MINDFULNESS meditation, yoga and group therapy have a positive physical impact within the cells of distressed breast cancer survivors, a new study has revealed.

Certain protective and stabilising components of chromosomes, known as telomeres, remain intact in survivors who practise meditation and yoga or attend support group meetings, whereas telomere length decreases for those who don't receive such help.

This new finding provides support for the theory that the workings of the mind impact on physical wellbeing.

"We already know that psychosocial interventions like mindfulness meditation will help you feel better mentally, but now for the first time we have evidence that they can also influence key aspects of your biology," says Dr Linda E. Carlson, director of research at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Canada, and lead author of the study.

The shortening of telomeres is known to be connected to DNA damage or cell death, and has been linked to earlier mortality in patients suffering from a variety of diseases, including breast cancer.

More recently, research has indicated that psychological stress impacts on telomere length; suggesting that interventions which decrease stress may have positive physical effects on a cellular level.

In an attempt to examine this possibility, Dr Carlson and her team recruited 88 breast cancer survivors who were experiencing a significant level of distress.

These women were divided into one of three groups; those who followed an eight-week mindfulness-based treatment programme, those who attended eight weekly group therapy sessions, and a control group who participated in a single stress management seminar.

The mindfulness programme consisted of meditation instruction and Hatha yoga exercises aimed at cultivating non-judgmental awareness of the present moment.

The group therapy focused on encouraging openness and emotional expression, and was designed to help build the patients' social support systems.

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Eva Longoria meditates every day.

The former 'Desperate Housewives' actress believes taking time out to centre her thoughts every morning helps her to lead a "fulfilled" life.

She said: "I have strong spiritual beliefs ... I meditate every day for 20 minutes in the morning. I don't meditate at night though, I just like to wind down when I get into bed and I don't want to associate meditation with sleep.

"The one question everyone asks me is; what advice would I give others to live a fulfilled life? Meditate I say!"

Eva - who was married to Tyler Christopher for two years until 2004 and Tony Parker between 2008 and 2011 - was initially sceptical meditation would work for her but after researching its history and understanding it more, she found ways to "centre her energy" through working with Deepak Chopra, who was friends with Michael Jackson

Eva, 39, told Psychologies magazine: "I was very blessed because I learned how to meditate with Deepak Chopra.

"I was going through my divorce at the time and there were a lot of changes happening at 'Desperate Housewives' and he told me I needed to meditate every day and centre myself more.

"At first I thought, 'No way'. I'm a busy woman, I work and there's no way I can find the time to meditate. I can't clear my mind.

"But I went to the Chopra Center in San Diego and learned the history of meditation and how this wisdom has been around for thousands of years. I learnt to centre my energy."

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Eva Longoria has daily meditation sessions