BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
April 5, 2023
Maitreyi Raman, Ramana V. Vishnubhotla, Hena R Ramay et al.
25 citations
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.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
February 11, 2025
Saketh Malipeddi, Arun Sasidharan, Rahul Venugopal et al.
2 citations
preprint
Meditation alters brain activity, particularly in alpha and theta frequency bands, but most research has focused on average power changes from rest to meditation rather than how quickly these changes emerge. This gap means little is known about the time-to-onset and temporal dynamics of neural shifts during meditation practice.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2025
Enas Mohamed, Arlene Katz, Nashaw Jafari et al.
Meditation practices from the Inner Engineering program, which includes Shambhavi Mahudra Kriya (alternate nostril breathing, AUM chanting, breath awareness, and postural yoga) along with guided meditation and reflective writing, support emotional regulation, cognitive reappraisal, and positive affect. These benefits contribute to healthier interpersonal relationships by enhancing self-awareness, resilience, and empathy. The program is described as a non-religious, scalable intervention that may help manage emotional reactivity and strengthen relationships, thereby addressing relationship difficulties that are a major source of anxiety and social withdrawal.
Mindfulness
January 1, 2025
Jayme C Banks, Sepideh Hariri, Kestutis Kveraga et al.
Long-term meditators had a brain age index 5.9 years younger than their chronological age, compared to a difference of -0.24 years in healthy controls and 10.5 years older in people with dementia. The study used overnight electroencephalography to estimate brain age from sleep brain activity in 34 meditators attending a retreat, alongside several comparison groups. The results suggest that advanced meditation may be associated with enhanced brain health and slower brain aging.
Frontiers in Public Health
July 29, 2022
Preeti Upadhyay, Shilpa Narayanan, Tanvi Khera et al.
Seasoned yoga practitioners from the Isha Foundation had significantly lower perceived stress, anxiety, and depression, and higher wellbeing and joy compared to non-practitioners randomized to a brief Isha practice or daily reading. Median Perceived Stress Scale scores were lower for yoga practitioners at baseline (11 vs. 16), 6 weeks (9 vs. 12–14), and 12 weeks (9 vs. 11.5–13). Among compliant randomized participants, the active comparator also showed lower stress than placebo at 12 weeks. Regular yoga practices appear to support mental health even during a pandemic.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2021
Ramana V. Vishnubhotla, Rupa Radhakrishnan, Kestas Kveraga et al.
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.
Akila Rayapuraju, Enas Mohamed, Preeti Upadhyay Reed et al.
A 3-week web-based yogic breathing and meditation program improved mood, breathing difficulty, and physical symptoms in people with long COVID. In a randomized trial with 68 participants, those who completed the program showed greater reductions in total mood disturbance, two dimensions of breathlessness, and somatic symptom burden compared to a waitlist control group, with small to medium effects. No meaningful differences were found for stress or quality of life. Qualitative feedback highlighted that meditation built resilience, online support networks were valuable, digital delivery had both benefits and challenges, and participants struggled with the medical system. The program appears feasible and accessible as a supportive intervention.
Ramana V. Vishnubhotla, Preeti U. Reed, Balachundhar Subramaniam
preprint
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.