Impact of heartfulness meditation on psychophysiological parameters among medical students.
Anupama Gupta, Suniti Pandey, Rajeshwari Hegde, Tambe J J
Bioinformation December 15, 2025 DOI: 10.6026/973206300214643 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | First-year MBBS students at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur |
| Dose | single 20-25-minute session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | A single Heartfulness meditation session led to deep relaxation in nearly 90% of students and significant reductions in pulse and respiratory rates. |
Abstract
The shift from school to medical college is a demanding phase, during which many first-year MBBS students encounter stress, emotional strain and physiological imbalance that can hinder academic performance and personal well-being. In response, the Indian National Medical Commission has integrated yoga and meditation practices into the Foundation Course under the Competency-Based Medical Education framework to promote resilience and holistic growth. Hence, a cross-sectional observational study was conducted at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, across five student cohorts, where participants engaged in a single 20-25-minute Heartfulness meditation session with yogic transmission. Following the intervention, nearly 90% of students experienced deep relaxation and statistically significant reductions (p < 0.001) in pulse and respiratory rates were observed, indicating immediate physiological and psychological benefits.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |