Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
2
Year:
2016
Type of Events Held:
- Workshop
Target Audiences:
- General Public
Approximate Number of People Reached:
55
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
We began with a yoga practice including asana (the postures), pranayama (the breathing exercises), meditation, and relaxation. The practice was followed by a lecture and discussion of neuroscientific research on yoga and meditation. This year, we focused on the autonomic nervous system and heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is a measure of the balance of sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity. To teach participants about science, and for some fun, we recorded participants’ heart rate variabilities before and after the yoga class. We found a statistically significant difference in HRV, indicating more parasympathetic activity, after just 1 hour of yoga!
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- 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:
- It’s Mindboggling!
- More Mindbogglers!
- Staying Sharp: Successful Aging and the Brain
Which BAW graphic materials did you use in publicizing your events?
- BAW Logos
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
Through a survey, participants gave the event an average rating of 86/100 for “Worth My Time.” They also said their favorite features of the event were: “Learning about heart rate variability and what it means for health” “When the analyzed results were sent to all of us!” and “All of it!”
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
37104.25
Did/do you like our Facebook page?
No
