For those who wish to deepen their understanding of mindfulness and for those planning to embark on research in this field, we strongly recommend obtaining this book, in which a pioneer of empirical mindfulness research has infused his heartfelt dedication.

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In recent years, self-compassion, the concept of treating oneself with the same kindness as one treats others in various difficult situations, has attracted attention. Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) has been developed as a specialized program for the development of self-compassion, and findings are accumulated in Europe and the United States. However, no evidence of MSC is found for the Japanese. We examined the effect of an online MSC program on psychological variables in a Japanese sample. This study was conducted on 13 participants (M = 49.31 years old, SD = 12.19) three times, that is, before, after, and six months after the eight-week online MSC course. The results showed that the Japanese version of the Self-Compassion, Self-Compassion Response, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scales improved before and after the program. These effects persisted six months after the program.

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In this study, we conducted an intervention experiment to examine the effects of yoga breathing and meditation on mood and blood pressure. We recruited 25 healthy adults with no prior yoga experience and divided them into two groups: one group received instruction in yoga breathing and meditation in addition to yoga poses, whereas the other group did yoga poses only. The intervention took place once a week for a total of six sessions. Measurements of blood pressure and pulse rate before and after the intervention showed a tendency for systolic blood pressure to decrease in the group that received breathing and meditation instruction (d = 0.23, p = 0.41). Additionally, when participants completed the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS2) before and after the intervention, the group that received breathing and meditation instruction displayed a tendency for an increase in “Vigor-Activity” scores (d = 0.67, p = 0.06), while the group that did not receive breathing and meditation instruction exhibited a tendency for a decrease in “Friendliness” scores (d = 0.64, p = 0.15). In the open-ended response section after the intervention, participants in the group that had not received breathing and meditation instruction primarily described changes in physical sensations, whereas those in the group that received breathing and meditation instruction also reported changes in emotions, thoughts, and behavior. These findings suggest that incorporating breathing and meditation practices into yoga poses might have a positive impact on psychological functioning.

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