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Psychological and Cardiovascular Effects of Meditation and Yoga

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Brain and Heart Dynamics

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Abstract

Through the continuous scientific exploration into the deep realms of consciousness, researchers have discovered precious gems of knowledge, commonly referred to as meditation and yoga. Such “techniques” have been used for millennia as a means by which to optimize awareness, enhance compassion and empathy, and bring joy to one’s life. In the present chapter, the author briefly reviews some of the most recent and compelling studies addressing the psychological and cardiovascular effects of meditation and yoga. Special emphasis is given to mindfulness-based interventions and the traditional Indian spiritual practice of yoga. Overall, the results indicate that meditation and yoga are efficient strategies to downregulate psychophysiological arousal, facilitate handling of undesired thoughts, optimize one’s ability to deal with negative emotions, and reduce cardiovascular risk. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the brain mechanisms that underlie the effects of meditation and yoga on psychological and cardiovascular responses are hitherto under-researched. Future studies are still necessary to further understanding of the long-term effects of meditation and yoga on emotion regulation, psychosocial skills, and cardiovascular health (e.g., blood pressure reduction and prevention of cardiovascular disease).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Marcelo Bigliassi

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  1. Marcelo Bigliassi
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Correspondence to Marcelo Bigliassi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Drug Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Stefano Govoni

  2. Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Pierluigi Politi

  3. Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Emilio Vanoli

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Natascia Brondino

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Bigliassi, M. (2020). Psychological and Cardiovascular Effects of Meditation and Yoga. In: Govoni, S., Politi, P., Vanoli, E. (eds) Brain and Heart Dynamics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28008-6_57

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28008-6_57

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-28007-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-28008-6

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