The effect of a one-time 15-minute guided meditation (Isha Kriya) on stress and mood disturbances among operating room professionals: a prospective interventional pilot study

Abstract

Background: Operating room professionals are exposed to high levels of stress and burnout. Besides affecting the individual, it can compromise patient safety and quality of care as well. Meditation practice is getting recognized for its ability to improve wellness among various populations, including healthcare providers. Methods: Baseline stress levels of perioperative healthcare providers were measured via an online survey using a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire. An in-person meditation workshop was demonstrated during surgical grand rounds and an international anesthesia conference using a 15-minute guided Isha Kriya meditation. The participants were then surveyed for mood changes before and after meditation using a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. Results: Surgeons and anesthesiologists were found to have higher median (interquartile range) Perceived Stress Scores as compared to nurses respectively (17 [12, 20] and 17 [12, 21] vs 14 [9, 19]; P = 0.01). Total mood disturbances were found to be significantly reduced after meditation in both the surgical grand rounds (pre-meditation median [IQR] 99 [85, 112] vs 87 [80, 93] post-meditation; P < 0.0001) and anesthesia conference cohorts (pre-meditation 92 [86, 106] vs 87 [81, 92] post-meditation; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Isha Kriya, a guided meditation, is easy to learn and takes less than 15 minutes to complete. This meditation technique improves mood changes and negative emotions among operating room professionals and could be used as a potential tool for improving wellness.

The Effect of Inner Engineering Online (IEO) Program on Reducing Stress for Information Technology Professionals: A Randomized Control Study

“…Furthermore, a previous corporate pilot study found that IEO has a significant effect on vitality, joy, mindfulness, and work engagement [ 23 ]. Rangasamy et al [ 35 ] found that learning and practicing a 15 minutes of Isha Kriya meditation (one of the introductory Inner Engineering methods) resulted in a reduction in mood disturbances such as tension, anger, fatigue, depression, and confusion. Further studies with a larger sample are needed to reexamine the effect of IEO on employee mental well-being.…”

Isha Yoga Practices and Participation in Samyama Program are Associated with Reduced HbA1C and Systemic Inflammation, Improved Lipid Profile, and Short-Term and Sustained Improvement in Mental Health: A Prospective Observational Study of Meditators

“…Daily practice of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, one of the techniques practiced during the Samyama preparation phase, resulted in reduced perceived stress and increased general well-being (Peterson et al, 2017 ). A one-time meditation session resulted in lower perceived stress amongst operating room professionals (Rangasamy et al, 2019 ). Regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya has been attributed to decreased anxiety and depression (Doria et al, 2015 ; Sharma et al, 2017 ; Hamilton-West et al, 2019 ; Shiju et al, 2019 ).…”

The IARA Model Proved Effective in Emotional Literacy, Characters Strengths Awareness, and Cohesion among Italian Children

“…Furthermore, IARA has ad hoc meditation which can be counted among the various guided meditation techniques [64]. In general, these techniques improve awareness and attention to one's emotional activations [65][66][67], which improves emotional regulation and relationship quality [68,69]. We chose guided meditation because the children would go towards the passage of the school cycle.…”