Marked reduction of forearm carbon dioxide production during states of decreased metabolism

Meditation: Process and effects

“…These include stress reduction,[ 1 2 17 18 19 20 ] decreased anxiety,[ 1 17 19 21 22 ] decreased depression,[ 1 17 18 23 24 ] reduction in pain (both physical and psychological),[ 2 25 26 ] improved memory,[ 2 27 ] and increased efficiency. [ 12 28 29 30 ] Physiological benefits include reduced blood pressure,[ 2 31 32 33 ] heart rate,[ 2 16 ] lactate,[ 15 34 ] cortisol,[ 35 36 37 ] and epinephrine;[ 38 ] decreased metabolism,[ 15 ] breathing pattern,[ 39 40 ] oxygen utilization, and carbon dioxide elimination;[ 15 41 ] and increased melatonin,[ 42 43 ] dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S),[ 44 45 ] skin resistance,[ 15 16 ] and relative blood flow to the brain. Meditation increases regional cerebral blood flow in the frontal and anterior cingulate regions of the brain,[ 46 47 48 49 50 ] increases efficiency in the brain's executive attentional network,[ 12 28 29 30 ] and increases electroencephalogram (EEG) coherence.…”

Determining the relationship of heart rate and blood pressure using voluntary cardio-respiratory synchronization (VCRS)

“…Decreases in respiration rate to less than 10 breaths per minute with elongated expiration have been achieved with musical tone breath control direction and demonstrated with blood pressure reduction (Resperate, Intercure Ltd, Israel) (Schein et al 2001, Grossman et al 2001, Rosenthal et al 2001. Transcendental meditation, a simple mental technique, has been associated with decreased breath rate and reduced blood pressure in normals and hypertensives (Wallace et al 1971, 1983, Farrow and Hebert 1982, Badawi et al 1984, Wolkove et al 1984, Wilson et al 1987, Kesterson and Clinch 1989, Travis and Wallace 1997, Blackwell et al 1976, Agarwal and Kharbanda 1981, Wenneberg et al 1997, Alexander et al 1989, Schneider et al 1995.…”