Possible Roles of Cyclic Meditation in Regulation of the Gut-Brain Axis
Debananda S. Ningthoujam, Nilkamal Singh, S. Mukherjee
Frontiers in Psychology December 22, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.768031 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Scientific studies on cyclic meditation report myriad physiological and mental health benefits. |
Abstract
Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice which originated from India. In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in yoga, mainly because of its applications in health andwellness. Among various techniques of yoga, the practice of meditation has been found to cause several psychophysiological effects. Most meditation techniques are practiced in a stable and comfortable posture but there are also meditation techniques that involve movement. Cyclic meditation (CM)—a technique derived from one of the Upanishads—is a moving meditation technique practiced by combining physical postures (asanas) with relaxation procedures. The practice of CM starts with a prayer followed by isometric muscle contraction, supine rest, standing at ease, centering by balancing the body weight on the different parts of the feet, bending to the right and then left sides (ardhakaticakrasana), forward bending (padahastasana), backward bending (ardhacakrasana), and supine rest. During the practice, emphasis is given on relaxation and awareness (Nagendra and Nagarathna, 1997). Scientific studies on the effects of practicing CM have reported myriad physiological and mental health benefits (Subramanya and Telles, 2009b).
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Isha yoga practices, vegan diet, and participation in Samyama meditation retreat: impact on the gut microbiome & metabolome - a non-randomized trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies April 5, 2023
- Role of Meditation as Adjuvant Therapy on Gastrointestinal Quality of Life among Individuals with Functional Dyspepsia in an Outpatient Setting: A Randomized Pilot Trial. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India March 1, 2025
- Meditation in Motion: Sport Type and Meditation Level Shape Gut Microbiota Profiles in Aikido and Tai Chi Practitioners Microorganisms January 24, 2026
- Cyclic Meditation and Sleep Quality: A Review. Sleep Science December 1, 2024
Cites 7
- Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 9, 2018
- Greater widespread functional connectivity of the caudate in older adults who practice kripalu yoga and vipassana meditation than in controls. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2015
- Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 1, 2010
- Effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on memory scores and state anxiety BioPsychoSocial Medicine August 13, 2009
- Changes in midlatency auditory evoked potentials following two yoga-based relaxation techniques. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience July 2009
and 2 more in the library