Fluid Intelligence and Yoga

by Ram

From "The Path to Holistic Health" by B.K.S. Iyengar

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika was written centuries ago and in the course of time produced several yoga masters and teachers, yet it took Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and B.K.S. Iyengar to bring innovation to the practice of yoga, including developing new poses and adding the use of various props. 

Similarly, it took the ingenuity of Robert Jarvik to design and implant the first artificial heart. And also, had those Harvard college kids, led by Mark Zuckerberg, not been interested in digitizing their assignment notes, we may never have seen Facebook. Examples of such innovative and ingenious incidents abound and reflect a specific type of intelligence. 

What is intelligence? Is it getting a very high score on the ACT or SAT? Is it having the ability to solve complex math equations? Or does being able to create a complex software program make you intelligent? In reality, intelligence is a little bit of all of these and more. As intelligence began to be better understood by cognitive psychologists, it became clear that many distinct sub-types of intelligence exist. Psychologists are of the opinion that intelligence comes in many forms and is comprised of a variety of cognitive skills and abilities. In broad terms, intelligence comprises two sub-components: 

Crystallized intelligence. This is the ability to make use of acquired information or knowledge. Crystallized intelligence involves knowledge that comes from prior learning and past experiences. People who possess high levels of crystallized intelligence are people who remember facts and retain a wealth of knowledge on specific topic(s). Examples of crystallized intelligence include vocabulary exams and geography or spelling bees. This type of intelligence is based upon facts and rooted in experiences. It is generally long-lasting and improves with rote learning.

Fluid intelligence. This is the ability to be innovative or ingenious  It allows you to quickly adapt to and solve problems, even in an unfamiliar situation. Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason, think and apply. In order for someone to have fluid intelligence, they must be able to reason and think conceptually, as well as achieve problem solving skills. Although abstract thinking and problem solving skills are achieved during a person's education, learning, and experiences, fluid intelligence is an innate ability that is independent of those things. Having an open mind and high level of awareness are key aspects of fluid intelligence abilities. On the yoga mat, fluid intelligence is all about ingenious methods of modifying a pose to reap the same benefits and avoiding any pains, distress or risks. 

Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence are both components of general intelligence and yet are distinct in their respective aspects. Two people with the same IQ may exhibit similar crystallized intelligence but dissimilar fluid intelligence. While both types of intelligence increase throughout childhood and adolescence, the general belief is that crystallized intelligence continues to grow throughout adulthood and then begins to decline after age 65. Nevertheless, as we age and accumulate new knowledge and understanding, crystallized intelligence becomes stronger. In contrast, fluid intelligence and the ability to reason and think conceptually begin to decline around age 40.

Now you may ask what do these concepts have to do with yoga? Well, results from a recent study investigating the relation between age and fluid intelligence in middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners, and matched controls indicated that fluid intelligence declined much slower in yoga practitioners and meditators combined, than in controls. Furthermore, mindfulness meditation was positively correlated with fluid intelligence. The study Fluid intelligence and brain functional organization in aging yoga and meditation practitioners involved 47 physically and mentally healthy participants (16 yoga practitioners, 16 meditation practitioners, and 15 controls), who were recruited after matching for age, gender, education, race, and handedness. Age-related decline in fluid intelligence and normal functional brain network properties in these participants were investigated. Fluid intelligence was tested using a variety of cognitive skills. Functional networks were also measured by the resilience displayed by neurons to actual lesions in the brain’s cortical areas or by simulating such attacks. The apparent rate of age-related decline in fluid intelligence was found to be lower in yoga practitioners and meditators combined as compared to controls. Furthermore, resting state functional neurons of yoga practitioners and meditators combined were more resilient to damage than those of controls. Interestingly, mindfulness meditation alone was effective in blocking the age-associated decline in fluid intelligence as well as increasing the neural network resilience.

The results of this study may also explain previous studies that indicated that older meditators have better attention performance than non-meditators. Both meditation and yoga requires the quality of mindfulness that in turn triggers functional neural network integration and improve fluid intelligence. The results are extremely relevant and important as they have a potential practical implication with a rapidly aging world population and increasing life expectancies. So if you wish to have a non-medicated, non-prescription-based method to strengthen your neural network and improve your fluid intelligence, unroll your mat and start your practice of yoga and meditation today!