This finding is particularly significant because there is mounting evidence that suggests that people who react strongly to the stressors of daily life face an increased risk for the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). This fact was the basis for the study’s conception. The study gathered individuals with risk factors for CAD. These participants were randomly assigned one of three types of stress intervention methods: yoga, conventional relaxation, or mindfulness meditation.
The participants in each group underwent weekly 1.5-hour sessions in their designated intervention method and daily home practice for twelve weeks; this was followed by another 12 weeks of home practice.
Researchers then conducted follow-up assessments at the end of the 24-week study. The results indicated that all of the three methods of stress intervention contributed to the decrease in negative emotions and the increase in general well-being. Yet the group that practiced mindfulness exhibited a slightly higher level of improvement compared to the other two groups.
01/12/2011
