biological bases of meditation and yoga therapy

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF MEDITATION

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF MEDITATION AND YOGA THERAPY

Innocence Branch

September 15, 2014

Tennessee State University

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Biological Bases of Meditation and Yoga Therapy

Meditation is a complex mental process involving changes in cognition, sensory

perception, affect, hormones, and autonomic activity. Yoga therapy traditionally involves

physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation techniques. This

investigation into the biological bases of meditation and yoga therapy revealed that a significant

number of scientific studies have been conducted to investigate the beneficial effects. Results

have indicated that the key subjective experiences in meditation and yoga include general

relaxation, reduced mental activity and a general positive affect. Meditation and yoga therapy

have linked to energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and insulin secretion.

Processes involved in meditation

Research suggests that meditation might also be expected to alter activity in the limbic

system, especially since stimulation of limbic structures concerning emotional regulation. Other

biological bases involved in meditation and yoga therapy include neuropsychological

mechanisms, autonomic activation, and emotional regulation. According to more recent studies,

meditation has been adopted by many psychodynamic programs due to reported beneficial

effects with a number of functional somatic, psychiatric, and stress-correlated symptoms (Baer,

2003). Some of the supposed psychological effects of these therapeutic practices are motor and

perceptual changes.

Neurobiological Modulation and Regulation

The hippocampus acts to modulate and moderate cortical arousal and responsiveness via

rich and extensive interconnections with the prefrontal cortex, other neocortical areas, the

amygdala, and the hypothalamus. The ability of the hippocampus to stimulate or inhibit neuronal

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activity in other structures likely relies upon the glutamate and GABA systems. Activation of the

autonomic nervous system can result in intense stimulation of structures in the lateral

hypothalamus and median forebrain bundle, which are known to produce both ecstatic and

blissful feelings when directly stimulated. Researchers have suggested that meditation involves

the neuropsychological mechanism of activation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The

parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is a biological function of autonomic nervous system.

During meditation, activity in the frontal and parietal lobe slows down. The frontal lobe is highly

engaged during yoga and meditation during certain phases.

Biological Substrates

Prior studies have shown indicated predominant parasympathetic activity during meditation

associated with decreased heart rate and blood pressure, decreased respiratory rate, and

decreased oxygen metabolism. The physiological effects that have been observed during

meditative states seem to outline a consistent pattern of changes involving certain key cerebral

structures in conjunction with autonomic and hormonal changes. Further investigation also

revealed that prefrontal and cingulate activation may be associated with the volitional aspects of

meditation. The cingulate gyrus is credited in focusing attention involvement, possibly in tandem

with the prefrontal cortex. The lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus provides the posterior

superior parietal lobule with the sensory information it needs to determine the body’s spatial

orientation (Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, & Walach, 2004).

Neurobiological Results

Due to the increased activity in the right hemisphere of the prefrontal cortex during

meditation, there is a adjuvant increase in the activity in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus.

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Some theorists have proposed that deafferentation of these orienting areas of the brain is an

important concept in the physiology of meditation. According to Lutz, the practice of meditative

techniques was hypothesized to induce changes in the neural networks that underlie affective

processing (Lutz, Brefczynski-Lewis, Johnston, & Davidson, 2008). The flow of sensory data to

the thalamus is reduced during meditation and yoga according to research. In addition, the

arousal signal for the reticular formation is reduced during the meditative process.

Conclusion:

Both meditation and yoga are reported to be clinically effective for physiological,

psychological benefits, and biochemical benefits. Meditation and yoga therapy are apperceptive

processes that induce a set of integrated physiological changes termed the relaxation response.

They have adapted by several professional practices including the medical and psychological

communities to assist with decreased anxiety, stress management and improved mental acuity

due to these reported benefits. This may aid emotional well-being and balance over time (Lutz,

Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008).

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References

Anantharaman, V., and Sarada Subrahmanyam. Physiological benefits in hatha yoga training.

The Yoga Review, 3(1):9-24.

Baer,R.A.(2003).Mindfulnesstrainingasaclinicalintervention:A conceptual and empirical review.

Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125–143.

Baer, R.A., Smith, G.T., & Allen, K.B. (2004). Assessment of mindfulness by self-report.

Assessment, 11, 191–206.

Baer, R.A., Smith, G.T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report

assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13, 27–45.

Brefczynski-Lewis, J.A., Lutz, A., Schaefer, H.S., Levinson., D.B., & Davidson, R.J. (2007).

Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 104, 11483-11488.

Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress

reduction and health benefits. A meta- analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57,

35–43.

Lutz, A., Slagter, H.A., Dunne, J.D., & Davidson, R.J. (2008). Attention regulation and

monitoring in meditation. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 12, 163- 169.

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biological bases of meditation and yoga therapy

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