Novice Meditators of an Easily Learnable Audible Mantram Sound Self-Induce an Increase in Vagal Tone During Short-term Practice: A Preliminary Study.

Introduction: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a vital role in regulation of the physiological processes during normal and pathological conditions. Heart rate variability (HRV) is regarded as a major indicator of the self-regulatory strength and balance of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nerve system (SNS) impulses, as interpreted by the intrinsic nervous system of the heart. The present study focuses on the evaluation of the effects of audible and mindful practice of chanting meditation on HRV and on the cognitive disposition.