Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion
Mindfulness February 22, 2016 Marta Alda, Marta Puebla-Guedea, Baltasar Rodero et al. 87 citations
Meditation experts had longer telomeres and fewer short telomeres than matched non-meditators. The psychological factor most strongly linked to telomere maintenance was the absence of experiential avoidance—the tendency to suppress or avoid negative emotions and thoughts—along with a sense of common humanity, as measured by the Self-Compassion Scale. These findings suggest that how meditators relate to their inner experience, rather than meditation itself, may be key to cellular aging.