Oxygen consumption and respiration during and after two yoga relaxation techniques

Effect of Integrated Yoga Program Along With Pilates in Abdominal Hysterectomy Patients: A Case Report

Abdominal hysterectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the uterus through an incision in the abdominal wall. Hysterectomy is associated with a number of complications; hence, early mobilization and physiotherapy are necessary following surgery. This is a case report of a 45-year-old female who presented with complaints of abdominal pain associated with white discharge. Investigations showed an anterior submucosal fibroid measuring 3.2x2.7 cm and the patient underwent an abdominal hysterectomy. Early mobilization and physiotherapy were started on Day 6, which included breathing exercises, upper limb mobility, lower limb mobility, and positioning and postural advice. Yoga and pilates therapy were integrated into the protocol starting from the second week. The patient attended 30 days of therapy in two phases and was advised to continue even after discharge. We concluded that this unique approach of including pilates and yoga showed a positive impact on the patient's condition in terms of her quality of life, strength, endurance, and power, even decreasing her difficulty in performing activities of daily living.

Slow yoga breathing improves mental load in working memory performance and cardiac activity among yoga practitioners

This study investigated the immediate effect of slow yoga breathing (SYB) at 6 breaths per minute (bpm) simultaneously on working memory performance and heart rate variability (HRV) in yoga practitioners. A total of 40 healthy male volunteers performed a working memory task, ‘n-back’, consisting of three levels of difficulty, 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back, separately, before and after three SYB sessions on different days. The SYB sessions included alternate nostril breathing (ANB), right nostril breathing (RNB), and breath awareness (BAW). Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant reduction in reaction time (ms) in 2-back condition immediately after ANB (−8%), RNB (−8%) and BAW (−5%) practices. Similarly, the accuracy was improved in the 0-back condition after RNB (4%), and in the 2-back condition after ANB (6%) and RNB (6%) practices. These results suggest that SYB practice enhances cognitive abilities (8–9%) related to memory load and improves the functioning of cardiac autonomic activity, which is required for the successful completion of mental tasks.Trial registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2018/01/011132).

The Impact of a Daily Yoga Program for Women with Fibromyalgia

Background:

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by widespread pain, sleep disturbance, negative affect, and stress and is notably difficult to treat. Individuals with FM have lower physical activity and endorse fears that exercise may worsen pain. Gentle daily yoga practice may allow a gradual increase in activity and positively impact many of these FM symptoms. This qualitative study investigated the impact of participation in a pilot trial of group and daily individual home yoga intervention on women with FM.

Materials and Methods:

Fifteen individuals participated in telephone interviews after participating in the yoga intervention, which included semi-structured questions to elicit insights and impressions of their experience. Responses were systematically coded and themes identified.

Results:

Five themes were identified: (1) physical/body perceptual changes, (2) practices affecting pain, (3) emotional changes, (4) practice motivators and barriers, and (5) group effect. Participants not only reported reductions in FM symptoms, including pain and stress, but also a positive impact on mood, sleep, and self-confidence.

Conclusions:

Participants enumerated both physical and psychological impact of starting yoga practice. Specific helpful poses and practices and important barriers were identified. Group practice and social connection with others with other FM patients was an important benefit to participants.

Impact of supportive therapy modalities on heart rate variability in cancer patients - a systematic review

Purpose: To systematically review literature for interventional studies and their impact on autonomic dysfunction assessed by heart rate variability in cancer patients.Methods: Research was conducted using the databases Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of science from their inception to October 2017. Original articles with an interventional design that reported changes in at least one heart rate variability parameter as outcome parameter were included and described.Results: Ten studies were identified as eligible for subsequent analysis. The main application field in oncological therapy setting was music therapy intervention, Traditional Chinese Medicine related treatments, exercise interventions, relaxation, and myofascial release techniques. Breast cancer was the most frequently described single cancer entity. Heart rate variability recording was performed with standard electrocardiography devices or wearable heart rate monitors, within a time range between 5 and 20 min and a sampling rate varying from 200 to 1000 Hz. No adverse events were reported in all studies.Conclusions: Supportive therapy modalities may have the potential to enhance vegetative functioning. In this context, heart rate variability analysis appears to be an easily applicable and safe method to evaluate cancer related autonomic dysfunction. More large prospective multicentre randomised controlled trials are needed.Implication for rehabilitationMost cancer patients face autonomic dysfunction due to the disease itself the applied treatments or combination of both.HRV measurement is an easy and safe method to asses autonomic dysfunction.Supportive treatments targeting on an elevation of the vagal tone and autonomic balance in general might have beneficial effects for cancer patients.

Medium term effects of physical conditioning on breath-hold diving performance

The current study aimed to analyze the effects of physical conditioning inclusion on apnea performance after a 22-week structured apnea training program. Twenty-nine male breath-hold divers participated and were allocated into: (1) cross-training in apnea and physical activity (CT; n = 10); (2) apnea training only (AT; n = 10); and control group (CG; n = 9). Measures were static apnea (STA), dynamic with fins (DYN) and dynamic no fins (DNF) performance, body composition, hemoglobin, vital capacity (VC), maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), resting metabolic rate, oxygen saturation, and pulse during a static apnea in dry conditions at baseline and after the intervention. Total performance, referred as POINTS (constructed from the variables STA, DNF and DYN) was used as a global performance variable on apnea indoor diving. + 30, +26 vs. + 4 average POINTS of difference after-before training for CT, AT and CG respectively were found. After a discriminant analysis, CT appears to be the most appropriate for DNF performance. The post-hoc analysis determined that the CT was the only group in which the difference of means was significant before and after training for the VC (p < 0.01) and VO_2max (p < 0.05) variables. Inclusion of physical activity in apnea training increased VC and VO2max in breath hold divers; divers who followed a mixed training, physical training and hypoxic training, achieved increased DNF performance.

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

OBJECTIVES

To compare energy expenditure and volume of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during a high-speed yoga and a standard-speed yoga program.

DESIGN

Randomized repeated measures controlled trial.

SETTING

A laboratory of neuromuscular research and active aging.

INTERVENTIONS

Sun-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 MEASURES

Difference in energy expenditure (kcal) of HSY and SSY.

RESULTS

Significant 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.

CONCLUSIONS

High-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.

Effect of yoga based techniques on stress and health indices using electro photonic imaging technique in managers

Background

Meditation techniques are known to elicit relaxation response in which moving meditation which combines the practice of yoga postures and guided relaxation is known as Cyclic Meditation reported helpful in reducing the sympathetic arousal and improving health of practitioners.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Cyclic Meditation on stress and health indices in managers as measured by Electro Photonic Imaging (EPI) technique.

Materials and methods

EPI technique was used to assess participants before and after 35 min of Cyclic Meditation (CM) and equal duration of Supine Rest (SR) session. A total of sixty six male managers, age ranges from 35 to 60 years (mean ± SD 53.97 ± 5.96) were included in the study. EPI parameters, including Activation Coefficient, Integral Area left and right and Integral Entropy, left and right were taken for statistical analyses.

Results

Cyclic Meditation has produced a highly significant reduction in stress level, whereas this reduction was not found significant within SR group. There was a significant improvement in health index ‘Integral Area’ values in both left and right sides within the CM group while only IA right side showed a significant improvement within the CM group. The integral entropy value right side decreased significantly within the CM group, whereas IE left was found deteriorated within the SR group. Moreover, only IE left side has shown a significant difference between the groups.

Conclusion

The investigations in this study suggest that Cyclic Meditation practice reduces stress and improves psychosomatic health indices more effectively than Supine Rest in managers.

Effect of Regular Yoga Practice on Respiratory Regulation and Exercise Performance

Yoga alters spontaneous respiratory regulation and reduces hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory responses. Since a lower ventilatory response is associated with an improved endurance capacity during whole-body exercise, we tested whether yogic subjects (YOGA) show an increased endurance capacity compared to matched non-yogic individuals (CON) with similar physical activity levels. Resting ventilation, the ventilatory response to hypercapnia, passive leg movement and exercise, as well as endurance performance were assessed. YOGA (n = 9), compared to CONTROL (n = 6), had a higher tidal volume at rest (0.7±0.2 vs. 0.5±0.1 l, p = 0.034) and a reduced ventilatory response to hypercapnia (33±15 vs. 47±15 l·min^-1, p = 0.048). A YOGA subgroup (n = 6) with maximal performance similar to CONTROL showed a blunted ventilatory response to passive cycling (11±2 vs. 14±2 l·min^-1, p = 0.039) and a tendency towards lower exercise ventilation (33±2 vs. 36±3 l·min^-1, p = 0.094) while cycling endurance (YOGA: 17.3±3.3; CON: 19.6±8.5 min, p = 0.276) did not differ. Thus, yoga practice was not associated with improved exercise capacity nor with significant changes in exercise ventilation despite a significantly different respiratory regulation at rest and in response to hypercapnia and passive leg movement.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Yoga as Remedial Therapy

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a group of symptoms manifesting as a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder in which patients experience abdominal pain, discomfort, and bloating that is often relieved with defecation. IBS is often associated with a host of secondary comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, headaches, and fatigue. In this review, we examined the basic principles of Pancha Kosha (five sheaths of human existence) concept from an Indian scripture Taittiriya Upanishad and the pathophysiology of a disease from the Yoga approach, Yoga Vasistha's Adhi (originated from mind) and Vyadhi (ailment/disease) concept. An analogy between the age old, the most profound concept of Adhi-Vyadhi, and modern scientific stress-induced dysregulation of brain-gut axis, as it relates to IBS that could pave way for impacting IBS, is emphasized. Based on these perspectives, a plausible Yoga module as a remedial therapy is provided to better manage the primary and secondary symptoms of IBS.

Self-reported measures of mindfulness in meditators and non-meditators: A cross-sectional study

Context:

Mindfulness forms an important component of meditation practice and has been increasingly popular around the world. There has been growing interest in studying the mindful component of various meditation techniques. One of the various forms of mindfulness is the practice of a unique technique called cyclic mediation (CM). We aimed at ascertaining the level of mindfulness in experienced practitioners of CM using a Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS).

Materials and Methods:

MAAS was administered anonymously in a classroom setup and two of the project coordinators were present to supervise the administration and to assist the participants where necessary. We executed a cross sectional design. One hundred and thirty-three (n = 133) healthy male volunteers (66 meditators and 67 non-meditators) with ages ranging from 25 to 35 years participated in the study. Meditators had a minimum 3 years experience of meditation.

Results:

Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 20. The data were checked for normality and an independent samples t-test was employed to compare the means of both the groups. MAAS scores were significantly higher in meditators as compared with the non-meditators (P < 0.001). We found a positive correlation (r = 0.620) between the years of meditation practice and the levels of trait mindfulness.

Conclusions:

CM can lead to development of higher levels of mindfulness and may have the ability to positively impact mental states and attention, thereby offering the potential for prevention of clinical levels of psychopathology and improving overall psychological well-being in healthy individuals.

Everything Hertz: methodological issues in short-term frequency-domain HRV

Frequency analysis of the electrocardiographic RR interval is a common method of quantifying autonomic outflow by measuring the beat-to-beat modulation of the heart (heart rate variability; HRV). This review identifies a series of problems with the methods of doing so—the interpretation of low-frequency spectral power, the multiple use of equivalent normalized low frequency (LFnu), high frequency (HFnu) and ratio (LF/HF) terms, and the lack of control over extraneous variables, and reviews research in the calendar year 2012 to determine their prevalence and severity. Results support the mathematical equivalency of ratio units across studies, a reliance on those variables to explain autonomic outflow, and insufficient control of critical experimental variables. Research measurement of HRV has a substantial need for general methodological improvement.

Oxygen Consumption Changes With Yoga Practices

Oxygen consumption varies with physical and mental activity as well as pathological conditions. Although there is a strong relationship between yoga and metabolic parameters, the relationship between yoga and oxygen consumption has not yet been formally reviewed. This systematic review attempted to include all studies of yoga that also measured oxygen consumption or metabolic rate as an outcome. A total of 58 studies were located involving between 1 and 104 subjects (average 21). The studies were generally of poor methodological quality and demonstrated great heterogeneity with different experimental designs, yoga practices, time periods, and small sample sizes. Studies report yoga practices to have profound metabolic effects producing both increase and decrease in oxygen consumption, ranging from 383% increase with cobra pose to 40% decrease with meditation. Compared to nonpractitioners, basal oxygen consumption is reported to be up to 15% less in regular yoga practitioners, and regular yoga practice is reported to have a training effect with oxygen consumption during submaximal exercise decreasing by 36% after 3 months. Yoga breathing practices emphasize breathing patterns and retention ratios as well as unilateral nostril breathing, and these factors appear critical in influencing oxygen consumption. A number of studies report extraordinary volitional control over metabolism in advanced yoga practitioners who appear to be able to survive extended periods in airtight pits and to exceed the limits of normal human endurance. More rigorous research with standardized practices is required to determine the mechanisms of yoga’s metabolic effects and the relevance of yoga practices in different clinical populations.

Using a standardized Viniyoga protocol for lung cancer survivors: a pilot study examining effects on breathing ease

Although lung cancer is perceived as a dire diagnosis, increases in the 5-year survival rate of individuals with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been reported. Survivors, however, continue to be excessively burdened with symptoms such as respiratory distress which interfere with functioning and quality of life. While exercise and physical activity are strongly recommended, NSCLC survivors may be reluctant to participate due to actual or anticipated shortness of breath exacerbated with movement.This quasi-experimental, intervention-only pilot study aimed to determine the effects of an 8-week standardized yoga protocol for Stage I-IIIa NSCLC survivors (n=9). The protocol was developed within the Viniyoga (Hatha) tradition with respiratory experts. Breathing ease, dyspnea, oxygen saturation, and respiratory function were explored in relationship to yoga practice (45-minute sessions once per week and home practice) using repeated-measures analysis. Number of participants reporting dyspnea ranged from 25 to 50% prior to practice with no significant increase during sessions, and moderate decreases noted at times. Oxygen saturation remained high and vital signs stable; forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) values increased significantly over the 14-week study period (p<0.0001). Yoga, with an emphasis on postures coordinated with breathing and meditation practices, offers a potentially feasible and beneficial option that requires further study in this population.

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

Background/Aims

Memory 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 Methods

Subjects 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.

Results

Within 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.

Immediate effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on attention in children

Aims:

To investigate the effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques, namely, cyclic meditation (CM) and supine rest (SR), using the six letter cancellation task (SLCT).

Materials and Methods:

The subjects consisted of 208 school students, (132 boys, 76 girls) in the age range of 13 – 16 years. The subjects were assessed on SLCT before and immediately after both yoga-based relaxation techniques.

Results:

After both practices, the total and net scores were significantly increased, although the magnitude of change was more after CM than after SR in the net scores (14.5 versus 11.31%). The net score change in the CM session was significantly larger than the change in the SR, whereas, there was no significant change in the wrong cancellation score. After either practice, the total and net scores were significantly increased, irrespective of gender and age.

Conclusions:

Both CM and SR led to improvement in performance, as assessed by SLCT, but the change caused by CM was larger than SR.

Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest

Day time activities are known to influence the sleep on the following night. Cyclic meditation (CM) has recurring cycles. Previously, the low frequency (LF) power and the ratio between low frequency and high frequency (LF/HF ratio) of the heart rate variability (HRV) decreased during and after CM but not after a comparable period of supine rest (SR). In the present study, on thirty male volunteers, CM was practiced twice in the day and after this the HRV was recorded (1) while awake and (2) during 6 h of sleep (based on EEG, EMG and EGG recordings). This was similarly recorded for the night's sleep following the day time practice of SR. Participants were randomly assigned to the two sessions and all of them practiced both CM and SR on different days. During the night following day time CM practice there were the following changes; a decrease in heart rate, LF power (n.u.), LF/HF ratio, and an increase in the number of pairs of Normal to Normal RR intervals differing by more than 50 ms divided by total number of all NN intervals (pNN50) (P < 0.05, in all cases, comparing sleep following CM compared with sleep following SR). No change was seen on the night following SR. Hence yoga practice during the day appears to shift sympatho-vagal balance in favor of parasympathetic dominance during sleep on the following night.

Meditative states based on yoga texts and their effects on performance of a letter-cancellation task

Performance in a six-letter cancellation task was studied in 35 male experienced meditators with experience ranging from 6 to 12 months. Each participant was studied in four sessions, two Meditation and two Control sessions. The Control sessions were (i) Cancalata or nontargeted thinking and (ii) Ekagrata or focusing on a single topic, in this case, meditation. The Meditation sessions were (i) Dharana or focusing on the symbol "OM" and (ii) Dhyana or an effortless single-thought (of OM) state. Ekagrata and dharana differ in that the former involves focusing with multiple thoughts whereas the latter involves focusing with a single thought, i.e., the significance of OM. The net scores on the six-letter cancellation task were significantly higher after a session of Dharana and lower after the Cancalata session, while there was no significant change after Ekagrata and Dhyana sessions. Focusing on the symbol OM in Dharana may favorably influence selective attention, concentration, visual scanning abilities, and a repetitive motor response compared to other sessions.

Performance on Psychomotor Tasks following Two Yoga-Based Relaxation Techniques

Previously cyclic meditation and supine rest have been shown to improve performance in a letter cancellation task requiring attention, visual scanning, and motor speed. The present study assessed the performance in 57 volunteers (all male, M age = 26.5 yr., SD = 4.6) in three tasks, viz., a digit-letter substitution task (DLST), a letter-copying task, and a circle-dotting task. The DLST assessed attention and speed of information processing, while the other 2 tests assessed motor speed. Each participant was assessed before and after three types of sessions: Cyclic Meditation, Supine Rest, and Control (no intervention). DLST scores and scores for letter-copying and circle-dotting tasks improved significantly after cyclic meditation; the same scores also improved after supine rest. There was no change after the no-intervention/Control session. From the results it was difficult to conclude whether improved DLST scores after cyclic meditation were due to better information processing speed or improved motor speed.

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

BACKGROUND

A 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.

METHODS

In 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).

RESULTS

There 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.

CONCLUSION

A 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).

Changes in midlatency auditory evoked potentials following two yoga-based relaxation techniques

Practicing meditation while focusing on a sound or a symbol influenced midlatency auditory evoked potentials (MLAEPs). Cyclic meditation (CM) is a technique combining yoga postures with meditation while supine, which has influenced the P300 event-related potential. The effects of CM on MLAEPs have not been previously studied. The MLAEPs were studied before and after the practice of CM compared to an equal duration of supine rest (SR) in 47 male volunteers (group mean age 26.5 +/- 4.4 years), recorded from the vertex referenced to linked earlobes. The sessions were one day apart and subjects were randomly assigned to each session. The Pa wave peak latency and Nb wave peak latency significantly increased following CM compared to before CM (repeated measures ANOVA, post-hoc analysis with least significant difference, p<0.05). There was a significant increase in the peak amplitude of the Nb wave (p<0.05) compared to before CM. Post SR there was a significant increase in the peak latency of the Na wave (p<0.05) compared to before SR. In conclusion following CM the latencies of neural generators corresponding to cortical areas is prolonged, whereas following SR a similar change occurs at mesencephalic-diencephalic levels.