Pranayama Yoga: Measuring Brainwaves via EEG

Abstract

Differences in baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) activity have been found among longtime practitioners of meditation (3+ years) in comparison to novice meditators (<1 year). In the current study, 10 participants (5 experienced meditators; 5 novices) engaged in a series of weekly, 20-minute Open Heart Meditation (OHM) practices; 5 control participants (all novices) engaged in a 20-minute reading/study session. EEG activity was measured in all participants during the first and final sessions. While the differences did not reach statistical significance, there were differences in the expected direction, suggesting an increase in baseline mean frequency of EEG measurements within the beta range for experienced meditators in comparison to novices and controls, suggesting an increase in neurological engagement during meditation. These findings suggest that there are potential neurological gains of certain meditative practices, which should lead to further investigation into the merits of meditative practice as a form of therapy.

EEG Brain Wave Dynamics: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis on Effect of Yoga on Mind Relaxation

“…From review a data of 318 participants, including 249 male participants and 69 female participants were derived. The maximum number of samples for a particular study was 50 males and 36 females [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]…”

“…The type of yogic practice and their frequency of utilization is presented in table 4. Alternate Nostril Breathing (ANB), Asanas Pranayama Dhyana (APD) and Relaxation Therapy (RT) were used twice and other were used once each [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. The 46% participants performed yoga for 1-2 months, 31% in 4-6 months and 23% performed yoga for less than a month (fi gure 2).…”

“…The signal shows a large inter and intra-individual variability. The electrical data in EEG is important to study the correlation between yoga practices and neuro-physiological states, because any shift in the EEG frequency range and amplitude (Power) refl ects the physiological arousal [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. The EEG is highly complex and is a combination of fi ve diff erent frequency waveforms, namely,  (delta),  (theta),  (beta),  (alpha), and  (gamma) waves, respectively .…”

Review of EEG-Based Biometrics in 5G-IoT: Current Trends and Future Prospects

“…Researchers have explored the potential of using a person's EEG as a biometric identifier by analyzing the unique properties and patterns of their EEG signals [21]. Beyond its traditional uses, EEG has found applications in tailored scenarios like yoga classes, meditation sessions, immersive gaming experiences, and virtual reality platforms [22]. ts widespread use in understanding human brain functionality extends to gaining insights into human thoughts, needs, and emotions, particularly in marketing and strategic planning.…”