Regular Yoga Practice Research Articles

Effect of Sudarsankriya yoga practices on P300 amplitude and latency.

The cognitive ability which was perceived as a constant trait, is now understood to be upgraded by adaptive and extended training. Yoga practices are known to sharpen the intellect and enhance concentration. In the initial period of practicing yoga as an alternative/supporting tool to medical line of treatment, it is essential to investigate effect of yoga on cognitive ability using objective method, in order to establish evidences. Hence, aim of this study was to explore the effect of regular practice of sudarsankriya yoga on auditory event related potential (P300) by recording and comparing peak latency and amplitude. The participants were divided into three groups with Group I and Group II participants practicing sudarsankriya yoga for more than 36 months and less than 36 months respectively. Group III were non-practitioners with no prior practice of any form of yoga. Twenty participants in each group with a total of 60 participants between 40 to 65 years of age were recruited for the study. Results revealed a significant difference for mean latency and amplitude between three groups. Findings of the current study suggest that sudarsankriya yoga practices slows down the process of aging effect or maintains on cognitive ability in adults.

Effect of yogic intervention on cardio respiratory fitness of overweight school children

he word “yoga” comes from a Sanskrit root “yuj” which means union, or yoke, to join, and to direct and concentrate one's attention. Yoga is an ancient system of Indian philosophy. It has been practiced for health and well-being. Several researches have shown that regular practice of yoga improves health and well-being. The purpose of the present investigation was to look for the effect of yogic intervention on Cardio respiratory fitness of overweight school children. A total of sixty (N =60) subjects were involved for this study. The subjects were randomly selected from the two schools viz. Ghoshpara Saraswati Trust Estate Vidyapith and Ramnagar Milan Bagan Siksha Niketan of the district of Nadia, West Bengal. The age of the subjects for the study was ranged from (12 -15) years. All the subjects were divided into two equal groups, one was the experimental group (n= 30) and another was the control group (n= 30). Yogic training was intervened for 12 weeks on the experimental group from 12-1.30 pm (four days per weeks). But the control group was not involved in the treatment program. VO2max was measured by Rockport Walking Fitness Test. The Analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The significance of means was tested at p

Long-term yoga practice and pulmonary endurance in healthy individuals: A pre- and post-yoga interventional study

Background: Increased globalization and poor lifestyle are resulted in significant elevation of pulmonary diseases, as per the available scientific data. Beneficial effects of yoga on pulmonary health are substantially documented. However, irrespective of the study design most of the studies in this context is not only conducted on respiratory patients with less or modest sample size as well as short-term intervention. Aims and Objectives: The present study was intended to assess the effect of long-term yoga training on certain pulmonary health markers with large sample size in healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: This yoga interventional single cohort study was conducted on healthy subjects (n = 200) by giving 6 months yogic intervention. Vital Capacity (VC), Forced Expiratory Volume in 1st s (FEV1), and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) were recorded at baseline and after 6 months of yoga training. Data were statistically analyzed and compared using paired t-test. Statistical significance was established at 5% of probability. Results: Longt-erm yogic training caused significant (P < 0.0001) increase in VC, FEV1, and PEFR compared to their respective baseline values. Conclusion: Results are the suggestive of improved pulmonary endurance. Improvement in post-yogic values may indicate the increased strength and power of respiratory muscles. Further, results re-confirm the effectiveness of regular yoga practice in betterment of pulmonary health.

The Therapeutic Effects of Yoga on Health and Related Diseases: An Analytical Review

Purpose: Yoga means unity of mind and body. It has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and thus it can be used as complementary medicine. It not only is effective for strengthening the body but also incorporates appropriate breathing techniques, mindfulness, and meditation in order to achieve the maximum benefits. The objective of this study is to assess the findings of selected articles regarding the therapeutic effects of yoga and to provide a comprehensive review of the benefits of regular yoga practice. Subjects and Methods: In order to locate research studies and interventions that examined the therapeutic effects of yoga, databases were searched through Google Scholar and PubMed. The keywords entered into the database were Yoga, therapeutic effects, stress, anxiety, depression, chronic disease, arthritis, low backache, diabetes, cancer and pregnancy and articles from 1993 to 2007 were searched. Results: It is revealed that Yoga improves physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual health and offers an effective method of managing and reducing stress, anxiety and depression. It also triggers neurohormonal mechanisms that bring about health benefits, evidenced by the suppression of sympathetic activity. Yoga should be considered as a complementary therapy or alternative method for medical therapy in the treatment of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders as it has been shown to create a greater sense of well-being, increase feelings of relaxation, improve self-confidence and body image, improve efficiency, better interpersonal relationships, increase attentiveness, lower irritability, and encourage an optimistic outlook on life. Conclusion: Yoga teaches us to slow down, quieten our minds and connect with our inner selves which ultimately help in relieving us from the pressures and stressors of this modern day life.

Yoga Practice Improves Physical Fitness and Psychomotor Coordination in Older Adults

Background. There is evidence that yoga practice can improve cardiovascular endurance, and that physically fit individuals have better psychomotor functioning, however, to the best of our knowledge, no information is available regarding yoga effects in population aged 60 years and older. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that 10 weeks of yoga practice would improvephysical fitness and psychomotor coordination in older adults.Methods. Thirty-three older adults aged 66.9 ± 6.0 years were randomly assigned to the control group and the experimental group, which had 90-min yoga practice twice a week, for 10 weeks. Attendance and adherence ratios, and changes in cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, grip strength, and psychomotor coordination were assessed. Results. Attendance of the experimental group subjects in yoga practice was 96.4 ± 4.1%. Yoga practice increased (p &lt; 0.05) hand grip strength, flexibility in hips, thighs and spine, and decreased (p &lt; 0.05) the distance from target in the psychomotor task, whereas no changes in peak oxygen consumption were observed.Conclusion. Nevertheless, regular 10-week yoga practice had no effect on cardiovascular endurance, but it produced beneficial changes in muscular strength, flexibility and psychomotor coordination for older adults.Keywords: aging, cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, exercise.

"To study the efficacy of yoga in maintaining health and its effects on various systems of human body."

AIM : To study the effects of yoga on various systems of Human Body. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of benefits of regular Yoga practice on various system of body. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:It is important for health care professionals to be informed about nature of Yoga and evidence of its many therapeutic effects. Yoga has been practiced in India since time immemorial. In ancient Indian medicinal system, Yoga practice is described as the link between an individual and universe. It is considered to be means for physical, mental and spiritual growth of an entity. With increasing research evidence, OBSERVATION : Yoga has been emerging as a powerful tool to achieve good state of health both at physical and mental levels. Yoga includes physical postures, regulated breathing (Pranayam), Meditation (Dhyan) and relaxation which is helpful in improving lifestyle and also in bringing down prevalence of medical emergencies like psychological, neurological and metabolic disorders. Moreover it helps people to remain happy and healthy even in stressful conditions. RESULTS : Results show that Yoga enhance strength and flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, improve digestive system, reproductive system, improve immunity, improve Sleep patterns, reduce stress, anxiety depression and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.

The study of the effects of 12 weeks of yoga training on respiratory pressures and 40 mm Hg test in healthy individuals

Background: &#x0D; Yogic exercises have been found to be beneficial for better maintenance of bodily functions even in normal healthy subjects. In view of this, present study was planned to evaluate the effect of Yoga on respiratory pressures and 40 mm Hg test in healthy individuals.&#x0D; Method:&#x0D; The present study included 80 healthy subjects (40 males, 40 females) of 30-40 years age group. Subjects fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria attended a minimum of five Yoga classes per week for a period of twelve weeks. Age, height, weight &amp; BMI of the subjects were recorded. The maximum expiratory pressure, maximum inspiratory pressure and 40 mm Hg test were analysed before &amp; after twelve weeks of Yoga practice. The same subjects were chosen as both study as well as control group in order to minimize the confounding factors and make the study more reproducible. Student’s paired‘t’ test was used to compare the changes in parameters before and after Yoga training.&#x0D; Results:&#x0D; On analysis of results, there was highly significant (p&lt;0.001) increase in maximum expiratory pressure, maximum inspiratory pressure and 40 mm Hg test after twelve weeks of Yoga practise. The response was similar in both the genders.&#x0D; Conclusion:&#x0D; Present study proved that regular practice of Yoga for minimum of 12 weeks is beneficial in improving respiratory pressures and 40 mm Hg test in normal healthy individuals and this improvement is appreciable in both genders. Results of the study would justify the incorporation of Yoga as part of our lifestyle in promoting health. Also Yoga can make an appreciable contribution to primary prevention and management of lifestyle diseases.

Long-term Ashtanga yoga practice decreases medial temporal and brainstem glucose metabolism in relation to years of experience

BackgroundYoga is increasingly popular worldwide with several physical and mental benefits, but the underlying neurobiology remains unclear. Whereas many studies have focused on pure meditational aspects, the triad of yoga includes meditation, postures, and breathing. We conducted a cross-sectional study comparing experienced yoga practitioners to yoga-naive healthy subjects using a multiparametric 2 × 2 design with simultaneous positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging.Methods18F-FDG PET, morphometric and diffusion tensor imaging, resting state fMRI, and MR spectroscopy were acquired in 10 experienced (4.8 ± 2.3 years of regular yoga experience) yoga practitioners and 15 matched controls in rest and after a single practice (yoga practice and physical exercise, respectively).ResultsIn rest, decreased regional glucose metabolism in the medial temporal cortex, striatum, and brainstem was observed in yoga practitioners compared to controls (p < 0.0001), with a significant inverse correlation of resting parahippocampal and brainstem metabolism with years of regular yoga practice (ρ < − 0.63, p < 0.05). A single yoga practice resulted in significant hypermetabolism in the cerebellum (p < 0.0001). None of the MR measures differed, both at rest and after intervention.ConclusionsExperienced yoga practitioners show regional long-term decreases in glucose metabolism related to years of practice. To elucidate a potential causality, a prospective longitudinal study in yoga-naive individuals is warranted.

A pilot cross-sectional survey on awareness and practice regarding Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and its management with Yoga

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of multiple etiology, characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbance of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism resulting from defect in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Improper lifestyle contributes to the increasing number of people affected with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Systematic reviews on the management of T2DM in adults through Yoga reported significant improvements in multiple modifiable indices of diabetes mellitus management including glycemic control, lipid levels, and body composition. Awareness levels of a condition among the population play a critical role in behaviour change. However, studies related to assessing the awareness and practice of Yoga for managing diseases are limited. Hence, this study was formulated with the objective of assessing the awareness level and extent of knowledge about diabetes mellitus and its management through yoga. A cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 317 was conducted using a structured questionnaire at 5 districts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 95% of the study population were aware of diabetes mellitus while 61.2% responded that diabetes can be prevented by regular exercise and healthy diet. 62.4% people perceived that yoga practices can prevent diabetes mellitus and 59% mentioned that regular yoga practice can help in controlling diabetes and prevent further complications. Only 13% reported to practice Yoga regularly at least three days a week. Identifying a qualified Yoga trainer was reported to be a limiting factor for regular yoga practice. The study suggested that there is a need to increase the access to qualified Yoga professionals at community level. Further large scale studies with random sampling method to assess the awareness level and practice of Yoga in different settings is indicated.

Effect of Yoga on Cardio Respiratory Parameter in Medical Students

The competition in medical field, unhealthy food and lack of exercise deteriorate the health of student. Yoga is the ancient technique to increase the concentration power, physical and mental well-being. We have done randomized control study on medical students between study and control group. The study group has practice yoga for 4 weeks whereas the control group hasn’t. In the study group there is significantly improvement in cardio-respiratory parameters (p&lt;0.0001).This study showed that regular yoga practice in medical students can decrease their stress and improve cardiac and respiratory function.

Heart Rate Variability Changes in the Integrated Yoga Program: Results and Implications

Background. Different methods are used to study cardiovascular parameters. Of these, heart rate variability (HRV) is a relevant marker for both athletes and physically active people. With regards to physical activity, yoga has become a popular form of activity in the recent years. In fact, research has indicated that yoga is a useful modality for both the management and prevention of several cardiovascular conditions. The purpose of the current study was to observe HRV dynamics in young women during a 6-month yoga intervention.Methods. We recruited 13 women from multiple yoga studios. All participants were practicing Hatha yoga 2 times a week for 6 months. Data were collected: a) at baseline, b) 2 months after the yoga intervention, c) 4 months after the intervention and d) 6 months after the intervention. We used wireless Bluetooth electrocardiogram (ECG) recording device. ECG HVR parameters and heart rate (HR) were used for data analysis.Results. HR dynamics showed no differences during the 6-month yoga intervention. Meanwhile, vLF parameter after relaxation and LF/HF ratio after body scan meditation significantly changed after yoga intervention. No changes were observed in LF or HF parameter dynamics.Conclusion. Our results suggest that 6 months twice per week yoga practice influences vLF and LF/HF ratio, especially during relaxation and body scan meditation. We also suggest that healthy women could benefit from practicing body scan meditation. In conclusion, through modification of emotion reactivity, regular practice of yoga can help improve stress response and offset negative consequences associated with the stress process.Keywords: yoga, heart rate variability, women’s health, ECG, stress.

Role of yoga and meditation in sustainability and maintaining healthy life in pandemic

Introduction: Yoga and meditation are believed to start with the very inception of civilization and have munificent effects physically as well as mentally. As the entire world is facing dreadful COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of Yoga and meditation is the best way to keep a person in good shape, physically and mentally. Yoga along with meditation, as an integral part of our lifestyle tells us how to control the basic thought process and to stabilize oneself and integrate the state of health. Methods: Keeping the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, it is time for us to look back to utilize the treasure of Yoga and meditation for immunity, strengthening our willpower to stand the challenges of pandemic and develop resilience against negativity. Yoga usually emphasizes Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana and if practiced on daily basis will increase endorphins-feel-good-chemicals within the body and reduces cortisol levels that cause stress. Result and Conclusion: This pandemic has shown worldwide devastating effects on health-care-system, so Yoga and meditation practices could be utilized to counter the negatives of individual's physical, emotional as well as social health. In the current scenario, it is of utmost importance to deal the negative emotions with nonpharmacological interventions. The current paper focuses on the ways to protect ourselves in COVID-19 pandemic and live healthy life with regular practice of Yoga and meditation. It also highlights the role of Yoga and meditation in controlling a person's body, mind and soul. It also combines physical and mental discipline of the body and mind; to aid in managing stress, anxiety, and keep ourselves relaxed. Hence, developing a positive state of mind and promote better health to fight against the pandemic.

Awareness about yoga and its benefits among undergraduate and post-graduate dental students

Introduction: Students of all professional courses are under stress amongst which dental and medical curriculum is rated as highest. Many studies have indicated that the students experienced a reduction in stress and anxiety levels after inclusion of regular practice of yoga and can have a significant change in the lifestyle of a dentist by allowing them to maintain their health as well as relieving them from their day-to-day stress. Considering the long-term effects of the dental profession on one's health, it is crucial to know the awareness levels about yoga and its benefits amongst dental undergraduate and post-graduate students towards ensuring physical, mental and psychological well-being.Methodology: Google Forms were created where section one was for informed consent; the section two consisted of the questionnaire. It consisted of four items to assess the student's knowledge about awareness and benefits about yoga. The statistical analysis was done after collecting all the responses. Results: The total number of students participated was 206. Among 206 students, 35% had the habit of doing yoga and 65% did not have the habit of doing yoga. Ninety-two percent of the students had the knowledge of benefits of yoga; 6% had no knowledge of benefits of yoga. Conclusion: Ninety-two percent of the students had the knowledge of benefits of yoga, but only 35% had the habit of doing yoga. Based on the findings of the study, a sensitisation program on benefits of yoga shall be planned in small groups and the students should be motivated to take up yoga in their daily life.

Changes in circulating microRNA after recumbent isometric yoga practice by patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an explorative pilot study

BackgroundYoga is a representative mind-body therapy. Our previous studies have demonstrated that isometric yoga (i.e. yoga programs that we developed so individuals can practice yoga poses with a self-adjustable isometric load) reduces the fatigue of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Several studies have suggested that the micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) expression of ME/CFS patients is different from that of healthy subjects. However, it has not to date been determined if the practice of isometric yoga can affect miRNA expression. Therefore, we sought to investigate if isometric yoga is associated with changes in the expression levels of serum miRNA of patients with ME/CFS.MethodsThe study included nine patients with ME/CFS who failed to show satisfactory improvement after at least 6 months of treatment administered at our hospital. Patients practiced recumbent isometric yoga for 3 months; they met with a yoga instructor every 2 to 4 weeks and participated in daily in-home sessions. The effect of recumbent isometric yoga on fatigue was assessed by comparing pre- and post-intervention scores on the Japanese version of the 11-item Chalder fatigue scale (CFQ 11). Patient blood samples were drawn pre- and post-intervention, just prior to practicing recumbent isometric yoga with an instructor. The serum was used for miRNA array analysis with known human miRNAs.ResultsThe average CFQ 11 score decreased significantly (from 25.3 ± 5.5 to 17.0 ± 5.8, p < 0.0001) after practicing recumbent isometric yoga for 3 months. The miRNA microarray analysis revealed that four miRNAs were significantly upregulated, and 42 were downregulated after the intervention period.ConclusionsThis explorative pilot study is the first to demonstrate changes in the serum levels of several miRNAs after regular practice of recumbent isometric yoga. These miRNAs might represent biomarkers for the fatigue-relieving effects of isometric yoga of patients with ME/CFS.Trial registrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN CTR) 000023472. Registered Aug 4, 2016.

Effect of Yoga (Pranayama and Suryanamaskar) on Cardio Pulmonary functions among Adults

Background&#x0D; Yoga has been an ancient practice in India which promises many benefits both physical and mental. Present study was to assess the effect of long term practice of yoga on cardiorespiratory functions.&#x0D; Method&#x0D; The study was conducted on 64 subjects of age 20–65 years. Study group consisted of 32 yoga practitioners, practicing yoga daily for a minimum period of one year. Control group consisted of 32 subjects who never practiced yoga or any other exercises. Data on physical characteristics such as age, height, weight and Body Mass Index were obtained. Cardio respiratory parameters were assessed among both the groups.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; The mean Heart rate, Systolic Blood Pressure, Diastolic Blood Pressure and Mean arterial pressure, Respiratory rate was significantly lower among yoga group compared to non yoga group. The mean breath holding time, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak expiratory flow rate and maximum volume ventilation are higher among yoga group&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; Regular practice of yoga improves the cardiopulmonary functions in both genders among healthy individuals hence we conclude that yoga practice can be incorporated in our lifestyle and hence prevents cardio respiratory disease in future.

HEMATOLOGICAL MODULATION IN REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA

Background: A significant effect of yoga has been noticed in decreasing the blood glucose level, the heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Blood contains predominantly three types of blood cells including red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and Platelets.&#x0D; Methods- The study was carried out 100 volunteers. Study group comprised 50 male and 50 female healthy subjects of 18-20 years. Hematological parameters like total RBC Count, total W.B.C Count, hemoglobin content/dl and total Platelet count were determined by Improved Version of automated hematology auto-analyzer. For this Hemogram study, 5 ml of blood was collected in EDTA Vial under aseptic precautions.&#x0D; Results: Regular practice of yoga for 3 months significantly improved the R.B.C., W.B.C., Platelet count and Hb content.&#x0D; Conclusion- We concluded that regular practice of yoga for promotes trafficking of the stem cells from bone marrow and improve hematological parameters in anemia.&#x0D; Keywords: Yoga, hematological parameters, Regular.

Pranayama and hypertension: Need for investigation

Hypertension is an important and growing public health challenge worldwide. Though various studies have been conducted to study effect of particular type of pranayama on hypertension, a combination of various techniques has not been evaluated in this regard. Present study was thus carried to compare levels of hypertension in patients practicing pranayama and those who are not. The experimental group practiced a specially designed pranayama module of practical Pranayama for mild hypertension under expert supervision. Weight and blood pressure of all the patients were measured at the beginning and at the end of every month. Though the average blood pressure increased with respect to increase in physical activity, the difference was not statistically significant in cases and controls. Qualitative analysis of reviews of participants recorded after the completion of workshop revealed that all of them felt relaxed and energized after practice of pranayama. Better control over anger was also mentioned by two participants. All of them said that they will continue to practice of pranayama. Present study noted that the regular practice of yoga and pranayama can be helpful in relaxing the mind of practitioners, thereby making them feel better which, in turn, may prove to be helpful in reducing blood pressure over a period of time. Keywords: Blood pressure, Hypertension, pranayama.

Yoga Intervention as a Potential Countermeasure for Polar T3 Syndrome

Polar T3 syndrome is a common ailment for polar sojourners. It is characterised by abnormal fluctuations of thyroid hormones during extended polar winter. A randomised controlled study was conducted on 14 winter expedition members of Indian Scientific Expedition (2016) to Antarctica by introducing customised yoga module. Blood samples were collected during January to October, 2016 at different intervals for the estimation of total thyroxine (TT4), total triiodothyronine (TT3), thyroid stimulating hormone and noradrenaline (NA) by ELISA. In October yoga group showed significant (p = 0.04) higher TT3 values (2.1 ng/ml ± 0.9; mean ± SD) as compared to the control (0.7 ng/ml ± 0.6). In October a significant difference (p=0.0085) was observed between yoga and control group for NA values (47.0 pg/ml ± 22.0 and 107 pg/ml ± 46.0). Thyroid response of control group at the end of the study revealed presence of polar T3 syndrome in control group. Results indicate that regular yoga practice helped mitigating polar T3 syndrome

EEG signal based classification before and after combined Yoga and Sudarshan Kriya

Nowadays, the style of living is restless and busy which has resulted in increased stress among many people. Stress causes various mental and health illness such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and aggressive behavior. Yoga and Sudarshan Kriya (SK) meditation are healthy ways to eradicate stress from people’s lives. Based on the previous study, it has been analyzed that SK practice helps to enhance relaxation, management of emotion, alertness, focus, and antidepressant effect. In this paper, the combined impact of yoga and SK meditation has been analyzed on brain signals by using statistical parameters. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such study has been conducted in the past. In this study, the pre and post Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were captured from the control and study group before and after three months regular practice of combined yoga and SK. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) has been used to decompose the signal into 6 sub-bands (0–4, 4–8, 8–16, 16–32, 32–64, 64–128) hertz (Hz) by using db4 wavelet for analysis, statistical features such as variance, standard deviation, kurtosis, zero crossing, maximum and minimum have been calculated from each sub-band. The obtained parameters have been validated by using Kruskal–Wallis statistical test. Further, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been applied on aforementioned statistical parameters to classify subjects as meditators and non-meditators. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method achieved 87.2% accuracy for classification and could be further extended to construct an accurate classification system for detection of meditators and non-meditators. This study forms a scientific foundation to encourage the use of meditation in clinical practices.

Evaluation of Effect of Yoga on Pulmonary Functions and Hand Grip Strength in College Students

Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophical discipline designed to bring balance and health and to increase longevity. To assess the beneficial effect of yoga to cope up with stress and to improve the overall health and performance of students, the present study has been carried out. The study design was a cohort study. The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai. 52 students in the age group of 17-22yrs were given yoga training for 4 weeks. 52 age and gender matched students formed the control group. Breath Holding Time (BHT), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Peak Expiratory Flow rate (PEFR) and Hand Grip Strength (HGS) were done for both study and control groups at baseline and at the end of 4 weeks. Statistical analysis was done using the paired student's “t” test. There was statistically significant improvement of Breath Holding Time (BHT), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) and Hand Grip Strength (HGS) in the study group (group I) following 4 weeks of yoga practice (p < 0.01) while there was no significant change in these parameters in the control group (group II). The study concludes that regular yoga practice can improve the pulmonary functions as well as skeletal muscle strength of young individuals and this positive change could persist into their adulthood.