Mind and Body (Mind/Body) practices use mental and physical abilities to improve health and well-being. These practices rank among the most popular complementary health approaches. According to a survey done in the USA the most commonly used practices are deep breathing, meditation, chiropractic, osteopathic manipulation, massage, yoga, progressive relaxation, and guided imagery (nccam.nih.gov/health). While there is an increase in research in these areas, many dimensions remain to be explored including the physiological mechanisms underlying the observed effects. Also, Mind and Body practices can be used to noninvasively explore physiological processes. Advancing knowledge of Mind/Body practices through research is essential to fully explore their therapeutic potential, identify adverse effects, and safely integrate these techniques into mainstream medicine.

We invite authors to submit original research as well as review articles. Articles on the physiological effects of Mind and Body (Mind/Body) interventions on the nervous system, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, metabolism, immune functions, epigenetics, and other systems, as well as aspects of performance in cognitive and similar tasks, are welcome.

All submissions must include scientific data based on standardized measures supportive to the topic.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Physiological effects of practices associated with movement, such as yoga, Pilates, TaiChi, and Qi Gong
• Physiological effects on the brain (including the HPA axis) and related systems
• Physiological effects of techniques which involve a change in the mental state, emphasizing meditation
• Physiological effects of voluntarily regulated breathing practices
• Chinese medicine, including acupuncture
• Physiological effects of stress reduction and of relaxation