Singapore scientists made a surprising discovery, observing Tibetan nuns who were practicing certain meditation techniques. According to the Science Daily, a conscious increase of the body temperature as a result of meditation was first recorded.

Researchers of the Singapore University observed Tibetan nuns during meditation. Despite the fact that temperature of the air was about 25 degrees Celsius below zero, their clothes soaked through. But right in front of the astonished scientists, the Buddhists began to dry their wet clothes with the heat of their own body temperature, which reached 38.3 degrees Celsius.

The nuns made themselves warm from the inside by a meditative technique named “g-Tummo” – the yoga of inner fire. In short, it is a powerful visualization of the inner fire burning behind one’s back in combination with some breathing exercises that cause heat production in the body, in particular the so-called “vase breath”. In order to master this technique, Buddhists sit on the snow trying to melt as much of it as possible with the heat of their body. As a result, the nuns who have obtained some success in the “g-Tummo” technique are absolutely impervious to cold temperatures.

According to Associate Professor Maria Kozhevnikov from the Department of Psychology at the University of Singapore who led the study, the “g-Tummo” helps bring your body temperature back to normal. It is an absolutely safe technique that is practiced not only by nuns but also by quite “ordinary” meditators. There are advanced teachers who can reach almost an infinite increase of their body temperature, feeling a powerful burst of energy.

“Practicing vase breathing alone is a safe technique to regulate core body temperature in a normal range. The participants whom I taught this technique to were able to elevate their body temperature, within limits, and reported feeling more energised and focused. With further research, non-Tibetan meditators could use vase breathing to improve their health and regulate cognitive performance,” said the researcher.

From a scientific point of view, this phenomenon has not yet been explained, despite some attempts. For example, in 2002 Herbert Benson of the Harvard University managed to ascertain that Tibetan nuns can raise the temperature of their fingers and toes by more than 8 degrees Celsius.