Abstract Om meditation is a widely practiced mantra-based technique within yogic traditions and has increasingly been examined using electroencephalography (EEG). However, EEG findings related to Om meditation remain methodologically diverse and have not been comprehensively synthesized. This review aimed to systematically examine and integrate EEG-based evidence on the neurophysiological...
Mind sound resonance technique (MSRT) is a yoga-based relaxation practice that incorporates mantra chanting and relaxation techniques. It is designed to address psychosomatic disorders by harmonizing the Manomaya Kosha and regulating autonomic nervous system (ANS) functions. This narrative review examines the effects of MSRT on various health parameters, including its ability to alleviate...
The evidence from the clinical studies on the influence of yoga and meditation on gut microbiota in humans has been summarized in this systematic review. Searches were conducted until November 2023 in four electronic databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Controlled Registry of Trials (CENTRAL) to find relevant studies published in English. Studies on the influence of yoga and...
Rajayoga meditation is form of meditation that is offered by Rajayoga Education and Research Foundation of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. It is free of ritual and mantras and can be performed anywhere and anytime. The Rajayoga meditation practice can have beneficial effects on modulating anxiety and cortisol levels in breast cancer patients undergoing surgery. To evaluate the impact...
Yoga, an ancient Vedic science, promotes unity through postures, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation. Bhastrika pranayama, also known as the "bellows breath," is a vitalizing practice that enhances air flow within the body, stimulates both gross and subtle aspects of the body and mind. It influences brain regions related to emotional processing, such as the amygdala and prefrontal...
Background: Chronic pain significantly impacts quality of life. Mind–body interventions (MBIs), such as yoga nidra and body scan, show promise in managing pain. Yoga nidra incorporates intention-setting, visualization, and relaxation, whereas body scan focuses on somatic awareness. While prior literature has applied meditation as a therapeutic intervention in individuals with chronic pain,...
This systematic review aimed to evaluate the impact of yoga interventions on preventing and alleviating mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, and other related factors among nursing professionals and students. The review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024512366). A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Google...
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and tenderness at specific points in the body, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Current management for FMS focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to symptom management. Among the complementary and alternative therapies used for symptom management, yoga holds a significant position. Yoga,...
Mental health problems constitute around 7.5% of the global burden of disease. Worldwide, depression has been expected to be the second-leading cause of disability by 2020. Child and adolescent depression are associated with decreased school attendance, poor performance at school, use of drugs and alcohol, violence, and suicidal behavior. In recent times, various complementary and alternative...
Although mechanistic studies on Yoga and meditation have demonstrated their efficacy over the past few decades, very few studies have focused on the Yogic state of Samaadhi, characterized by an ultimate state of peace and happiness. In this study, we probed electrophysiological correlates of Samaadhi in a Yogi par excellence. This research was conducted in the 1980s and is now being brought to...
Facilitated attentional engagement to, and impaired disengagement from, negative stimuli are centrally involved in maladaptive psychological states, anxiety and mood disorders. Theoretical frameworks propose that yoga-based practices modulate attention to emotion via bottom-up and top-down processes which could shape attentional engagement and disengagement patterns over time, respectively, and...
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric condition associated with high disability and mortality. The purpose of the present manuscript is to critically summarize evidence about the effectiveness of yoga for this condition. A bibliographic search was conducted in the main database sources (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus). Articles in English about the effectiveness of yoga in AN were included....
Pediatric behavioral concerns, encompassing anxiety, hyperactivity, and emotional dysregulation, pose significant challenges for children, families, and health-care professionals. Traditional interventions often rely on behavioral modification or medication, with varying degrees of success and potential side effects. In recent years, nonpharmacological approaches, particularly those grounded in...
Depression has been expected to be the second-leading cause of disability, followed by autism, attention and hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorder. Yoga therapy has found to be beneficial in managing psychiatric disorders. The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on yoga therapy in psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents. Online database was used to...
Once confined to spiritual practices, meditation has found its way into mainstream wellness as an evidence-based science for mental and physical well-being. Its ancient roots trace back thousands of years, yet in the modern scientific landscape where its profound impact on the human brain and body is being unveiled. This age-old practice has garnered attention from researchers worldwide,...
Background: Heart–brain synchronization is the integration of mind, body, and spirit. It occurs when the electrical activity of the heart and brain is synchronized. In recent years, there has been mounting curiosity to investigate the effects of meditation on heart–brain synchronization with respect to mental and emotional health and well-being. The current investigation aims to explore the...
It is hypothesized that being mindfully aware is a spontaneous state of being. It is imbued with joy, peace and happiness. Such a state is periodically revealed during restful attentiveness or presence. It is also associated with spontaneous brain alpha activity of 8-13 Hz. In deep nonrapid eye movement sleep, there is synchronous delta activity at a coherent frequency of 0.1 Hz. Both of these...
This article provides a quantitative review of the potential applications of meditation-based interventions (MBIs) in addressing the major health issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The review assesses the effectiveness of MBIs on five prevalent disorders during the pandemic, namely depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, and long COVID. This is achieved by selecting and scrutinizing...
One of the most prevalent psychiatric conditions that affect a person's quality of life, ability to function and productivity, and consequently the loss of national income, are anxiety disorders. Rajyoga meditation (RM) is a form of meditation that is performed without rituals or mantras and can be practiced anywhere at any time. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the modulation of...
The body and mind are instruments that, through the senses, provide a gateway to conscious experience. One could reduce the totality of human existence to the body and mind alone, yet superficial appearances can be misleading. According to the yogic system, humans are comprised progressively subtle sheaths or koshas, ranging from the physical to the mind, energy, intellect, and bliss body....
Meditation is a practice of concentration and relaxation. In philosophical terms, it is a process of gaining self-consciousness. Although there is diversity in meditation (Mindfulness, compassion, transcendental, and focused attention meditation), interventions show that meditation practices improve prefrontal cortex (PFC) functions like cognition, self-awareness, attention, and memory and...
Context: COVID-19-affected patients showed increased stress, impaired sleep quality, altered complete blood count, and increased inflammatory and oxidative parameters. Yoga is an add-on nonpharmacological treatment that is established to normalize the abovementioned parameters. Heartfulness meditation is a form of Raja yoga. Aims: The present study aimed to study the effects of 4 weeks of...
It is proposed that consciousness is different from awareness. Consciousness can be thought of as a dualistic, embodied, and embedded cognitive process, whereas awareness is a nondual and nonlocal process. Nonlocal awareness is the ever-present, ever-fresh, and an affective self-awareness that can be aware of itself as well as of the ongoing subject-object duality, and cognitive conscious...
Chanting "OM" is a form of meditation that has numerous health benefits. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning its effect are surprisingly scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of OM chanting on autonomic modulation, using heart rate variability (HRV), on experienced yoga practitioners and yoga naïve persons. This prospective study included 19 yoga...
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on mental training techniques such as meditation have reported benefits like increased attention and concentration, better emotional regulation, as well as reduced stress and anxiety. Although several studies have examined functional activation and connectivity in long-term as well as short-term meditators from different meditation...