Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
1
Year:
2018
Type of Events Held:
- Lecture/ Briefing
- Other
- Workshop
- Other: Yoga class
Target Audiences:
- General Public
- High School students(9-12)
- Middle school students(6-8)
- Patients & Caregivers
- Professionals
- University students
Approximate Number of People Reached:
100
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
What happens to the brain during and after yoga? What are the biological changes that make yoga so effective in brining about “radiant health, mental sharpness, and peace of mind,” as Sri Dharma Mittra likes to say? The class included a yoga practice including asana (the postures), pranayama (the breathing exercises), meditation, and relaxation. The practice was followed by a lecture and discussion of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology as it relates to yoga. Participants had the opportunity to be in an experiment, which recorded heart rate variability and Stroop test performance before and after the yoga class. The audience thus had real time feedback on the functions of their brains! We were able to demonstrate a significant increase in parasympathetic nervous system activity (as evidenced by the increased heart rate variability) and an increased in reaction time (as evidenced by the Stroop test), which is consistent with the literature. We exceeded our goals for the event. Led by Jonathan Rosenthal, medical student at NYU, and Ryan Shewcraft, PhD student at NYU.
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Advertisements
- Calendar Listings (newspapers, radio, television)
- Emails
- Website
- Social Media
Which of These Publicity Methods Was The Most Successful?
Resources
Of the Dana Foundation publications/resources distributed at your event(s), if any, please indicate the three most popular. Please choose up to three. If "other," please indicate below:
- Q&A: Answering Your Questions About The Brain
- It’s Mindboggling!
- BAW Stickers
- BAW Pencils
- Brain-shaped Erasers
- The Mindboggling Workbook
- Staying Sharp: Successful Aging and the Brain
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
Find a way to make sure everyone who’s coming reads what they need to bring beforehand; some of our participants were angry they didn’t bring yoga clothes.
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
No
