Changes in Microbiota in Healthy Subjects Before and After Meditation Practices in a Controlled Environment

Pranic Healing Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Other: Meditation practice

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06306469

PHRI-2022-1001

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of the study is to evaluate the Changes in Microbiota Markers in Healthy Subjects Before, During and After Meditation Practices in a Controlled Environment.

This study provides a unique opportunity to test the hypotheses that (1) Arhatic Yoga practices will affect both oral and gut microbiome; (2) the oral and gut microbiome will shift dynamically in a short period; and (3) the overall shift resulting from the changes in the gut microbiome members will be associated with known benefits to health and well-being.

Full description

The present study was designed as a single-arm pilot scale to understand the temporal changes in both gut and oral microbiome of the practitioners at a meditation-cum-spiritual retreat in a controlled environment. There was open communication between all the participants before, during and after the retreat. As all the practitioners followed group practices in one location under the supervision of the senior instructors, separate assessment of the adherence of the practitioners to the protocol was not performed. Oral and fecal samples of practitioners were collected at the start (Day0: T1), middle (Day3-5: T2) and end (Day7-9:T3) of the retreat in a sterile containers. Amplicon sequencing was performed from extracted DNA to study changes in microbiome profile during retreat.

Enrollment: 27 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• must provide written informed consent prior to initiation of any study procedures
• was able to understand and agreed to comply with planned study procedures (agreed to the collection of specimens (saliva and fecal) before, during and after the study
• male or non-pregnant female greater than 18 years of age at time of enrolment
• must have a distinct Arhatic level (0-5 level) and performed meditation and MTH practices from once a week to more than 3 times a week prior to this retreat

Exclusion criteria

• concomitant disease that requires any medical treatment
• pregnancy
• any antibiotic treatment in the past two weeks
• pediatric population
• clinical apparent infectious disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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27 participants in 1 patient group

single Arm1

Experimental group

Description:

All practitioners had undertaken formal training on Pranic Healing, Meditation on Twin Hearts, and higher meditation practices at least six months prior to the retreat. Daily retreat practices, which lasted typically for 16-18 hours with occasional short breaks. These practices included combinations of specifically designed physical and breathing exercises to improve the energetic states and stillness. Exercises were followed by Pranic Healing and self-awareness practices. Meditations included Meditation on Twin Hearts, Arhatic Yoga meditations of Kundalini meditation, Arhatic Dhyan and Meditation on the Higher Soul .

Treatment:

Other: Meditation practice