1Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Grant Govt. Medical College and J.J. Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai-8
2Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Grant Govt. Medical College and J.J. Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai-8
3Professor and HOD, Department of Physiology, Grant Govt. Medical College and J.J. Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai-8
4Assistant Professor, Department of PSM, B. J. Govt. Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, Pune
*Corresponding Author: Email: shrutirp@gmail.com
Online published on 22 May, 2014.
In today's hectic routine we are being subjected to increasing levels of stress, which has become a part and parcel of our life and just can't be avoided. Mankind is thus increasingly on the lookout for various lifestyle modifications. Amongst these modifications, Meditation is proving out to be one of the most universally feasible solution to this modern day stressful condition.
Widely proclaimed therapeutic benefits of meditation have motivated us to conduct the present study in order to evaluate the physiological response patterns obtained by meditation on basic cardio respiratory parameters like pulse rate and respiratory rate.
The study was conducted on 30 Meditators and 30 Non-meditators. The Non-meditators were used as controls and were made to relax in the lying position. Pulse rate and respiratory rate were taken in three phases in both the groups, that is 1) before 2) during and 3) after meditation or relaxation as per the respective group.
Analysis of the study revealed a significant fall in respiratory rate as well as pulse rate in the meditators during phase 2 and phase 3. But similar effects were not observed in the Nonmeditator group in any of the phases of relaxation.
Meditation causes decrease in both respiratory rate as well as pulse rate and thereby the heart rate.
Pulse rate, Respiratory rate, meditation, relaxation
