Meditation increases heart rhythm variability

Mindfulness Meditation
#1

Hi Folks,
I thought I will share this info I found on internet. Its a study of heart rhythm of people practicing Chi meditaiton and Kundalini Yoga:

http://www.physionet.org/physiobank/database/meditation/meditation.shtml

Its not long paper to read but the main conclusion for me is here:

"These findings appear to contradict a conventional notion of meditation as only a psychologically and physiologically quiescent (“homeostatic’’) state. Instead, the selected healthy individuals we studied showed marked dynamic variability in heart rate during a state subjectively perceived as one of profound relaxation.”

Its interesting for me because it challenges a bit our conceptions about meditation. We perceive that during meditation our body and mind slows down, so we conclude everything is getting simpler and more calm. But maybe its illusion. Like with heart rhythm which is slower but, it seems from this paper, much more complex and irregular. Maybe its similar with brain activity - that it gets slower but much more complex?

#2

The thing that I find interesting is they got the same results for both groups, even though the Chi meditators were novices, and the Kundalini meditators were supposedly more advanced.

I saw a paper on a similar study that I think studied brain waves. They did the study on a group of Buddhist monks and got similar results from all of them. Also they found that meditation activity in novices was not much different from simple rest or relaxation. The brain activity of the monks was much different. Of course this is all just from memory and I have no idea where I saw the study.

I think meditation means different things to different people.

#3

[QUOTE=Asuri;41243]The thing that I find interesting is they got the same results for both groups, even though the Chi meditators were novices, and the Kundalini meditators were supposedly more advanced. [/QUOTE]

Remember its just heart rhythm variability. Maybe there is no difference there with development in meditation.

[QUOTE=Asuri;41243]I think meditation means different things to different people. [/QUOTE]

I wonder whether our body recognizes what meaning of meditation we actually hold and responds only to correct one :wink:

#4

Hi.
I suppose, it`s not easy to find a perfect meditator, not speaking about a group of them, numerous enough to give valid results.
Even monks are not necessarily good in meditation.
Heart rhythm may vary due to contrast caused by meditator losing his concentration in relatively calm state and gets worried with images of his mind, which is not controlled perfectly yet.

#5

Sasha,
Heart rhythm variability is a good thing. Decrease in variability may be a symptom of disease:

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability

"Reduced HRV has been shown to be a predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction[1][2] although others have shown that the information in HRV relevant to acute myocardial infarction survival is fully contained in the mean heart rate[3]. A range of other outcomes/conditions may also be associated with modified (usually lower) HRV, including congestive heart failure, diabetic neuropathy, depression post-cardiac transplant, susceptibility to SIDS and poor survival in premature babies.

In the field of psychophysiology, there is great interest in HRV. For example, decreased HRV may be apparent in the presence of depression. Moreover, the Polyvagal Theory derives from a psychophysiologic imputation of importance to HRV."

But I don’t know how disturbance of the mind (e.g. worrying) my affect HRV. Will search.

#6

Well, it surely varies accordingly to activities and conditions. But it`s not that case:

[QUOTE=Pawel;41198 and scientists]
…the selected healthy individuals we studied showed marked dynamic variability in heart rate during a state subjectively perceived as one of profound relaxation…[/QUOTE]
I guess, in meditation it should be slower but [U]stable[/U].
Though, I think I understand your idea of complexity in simplicity.

#7

[QUOTE=Pawel;41198]Hi Folks,
I thought I will share this info I found on internet. Its a study of heart rhythm of people practicing Chi meditaiton and Kundalini Yoga:

http://www.physionet.org/physiobank/database/meditation/meditation.shtml

Its not long paper to read but the main conclusion for me is here:

"These findings appear to contradict a conventional notion of meditation as only a psychologically and physiologically quiescent (“homeostatic’’) state. Instead, the selected healthy individuals we studied showed marked dynamic variability in heart rate during a state subjectively perceived as one of profound relaxation.”

Its interesting for me because it challenges a bit our conceptions about meditation. We perceive that during meditation our body and mind slows down, so we conclude everything is getting simpler and more calm. But maybe its illusion. Like with heart rhythm which is slower but, it seems from this paper, much more complex and irregular. Maybe its similar with brain activity - that it gets slower but much more complex?[/QUOTE]

A study is one thing but be very careful when working with heart rate and meditation actually I am more of the belief that you should not try this at home? at all

I did something similar to this training qigong and it is dangerous, I cannot stress this enough while meditating DO NOT tie it to your heart beating.

I did this early on and while meditating I realized that I could slow my heart rate, and I did. I got it very very slow and then had a thought… I bet I could stop it. That is when I realized what I was doing and my heart rate went from very very very slow to very very very fast in a nanosecond.

Per my qigong sifu from that time, that is a very very dangerous practice to do and should not be done at all. I have since read that if you ever try it ONLY with a well trained teacher (and in qigong in America that is extremely rare) after you have a whole lot of training and understanding behind you and even then it can be dangerous. This is not something to play with or just check out, IMO.

I did this about 15 years ago and I have never tried it since. Now as I mediate things slow down by themselves without any intervention from me as far as I know… but then I am not focusing on them so I can’t really be sure

#8

[QUOTE=Sasha;41272]I guess, in meditation it should be slower but [U]stable[/U].[/QUOTE]

I would guess the same. So its quite surprising to find its other way around.

#9

Thanks Yulaw for warning. I didn’t know you may control heart rate so easily (it sounds easy in your description).
I knew one guy who could stop his heart beat - I’m still wondering how is it possible from physiological point of view. There is automaticity in heart which would make heart work even if we cut off nerve connections. So how is it that we can suppress this automaticity just by intention of slowing down and stopping. Amazing…

#10

[QUOTE=Pawel;41198]Hi Folks,
I thought I will share this info I found on internet. Its a study of heart rhythm of people practicing Chi meditaiton and Kundalini Yoga:

http://www.physionet.org/physiobank/database/meditation/meditation.shtml

Its not long paper to read but the main conclusion for me is here:

"These findings appear to contradict a conventional notion of meditation as only a psychologically and physiologically quiescent (“homeostatic’’) state. Instead, the selected healthy individuals we studied showed marked dynamic variability in heart rate during a state subjectively perceived as one of profound relaxation.”

Its interesting for me because it challenges a bit our conceptions about meditation. We perceive that during meditation our body and mind slows down, so we conclude everything is getting simpler and more calm. But maybe its illusion. Like with heart rhythm which is slower but, it seems from this paper, much more complex and irregular. Maybe its similar with brain activity - that it gets slower but much more complex?[/QUOTE]

My heart rate is always faster on the exhale. It is very loud and fast during khumbaka. Interesting, that during meditation some schools emphasis elongation of the exhale.

There is an interesting technique to slow the heart rate.
*** 1) One count for one heart beat
2) One count for two heart beats… and so on…

#11

[QUOTE=Pawel;41251]Remember its just heart rhythm variability. Maybe there is no difference there with development in meditation.

I wonder whether our body recognizes what meaning of meditation we actually hold and responds only to correct one ;)[/QUOTE]

Obviously our body responds to what we really think and do. That is why, in the brain wave study, there was a correlation of the results with the experience level and training of the meditator. We don’t see that correlation in the heart rate study. I’m kind of surprised that you would put so much faith in such a small experiment.