Awakening is reported across contemplative traditions yet remains poorly defined in science, where it is often conflated with transient states induced by meditation or psychedelics, obscuring its significance for theories of consciousness and cognitive architecture. We treat awakening as a functional construct capturing convergence across Hindu and Buddhist sources, phenomenological and...
Scalable digital strategies that support subjective well-being before the consolidation of psychological distress remain limited. Ultra-brief, mobile-delivered interventions may offer a low-burden, just-in-time approach compatible with everyday digital ecosystems. However, the extent to which a single-session, sub-10-minute digital meditation is associated with immediate changes in...
BackgroundAnxiety and other non-motor symptoms can greatly diminish quality of life in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Yet, few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed accessible, non-pharmacological mental health treatments for people with PD.ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and impact of brief, remotely-delivered meditation and breathwork on neuropsychiatric symptoms in...
Introduction Mind-body practices, such as meditation, enhance mental well-being. Research studies consistently demonstrate improved brain function and psychological well-being in meditation practitioners. A substantial body of neuroscientific evidence highlights changes in alpha and theta frequency bands during meditation among practitioners. Neurophysiological effects of meditation are...
Introduction Health is a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being, all of which are deeply interconnected. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of mental and social health, as rates of loneliness, depression, and anxiety surged. Mindfulness practices, such as Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya (SMK), have gained attention for their potential to enhance...
Relationship difficulties are a major source of anxiety in contemporary society, contributing to social withdrawal, emotional reactivity, and conflict, which in turn increase isolation and distress. Meditation has emerged as a promising strategy for managing these stressors by fostering self-awareness, resilience, and empathy. This study explores the Inner Engineering (IE) program, a...
We aimed to quantify the effects of advanced meditation on brain electrical activity during sleep. This investigation addresses the need for objective neurophysiological measures of meditation's potential impact on brain aging and health. This study was a single-site, prospective cohort study (conducted August 25, 2021, through September 26, 2021) of meditators attending the "Samyama Sadhana"...
Growing evidence suggests a role for gut bacteria and their metabolites in host-signaling responses along the gut-brain axis which may impact mental health. Meditation is increasingly utilized to combat stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. However, its impact on the microbiome remains unclear. This study observes the effects of preparation and participation in an advanced meditation...
Introduction: Samyama is an Isha Yoga 8-day residential meditation/yoga retreat combined with 60 days of preparation with vegan diet. We showed earlier Samyama retreat was associated with lower systemic inflammation and favorable lipid profiles along with other physical and mental health benefits. There is no mechanistic study on the impact of an advanced meditative process on multiple blood...
BackgroundYoga practices, including breathing, meditation, and posture protocols (asanas), have been shown to facilitate physical and mental wellbeing.MethodsSeasoned yoga practitioners were recruited from the Isha Foundation. Recruitment of the comparison group was achieved using snowball sampling and were not yoga practitioners. Participants in the non-yoga group were randomized to a 3-min...
Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has been a major disruptor of routine life, resulting in increased stress and predisposing people to negative outcomes, such as insomnia, anxiety and hopelessness. Mind-body interventions have improved concentration, emotional balance, and positive emotions, with an enhanced sense of productivity, and self-confidence. We therefore hypothesized that exposure...
Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama is an 8-day intensive residential meditation experience conducted by Isha Foundation requiring several months of extensive preparation and vegan diet. The health effects of Samyama have not been previously studied. The objective was to assess physical and emotional well-being before and after...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program on the brain functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Methods: Thirteen Samyama program participants (meditators) and 4 controls underwent fMRI brain scans before and after the 8-day residential meditation program. Subjects underwent fMRI with a blood...
Background: Cardiac surgical procedures are associated with postoperative neurological complications such as cognitive decline and delirium, which can complicate recovery and impair quality of life. Perioperative depression and anxiety may be associated with increased mortality after cardiac surgeries. Surgical prehabilitation is an emerging concept that includes preoperative interventions to...
A bstract Background Isha Kriya (IK) is a widely available meditation practice that incorporates breathing regulation that has shown to improve self-reported symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. An increasing amount of research has been published on the effects of various meditative practices on scalp electroencephalography (EEG). However, the effects of IK on cortical activity have not...
BACKGROUND Long COVID imposes severe functional impairments and strains health systems. Web-based mind-body interventions may offer scalable support for multidisciplinary care. OBJECTIVE We assessed the feasibility and efficacy of a 3-week web-based yogic breathing and meditation program on quality of life in individuals with long COVID. METHODS : In this 6-week waitlisted, mixed-methods...