The Effect of Inner Engineering Program on Interpersonal Relationships

Enas Mohamed^1*Arlene Katz²Nashaw Jafari¹Akila Rayapuraju¹Preeti Upadhyay Reed¹Sepideh Hariri¹Balachundhar Subramaniam¹

• ¹Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• ²Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Word count: 178 Relationship issues are a source of anxiety in today's society. They often result in social withdrawal, heightened emotional reactivity, and difficulties with conflict resolution, straining relationships with partners, friends, and family, and leading to greater isolation and distress (Kasalova et al., 2018). Meditation has become an effective strategy for managing these stressors. Practices such as mindful breathing, emotional regulation, and cognitive reappraisal help individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and empathy—core elements of healthy relationships (Upadhyay et al., 2022). Theories of self-compassion (Neff, 2003) and mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2024) further suggest that structured meditation fosters stability, self-acceptance, and adaptability in the face of interpersonal stressors. The Inner Engineering (IE) program, offered by the Isha Foundation, is a self-paced, non-religious meditation course designed to enhance well-being (Upadhyay, Joshi, et al., 2022). It teaches Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya (SMK), which integrates alternate nostril breathing, AUM chanting, breath awareness, and postural yoga (Upadhyay, Joshi, et al., 2022; Vasudev, 2016). The program emphasizes generating positive emotions, guided meditation, and activating inner energy. IE consists of seven 90-minute modules with reflective writing exercises after each module.