Electroencephalographic dynamics of rhythmic breath-based meditation
bioRxiv Preprint Server March 9, 2022 Vaibhav Tripathi, Lakshmi Bhasker, Chhaya Kharya et al. 5 citations preprint
During Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a rhythmic-breathing meditation, brain oscillations slow from alpha to theta to delta as the practice progresses. In 43 subjects, alpha-wave amplitude in the parieto-occipital region decreased during rhythmic breathing and dropped sharply in meditation. Theta amplitude and peak frequency increased in the centro-frontal region during rhythmic breathing but remained sustained and low during meditation. Delta-wave amplitude was unaffected by breathing, but both delta power and peak frequency rose during meditation in the centro-frontal region. A decrease in the 1/f aperiodic signal across the brain during meditation suggests a shift in excitation-inhibition balance. Each phase of SKY has a unique electrophysiological signature.