The unique autonomic signatures of savoring meditation for anxiety reduction: A pilot randomized controlled trial.
Journal of anxiety disorders July 1, 2025 Tomoko Kishimoto, Ximing Hao, Qiyu Bai 3 citations
Savoring meditation, a positive emotion intervention, produces a distinct autonomic pattern compared to breathing relaxation in people with probable generalized anxiety disorder. In a pilot randomized trial, 44 participants with moderate or higher anxiety severity were assigned to either savoring meditation or breathing relaxation. Heart rate variability indicators showed that savoring meditation increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activity, while breathing relaxation showed the opposite pattern. Despite these different autonomic signatures, both interventions led to similar and significant reductions in anxiety after worrying. The findings suggest that savoring meditation may reduce anxiety through unique autonomic mechanisms, offering new possibilities for anxiety treatment.