Yogic breathing is a unique method for balancing the autonomic nervous system and influencing psychologic and stress-related disorders. Part I of this series presented a neurophysiologic theory of the effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). Part II will review clinical studies, our own clinical observations, and guidelines for the safe and effective use of yoga breath techniques in a wide range ...

INTRODUCTION Heart rate variability is a measure of modulation in autonomic input to the heart and is one of the markers of autonomic functions. Though there are many studies on the long term influence of breathing on HRV (heart rate variability) there are only a few studies on the immediate effect of breathing especially alternate nostril breathing on HRV. This study focuses on the immediate e...

Purpose One proposed mechanism by which meditative practices improve cardiovascular health is via shifting sympathovagal balance. Yet few studies have examined the effects of these practices upon autonomic cardiovascular control. In this context, we hypothesized that yogic breathing differentially impacts heart period (RR-interval) and systolic blood pressure fluctuations compared with paced br...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Breathing exercises are believed to modulate the cardiovascular oscillations in the body. To assess the validity of the assumption and understand the underlying mechanism, the key autonomic regulatory parameters such as heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure variability (BPV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were recorded during controlled slow yogic breathing. Alt...

The modern living lifestyle is known to produce various physical and psychological stresses and subject the individual to produce oxidative stresses as well. The aim of this study has been to assess the effect of yogic breathing exercises (pranayama) on the oxidatives stress. The study group consisted of 30 young male volunteers, trained for the purpose of this study and an equal number of cont...

relaxation, and give many health benefits. However varied, its many techniques constitute a psychophysiological therapy which invites applications to psychiatric disorders. For reviews of yoga philosophy, techniques, neurophysiological findings, and studies in anxiety, depression, OCD (Shannahoff-Khalsa et al. 1999), and epilepsy, see Yardi (Kraft et al. 2001) and Becker (Becker, 2000). Janakir...

Surya Namaskar (SN), a group of Yogic exercise consists of a set of twelve postures which is practiced by some of the yoga practitioners. The present study was undertaken to observe critically the energy cost and different cardiorespiratory changes during the practice of SN. Twenty-one male volunteers from the Indian Army practiced selected Yogic exercises for six days in a week for three month...

Pranayama (breathing exercise), one of the yogic techniques can produce different physiological responses in healthy individuals. The responses of Alternate Nostril Breathing (ANB) the Nadisudhi Pranayama on some cardio-respiratory functions were investigated in healthy young adults. The subjects performed ANB exercise (15 minutes everyday in the morning) for four weeks. Cardio-respiratory para...