1 865 130 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 2 985 52 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 3 1934 18 ROLE OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE STATE OF THE MIND AND THAT OF THE BODY ARE INTIMATELY RELATED. IF THE MIND IS RELAXED, THE MUSCLES IN THE BODY WILL ALSO BE RELAXED. STRESS PRODUCES A STATE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TENSION. YOGA, DEVELOPED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, IS RECOGNIZED AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE. IN YOGA, PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BLOOD CIRCULATION AND OXYGEN UPTAKE AS WELL AS HORMONE FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE RELAXATION INDUCED BY MEDITATION HELPS TO STABILIZE THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH A TENDENCY TOWARDS PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE. PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS WHICH FOLLOW, HELP YOGA PRACTITIONERS BECOME MORE RESILIENT TO STRESSFUL CONDITIONS AND REDUCE A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS FOR VARIOUS DISEASES, ESPECIALLY CARDIO-RESPIRATORY DISEASES. 2004 4 751 27 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 5 1836 18 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF THE PRACTICE OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION. AUTONOMIC AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC (EEG) CORRELATES OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION WERE STUDIED IN THREE GROUPS OF SUBJECTS AS THEY PROGRESSED FROM NORMAL CONSCIOUSNESS INTO MEDITATION. GROUPS DIFFERED IN THEIR LEVEL OF MEDITATION PROFICIENCY. MEASURES OF SKIN RESISTANCE, HEART RATE, RESPIRATION, AUTONOMIC ORIENTING RESPONSES, RESTING EEG, EEG ALPHA AND THETA FREQUENCIES, SLEEP-SCORED EEG, AVERAGED EVOKED RESPONSES, AND SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE WERE EMPLOYED. UNLIKE MOST PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MEDITATION STUDIES, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION DURING MEDITATION WHILE UNEXPERIENCED MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED AUTONOMIC RELAXATION. DURING MEDITATION, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED ALPHA AND THETA POWER, MINIMAL EVIDENCE OF EEG-DEFINED SLEEP, AND DECREASED AUTONOMIC ORIENTING TO EXTERNAL STIMULATION. AN EPISODE OF SUDDEN AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION WAS OBSERVED THAT WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE MEDITATOR AS AN APPROACH TO THE YOGIC ECSTATIC STATE OF INTENSE CONCENTRATION. THESE FINDINGS CHALLENGE THE CURRENT "RELAXATION" MODEL OF MEDITATIVE STATES. 1978 6 2547 31 YOGA FOR BRONCHIAL ASTHMA: A CONTROLLED STUDY. FIFTY THREE PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA UNDERWENT TRAINING FOR TWO WEEKS IN AN INTEGRATED SET OF YOGA EXERCISES, INCLUDING BREATHING EXERCISES, SURYANAMASKAR, YOGASANA (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATH SLOWING TECHNIQUES), DHYANA (MEDITATION), AND A DEVOTIONAL SESSION, AND WERE TOLD TO PRACTISE THESE EXERCISES FOR 65 MINUTES DAILY. THEY WERE THEN COMPARED WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF 53 PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA MATCHED FOR AGE, SEX, AND TYPE AND SEVERITY OF ASTHMA, WHO CONTINUED TO TAKE THEIR USUAL DRUGS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN THE GROUP WHO PRACTISED YOGA IN THE WEEKLY NUMBER OF ATTACKS OF ASTHMA, SCORES FOR DRUG TREATMENT, AND PEAK FLOW RATE. THIS STUDY SHOWS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE LONG TERM MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, BUT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THIS BENEFICIAL EFFECT NEEDS TO BE EXAMINED IN MORE DETAIL. 1985 7 844 38 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS OF HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SEE ANY EFFECT ON RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS AFTER PRANAYAMA (YOGA). THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 20 HYPOTHYROID FEMALES, 39.70 +/- 8.27 YEARS OF MEAN AGE REFERRED FROM MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF UCMS & G.T.B. HOSPITAL. SPIRO METRIC RECORDINGS WERE TAKEN WITH HYPAIR (VERSION-1.28). BASELINE (FIRST) RECORDINGS WERE TAKEN WHEN PATIENT CAME FOR THE FIRST TIME. PATIENTS CAME TO YOGA LAB IN PHYSIOLOGY DEPARTMENT FOR 21 DAYS CONTINUOUSLY WHERE THEY WERE TRAINED BY THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND THEN TOLD TO DO PRANAYAMA AT HOME AND CALLED AT REGULAR INTERVALS AFTER 7 DAYS TO SEE THE COMPLIANCE. THE BREATHING EXERCISES WERE DONE FOR 45 MINUTES EVERYDAY. AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRANAYAMA SECOND RECORDING WAS TAKEN AND COMPARED WITH THE BASELINE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN FIRST SECOND (FEV1), MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV) AND INSPIRATORY CAPACITY(IC). THUS PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS OF HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS ALONG WITH CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. 2010 8 1561 17 LONGEVITY: POTENTIAL LIFE SPAN AND HEALTH SPAN ENHANCEMENT THROUGH PRACTICE OF THE BASIC YOGA MEDITATION REGIMEN. THIS CHAPTER BRIEFLY REVIEWS RECENT PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL, AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH WHICH HAS IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS, BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT, FOR THE RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL LIFE SPAN AND HEALTH SPAN ENHANCING EFFECTS OF THE BASIC YOGA MEDITATIONAL REGIMEN. THIS REGIMEN CONSISTS OF MEDITATION, YOGIC BREATH CONTROL PRACTICES, PHYSICAL EXERCISES (OF BOTH A POSTURAL- AND MOVEMENT-BASED, INCLUDING AEROBIC NATURE), AND DIETARY PRACTICES. WHILE EACH OF THESE COMPONENT CATEGORIES EXHIBIT VARIATIONS IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, LINEAGES, TRADITIONS, AND CULTURES, THE FOCUS OF THIS CHAPTER IS PRIMARILY ON BASIC FORMS OF RELAXATION MEDITATION AND BREATH CONTROL, AS WELL AS POSTURAL AND AEROBIC PHYSICAL EXERCISES (E.G., YOGIC PROSTRATION REGIMENS, SEE BELOW), AND A STANDARD FORM OF YOGIC OR ASCETIC DIET, ALL OF WHICH CONSTITUTE A BASIC FORM OF REGIMEN FOUND IN MANY IF NOT MOST CULTURES, THOUGH WITH VARIATIONS. 2009 9 2298 17 THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF YOGA IN TYPE 2 DIABETES. YOGA ORIGINATED IN INDIA MORE THAN 5,000 YEARS AGO AND IS A MEANS OF BALANCING AND HARMONIZING THE BODY, MIND, AND EMOTIONS. YOGA PRACTICE IS USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS LIFESTYLE DISEASES, INCLUDING TYPE 2 DIABETES. PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS ARE INVOLVED IN THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON DIABETES. INCORPORATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN DAILY LIFE HELPS TO ATTAIN GLYCAEMIC CONTROL AND REDUCES THE RISK OF COMPLICATIONS IN PEOPLE WITH DIABETES. IN THIS REVIEW, WE BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF VARIOUS YOGA PRACTICES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM VARIOUS CLINICAL STUDIES. 2018 10 54 40 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND SWIMMING ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN SEDENTARY SUBJECTS. CONTEXT: THE MODALITY OF EXERCISE THAT IS MOST BENEFICIAL AND EASY TO PERFORM HAS BECOME A TOPIC OF RESEARCH. YOGIC EXERCISES ARE BEING WIDELY STUDIED; HOWEVER, POSTULATED BENEFITS OF YOGIC EXERCISES OVER OTHER EXERCISES MUST BE SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED COMPARATIVE STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND OTHER ENDURANCE EXERCISES ARE CONSPICUOUS BY THEIR ABSENCE. AIM: THIS STUDY WAS, THEREFORE, DESIGNED TO ASSESS AND COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC TRAINING AND SWIMMING ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN NORMAL HEALTHY YOUNG VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 100 VOLUNTEERS WERE INDUCTED INTO THE STUDY AND RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: ONE GROUP UNDERWENT 12 WEEKS TRAINING FOR YOGIC EXERCISES AND OTHER FOR SWIMMING. THE TRAINING AND DATA ACQUISITION WAS DONE IN SMALL COHORTS OF 10 SUBJECTS EACH. THE SUBJECTS WERE ASSESSED BY STUDYING THEIR ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS AND PULMONARY FUNCTION PARAMETERS (FVC, FEV1/FVC RATIO, PEFR, FEF25-75%, FEF 0.2-1.2 L AND MVV) BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. RESULTS: ALL PARAMETERS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AFTER BOTH YOGA AND SWIMMING. COMPARISON OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS FOR DIFFERENT PARAMETERS STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY UNPAIRED T TEST OR MANN WHITNEY U TEST DEPICTED A STATISTICALLY BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN FVC, FEF25-75% AND MVV WITH SWIMMING AS COMPARED TO YOGIC EXERCISES. CONCLUSIONS: THE OUTPUT OF THIS STUDY GIVES SLIGHT EDGE TO SWIMMING AS A PREFERRED MODALITY OF EXERCISE THOUGH EITHER YOGA OR SWIMMING CAN BE ADVOCATED AS AN EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION AS BOTH THE MODALITIES CAUSE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH. HOWEVER, OTHER FACTORS LIKE ABILITY OF ANY EXERCISE REGIME TO KEEP CONTINUED MOTIVATION AND INTEREST OF THE TRAINEES MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT FOR EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION. 2012 11 867 70 EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: LUNG FUNCTIONS ARE FOUND TO BE IMPAIRED IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD), CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY. DIFFUSION CAPACITY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENS AS THE SEVERITY OF CAD INCREASES DUE TO REDUCTION IN LUNG TISSUE PARTICIPATING IN GAS EXCHANGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGIC POSTURES MAY PLAY AN IMPRESSIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING CARDIO-RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY AND FACILITATING GAS DIFFUSION AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS PARTICULARLY DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 80 STABLE CAD PATIENTS BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE OF BOTH SEXES WERE SELECTED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 40 EACH. GROUP I CAD PATIENTS WERE GIVEN YOGA REGIMEN FOR 3 MONTHS WHICH CONSISTED OF YOGIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES, DIETARY MODIFICATION, AND HOLISTIC TEACHING ALONG WITH THEIR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE WHILE GROUP II CAD PATIENTS WERE PUT ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY WERE RECORDED THRICE IN BOTH THE GROUPS: 0 DAY AS BASELINE, 22(ND) DAY AND ON 90(TH) DAY BY USING COMPUTERIZED MS MEDISOFT CARDIO-RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENT, HYP'AIR COMPACT MODEL OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY TESTING MACHINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY P K MORGAN, INDIA. THE RECORDED PARAMETERS WERE STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA FOLLOWED BY TUKEY'S TEST IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS WERE ALSO COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION, AND DIFFUSION FACTOR/ TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA REGIMEN IN GROUP I. FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1(ST) SEC (FEV1), AND FEV1 % ALSO SHOWED A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HR, SBP AND DBP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP-I PATIENTS WHO FOLLOWED YOGA REGIMEN. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA REGIMEN WAS FOUND TO IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS BESIDES IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLIMENTARY OR ADJUNCT THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE FOR THEIR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION. 2015 12 904 42 EFFECTIVENESS OF ADJUVANT YOGA THERAPY IN DIABETIC LUNG: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. CONTEXT: RECENT STUDIES PROVIDE AMPLE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN VARIOUS CHRONIC DISORDERS. DIABETES MELLITUS IS A GROUP OF METABOLIC DISEASES CHARACTERIZED BY CHRONIC HYPERGLYCEMIA AND SANDLER COINED THE TERM "DIABETIC LUNG" FOR THE ABNORMAL PULMONARY FUNCTION DETECTED IN DIABETIC PATIENTS DUE UNDERLYING PULMONARY DYSFUNCTION. YOGA THERAPY MAY HELP IN ACHIEVING BETTER PULMONARY FUNCTION ALONG WITH ENHANCED GLYCAEMIC CONTROL AND OVERALL HEALTH BENEFITS. AIM: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF ADJUVANT YOGA THERAPY IN DIABETIC LUNG THROUGH SPIROMETRY. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL WAS MADE AS INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE WORK BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS OF YOGA THERAPY, PULMONARY MEDICINE AND ENDOCRINOLOGY, OF MGMC & RI, SRI BALAJI VIDYAPEETH PUDUCHERRY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 72 PATIENTS OF DIABETIC LUNG AS CONFIRMED BY SPIROMETRY (<70% OF EXPECTED) WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL GROUP (N=36) WHO RECEIVED ONLY STANDARD MEDICAL TREATMENT AND YOGA GROUP (N=36) WHO RECEIVED YOGA TRAINING THRICE WEEKLY FOR 4 MONTHS ALONG WITH STANDARD MEDICAL MANAGEMENT. YOGA THERAPY PROTOCOL INCLUDED YOGIC COUNSELING, PREPARATORY PRACTICES, ASANAS OR STATIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. HATHENAS OF THE GITANANDA YOGA TRADITION WERE THE MAIN PRACTICES USED. SPIROMETRY WAS DONE AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. DATA WAS ANALYZED BY STUDENT'S PAIRED AND UNPAIRED 'T' TEST AS IT PASSED NORMALITY. RESULTS: THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) REDUCTION IN WEIGHT, AND BMI ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.01) IMPROVEMENT IN PULMONARY FUNCTION (FEV1, FVC) IN YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO CONTROL GROUP WHERE PARAMETERS WORSENED OVER STUDY PERIOD. CONCLUSION: IT IS CONCLUDED FROM THE PRESENT RCT THAT YOGA HAS A DEFINITE ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY AS IT ENHANCES STANDARD MEDICAL CARE AND HENCE IS EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT IN ROUTINE CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES, IMPROVING PHYSICAL CONDITION AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. 2019 13 1951 17 SCIENCE OF THE MIND: ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS AND MODERN STUDIES. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS GAINING IN POPULARITY WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PRACTICES. RECENT RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE ANCIENT TEXTS ARE OFTEN CONCURRENT WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXPECTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND THOSE USED IN THE ORIGINAL TEXTS. VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING PRACTICES FORM A BRIDGE BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHANGES. THE VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING HAS DISTINCT EFFECTS ON METABOLISM, THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS, AND MENTAL STATE. THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MENTAL STATE ARE EVEN CLEARER. 2013 14 1883 33 REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND OBESITY THROUGH YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PRESCRIBED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER MEDICAL AND YOGIC PROCEDURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, INCLUDING CANCER, BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, COLITIS, PEPTIC AND ULCER. IT IMPROVES STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, LIPIDS, RESPIRATION, HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. AIM OF THE STUDY: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC PRACTICE ON ANXIETY/DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PATIENTS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, C.S.M. MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (ERSTWHILE KGMU), LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA. A TOTAL OF 272 SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: 1) GROUP OF 205 SUBJECTS (WITH YOGIC PRACTICE) AND 2) A CONTROL GROUP OF 67 SUBJECTS (WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE). ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WERE DONE BY HAMILTON RATING SCALE. RESULT: THIS STUDY SUPPORTS YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL WITH NO DIET RESTRICTION TO IMPROVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS OBESITY IN OBESE SUBJECTS CONCLUSION: INCORPORATING YOGIC ASANA IN THE TREATMENT PROTOCOL OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN. 2013 15 1928 28 ROLE OF YOGA IN DIABETES. THE SCIENCE OF YOGA IS AN ANCIENT ONE. IT IS A RICH HERITAGE OF OUR CULTURE. SEVERAL OLDER BOOKS MAKE A MENTION OF THE USEFULNESS OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF CERTAIN DISEASES AND PRESERVATION OF HEALTH IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS. THE EFFECT OF YOGIC PRACTICES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED WELL. WE CARRIED OUT WELL DESIGNED STUDIES IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE WITH DIABETES TO ASSESS THE ROLE OF YOGIC PRACTICES ON GLYCAEMIC CONTROL, INSULIN KINETICS, BODY COMPOSITION EXERCISE TOLERANCE AND VARIOUS CO-MORBIDITIES LIKE HYPERTENSION AND DYSLIPIDEMIA. THESE STUDIES WERE BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONG-TERM. THESE STUDIES HAVE CONFIRMED THE USEFUL ROLE OF YOGA IN THE CONTROL OF DIABETES MELLITUS. FASTING AND POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS CAME DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY. GOOD GLYCAEMIC STATUS CAN BE MAINTAINED FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. THERE WAS A LOWERING OF DRUG REQUIREMENT AND THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE COMPLICATIONS LIKE INFECTION AND KETOSIS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE INSULIN KINETICS AND THOSE OF COUNTER-REGULATORY HORMONES LIKE CORTISOL. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN FREE FATTY ACIDS. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN LEAN BODY MASS AND DECREASE IN BODY FAT PERCENTAGE. THE NUMBER OF INSULIN RECEPTORS WAS ALSO INCREASED. THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT IN INSULIN SENSITIVITY AND DECLINE IN INSULIN RESISTANCE. ALL THESE SUGGEST THAT YOGIC PRACTICES HAVE A ROLE EVEN IN THE PREVENTION OF DIABETES. THERE IS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON THE CO-MORBID CONDITIONS LIKE HYPERTENSION AND DYSLIPIDEMIA. 2007 16 1913 21 ROLE OF BREATHING EXERCISES IN ASTHMA-YOGA AND PRANAYAMA. ASTHMA IS A CHRONIC AIRWAY INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT RESULTS FROM A COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. THERE IS NO CURE FOR ASTHMA, AND THE MANAGEMENT IS USUALLY AS PER PUBLISHED GUIDELINES. AS IN MANY CHRONIC DISEASES CONDITIONS, VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLIMENTARY THERAPIES HAVE BEEN TRIED. OF THESE, YOGA AND PRANAYAMA HAVE GAINED WIDER ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS. WHILE THE TERM YOGA IS A COMPLEX TERM ENCOMPASSING EIGHT LIMBS AS PER PATAMJAI IN THE YOGA SUTRAS, IN SIMPLE TERMS, YOGA IS DESCRIBED AS A COMBINATION OF 'ASANA' (PHYSICAL EXERCISES) AND 'PRANAYAMA' (BREATHING EXERCISE). THE TERM "ASTHMA" HAS BEEN DERIVED FROM THE GREEK WORD "PANTING,", WHICH INDICATES A RAPID AND SHALLOW BREATHING. THE MAIN AIM OF YOGA AND PRANAYAMA IN ASTHMA IS TO SYNCHRONIZE AND CONTROL BREATHING, THUS DECREASING HYPERVENTILATION. BESIDES THIS, THEY ALSO DECREASE THE STRESS/STRAIN/ANXIETY, CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR, BOOST IMMUNITY, AND IMPROVE STRENGTH/ENDURANCE OF RESPIRATORY MUSCLES THAT ARE HELPFUL IN ANY SUBJECT WITH ASTHMA. THERE HAVE BEEN A GOOD NUMBER OF STUDIES INCLUDING CLINICAL TRIALS IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA THAT HAVE FOUND SOME BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, THE PHYSIOLOGY OF YOGA AND PRANAYAMA, RATIONALE FOR THEIR USE IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA ALONG WITH A SUMMARY OF VARIOUS STUDIES CONDUCTED TILL DATE, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED. THESE ARE FOLLOWED BY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THEIR INCORPORATION IN THE STANDARD OF CARE OF CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA. 2022 17 1817 20 PROPOSED IDENTIFICATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AND THEORETICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGASANAS. YOGA IN THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FORM IS NOW ACCEPTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, BY THE RESEARCHERS AS WELL AS BY THE GENERAL POPULATION. YOGASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES ARE ONE OF THE MAIN FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICAL YOGA. MECHANISMS OF MEDIATION AND PRANAYAMA HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHOR IS FOR THE FIRST TIME PROPOSING PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF YOGASANA I.E. (A) STRETCH (B) CONTRACTION (C). NEUROMUSCULAR COORDINATION (D) SENSE REDUCTION (E) SPINE BRAIN ACTIVATION. IN SUPPORT OF THIS PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AUTHOR HAS PROPOSED FIVE HYPOTHETICAL THEORIES I.E. (I) STRETCH RELAXATION AWARENESS (II) CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (III) BALLASTIC CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (IV) SENSORY MOTOR FUNCTION AWARENESS AND (V) VITAL ENERGY FLOW AWARENESS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS OF YOGASANA PRACTICE AND TO EXPLAIN ITS BENEFITS. 2021 18 2246 25 THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN: A ONE-YEAR CONTROLLED STUDY. NINETY CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION OF MILD, MODERATE AND SEVERE DEGREE WERE SELECTED FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN BANGALORE, INDIA. FORTY-FIVE CHILDREN UNDERWENT YOGIC TRAINING FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR (5 H IN EVERY WEEK) WITH AN INTEGRATED SET OF YOGIC PRACTICES, INCLUDING BREATHING EXERCISES AND PRANAYAMA, SITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYANAMASKAR, YOGASANAS AND MEDITATION. THEY WERE COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGIC TRAINING WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF 45 MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN MATCHED FOR CHRONOLOGICAL AGE, SEX, IQ, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND SOCIO ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND WHO WERE NOT EXPOSED TO YOGA TRAINING BUT CONTINUED THEIR USUAL SCHOOL ROUTINE DURING THAT PERIOD. THERE WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE IQ AND SOCIAL ADAPTATION PARAMETERS IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS STUDY SHOWS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN. 1989 19 1590 12 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 20 2006 55 STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE PATIENTS: A CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: PATIENTS OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE SUITED FOR PROMOTING RELAXATION, PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL STABILITY AND EXERCISE TOLERANCE. STUDIES SHOWING THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN DIFFUSION CAPACITY ARE NOT AVAILABLE; HENCE THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 60 DIAGNOSED STABLE MILD-TO-MODERATE COPD PATIENTS IN THE AGE GROUP OF 30-60 YEARS, OF EITHER SEX, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY. PATIENTS WERE TAKEN FROM GURU TEG BAHADUR HOSPITAL, DELHI AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: CONTROL AND THE YOGA GROUP. BOTH THE GROUPS WERE ON CONVENTIONAL DRUG THERAPY. SUBJECTS FROM THE YOGA GROUP WAS CALLED TO CARDIOPULMONARY LABORATORY DAILY FOR 21 DAYS AND THEN WEEKLY FOR THE COMPLIANCE. YOGA INSTRUCTOR TAUGHT THEM THE TECHNIQUE OF PRANAYAMA AND VARIOUS POSTURES EVERY DAY. THEY PRACTICED YOGA AT HOME FOR 2 MONTHS FOR 45 MIN IN THE MORNINGS. DIFFUSION CAPACITY WAS RECORDED BY USING COMPUTERIZED MEDISOFT INSTRUMENT (HYPAIR COMPACT), IN BOTH THE GROUPS BEFORE AND AFTER 2 MONTHS. RESULTS: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN TLCO OF THE YOGA GROUP. TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE I.E. TLCO IN MILD COPD INCREASED FROM 17.61 +/- 4.55 TO 19.08 +/- 5.09 ML/MMHG/MIN, AND IN MODERATE COPD IT INCREASED FROM 14.99 +/- 4.02 TO17.35 +/- 3.97 ML/MMHG/MIN. CONCLUSION: IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT YOGIC BREATHING EXERCISES IMPROVE DIFFUSION CAPACITY. THEY ARE BENEFICIAL TO COPD PATIENTS AND THEY CAN BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL THERAPY. 2012