Heart rate variability during mindful breathing meditation
Frontiers in Physiology January 23, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1017350 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | mindful breathing meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 36 |
| Key points | Proposes that the autonomic balance index (ABI) is significantly elevated during mindful breathing, making it a good biosignal for biofeedback. |
Abstract
We discuss Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured during mindful breathing meditation. We provide a pedagogical computation of two commonly used heart rate variability metrics, i.e. the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the standard deviation of RR intervals (SDRR), in terms of Fourier components. It is shown that the root mean square of successive differences preferentially weights higher frequency Fourier modes, making it unsuitable as a biosignal for mindful breathing meditation which encourages slow breathing. We propose a new metric called the autonomic balance index (ABI) which uses Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to quantify the fraction of heart rate variability contributed by the parasympathetic nervous system. We apply this metric to heart rate variability data collected during two different meditation techniques, and show that the autonomic balance index is significantly elevated during mindful breathing, making it a good signal for biofeedback during meditation sessions.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Effect of Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) on Cognitive and Psychophysiological Functions in College Students: A Randomised Controlled Study. Annals of Neurosciences February 28, 2025
- Breathwork for Chronic Stress and Mental Health: Does Choosing a Specific Technique Matter? Medical Sciences August 13, 2025
- Improving Prefrontal Oxygenation and Cardiac Autonomic Activity Following Meditation: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Study. Cureus August 1, 2024
- Multiscale cardiorespiratory complexity reveals autonomic signatures of Rajyoga meditation. Frontiers in Psychology June 4, 2026
- Recalibrating stress regulation through mindfulness: a framework for adapting interventions for ACE-affected populations Frontiers in Psychology April 10, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 22
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia Sleep August 29, 2014
- Individual Trait Anxiety Levels Characterizing the Properties of Zen Meditation Neuropsychobiology 2004
- Conscious, Pre-Conscious and Unconscious Mechanisms in Emotional Behaviour. Some Applications to the Mindfulness Approach with Wearable Devices Applied Sciences December 8, 2017
- Evaluation of Mindfulness State for the Students Using a Wearable Measurement System. Journal of medical and biological engineering September 30, 2021
and 17 more in the library