Sahaja Yoga Research Articles

Enhanced amygdala-anterior cingulate white matter structural connectivity in Sahaja Yoga Meditators.

To study the white matter connections between anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula and amygdala as key regions of the frontal-limbic network that have been related to meditation. Twenty experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty nonmeditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using Diffusion Weighted Imaging, using a 3T scanner, and their white matter connectivity was compared using diffusion tensor imaging analyses. There were five white matter fiber paths in which meditators showed a larger number of tracts, two of them connecting the same area in both hemispheres: the left and right amygdalae and the left and right anterior insula; and the other three connecting left anterior cingulate with the right anterior insula, the right amygdala and the left amygdala. On the other hand, non-meditators showed larger number of tracts in two paths connecting the left anterior insula with the left amygdala, and the left anterior insula with the left anterior cingulate. The study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger white matter tracts strengthening interhemispheric connections between limbic regions and connections between cingulo-amygdalar and cingulo-insular brain regions related to top-down attentional and emotional processes as well as between top-down control functions that could potentially be related to the witness state perceived through the state of mental silence promoted with this meditation. On the other hand, reduced connectivity strength in left anterior insula in the meditation group could be associated to reduced emotional processing affecting top-down processes.

Monitoring the neural activity associated with praying in Sahaja Yoga meditation.

Sahaja Yoga Meditation draws on many religious traditions and uses a variety of techniques including Christian prayer to reach a state known as thoughtless awareness, or mental silence. While there are many studies on the neural correlates of meditation, few studies have focused on the neural correlates of praying. Thus, the aim of our research was to study the neural activity associated with the prayer practices in Sahaja Yoga Mediation, which have not been studied before, to explore effects beyond repetitive speech or "mantra effects". Sixteen experienced Sahaja Yoga Meditation practitioners were scanned using task based functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging while performing formalised and improvised forms of praying and their equivalent secular tasks. Our results showed the deactivation of bilateral thalamus during both prayers compared to secular conditions and the activation in the medial prefrontal cortex that was reduced by religious and formalised secular speech conditions but increased during improvised secular speech; similarly, frontal regions were deactivated when comparing prayers to their secular equivalents. These results seem to depict two important factors related with praying in Sahaja Yoga Meditation merging inner concentration and social cognition. First, the perception of the surroundings mediated by the thalamus may be decreased during these prayers probably due to the establishment of inner concentration and, second, frontal deactivation effects could be related to reduced social judgement and 'mentalizing', particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that praying by Sahaja Yoga Meditation practitioners is neurophenomenologically different from the social cognitive attempt of praying within Christian praying practices.

Sahaja Yoga Meditation to Improve Learning Style, Self Esteem, Mutual Behaviour, and Relaxation Level of Students

Meditation is the ancient way to heal and improve the physical body, emotional status, and mental peace of human beings on earth. The present study aims to observe the effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on 105 school children to develop their mutual behaviour with children independently, their learning style, and ease level at home. The class 9th students from New English School, Landewadi, Pune, India, were subjected to questionnaire related to requirement of teacher or parent support to develop their mutual behaviour with other students, how they prefer to learn and how they feel after return from school at their home. Then, they practiced Sahaja Yoga meditation for 30 minutes every day in presence of Sahaja yoga instructor at school and for 10-15 min at home for 30 days. The students were again subjected to questionnaire after 30 days of meditation session. The data was analysed by McNemar's test. The results showed that the students significantly approached towards independent mutual behaviour with other students, better learning style, higher self-esteem, more relaxed, and less busy on reaching home from school, after practicing Sahaja yoga meditation for 30 days.

ECG Intervals and Segments Detection and Characterization for Analyzing Effects of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Meditation is expected to regularize autonomic nervous system and reduce metabolic movement, inciting physical and mental relaxation. A lot of research is being conducted to assess effects of different meditation techniques based on heart rate variability analysis or by observing characteristics of ECG. In this paper, effects of Sahaja Yoga meditation technique are analyzed based on ECG characteristics. For this, a new dataset from a total of 30 meditators and non-meditators recorded over a considerable period of 28 days, is used. The local ECG components like intervals and segments are detected using deep learning architecture. Furthermore, the detected fiducial points are localized and ECG characteristics are measured. Some ECG characteristics showed significant variations for meditators compared to non-meditators. From further results and analysis, it can be easily confirmed that sympathovagal balance is quickly attained and remains shifted to parasympathetic nervous system during meditation which helps not only to prevent stress, anxiety but also to cure cardiovascular diseases.

Exploring the Relationship Between Character Strengths and Meditation: a Cross-Sectional Study Among Long-Term Practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation

A growing body of research has associated the practice of meditation with the development of character strengths. Sahaja Yoga (SY) is a spiritual practice designed to help people develop a set of character strengths. The primary goal of the current work is to determine whether practitioners of SY meditation endorse signature strengths. Using the VIA Inventory of Strengths 120, we conducted a survey to measure character strengths among 310 daily practitioners of SY meditation and compared them to a matched sample from the database of the VIA Institute on Character. Practitioners of SY meditation endorsed seven signature strengths, relative to non-meditators: spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, self-regulation, teamwork, appreciation of beauty, and hope. Findings suggest that the practice of SY meditation may be related to a unique and broad set of character strengths. The findings pave the way for research identifying signature strength development in other group contexts.

Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated With Sahaja Yoga Meditation.

Neuroscience research has shown that meditation practices have effects on brain structure and function. However, few studies have combined information on the effects on structure and function in the same sample. Long-term daily meditation practice produces repeated activity of specific brain networks over years of practice, which may induce lasting structural and functional connectivity (FC) changes within relevant circuits. The aim of our study was therefore to identify differences in FC during the resting state between 23 Sahaja Yoga Meditation experts and 23 healthy participants without meditation experience. Seed-based FC analysis was performed departing from voxels that had shown structural differences between these same participants. The contrast of connectivity maps yielded that meditators showed increased FC between the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex but reduced FC between the left insula and the bilateral mid-cingulate as well as between the right angular gyrus and the bilateral precuneus/cuneus cortices. It thus appears that long-term meditation practice increases direct FC between ventral and dorsal frontal regions within brain networks related to attention and cognitive control and decreases FC between regions of these networks and areas of the default mode network.

Larger whole brain grey matter associated with long-term Sahaja Yoga Meditation: A detailed area by area comparison.

Our previous study showed that long-term practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation (SYM) had around 7% larger grey matter volume (GMV) in the whole brain compared with healthy controls; however, when testing individual regions, only 5 small brain areas were statistically different between groups. Under the hypothesis that those results were statistically conservative, with the same dataset, we investigated in more detail the regional differences in GMV associated with the practice of SYM, with a different statistical approach. Twenty-three experienced practitioners of SYM and 23 healthy non-meditators matched on age, sex and education level, were scanned using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their GMV were extracted and compared using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM). Using a novel ad-hoc general linear model, statistical comparisons were made to observe if the GMV differences between meditators and controls were statistically significant. In the 16 lobe area subdivisions, GMV was statistically significantly different in 4 out of 16 areas: in right hemispheric temporal and frontal lobes, left frontal lobe and brainstem. In the 116 AAL area subdivisions, GMV difference was statistically significant in 11 areas. The GMV differences were statistically more significant in right hemispheric brain areas. The study shows that long-term practice of SYM is associated with larger GMV overall, and with significant differences mainly in temporal and frontal areas of the right hemisphere and the brainstem. These neuroplastic changes may reflect emotional and attentional control mechanisms developed with SYM. On the other hand, our statistical ad-hoc method shows that there were more brain areas with statistical significance compared to the traditional methodology which we think is susceptible to conservative Type II errors.

Heart Rate Variability Changes during Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Background & Objectives
 Yoga and meditation is now widely accepted world wide as an effective tool to combat stress. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a noninvasive tool to measure sympathetic and parasympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system. Yoga, by modulating stress, has shown to decrease the activity of sympathetic component of autonomic nervous system and enhance parasympathetic component. Only few studies have compared HRV at baseline with HRV during or after single session of yoga. Thus, this study was undertaken with the objectives to compare HRV changes of Sahaja Yoga Meditators in resting state with their Meditation state and to compare these changes with HRV changes in the control group in resting and meditation mimicking state.
 Method
 A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. The study group comprised of 30 randomly selected long term Sahaja yoga mediators and a control group of 30 subjects with no prior practice of any kind of meditation. HRV was recorded in both the groups in normal resting state, during meditation (yoga group) and with eyes closed (mimicking meditation in control group).
 Results
 Study showed decrease in LF (sympathetic activity) increase in HF (parasympathetic activity) and decrease in LF/HF ratio thus implying a more relaxed, parasympathetic dominant state, in the yoga group during meditation.
 Conclusion
 The study shows Sahaja Yoga meditation leads to a parasympathetic dominant (relaxed) state and thus can be used as an effective mind body technique to combat stress.

Heart Rate Variability Changes during Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Background & Objectives Yoga and meditation is now widely accepted world wide as an effective tool to combat stress. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a noninvasive tool to measure sympathetic and parasympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system. Yoga, by modulating stress, has shown to decrease the activity of sympathetic component of autonomic nervous system and enhance parasympathetic component. Only few studies have compared HRV at baseline with HRV during or after single session of yoga. Thus, this study was undertaken with the objectives to compare HRV changes of Sahaja Yoga Meditators in resting state with their Meditation state and to compare these changes with HRV changes in the control group in resting and meditation mimicking state. Method A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. The study group comprised of 30 randomly selected long term Sahaja yoga mediators and a control group of 30 subjects with no prior practice of any kind of meditation. HRV was recorded in both the groups in normal resting state, during meditation (yoga group) and with eyes closed (mimicking meditation in control group). Results Study showed decrease in LF (sympathetic activity) increase in HF (parasympathetic activity) and decrease in LF/HF ratio thus implying a more relaxed, parasympathetic dominant state, in the yoga group during meditation. Conclusion The study shows Sahaja Yoga meditation leads to a parasympathetic dominant (relaxed) state and thus can be used as an effective mind body technique to combat stress.

Short-term Sahaja Yoga meditation training modulates brain structure and spontaneous activity in the executive control network.

IntroductionWhile cross‐sectional studies have shown neural changes in long‐term meditators, they might be confounded by self‐selection and potential baseline differences between meditators and non meditators. Prospective longitudinal studies of the effects of meditation in naïve subjects are more conclusive with respect to causal inferences, but related evidence is so far limited.MethodsHere, we assessed the effects of a 4‐week Sahaja Yoga meditation training on gray matter density and spontaneous resting‐state brain activity in a group of 12 meditation‐naïve healthy adults.ResultsCompared with 30 control subjects, the participants to meditation training showed increased gray matter density and changes in the coherence of intrinsic brain activity in two adjacent regions of the right inferior frontal gyrus encompassing the anterior component of the executive control network. Both these measures correlated with self‐reported well‐being scores in the meditation group.ConclusionsThe significant impact of a brief meditation training on brain regions associated with attention, self‐control, and self‐awareness may reflect the engagement of cognitive control skills in searching for a state of mental silence, a distinctive feature of Sahaja Yoga meditation. The manifold implications of these findings involve both managerial and rehabilitative settings concerned with well‐being and emotional state in normal and pathological conditions.

The effects of Sahaja Yoga meditation on mental health: a systematic review.

Abstract Objectives To determine the efficacy of Sahaja Yoga (SY) meditation on mental health among clinical and healthy populations. Methods All publications on SY were eligible. Databases were searched up to November 2017, namely PubMed, MEDLINE (NLM), PsychINFO, and Scopus. An internet search (Google Scholar) was also conducted. The quality of the randomized controlled trails was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Assessment for Bias. The quality of cross-sectional studies, a non-randomized controlled trial and a cohort study was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Results We included a total of eleven studies; four randomized controlled trials, one non-randomized controlled trial, five cross-sectional studies, and one prospective cohort study. The studies included a total of 910 participants. Significant findings were reported in relation to the following outcomes: anxiety, depression, stress, subjective well-being, and psychological well-being. Two randomized studies were rated as high quality studies, two randomized studies as low quality studies. The quality of the non-randomized trial, the cross-sectional studies and the cohort study was high. Effect sizes could not be calculated in five studies due to unclear or incomplete reporting. Conclusions After reviewing the articles and taking the quality of the studies into account, it appears that SY may reduce depression and possibly anxiety. In addition, the practice of SY is also associated with increased subjective wellbeing and psychological well-beng. However, due to the limited number of publications, definite conclusions on the effects of SY cannot be made and more high quality randomized studies are needed to justify any firm conclusions on the beneficial effects of SY on mental health.

Gray Matter and Functional Connectivity in Anterior Cingulate Cortex are Associated with the State of Mental Silence During Sahaja Yoga Meditation

Some meditation techniques teach the practitioner to achieve the state of mental silence. The aim of this study was to investigate brain regions that are associated with their volume and functional connectivity (FC) with the depth of mental silence in long-term practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation.Twenty-three long-term practitioners of this meditation were scanned using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In order to identify the neural correlates of the depth of mental silence, we tested which gray matter volumes (GMV) were correlated with the depth of mental silence and which regions these areas were functionally connected to under a meditation condition.GMV in medial prefrontal cortex including rostral anterior cingulate cortex were positively correlated with the subjective perception of the depth of mental silence inside the scanner. Furthermore, there was significantly increased FC between this area and bilateral anterior insula/putamen during a meditation-state specifically, while decreased connectivity with the right thalamus/parahippocampal gyrus was present during the meditation-state and the resting-state.The capacity of long-term meditators to establish a durable state of mental silence inside an MRI scanner was associated with larger gray matter volume in a medial frontal region that is crucial for top-down cognitive, emotion and attention control. This is furthermore corroborated by increased FC of this region during the meditation-state with bilateral anterior insula/putamen, which are important for interoception, emotion, and attention regulation. The findings hence suggest that the depth of mental silence is associated with medial fronto-insular-striatal networks that are crucial for top-down attention and emotional control.

Sahaja yoga meditation as a tool to enhance aging pulmonary functions

Background: Aging is of recent origin. It is not a disease. Most of the age-related functional changes in the respiratory system result from three physiologic events-progressive decreases in the compliance of the chest wall, in the static elastic recoil of the lung, and in the strength of respiratory muscles. Meditation by the Sahaja yoga technique is, according to tradition, an innately therapeutic process, which is beneficial for all chronic diseases, mental or physical, including asthma. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate and compare the effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on pulmonary functions in subjects aged older than 40 years before and after the practice of Sahaja yoga meditation and to correlate pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters with age. Materials and Methods: The study included 100 subjects (50 male and 50 female subjects) aged older than 40 years who were selected from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College campus and Wardha city. PFTs were carried out on all subjects, and Sahaja yoga meditation training was given, and all of them were advised to practice Sahaja yoga for 6 months. Statistical analysis was done using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The mean FEV1% predicted increased from 65.55% ± 26.76% to 82.30% ± 29.81%. The forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted increased from 75.76% ± 30.78% to 85.90% ± 30.49% at the posttest. The mean FEV1/FVC ratio was 0.93 ± 0.40 and 0.94 ± 0.11 at the pre- and posttest, respectively. All the parameters except peak expiratory flow rate were significantly negatively correlated with age. All the PFT parameters significantly increased at the posttest. Conclusion: Sahaja yoga meditation aims to promote the experience of “thoughtless awareness.” Age-related decline in respiratory functions can be modified by the daily practice of Sahaja yoga meditation, which is specifically convenient in elderly individuals to prevent the risk of pulmonary diseases related to age.

Significance of Sahaja Yoga meditation in reducing academic stress

Background of Study: The Indian school education system is textbook-oriented that focuses on rote memorization of lessons and demands long hours of systematic study every day. The elaborate study routines that are expected by high school students span from the morning to till late evening hours, leaving little time for socialization, recreation, play games and sports by full strength. Objective of Study: The present study was conducted with a view to see the effect of Sahaja Yoga meditation on stress among school children. Materials and Method: Non-equivalent control group design was used for this experiment. The participants were 8th grade students from a school located in Mumbai. The students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Experimental group received the treatment of Sahaja Yoga meditation program for 6 weeks, whereas the control group did not receive any treatment. Both groups were free to do their daily routine activities. Stress was assessed using a questionnaire before and after 6 weeks of Sahaja Yoga meditation program. Statistical Analysis: Collected data were analyzed with the help of the standard statistical technique t-test to conclude the investigation. Results: The results of the study showed a significant difference in academic stress (p < 0.05) after 6 weeks of Sahaja Yoga meditation program. However, there was no significant improvement in academic stress (p > 0.05) in the control group. Conclusion: Sahaja Yoga meditation program is helpful to manage the academic stress of school girls.

Increased Grey Matter Associated with Long-Term Sahaja Yoga Meditation: A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study.

ObjectivesTo investigate regional differences in grey matter volume associated with the practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation.DesignTwenty three experienced practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation and twenty three non-meditators matched on age, gender and education level, were scanned using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging and their grey matter volume were compared using Voxel-Based Morphometry.ResultsGrey matter volume was larger in meditators relative to non-meditators across the whole brain. In addition, grey matter volume was larger in several predominantly right hemispheric regions: in insula, ventromedial orbitofrontal cortex, inferior temporal and parietal cortices as well as in left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and left insula. No areas with larger grey matter volume were found in non-meditators relative to meditators.ConclusionsThe study shows that long-term practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation is associated with larger grey matter volume overall, and with regional enlargement in several right hemispheric cortical and subcortical brain regions that are associated with sustained attention, self-control, compassion and interoceptive perception. The increased grey matter volume in these attention and self-control mediating regions suggests use-dependent enlargement with regular practice of this meditation.

Occupational stress in the armed forces: An Indian army perspective

This study attempts to explore factors influencing occupational stress faced by Indian army soldiers and evaluate applicability of the scale used for measuring occupational stressors. Structured interview schedules were used to collect first hand data from a sample of 415 soldiers. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) highlights lack of control at work, role conflict, inadequate awareness about profession, workload and job pressure, and indifferent organisational attitude as the major occupational stressors in the Indian army. In addition, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirms occupational stressor as an eight factor model in the army. The study recommends implementing commitment-based management approach and techniques such as Sahaja Yoga meditation in the army.

Psychological and psycho-physical training as a factor of personal anxiety at students

Purpose : to test the hypothesis that the proposed content of the psychological and psycho-physical preparation of students of railway high schools in the physical education is effective in terms of reducing the high level of personal anxiety. Material : the study involved 120 students who had high levels of trait anxiety. Age of study participants was 17 - 19 years. Psychological diagnostics level of personal anxiety in students was conducted using a scale assessing the level of reactive and personal anxiety Ch.Spilberger. Results : the use in psychological and psycho-physical training in the classroom for physical education for men (significant sports - athletics and powerlifting) and girls (aerobics and Sahaja Yoga) significantly influenced the decline in their personal anxiety. Conclusions : It is recommended that training on physical education to carry out the following structure. Preparatory part of the class - 10 minutes. Basically - 75 minutes. Of these, 25 minutes - to solve the traditional problems of physical education students to build their motor skills and the development of physical qualities. 20 minutes - was given to the students to perform specific exercise. 30 minutes devoted to the main part of a busy professional significant sport. The final part - 5 minutes.

Monitoring the neural activity of the state of mental silence while practicing Sahaja yoga meditation.

To identify the neural correlates of the state of mental silence as experienced through Sahaja yoga meditation. Nineteen experienced meditators underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during three short consecutive meditation periods, contrasted with a control relaxation condition. Relative to baseline, at the beginning of the meditation sessions there was a significant increase of activation in bilateral inferior frontal and temporal regions. Activation became progressively more reduced with deeper meditation stages and in the last meditation session it became localized to the right inferior frontal cortex/ right insula and right middle/superior temporal cortex. Furthermore, right inferior frontal activation was directly associated with the subjective depth of the mental silence experience. Meditators appear to pass through an initial intense neural self-control process necessary to silence their mind. After this they experience relatively reduced brain activation concomitant with the deepening of the state of mental silence over right inferior frontal cortex, probably reflecting an effortless process of attentional contemplation associated with this state.

Impact of long-term meditation practice on cardiovascular reactivity during perception and reappraisal of affective images

Meditation has been found to be an efficient strategy for coping with stress in healthy individuals and in patients with psychosomatic disorders. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the psychophysiological mechanisms of beneficial effects of meditation on cardiovascular reactivity. We examined effects of long-term Sahaja Yoga meditation on cardiovascular reactivity during affective image processing under “unregulated” and “emotion regulation” conditions. Twenty two experienced meditators and 20 control subjects participated in the study. Under “unregulated” conditions participants were shown neutral and affective images and were asked to attend to them. Under “emotion regulation” conditions they down-regulated negative affect through reappraisal of negative images or up-regulated positive affect through reappraisal of positive images. Under “unregulated” conditions while anticipating upcoming images meditators vs. controls did not show larger pre-stimulus total peripheral resistance and greater cardiac output for negative images in comparison with neutral and positive ones. Control subjects showed TPR decrease for negative images only when they consciously intended to reappraise them (i.e. in the “emotion regulation” condition). Both meditators and controls showed comparable cardiovascular reactivity during perception of positive stimuli, whereas up-regulating of positive affect was associated with more pronounced cardiac activation in meditators. The findings provide some insight into understanding the beneficial influence of meditation on top-down control of emotion and cardiovascular reactivity.

Impact of Sahaja yoga meditation as an adjunct to medical treatment on post myocardial infarction patients in a tertiary cardiac center – 2 years experience

Impact of Sahaja yoga meditation as an adjunct to medical treatment on post myocardial infarction patients in a tertiary cardiac center – 2 years experience