Abstract
<p>Meditation has long been studied for its ability to enhance mental, social, and emotionalwell-being and reshape brain networks. This review presents an integrated perspective thatmeditation is not only a form of mental training but also a phenomenon with measurablephysiological and molecular correlates.Emerging findings reveal that meditation modulates stress-induced markers, cerebralmetabolic changes, hormonal rhythms, and changes in gene expression and epigenetic regulationacross cellular pathways in humans. This review proposes an integrative multiscale model inwhich meditation is shown to contribute to the coordination between neural activity andperipheral rhythms, thereby promoting adaptive homeostasis. This multi-scale perspectiveprovides a biological framework for understanding how meditation influences processes acrossthe brain and body.</p>