International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2022
Marim Ibrahim, Joseph Therriault, Vasavan P Nair et al.
A pilot randomized-controlled trial tested whether Kundalini yoga could protect the aging brain. Eleven healthy older adults who had never meditated were randomly assigned to either a Kundalini yoga program or a psychoeducation comparison. Brain scans taken before and after 12 weeks showed a significant increase in right hippocampal gray matter volume only in the yoga group. The finding suggests that Kundalini yoga may have neuroprotective effects for older adults, though the small sample limits generalizability.
International Journal of Yoga
June 2, 2021
Arlene A Schmid, Elizabeth A Sternke, Ai-Nghia L Do et al.
A qualitative study of a 16-week group yoga program for people with PTSD found that participants' descriptions of their experience spontaneously reflected all eight limbs of yoga, including the five yamas and niyamas, even though the program taught only postures, breathwork, intentions, and relaxation without explicit instruction in yoga philosophy or Sanskrit terms. Of 108 people randomized, 67 completed the intervention and follow-up surveys; most were men (70.2%) with combat-related trauma (62.7%), and the average age was 52.4 years. The findings suggest that a posture-and-breath-focused yoga intervention may still engage the broader philosophical framework of yoga.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2020
H. Venkatesh, H. Ravish, C. R. Wilma Delphine Silvia et al.
Chronic stress contributes to hormonal imbalance and inflammation, underlying many chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and asthma. Yoga therapy, a complementary alternative medicine incorporating breathing techniques and mindfulness, positively affects mind and body and may regulate brain structure and function. Although yoga therapy shows immunomodulatory effects, its cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This review summarizes evidence for yoga therapy's positive impact on immune system functioning, aiming to identify immunological signatures that index its effects. The authors argue that yoga, long part of Indian culture, should be scientifically validated and implemented as an alternative treatment for stress-related chronic disease.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2020
Kamini Vasudev, Emily Ionson, Samin Inam et al.
A breath-based yoga intervention, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), was tested for feasibility in civilians with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from various traumas. Over 9 months, 32 of 47 screened participants enrolled; 21 completed the intervention and 95% of assessments. Participants showed a clinically significant decrease in PTSD symptoms at week 12 (average reduction of 10.68 points on the PCL-5 scale), which further improved by week 24 (average reduction of 16.11 points). The findings suggest SKY can be studied in routine psychiatric care for PTSD from diverse traumas, supporting the need for a future randomized controlled trial.
International Journal of Yoga
September 1, 2019
S. Duraimani
Practicing mindfulness meditation via a mobile application substantially reduces stress and anxiety. In a cross-sectional comparison of 111 meditators and 111 non-meditators, meditators showed significantly lower stress and anxiety scores. A subsequent longitudinal study of 67 users measured stress and anxiety before and after meditation practice, finding significant reductions in both stress and anxiety. The findings suggest that mindfulness meditation mobile applications can be an effective tool for addressing stress and anxiety, though further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2019
Reshma Madhukar Shetkar, Alex Hankey, H R Nagendra et al.
Cyclic meditation (CM) enhanced creative cognition, specifically divergent thinking, in a randomized trial with 24 university students. After seven days of 35-minute sessions, the CM group showed improved performance on the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults compared to a supine rest control group. Electroencephalography revealed that CM training shifted brain activity toward predominant gamma waves during creativity tasks, while controls showed delta activity. The CM group also exhibited greater activation in frontal and parietal regions (F3, F4, P3, P4), areas of the executive network involved in creative cognition. The findings suggest CM strengthens connectivity between the default mode and executive attention networks, facilitating creativity stages like preparation, incubation, and illumination.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2019
R. Soni, M. Muniyandi
Breath rate variability (BRV) can differentiate between meditators and nonmeditators after a short 15-minute session. In a nonrandomized controlled trial with 12 male participants (7 experienced meditators and 5 controls), meditators showed higher values in several BRV measures: standard deviation of successive differences (SDSD) was 24% higher, standard deviation of breath-to-breath intervals (SDBB) was 29% higher, and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) was 26% higher. Frequency domain analysis revealed a 73% increase in low-frequency to high-frequency power and a 33% increase in the LF/HF ratio. Nonlinear parameters SD1 and SD2 were also over 20% greater for meditators. BRV may offer a short-term measure of autonomic nervous system effects of meditation, unlike heart rate variability which reflects longer-term changes.
International Journal of Yoga
January 11, 2018
Suvarna Shirish Joshi, Mahendra Prakash Sharma, Shivarama Varambally
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) reduced interepisodic symptoms and improved emotional regulation and quality of life in five patients with bipolar affective disorder in remission. All five cases showed improvement on measures of depression, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, experiential avoidance, and quality of life after 8–10 weeks of MBCT. The single-case design with pre- and post-intervention assessment suggests MBCT may benefit this population, though the small sample limits generalizability.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2018
Sonja Gobec, Frederick Travis
A 4-week course of Maharishi Yoga Asanas, a specific set of postures, led to significant increases in happiness and improvements in sense of personal self, transpersonal qualities, and transpersonal self during Transcendental Meditation practice. The study matched 13 college students taking the yoga course with 13 students taking other courses, measuring mood states, happiness, and meditation depth before and after the course. Results suggest these yoga postures influence deeper levels of subjectivity beyond just body and mind.
International Journal of Yoga
August 26, 2015
T M Srinivasan
Instability in body and mind can lead to self-discovery and altered states of consciousness, especially when facing death. Healing is distinct from curing the body; it involves balancing body, mind, and consciousness to achieve wholeness. The ultimate goal is to experience oneness with all life, transcending sensory experience. A therapist's role is to guide this inquiry into reality without religious commitment. Consciousness continues after bodily death and is not merely reflective awareness. Altered states of consciousness can arise from trauma, meditation, drugs, or common experiences like sleep deprivation.
International Journal of Yoga
August 26, 2015
Manish J Parswani, Mahendra P Sharma, S S Iyengar
A randomized controlled trial with 30 male coronary heart disease patients found that an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, compared with treatment as usual, significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, perceived stress, blood pressure, and body mass index. These improvements were maintained at a 3-month follow-up.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2015
Sudha Banth, Maryam Didehdar Ardebil
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) combined with usual medical care reduced pain severity and improved physical and mental quality of life more than usual medical care alone in female patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. Patients who completed eight sessions of meditation reported significantly lower pain and better quality of life at the end of the intervention and at a four-week follow-up. The results indicate that MBSR, which includes body scan, sitting, and walking meditation, is an effective mind-body therapy for this population.
International Journal of Yoga
April 29, 2011
Bangalore G Kalyani, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian, Rashmi Arasappa et al.
Audible 'OM' chanting produces a sensation of vibration that may stimulate the vagus nerve through its auricular branches. Using fMRI in 12 healthy volunteers, the neurohemodynamic correlates of 'OM' chanting were compared with pronouncing 'ssss' and with a resting state. 'OM' chanting caused significant deactivation bilaterally in the orbitofrontal, anterior cingulate, parahippocampal gyri, thalami, hippocampi, and right amygdala, with no significant activation. The 'ssss' condition showed no such changes. These limbic deactivations resemble those seen with vagus nerve stimulation used in depression and epilepsy, suggesting a potential clinical role for 'OM' chanting.
International Journal of Yoga
July 1, 2010
Sanjay Kumar, Hr Nagendra, Kv Naveen et al.
Repeating 'OM' mentally changes auditory-evoked potentials in the brainstem. Thirty experienced meditators (ages 20–55, average 29.1 years) were tested in four sessions: two control conditions (single-topic lecture and non-targeted thinking) and two meditation states (focusing on the symbol 'OM' and an effortless single-thought state of 'OM'). Wave V peak latency, indicating neural transmission at the inferior colliculus, increased significantly during non-targeted thinking, lecture, and focused meditation, but showed no change during the effortless single-thought state. This suggests that auditory information transmission is delayed in the first three conditions but not during the deeper meditative state.
International Journal of Yoga
January 1, 2010
Sanjay Kumar, Hr Nagendra, Nk Manjunath et al.
The sacred syllable Om, described in Indian scriptures as the primordial sound from which all creation emerges, signifies the Supreme Power. Drawing from four Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the article examines Om's significance. Autonomic and respiratory studies suggest that mental repetition of Om produces a combination of mental alertness with physiological rest. Evoked potentials studies indicate a decrease in sensory transmission time at the level of the auditory association cortices, along with recruitment of more neurons at mesencephalic-diencephalic levels. Scientific studies suggest that Om meditation results in physiological alertness and increased sensitivity to sensory transmission.