Physiological Effects of Yogic Practices and Transcendental Meditation in Health and Disease

Overview

Journal N Am J Med Sci

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2012 Nov 1

PMID 23112963

Citations 34

Authors

P A Balaji

Smitha R Varne

Syed Sadat Ali

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Yoga is an ancient Indian way of life, which includes changes in mental attitude, diet, and the practice of specific techniques such as yoga asanas (postures), breathing practices (pranayamas), and meditation to attain the highest level of consciousness. Since a decade, there has been a surge in the research on yoga, but we do find very few reviews regarding yogic practices and transcendental meditation (TM) in health and disease. Keeping this in view, a Medline search was done to review relevant articles in English literature on evaluation of physiological effects of yogic practices and TM. Data were constructed; issues were reviewed and found that there were considerable health benefits, including improved cognition, respiration, reduced cardiovascular risk, body mass index, blood pressure, and diabetes. Yoga also influenced immunity and ameliorated joint disorders.

Citing Articles

Clinical Effects of Yoga and Meditational Practices on the Holistic Health of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Systematic Review.

Gautam S, Kiran U Cureus. 2024; 16(4):e57546.

PMID: 38707181 PMC: 11068214. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57546.

From Inner Balance to Visual Health: Unraveling the Therapeutic Role of Yoga in Optic Neuropathy and Ocular Manifestations - Narrative Review.

Tiwari P, Dada R, Dada T Int J Yoga. 2024; 16(3):171-179.

PMID: 38463653 PMC: 10919409. DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_182_23.

Intraocular Pressure Changes Following Three "Head below the Heart" Postures in Yoga Practitioners - A Prospective Observational Study.

Swathi N, Ramanathan M, Srikanth K, Bhavanani A Int J Yoga. 2023; 16(1):34-37.

PMID: 37583537 PMC: 10424270. DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_28_23.

Common Yoga Protocol Increases Peripheral Blood CD34+ Cells: An Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Trial.

Sharma K, Maity K, Goel S, Kanwar S, Anand A J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023; 16:1721-1736.

PMID: 37377666 PMC: 10290939. DOI: 10.2147/JMDH.S377869.

Immediate autonomic changes during right nostril breathing and left nostril breathing in regular yoga practitioners.

Malhotra V, Srivastava R, Parasuraman P, Javed D, Wakode S, Thakare A J Educ Health Promot. 2022; 11:280.

PMID: 36325230 PMC: 9621351. DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_343_22.

References

Jella S, Shannahoff-Khalsa D . The effects of unilateral forced nostril breathing on cognitive performance. Int J Neurosci. 1993; 73(1-2):61-8. DOI: 10.3109/00207459308987211. View

Sarang S, Telles S . Changes in p300 following two yoga-based relaxation techniques. Int J Neurosci. 2006; 116(12):1419-30. DOI: 10.1080/00207450500514193. View

Manocha R, Marks G, Kenchington P, Peters D, Salome C . Sahaja yoga in the management of moderate to severe asthma: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2002; 57(2):110-5. PMC: 1746263. DOI: 10.1136/thorax.57.2.110. View

Telles S, Naveen V, Balkrishna A, Kumar S . Short term health impact of a yoga and diet change program on obesity. Med Sci Monit. 2009; 16(1):CR35-40. View

Malhotra V, Singh S, Tandon O, Sharma S . The beneficial effect of yoga in diabetes. Nepal Med Coll J. 2006; 7(2):145-7. View

Telles S, Nagarathna R, Vani P, Nagendra H . A combination of focusing and defocusing through yoga reduces optical illusion more than focusing alone. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1997; 41(2):179-82. View

Singh V, Wisniewski A, Britton J, Tattersfield A . Effect of yoga breathing exercises (pranayama) on airway reactivity in subjects with asthma. Lancet. 1990; 335(8702):1381-3. DOI: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)91254-8. View

van Leeuwen S, Singer W, Melloni L . Meditation increases the depth of information processing and improves the allocation of attention in space. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012; 6:133. PMC: 3351800. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00133. View

Ebnezar J, Nagarathna R, Yogitha B, Nagendra H . Effects of an integrated approach of hatha yoga therapy on functional disability, pain, and flexibility in osteoarthritis of the knee joint: a randomized controlled study. J Altern Complement Med. 2012; 18(5):463-72. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2010.0320. View

10.

Bijlani R, Vempati R, Yadav R, Ray R, Gupta V, Sharma R . A brief but comprehensive lifestyle education program based on yoga reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. J Altern Complement Med. 2005; 11(2):267-74. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2005.11.267. View

11.

Visweswaraiah N, Telles S . Randomized trial of yoga as a complementary therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis. Respirology. 2004; 9(1):96-101. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2003.00528.x. View

12.

Paul-Labrador M, Polk D, Dwyer J, Velasquez I, Nidich S, Rainforth M . Effects of a randomized controlled trial of transcendental meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. 2006; 166(11):1218-24. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.166.11.1218. View

13.

TULPULE T, Shah H, Shah S, Haveliwala H . Yogic exercises in the management of ischaemic heart disease. Indian Heart J. 1971; 23(4):259-64. View

14.

Vestergaard-Poulsen P, van Beek M, Skewes J, Bjarkam C, Stubberup M, Bertelsen J . Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem. Neuroreport. 2008; 20(2):170-4. DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e328320012a. View

15.

Yogendra J, Yogendra H, Ambardekar S, Lele R, Shetty S, Dave M . Beneficial effects of yoga lifestyle on reversibility of ischaemic heart disease: caring heart project of International Board of Yoga. J Assoc Physicians India. 2005; 52:283-9. View

16.

Tooley G, Armstrong S, Norman T, Sali A . Acute increases in night-time plasma melatonin levels following a period of meditation. Biol Psychol. 2000; 53(1):69-78. DOI: 10.1016/s0301-0511(00)00035-1. View

17.

Santaella D, Devesa C, Rojo M, Amato M, Drager L, Casali K . Yoga respiratory training improves respiratory function and cardiac sympathovagal balance in elderly subjects: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2011; 1(1):e000085. PMC: 3191432. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000085. View

18.

Ramos-Jimenez A, Hernandez-Torres R, Wall-Medrano A, Munoz-Daw M, Torres-Duran P, Juarez-Oropeza M . Cardiovascular and metabolic effects of intensive Hatha Yoga training in middle-aged and older women from northern Mexico. Int J Yoga. 2010; 2(2):49-54. PMC: 2934576. DOI: 10.4103/0973-6131.60044. View

19.

Nagarathna R, Nagendra H . Yoga for bronchial asthma: a controlled study. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985; 291(6502):1077-9. PMC: 1417003. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.291.6502.1077. View

20.

Ankad R, Herur A, Patil S, Shashikala G, Chinagudi S . Effect of short-term pranayama and meditation on cardiovascular functions in healthy individuals. Heart Views. 2011; 12(2):58-62. PMC: 3221193. DOI: 10.4103/1995-705X.86016. View