Cureus
September 1, 2024
Selvaraj Giridharan
4 citations
Cancer patients face both physical symptoms and psychological distress, with about 50% experiencing clinically significant anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances that can worsen treatment outcomes and quality of life. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy often intensify these mental health challenges. Yoga Nidra, a guided meditation practice, may be especially helpful for patients undergoing intensive treatments where physical limitations or stress are pronounced. The editorial discusses Yoga Nidra as a non-invasive, cost-effective, and accessible complementary therapy that shows promise for alleviating psychological distress and improving sleep quality in cancer patients, reflecting growing medical interest in holistic approaches to cancer care.
Cureus
November 1, 2024
Selvaraj Giridharan
2 citations
Meditation retreats, which combine intensive practice with intentional rest, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing emotional resilience. Physical benefits include reduced inflammatory markers and improved metabolic health. These retreats offer sustainable benefits beyond traditional leisure activities and are positioned as a promising tool in preventive healthcare. Challenges such as varied formats, limited follow-up, and accessibility issues limit broader application. Further research is needed to standardise protocols and evaluate cost-effectiveness.
International Journal of Health Sciences and Research
February 12, 2026
Selvaraj Giridharan, Mrunmai Godbole
An eight-day residential meditation programme called Samyama, which includes vegan diet and preparatory yoga, is associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, along with enhanced mindfulness, vitality, and resilience. Physiological benefits include lower systemic inflammation, improved blood sugar and lipid profiles, and shifts in endocannabinoid-like lipids. Neurophysiological changes involve increased connectivity between brain networks linked to salience and default mode, alongside relaxed alertness. Genomic analysis shows transient antiviral immune activation without excessive inflammation. Microbiome changes include sustained enrichment of beneficial gut bacteria three months after the programme. These findings suggest potential benefits for stress-related and inflammatory conditions, but the evidence comes from observational studies with shared participants, so randomized controlled trials are needed.
Cureus
September 1, 2025
Selvaraj Giridharan, Soni Soumian, Nagaraj V Kumar et al.
Vipassana meditation, an ancient practice emphasizing insight through non-judgmental observation, shows moderate evidence for improving psychological and physiological health. An updated systematic review of 11 studies (three randomized controlled trials, two single-arm trials, one pilot trial, and five observational trials) published between 2010 and 2025 found reductions in stress and anxiety, gains in mindfulness and well-being, improved hippocampal topology, increased heart rate variability, fewer migraine days, and enhanced executive functions and memory consolidation. Stronger effects occurred in intensive retreats and among experienced meditators. Evidence is limited by small sample sizes, moderate to high risk of bias, and absence of blinding, but Vipassana holds promise as an adjunct for stress-related disorders.