Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “YOGA”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Effect of yoga on cardiovascular system in subjects above 40 years.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of yoga on cardiovascular function in subjects above 40 yrs of age. Pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and Valsalva ratio were studied in 50 control subjects (not doing any type of physical exercise) and 50 study subjects who had been practicing yoga for 5 years. From the study it was observed that significant reduction in the pulse rate occurs in subjects practicing yoga (P<0.001). The difference in the mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure between study group and control group was also statistically significant (P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively). The systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed significant positive correlation with age in the study group (r1 systolic= 0.631 and r1 diastolic = 0.610) as well as in the control group (r2 systolic = 0.981 and r2 diastolic = 0.864). The significance of difference between correlation coefficient of both the groups was also tested with the use of Z transformation and the difference was significant (Z systolic= 4.041 and Z diastolic= 2.901). Valsalva ratio was also found to be significantly higher in yoga practitioners than in controls (P<0.001). Our results indicate that yoga reduces the age related deterioration in cardiovascular functions.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Yoga as a therapeutic intervention: a bibliometric analysis of published research studies.

Although yoga is historically a spiritual discipline, it has also been used clinically as a therapeutic intervention. A bibliometric analysis on the biomedical journal literature involving research on the clinical application of yoga has revealed an increase in publication frequency over the past 3 decades with a substantial and growing use of randomized controlled trials. Types of medical conditions have included psychopathological (e.g. depression, anxiety), cardiovascular (e.g. hypertension, heart disease), respiratory (e.g. asthma), diabetes and a variety of others. A majority of this research has been conducted by Indian investigators and published in Indian journals, particularly yoga specialty journals, although recent trends indicate increasing contributions from investigators in the U.S. and England. Yoga therapy is a relatively novel and emerging clinical discipline within the broad category of mind-body medicine, whose growth is consistent with the burgeoning popularity of yoga in the West and the increasing worldwide use of alternative medicine.

Bibliometrics↗
PubMed2005

Influence of Yoga and Ayurveda on self-rated sleep in a geriatric population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Sleep in older persons is characterized by decreased ability to stay asleep, resulting in fragmented sleep and reduced daytime alertness. Pharmacological treatment of insomnia in older persons is associated with hazardous side effects. Hence, the present study was designed to compare the effects of Yoga and Ayurveda on the self rated sleep in a geriatric population. METHODS: Of the 120 residents from a home for the aged, 69 were stratified based on age (five year intervals) and randomly allocated to three groups i.e., Yoga (physical postures, relaxation techniques, voluntarily regulated breathing and lectures on yoga philosophy), Ayurveda (a herbal preparation), and Wait-list control (no intervention). The groups were evaluated for self-assessment of sleep over a one week period at baseline, and after three and six months of the respective interventions. RESULTS: The Yoga group showed a significant decrease in the time taken to fall asleep (approximate group average decrease: 10 min, P<0.05), an increase in the total number of hours slept (approximate group average increase: 60 min, P< 0.05) and in the feeling of being rested in the morning based on a rating scale (P<0.05) after six months. The other groups showed no significant change. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: Yoga practice improved different aspects of sleep in a geriatric population.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of Sahaj Yoga on depressive disorders.

Sahaj Yoga is a meditative technique that has been found to have beneficial effects in some psycho-somatic illnesses. The study was carried out on 30 cases (19 Males, 11 females, age 18-45 years) of major depression diagnosed on the basis of DSM IV criteria. The patients were then randomly divided into two groups: Group 1: (10 Males & 5 Females) Patients who were practising Sahaj Yoga and also received conventional anti-depressants. Group 2: (9 Males & 6 Females) Patients who were only receiving conventional anti-depressants. Training in Sahaj yoga was conducted under the supervision of a trained Sahaj Yogi for 8 weeks. At start of the study, all the patients were subjected to Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). Above scales were again assessed after two months of treatment. There was significant improvement in HAM-D as well as HAM-A scores in both Group 1 and Group 2 patients (P<0.001). However, percentage improvement in HAM-D scores and HAM-A scores in patients receiving Sahaj Yoga was significantly higher than in Group 2 patients. The number of patients who went into remission after two months of intervention were also significantly higher in Group 1 patients (P=0.02). The present study demonstrates that Sahaj Yoga has got a potential role as a component in the management of depressive disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Effect of Sahaja yoga practice on stress management in patients of epilepsy.

An attempt was made to evaluate the effect of Sahaja yoga meditation in stress management in patients of epilepsy. The study was carried out on 32 patients of epilepsy who were rendomly divided into 3 groups: group I subjects practised Sahaja yoga meditation for 6 months, group II subjects practised postural exercises mimicking Sahaja yoga and group III served as the epileptic control group. Galvanic skin resistance (GSR), blood lactate and urinary vinyl mandelic acid (U-VMA) were recorded at 0, 3 and 6 months. There were significant changes at 3 & 6 months as compared to 0 month values in GSR, blood lactate and U-VMA levels in group I subjects, but not in group II and group III subjects. The results indicate that reduction in stress following Sahaja yoga practice may be responsible for clinical improvement which had been earlier reported in patients who practised Sahaja yoga.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effect of Sahaja yoga practice on seizure control & EEG changes in patients of epilepsy.

The effect of Sahaja yoga meditation on seizure control and electroencephalographic alterations was assessed in 32 patients of idiopathic epilepsy. The subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group I (n = 10) practised Sahaja yoga for 6 months, Group II (n = 10) practised exercises mimicking Sahaja yoga for 6 months and Group III (n = 12) served as the epileptic control group. Group I subjects reported a 62 per cent decrease in seizure frequency at 3 months and a further decrease of 86 per cent at 6 months of intervention. Power spectral analysis of EEG showed a shift in frequency from 0-8 Hz towards 8-20 Hz. The ratios of EEG powers in delta (D), theta (T), alpha (A) and beta (B) bands i.e., A/D, A/D + T, A/T and A + B/D + T were increased. Per cent D power decreased and per cent A increased. No significant changes in any of the parameters were found in Groups II and III, indicating that Sahaja yoga practice brings about seizure reduction and EEG changes. Sahaja yoga could prove to be beneficial in the management of patients of epilepsy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Effects of Hatha Yoga Practice on the Health-Related Aspects of Physical Fitness.

Ten healthy, untrained volunteers (nine females and one male), ranging in age from 18-27 years, were studied to determine the effects of hatha yoga practice on the health-related aspects of physical fitness, including muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and pulmonary function. Subjects were required to attend a minimum of two yoga classes per week for a total of 8 weeks. Each yoga session consisted of 10 minutes of pranayamas (breath-control exercises), 15 minutes of dynamic warm-up exercises, 50 minutes of asanas (yoga postures), and 10 minutes of supine relaxation in savasana (corpse pose). The subjects were evaluated before and after the 8-week training program. Isokinetic muscular strength for elbow extension, elbow flexion, and knee extension increased by 31%, 19%, and 28% (p<0.05), respectively, whereas isometric muscular endurance for knee flexion increased 57% (p<0.01). Ankle flexibility, shoulder elevation, trunk extension, and trunk flexion increased by 13% (p<0.01), 155% (p<0.001), 188% (p<0.001), and 14% (p<0.05), respectively. Absolute and relative maximal oxygen uptake increased by 7% and 6%, respectively (p<0.01). These findings indicate that regular hatha yoga practice can elicit improvements in the health-related aspects of physical fitness. (c)2001 CHF, Inc.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Psychological adjustment and sleep quality in a randomized trial of the effects of a Tibetan yoga intervention in patients with lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that stress-reduction programs tailored to the cancer setting help patients cope with the effects of treatment and improve their quality of life. Yoga, an ancient Eastern science, incorporates stress-reduction techniques that include regulated breathing, visual imagery, and meditation as well as various postures. The authors examined the effects of the Tibetan yoga (TY) practices of Tsa lung and Trul khor, which incorporate controlled breathing and visualization, mindfulness techniques, and low-impact postures in patients with lymphoma. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with lymphoma who were undergoing treatment or who had concluded treatment within the past 12 months were assigned to a TY group or to a wait-list control group. Patients in the TY group participated in 7 weekly yoga sessions, and patients in the wait-list control group were free to participate in the TY program after the 3-month follow-up assessment. RESULTS: Eighty nine percent of TY participants completed at least 2-3 three yoga sessions, and 58% completed at least 5 sessions. Patients in the TY group reported significantly lower sleep disturbance scores during follow-up compared with patients in the wait-list control group (5.8 vs. 8.1; P < 0.004). This included better subjective sleep quality (P < 0.02), faster sleep latency (P < 0.01), longer sleep duration (P < 0.03), and less use of sleep medications (P < 0.02). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of intrusion or avoidance, state anxiety, depression, or fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: The participation rates suggested that a TY program is feasible for patients with cancer and that such a program significantly improves sleep-related outcomes. However, there were no significant differences between groups for the other outcomes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2007

Innovative interventions for disordered eating: evaluating dissonance-based and yoga interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Eating-disordered behavior is prevalent among college women. Few interventions have successfully reduced risk factors for these behaviors, however. The most promising interventions are both selective and interactive. This study compared two newer types of interventions that meet these criteria: cognitive dissonance and yoga programs. METHOD: This study advertised programs for women who were dissatisfied with their bodies. Participants (N = 93) were randomly assigned to dissonance, yoga, or control groups. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that there were no significant post-intervention differences between the yoga and control groups. Dissonance group participants had significantly lower scores than the scores of both other groups on measures of disordered eating, drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, alexithymia, and anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings have important implications for interventions on college campuses. In particular, dissonance interventions appear to be an efficient and inexpensive approach to reducing eating disorder risk factors. Additional research regarding the value of yoga interventions is needed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

A pilot study of yoga for breast cancer survivors: physical and psychological benefits.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity provides a number of physical and psychological benefits to cancer survivors, including lessening the impact of detrimental cancer-related symptoms and treatment side-effects (e.g. fatigue, nausea), and improving overall well-being and quality of life. The purpose of the present pilot study was to examine the physical and psychological benefits afforded by a 7-week yoga program for cancer survivors. METHOD: Eligible participants (per-screened with PAR-Q/PAR-MED-X) were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n=20) or control group (n=18). All participants completed pre- and post-testing assessments immediately before and after the yoga program, respectively. RESULTS: The yoga program participants (M age=51.18 (10.33); 92% female) included primarily breast cancer survivors, on average 55.95 (54.39) months post-diagnosis. Significant differences between the intervention and the control group at post-intervention were seen only in psychosocial (i.e. global quality of life, emotional function, and diarrhea) variables (all p's <0.05). There were also trends for group differences, in the hypothesized directions, for the psychosocial variables of emotional irritability, gastrointestinal symptoms, cognitive disorganization, mood disturbance, tension, depression, and confusion (all p's <0.10). Finally, there were also significant improvements in both the program participants and the controls from pre- to post-intervention on a number of physical fitness variables. CONCLUSIONS: These initial findings suggest that yoga has significant potential and should be further explored as a beneficial physical activity option for cancer survivors. Future research might attempt to include a broader range of participants (e.g. other types of cancer diagnoses, male subjects), a larger sample size, and a longer program duration in an RCT.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Hatha Yoga therapy management of urologic disorders.

Hatha Yoga (often referred to as "yoga") is an ancient type of physical and mental exercise that has been used as a therapeutic modality in traditional Indian medicine for centuries. Yoga as a complementary modality in western medicine is more recent and continues to grow. Chronic urologic disorders are often difficult to diagnose because their presentation mimic other medical conditions and are often a diagnosis of exclusion. Treatment is also frustrating because the more traditional treatments are often unsuccessful in managing chronic disorders. Health care practitioners are often forced to look elsewhere for other modalities to provide pain relief and improve quality of life. Hatha Yoga is one of these modalities which has been extremely useful to many patients in reducing the suffering seen with chronic urologic conditions such as: prostatodynia, chronic orchitis, chronic epididymitis, vulvodynia, interstitial cystitis, etc.

Humans↗
PubMed1993

A study of response pattern of non-insulin dependent diabetics to yoga therapy.

Changes in blood glucose and glucose tolerance by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after 40 days of yoga therapy in 149 non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM) were investigated. The response to yoga in these subjects was categorized according to a severity scale index (SSI) based on area index total (AIT) under OGTT curve. One hundred and four patients showed a fair to good response to the yoga therapy. There was a significant reduction in hyperglycemia and AIT with decrease in oral hypoglycemia and AIT with decrease in oral hypoglycemic drugs required for maintenance of normoglycemia. It is concluded that yoga, a simple and economical therapy, may be considered a beneficial adjuvant for NIDDM patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Intraocular pressure changes and ocular biometry during Sirsasana (headstand posture) in yoga practitioners.

PURPOSE: To study the intraocular pressure (IOP) changes in Sirsasana (headstand posture) done by experienced yoga practitioners and correlate the ocular biometric parameters with the IOP changes, and to screen for the prevalence of ocular hypertension in this group of subjects. DESIGN: Prospective case observational series. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-five subjects (50 Asian Indians and 25 Caucasians) from a yoga training institute volunteered for the study. METHODS: All participants underwent a detailed ophthalmic examination along with ocular biometry and corneal pachymetry. Intraocular pressure was recorded using a Tonopen before, during, and after the Sirsasana. Changes were compared using the paired t test. Age, axial length, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, race, and the length of time for which the practitioner was performing yoga were correlated with the induced IOP difference in a randomly selected eye using Pearson's correlation coefficient with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ocular biometry and induced IOP difference. RESULTS: The mean increase in IOP at baseline and immediately after assuming Sirsasana was 15.1+/-4.1 mmHg (R = 0.07; P = 0.999) and after 5 minutes was 15.8+/-4.6 mmHg (R = -0.25; P = 0.357). The induced increase in IOP during the posture was twice the baseline IOP. There was no correlation between age, ocular biometry, and ultrasound pachymetry when compared with the induced IOP difference. One subject (1.33%) was found to have baseline IOP of more than 21 mmHg. CONCLUSION: There was a uniform 2-fold increase in the IOP during Sirsasana, which was maintained during the posture in all age groups irrespective of the ocular biometry and ultrasound pachymetry. We did not demonstrate a higher prevalence of ocular hypertensives in this cohort of yoga practitioners nor did the risk factors contributing to glaucoma show any correlation with magnitude of IOP raise during the posture.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Yoga: a therapeutic approach.

Yoga, practiced widely in the East, is now popular in the West as part of a healthy lifestyle. This article brings a medical perspective to the practice of yoga. Selected yoga postures that are believed to benefit certain medical conditions are highlighted. In addition, the philosophy, general guidelines, and medical benefits of yoga practice are described.

Arthritis↗
PubMed2000

Yoga and chemoreflex response to hypoxia and hypercapnia.

We tested whether chemoreflex sensitivity could be affected by the practice of yoga, and whether this is specifically because of a slow breathing rate obtained during yoga or as a general consequence of yoga. We found that slow breathing rate per se substantially reduced chemoreflex sensitivity, but long-term yoga practice was responsible for a generalised reduction in chemoreflex.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Yoga.

Yoga is an ancient tradition that has been westernized and often practiced for its proposed health benefits. Traditional texts describe its benefits for many types of arthritis. Two limited studies of yoga in osteoarthritis of the hands and carpal tunnel syndrome show greater improvement in pain than in control groups. Yoga uses stretching and improves strength so that it theoretically should be beneficial for some musculoskeletal problems. Yoga merits further study into its cellular and physiologic effects.

Arthritis↗
PubMed2000

Oxygen consumption and respiration following two yoga relaxation techniques.

The present study was conducted to evaluate a statement in ancient yoga texts that suggests that a combination of both "calming" and "stimulating" measures may be especially helpful in reaching a state of mental equilibrium. Two yoga practices, one combining "calming and stimulating" measures (cyclic meditation) and the other, a "calming" technique (shavasan), were compared. The oxygen consumption, breath rate, and breath volume of 40 male volunteers (group mean +/- SD, 27.0 +/- 5.7 years) were assessed before and after sessions of cyclic meditation (CM) and before and after sessions of shavasan (SH). The 2 sessions (CM, SH) were 1 day apart. Cyclic meditation includes the practice of yoga postures interspersed with periods of supine relaxation. During SH the subject lies in a supine position throughout the practice. There was a significant decrease in the amount of oxygen consumed and in breath rate and an increase in breath volume after both types of sessions (2-factor ANOVA, paired t test). However, the magnitude of change on all 3 measures was greater after CM: (1) Oxygen consumption decreased 32.1% after CM compared with 10.1% after SH; (2) breath rate decreased 18.0% after CM and 15.2% after SH; and (3) breath volume increased 28.8% after CM and 15.9% after SH. These results support the idea that a combination of yoga postures interspersed with relaxation reduces arousal more than relaxation alone does.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A brief but comprehensive lifestyle education program based on yoga reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to study the short-term impact of a brief lifestyle intervention based on yoga on some of the biochemical indicators of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: The variables of interest were measured at the beginning (day 1) and end (day 10) of the intervention using a pre-post design. SETTING: The study is the result of operational research carried out in our Integral Health Clinic (IHC). The IHC is an outpatient facility which conducts 8-day lifestyle modification programs based on yoga for prevention and management of chronic disease. A new course begins every alternate week of the year. SUBJECTS: The study is based on data collected on 98 subjects (67 male, 31 female), ages 20-74 years, who attended one of our programs. The subjects were a heterogeneous group of patients with hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and a variety of other illnesses. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), relaxation techniques, group support, individualized advice, lectures and films on the philosophy of yoga and the place of yoga in daily life, meditation, stress management, nutrition, and knowledge about the illness. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures were fasting plasma glucose and serum lipoprotein profile. These variables were determined in fasting blood samples, taken on the first and last day of the course. RESULTS: Fasting plasma glucose, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, very- LDL cholesterol, the ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and total triglycerides were significantly lower, and HDL cholesterol significantly higher, on the last day of the course compared to the first day of the course. The changes were more marked in subjects with hyperglycemia or hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSIONS: The observations suggest that a short lifestyle modification and stress management education program leads to favorable metabolic effects within a period of 9 days.

Adult↗