title: The Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative and Well-Being.
abstract: To examine the effects of a comprehensive residential mind-body program on well-being.
  
  
  
  The Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative was a quasi-randomized trial comparing the effects of participation in a 6-day Ayurvedic system of medicine-based comprehensive residential program with a 6-day residential vacation at the same retreat location.
  
  
  
  Retreat setting.
  
  
  
  69 healthy women (n = 58) and men (n = 11) (mean age ± standard deviation, 53.6 ± 12 years).
  
  
  
  The Ayurvedic intervention addressed physical and emotional well-being through group meditation and yoga, massage, diet, adaptogenic herbs, lectures, and journaling.
  
  
  
  A battery of standardized questionnaires.
  
  
  
  Participants in the Ayurvedic program showed significant and sustained increases in ratings of spirituality (p < 0.01) and gratitude (p < 0.05) compared with the vacation group, which showed no change. The Ayurvedic participants also showed increased ratings for self-compassion (p < 0.01) as well as less anxiety at the 1-month follow-up (p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Findings suggest that a short-term intensive program providing holistic instruction and experience in mind-body healing practices can lead to significant and sustained increases in perceived well-being and that relaxation alone is not enough to improve certain aspects of well-being.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|2 Department of Psychiatry, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|3 Fellow, Samueli Institute , Alexandria, VA.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
authors.forename: Kathleen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
authors.forename: Meredith A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pung
authors.affiliation: 4 The Chopra Center for Wellbeing , Carlsbad, CA.
authors.forename: Lizabeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|4 The Chopra Center for Wellbeing , Carlsbad, CA.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: 5 Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University , Durham, NC.
authors.forename: P Murali
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Doraiswamy
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|4 The Chopra Center for Wellbeing , Carlsbad, CA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|4 The Chopra Center for Wellbeing , Carlsbad, CA.
authors.forename: Valencia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.affiliation: 6 Genetics and Genomics Sciences, Mount Sinai Hospital , New York, NY.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schadt
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla, CA.|4 The Chopra Center for Wellbeing , Carlsbad, CA.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.affiliation: 7 Massachusetts General Hospital , Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Rudolph E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tanzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008875:Middle Aged; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies / Q000523:psychology*; D012114:Residential Treatment; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires