International Journal of Yoga最新文献

Background: Positive uterine artery Doppler (UAD+) in the first trimester is an indication of abnormalities in the formation of the placenta, UAD+ is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications in the later part of pregnancy. Yoga practice during normal pregnancy has positive effects on pregnancy outcomes. However, no study to date has examined the feasibility and safety of yoga during pregnancy in pregnant women with UAD+.

Methods: Twenty-one women aged between 20 and 35 years (mean: 28.8 years) who had a UAD+ (uterine artery pulsatility index >2) at 12 weeks of gestation were recruited from the gynecology department of a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Institutional ethical approval and informed consent was obtained before the intervention. All participants received a 45-min yoga session in virtual mode three times a week for 2 months from a certified yoga therapist. The yoga module consisted of simple yoga postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Enrollment, attrition, retention, adverse events, difficulties in practicing yoga, and subjective experience were assessed at the completion of 2 months.

Results: A total of 346 pregnant women underwent Doppler ultrasound in the first trimester during the study period, of whom 35 (10.1%) had UAD+. Twenty-one women participated in the study and 18 completed it. Enrollment and retention rates were 7.7% and 78%, respectively. Three women dropped out of the study due to personal reasons. No adverse events were reported during the study. Overall satisfaction with the program was rated 4.3 out of 5 points. Most women experienced relaxation, less stress, and lightness in the body after yoga sessions. The duration of the yoga session was found to be acceptable and sufficient.

Conclusion: This study reports that tele-yoga is a safe and feasible intervention for pregnant women with UAD+ in the first trimester. Further studies with randomized controlled trial are warranted.

Background: One in five children suffers crippling dental anxiety, and traditional calming methods often fall short. Trataka, an ancient yogic technique, offers a powerful new approach to manage this anxiety.

Objective: The objective is to investigate whether Trataka practice is more effective than relaxation techniques in reducing anxiety in children undergoing dental procedures.

Methodology: A two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 children aged 8-11 years requiring local anesthesia for dental procedures. Participants were randomized to either a Trataka group (n = 60) or a relaxation techniques group (n = 60). Both groups received 4 weeks of training on their assigned intervention. The primary outcome was anxiety level measured by the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ) administered pre- and postintervention. Secondary outcomes included electro-dermal activity (EDA) test results and the Stroop Colour Word Test (SCWT), both performed pre- and postintervention, and observed anxiety-related behaviors during procedures.

Results: Children in the Trataka group exhibited a significantly greater reduction in anxiety compared to the relaxation techniques group, as measured by the MASQ score (P < 0.001) and lower EDA response during the SCWT (P < 0.01). The Trataka group also displayed fewer observed anxiety-related behaviors during procedures (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The findings suggest that Trataka may be more effective than relaxation techniques in reducing anxiety in children undergoing dental procedures.

Context: Although proven effective in solid cancers, there is a dearth of evidence-based studies supporting yoga as an intervention to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with lymphoma.

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a remotely supervised, home-based yoga intervention to improve HRQOL for lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Settings: This project was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Northern India.

Methodology: Experts in lymphoma, yoga, psychiatry, and nursing collaborated to formulate the intervention. Following a comprehensive literature review and stakeholder consultations, the intervention, named "Yoga Therapy" for patients with lymphoma, was developed. It included counseling regarding the benefits of yoga, a video and booklet on yoga, practical yoga sessions, telephonic support, regular follow-ups, random and need-based re-demonstrations, and adherence charts. The feasibility and safety of the intervention were assessed through a pilot study.

Results: The developed intervention was found feasible, effective, and safe to be conducted during the pilot study. Reasonable adjustments were made in the final intervention to address individual needs, lymphoma burden, and other patient-specific concerns.

Conclusion: The developed intervention was explicitly developed for patients with lymphoma during chemotherapy and seemed to be appropriate for its effectiveness testing during a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Diabetes management remains challenging despite advancements in therapeutics, with many subjects developing complications. Yoga has been shown to aid diabetes management. This study investigates the impact of yoga therapy on diabetes progression, utilizing proteomics and metabolomics analyses to explore underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methodology: A 3-month longitudinal study involving healthy subjects with prediabetes and diabetes was conducted. Blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured before and after the yoga intervention.

Results and conclusion: Healthy subjects showed no significant changes in blood glucose, lipid profile, HbA1c, or MDA levels. However, subjects with prediabetes and diabetes experienced positive changes, with decreases in HbA1c and MDA levels. Proteomics and metabolomics analyses provided insights into the molecular mechanisms by which yoga attenuates diabetes progression in subjects with prediabetes and diabetes. This study is a pioneering effort to understand the molecular basis of yoga's beneficial effects on diabetes management.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric condition associated with high disability and mortality. The purpose of the present manuscript is to critically summarize evidence about the effectiveness of yoga for this condition. A bibliographic search was conducted in the main database sources (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus). Articles in English about the effectiveness of yoga in AN were included. Two hundred thirty-three articles were initially identified and 5 articles were included in the present review. With the exception of one study, all had several methodological limitations such as the presence of confounding factors (e.g., psychiatric comorbidity) or a too limited sample of patients. However, globally yoga seems to ameliorate AN symptoms, especially those regarding emotional dysregulation. Yoga is a candidate complementary treatment for the management of AN, but more randomized controlled studies with larger samples and limited bias are necessary to draw robust conclusions. It would be also interesting to verify in comparative trials the effectiveness of yoga with respect to other treatments such as psychotherapy or the administration of pharmacological compounds. Finally, the practice should be modified adapting to the specific needs of this type of patient.

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into yoga therapy represents a transformative paradigm shift in holistic health management. This article explores the evolving landscape of AI in yoga therapy, encompassing recent advancements, potential applications, ethical considerations, and implications for well-being. Recent advancements in AI have enabled real-time monitoring and personalized interventions during yoga practice, offering unprecedented customization and efficacy. AI-powered virtual assistants and telehealth platforms extend the reach of yoga therapy interventions, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity. However, ethical considerations surrounding privacy, autonomy, equity, transparency, and cultural sensitivity must be carefully addressed to ensure responsible deployment and safeguard the well-being of individuals. By prioritizing ethical principles and values, stakeholders can harness AI's transformative potential to advance the yoga therapy field and promote holistic well-being for individuals and communities worldwide.

Objective: This interventional randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the immediate hemodynamic effects of slow uninostril and alternate nostril breathing (ANB) patterns in normotensive adults.

Methods: A total of 132 normotensive adults aged 25-50 years were randomly allocated into one of four groups: Chandra anulom vilom (CAV), Surya anulom vilom (SAV), Anuloma viloma/ANB, or control. Hemodynamic parameters including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse rate were measured at baseline, once in between two prāṇāyāma rounds, postintervention, and 5 min after intervention completed.

Results: The study showed a significant decrease in SBP and DBP postintervention in the CAV and ANB groups compared to the SAV group. Furthermore, MAP was significantly lower in the ANB group relative to the control group. These results suggest that different types of prāṇāyāma can induce immediate changes in hemodynamic parameters even in nonpractitioners of yoga.

Conclusion: The study provides insights into the potential benefits of specific prāṇāyāma techniques on hemodynamic changes in normotensive individuals, indicating that such techniques could be beneficial in managing BP and overall hemodynamic status.

Background: Smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the world, and the respiratory tract is the major body system affected by smoking. Yoga has shown promising effects in improving lung function in previous studies. Mind sound resonance technique (MSRT) is one of the Yoga-based relaxation techniques, which improves internal awareness and reduces impulsivity.

Aim: Hence, we aimed to assess the efficacy of MSRT on pulmonary function and smoking behavior among smokers.

Methodology: A total of 197 subjects were screened among whom 80 were recruited and randomly allocated (1:1) to a study group (SG) (n = 40) who received 10 days of 25-min MSRT intervention and a control group (CG) (n = 40) who received health education during the same period. Baseline assessment was taken before intervention for both the groups. Pulmonary function was assessed by spirometry. All subjects were administered the Smoking Abstinence Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SASEQ) to assess the motivation to quit smoking, the Minnesota Tobacco Withdrawal Scale-Revised (MTWS) to assess withdrawal symptoms on smoking cessation, and the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges to evaluate the urge to smoke, before and after the 10-day intervention. The data were analyzed based on the intention-to-treat principle.

Results: There were no baseline differences across all parameters between the two groups. There was a statistically significant change in all pulmonary function variables including FVC (P < 0.001), FEV₁ (P < 0.001), FEV₁/FVC ratio (P < 0.05), forced expiratory flow 25%-75% (P < 0.001), peak expiratory flow rate (P < 0.001), and breath-holding time (P < 0.001) both within the SG and when compared to the CG. Within the CG, only FEV₁ (P = 0.002) showed a significant change when compared to baseline. Within-group comparison showed a significant change in all the domains of SASEQ (P < 0.001) and few of the domains of MTWS-Revised (P < 0.001) and Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (P < 0.001) in both the groups. Between-group comparison showed a statistically significant difference in all three smoking behavior assessments in the SG when compared to the CG after 10 days of intervention.

Conclusion: The practice of MSRT might help in improving the lung function and also reduce the withdrawal symptoms, craving, urge, and negative affect among smokers. Hence, it can be explored as a low-cost, easy to self-administer, and adjuvant intervention in aiding smoking cessation among smokers.

Background: Previously, yoga breathing improved mood states and attention but the effect of varying breath frequency on mood and attention was not clear.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of changes in breath frequency on attention, mood, vigor, and affect states.

Materials and methods: Thirty participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 27.3 ± 4.2 years) were assessed on 2 separate days practicing either high-frequency yoga breathing (HFYB, breath frequency 54.23/min) or bumblebee yoga breathing (BBYB, breath frequency 3.97/min) in random order. Assessments included blood pressure (BP), cancellation test scores, Nijmegen (to check for hyperventilation), respiration (rate, height of the breath wave [depth], and duration of inhalation relative to exhalation), mood states, vigor, and affect states.

Results: Diastolic BP increased after HFYB, whereas systolic BP decreased after BBYB, after both sessions scores in a cancellation test increased (changes in cancellation test performance suggest alertness and test-directed attention), also global vigor (signifying mental energy) and global affect (related to being "happy" and "calm") scores increased, whereas negative mood decreased after HFYB session (P < 0.05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test).

Conclusion: Both HFYB and BBYB increased attention test scores, possibly due to cortical activation (HFYB) or relaxation (BBYB). In HFYB, breath frequency and inspiration duration increased suggestive of increased sympathetic activity, accounting for increased vigor, positive affect, and diastolic BP. In contrast in BBYB, low breath frequency, higher breath amplitude, and prolonged expiration suggestive of parasympathetic activity may account for the decreased systolic BP after BBYB.