Study Finds 21 Minutes of Yogic Meditation Could Ease Family Tension This Christmas

A short daily meditation practice taught by Indian Yogi Sadhguru could help ease loneliness, stress and family conflict over Christmas, according to new peer-reviewed research by Harvard-affiliated scientists.

The findings come as UK surveys show the festive season is a major pressure point for mental health. Mental Health UK reports that 80% of people living with mental-health conditions see their symptoms worsen over Christmas, while nearly three-quarters feel lonelier even when surrounded by family. Separate analysis shows 84% of Britons find Christmas stressful or triggering.

The new study, published in Frontiers in Psychology (2025), was led by researchers at the Sadhguru Center for a Conscious Planet at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital.

It examined 24 adults who completed Inner Engineering, a programme created by Sadhguru that teaches Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya - a 21-minute yogic meditative practice. The program highlights Yogic meditation’s role as a non-religious, scalable intervention for improving well-being.

After six weeks, every participant who practised regularly reported improvements in emotional well-being and relationships. Researchers identified reduced emotional reactivity, greater empathy and compassion, and more harmonious communication with partners and children, including fewer arguments and better listening.

The authors note that related neuroscience research suggests meditation reduces activity in the brain’s stress centre, the amygdala, while strengthening emotional regulation and activating the body’s calming “rest-and-digest” response.

Sumita Hutchison, Director at an NHS Foundation Trust, told That's Christmas 365: “The Christmas period places enormous pressure on families. 

Polls show half of Britons find Christmas stressful and mothers feel it most acutely. At the same time, the UK economy loses over £117 billion a year to poor mental health. We urgently need scalable, evidence‑based solutions. 

This study offers compelling evidence that Yogic meditation can reduce loneliness, stress and family conflict in just a few weeks. Policymakers should support making programmes like this more accessible.”

Yogic practices, which originate in India, are gaining increased interest globally as wellbeing solutions.