Abstract
BackgroundAn earlier study showed that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity. Due to heavy rain and a rift on the banks of the Kosi river, in the state of Bihar in north India, there were floods with loss of life and property. A week of yoga practice was given to the survivors a month after the event and the effect was assessed.MethodsTwenty-two volunteers (group average age ± S.D, 31.5 ± 7.5 years; all of them were males) were randomly assigned to two groups, yoga and a non-yoga wait-list control group. The yoga group practiced yoga for an hour daily while the control group continued with their routine activities. Both groups' heart rate variability, breath rate, and four symptoms of emotional distress using visual analog scales, were assessed on the first and eighth day of the program.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in sadness in the yoga group (p < 0.05, paired t-test, post data compared to pre) and an increase in anxiety in the control group (p < 0.05, paired t-test, post data compared to pre).ConclusionsA week of yoga can reduce feelings of sadness and possibly prevent an increase in anxiety in flood survivors a month after the calamity.Trial RegistrationClinical Trials Registry of India: CTRI/2009/091/000285
Highlights
An earlier study showed that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity
There were no significant differences between Groups or pre-post Assessments, and the interaction between Groups and Assessments was not significant, post-hoc analyses were not attempted as they would have had no validity [17]
There were no significant differences between Groups, Assessments, or Interaction (Groups × Assessments) for the four visual analog scales (VAS) end-points, heart rate variability, or breath rate (p > 0.05, for all comparisons)
Summary
An earlier study showed that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity. Due to heavy rain and a rift on the banks of the Kosi river, in the state of Bihar in north India, there were floods with loss of life and property. The breach caused loss of life and property in the north Indian state of Bihar, affecting more than 2.5 million lives. As the population consisted mainly of farmers, the possibility of them continuing their occupation appeared uncertain with the possibility of land remaining waterlogged or sand cast after the water receded. At this stage, a month later, an attempt was made to introduce yoga as a stress-reducing strategy. The ancient Indian science of yoga includes the practice of specific postures (asanas), cleansing practices (kriyas), voluntarily
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