Answer this question to the best of your ability:
In what ways can meditation impact mood regulation?
Research has shown that regular meditation practice can lead to improvements in mood regulation, likely due to increased activation in areas of the brain associated with positive emotions and decreased activation in areas related to negative emotions. For example, a study mentioned in Altered Traits found that participants who underwent an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program reported significant improvements in mood compared to a control group. Additionally, long-term meditators tend to have increased gray matter volume in areas associated with emotional regulation, such as the orbitofrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex.