Meditation Basics

Brief Meditation Practices may modestly reduce stress and negative affect, according to recent trials, but effects vary and care may be needed.

Mindfulness mortality research suggests meditation links are mixed, while yoga and Pilates show associations. Learn limits and clinician questions.

Novice meditators may see early attention gains, but UCSF-linked research calls for cautious, evidence-based expectations.

A new study involving researchers from the University of California, Merced, offers a closer look at how people develop mindfulness skills when they begin meditating. Published in the October 2026 issue of Stress and Health,… 

City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California, is preparing a randomized clinical trial to examine whether scheduled meditation can help patients recover after pancreatectomy, a major operation used to remove part or all of… 

Brief meditation may modestly reduce negative emotions in adults, but effects appear small and some people report distress.

MBCT safety evidence in depression suggests no clear rise in symptom worsening, but reporting gaps and clinical fit still matter.

A new study from UC San Diego School of Medicine suggests that chronic low back pain may involve the brain’s sense of self in a way that differs from ordinary acute pain. Researchers found that… 

Short Daily Mindfulness may support emotional health, but recent trials need cautious reading. Learn what findings suggest and ask a clinician.

Digital meditation may reduce short-term stress and anxiety in some studies; learn what recent trials show and what to ask a clinician.