Mindfulness Of Breathing Research Articles

Humanistic Buddhism: Sammà-sati, Mindfulness, and Zhèngniàn

Sammà-sati refers to continuously focusing on wholesome dharma and maintaining inner clarity and alertness. Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing and breathing) is a specific practical way to achieve sammà-sati (mindfulness). The word “Zhèngniàn” (Chinese; English: mindfulness) began as Buddhism entered Ancient China during the Han and Tang Dynasties around two thousands years ago. Until the 1970s, the word “Zhèngniàn” (Chinese; English: mindfulness) referred to sammà-sati (Pali). However, in the 1980s, the modern mindfulness stress reduction course such as Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) combining Eastern Buddhist meditation with Western psychotherapy (Kabat-Zinn pioneered) entered the Asian Chinese world (including China, Taiwan and Southeast Asian Chinese and so on). It was also translated as “Zhèngniàn” (Chinese; English: mindfulness). However, there are significant differences between the Buddhist “sammà-sati” and the mindfulness in the mindfulness stress reduction course(Kabat-Zinn pioneered). When the two concepts use the same Chinese word “ Zhèngniàn” as the same time, confusion often arises. Moreover, as Chinese Buddhists communicate with non-Buddhists, they have been talking at cross purposes. Western mindfulness removes the religious component and is adopted by psychologists, and medical scientists as a technique and tool to study and apply, focusing more on its potential benefits for mental health and treatment. Although modern mindfulness courses are essentially different from mindfulness in Buddhism, as an effective whole-person health practice, it has positive significance for relieving the stress of modern life and improving the quality of life.

Are Formal and Informal Home Mindfulness Practice Quantities Associated With Outcomes? Results From a Pilot Study of a Four-Week Mindfulness Intervention for Chronic Pain Management.

The association between home mindfulness practice quantity in standard length mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and chronic pain outcomes is variable. Few studies focus on abbreviated MBIs (< 8weeks) and distinguish between formal guided practices and informal practices in daily life. To characterize home mindfulness practice and explore associations between home practice quantity and pre-to-post-outcome changes after an MBI for chronic pain. In this single-arm study, 21 adults with chronic pain (mean age = 54years, 81% White, mean pain duration = 7years) completed an MBI with four weekly group sessions. Pre and post self-report measures of pain intensity/interference, physical function, depression, anxiety, positive affect, sleep disturbance (all PROMIS measures), and pain acceptance, catastrophizing, perceived stress and mindfulness were completed, along with daily surveys of formal (mindfulness of breath, body scan) and informal (breathing space, mindfulness of daily activities) practice. Bivariate correlations and multivariable regression models were used to assess the association between days and minutes of practice and change in outcomes. On average, formal practice was completed on 4.3days per week and 13.5minutes per day. Informal practice was completed on 3.5days per week and 8.6minutes per day. Formal practice was not significantly correlated with outcomes (Spearman's ρ = |.01|-|.32|), whereas informal practice was correlated with multiple outcomes (ρ = |.04|-|.66|). Number of days practiced informally was associated with improved pain interference, physical function, sleep disturbance, and catastrophizing (p's ≤ .05). Number of minutes practiced informally was associated with improved pain interference, anxiety, positive affect, and catastrophizing (p's ≤ .05). Informal home practice quantity, but not formal practice quantity, is associated with improved outcomes during an abbreviated MBI for chronic pain. For these MBIs, it is important to evaluate the distinct roles of formal and informal practice. NCT03495856.

Calmer, Kinder, Wiser: A Novel Threefold Categorization for Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Mindfulness is said to be a connecting thread between an ancient philosophy on the one hand and a contemporary psychological practice on the other. However, some contemporary mindfulness practices have arguably become so disconnected from their roots in Buddhist ethics and wisdom principles that the fundamental essence of the practice is no longer recognisable. It appears that when mindfulness is disconnected from its Buddhist ethical and wisdom-based foundations, being applied as a purely concentrative practice, it can yield adverse effects (such as decreased prosocial behaviour, increased self-centredness, and reduced psychological well-being) for individuals with low-trait empathy or narcissistic traits. Consequently, we propose a novel threefold categorization that aims to build bridges between contemporary Western and traditional Buddhist approaches to mindfulness. This categorization, rooted in the traditional “three trainings” or “triśikṣā” Buddhist principle, distinguishes between the mindfulness practices incorporated within mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), according to whether they primarily employ concentration-, ethics-, or wisdom-based contemplative techniques. We explicate how this more nuanced categorization provides a greater understanding of how varied mindfulness practices could influence outcomes associated with an individual’s prosocial behaviour, social and emotional well-being, and mental health. Additionally, we highlight the potential of greater research into MBIs that are structured around the Mindfulness of Breathing or the Ānāpānasati Sutta progression of concentration-based to ethics-based and finally to wisdom-based practices, particularly in terms of their utility to facilitate self-transcendent experiences.

Early Buddhist Meditation, Part 4: Mindfulness of Breathing

Early Buddhist Meditation, Part 4: Mindfulness of Breathing

A Mindful Alternative to Screen Time: The Short-Term Effects of a Breath-Focused Mindfulness Exercise vs. Unstructured Smartphone Screen Time on Heart Rate Variability and Relaxation

Introduction: Many smartphone users spend hours daily on unstructured screen time leisure activities including social media, games, and videos. Given that many users express a desire to cut back on this habit, it is important to test the relative physiological and emotional benefits of alternative activities, such as mindfulness meditation, as daily practices for relaxation and restoration. Methods: This study tests the immediate effects of unstructured mobile phone screen time vs. practice of a brief mindful breathing meditation exercise on heart rate variability (HRV, a common measure of healthy resting physiological activity) and self-reported states of relaxation. Participants (171 female university students) were randomly assigned to 15 minutes of unstructured screen time (i.e., use phones in a manner consistent with typical daily use) or a mindfulness induction (i.e., a guided meditation recording focused on mindfulness of breathing). Results: Consistent with hypotheses, HRV showed greater increases relative to baseline in the mindfulness condition than the screen time condition (High-frequency HRV, partial η2 = .14, p &lt; .001; Root Mean Square of Successive Differences, partial η2 = .053, p = .002). Subjective relaxation increased in both conditions (partial η2 = .47, p &lt; .001); however, mindfulness produced greater increases in relaxation over time than unstructured screen time (partial η2 = .089, p &lt; .001). Conclusions: Mindfulness was superior to unstructured screen time at increasing physiological and subjective markers of relaxation. Results suggest that repurposing smartphones to facilitate mindfulness practice though guided meditation apps may be a more effective method of promoting physiological and emotional well-being than more ubiquitous unstructured smartphone use.

Analysis of Mindfulness Practices Using Electroencephalogram (EEG) Interaxon Muse™ Headband Against the Concept of Self-Acceptance of Poststroke Clients

The Buddhist guidance and counseling model was applied to a client who experienced post-stroke 3 stress disorder and was isolated at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Mindfulness of breathing, body and mind activities is very important in mindfulness practice. Mental relaxation treatments and measurements were administered using the first generation Muse™ "S" Series. Portable and "Muse: Meditation and Sleep" by the InteraXons app, linked by mobile technology (iPad/iOS). This research method uses a single subject research design with a time series approach. However, this report reports qualitatively descriptively about the client's self-acceptance concept after each session of stroke. The research sample was conducted on clients with post-stroke comorbidities. Treatment of mental relaxation sessions using mindfulness techniques. The results of measuring brain wave conditions that are inferred from the Muse™ application show an increase in mental relaxation conditions. Along with that the client's self-acceptance of the illness can be accepted with full awareness by the client. The client underwent a total of twelve guided mental relaxation sessions. In each session, the client feels able to accept the illness, forgive and fully accept himself with love.

Single-session, Preoperative Mindfulness-based Interventions for Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients: Pre- and Postoperative Outcomes from Three Randomized Clinical Trials

These three studies examined whether a brief, preoperative mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) could improve pre- and postoperative TJA outcomes. We conducted three, single-site, three-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trials at an orthopedic clinic among patients undergoing TJA of the hip or knee. Study 1 (N=285) compared the effects of preoperative mindfulness meditation, hypnotic suggestion, and cognitive-behavioral pain psychoeducation interventions – each delivered in a single, 15-minute group session – on preoperative pain and postoperative physical function. Study 2 (N=118) compared the effects of two different styles of preoperative mindfulness meditation – mindfulness of breath and mindfulness of pain – and cognitive-behavioral pain psychoeducation delivered in a single, 20-minute group session on preoperative pain and postoperative pain and opioid use in the month following surgery. Study 3 (N=127) compared the effects of ultra-brief (i.e., 3-minute), nurse-led, mindfulness of breath and mindfulness of pain interventions on preoperative pain and postoperative physical function relative to a standard nurse consultation. In study 1, the preoperative MBI significantly decreased preoperative pain intensity (p=.006), pain unpleasantness (p=.008), pain medication desire (p=.028) and anxiety (p<.001) while increasing postoperative physical function at 6-week follow-up (p=.010). In study 2, mindfulness of breath was found to most effectively decrease preoperative pain (p=.007), while mindfulness of pain resulted in the least amount of postoperative pain intensity (p=.003) and interference (p=.016). Both mindfulness of breath and mindfulness of pain decreased postoperative opioid use (p<.001). In study 3, mindfulness of breath and mindfulness of pain decreased preoperative pain intensity (p=.022) and unpleasantness (p<.001), and mindfulness of pain also decreased preoperative pain medication desire (p<.001). MBI related changes in preoperative pain unpleasantness predicted better postoperative physical function (p<.001). Embedding brief MBIs in surgical care pathways may be a scalable method of improving patient outcomes.

Mindfulness Practices for Children and Adolescents Receiving Cancer Therapies.

Background: Mindfulness is our innate capacity to pay full, conscious, and compassionate attention to something in the moment. It is also a skill that can be strengthened by mental practice. More recently, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are identified within clinical practice guidelines as an intervention in the treatment of certain symptoms for children with cancer. However, there is little guidance available on the practice of using MBIs in the pediatric oncology population. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of mindfulness, highlights symptoms where mindfulness practices may be of benefit, identifies trauma-sensitive considerations, and provides examples of MBIs that may be considered in the context of pediatric oncology. Methods: Collaboration of expert opinion, which included The Mindfulness Project Team, has enabled this collective informative paper. Results: Mindfulness has been recommended to help with the symptom of fatigue in children with cancer. Emotional symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, and anger may also benefit from the use of MBIs. Ideal MBIs for this population may include mindful movement, mindfulness of the senses, mindfulness of breath, mindfulness of emotions, and the body scan. These approaches can easily be adapted according to the age of the child. Many approaches have been administered with minimal training, with very few requiring a facilitator. However, hospitals have started to incorporate mindfulness experts within their care provision. Conclusion: Future research should continue to investigate the use of MBI programs for children with cancer.

Heart Rate Variability, Mindfulness of Breathing, and Religious Identity

Heart Rate Variability, Mindfulness of Breathing, and Religious Identity

The Buddha\u2019s Pre-awakening Practices and Their Mindful Transformation

In his quest for awakening, according to the traditional account the Buddha tried and discarded various ancient Indian practices as being not in themselves conducive to awakening. Nevertheless, closer inspection shows that key elements of these practices became part of the Buddhist path, a transformation that involves mindfulness in one way or another. In this way, fasting transforms into mindful eating, breath control into mindfulness of breathing, and a reformulation of an aspiration for annihilation of the self, apparently held by ancient Indian cultivators of the meditative sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, comes to be conjoined to the cultivation of mindfulness of the body. These transformations shed light on the importance and adaptability of mindfulness in early Buddhist soteriology.

Body-Sweeping, Mindfulness of Breathing, and Non-Grasping

Body-Sweeping, Mindfulness of Breathing, and Non-Grasping

Buddhist Antecedents to the Body Scan Meditation

This article explores the historical background to the body scan practiced in MBSR by tracing it back via vipassanā meditation taught in Myanmar to a particular interpretation of the third step in the canonical instructions on mindfulness of breathing. Although the body scan as such would presumably have been unknown in early Buddhism, its practice does appear to have developed from an aspect of perhaps the most popular meditation practice in ancient and modern Buddhist traditions: mindfulness of breathing.

Tradition and Experimentation: the Development of the Samatha Trust

ABSTRACTTheravāda Buddhism has travelled. This article gives some history of the practice of samatha breathing mindfulness, in the Theravāda tradition, in the UK. It first gives some background in Britain to the arrival of the meditation in the 1960s, then summarises the life of Nai Boonman Poonyathiro, who introduced this method into the UK, a story that is not generally known. The paper describes some aspects of the development of the Samatha Trust in the UK, attempting to show ways a system that was popular in Thailand when it arrived in a new region has prospered, even while becoming markedly less prominent in its own regions. As I am a practitioner in this tradition, before the conclusion I make some personal comment. To conclude, I speculate about features which appear to characterise Buddhist groups in general in the UK, before considering ways that this specialised tradition has adapted in a new setting.

Anapanasati: (mindfulness of breathing) an access to insight.

Depression let’s talk- WHO is leading a one-year global campaign on depression. Depression comes under psychiatric disorders. According to WHO healthy person definition is health is complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Vipassana meditation technique is very useful for balancing of mind. Ānāpānasati breathing technique is first step of Vipassana. Ānāpānasati, the meditation is in-and-out breathing, is the first subject of meditation expounded by the Lord Buddha in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, the Great Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness. Ānāpānasati is a natural object of Samadhi in which a person’s observes his/her breathing as it is for the concentration of mind. This mental aspect is addressed effectively using Ānāpānasati. Moral education and Ānāpānasati are the foundation of Vipassana meditation technique. As per Maharashtra government rule (G.R) 2012 Ānāpānasati meditation practice should be conducted in every school. This path of sīla, samādhi, paññā, and nibbāna (morality, concentration, wisdom, and liberation) is absolutely universal, and acceptable to all nationalities. Meditation has been beneficial to large number of adults, while researchers have not focused on studying the impact of meditation on children or adolescents.&#x0D; Objectives-&#x0D; Literature review of Ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing) first step of vipassana meditation.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; The available Classical Pālī literature Buddhist Literature Vimuttimagga and Visuddhi Magga, Concepts of meditation in Āyuvedic literature. Modern research papers regarding Ānāpānasati Literature are reviewed.&#x0D; Conclusions&#x0D; Experimental studies using Ānāpānasati meditation was very much needed for further studies in adolescents.&#x0D; Key words: Ānāpānasati, meditation, Vipassana, Depression, Vimuttimagga, Mind, Breathing technique.

Effects of a Focused Breathing Mindfulness Exercise on Attention, Memory, and Mood: The Importance of Task Characteristics

Previous research has shown that long-term mindfulness training has beneficial effects on cognitive functioning and emotional regulation, but results are mixed regarding single mindfulness exercises, especially on attention and memory tasks. Thus, the present study aimed to analyse the effects of the Focused Breathing Exercise (FB) on cognitive performance, using standardised tests. Forty-six healthy undergraduate students were randomly assigned either to a FB or a Control condition. Two cognitive tasks (the Concentrated Attention task of the Toulouse-Pierron Factorial Battery and the Logical Memory Subtest I from the Wechsler Memory Scale III), along with mood evaluations (the Positive and Negative Affect Scale), were implemented both before and after the interventions. Results showed no significant differences for the attention task and mood evaluations. Nonetheless, the FB enhanced performance for the memory task significantly more than the Control exercise. The findings highlight that mindfulness does not affect equally all types of cognitive performances. Task characteristics may be important and their analysis can help to disentangle how mindfulness interferes with cognitive processes.

The MindfulBreather: Motion Guided Mindfulness.

For millennia, humans have focused their attention on the breath to develop mindfulness, but finding a scientific way to harness mindful breathing has proven elusive. Existing attempts to objectively measure and feedback on mindfulness have relied on specialist external hardware including electroencephalograms or respirometers that have been impractical for the majority of people learning to meditate. Consequently, training in the key skill of breath-awareness has lacked practical objective measures and guidance to enhance training. Here, we provide a brief technology report on an invention, The MindfulBreather® that addresses these issues. The technology is available to download embedded in a smartphone app that targets, measures and feedbacks on mindfulness of breathing in realtime to enhance training. The current article outlines only the technological concept with future studies quantifying efficacy, validity and reliability to be reported elsewhere. The MindfulBreather works by generating Motion Guided Mindfulness through interacting gyroscopic and touchscreen sensors in a three phase process: Mindfulness Induction (Phase I) gives standardized instruction to users to place their smartphone on their abdomen, breathe mindfully and to tap only at the peak of their inhalation. The smartphone’s gyroscope detects periodic tilts during breathing to generate sinusoidal waveforms. Waveform-tap patterns are analyzed to determine whether the user is mindfully tapping only at the correct phase of the breathing cycle, indicating psychobiological synchronization. Mindfulness Maintenance (Phase II) provides reinforcing pleasant feedback sounds each time a breath is mindfully tapped at the right time, and the App records a mindful breath. Lastly, data-driven Insights are fed back to the user (Phase III), including the number of mindful breaths tapped and breathing rate reductions associated with parasympathetic engagement during meditation. The new MGM technology is then evaluated and contrasted with traditional mindfulness approaches and a novel Psychobiological Synchronization Model is proposed. In summary, unlike existing technology, the MindfulBreather requires no external hardware and repurposes regular smartphones to deliver app-embedded Motion-Guided Mindfulness. Technological applications include reducing mindwandering and down-regulation of the brain’s default mode through enhanced mindful awareness. By objectively harnessing breath awareness, The MindfulBreather aims to realize the ancient human endeavor of mindfulness for the 21st century.

入出息念の大乗的展開 : 『大集経』を中心として

入出息念の大乗的展開 : 『大集経』を中心として

Internal and external attention and the default mode network

Focused attention meditations have been shown to improve psychological health and wellbeing and are nowadays an integral part of many psychotherapies. While research on the neural correlates of focused attention meditation is increasing, findings vary on whether meditations are associated with high or low activity in the default mode network (DMN). To clarify the relationship between focused attention meditation and the activity in DMN regions, it may be helpful to distinguish internal and external attention as well as different phases within one meditation: During focused attention meditation, the practitioner switches between mindful attention, mind-wandering and refocusing. Here, we employed a thought-probe paradigm to study the neural correlates of these different phases. Twenty healthy, meditation naïve participants were introduced to external (mindfulness of sound) and internal (mindfulness of breathing) attention meditation and then practiced the meditation at home for four consecutive days. They then performed the same focused attention meditations during fMRI scanning, in four runs alternating between internal and external attention. At pseudorandom intervals, participants were asked whether they had just been focused on the task (mindful attention) or had been distracted (mind-wandering). During mindful attention, brain regions typically associated with the DMN, such as the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex and left temporoparietal junction showed significantly less neural activation compared to mind-wandering phases. Reduced activity of the DMN was found during both external and internal attention, with stronger deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex during internal attention compared to external attention. Moreover, refocusing after mind-wandering was associated with activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Our results support the theory that mindful attention is associated with reduced DMN activity compared to mind-wandering, independent of the practitioner's attention focus (i.e., internal vs. external).

Examining the Acute Effects of Hatha Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation on Executive Function and Mood

The objective of this study was to compare the acute effects of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation on executive function and mood. Using a within-subjects experimental design, 31 moderately experienced hatha yoga practitioners (mean age 27.71 ± 8.32) completed three counterbalanced sessions: hatha yoga (conscious movement and meditation), meditation (mindfulness of breath, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations), and a reading control task. Executive function was assessed using the Stroop task at baseline and at two follow-up points (5 and 10 min post-session). Self-reported mood was measured using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) at baseline and immediately following each session. Findings indicated that hatha yoga (p = .002) and meditation (p = .044) both resulted in significantly improved Stroop performance, though the two conditions did not differ significantly from each other (p = .728). The cognitive benefits in both cases were evident at the 10-min post-session delay but not at the 5-min post-session delay. With respect to mood outcomes, hatha yoga (p < .001) and meditation (p = .050) both resulted in significantly improved POMS total mood scores. Hatha yoga and meditation did not differ significantly from each other in regard to POMS total mood (p = .079), though hatha yoga showed significantly greater benefits on the vigor-activity subscale (p = .006). Overall, findings suggest that acute bouts of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation benefit executive function and mood to a similar degree.

Presencing process: embodiment and healing in the Buddhist practice of mindfulness of breathing

The Buddhist practice of mindfulness of breathing is of utmost importance in the Buddhist and clinical training in mindfulness. It is a method in which the practitioner learns to focus consciously on the bodily phenomenon of the breath. This focus should help the person to cultivate concentration and gain deeper insight into the phenomena that constitute his/her experience. The cultivation of concentration and insight plays a critical role in the Buddhist goal of overcoming suffering, as well as the clinical aim of enhancing mental and physical health. In this article, Buddhist embodiment in the practice of mindfulness of breathing is analysed in detail. Connections are drawn to Western phenomenological ideas on embodiment and clinical applications of mindfulness. The analysis of Buddhist mindfulness from the perspective of embodiment is an extremely useful way to make sense of mindfulness's therapeutic effects and first-person experiential dimensions.