Prayer is a common spiritual practice in which many religions regularly engage. While it seems obvious that communicating with one's higher power can have spiritual benefits, today we will be exploring the less obvious physiological benefits of prayer. 

References: 

Cooper, D., Thayer, J., & Waldstein, S. (2014). Coping with racism: The impact of prayer on cardiovascular reactivity and post-stress recovery in African American women. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 47(2), 218-230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-013-9540-4

The How of Happiness - Sonja Lyubomirsky

Meints, S. M., Mosher, C., Rand, K. L., Ashburn-Nardo, L., & Hirsh, A. T. (2018). An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 18(3), 545-553. https://doi.org/10.1515/sjpain-2018-0040