A 14-year-old Indian math prodigy known as the “Human Calculator” says yoga meditation keeps his brain nimble.
Aaryan Shukla, of Maharashtra, India, recently broke six world records in math in one day, according toGuinness World Records.
In a video displaying Shukla’s acumen, the teen is seen answering complex math problems faster than a man inputting them into a calculator.
As he sets the first record, the boy can be seen mentally computing 100 four-digit numbers that flash on a screen while he waves his hands in quick succession. After 30.9 seconds, he inputs his answer — which matches the computer’s calculation exactly.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
After performing the feat, Shukla shared some of the reasons for his success.
“Sahaja Yoga meditation helps me to keep calm and focused,” he said.
When he’s not also practicing his math skills daily, Shukla enjoys traveling, reading, playing video games and cricket, he says.
The teen’s mother recalls that her son has always been “very good with numbers.”
“At the age of 6 he started the practice of mental calculation, and he was very good, so we started doing some research on this,” she told Guinness.
The proud mom adds, “At the age of 8 we went for an international competition and he won medals and trophies, which were great achievements.”
Shulka practices math “five or six hours daily,” he says. His family members seem to think his gift isn’t genetic.
“We are a normal family,” his dad told Guinness. “Aaryan is a one in a billion kind of person, but I don’t think that we are a family of mental calculators.”
source: people.com