Perceived mechanisms of change in therapeutic yoga targeting psychological distress

IntroductionThis study was designed to investigate yoga teachers' and yoga therapists’ perceptions of the ways yoga is applied to treat symptoms of psychological distress, and identify the defining features, main components, and mechanisms of change in therapeutic practice.MethodsA qualitative design was employed. Six yoga teachers who had specific training and experience in teaching therapeutic yoga or practicing ‘yoga therapy’ took part in one-to-one interviews during which they gave accounts of their experiences of helping people cope with psychological distress through yoga. Participants' interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed using an integrative inductive-deductive thematic analysis.ResultsFour key themes were identified in relation to the benefits of therapeutic yoga: Awareness, Choice, Relationships, and Tailoring.ConclusionsThe findings support previous research which suggests that individualised yoga therapy is a promising intervention, and may help to form a theoretical rationale for the future treatment of psychological distress with yoga.     

Effects of a yoga nidra on the life stress and self-esteem in university students

ObjectivesTo assess the effects of a yoga nidra on life stress and self-esteem in university students.MethodsThis study is a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Forty university students were selected by convenience sampling, with 20 assigned to a yoga nidra group and 20 to a control group. The yoga group participated in bi-weekly, 1-h sessions of yoga nidra for 8 weeks. Life stress intensity level was measured using a 10 cm Visual Analog Scale. Self-esteem score was measured by Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale.ResultsThe yoga nidra group showed significantly decreased life stress intensity levels compared to the control group. The yoga group also showed significantly increased self-esteem scores compared to the control group.ConclusionsThese findings indicate that yoga nidra could alleviate the life stress intensity level and increase the self-esteem in university students.     

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.     

Respiratory Patterns as Predictors of Laughter

Earlier research on respiratory patterns indicates that they are sensitive to emotional processes. Abdominal and thoracic patterns were therefore used as predictors of laughter responses in 25 subjects participating in an entertainment situation. The abdominal respiratory body circumference changes (the abdominal amplitude) of the women predicted their laughter responses; the greater the abdominal amplitudes during the entertainment period, the more frequent and enduring were their laughter responses. No prediction was obtained by the respiratory patterns of men. The results suggest that respiratory patterns are sensitive indicators of laughter response habits in women only. The variability of tonus in the abdominal muscles was suggested to be of particular importance to the results, i. e. great variability yields frequent and enduring laughter responses in women.     

Differences in energy expenditure during high-speed versus standard-speed yoga: A randomized sequence crossover trial

ObjectivesTo compare energy expenditure and volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during a high-speed yoga and a standard-speed yoga program.DesignRandomized repeated measures controlled trial.SettingA laboratory of neuromuscular research and active aging.InterventionsSun-Salutation B was performed, for eight minutes, at a high speed versus and a standard-speed separately while oxygen consumption was recorded. Caloric expenditure was calculated using volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production.Main outcome measuresDifference in energy expenditure (kcal) of HSY and SSY.ResultsSignificant differences were observed in energy expenditure between yoga speeds with high-speed yoga producing significantly higher energy expenditure than standard-speed yoga (MD = 18.55, SE = 1.86, p < 0.01). Significant differences were also seen between high-speed and standard-speed yoga for volume of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide produced.ConclusionsHigh-speed yoga results in a significantly greater caloric expenditure than standard-speed yoga. High-speed yoga may be an effective alternative program for those targeting cardiometabolic markers.     

Yoga Training Improves Metabolic Parameters in Obese Boys

Yoga has been known to have stimulatory or inhibitory effects on the metabolic parameters and to be uncomplicated therapy for obesity. The purpose of the present study was to test the effect of an 8-week of yoga-asana training on body composition, lipid profile, and insulin resistance (IR) in obese adolescent boys. Twenty volunteers with body mass index (BMI) greater than the 95th percentile were randomly assigned to yoga (age 14.7±0.5 years, n=10) and control groups (age 14.6±1.0 years, n=10). The yoga group performed exercises three times per week at 40~60% of heart-rate reserve (HRR) for 8 weeks. IR was determined with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). After yoga training, body weight, BMI, fat mass (FM), and body fat % (BF %) were significantly decreased, and fat-free mass and basal metabolic rate were significantly increased than baseline values. FM and BF % were significantly improved in the yoga group compared with the control group (p<0.05). Total cholesterol (TC) was significantly decreased in the yoga group (p<0.01). HDL-cholesterol was decreased in both groups (p<0.05). No significant changes were observed between or within groups for triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR. Our findings show that an 8-week of yoga training improves body composition and TC levels in obese adolescent boys, suggesting that yoga training may be effective in controlling some metabolic syndrome factors in obese adolescent boys.     

Role of yoga for patients with type II diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To understand the role and efficacy of yoga in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus, this meta-analysis was conducted. Electronic data bases searched were PubMed/Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, IndMED, CENTRAL, Cochrane library, CamQuest and CamBase till December 17, 2014. Eligible outcomes were fasting blood sugar (FBS), post prandial blood sugar (PPBS) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HBA1C). Randomized controlled trials and controlled trials were eligible. Studies focussing only on relaxation or meditation or multimodal intervention were not included. A total of 17 RCTs were included for review. Data from research articles on patients, methods, interventions- control and results were extracted. Mean and standard deviations were utilized for calculating standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity was assessed with the help of I² statistics. χ² was used to rule out the effects of heterogeneity due to chance alone. Beneficial effects of yoga as an add-on intervention to standard treatment in comparison to standard treatment were observed for FBS [Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) −1.40, 95%CI −1.90 to −0.90, p ˂ 0.00001]; PPBS [SMD −0.91, 95%CI −1.34 to −0.48, p ˂ 0.0001] as well as HBA1C [SMD −0.64, 95%CI −0.97 to −0.30, p ˂ 0.0002]. But risk of bias was overall high for included studies. With this available evidence, yoga can be considered as add-on intervention for management of diabetes.     

The relationship between yoga involvement,mindfulness and psychological well-being

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine how different levels of yoga involvement are related to different parameters of mental health and illness.Design and settingA total sample of 455 participants (410 females) were investigated by means of an internet survey. 362 yoga practitioners (327 females) rated their degree of yoga involvement on the Yoga Immersion Scale. A control group was comprised of 93 gymnastics practitioners (83 females).Main outcome measuresAll participants completed the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being, the Freiburger Mindfulness Inventory and the Brief Symptom Inventory for psychiatric symptoms.ResultsHighly involved yoga practitioners exhibited a significantly increased amount of mindfulness and religious/spiritual well-being (both p < 0.01) and lower psychiatric symptoms such as depression (p < 0.01) compared to those who were only marginally/moderately yoga-involved or who were in the gymnastics control group.ConclusionsIn accordance with the literature, yoga practice might have its biggest impact on mental health when it is part of a practitioner’s worldview. Further research focusing on the impact of yoga involvement in clinical groups is encouraged.     

Effect of yoga on cardiac autonomic dysfunction and insulin resistance in non-diabetic offspring of type-2-diabetes parents: A randomized controlled study

ObjectiveThe present study was aimed to determine the effect of yoga program on cardiac autonomic dysfunction and insulin resistance in non-diabetic offspring of diabetes parents.MethodsA randomized passive-controlled study was conducted on 64 non-diabetic offspring of type-2-diabetes parents (mean-age:25.17years). Yoga group participants received yoga training for 8 weeks. Heart-rate variability (HRV) indices: low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and LF/HF ratio; fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin resistance (IR) were estimated at baseline and after 8-weeks of intervention.ResultsWe found a significant decrease in LF (p = 0.005), LF/HF ratio (p = 0.004), IR (p < 0.001), OGTT (p = 0.003) and increase in HF (p = 0.022) in yoga group participants. Control group participants did not show any significant change in any variables.ConclusionsImprovement in cardiac autonomic function and insulin resistance by yoga training implies that yoga can reduce the risk of development of diabetes in offspring of diabetes parents.     

Effects of yoga practice on muscular endurance in young women

The aim of this study was to verify the effects of a systematized yoga practice on muscular endurance in young women. Twenty six women (24 ± 3.5 years old) participated in six weeks of yoga classes, and twenty one women (25 ± 5.1 years old) participated as the control group. The yoga intervention was composed of eighteen sessions, three times per week, at 1 h per session. The muscular endurance of upper limbs (push-up) and abdominal (sit-up) was assessed through the protocol suggested by Gettman (1989) [1] and Golding, Myers and Sinning (1989) [2] to the maximum repetitions performed in 1 min. To verify the significant differences intra groups and between groups a SPANOVA was performed, and the level of significance was p ≤ 0.05. The findings suggest that yoga provides improvement in upper limb and in abdominal muscular endurance.