Relationship between Meditation and Waking Salivary Cortisol Secretion among Long-Term MBSR Instructors
Sara Wagner Robb, Alyson Haslam, Michael D. Wirth, Jennifer L. Gay, Lauren Middleton, Mike Healy, James R. Hebert
Complementary Medicine Research 2019 DOI: 10.1159/000493124 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Long-term meditators with training in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program |
| Measures | salivary waking cortisol, cortisol area under the curve (AUC) with respect to increased secretion above baseline (AUCI), cortisol AUC above ground (above zero, AUCG) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Individuals in the highest quartile of years meditating (>26 years) had statistically significantly elevated waking cortisol AUCG values compared with those in the lowest quartile (≤10 years), and the relationship was more pronounced among those waking at or before 6:30 a.m. The authors conclude that increasing years of meditation practice were related to a higher waking cortisol response and call for further exploration. |
Abstract
Background: A potential relationship between long-term meditation practice and stress reduction remains virtually unexplored. The purpose of this study was to characterize stress using salivary waking cortisol in a group of long-term meditators with training in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.
Materials and Methods: Four salivary cortisol samples were collected from meditators (n = 84) during the first hour of awakening. The waking cortisol rhythm was summarized using cortisol area under the curve (AUC) with respect to increased secretion above baseline (AUCI) and cortisol AUC above ground (above zero, AUCG); data on meditation duration and depth, perceived stress, and other covariates were collected via self-reported questionnaire.
Results: Individuals in the highest quartile of years meditating (> 26 years) had statistically significantly elevated AUCG values (p = 0.01) as compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of years meditating (≤10 years). This relationship was more pronounced among individuals waking at or before 6: 30 a.m.
Conclusions: Overall, an increasing number of years of meditation practice was related to a higher waking cortisol response. These intriguing findings warrant additional exploration, as the stress response can be complex.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Enhanced dehydroepiandrosterone levels are positively correlated with N3 sleep stage in long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners. Sleep Science 2022
- Effects of long-term mindfulness meditation training on attentional capacity in professional male fencer athletes. Scientific Reports April 15, 2025
- Meditation and workplace health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of mental and cardiometabolic outcomes among employees Health Psychology Review April 16, 2026
Cites 12
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- 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
- Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica April 28, 2011
- Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and longevity: An experimental study with the elderly. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989
- Relationship Between Meditation Depth and Waking Salivary Alpha-Amylase Secretion Among Long-Term MBSR Instructors. Stress and Health August 2017
and 7 more in the library