A review of the scientific studies on cyclic meditation

Byline: Pailoor. Subramanya, Shirley. Telles General Yoga is an ancient science, originating in India, which has components of physical activity, instructed relaxation and interoception. [sup] [1] Yoga includes diverse practices, such as physical postures ( asanas ), regulated breathing ( pranayama ), meditation and lectures on philosophical aspects of yoga. [sup] [2],[3] Meditation is the seventh of eight steps prescribed to reach an ultimate stage of spiritual emancipation (Patanjali, circa 900 B.C.). [sup] [4] While many practitioners do learn meditation directly, others find it easier to first pass through the other stages - learn yoga postures ( asanas ) and regulated breathing ( pranayamas ). It is postulated that when a novice attempts to meditate directly, there could be two responses based on the quality of the mind viz., (i) a rajasic - active (personality) mind would be restless all through the session and (ii) a tamasic - a mind with inertia could fall asleep. This problem of the mind is addressed in the Mandukya Upanishad. Based on this a technique of 'moving meditation', which combines the practice of yoga postures with guided meditation was evolved, called cyclic meditation (CM), by H.R. Nagendra, Ph.D., which has its' origin in an ancient Indian text, Mandukya Upanishad . [sup] [5] It is interesting to note that CM does induce a quiet state of mind, which is compatible with the description of meditation ( dhyana or effortless expansion), according to Patanjali. The description states: ' Tatra pratyayaikatanata dhyanam' (Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Chapter 3: Verse 2). This means that the uninterrupted flow of the mind towards the object chosen for meditation is dhyana. [sup] [4] Indeed, all meditations, irrespective of the strategies involved are believed to help reach this state. There are several strategies in meditation which include breath awareness, awareness of internal sensations, directing the attention to a mantra or a koan , and keeping the eyes open with the gaze fixed on the object of meditation. The verse on which CM is based, states: 'In a state of mental inactivity awaken the mind; when agitated, calm it; between these two states realize the possible abilities of the mind. If the mind has reached states of perfect equilibrium do not disturb it again'. The underlying idea is that, for most persons, the mental state is routinely somewhere between the extremes of being 'inactive' or of being 'agitated' and hence to reach a balanced/relaxed state the most suitable technique would be one which combines 'awakening' and 'calming' practices. In CM, the period of practicing yoga postures constitutes the 'awakening' practices, while periods of supine rest comprise 'calming practices'. An essential part of the practice of CM is being aware of sensations arising in the body. [sup] [6] This supports the idea that a combination of stimulating and calming techniques practiced with a background of relaxation and awareness (during CM) may reduce psycho physiological arousal more than resting in a supine posture for the same duration. The practice of CM, includes yoga postures ( asanas ) which involve muscle stretching and this has diverse benefits. The effects, benefits and possible mechanisms underlying CM are given below. Scientific Studies on CM The studies described below were all carried out at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India, where the technique was devised. Studies on autonomic and respiratory variables In a previous study, heart rate variability (HRV) was studied in 42 male volunteers in CM and supine rest (SR) sessions. The high frequency (HF) power of the HRV increased during both CM and SR practice, which is considered to suggest increased vagal tone. [sup] [7] However, there was a marginally greater increase during CM (4.4 %) compared to during SR (1.0 %). In the same study the low frequency (LF) power which is believed to correlate with sympathetic activity was significantly less during both CM (1. …