Participation in an advanced meditation program (Samyama) combined with a vegan diet including 50% raw foods was associated with changes in gut microbiome composition and metabolite profiles. In 288 subjects, beta diversity of gut bacteria shifted significantly after the program in meditators compared to household controls, while alpha diversity did not differ. After a two-month preparation phase involving daily yoga and meditation, meditators showed higher levels of the branched short-chain fatty acids iso-valerate and iso-butyrate. Some beneficial bacteria increased and persisted three months after the program ended. The findings suggest diet and meditation together can alter the gut microbiome, but further research is needed to understand mechanisms and effects on mood.
An online guided meditation practice (Isha Kriya) followed by daily practice for 6 weeks was associated with significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. Among participants who completed surveys, mean anxiety scores dropped from 25.4 to 16.8 after 2 weeks, and depression scores fell from 15 to 8.81, with large effect sizes. Reduced symptoms were maintained at 4 and 6 weeks. Over 68% of participants complied with daily practice. The findings suggest that digitally delivered meditation may help alleviate anxiety and depression, though randomized controlled trials are needed.
An intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program increased resting-state functional connectivity between the salience network and the default mode network in 13 meditators compared to 4 controls. Increased connectivity within the salience network correlated with improvements in self-reported mindfulness scores. During focused breathing, meditators showed lower intra-network connectivity in specific networks. The findings suggest that Samyama, an intensive silent meditation program, favorably alters brain network connectivity and is associated with enhanced mindfulness.
A pilot longitudinal study examined the effects of Isha Kriya meditation on brain activity patterns in eight healthy volunteers over six weeks. After each meditation session, increases in global periodic alpha power occurred in most but not all participants, while a rise in periodic theta power in frontal regions was a consistent state effect across all participants. Longitudinally, experienced meditators showed increased periodic gamma power in the parietal-occipital region during resting-state EEG, whereas novices showed changes in alpha and beta bands. The authors recommend larger and longer studies to confirm these preliminary findings.