The field of yoga research has boomed in the past decade. This means that we are learning far more about why and how yoga works (and doesn’t work) than we have ever had before. This is exciting news for the millions of yoga practitioners, educators and therapists interested in using the principles of yoga to attain health and wellbeing. Several years ago when I wrote the article, Why Yoga Research Has A Long Way to Go, many yoga studies were low in quality, suffering from sma

A new review of the published research finds that mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga may alter gene expression linked to stress and inflammation. We all know that persistent stress damages the body, mind and brain. In large part, this occurs because stress activates the immune system, mobilizing the body’s natural defenses. Scientific evidence shows that prolonged stress is linked to changes in DNA responsible for inflammation and immune system burnout, increasing

Can yoga and meditation help stave off cognitive decline and increase your brain’s efficiency and resilience? A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, says the answer may be yes. An international team of researchers examined the brain functioning of 47, healthy middle-aged yoga and meditation practitioners and normal controls to see whether the groups differed in fluid intelligence, resilience, function and efficiency. Participants included 16 yoga practitioners

Two new studies reveal how mindfulness may help create work/life habits that help you leave work at work, deal with stress, and remain self-aware and alert. Work-related stress and job burnout are among the leading causes of poor physical and mental health, with many workers suffering from anxiety, depression, and exhaustion. In recent years, numerous stress management interventions and mindfulness-based workplace programs have come to the rescue, promising less stress. But d

New research shows meditation may protect the aging brain from decline. Most of us begin to misplace our keys, forget people’s names, or solve math problems less readily as we approach middle age. This is often referred to as age-related cognitive decline. Years ago, scientists believed that this decline was inevitable, but extraordinary research in the past two decades has shown that the adult brain changes with experience and training throughout the lifespan—a phenomenon kn

New research finds that type of meditation practiced may impact brain, stress level, and behavior in different ways. Originally published October 19, 2017 at Mindful.org A growing body of research suggests meditation can positively impact our health and wellbeing. But are all forms of mindfulness practice equally beneficial? In groundbreaking research, a team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany reveal that mental training geared toward attention, compassion,

Are the claims about the benefits of mindfulness exaggerated? Here’s what you need to know. In a recent article entitled, Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation, a team of leading mindfulness teachers, psychologists, neuroscientists and Buddhist scholars sparked a firestorm of controversy about whether the benefits of mindfulness are fact or fiction. The authors expressed their growing concern that “misinformati

Can yoga, meditation, and a healthy lifestyle help stave off age-related declines in memory, concentration, and information processing, and improve the ability to regulate thoughts and emotions? Groundbreaking new research exploring the interface of yoga, meditation, and brain science suggests that these and other strategies may keep your brain fit. For nearly a century, scientists believed that the trillions of brain cells that you’re born with are pruned and eventually die,

Will the future of back pain treatment involve practices like yoga and meditation? A recent comprehensive report reviewing the current research and its impact brings us one step closer to that reality. The report, sponsored by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) found that not only are yoga and meditation beneficial for relieving chronic low back pain, but that these practices are more cost effective than surgery or medication. Low back pain is among the lea

With all of the talk of mindfulness it can be hard to disentangle what is most important. Here are 3 mindfulness-based principles that will change your life. Everywhere I go people are talking about mindfulness. It’s been touted as a cure for aches, pains and mental illness, and the secret sauce that gives entrepreneurs and Super Bowl athletes their edge. I often get asked what mindfulness is and how to practice it. Sure, we’ve all heard that it means living in the present mo

Chronic stress, depression and anxiety may be successfully prevented or treated with mindfulness and biofeedback. Americans are reporting chronic stress at unprecedented rates according to a new American Psychological Association poll. Studies show that as many as one third of Americans are highly stressed at any given time, increasing their risk for depression and anxiety. Mindfulness and biofeedback techniques designed to reduce stress, may also prevent or treat mood disord

Researchers at Columbia University find evidence that healthy older adults can generate as many new brain cells as younger people. For well over a decade, research has shown that the brain is able to form new connections; a process referred to as neuroplasticity. Since then, there has been an ongoing debate over whether the aging adult human brain can also produce new cells (neurons). Now, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell shows that aging brains are capable of

For the first time, researchers at Trinity College Dublin show a neurophysiological link between breathing patterns and attention. For years studies have linked yogic breathing practices and breath-focused meditation to everything from increased relaxation, positive emotion, greater focus, heightened attention and decreased stress to less mind wandering. To date, we’ve yet to understand why this occurs. In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Trinity College Institute of Ne

Researchers in Alberta Canada discover that stress is contagious, and that social support may help buffer these effects, but only for women. Last year Americans reported their highest stress levels in over a decade according to an American Psychological Association survey. Emotion researchers have long known that feelings like joy, sadness, and anger are “contagious.” Could this also be true for stress? A team at the Cumming School of Medicine’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute at t

Researchers find that being mindful may reduce both stress and motivation. We’ve all been told that meditation can make us more focused and productive. In fact, mindfulness in the workplace has achieved almost “cult status”. But is it possible to have too much of a good thing? In a series of studies, scientists in Portugal and the U.S. discovered that the state of being mindful may be linked not only to feeling less stressed, but also less motivated. The researchers recruited