Dojo Study Finds Meditation Lowers Heart Rate in 77% of Sessions

The report, titled "The State of Meditation 2026," analyzed anonymized sessions from the first half of the year to track how meditation impacts the human body second-by-second. Findings reveal that the average session lasted 12.36 minutes, with participants experiencing an average drop of 6.5 beats per minute. Most users began to see physiological shifts quickly, with the median time to the first heart-rate decrease occurring after just one minute of practice.

Founder and CEO Asaf Shamir argues that traditional meditation apps rely too heavily on static content that leaves users guessing about their progress. By integrating heart-rate monitoring, the platform aims to create a feedback loop where AI adjusts techniques—ranging from breath work to body scans—based on how the user’s body actually responds. In cases where resting heart rate was known, 27% of sessions successfully drove the user’s heart rate below their baseline, highlighting the potential for active emotional and physical regulation. The company intends to follow this initial release with more granular breakdowns exploring how specific techniques and times of day influence these physiological markers.