Effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breath Meditation on Heart Rate Variability, Sleep and Mental Health in Healthy Individuals : A Pilot and Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
medRxiv January 5, 2025 Vinitha Ganesan, Lauren A. Fowler, Sahil Bajaj et al. 1 citation preprint
A pilot randomized controlled trial tested the feasibility of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a breath-based meditation, in 45 healthy adults (mean age 40.9 years, 77.8% female). Participants were randomized to a three-day SKY intervention with eight-week follow-up or a waitlist control. Adherence to daily practice was high. Compared to controls, SKY participants showed significantly higher resting heart rate variability at the end of three days and at eight-week follow-up. At eight weeks, they also had improvements in resting heart rate, sleep, anxiety, and social connectedness. The results demonstrate that consistent SKY practice can impact physiology.