Browsing by Subject "Meditation"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 16
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Adaptability
    (2018) Fox, Hannah; Hudnall, Katie
    At the core of humanity is a driving force to create and change our environments to better suit our liking. In this century, the need fo hand-making in the developed world is becoming obsolete. As privileged Americans we no longer need to make utilitarian objects using these processes to stay warm or even to survive. Everything we "need" is mass produced in factories we will never visit, by machines most of us could not even begin to operate or comprehend. The most abundant of these commodities are made from plastic. An entirely unnatural and man-made material, plastic is used an discarded at a rate unmatched by almost any other substance. My thesis work utilizes recycled material, specifically polypropylene biohazard bags, to identify the destructive realities of human waste and consumption in contemporary society. By confronting viewers with grotesque overwhelming forms of melted plastic the work is a rumination on human adaptation to technologically-driven wasteful consumerist life in the 21st century.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Advanced Meditation Alters Resting-State Brain Network Connectivity Correlating With Improved Mindfulness
    (Frontiers Media, 2021-11) Vishnubhotla, Ramana V.; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Kveraga, Kestas; Deardorff, Rachael; Ram, Chithra; Pawale, Dhanashri; Wu, Yu-Chien; Renschler, Janelle; Subramaniam, Balachundhar; Sadhasivam, Senthilkumar; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive 8-day Samyama meditation program on the brain functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Methods: Thirteen Samyama program participants (meditators) and 4 controls underwent fMRI brain scans before and after the 8-day residential meditation program. Subjects underwent fMRI with a blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast at rest and during focused breathing. Changes in network connectivity before and after Samyama program were evaluated. In addition, validated psychological metrics were correlated with changes in functional connectivity. Results: Meditators showed significantly increased network connectivity between the salience network (SN) and default mode network (DMN) after the Samyama program (p < 0.01). Increased connectivity within the SN correlated with an improvement in self-reported mindfulness scores (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Samyama, an intensive silent meditation program, favorably increased the resting-state functional connectivity between the salience and default mode networks. During focused breath watching, meditators had lower intra-network connectivity in specific networks. Furthermore, increased intra-network connectivity correlated with improved self-reported mindfulness after Samyama.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Can yoga be Christian?
    (The Conversation US, Inc., 2017-06-21) Jain, Andrea; Religious Studies, School of Liberal Arts
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Corrigendum: Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health: Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker Expression After a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat
    (Frontiers Media, 2022-04-08) Cahn, B. Rael; Goodman, Matthew S.; Peterson, Christine T.; Maturi, Raj; Mills, Paul J.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00315.].
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effects of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, a Multicomponent Breath-Based Yogic Practice ( Pranayama), on Perceived Stress and General Well-Being
    (Sage Publications, 2017-10) Peterson, Christine Tara; Bauer, Sarah M.; Chopra, Deepak; Mills, Paul J.; Maturi, Raj K.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Stress-induced disorders such as anxiety represent the leading causes of adult disability worldwide. Previous studies indicate that yoga and other contemplative practices such as pranayama, or controlled yogic breathing techniques, may be effective in the treatment of mood disorders and stress. In this study, 142 individuals (mean age = 43 years; SD = 13.90) participated in a 3-day retreat program during which they learned Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya, which is a yogic practice that includes both deep breathing and meditation techniques. Participants were instructed to practice the kriya each day for 21 minutes. After 6 weeks of daily practice, participants reported subjectively lower levels of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and higher levels of general well-being (General Well-Being Scale) compared to baseline. These results support the notion that Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya may represent a natural treatment for stress reduction.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Enriching Group Communication through Applied Improvisation and Meditation
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2015-04-17) Najera, Kayla B.; Rossing, Jonathan P.
    The ability to mindfully listen to others and oneself fosters the healthiest environment for group discussion. This study explores how applied improvisation and meditation might enhance group communication. Applied improvisation is the use of principles and practices of improvisation in nontheatrical settings. One of the many benefits of applied improvisation is that it teaches students how to fully listen to what others are saying. Meditation is the practice of consciously turning inwards and focusing the thoughts for reflective purposes. Meditation teaches students mindfulness and the ability to listen to their inner monologue. Together applied improvisation and meditation builds community, encourages risk taking, removes judgment of self and others, and promotes acceptance through its joint focus on holistic listening. These concepts will be applied to group discussions/reflections occurring on an educationally-meaningful service trip (alternative spring break) to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago during spring 2015. This is preliminary research using a mixed methods design. First, self-rating questionnaires will be given to the participants. As a participant observer, I will record notes immediately after each reflection session. Finally, qualitative interviews will be conducted the week immediately following the trip with a former trip leader and former trip participants who were also on this specific trip. Mixed methods, or pragmatic research, allows for both quantitative and qualitative data to be gathered in a complementary way. The results will be gathered at the conclusion of the spring break trip. Our anticipated results are that the quality of the group discussion will be enhanced for a safer and more enriching learning environment for participants. If so, these methods can be refined and applied in future service-learning experiences.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evoking Stillness
    (2016) Taylor, Miranda; Setser, Meredith
    The intricate patterns and movements of the Basket Starfish spreading its arms and swaing in the gentle currents of the sea, the glimmer of light through the canopy of a forest shining light upon the pollen and dust riding in the breeze, the tessellations of a Night Blooming Cereus on a warm summer eve; nature is deeply profound and dynamic yet effortless and unselfconscious. Here rests the stillness of mind I seek through my creations. Materials reflect the colors, textures, and movements observed in coral reefs, forests, and botanical gardens; the deep red of the Dragon's Heart Hibiscus and Heliconia, the textures of the flowering palms, and the gentle flow of the current under the surface of the ocean. By integrating aspects of Taoist philosophy and transformative meditative techniques into my studio practice, I utilize my unselfconscious state of mind to create works that reflect the subtleties found in nature to evoke contemplation and stillness of the minds of viewers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Formative evaluation on cultural tailoring breathing awareness meditation smartphone apps to reduce stress and blood pressure
    (AME, 2017-10-19) Sieverdes, John C.; Adams, Zachary W.; Nemeth, Lynne; Brunner-Jackson, Brenda; Mueller, Martina; Anderson, Ashley; Patel, Sachin; Sox, Luke; Treiber, Frank A.; Psychiatry, School of Medicine
    Background: Chronic stress is an independent risk factor for essential hypertension (EH), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and is sometimes confronted by mal-adaptive coping behaviors (e.g., stress eating, excessive alcohol consumption, etc.). Pre-essential hypertension (preEH) is the leading predictor of future EH status. Breathing awareness meditation (BAM) can result in clinically beneficial blood pressure (BP) reductions, though face-to-face sessions presents barriers to reach those in need. The purpose of this study was to identify if a culturally tailored approach is needed in the design and preferences between groups of preEH African American and White adults toward using a smartphone BAM app, the Tension Tamer (TT) app. Methods: TT includes audio delivered BAM instructions, real-time heart rate, feedback graphs and motivational reinforcement text messaging. Questionnaires and two focus groups each of African American and White adults, [n=34, mean age =43.1 years, (SD 13.8 years), 44.1% African American] were conducted to understand stress, EH knowledge, app usage along with feedback from a hands-on demonstration of TT. Grounded theory using NVivo 10 was used to develop themes and combined with the questionnaires in the analysis. Results: No racial differences were found in the analysis including app use scenarios, preferences, knowledge, technology use or the attitudes and acceptance toward mobile health (mHealth) programs. Reported stress was high for African Americans [PSS-4: mean 6.87 (SD 3.3) versus mean 4.56 (SD 2.6); P=0.03]. Four main themes were found: (I) stress was pervasive; (II) coping strategies were both positive and negative; (III) BAM training was easy to incorporated; and (IV) tracking stress responses was useful. Responses suggest that additional personalization of app interfaces may drive ownership and adherence to protocols. Measures and reports of heart rate monitoring while in session were favorably viewed with low issues with confidentiality or trust issues on collected session data. Conclusions: Results suggest that a culturally tailored approach may be unnecessary in the design of BAM apps. Further investigation is warranted for other racial groups, age ranges, and disease conditions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Guided meditation as an adjunct to enhance postoperative recovery after cardiac surgery: study protocol for a prospective randomized controlled feasibility trial
    (Biomed Central, 2019-01-11) Packiasabapathy, Senthil; Susheela, Ammu T.; Mueller, Ariel; Patxot, Melissa; Gasangwa, Doris-Vanessa; O’Gara, Brian; Shaefi, Shahzad; Marcantonio, Edward R.; Yeh, Gloria Y.; Subramaniam, Balachundhar; Anesthesia, School of Medicine
    BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgical procedures are associated with postoperative neurological complications such as cognitive decline and delirium, which can complicate recovery and impair quality of life. Perioperative depression and anxiety may be associated with increased mortality after cardiac surgeries. Surgical prehabilitation is an emerging concept that includes preoperative interventions to potentially reduce postoperative complications. While most current prehabilitation interventions focus on optimizing physical health, mind-body interventions are an area of growing interest. Preoperative mind-body interventions such as Isha Kriya meditation, may hold significant potential to improve postsurgical outcomes. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized controlled feasibility trial. A total of 40 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery will be randomized to one of three study groups. Participants randomized to either of the two intervention groups will receive meditative intervention: (1) commencing two weeks before surgery; or (2) commencing only from the day after surgery. Meditative intervention will last for four weeks after the surgery in these groups. Participants in the third control group will receive the current standard of care with no meditative intervention. All participants will undergo assessments using neurocognitive, sleep, depression, anxiety, and pain questionnaires at various time points in the perioperative period. Blood samples will be collected at baseline, preoperatively, and postoperatively to assess for inflammatory biomarkers. The primary aim of this trial is to assess the feasibility of implementing a perioperative meditative intervention program. Other objectives include studying the effect of meditation on postoperative pain, sleep, psychological wellbeing, cognitive function, and delirium. These will be used to calculate effect size to design future studies. DISCUSSION: This study serves as the first step towards understanding the feasibility of implementing a mind-body intervention as a prehabilitative intervention to improve postoperative surgical outcomes after cardiac surgery.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    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
    (Frontiers Media, 2021-05-19) Sadhasivam, Senthilkumar; Alankar, Suresh; Maturi, Raj; Williams, Amy; Vishnubhotla, Ramana V.; Hariri, Sepideh; Mudigonda, Mayur; Pawale, Dhanashri; Dubbireddi, Sangeeth; Packiasabapathy, Senthil; Castelluccio, Peter; Ram, Chithra; Renschler, Janelle; Chang, Tracy; Subramaniam, Balachundhar; Anesthesia, School of Medicine
    Background: Meditation is gaining recognition as a tool to impact health and well-being. Samyama is an 8-day intensive residential meditation experience conducted by Isha Foundation requiring several months of extensive preparation and vegan diet. The health effects of Samyama have not been previously studied. The objective was to assess physical and emotional well-being before and after Samyama participation by evaluating psychological surveys and objective health biomarkers. Methods: This was an observational study of 632 adults before and after the Isha Samyama retreat. All participants were invited to complete surveys. Controls included household significant others. Surveys were completed at baseline (T1), just before Samyama (T2), immediately after Samyama (T3), and 3 months later (T4) to assess anxiety, depression, mindfulness, joy, vitality, and resilience through validated psychometric scales. Voluntary blood sampling for biomarker analysis was done to assess hemoglobin (Hb), HbA1c, lipid profile, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Primary outcomes were changes in psychometric scores, body weight, and blood biomarkers. Results: Depression and anxiety scores decreased from T1 to T3, with the effect most pronounced in participants with baseline depression or anxiety. Scores at T4 remained below baseline for those with pre-existing depression or anxiety. Vitality, resilience, joy, and mindfulness increased from T1 to T3 (sustained at T4). Body weight decreased by 3% from T1 to T3. Triglycerides (TG) were lower from T2 to T3. Participants had lower HbA1c and HDL at T2, and lower CRP at all timepoints compared with controls. Conclusions: Participation in the Isha Samyama program led to multiple benefits. The 2-month preparation reduced anxiety, and participants maintained lower anxiety levels at 3 months post-retreat. Physical health improved over the course of the program as evidenced by weight loss and improved HbA1C and lipid profile. Practices associated with the Samyama preparation phase and the retreat may serve as an effective way to improve physical and mental health. Future studies may examine their use as an alternative therapy in patients with depression and/or anxiety.