Intracranial circuits underlying Deep Slow Breathing and its palliative effects

Francisco Varela believed that the present moment of experience coincided with transient patterns of synchronous oscillations between different neuronal populations. Our findings suggest that these transient patterns of synchronous oscillations throughout the brain are modulated by breathing (e.g., breathing as an organizing principle for neuronal oscillations). While current neuroscientific methods of brain stimulation are limited, …

Voluntarily regulated breathing practices and their effects on self-regulation, cognition, and problem solving under stress

Conscious breathing is an aspect of all forms of meditation and yoga. Emerging research indicates that the effects of controlled breathing on the mind-body system and concomitant mental states warrants further investigation. We propose a two-phase investigation of breathing practices during which we will: (1) systematically review the literature on reported effects of voluntarily regulated …

Rhythm induced trance: Using repetitive auditory stimulation to facilitate states of absorption and promote insight

This project seeks to understand the neural underpinnings of rhythm-induced trance. Rhythmic drumming has been used, throughout history and across cultures, to induce trance and promote insight, but little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms. Following up on my earlier fMRI study of rhythm-induced trance, this project uses EEG to assess brain network activity …

What is it about yoga? Isolating the effect of structured movement sequences on cognition, interoception, and stress markers

Yoga-based practices (YBP) typically involve a combination of movement sequences, conscious regulation of the breath, and techniques to engage attention. However, little is known about whether effects of YBP result from the synergistic combination of these components, or whether a subset may yield similar effects. In this study we compared the effect of two 8-week …

Effects of yogic breathing on sleep and well-being in college students: Exploration of psychophysiological mechanisms

Insomnia is a prevalent health concern in older adults with numerous adverse consequences. Prior research suggests that the sleep disturbance and related complaints are driven by physiological hyperarousal and deficiencies in the autonomic nervous system, particularly parasympathetic activity, that inhibit healthy sleep-wake regulation. Pharmacological treatments are not viable long-term, and current behavioral and contemplative interventions …

Differential effects of mindfulness and yogic breathing on cognitive and emotional processes

Skill and competency in emotion regulation are crucial to well-being and mental health. Research has shown that contemplative practices like meditation may help people decrease stress and increase well-being. However, few studies have examined the impact of such practices on the ability to regulate emotion. Moreover, certain practices may be more suited for some people …

Focused attention versus open monitoring meditation and self-referential brain processing

The present study assesses the effects on brain processing of a well-characterized self-referential paradigm involving the brain response to hearing self vs. other names in advanced practitioners from meditative traditions towards the ends of the two poles on the meditative spectrum. The assessed practitioners will be from the Himalayan Yoga tradition utilizing focused attention techniques …

Effects of mind-body interventions in cancer supportive care: Oxytocin as a biological correlate of wellbeing and connectedness

This pilot project evaluates the neuropeptide oxytocin as a potentially useful biological indicator of changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and well-being in two different randomized clinical studies investigating the effects of mind-body interventions in post-treatment cancer survivors. One study, targeting sleep disturbance, compares 3 sessions (one per week) of Mind-Body Bridging and Mindfulness …