Chopra Foundation Research Initiatives

Education & Research

Where Science and Soul Coexist

The Chopra Foundation is dedicated to conducting scientific research that examines the effects of mind-body practices on health and wellbeing. These practices include meditation, yoga, breathing techniques, diet, massage and use of adaptogenic herbal supplements, plant fiber, and ingestible oils. While there are studies in the scientific literature on the beneficial effects of a variety of individual mind-body practices for wellbeing, few studies have taken a more systems biology approach that are simultaneously inclusive of numerous practices and examine genetic, biochemical, physiological and psychosocial measurements.

The Chopra Center and Chopra Foundation are in the midst of several research projects. You can find more information about the various studies by clicking on “past studies” or “active studies” from the menu above.

At this time, the Chopra Foundation is not funding research proposals. The Foundation’s Research Team, however, is open to potential research collaborations and can be reached at poonacha@choprafoundation.org

The Chopra Foundation, in collaboration with biomedical scientists and clinicians at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Harvard University, Duke University, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute (SBMRI), and Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), aim at filling this need in the scientific and medical literature through its various research initiatives. These research initiatives grew out of inspiration from anecdotal reports by individuals who experienced many health benefits after taking various mind-body programs offered at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

A few of the benefits reported include:

  • decreased anxiety;
  • improvements in mood, sleep, and concentration;
  • enhanced energy and vitality;
  • improved sense of wellbeing;
  • reduced perception of stress;
  • overall better health.

These experiences have resulted in improvements in:

  • blood pressure;
  • digestive symptoms;
  • glucose regulation;
  • decreased need for medication.