The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an unprecedented shift in the dissemination of meditation and mindfulness-based instruction from being predominantly in-person to almost exclusively online. Here, we investigated the advantages and disadvantages of these online formats from both teacher and practitioner perspectives, with a focus on perceived efficacy and accessibility. In Study 1, teachers of...
Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a modulatory neuroprotein implicated in learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Studies have found increased peripheral BDNF in participants of meditation interventions, indicating that BDNF may play a role in the learning and habit formation that occurs with meditation training. In this study, we assessed changes in peripheral BDNF protein...
A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation training may have a range of salubrious effects, including improved telomere regulation. Telomeres and the enzyme telomerase interact with a variety of molecular components to regulate cell-cycle signaling cascades, and are implicated in pathways linking psychological stress to disease. We investigated the effects of intensive meditation...