Heartfulness Institute is a not-for-profit organisation with meditation programmes practiced in

approximately 150 countries worldwide and supported by thousands of certified volunteer trainers
who serve more than a million practitioners. Heartfulness has a corporate presence in
multinational companies, as well as small- to mid-sized businesses, educational institutes,
government departments and the armed services.
Through workshops and individual practice, participants develop calmness from within, leading to
better focus, inner balance and true wellness. For employees and the organisation, this can lead
to:

 Relaxation for physical well-being

 Rejuvenation: unwinding the mind and letting go of stress
 Finding inner strength, developing confidence and balance
 Making wise choices and bolstering empathetic leadership
 Better relationships
 Teams that are more integrated and more effective
 A happier, healthier, and more productive work environment

Scientific and Medical Studies

During the last 50 years, there have been many scientific and medical studies on the positive effects of relaxation and meditation
on the physiology and psychology of human beings. These studies have shown that meditation helps to reduce stress, improve
emotional outlook and provide balance.
In session two, Dr Jay Thimmapuram, Academic Hospitalist at WellSpan York Hospital, discussed “The Science of Meditation” by
reviewing two landmark research studies on Heartfulness meditation. In one such study, scientists took a group of people who had
never meditated before and taught them how to meditate for eight weeks. Then researchers tracked changes to their brains and the
results were amazing. Researchers found that the cortical thickness of the brains of those involved in the study were stronger and
more robust. The cortical thickness of the brain is important as it reviewed for its impact on age-related degeneration of brain tissue
and its link to intelligence.

In another study at York Hospital (PENN), researchers conducted another study to see
if Heartfulness meditation had any impact on highly stressful professions like the
medication profession. During this study, scientists and doctors took a group of nurses,
residents, and physicians and practiced meditation with them for 12 weeks. The first
step was to measure their burnout scores using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (BMI),
their emotional wellness and telomere length. A telomere is a region of repetitive
nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the
chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighbouring chromosomes. Its
length is associated with health and well-being as its length signifies how well it is
protecting a DNA strand from unravelling or performing its function adequately.
First, to measure their burnout, researchers looked at the three components of burnout
syndrome:
 Emotional exhaustion
 Depersonalisation/cynicism
 Sense of low personal accomplishment / sense of inefficacy
The study found that after 12 weeks of Heartfulness meditation, emotional exhaustion
and depersonalisation decreased with statistical significance and personal
accomplishment increased with statistical significance for those in the meditation group.
Burnout scores and emotional wellness also improved for those in the meditation group
compared to the control group. Concentration, calmness, clarity of thought, harmony,
joy and sleep levels also increased in the group who practiced Heartfulness meditation
with statistical significance.
Finally, telomere length, which represents health and well-being was measured. When
ages were matched in the meditation and control groups, the telomere length of those
in the meditation group was found to have increased in length compared to those in the
control group.
Aside from the stories provided by those who meditate, science is now focusing on the
benefits of Heartfulness meditating and its positive impact on your mental and physical
well-being.