Mind-body Integration Research Articles

Effects of Online Mindful Somatic Psychoeducation Program on Mental Health During the COVID-19.

This study aims to determine the effects of online mindful somatic psychoeducation program (o-MSP) on mental health in female university students during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Thirty-eight female university students were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG, n=19) or a control group (CG, n=19). IG received o-MSP for 2-hours per session, twice weekly for 4-weeks; CG maintained their usual daily routine for 4-weeks. Measurements were performed pre- and post-intervention to assess stress, anxiety, and social connectedness using Perceived Stress Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Social Connectedness Scale. A qualitative analysis of changes in soma and social connectedness, subjectification of the soma, and mind-body integration was conducted through online interviews. Regarding stress and social connectedness, there were no significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). However, significant differences were observed in the main effect of time of measurement and time×group interaction, with IG showing significant improvement post-intervention, unlike CG (p<0.05). Regarding anxiety, there were significant differences in the main effect of time of measurement, time×group interaction, and group factor (p<0.05). Post-intervention, CG did not show a significant change, while IG showed a significant decrease (p<0.05). Qualitative analysis revealed that participants experienced "changes in soma and social connectedness," "subjectification of soma-body," and "embodiment of mind-body integration," and reported improved mental health. The o-MSP effectively reduced stress and anxiety in female university students and improved social connectedness. This suggests that o-MSP can be used to manage the mental health of university students in various settings.

Numerical analysis-oriented Kruskal algorithm for the analysis and integration of effective components of university music pedagogy

Abstract This paper constructs a collection of effective teaching methods based on the improved K-Means clustering algorithm for clustering and dividing effective components of music teaching in colleges and universities. By analyzing the personalized content recommendation system, we can construct a recommendation system based on teaching content using information retrieval and filtering techniques. The collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm is used to ensure the accurate placement of teaching content. The Kruskal algorithm is used to find the minimum spanning tree of teaching effective components, and the K-means clustering principle is applied to the division of music teaching effective components, and the cluster of effective teaching components is divided by the clustering algorithm. According to the findings, mind-body integration and the teaching goal of valuing creativity were classified as effective teaching components in music. Personal aesthetics had a 0.6 influence on musical creativity, and a free environment had a 0.3 influence.

Assessment of the mind-body connection: preliminary psychometric evidence for a new self-report questionnaire

ObjectivesWhile interoceptive self-report scales provide a foundation for measuring the mind-body connection, they variably consider other important factors that could influence interpretations of internal bodily sensations and perceptions related to mind-body integration. The proposed Body-Mind Connection Questionnaire (BMCQ) aimed to operationalise the notion that this construct involves three major components: (a) Interoceptive Attention, (b) Sensation-Emotion Articulation, and (c) Body-Mind Values.MethodsFollowing panel review and piloting with the target population, the developed BMCQ was evaluated in 316 participants (189 identifying as female) aged 18-50 (MAge=30.78), alongside established self-report measures of interoceptive sensibility, body awareness, sensory processing sensitivity, and alexithymia. We examined the BMCQ factor structure through exploratory factor analysis and analysed convergent and discriminant validity.ResultsExploratory factor analysis supported three scales of the BMCQ, which explained 54.03% of variance. Factor loadings (>0.44) and reliability indices (0.74 to 0.85) were acceptable. Inter-scale correlations suggested that the scales are distinct but related (rs=0.38 to 0.59). BMCQ scales were supported by convergent (r=0.33 to 0.67) and discriminant evidence (rs=0.01 to 0.39, p range n.s. to <.05).ConclusionsPreliminary psychometric properties indicate that the BMCQ is multidimensional and consists of three constructs that differentially relate to theoretically associated measures. Interoceptive Attention, Sensation-Emotion Articulation, and Body-Mind Values may serve as a basis for efficiently assessing the mind-body connection more holistically, which could be useful for developing interventions aimed at enhancing mind-body integration.

History and main research of psychoneuroimmunology in China

The concept of mind-body integration was born in China with a long history and is naturally compatible with the psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Since PNI was introduced into China in the 1990s, increasingly Chinese researchers from different fields were attracted to the psychoneuroimmunology research of health and disease. This review includes two parts: in the first part, we summarize a brief history of the development of PNI in China from 1992 to 2012, which mainly happened before the establishment of PNIRSChina in 2013. In the second part, some representative studies in the different fields of PNI conducted in China are reviewed, mainly including conditioned immunity, emotional stress and immunity, and inflammation and depression.

Emotional dysregulation and linguistic patterns as a defining feature of patients in the acute phase of anorexia nervosa

PurposeThis research aims to analyze the relationship between emotional regulation and the symbolic process in autobiographical narratives of a group of individuals diagnosed with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN), compared to a non-clinical group. The study is framed within multiple code theory (MCT) (Bucci, 1997; 2021), which considers mind–body integration. The purposes of this study are to investigate whether participants of the AN group will show greater alexithymia and emotional dysregulation than the non-clinical group; and whether the specific linguistic and symbolic features, such as somato-sensory words, affect words, and difficulty in the symbolizing process will predict the AN group.MethodsTwenty-nine female participants hospitalized with AN during an acute phase (mean age 19.8 ± 4.1) and 36 non-clinical female participants (mean age 21 ± 2.4) were selected through snow-ball sampling. The participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Profile of Mood of State (POMS), the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and the Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm Interview (RAP). The RAP interview was audio-recorded and transcribed to apply the Referential Process (RP) Linguistic Measures. A T test for paired samples and a logistic binary regression was performed.ResultsAN presented a significantly higher emotional dysregulation through the ERQ, TAS20 and POMS measures. Specifically, AN showed higher ER expression/suppression strategies, fewer functional cognitive strategies, higher alexithymia, and higher mood dysregulation. Specific linguistic features such as sensory-somatic, word affect, and difficulty in RP symbolizing predict the AN group (R2 = 0.349; χ2 = 27,929; df = 3; p = .001).ConclusionsEmotional dysregulation is connected to AN symptoms and autobiographical narratives. The results can help a clinical assessment phase showing specific linguistic features in AN patients.Level of evidenceLevel II, controlled trial without randomization.

求放心과 신체적 현존

This study attempts to resolve the context of the proposal by relating the suggestion of the essence of studying Confucianism, presented as “saving the lost heart &amp; mind,”(求放心) with “turning around and save from yourself”(anti-求諸己). In this process, we will reinterpret it through the predicate of Somatics, a study of integrating mind and body that is emerging in the modern world. Through this, I think that the meaning of ‘turning around and save from yourself’, which was mainly regarded as a mental activity of self-reflection, can be revealed more concretely and clearly in connection with the living body (soma).&#x0D; In addition, this study intends to rediscover the body that everyone has as a resource for mental and physical integration, and propose it as a philosophical methodology that informs the way back to our own body. It is not an exaggeration to say that our time is the age of the body. The body, which was treated as a hindrance to understanding the truth, quickly emerged as a topic in the spotlight as it encountered the postmodern era. However, it is commodity logic in the era of capitalism that is leading the way in the return of the body, and the body shown to others is being regarded as important.&#x0D; In this regard, the question we must ask is 'are we really in touch with the body that has thus far been lost?' If not, what we need is a way to find a way back to our own body. The process of finding that way requires a logic of mind-body integration in which the body and mind are integrated, not another oppressive dichotomy that overturns the oppressive dichotomy that emphasizes the superiority of the body. This is the focal intention of this study by linking Somatics with ‘saving the lost heart &amp; mind.’

Why do people do yoga? Examining motives across different types of yoga participants

ABSTRACT Yoga is a holistic movement practice offering physical exercise and opportunities for mind–body integration and spiritual growth. Therefore, participation motives in yoga may vary depending on whether participants perceive yoga as a physical exercise, a psycho-spiritual discipline, or both. This study aimed to (1) identify subgroups of yoga participants based on their perceptions of yoga and level of immersion in yoga’s psycho-spiritual principles and (2) determine the motives that best differentiate the identified subgroups. A total of 546 yoga participants, 18–73 years old (M = 40.00, SD = 11.85), completed an online survey, which included sections measuring perceptions of yoga, participation motives, yoga immersion, and practice characteristics. Using a two-step cluster analysis, three subgroups of yoga participants were identified: (1) Exercisers, (2) Yogis, and (3) Postural Yogis. MANCOVA indicated significant differences in motives across yoga participant subgroups. Follow-up discriminant function analyses revealed that spirituality, mind–body integration, and coping/stress management contributed the most in distinguishing the three participant subgroups. Results showed that identifiable subgroups exist among yoga participants, with varying motives for participation. Yoga-related studies and promotional messages need to consider how yoga is understood by the intended participants and highlight the motives that match the target subgroups to encourage participation.

The role of exteroceptive and interoceptive awareness in executing socially relevant bodily actions: A naturalistic investigation of greeting behaviour in the UK and Spain

Body awareness is tightly linked to motor action. Non-verbal greetings constitute a behaviour through which an awareness of both socio-cultural habits (exteroceptive awareness) and internal bodily states (interoceptive awareness) play out to influence the structure of action. To establish the effect of culture on non-verbal greeting behaviours, naturalistic observations were carried out in two countries (Britain and Spain) that are purported to exhibit differences in greeting types. Interoceptive awareness (IA) was subsequently measured in a proportion of observed participants ( N = 33) who filled in the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2). As expected, a significant difference in greeting type was observed between British ( N = 252) and Spanish ( N = 244) greeters. Scores of greeting intimacy and competency did not differ significantly between Britain and Spain. However, independent of culture, several moderate and strong relationships emerged between selective dimensions of the MAIA-2 and scores of intimacy and competency. Specifically, intimacy and competency scores were positively correlated with the ‘Awareness of Mind-Body Integration’ dimension. Greeting intimacy yielded additional positive relationships with the Not Distracting and Trusting subscales, and a negative relationship with the Not Worrying subscale. These relationships suggest that IA facilitates healthy social approach behaviour as expressed through greetings, irrespective of cultural greeting differences. We discuss IA and greeting behaviour in the context of attachment, consider the clinical implications for social anxiety and the future implications for social interactions in a post-COVID-19 era.

Music Therapy Free Improvisation in Forensic Mental Health

AbstractThree primary therapeutic benefits of a Music Therapy small group utilizing the method of free improvisation are presented and discussed. A detailed description of how the free improvisation method was structured and utilized is presented. The three primary benefits; Expressing Feelings, Mind body integration, and Social Skill development are explained. The main thesis of this paper is to suggest that the benefits combined together while group members are actively playing percussion instruments; and the result being to help make positive improvement in the patients mental health and behavior. A review of music therapy related literature is included.

For Exercise, Relaxation, or Spirituality: Exploring Participation Motives and Conformity to Masculine Norms among Male and Female Yoga Participants.

Yoga is a traditional practice from India with the potential to promote physical activity and health. Participation worldwide remains low, particularly among men. To better understand yoga participation parameters, with a special focus on what influences male participation, this study examined gender differences in participation motives and conformity to masculine norms. It also explored these factors across three participant subgroups who differed in their engagement with the physical and the more psycho-spiritual aspects of yoga. A total of 546 yoga participants (138 males, 399 females, 9 others), 18–73 years old, completed an online survey that included an adapted version of the Exercise Motivation Inventory–2 and three subscales from the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory–46. Results showed significant gender differences in participation motives and conformity to masculine norms. Females were more motivated by positive affect, health/fitness, nimbleness, mind–body integration, and coping/stress management, whereas males were more motivated by supplementary activity and competition/social recognition. These differences should be considered in tailoring messages to promote uptake and continued participation. Furthermore, males were more likely than females to conform to emotional control and heterosexual self-presentation masculine norms. Future research may examine how differences in masculine norm adherence influences uptake, particularly among men.

Teaching and Learning of Piano Timbre Through Teacher-Student Interactions in Lessons.

The ability to play the piano with a variety of timbres requires a performer to have advanced pianistic skills. Little is known about how these skills are acquired and developed in piano lessons and what the role is of elements such as concepts, technique, sonic outcomes, and bodily movements. To investigate the teaching and learning of piano timbre, the lessons of three pairs of university-level teachers and students (two teachers and three students) were observed, during which they behaved as usual in the first two lessons and were asked to use a dialogic teaching approach in the third lesson. Verbal communications of teachers and students about timbre were coded and analyzed, aiming to gain insight into the teaching/learning process of piano timbre and the roles of embodiment and teacher–student interaction in the context of higher music education. The results suggest that piano timbre is not learned through imitation or as “fixed” and objective knowledge, but as a co-constructed conception between the teachers and the students. The meaning of timbre goals in piano lessons is enacted through “in-the-moment” bodily experience and embodied through performance actions. This study contributes to the understanding of piano timbre as a multifaceted phenomenon and illustrates the teacher's role in developing the student's mind–body integration involved in tone production.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Outcomes of a Yoga-Based Meditation Intervention for Hospice Professionals to Combat Burnout.

(1) Background. This research examined the feasibility, acceptability and outcomes of delivering a 6-week yoga-based meditation intervention to clinical teams of hospice professionals (HPs) at a large non-profit hospice organization. The intervention was designed to increase mind-body integration and combat burnout. This article was written for different audiences, including research scientists who study interoception, burnout, meditation, or yoga, designers of meditation interventions, and hospice organizations looking for ways to mitigate HP burnout. (2) Methods. The intervention was launched within clinical teams, beginning with a half-hour online introduction to the program and exposure to the week 1 meditation at each team’s monthly all-staff meeting. Throughout the program, HPs could access the meditations on their own via their workplace computers, tablets, and smartphones. Online pre- and post-intervention surveys were submitted by 151 HPs, 76 of whom were exposed to the intervention and completed both surveys. The surveys assessed burnout using the Professional Fulfillment Index and mind-body integration using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness scales. (3) Results. Two-thirds of HPs who were present at a staff meeting where the program was introduced went on to do a meditation on their own at least once. Half of HPs expressed a desire to continue with access to the meditations after the 6-week program ended. Due to COVID-19 work from home restrictions, three-fourth of HPs did a meditation at home, 29% in a car between patient visits (not while driving), and 23% at the office. Higher interoceptive awareness was significantly related to lower burnout, particularly lower work exhaustion. Meditation frequency was significantly related to higher interoceptive awareness but not to burnout. Interpersonal disengagement was rare and temporary. (4) Conclusions. Findings showed that the yoga-based meditation intervention was feasible and acceptable and associated with higher interoceptive awareness. The results point to a role for interoceptive awareness in reducing the risk for burnout.

Flowing towards freedom with multimodal creative therapy: The healing power of therapeutic arts for ex cult-members

Creative arts can play an important role for cult survivors in surviving, transcending and healing from their past realities. Flow – an empowering state of mind-body integration and skilful, intuitive action while engaged in a challenging yet enjoyable task (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) – may be an important mechanism in arts therapies and may be especially impactful as an experience for cult survivors. Research reporting on arts therapies for cult survivors, Flow in cult survivors and Flow in arts therapies is currently severely lacking. This study reports on a multimodal creative psychological therapy, Arts for the Blues, piloted as a workshop with a small group of cult survivors. Results obtained from three participants show that they experienced Flow in their creative activities and increased attainment in a self-selected personal goal. Interviews with two participants reveal important considerations for working with cult survivors, the healing power of the arts, the attainment of Flow states in the process, and the impact of the Arts for the Blues approach. This study is the first of its kind to trial art therapies with ex cult-members, or to document participants’ views on Flow states during an arts therapy approach. Although limited by a small sample size, further research is warranted.

Mind and Body: Italian Validation of the Postural Awareness Scale.

Postural awareness (PA) refers to a subjective conscious awareness of body posture and falls within the framework of mind–body integration. The aim of this research was to validate and evaluate psychometric properties of the Postural Awareness Scale (PAS) in an Italian population sample (n = 928; 45.04% men and 54.96% women; mean age = 29.96 years, standard deviation = 11.44). The results obtained with Velicer’s Minimum Average Partial Test, Horn’s Parallel Analysis, and exploratory factor analysis showed a two-factor solution, as supported by the confirmatory factor analysis: ease/familiarity with postural awareness and need for attention regulation with postural awareness. Furthermore, the findings highlighted both a good internal consistency (α = 0.76 for the total scale and α = 0.80, α = 0.79 for the two subscales) and a satisfactory construct validity. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of variance was carried out to assess differences in PA between specific subgroup. In particular, the positive effects of physical activity and healthy body weight were confirmed, whereas no significant differences related to gender or age were found. All these findings suggest that the Italian version of the PAS is a rapid instrument with good psychometric properties, which can be useful both for research and clinical practice.

Beneficial Effects of Qigong Wuqinxi in the Improvement of Health Condition, Prevention, and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Evidence from a Systematic Review.

Purpose Qigong is a modality of traditional Chinese mind-body medicine that has been used to prevent and cure ailments, to improve health in China for thousands of years. Wuqinxi, a Chinese traditional Qigong that focuses on mind-body integration, is thought to be an effective exercise in promoting physical and mental wellbeing. Thus, we summarized the evidence and aim to unravel effects of Wuqinxi on health outcomes. Methods We performed a systematic review of Wuqinxi studies published in English or Chinese since 1979. Relevant English and Chinese language electronic data bases were used for literature search. The selection of studies, data extraction, and validation were performed independently by two reviewers. Results A total of 28 eligible studies were included in this review, among which three are 3 in English and 25 in Chinese. The studies included in this review involve three different experimental designs: (1) 16 RCTs; (2) 2 historical cohort studies; and (3) 10 pretest and posttest studies (PPS). Participants in this review are categorized as either healthy or clinical populations. The results from this systematic review support the notion that Wuqinxi may be effective as an adjunctive rehabilitation method for improving psychological and physiological wellbeing among different age of healthy populations in addition to alleviating and treating diseases among various clinical populations. Conclusion The results indicated that Wuqinxi has been thought to be beneficial to improve health and treat chronic diseases. However, the methodological problems in the majority of included studies make it difficult to draw firm conclusive statements. More methodologically rigorous designed large-scale RCTs with a long-term follow-up assessment should be further conducted to examine the effects of Wuqixi on health-related parameters and disease-specific measures in different health conditions. This systematic review lends insight for future studies on Wuqinxi and its potential application in preventive and rehabilitation medicine.

A Review Study on the Beneficial Effects of Baduanjin.

Baduanjin, a Chinese traditional Qigong exercise that focuses on a mind-body integration, is considered to be an effective exercise in promoting health. Thus, we systematically and critically evaluated the emerging literature relating to the effects of Baduanjin on health outcomes. We used seven English-language electronic databases for the literature search. At least one health-related parameter was reported in retrievable full-text Baduanjin intervention studies. A total of 22 eligible studies were included. The inter-rater reliability between two review authors was 94.4% for selecting eligible studies. The results of individual studies support the notion that Baduanjin may be effective as an adjunctive rehabilitation method for improving cognitive functions in addition to psychological and physiological parameters among different age groups and various clinical populations (e.g., Parkinson's disease, chronic neck pain, chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness, psychological illness). Before we draw a definitive conclusion relating to Baduanjin for health benefits, more methodologically rigorous studies with a long-term follow-up assessment should be further conducted to examine the effects of Baduanjin on health-related parameters and disease-specific measures in different health conditions. This review lends insight for future studies on Baduanjin and its potential application in preventive medicine and rehabilitation science.

Sacrifices at the altar of self-transformation

Within both cultural and academic understandings, conceptions of what pain is and the ways it is experienced are complicated by moral and medical pathologisation. Pain is often defined in a tautological fashion, as physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. Both the experience of pain and responses to that experience are shaped by context and are subject to forces of ideology. On the edges of religious experience there have always been those who explored pain and suffering as a ritual means or end. This paper examines how some people have negotiated the moral context and medicalisation of pain-filled experience, and why: from the physical alchemy of hatha yoga to body modification, BDSM and other complex behaviours often labelled as ‘self-harming’. Using personal accounts of encounters with pain as a guide, we will discuss how physical pain and stress are transformed by context and culture, to either enable or deny personal agency and mind–body integration.

Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health: Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker Expression after a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat.

Thirty-eight individuals (mean age: 34.8 years old) participating in a 3-month yoga and meditation retreat were assessed before and after the intervention for psychometric measures, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), circadian salivary cortisol levels, and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Participation in the retreat was found to be associated with decreases in self-reported anxiety and depression as well as increases in mindfulness. As hypothesized, increases in the plasma levels of BDNF and increases in the magnitude of the cortisol awakening response (CAR) were also observed. The normalized change in BDNF levels was inversely correlated with BSI-18 anxiety scores at both the pre-retreat (r = 0.40, p < 0.05) and post-retreat (r = 0.52, p < 0.005) such that those with greater anxiety scores tended to exhibit smaller pre- to post-retreat increases in plasma BDNF levels. In line with a hypothesized decrease in inflammatory processes resulting from the yoga and meditation practices, we found that the plasma level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-10 was increased and the pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-12 was reduced after the retreat. Contrary to our initial hypotheses, plasma levels of other pro-inflammatory cytokines, including Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) were increased after the retreat. Given evidence from previous studies of the positive effects of meditative practices on mental fitness, autonomic homeostasis and inflammatory status, we hypothesize that these findings are related to the meditative practices throughout the retreat; however, some of the observed changes may also be related to other aspects of the retreat such as physical exercise-related components of the yoga practice and diet. We hypothesize that the patterns of change observed here reflect mind-body integration and well-being. The increased BDNF levels observed is a potential mediator between meditative practices and brain health, the increased CAR is likely a reflection of increased dynamic physiological arousal, and the relationship of the dual enhancement of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine changes to healthy immunologic functioning is discussed.

The Zone: A Measurable (and Contagious) Exemplar of Mind-Body Integration.

The Zone: A Measurable (and Contagious) Exemplar of Mind-Body Integration.

A Model of Female Sexual Desire: Internalized Working Models of Parent-Child Relationships and Sexual Body Self-Representations.

The etiology of low female sexual desire, the most prevalent sexual complaint in women, is multi-determined, implicating biological and psychological factors, including women's early parent-child relationships and bodily self-representations. The current study evaluated a model that hypothesized that sexual body self-representations (sexual subjectivity, self-objectification, genital self-image) explain (i.e., mediate) the relation between internalized working models of parent-child relationships (attachment, separation-individuation, parental identification) and sexual desire in heterosexual women. We recruited 614 young, heterosexual women (M=25.5years, SD=4.63) through social media. The women completed an online survey. Structural equation modeling was used. The hypotheses were supported in that the relation between internalized working models of parent-child relationships (attachment and separation-individuation) and sexual desire was mediated by sexual body self-representations (sexual body esteem, self-objectification, genital self-image). However, parental identification was not related significantly to sexual body self-representations or sexual desire in the model. Current findings demonstrated that understanding female sexual desire necessitates considering women's internalized working models of early parent-child relationships and their experiences of their bodies in a sexual context. Treatment of low or absent desire in women would benefit from modalities that emphasize early parent-child relationships as well as interventions that foster mind-body integration.