How static and kinetic meditation, with or without guidance, affect autonomic nervous system activity in novice meditators.
Frontiers in Psychology August 5, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1572499 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subject randomized crossover experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 35 |
| Population | Novice meditators (meditation-naive individuals) |
| Interventions | Kinetic meditation Static meditation Guided meditation Unguided meditation |
| Duration | Each session 20 minutes (10 minutes guided, 10 minutes unguided) |
| Measures | Visual analog scale (VAS) for focused attention, peace and calm, and drowsiness; heart rate (HR); heart rate variability (HRV) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Kinetic meditation yielded higher focused attention and less drowsiness than static meditation in novice meditators, and guided sessions yielded higher attention than unguided ones. All conditions increased heart rate over rest, with guided meditation showing the highest heart rate and heart rate variability patterns suggesting greater sympathetic activity, which the authors attribute to the cognitive effort of maintaining attention and processing instructions. |
Abstract
Objective: This study explored the autonomic nervous system responses and perceived experiences of novice meditators during kinetic and static meditation.
Methods: Thirty-five participants completed both meditation types in randomized order. Each 20-min session included 10 min of guided and 10 min of unguided meditation. Heart rate (HR) and Heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded using the Polar H10 and EliteHRV apps. A visual analog scale (VAS) assessed focused attention, peace and calm, and drowsiness.
Results: Focused attention was significantly higher in kinetic meditation than in static meditation and was also higher during guided sessions. Static meditation induced greater drowsiness than kinetic meditation, especially in the unguided condition. All meditation conditions increased HR compared to rest, with guided meditation showing a higher HR than unguided meditation. HRV indices reflected increased sympathetic activity during guided meditation sessions, likely due to cognitive effort in maintaining attention and processing instructions.
Conclusion: For meditation-naïve individuals, movement-based meditation with clear guidance may serve as a more accessible entry point. Kinetic meditation appears to facilitate attentional engagement while mitigating drowsiness, and may remain manageable even when self-administered without guidance. These findings provide an empirical basis for optimizing meditation intervention design, particularly for novice practitioners who may initially perceive meditation as inaccessible or impractical.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |