During the COVID-19 lockdown in India, people who practiced yoga reported less anxiety, stress, and fear, and had better coping strategies compared to those who did not practice yoga. Yoga practitioners also showed better physical ability, endurance, and sleep quality, while being less likely to use substances or eat unhealthy food. Among yoga practitioners, those who meditated had relatively better mental health. The findings suggest that incorporating yoga into daily routines may help reduce stress and improve immunity, potentially lowering COVID-19 risk if specific protocols are implemented through a global public health initiative.
Practicing the mind sound resonance technique (MSRT), a meditative relaxation approach, improved oxygenation in the right prefrontal cortex and altered heart rate variability—increasing low-frequency and decreasing high-frequency components—compared to baseline in college students aged 19–30. Fifty volunteers (30 women, 20 men) were split into MSRT and supine rest groups. MSRT also showed a significant difference from supine rest in the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals of heart rate variability. Self-reported mindfulness and anxiety were measured before and after. The evidence suggests MSRT may help develop anxiety-related coping skills by promoting prefrontal cortex oxygenation and modulating heart rate variability.
Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60%-70% of dementia cases, and current drugs offer limited relief. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that yoga, meditation, and related mind-body practices improved memory, attention, executive functions, mood, and quality of life in people with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or subjective memory decline. Neurobiological benefits included preserved hippocampal volume, better functional connectivity, higher brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and lower neuroinflammation markers. The authors conclude these interventions show promise as complementary approaches but note that small samples and short durations limit the evidence, calling for larger long-term trials.