Yoga Relaxation Research Articles

Effect of YOGA relaxation on anxiety and somatic symptoms in patients with depression

Objective To explore the effects of YOGA relaxation on anxiety and somatic symptoms in patients with depression. Methods 60 inpatients with depression were ctegorized into the control group and the observation group with 30 cases in each group. HAMD scale were scored before and after medication (2,4,8 weeks). Results Before medication, there was no statistical differenoe between two groups in HAMD total score and subscores, but the difference was obvious in anxiety and somatic, sleep disturbance and hopelessness subscore at the end of the second and 4th week. Conclusions YOGA relaxation can improve anxiety emotion and somatic symptoms, enhance sleep quality in patients with depression. Key words: YOGA relaxation; Depression; Anxiety; Somatic symptoms

Effects of Yoga Postures, Yoga Breathing, and Yoga Relaxation Program on physical symptoms of stress, fatigue, stress response and self-esteem for Irregular Women Workers

Effects of Yoga Postures, Yoga Breathing, and Yoga Relaxation Program on physical symptoms of stress, fatigue, stress response and self-esteem for Irregular Women Workers

Complimentary effect of yogic sound resonance relaxation technique in patients with common neck pain

Background:Studies have shown that conventional treatment methods with drugs, physiotherapy and exercises for common neck pain (CNP) may be inadequate. Yoga techniques have been found to be effective complimentary therapies in chronic low back pain and also for stress reduction in other diseases.Objective:The aim of the study was to examine the complimentary role of a yogic relaxation called mind sound resonance technique (MSRT) in non-surgical management of CNP.Materials and Methods:In this randomized controlled study, 60 patients with CNP were assigned to two groups (yoga, n=30) and (control, n=30). The yoga group received yogic MSRT for 20 minutes in supine position after the conventional physiotherapy program for 30 minutes using pre-recorded audio CD and the control group had non-guided supine rest for 20 minutes (after physiotherapy), for 10 days. MSRT provides deep relaxation for both mind and body by introspective experience of the sound resonance in the whole body while repeating the syllables A, U, M and Om and a long chant (Mahamrityunjaya mantra) several times in a meaningful sequence. Both the groups had pre and post assessments using visual pain analog scale, tenderness scoring key, neck disability score (NDS) questionnaire, goniometric measurement of cervical spinal flexibility, and state and trait anxiety inventory-Y1 (STAI-Y1).Results:Mann-Whitney U test showed significant difference between groups in pain (P<0.01), tenderness (P<0.01), neck movements (P<0.01). NDS (P<0.01) and state anxiety (STAI-Y1) showed higher reduction in yoga (P<0.01) than that in the control group. Wilcoxon’s test showed a significant improvement in both groups on all variables (P<0.01).Conclusions:Yoga relaxation through MSRT adds significant complimentary benefits to conventional physiotherapy for CNP by reducing pain, tenderness, disability and state anxiety and providing improved flexibility.

Effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on memory scores and state anxiety

BackgroundA yoga practice involving cycles of yoga postures and supine rest (called cyclic meditation) was previously shown to improve performance in attention tasks more than relaxation in the corpse posture (shavasana). This was ascribed to reduced anxiety, though this was not assessed.MethodsIn fifty-seven male volunteers (group average age ± S.D., 26.6 ± 4.5 years) the immediate effect of two yoga relaxation techniques was studied on memory and state anxiety. All participants were assessed before and after (i) Cyclic meditation (CM) practiced for 22:30 minutes on one day and (ii) an equal duration of Supine rest (SR) or the corpse posture (shavasana), on another day. Sections of the Wechsler memory scale (WMS) were used to assess; (i) attention and concentration (digit span forward and backward), and (ii) associate learning. State anxiety was assessed using Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).ResultsThere was a significant improvement in the scores of all sections of the WMS studied after both CM and SR, but, the magnitude of change was more after CM compared to after SR. The state anxiety scores decreased after both CM and SR, with a greater magnitude of decrease after CM. There was no correlation between percentage change in memory scores and state anxiety for either session.ConclusionA cyclical combination of yoga postures and supine rest in CM improved memory scores immediately after the practice and decreased state anxiety more than rest in a classical yoga relaxation posture (shavasana).

Effect of yoga relaxation techniques on performance of digit-letter substitution task by teenagers

Background/AimsMemory and selective attention are important skills for academic and professional performance. Techniques to improve these skills are not taught either in education or company training courses. Any system which can systematically improve these skills will be of value in schools, universities, and workplaces. Aims:To investigate possible improvements in memory and selective attention, as measured by the Digit–Letter Substitution Task (DLST), due to practice of Cyclic Meditation (CM), a yoga relaxation technique, as compared to Supine Rest (SR).Materials and MethodsSubjects consisted of 253 school students, 156 boys, 97 girls, in the age range 13–16 years, who were attending a 10-day yoga training course during summer vacation. The selected subjects had English as their medium of instruction in school and they acted as their own controls. They were allocated to two groups, and tested on the DLST, immediately before and after 22.5 minutes practice of CM on one day, and immediately before and after an equal period of SR on the other day. The first group performed CM on day 9 and SR on day 10. For the second group, the order was reversed.ResultsWithin each group pre-post test differences were significant for both the relaxation techniques. The magnitude of net score improvement was greater after SR (7.85%) compared to CM (3.95%). Significance levels were P < 0.4 × 10-9for SR and P < 0.1 × 10-3 for CM. The number of wrong attempts also increased significantly on both interventions, even after removing two outlier data points on day 1 in the SR group.Conclusions:Both CM and SR lead to improvement in performance on the DLST. However, these relaxation techniques lead to more wrong cancellation errors.

Effect of integrated yoga on stress and heart rate variability in pregnant women

Objective To study the effect of integrated yoga practice and guided yogic relaxation on both perceived stress and measured autonomic response in healthy pregnant women. Method The 122 healthy women recruited between the 18th and 20th week of pregnancy at prenatal clinics in Bangalore, India, were randomized to practicing yoga and deep relaxation or standard prenatal exercises 1-hour daily. The results for the 45 participants per group who completed the study were evaluated by repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Perceived stress decreased by 31.57% in the yoga group and increased by 6.60% in the control group ( P = 0.001). During a guided relaxation period in the yoga group, compared with values obtained before a practice session, the high-frequency band of the heart rate variability spectrum (parasympathetic) increased by 64% in the 20th week and by 150% in the 36th week, and both the low-frequency band (sympathetic), and the low-frequency to high-frequency ratio were concomitantly reduced ( P < 0.001 between the 2 groups). Moreover, the low-frequency band remained decreased after deep relaxation in the 36th week in the yoga group. Conclusion Yoga reduces perceived stress and improves adaptive autonomic response to stress in healthy pregnant women.

Complementary medicine for depression

Surveys have demonstrated that complementary medicine use for depression is widespread, although patterns of use vary. A series of systematic reviews provide a summary of the current evidence for acupuncture, aromatherapy and massage, homeopathy, meditation, reflexology, herbal medicine, yoga, and several dietary supplements and relaxation techniques. The quantity and quality of individual studies vary widely, but research interest in complementary therapies is increasing, particularly in herbal and nutritional products. Major questions are still to be answered with respect to the effectiveness and appropriate role of these therapies in the management of depression. Areas for further research and some of the potential challenges to research design are discussed. Finally, several ongoing developments in information provision on this topic are highlighted.

Teaching Counselors Self-Care through Mindfulness Practices

Few counseling programs directly address the importance of self-care in reducing stress and burnout in their curricula. A course entitled Mind/Body Medicine and the Art of Self-Care was created to address personal and professional growth opportunities through self-care and mindfulness practices (meditation, yoga, qigong, and conscious relaxation exercises). Three methods of evaluating this 15-week 3-credit mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course for counseling students indicated positive changes for students in learning how to manage stress and improve counseling practice. Students reported positive physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and interpersonal changes and substantial effects on their counseling skills and therapeutic relationships. Information from a focus group, qualitative reports, and quantitative course evaluations were triangulated; all data signified positive student responses to the course, method of teaching, and course instructor. Most students reported intentions of integrating mindfulness practices into their future profession.

Oxygen Consumption and Respiration During and After two Yoga Relaxation Techniques

Cyclic meditation (CM) is a technique which combines "stimulating" and "calming" practices, based on a statement in ancient yoga texts suggesting that such a combination may be especially helpful to reach a state of mental equilibrium. The oxygen consumption, breath rate and breath volume of 50 male volunteers (group mean age+/-SD, 27+/-6.3 years) were assessed before, during, and after sessions of CM and sessions of supine rest in the corpse posture (shavasana, SH). The sessions were one day apart and the order was alternated. The oxygen consumption, breath rate and breath volume increased during the "stimulating" practices of CM, returned to the baseline during the "calming" practices, and the oxygen consumption decreased by 19.3 percent below baseline values after CM. During the SH session the oxygen consumption, breath rate and breath volume reduced; however the decrease in oxygen consumption after SH was less than after CM (i.e., 4.8 percent). The results support the idea that a combination of yoga postures with supine rest (in CM) reduces the oxygen consumption more than resting supine alone does.

Responses to music in aerobic exercise and yogic relaxation classes

Berlyne's theory of aesthetic response was investigated in two naturalistic music listening situations. Fifty participants in an aerobic exercise class, and 50 participants in a yogic relaxation class were presented with five three‐minute musical excerpts representing a range of complexity. Participants rated these excerpts on scales of either liking or complexity and appropriateness. The relationship between ratings of liking and complexity was broadly consistent with the prediction of an inverted‐U function, although not significantly so in the data obtained from the aerobics group. The prediction that a positive monotonic relationship should exist between ratings of liking and appropriateness was also confirmed.

Meditation and college students' self-actualization and rated stress.

This paper concerns the efficacy of meditation and relaxation in promoting self-actualization and changes in self-reported stress among 62 college students. Two groups were given mantra meditation and a yogic relaxation technique referred to as Shavasana. Pre- and posttest measures were taken on the Personal Orientation Inventory and the Behavioral Relaxation Scale. Both groups showed significant increases in scores on self-actualization; however, no differences were found between groups. Meditation training was associated with larger gains in scores on measures of systematic relaxed behavior than of the relaxation training.

Some relations between respiratory and heart rate observed during yoga course

34 hypertensive patients were assigned at random either to six weeks' treatment by yoga relaxation methods with bio-feedback or to placebo therapy (general relaxation). Both groups showed a reduction in blood-pressure (from 168/100 to 141/84 mm. Hg in the treated group and from 169/101 to 160/96 mm. Hg in the control group). The difference was highly significant. The control group was then trained in yoga relaxation, and their blood-pressure fell to that of the other group (now used as controls).

RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AND BIO-FEEDBACK IN MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION

34 hypertensive patients were assigned at random either to six weeks' treatment by yoga relaxation methods with bio-feedback or to placebo therapy (general relaxation). Both groups showed a reduction in blood-pressure (from 168/100 to 141/84 mm. Hg in the treated group and from 169/101 to 160/96 mm. Hg in the control group). The difference was highly significant. The control group was then trained in yoga relaxation, and their blood-pressure fell to that of the other group (now used as controls).

YOGA AND BIO-FEEDBACK IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION

Yogic relaxation and bio-feedback techniques were used in the treatment of 20 patients with hypertension. As a result, antihypertensive therapy was stopped altogether in 5 patients and reduced by 33-60% in a further 7 patients. Blood-pressure control was better in 4 other patients, while 4 patients did not respond to therapy. Of these 4 patients, at least 1 had derived indirect benefit by the relief of migraine and depression. The results of this study promise a useful new approach to the treatment of hypertension.