Johns Hopkins University Study:

(The following Resarch Studies conducted by: Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) 

"FETAL RESPONSES TO INDUCED MATERNAL RELAXATION DURING PREGNANCY":

Fetal responses to induced maternal relaxation during the 32^nd week of pregnancy were recorded in 100 maternal-fetal pairs using a digitized data collection system. The 18-minute guided imagery relaxation manipulation generated significant changes in maternal heart rate, skin conductance, respiration period, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia.  Significant alterations in fetal neurobehavior were observed, including decreased fetal heart rate (FHR), increased FHR variability, suppression of fetal motor activity (FM), and increased FM-FHR coupling. Attribution of the two fetal cardiac responses to the guided imagery procedure itself, as opposed to simple rest or recumbency, is tempered by the observed pattern of response.
As a result, pregnant women are often urged to relax more frequently. Research has begun to ascertain the efficacy of this admonition by including stress-reduction interventions, including yoga, progressive relaxation (meditation and music therapy), which help maximize pregnancy outcomes.
"Such therapeutic interventions reliably generate beneficial alterations to mood, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and there is modest support for a positive impact on gestational duration and/or birth weight."



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UNIVERSITY STUDIES:
 Harvard University Study:

(The following Research Studies conducted by David Eisenberg, MD and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School):
"MEDITATION IS GOOD MEDICINE ":

"Mind/body medicine is the most widely used alternative. And it's no wonder, when you look at the medical evidence piling up to support its role in promoting health. At the heart of mind/body medicine lies the age-old practice of meditation, a quiet, simple technique that belies an extraordinary power to boost disease resistance and maintain overall health
"Meditation naturally leads to the "relaxation response," changes in the body that are deeply restorative and which quicken healing. These changes include reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, blood flow to skeletal muscles, perspiration, and muscle tension, as well as an improvement in immunity. The relaxation response works much like pushing a "reset" button, enabling your body to return to a state of optimal balance.
"Many studies have been done that show the effectiveness of meditation in treating a number of health conditions.  Researchers have also found that new mothers who use meditation with images of milk flowing in their breasts can more than double their production of milk.
"The heart has been the focus of hundreds of studies of meditation worldwide. Regular practice of meditation has been found to significantly reduce blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. These reductions can endure over the long term: In one study, the reductions achieved during an eight-week program were still in place three years later."



HARVARD UNIVERSITY STUDY:

(The following Research studies conducted by Sara  Lazar, PhD, research scientist at Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts General Hospital.)

"Meditation may Alter Brain, Delay Aging":

"Early research suggests that daily meditation can alter the physical structure of the brain and may even slow brain deterioration related to aging.
"The study showed that parts of the brain known as the cerebral cortex were thicker in people who meditated for as little as 40 minutes a day, compared with people who did not meditate.  This region of the brain plays a critical role in decision making, working memory, and brain-body interactions.
"The findings are not the first to suggest that meditation can change the way the brain works and that this change can be measured through brain imaging. Recent studies involving Buddhist monks in Tibet suggest that meditation alters key electrical impulses within the brain."

YOGA RESEARCH FOUNDATION:

"A new study conducted by the Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation in India indicates that a daily yoga and meditation practice during a woman's pregnancy improves birth weight and reduce prematurity and reduce overall medical complications for newborn babies."