1 751 64 EFFECT OF SHORT TERM YOGA PRACTICE ON VENTILATORY FUNCTION TESTS. TWENTYFIVE NORMAL MALE VOLUNTEERS UNDERGOING A TEN WEEKS COURSE IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED BY SOME PARAMETERS OF VENTILATORY FUNCTIONS TESTS. THE OBSERVATIONS RECORDED AT THE END OF TEN WEEKS OF THE COURSE HAVE SHOWN IMPROVED VENTILATORY FUNCTIONS IN THE FORM OF LOWERED RESPIRATORY RATE, INCREASED FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FEV1, MAXIMUM BREATHING CAPACITY AND BREATH HOLDING TIME, WHILE TIDAL VOLUME AND %FEV1, DID NOT REVEAL ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. THUS, A COMBINED PRACTICE OF YOGA SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL ON RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY. 1988 2 1184 15 EVALUATION OF YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMME FOR PATIENTS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMME ON 46 INDOOR PATIENTS OF CHRONIC BRONCHIAL ASTHMA ON EXERCISE CAPACITY, PULMONARY FUNCTIONS AND BLOOD GASES WAS CONDUCTED. EXERCISE CAPACITY WAS MEASURED BY 3 TESTS: (I) 12 MIN WALK TEST (12-MD); (II) PHYSICAL FITNESS INDEX (PFI) BY MODIFIED HARVARD STEP TEST; AND (III) EXERCISE-LIABILITY INDEX (ELI). YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMME RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PULMONARY FUNCTIONS AND EXERCISE TOLERANCE. A ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP STUDY SHOWED A GOOD TO FAIR RESPONSE WITH REDUCED SYMPTOMS SCORE AND DRUG REQUIREMENTS IN THESE SUBJECTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT YOGA THERAPY IS BENEFICIAL FOR BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 1993 3 879 11 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON EXERCISE TOLERANCE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH CHILDHOOD ASTHMA. FORTY SIX YOUNG ASTHMATICS WITH A HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA WERE ADMITTED FOR YOGA TRAINING. EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON RESTING PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, EXERCISE CAPACITY, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED BRONCHIAL LABILITY INDEX WERE MEASURED. YOGA TRAINING RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PULMONARY FUNCTION AND EXERCISE CAPACITY. A FOLLOW-UP STUDY SPANNING TWO YEARS SHOWED A GOOD RESPONSE WITH REDUCED SYMPTOM SCORE AND DRUG REQUIREMENTS IN THESE SUBJECTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT YOGA TRAINING IS BENEFICIAL FOR YOUNG ASTHMATICS. 1991 4 436 14 CARDIORESPIRATORY AND METABOLIC CHANGES DURING YOGA SESSIONS: THE EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY EXERCISES AND MEDITATION PRACTICES. THE NOVELTY OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CHANGES IN CARDIORESPIRATORY AND METABOLIC INTENSITY BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMAS (BREATHING EXERCISES OF YOGA) AND MEDITATION DURING THE SAME HATHA-YOGA SESSION. THE TECHNIQUE APPLIED WAS THE ONE ADVOCATED BY THE HATHA-YOGA SYSTEM. NINE YOGA INSTRUCTORS-FIVE FEMALES AND FOUR MALES, MEAN AGE OF 44+/-11, 6, WERE SUBJECTED TO ANALYSIS OF THE GASES EXPIRED DURING THREE DISTINCT PERIODS OF 30 MIN: REST, RESPIRATORY EXERCISES AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICE. A METABOLIC OPEN CIRCUIT COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WAS APPLIED (VO2000, MEDGRAPHICS-USA). THE OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO(2)) AND THE CARBON DIOXIDE OUTPUT (VCO(2)) WERE STATISTICALLY DIFFERENT (P