Epigenetics and mindfulness

We can influence our genes, and therefore our health, through regular, appropriate exercise, such as meditation or yoga, as American holistic physician and author of books on personal development Deepak Chopra demonstrates in his new scientific article.

Your nervous system, immune system, and hormones don't operate in isolation—they're in constant intelligent conversation. Every bite you eat, every hour of sleep you get, every wave of stress or calm is like a message telling your genes what to do; when to turn on healing, when to calm inflammation, when to restore balance.

The so-called neuro-immune-endocrine axis has a decisive influence on the quality and length of our lives. It includes the nervous, immune and endocrine systems and therefore significantly influences physiological functions, starting with digestion, through sleep, excretion or even how we cope with a common virus or bacteria. But what stimuli does this complex network receive from the environment today?

How does stress hurt?

Stress, anxiety and depression are unfortunately prevalent in civilized society. You may think to yourself, that's not my case, I can handle everything, I don't have any pain or chronic problems, I don't have time for them. But if you focus most of the day on performance, when your mind is focused on solving problems - to work, from work, shopping, picking up the children from school, taking them to clubs, cooking, cleaning..., you may not even realize that you are living in chronic stress until a serious physical illness occurs.

Chronic stress manifests itself in a variety of physical and psychological symptoms. The most common include chronic fatigue, irritability, headaches, muscle tension, digestive problems, sleep problems, concentration problems, rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure. Anxiety or depression can also be added. All of these symptoms should be a warning sign for you that you should slow down in your life.

Preventing cancer and premature aging? Time for yourself

Fortunately, there is a way out of stress: regular time for yourself in the form of focused attention. In the text, Chopra highlights the positive effects of all exercises aimed at connecting the mind and body, the so-called body-mind practices. These include, for example, yoga, tai chi, qigong, acupuncture, pilates, guided imagery, meditation, aromatherapy, hypnosis, art therapy, music therapy or dance therapy. “These exercises provide a wide range of physiological benefits, such as relieving stress, reducing anxiety and improving conditions and symptoms related to chronic diseases,” Chopra writes. That is why he recommends them as a supportive means of conventional treatment, but above all as a suitable prevention of all diseases and premature aging.

“Regular yoga, meditation, or mindfulness practice have shown promising effects on stress hormones and inflammatory markers in a range of health conditions, including cancer, HIV, depression, and cardiovascular disease. These interventions point to bidirectional interactions between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. In other words, they play a key role in physiological homeostasis and disease pathology,” Chopra writes.

The article also presents a list of the conclusions of some scientific studies that demonstrate the connection between various exercises aimed at connecting the mind and body and epigenetic changes that lead to positive health outcomes.

Tai chi: Randomized controlled trials report that regular practice can regulate inflammation through reduction of gene expression.

Qigong : A study of Qigong practitioners analyzed gene expression in neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell that is crucial in fighting infection. Using a 12,000-gene microarray, they found that Qigong practitioners had 132 genes with lower expression and 118 genes with higher expression compared to controls. Some of the differently expressed genes shared common functions, suggesting that Qigong enhances immunity, reduces cellular metabolism, and delays cell death.

Meditation : Inflammatory markers have been found to decrease after meditation, and the magnitude of this decrease correlates with the length of meditation practice. The longer you meditate, the less inflammation you have.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) : After participating in the MBSR program, participants reported a reduction in feelings of loneliness, and gene analysis showed a reversal of pro-inflammatory gene expression patterns.

Yoga : A clinical study found rapid changes in gene expression in healthy people who practiced yoga programs, with the study recommending the mind-body connection exercise as an affordable and rapidly effective intervention for improving health.

Pranayama : A study of eight patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia examined the effects of several types of breathing exercises, pranayama. The striking results showed that 4,428 genes out of 28,000 analyzed were upregulated by up to 200% in leukemia patients who practiced breathing techniques. This suggests improved immune regulation.

Altered states of consciousness : Researchers examined changes in gene expression in adepts who claimed to have entered a higher state of consciousness (a state of “pure awareness” without thoughts, feelings, or sensations) drawing from the traditions of Zen, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Pranayama. Genes whose expression changed by 30% or more after entering higher consciousness were considered significant. In one participant, 1,688 genes changed in expression, and in the other, 608 genes changed in expression. The genes that changed in both meditators indicate a downregulation of metabolism and cell cycle processes, while genes related to the immune system, cell death, and stress response were downregulated.

Our tips:

1) Try mindfulness meditation daily to reap these neuroimmune benefits.

Try body-scan: a basic body scan meditation with our instructor Jana Kyriaka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXLSHnfrNGA

2) Stay curious – follow similar articles and studies to understand how your lifestyle affects your genes.

Author of the article: Veronika Veselá

Source: Epigenetic Modulation of Neuro-Immuno-Endocrine Axis in Mind-Body Practices

Deepak Chopra, Anu T Singh, Manu Jaggi, Robert Eric Dinenberg, David S Karow, Wei-Wu He, Brian J Fertig and JA Tuszynski, Journal of Alternative Complementary & Integrative Medicine (April 2025) https://www.heraldopenaccess.us/openaccess/epigenetic-modulation-of-neuro-immuno-endocrine-axis-in-mind-body-practices