A preliminary comparison of physiological and fMRI data from an experienced meditator during mindfulness, paced breathing at 6 breaths/min, and spontaneous breathing provided several characteristic findings related to the brain-body mechanisms of mindfulness: 1) a reduction of breathing rate together with indicators of improved respiratory gas exchange (RGE); 2) a significant correlation between the temporal oscillation of RGE metrics and cerebral hemodynamic fluctuations (CHF) in regions within the salience and default mode networks; 3) a difference in the coherence of CHF with RGE and with heart cycle duration (NN).
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