doing yoga. East and North are the directions of Gods. Hindus perform Thoppukaranam facing Ganesha while worshipping him.
9. The symbolism of Shri Ganesha the God of success and he removes obstacles from your path. Hence our ancient seers have been doing Toppukaranam to Lord Ganesha.