Molecular Mechanisms of Meditation

Abstract

Meditation is a complex process involving change in cognition, memory, and social and emotional control, and causes improvement in various cardiovascular, neurological, autoimmune, and renal pathologies. Meditation also become widely used in medical and psychological treatment therapies for stress-related physical and mental disorders. But still, biological mechanisms in terms of effect on brain and body are poorly understood. This paper explains the basic changes due to meditation in cerebral cortex, prefrontal area, cingulate gyrus, neurotransmitters, white matter, autonomic nervous system, limbic system, cytokines, endorphins, hormones, etc. The following is a review of the current literature regarding the various neurophysiological mechanisms, neuro-endocrine mechanisms, neurochemical substrates, etc. that underlies the complex processes of meditation.

Pranayama Meditation (Yoga Breathing) for Stress Relief: Is it Beneficial for Teachers?

“…These findings support the notion that meditation improves cognitive functioning which is supported by the literature (Jindal et al, 2013;Schreiner & Malcolm, 2008;Shonin et al,2013). The results indicated that the participants felt there was a link between their stress levels and the sense of control they felt over their emotions.…”

“…The findings indicated that programs including both asana and pranayama were more beneficial than programs featuring only asana. Such findings support the information presented by Jindal et al (2013) that breathing meditation (pranayama) alters the chemical responses occurring in the body. The findings indicate that participants do not need to attend a full yoga class which includes asana (poses) but that pranayama (breathing) meditation alone can improve well-being.…”

“…The process of meditation (i.e., becoming aware of thoughts and focusing attention on the breath) improves the functioning of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the brain which includes the frontal lobes that control executive functioning, including cognitive functioning, decision making, social behaviour and problem solving (Jindal et al, 2013). The positive changes that occur include a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen metabolism which supports the notion of meditation as a form of stress relief.…”

“…Meditation and yoga have been prescribed to treat various mental health conditions and stress-related illnesses (Anderson et al, 1999;Jindal et al, 2013;McCall et al, 2013;Smith et al, 2007). The current study focused on healthy adults with no known medical conditions.…”

“…Stress is a major trigger or contributing factor for burnout (Howard & Johnson, 2004). Stress alters the functioning of the hippocampus located in the brain which can limit neurone growth and memory function (Jindal, Gupta, & Das, 2013). If unmanaged, stress can reduce the functioning of the immune system, increase chronic pain, blood pressure and related cardiovascular conditions (Chong, Tsunaka, Tsang, Chan, & Cheung, 2011).…”