1 438 109 CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY EFFECT OF YOGIC SLOW BREATHING IN THE YOGA BEGINNER: WHAT IS THE BEST APPROACH? SLOW BREATHING INCREASES CARDIAC-VAGAL BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (BRS), IMPROVES OXYGEN SATURATION, LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE, AND REDUCES ANXIETY. WITHIN THE YOGA TRADITION SLOW BREATHING IS OFTEN PAIRED WITH A CONTRACTION OF THE GLOTTIS MUSCLES. THIS RESISTANCE BREATH "UJJAYI" IS PERFORMED AT VARIOUS RATES AND RATIOS OF INSPIRATION/EXPIRATION. TO TEST WHETHER UJJAYI HAD ADDITIONAL POSITIVE EFFECTS TO SLOW BREATHING, WE COMPARED BRS AND VENTILATORY CONTROL UNDER DIFFERENT BREATHING PATTERNS (EQUAL/UNEQUAL INSPIRATION/EXPIRATION AT 6 BREATH/MIN, WITH/WITHOUT UJJAYI), IN 17 YOGA-NAIVE YOUNG HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS. BRS INCREASED WITH SLOW BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH OR WITHOUT EXPIRATORY UJJAYI (P < 0.05 OR HIGHER) EXCEPT WITH INSPIRATORY + EXPIRATORY UJJAYI. THE MAXIMAL INCREASE IN BRS AND DECREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE WERE FOUND IN SLOW BREATHING WITH EQUAL INSPIRATION AND EXPIRATION. THIS CORRESPONDED WITH A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN OXYGEN SATURATION WITHOUT INCREASE IN HEART RATE AND VENTILATION. UJJAYI SHOWED SIMILAR INCREASE IN OXYGEN SATURATION BUT SLIGHTLY LESSER IMPROVEMENT IN BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY WITH NO CHANGE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE SLOW BREATHING WITH EQUAL INSPIRATION AND EXPIRATION SEEMS THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVING BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY IN YOGA-NAIVE SUBJECTS. THE EFFECTS OF UJJAYI SEEMS DEPENDENT ON INCREASED INTRATHORACIC PRESSURE THAT REQUIRES GREATER EFFORT THAN NORMAL SLOW BREATHING. 2013 2 1706 25 PATTERN OF BREATHING AND VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO CO2 IN SUBJECTS PRACTICING HATHA-YOGA. WE STUDIED EIGHT BELGIAN SUBJECTS WELL ADVANCED IN THE PRACTICE OF HATHA-YOGA AND COMPARED THEM WITH EIGHT SEX-, AGE-, AND HEIGHT-MATCHED CONTROL SUBJECTS. PRACTICE OF YOGA (RANGE 4-12 YR) INVOLVES CONTROL OF POSTURE AND MANIPULATION OF BREATHING, INCLUDING SLOW NEAR-VITAL CAPACITY MANEUVERS ACCOMPANIED BY APNEA AT END INSPIRATION AND END EXPIRATION. AVERAGE VALUES FOR THE YOGA AND THE CONTROL GROUP (IN PARENTHESES) ARE AS FOLLOWS: VENTILATION (VE) 5.53 1 X MIN-1 (7.07); TIDAL VOLUME (VT), 1.03 LITERS (0.56); RATE OF BREATHING, 5.5 MIN-1 (13.4); END-TIDAL PCO2, 39.0 TORR (35.3). ALL DIFFERENCES ARE SIGNIFICANT (P LESS THAN 0.05). VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO CO2 (REBREATHING TECHNIQUE) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP (P LESS THAN 0.01). THE REGRESSION RELATING VE TO VT DURING REBREATHING OF CO2 WAS VE = 8.1 (VT - 0.23) FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND VE = 15.8 (VT - 0.16) FOR THE CONTROL GROUP (P LESS THAN 0.005). WE ATTRIBUTE THESE CHANGES TO CHRONIC MANIPULATION OF RESPIRATION. 1981 3 2307 32 TRAINING TO YOGA RESPIRATION SELECTIVELY INCREASES RESPIRATORY SENSATION IN HEALTHY MAN. BECAUSE YOGA PRACTITIONERS THINK THEY ARE BENEFITING FROM THEIR BREATH TRAINING WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA RESPIRATION TRAINING (YRT) COULD MODIFY THE RESPIRATORY SENSATION. YOGA RESPIRATION (YR) ("UJJAI") CONSISTED OF VERY SLOW, DEEP BREATHS (2-3 MIN(-1)) WITH SUSTAINED BREATH-HOLD AFTER EACH INSPIRATION AND EXPIRATION. AT INCLUSION IN THE STUDY AND AFTER A 2-MONTH YRT PROGRAM, WE DETERMINED IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS THEIR EUPNEIC VENTILATORY PATTERN AND THEIR CAPACITY TO DISCRIMINATE EXTERNAL INSPIRATORY RESISTIVE LOADS (RESPIRATORY SENSATION), DIGITAL TACTILE MECHANICAL PRESSURES (SOMESTHETIC SENSATION) AND SOUND-PRESSURE STIMULATIONS (AUDITORY SENSATION). DATA WERE COMPARED TO A GENDER-, AGE-, AND WEIGHT-MATCHED CONTROL GROUP OF HEALTHY SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT UNDERGO THE YRT PROGRAM BUT WERE EXPLORED AT THE SAME EPOCHS. AFTER THE 2-MONTH YRT PROGRAM, THE RESPIRATORY SENSATION INCREASED. THUS, BOTH THE EXPONENT OF THE STEVEN'S POWER LAW (PSI=KPHIN) AND THE SLOPE OF THE LINEAR-LINEAR PLOT BETWEEN PSI AND MOUTH PRESSURE (PM) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, AND THE INTERCEPT WITH ORDINATE AXIS OF THE PSI VERSUS PM RELATIONSHIP WAS LOWER. AFTER YRT, THE PEAK PM DEVELOPED AGAINST INSPIRATORY LOADS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, REDUCING THE LOAD-INDUCED ACTIVATION OF RESPIRATORY AFFERENTS. YRT INDUCED LONG-LASTING MODIFICATIONS OF THE VENTILATORY PATTERN WITH A SIGNIFICANT LENGTHENING OF EXPIRATORY DURATION AND A MODEST TIDAL VOLUME INCREASE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SOMESTHETIC AND AUDITORY SENSATIONS WERE NOTED. IN THE CONTROL GROUP, THE RESPIRATORY SENSATION WAS NOT MODIFIED DURING A 15-MIN PERIOD OF YOGA RESPIRATION, DESPITE THE PEAK PM CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO ADDED LOADS WERE THEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT TRAINING TO YOGA RESPIRATION SELECTIVELY INCREASES THE RESPIRATORY SENSATION, PERHAPS THROUGH ITS PERSISTENT CONDITIONING OF THE BREATHING PATTERN. 2005 4 369 21 AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN RAJA-YOGA MEDITATORS. STRESS, AN INEVITABLE AND CONSTANT FEATURE THROUGHOUT THE LIFETIME, INDUCES AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTIONS, FOR WHICH MEDITATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN ANTIDOTE. SO THE CASE CONTROL STUDY WAS PLANNED INCLUDING 50 RAJA-YOGA MEDITATORS PRACTICING MEDITATION FOR 5 YEARS AND 50 AGE MATCHED NON-MEDITATORS. AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS WERE PERFORMED AND RESULTS WERE COMPARED USING THE STUDENT-T TEST. MEAN VALUES OF RESTING HR, SBP AND DBP WERE LESS IN MEDITATORS. GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE IN MEDITATORS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE (P < 0.001). MEAN INCREASE BP RESPONSE TO HAND GRIP TEST AND COLD PRESSOR TEST WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN MEDITATORS THAN NON-MEDITATORS (P < 0.001). STANDING: LYING RATIO, VALSALVA RATIO, INSPIRATION: EXPIRATION RATIO AND 30:15 RATIOS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN MEDITATORS THAN NON-MEDITATORS. FROM THE RESULTS, THERE WAS SHIFTING OF THE AUTONOMIC BALANCE TO PARASYMPATHETIC SIDE IN RAJA-YOGA MEDITATORS, WHICH SUGGESTS ITS UTILITY TO COMBAT THE ILL EFFECTS OF STRESS. 2015 5 880 29 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON HANDGRIP, RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REPORTS ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE. HENCE THE PRESENT WORK WAS PLANNED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON HAND GRIP STRENGTH (HGS), HAND GRIP ENDURANCE (HGE), MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE (MEP), MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (MIP), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME (FEV), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN FIRST SECOND (FEV1) AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR). 20 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE AGE GROUP OF 12 TO 15 YEARS WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING (ASANS AND PRANAYAMS) FOR 6 MONTHS. 20 AGE AND GENDER-MATCHED STUDENTS FORMED THE CONTROL GROUP. YOGA TRAINING PRODUCED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) INCREASE IN HGS AND HGE. MEP, MIP, FEV, FEV1 AND PEFR ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) AFTER THE YOGA TRAINING. IN CONTRAST, THE INCREASE IN THESE PARAMETERS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT YOGA TRAINING FOR 6 MONTHS IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION, STRENGTH OF INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY MUSCLES AS WELL AS SKELETAL MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA BE INTRODUCED AT SCHOOL LEVEL IN ORDER TO IMPROVE PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, OVERALL HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS. 2003 6 2775 39 YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING IMPROVES RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: SINCE AGEING IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECLINE IN PULMONARY FUNCTION, HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX, AND RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, WE HYPOTHESISED THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC MODULATION IN HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. DESIGN: 76 HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS WERE ENROLLED IN A RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL IN BRAZIL AND 29 COMPLETED THE STUDY (AGE 68 +/- 6 YEARS, 34% MALES, BODY MASS INDEX 25 +/- 3 KG/M(2)). SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMISED INTO A 4-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM (2 CLASSES/WEEK PLUS HOME EXERCISES) OF EITHER STRETCHING (CONTROL, N=14) OR RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (YOGA, N=15). YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (BHASTRIKA) CONSISTED OF RAPID FORCED EXPIRATIONS FOLLOWED BY INSPIRATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, INSPIRATORY APNOEA WITH GENERATION OF INTRATHORACIC NEGATIVE PRESSURE, AND EXPIRATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL. PULMONARY FUNCTION, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY AND INSPIRATORY PRESSURES (PE(MAX) AND PI(MAX), RESPECTIVELY), HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY FOR SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DETERMINATION WERE DETERMINED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 4 MONTHS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS IN BOTH GROUPS HAD SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS. PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES DID NOT CHANGE AFTER 4 MONTHS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PE(MAX) (34%, P<0.0001) AND PI(MAX) (26%, P<0.0001) AND A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE LOW FREQUENCY COMPONENT (A MARKER OF CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC MODULATION) AND LOW FREQUENCY/HIGH FREQUENCY RATIO (MARKER OF SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE) OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY (40%, P<0.001). SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DID NOT CHANGE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE ONLY MARGINALLY INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ELDERLY HEALTHY POPULATION BY IMPROVING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE. TRIAL REGISTRATION CINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00969345; TRIAL REGISTRY NAME: EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING (BHASTRIKA) ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BAROREFLEX, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. 2011 7 887 26 EFFECT OF YOGA TYPE BREATHING ON HEART RATE AND CARDIAC AXIS OF NORMAL SUBJECTS. EFFECT OF INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY PHASES OF NORMAL QUIET BREATHING, DEEP BREATHING AND SAVITRI PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING ON HEART RATE AND MEAN VENTRICULAR QRS AXIS WAS INVESTIGATED IN YOUNG, HEALTHY UNTRAINED SUBJECTS. PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT CARDIOACCELERATION AND INCREASE IN QRS AXIS DURING THE INSPIRATORY PHASE AS COMPARED TO EUPNEA. ON THE OTHER HAND, EXPIRATORY EFFORT DURING PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING DID NOT PRODUCE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HEART RATE OR QRS AXIS. THE CHANGES IN HEART RATE AND QRS AXIS DURING THE INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY PHASES OF PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING WERE SIMILAR TO THE CHANGES OBSERVED DURING THE CORRESPONDING PHASES OF DEEP BREATHING. 1986 8 751 21 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 9 885 27 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON REACTION TIME, RESPIRATORY ENDURANCE AND MUSCLE STRENGTH. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IMPROVES PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PERFORMANCE. THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION WAS UNDERTAKEN TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON VISUAL AND AUDITORY REACTION TIMES (RTS), MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE (MEP), MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (MIP), 40 MMHG TEST, BREATH HOLDING TIME AFTER EXPIRATION (BHTEXP), BREATH HOLDING TIME AFTER INSPIRATION (BHTINSP), AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH (HGS). TWENTY SEVEN STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING FOR 12 WEEKS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.001) DECREASE IN VISUAL RT (FROM 270.0 +/- 6.20 (SE) TO 224.81 +/- 5.76 MS) AS WELL AS AUDITORY RT (FROM 194.18 +/- 6.00 TO 157.33 +/- 4.85 MS). MEP INCREASED FROM 92.61 +/- 9.04 TO 126.46 +/- 10.75 MMHG, WHILE MIP INCREASED FROM 72.23 +/- 6.45 TO 90.92 +/- 6.03 MMHG, BOTH THESE CHANGES BEING STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05). 40 MMHG TEST AND HGS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) FROM 36.57 +/- 2.04 TO 53.36 +/- 3.95 S AND 13.78 +/- 0.58 TO 16.67 +/- 0.49 KG RESPECTIVELY. BHTEXP INCREASED FROM 32.15 +/- 1.41 TO 44.53 +/- 3.78S (P < 0.01) AND BHTINSP INCREASED FROM 63.69 +/- 5.38 TO 89.07 +/- 9.61 S (P < 0.05). OUR RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE FOR 12 WEEKS RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN VISUAL AND AUDITORY RTS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN RESPIRATORY PRESSURES, BREATH HOLDING TIMES AND HGS. 1992 10 741 33 EFFECT OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE ON RESPIRATORY REGULATION AND EXERCISE PERFORMANCE. YOGA ALTERS SPONTANEOUS RESPIRATORY REGULATION AND REDUCES HYPOXIC AND HYPERCAPNIC VENTILATORY RESPONSES. SINCE A LOWER VENTILATORY RESPONSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN IMPROVED ENDURANCE CAPACITY DURING WHOLE-BODY EXERCISE, WE TESTED WHETHER YOGIC SUBJECTS (YOGA) SHOW AN INCREASED ENDURANCE CAPACITY COMPARED TO MATCHED NON-YOGIC INDIVIDUALS (CON) WITH SIMILAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS. RESTING VENTILATION, THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA, PASSIVE LEG MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE, AS WELL AS ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE WERE ASSESSED. YOGA (N = 9), COMPARED TO CONTROL (N = 6), HAD A HIGHER TIDAL VOLUME AT REST (0.7+/-0.2 VS. 0.5+/-0.1 L, P = 0.034) AND A REDUCED VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA (33+/-15 VS. 47+/-15 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.048). A YOGA SUBGROUP (N = 6) WITH MAXIMAL PERFORMANCE SIMILAR TO CONTROL SHOWED A BLUNTED VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO PASSIVE CYCLING (11+/-2 VS. 14+/-2 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.039) AND A TENDENCY TOWARDS LOWER EXERCISE VENTILATION (33+/-2 VS. 36+/-3 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.094) WHILE CYCLING ENDURANCE (YOGA: 17.3+/-3.3; CON: 19.6+/-8.5 MIN, P = 0.276) DID NOT DIFFER. THUS, YOGA PRACTICE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED EXERCISE CAPACITY NOR WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN EXERCISE VENTILATION DESPITE A SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT RESPIRATORY REGULATION AT REST AND IN RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA AND PASSIVE LEG MOVEMENT. 2016 11 800 27 EFFECT OF YOGA NIDRA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES IN PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE GROUP. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SEE ANY EFFECT ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS IN MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES PATIENTS AFTER YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE. THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 150 FEMALES WITH MENSTRUAL IRREGULARITIES, 28.08 +/- 7.43 YEARS OF MEAN AGE, REFERRED FROM DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY CSMMU, UP, LUCKNOW. SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY IN TO TWO GROUPS' INTERVENTION AND IN CONTROL GROUPS -SEVENTY FIVE (75) IN EACH GROUP. OUT OF THESE, ONE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX (126) COMPLETED THE STUDY PROTOCOL. THE YOGIC INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 35-40 MINUTES/DAY, FIVE DAYS IN A WEEK TILL SIX MONTHS. AN AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTING WAS DONE IN BOTH THE GROUPS AT ZERO TIME AND AFTER SIX MONTHS. A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT WAS OBSERVED WHEN YOGA THERAPY WAS USED AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE PATIENTS OF MENSTRUAL DISTURBANCES. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BLOOD PRESSURE, POSTURAL HYPOTENSION AND SUSTAINED HAND GRIP, HEART RATE EXPIRATION INSPIRATION RATIO AND 30:15 BEAT RATIOS OF THE SUBJECTS AFTER YOGIC PRACTICE. 2012 12 2759 28 YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT HIGHER PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY AND BETTER ADAPTABILITY TO 40 MM HG LOWER-BODY NEGATIVE PRESSURE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE AUTONOMIC CONDITIONING IN HUMANS, AS EVIDENCED BY THE ENHANCEMENT OF PARASYM-PATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY. THEREFORE, WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE EXPERIENCE OF YOGA MAY RESULT IN ADAPTATION TO ACUTE HEMODYNAMIC CHANGES. TO DECIPHER THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE COMPARED TO YOGA-NAIVE SUBJECTS DURING EXPOSURE TO -40 MM HG LOWER-BODY NEGATIVE PRESSURE (LBNP). A COMPARATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 40 YOGANAIVE SUBJECTS AND 40 YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 31.08 +/- 7.31 YEARS AND 29.93 +/- 7.57 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY, BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY, AND CORRELATION BETWEEN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND RR INTERVAL WERE EVALUATED AT REST AND DURING LBNP. IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, THE HEART RATE WAS LOWER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.011) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.043); THE PNN50 MEASURE OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY WAS HIGHER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.011) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.034). THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS' STANDARD DEVIATION OF SUCCESSIVE BEAT-TO-BEAT BLOOD PRESSURE INTERVALS OF SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY WAS LOWER IN SUPINE REST (P = 0.034) AND DURING LBNP (P = 0.007), WITH HIGHER SEQUENCE BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (P = 0.019) AND ~ HIGH-FREQUENCY BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY. MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE AND RR INTERVAL WERE INVERSELY CORRELATED IN THE YOGA GROUP (R = -0.317, P = 0.049). THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED HIGHER PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY WITH LOWER SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY, INDICATING BETTER ADAPTABILITY TO LBNP COMPARED TO THE YOGA-NAIVE GROUP. OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA MODULE WAS HELPFUL IN CONDITIONS OF HYPOVOLEMIA IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS; IT IS PROPOSED TO BE BENEFICIAL IN CLINICAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE, IMPAIRED BARORE-FLEX SENSITIVITY, AND ORTHOSTATIC INTOLERANCE. 2021 13 809 35 EFFECT OF YOGA ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS DURING BOTH PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALES. CONTEXT: PREMENSTRUAL STRESS AFFECTS 75% OF WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE AND YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE BENEFICIAL IN MANY PSYCHO-SOMATIC DISORDERS. AIMS: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON AUTONOMIC PARAMETERS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING DURING BOTH PRE AND POST PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN HEALTHY YOUNG FEMALE SUBJECTS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: PRESENT STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL AND WAS CONDUCTED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, LADY HARDINGE MEDICAL COLLEGE, NEW DELHI, INDIA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: FIFTY APPARENTLY HEALTHY FEMALES IN THE AGE GROUP OF 18-20 YEARS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: GROUP I (N=25) CONSISTED OF SUBJECTS WHO PRACTICED YOGA 35-40 MINUTES PER DAY, SIX TIMES PER WEEK FOR THE DURATION OF THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES. TRAINING WAS GIVEN BY QUALIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. GROUP II (N=25) SUBJECTS ACTED AS CONTROLS. FOLLOWING PARAMETERS WERE RECORDED AT THE BEGINNING AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THREE MENSTRUAL CYCLES IN ALL THE SUBJECTS: HEIGHT, WEIGHT (BW), RESTING HEART RATE (HR), RESTING SYSTOLIC (SBP) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP), PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY TESTS INCLUDING EXPIRATION-INSPIRATION RATIO (E: I RATIO) AND 30:15 RATIO, SYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY TESTS INCLUDING BP CHANGES DUE TO ISOMETRIC HAND GRIP (IHG) EXERCISE, AND COLD PRESSOR TEST (CPT). ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS WAS DONE BY ADMINISTERING DIPAS (DEFENSE INSTITUTE OF PHYSIOLOGY AND ALLIED SCIENCES) INVENTORIES OF ANGER SELF REPORT SCALE, TRAIT ANXIETY, SENSE OF WELL-BEING AND DEPRESSION SCALE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: INTRA-GROUP COMPARISON OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS WAS DONE BY USING PAIRED 'T' TEST, WHEREAS INTRA-GROUP COMPARISON OF NON-PARAMETERIC DATA SUCH AS SCORES OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ANGER AND SENSE OF WELL-BEING WAS DONE BY WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST. INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF PARAMETERS WAS DONE BY STUDENTS 'T' TEST FOR PARAMETRIC TESTS AND MANN-WHITNEY 'U' TEST FOR NON-PARAMETERIC TESTS. RESULTS: THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BW, RESTING SBP, DBP, SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BLUNTING OF PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY AND ALSO, SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SCORES OF ANGER, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND DECREASED SCORE OF WELL-BEING IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE AS COMPARED TO POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE IN BOTH THE GROUPS IN INITIAL CYCLE. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PERCENTAGE DECREASE IN BW, HR, SBP & DBP IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP IN BOTH THE PHASES FROM INITIAL TO SECOND AND ONWARDS BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD MENSTRUAL CYCLE. ALSO, DECREASE IN ANGER, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY AND INCREASE IN WELL-BEING SCORE WAS SIGNIFICANT IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP FROM INITIAL TO SECOND AND THIRD CYCLE IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE WHILE THE CHANGE WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY IN DEPRESSION SCORE IN POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE. CONCLUSION: OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION OF AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS IN PREMENSTRUAL PHASE WHEN COMPARED WITH POSTMENSTRUAL PHASE IN YOUNG HEALTHY FEMALES. ALSO, REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON BOTH PHASES OF MENSTRUAL CYCLE BY BRINGING PARASYMPATHODOMINANCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING PROBABLY BY BALANCING NEURO-ENDOCRINAL AXIS. 2013 14 865 31 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS INCLUDING TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE (TLCO) IN ASTHMA PATIENTS. PRANA IS THE ENERGY, WHEN THE SELF-ENERGIZING FORCE EMBRACES THE BODY WITH EXTENSION AND EXPANSION AND CONTROL, IT IS PRANAYAMA. IT MAY AFFECT THE MILIEU AT THE BRONCHIOLES AND THE ALVEOLI PARTICULARLY AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE TO FACILITATE DIFFUSION AND TRANSPORT OF GASES. IT MAY ALSO INCREASE OXYGENATION AT TISSUE LEVEL. AIM OF OUR STUDY IS TO COMPARE PULMONARY FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN PATIENTS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA BEFORE AND AFTER YOGIC INTERVENTION OF 2 MONTHS. SIXTY STABLE ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS I.E GROUP 1 (YOGA TRAINING GROUP) AND GROUP 2 (CONTROL GROUP). EACH GROUP INCLUDED THIRTY PATIENTS. LUNG FUNCTIONS WERE RECORDED ON ALL PATIENTS AT BASELINE, AND THEN AFTER TWO MONTHS. GROUP 1 SUBJECTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT (P<0.001) IN TRANSFER FACTOR OF THE LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE (TLCO), FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1ST SEC (FEV1), PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR), MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV) AND SLOW VITAL CAPACITY (SVC) AFTER YOGA PRACTICE. QUALITY OF LIFE ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT PRANAYAMA & YOGA BREATHING AND STRETCHING POSTURES ARE USED TO INCREASE RESPIRATORY STAMINA, RELAX THE CHEST MUSCLES, EXPAND THE LUNGS, RAISE ENERGY LEVELS, AND CALM THE BODY. 2012 15 1123 23 EFFICACY OF NATUROPATHY AND YOGA IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF A ONE MONTH IN-PATIENT NATUROPATHY AND YOGA PROGRAMME FOR PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA. RETROSPECTIVE DATA OF 159 BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS, UNDERGOING THE NATUROPATHY AND YOGA PROGRAMME, WAS ANALYZED FOR FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME AT THE END OF 1 SECOND, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE ON ADMISSION, 11TH DAY, ON DISCHARGE AND ONCE IN THREE MONTHS FOR THREE YEARS. THE PAIRED SAMPLE T TEST RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FORCED VITAL CAPACITY AND FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME FROM THE DATE OF ADMISSION UP TO 6TH MONTH (P < 0.0035) POST BONFERRONI CORRECTION. MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM ADMISSION TILL THE DATE OF DISCHARGE (P < 0.0035) AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM ADMISSION TILL THE 36TH MONTH OF FOLLOW-UP (P < 0.0035), POST BONFERRONI CORRECTION. THIS VALIDATED THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF COMBINING NATUROPATHY AND YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 2014 16 985 33 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE, AND MELATONIN SECRETION. OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE, AND MELATONIN SECRETION. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: THIRTY HEALTHY MEN IN THE AGE GROUP OF 25-35 YEARS VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS OF 15 EACH. GROUP 1 SUBJECTS SERVED AS CONTROLS AND PERFORMED BODY FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES FOR 40 MINUTES AND SLOW RUNNING FOR 20 MINUTES DURING MORNING HOURS AND PLAYED GAMES FOR 60 MINUTES DURING EVENING HOURS DAILY FOR 3 MONTHS. GROUP 2 SUBJECTS PRACTICED SELECTED YOGIC ASANAS (POSTURES) FOR 45 MINUTES AND PRANAYAMA FOR 15 MINUTES DURING THE MORNING, WHEREAS DURING THE EVENING HOURS THESE SUBJECTS PERFORMED PREPARATORY YOGIC POSTURES FOR 15 MINUTES, PRANAYAMA FOR 15 MINUTES, AND MEDITATION FOR 30 MINUTES DAILY, FOR 3 MONTHS. ORTHOSTATIC TOLERANCE, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, RESPIRATORY RATE, DYNAMIC LUNG FUNCTION (SUCH AS FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 SECOND, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME PERCENTAGE, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, AND MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION), AND PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGIC PRACTICES. SERIAL BLOOD SAMPLES WERE DRAWN AT VARIOUS TIME INTERVALS TO STUDY EFFECTS OF THESE YOGIC PRACTICES AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON MELATONIN LEVELS. RESULTS: YOGIC PRACTICES FOR 3 MONTHS RESULTED IN AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE. THE PLASMA MELATONIN ALSO SHOWED AN INCREASE AFTER THREE MONTHS OF YOGIC PRACTICES. THE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE, AND ORTHOSTATIC TOLERANCE DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION WITH PLASMA MELATONIN. HOWEVER, THE MAXIMUM NIGHT TIME MELATONIN LEVELS IN YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION (R = 0.71, P < 0.05) WITH WELL-BEING SCORE. CONCLUSION: THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT YOGIC PRACTICES CAN BE USED AS PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC STIMULI TO INCREASE ENDOGENOUS SECRETION OF MELATONIN, WHICH, IN TURN, MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVED SENSE OF WELL-BEING. 2004 17 758 31 EFFECT OF SLOW BREATHING ON AUTONOMIC TONE & BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: SLOW BREATHING INCREASES PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (BRS) IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, ALSO SIMILARLY OBSERVED IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. PRANAYAMA WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF YOGA WHEN PRACTICED AT A SLOW PACE WAS AT A RESPIRATORY FREQUENCY OF AROUND 0.1 HZ (6 BREATHS/MIN). THEREFORE, IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS MIGHT HAVE ADAPTED TO SLOW BREATHING. THIS STUDY WAS AIMED TO DECIPHER THE ROLE OF YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR VARIABILITY DURING SLOW BREATHING (0.1 HZ) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN IN NAIVE-TO-YOGA INDIVIDUALS (N=40) AND YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N=40) WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 31.08 +/- 7.31 AND 29.93 +/- 7.57 YR, RESPECTIVELY. THE ANALYSIS OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY, BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY (BPV) AND BRS DURING SPONTANEOUS AND SLOW BREATHING WAS COMPARED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. RESULTS: DURING SLOW BREATHING, THE HEART RATE (P<0.01) WAS LOWER, RESPIRATORY RATE INTERVAL (P<0.05) AND PNN50 PER CENT (P=0.01) WERE HIGHER, MEAN SYSTOLIC BP (SBP) (P<0.05) AND SDSD (STANDARD DEVIATION OF SUCCESSIVE BEAT TO BEAT SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE DIFFERENCES) (P<0.01) OF SBP VARIABILITY WERE LOWER WITH SEQUENCE BRS (P<0.001) AND ALPHA LOW FREQUENCY (P<0.01) AND ALPHA HIGH FREQUENCY (P<0.001) OF SPECTRAL BRS WERE HIGHER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT STUDY INDICATED HIGHER PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BRS WITH LOWER SBP VARIABILITY AT REST AND DURING SLOW BREATHING IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO NAIVE GROUP. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE SHORT-TERM PRACTICE OF SLOW BREATHING COMPLEMENTS THE AUGMENTED PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND BRS IN THE YOGA GROUP. 2020 18 1305 24 HATHA YOGA PRACTICES: ENERGY EXPENDITURE, RESPIRATORY CHANGES AND INTENSITY OF EXERCISE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CRITICALLY OBSERVE THE ENERGY EXPENDITURE, EXERCISE INTENSITY AND RESPIRATORY CHANGES DURING A FULL YOGA PRACTICE SESSION. OXYGEN CONSUMPTION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]), CARBON DIOXIDE OUTPUT ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]), PULMONARY VENTILATION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]E), RESPIRATORY RATE (FR) AND TIDAL VOLUME (VT), WERE MEASURED IN 16 PHYSICAL POSTURE (ASANAS), FIVE YOGA BREATHING MANEUVERS (BM) AND TWO TYPES OF MEDITATION. TWENTY MALE (AGE 27.3 +/- 3.5 YEARS, HEIGHT 166.6 +/- 5.4 CM AND BODY WEIGHT 58.8 +/- 9.6 KG) YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE STUDIED. THEIR MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]) WAS RECORDED. THE EXERCISE INTENSITY IN ASANAS WAS EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGE [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] . IN ASANAS, EXERCISE INTENSITY VARIED FROM 9.9 TO 26.5% OF [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] . HIGHEST ENERGY COST WAS 3.02 KCAL MIN(-1). IN BM HIGHEST [FORMULA: SEE TEXT]E WAS 53.7 +/- 15.5 L MIN(-1). VT WAS 0.97 +/- 0.59, 1.41 +/- 1.27 AND 1.28 +/- L/BREATH WITH CORRESPONDING FR OF 14.0 +/- 5.3, 10.0 +/- 6.35, 10.0 +/- 5.8 BREATHS/MIN. AVERAGE ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN ASANAS, BM AND MEDITATION WERE 2.29, 1.91 AND 1.37 KCAL MIN(-1), RESPECTIVELY. METABOLIC RATE WAS GENERALLY IN THE RANGE OF 1-2 METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (MET) EXCEPT IN THREE ASANAS WHERE IT WAS >2 MET. [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] WAS 0.27 +/- 0.05 AND 0.24 +/- 0.04 L MIN(-1) IN MEDITATION AND SHAVASANA, RESPECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH YOGIC PRACTICES ARE LOW INTENSITY EXERCISES WITHIN LACTATE THRESHOLD, PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE OWING TO BOTH BETTER ECONOMY OF BREATHING BY BM AND ALSO BY IMPROVEMENT IN CARDIOVASCULAR RESERVE. OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BETTER RELAXATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO IT. 2011 19 2005 31 STUDY OF PULMONARY AND AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS OF ASTHMA PATIENTS AFTER YOGA TRAINING. "THE CONCEPT OF YOGA IS HELPFUL FOR THE TREATMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA", HAS CREATED A GREAT INTEREST IN THE MEDICAL RESEARCH FIELD. IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS AND PULMONARY FUNCTIONS ARE IMPROVED IN ASTHMA PATIENTS AFTER SHORT TERM YOGA TRAINING, A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH NINE DIAGNOSED BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS. YOGA TRAINING WAS GIVEN FOR SEVEN DAYS IN A CAMP IN ADHYATMA SADHNA KENDRA, NEW DELHI. THE AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS TO MEASURE THE PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY (DEEP BREATHING TEST, VALSALVA MANOUEVER), SYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY (HAND GRIP TEST, COLD PRESSURE TEST), AND PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS FVC, FEV1, PEFR, PIF, BHT AND CE WERE RECORDED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA TRAINING. THE RESTING HEART RATE AFTER YOGA TRAINING (P < 0.05) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED (89.55 +/- 18.46/MIN TO 76.22 +/- 16.44/MIN). THE SYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY WAS REDUCED FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING AS INDICATED BY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01) REDUCTION IN DBP AFTER HGT. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN PARASYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY. THE FVC, FEV1, PEFR DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. THE PIF (P < 0.01), BHT (P < 0.01) AND CE (P < 0.01) SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. THE RESULTS CLOSELY INDICATED THE REDUCTION IN SYMPATHETIC REACTIVITY AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE PULMONARY VENTILATION BY WAY OF RELAXATION OF VOLUNTARY INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY MUSCLES. THE "COMPREHENSIVE YOGIC LIFE STYLE CHANGE PROGRAMME FOR PATIENTS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA" HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT EVEN WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD. 1996 20 1508 17 IS MAN ABLE TO BREATHE ONCE A MINUTE FOR AN HOUR?: THE EFFECT OF YOGA RESPIRATION ON BLOOD GASES. THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA AND ARTERIAL BLOOD GASES DURING UJJAI RESPIRATION OF ONCE PER MINUTE FOR AN HOUR WERE DETERMINED IN A PROFESSIONAL HATHA YOGI. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT LOWER CHEMOSENSITIVITY TO HYPERCAPNIA IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE DUE TO AN ADAPTATION TO LOW ARTERIAL PH AND HIGH PACO2 FOR LONG PERIODS. 2002