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Outcome of yoga nidra practice on various mental health problems and general wellbeing: a review study

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Kalamani Dhamodhini
Kalamani Dhamodhini
Kalamani Dhamodhini
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Muthappan Sendhilkumar at Indian Council of Medical Research
Muthappan Sendhilkumar
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Abstract

Mental disorders comprise a wide range of mental health problems with different symptoms. The most of the mental health disorders can be successfully treated with proper treatment and care by health facilities. The yoga founders were great saints and sages from India. The great Yogis presented rational interpretation of their experiences of yoga and brought about a practical and scientifically sound method within every one’s reach. Yoga nidra effectively provides impact on stress, anxiety levels, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms like rage and anxiety and increased feelings of relaxation and peace after yoga nidra as a therapy.
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International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | January 2019 | Vol 6 | Issue 1 Page 446
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health
Dhamodhini K et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019 Jan;6(1):446-449
http://www.ijcmph.com
pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040
Review Article
Outcome of yoga nidra practice on various mental health problems
and general wellbeing: a review study
Kalamani Dhamodhini1, Muthappan Sendhilkumar2*
INTRODUCTION
Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which
every individual realizes his or her own potential, can
cope with the normal stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully, and makes a contribution to
her or his community. WHO’s comprehensive mental
health action plan for 2013-2020 mentioned following
four main objectives. The objectives focus on effective
leadership and governance, comprehensive mental health
for community, promotion, and prevention of mental
health, use of IT systems and research on mental health.1,2
Mental disorders include broad range mental health
problems. The most of the mental health disorders are
successfully treated with proper treatment and care by
health facilities if identified early as the advanced
treatments are available now. The report also show that
nearly quarter of population has the chance get any
mental health problems in one lifetime. Globally, nearly
450 million mainly in developed and developing
suffering from mental health disorders and lies in top in a
table among the leading causes of ill-health and disability
worldwide.3,4 As per WHO report, the depression is
ranked single largest contributor to global disability
(7.5% of all years lived with disability in 2015) followed
by anxiety disorders (ranked 6th (3.4%).5
The overall prevalence for any mental morbidity was
13.7% in a lifetime. As per the Indian study, the small
North East Indian state Manipur (19.9) top in the list and
another North East Indian state Assam (8.1) in bottom of
the list for lifetime prevalence. India accounts for nearly
18% of the world population and loss nearly 15%
DALYs due to mental health problems. The burden of
depression (DALYs) increased by 67% between 1990
and 2013 globally.7
Yoga originated in India several thousand years and
played a vital role in keeping health of the people. The
great saints, sadhus, Siddhars were found, practiced and
spread all over the India. Now, yoga is universal in
ABSTRACT
Mental disorders comprise a wide range of mental health problems with different symptoms. The most of the mental
health disorders can be successfully treated with proper treatment and care by health facilities. The yoga founders
were great saints and sages from India. The great Yogis presented rational interpretation of their experiences of yoga
and brought about a practical and scientifically sound method within every one’s reach. Yoga nidra effectively
provides impact on stress, anxiety levels, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms like rage and anxiety and
increased feelings of relaxation and peace after yoga nidra as a therapy.
Keywords: Yoga, Yoga nidra, Mental health, Depression
1Government Yoga and Naturopathy College and hospital, Chennai, India
2Independent Siddha Researcher, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Received: 22 October 2018
Revised: 29 November 2018
Accepted: 30 November 2018
*Correspondence:
Dr. Muthappan Sendhilkumar,
E-mail: drsendhil1986@gmail.com
Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20185286
Dhamodhini K et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019 Jan;6(1):446-449
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | January 2019 | Vol 6 | Issue 1 Page 447
character and practiced all over the globe to improve the
physical and mental health of people. The yoga practice
and application is irrespective of culture, nationality,
gender, age and physical condition. Even though the
growing clinical research studies, and some reviews
shows the use of yoga as therapeutic effects, there is still
a lack of solid evidence regarding its clinical relevance
for many symptoms and medical conditions.8
The many studies show that the yoga has huge impact on
improving mental health and memory. The studies in
older adults reveal that Yoga is helpful in preventing
cognitive decline, focused attention and improve working
memory performance.9,10 An 8-week meditation program
resulted in improvements in neuropsychological function.
Kirtan Kriya yoga intervention showed that effective in
improving memory functions and functional
connectivity-related to verbal, attention, and self-
regulatory performance.11,12
Yoga nidra along with other advanced medical
procedures has been potentially used in the management
of many psychosomatic disorders such as menstrual
irregulations, cancer, asthma, peptic ulcer. Yoga nidra is
one such effective technique, not only for physical or
mental relaxation but also for preparing the mind for
yogic discipline. Many misunderstood that yoga nidra for
sleep only. Apart from relaxation, the yoga nidra provides
much more intense than ordinary sleep. Yoga nidra aims
to focus the mind to achieve relaxation and increase
wellness. Many research studies indicate that yoga nidra
can be used as a therapeutic technique to cure
psychological disorders like anxiety, hostility, insomnia
etc, and psychosomatic diseases like asthma, coronary
heart disease, cancer, and hypertension.13
YOGA NIDRA
Yoga nidra, also known as dynamic sleep, prompts the
body to relax deeply while the mind remains inwardly
alert.
PROCEDURE
To start yoga nidra practice, you begin by lying on the
floor (face up) in yoga corpse pose or Shavasana. Then,
based upon the guided meditation you’re following,
you’re prompted to begin sensing the body and breathing
in specific ways to incite a relaxation response in you.
Yoga nidra works by gently guiding you through four
main stages of brain wave activity – beta, alpha, theta,
and delta. In the end, the goal is to achieve a ―hypnagogic
state‖ — the state between wakefulness and sleep. It’s
that mysterious time just before you fall asleep when the
body rests while the mind is still reasonably clear.
Conscious thought then blends with dreams, and a trippy
certainty sets in.
YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION
The yoga nidra procedure developed from Munger, Bihar
by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, School of Yoga in
India. A study conducted in Department of Physiology
King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh for first three months was a big breakthrough for
yoga nidra. Yoga instructor was selected by an expert
panel for this study. The yoga classes for the patients
consisted of 30 to 35 minute /day session, five days in a
week where yoga nidra taught by a trained yoga therapist.
Thereafter the patients were advised to continue the same
at their homes for next three months; the yoga lasted for 6
months in the intervention group.14 Yoga nidra can be a
successful therapy to overcome the psychiatric morbidity
associated with menstrual irregularities and other
psychosomatic disorders.15
BENEFITS OF A YOGA NIDRA
The researchers acknowledged the positive impact of
yoga nidra on mental health problems. A study conducted
on 100 women with depression and anxiety linked to
menstruation benefited from yoga nidra therapy.16 Yoga
nidra diminished stress and anxiety levels significantly 80
college students Military combat veterans reported
alleviation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
symptoms like rage and anxiety and increased feelings of
relaxation and peace after yoga nidra as a therapy.13,17,18
The study revealed significant improvement in anxiety
scores after six months of intervention with Yoga Nidra
in intervention group in comparison to control group.
Previous studies have also shown significant reduction in
the quality anxiety scores following meditation and
breathing exercises.19 There is an increased response of
hypothalamus and heightened sympathetic activity during
anxiety, yoga nidra appears to regulate a hypothalamus,
in a way resulting in decreased sympathetic (excitatory)
nervous activity and increased parasympathetic
(inhibitory) function.20,21 In the intervention group which
practiced yoga nidra for six months, there was significant
decrease in their degree of depressive symptoms
(according to the psychological general wellbeing
Index).22
Yoga Nidra gives some solid evidence for psychosomatic
problems. It is cost-effective and easy to implement. The
evidence from two RCTs done in different place with
different conditions that yoga nidra may have positive
effects in reducing psychological problems in women
with menstrual disorders.22,23 The findings suggest that
patients with menstrual irregularities having
psychological problems improved significantly in the
areas of their wellbeing, anxiety and depression by
learning and applying a program based on yoga nidra.24
The case group also show significant decreased anxiety.
Previous studies have also shown that employing yoga
interventions for other conditions (cancer survivors, self-
reported emotional distress) results in beneficial effects
Dhamodhini K et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2019 Jan;6(1):446-449
International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health | January 2019 | Vol 6 | Issue 1 Page 448
for depression and mood, as well as anxiety and physical
wellbeing.25-27
CONCLUSION
Most studies described beneficial effects in favour of the
yoga interventions, particularly when compared with
passive controls (i.e., examination anxiety), but also
compared with active controls such as relaxation
response or compared to standard drugs. The results show
that there was a significant improvement in positive
wellbeing, general health and vitality in the case group.
Yoga nidra is believed to balance psychic and vital
energies within the psychic channels (nadis) of the energy
framework underlying the physical body. Free flow of
these energies is considered to be the basis of optimal
physical and mental health.
Funding: No funding sources
Conflict of interest: None declared
Ethical approval: Not required
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Cite this article as: Dhamodhini K, Sendhilkumar
M. Outcome of yoga nidra practice on various mental
health problems and general wellbeing: a review
study. Int J Community Med Public Health
2019;6:446-9.
... The practice of Yoga Nidra may be a promising treatment for modern-day insomnia because it is a passive audio-guided practice that can be easily delivered through digital recording for home practice. Prior research on Yoga Nidra has evaluated changes in brainwaves 14 ; hormones 15 ; neurotransmitters 16 ; and perceived effects on pain, 17 stress, [18][19][20][21][22] anxiety, 23 sleepiness, [24][25][26] and sleep quality. 19,25,26 Yet, to the authors' knowledge, while Yoga Nidra has been demonstrated as having potential to affect sleep quality, as a secondary outcome, in studies on program development for veterans, 19 and on depression in older adults, 20 this practice has not been directly investigated as an intervention for insomnia. ...
... Prior research on Yoga Nidra has evaluated changes in brainwaves 14 ; hormones 15 ; neurotransmitters 16 ; and perceived effects on pain, 17 stress, [18][19][20][21][22] anxiety, 23 sleepiness, [24][25][26] and sleep quality. 19,25,26 Yet, to the authors' knowledge, while Yoga Nidra has been demonstrated as having potential to affect sleep quality, as a secondary outcome, in studies on program development for veterans, 19 and on depression in older adults, 20 this practice has not been directly investigated as an intervention for insomnia. In addition, the changes in consciousness produced during the practice of Yoga Nidra have been very minimally researched, 27 and thus, an investigation of participant experience would fill an important void in the literature. ...
Qualitative Impressions of a Yoga Nidra Practice for Insomnia: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Design
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  • Jul 2021
Introduction: Insomnia affects up to half of the U.S. population, and due to limitations of current treatments, there is a growing interest in mind-body practices to reduce insomnia. To understand how a guided meditation practice, Yoga Nidra, may affect relaxation and align with current descriptions of nonpharmaceutical practices that could improve sleep, qualitative and quantitative methods were used to explore participant experience of a single Yoga Nidra practice, administered in a group setting. Methods: Current insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), sleep practices, and mood (positive and negative affect schedule [PANAS]) were measured at intake. After 30 min of Yoga Nidra practice, the PANAS was readministered. In a focus group that followed, participants discussed their experience before, during, and after the practice and the likelihood of repeating it. Six groups were conducted. All interested adults were welcome to join. Results: In the final sample of 33 individuals (79% female), 80% of participants reported insomnia at intake and 45% reported a regular mind-body practice, supporting the prevalence of insomnia in the society as well as the interest in mind-body practices. After the Yoga Nidra intervention, mean negative affect decreased 5.6 ± 4.5 points, a 31% decrease from baseline, and positive affect decreased 3.5 ± 9.7 points, a 13% decrease. Three major themes were identified from focus group discussions: response to the practice (relaxation, perceived sleep, and sense withdrawal); factors that affect engagement (delivery method and intrapersonal factors); and potential as a clinical intervention (for conditions including sleep, anxiety, and pain). Conclusion: Yoga Nidra appeared tolerable within the sample, and descriptions suggest it may be useful for enhancing relaxation, facilitating sleep, easing anxiety, and reducing pain. Results from this study will inform the design of future studies of Yoga Nidra for insomnia and related conditions.
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... Evidence suggests Meditation and yoga breathing practices as effective tools in reducing anxiety and post-traumatic stress (68)(69)(70). Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) benefit from yoga-based practices in terms of emotional and physical resilience, stress, and energy (71)(72)(73)(74)(75)(76)(77)(78). Yoga helps reduce PTSD symptoms by reducing stress-induced allostatic load and increases parasympathetic activity, leading to a decrease in physiological arousal (71). ...
Efficacy of mHealth aided 12-week meditation and breath intervention on change in burnout and professional quality of life among health care providers of a tertiary care hospital in north India: a randomized waitlist-controlled trial
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Full-text available
  • Nov 2023
Introduction Burnout is “Chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Professional quality of life (PQL) includes work related experiences of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Healthcare providers (HCPs) are highly susceptible to burnout and compassion fatigue due to their demanding work, which lowers PQL. Burnout leads to poor care, medical errors, and patient safety across healthcare disciplines. Yoga has been shown to improve resilience, reduce stress, and increase self-compassion and psycho-physiological coherence. This study compared HCPs in a mHealth-aided 12-week yoga-based meditation and breath intervention to waitlist controls for HCP burnout and PQL at a north Indian tertiary care hospital. Methods This was randomized waitlist-controlled trial. Total 98 HCPs (62 males and 36 females) with an average age of 28.26 ± 3.547 years were enrolled consecutively from March 2021 to November 2022. Randomization was done with opaque sealed envelopes numbered in a computer-generated sequence. The experimental group (n = 49) received 12 online weekly yoga sessions and performed daily home practice (6 days a week). The waitlisted control group (n = 49) continued their daily routine. Maslach’s burnout inventory (MBI), professional quality of life (PQL) and anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results After 12 weeks, the MBI outcomes of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment showed a highly significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). PQL outcomes of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary trauma also differed significantly (p < 0.001). Within group analysis showed that MBI and PQL outcomes improved significantly (p < 0.001) for the experimental group after 12 weeks. Conclusion The current study contributes to the existing evidence on the effectiveness of Yoga in managing stress and developing resilience among doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Integrating yoga into healthcare settings is crucial for addressing the detrimental impact of burnout on decision-making and promoting positive patient outcomes. mHealth technologies have the potential to enhance the user-friendliness of yoga-based interventions by personalizing the practice space and time. Yoga-based interventions and mHealth technologies can effectively address physician burnout, in a simple and implementable manner.
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Background Anxiety is one's response to stress. Its symptoms can be psychological, physical, or environmental challenges. Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feeling of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. Yog nidra is probably the best known technique to induce complete physical and emotional relaxation. Aim The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of yog nidra for reducing anxiety and depression among first-year professional students. Materials and Methods The level of anxiety was measured by using State, Trait, and Free-Floating Anxiety Scale developed by Tripathi and Rastogi (1986). The Hindi version of Beck Depression Inventory by Arora and Prashant (1988) was used to assess the depression level of participants. The study was conducted in three phases. In Phase-1 (preintervention), data were obtained from 201 students. In the Phase-2 (intervention phase), the participants were selected on the basis of high scores on the measures of anxiety and depression and divided into intervention (28 students) and non-intervention groups (30 students). The intervention group was given yog nidra training regularly for 5 weeks. Posttest was conducted after 5 weeks of the intervention. Results The results showed a reduction in mean scores on the measures of anxiety and depression within the intervention group but not in the nonintervention group, which indicated the effectiveness of practicing yog nidra for reducing anxiety and depression and its positive effects among professional students. Conclusion A dramatic effect of practicing yog nidra was observed among students for reducing anxiety and depression.
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A closer look at yoga nidra- early randomized sleep lab investigations
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Objectives: We aimed to examine trial feasibility plus physiological and psychological effects of a guided meditation practice, Yoga Nidra, in adults with self-reported insomnia. Methods: Twenty-two adults with self-reported insomnia were recruited to attend two visits at our research center. At Visit 1 (V1), participants were asked to lie quietly for ninety minutes. The primary outcome was change in electroencephalography (EEG). Heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate and self-reported mood and anxiety were also measured. At Visit 2 (V2), the same protocol was followed, except half of participants were randomized to practice Yoga Nidra for the first 30-min. Results: There were no between-group changes (V1-V2) in alpha EEG power at O1 (Intervention: 13 ± 70%; Control: -20 ± 40%), HRV or sleep onset latency in response to Yoga Nidra. Respiratory rate, however, showed statistically significant difference between groups (Yoga Nidra -1.4 breaths per minute (bpm) change during and - 2.1 bpm afterwards vs. Control +0.2 bpm during and + 0.4 bpm after; p = .03 for both during and after). The intervention displayed good acceptability (well-tolerated) and credibility (perceived benefit ratings) with implementation success (target sample size reached; 5% dropout rate). Conclusions: This preliminary clinical trial provides early evidence that Yoga Nidra is a well-tolerated, feasible intervention for adults reporting insomnia. Decreased respiratory rate in response to Yoga Nidra needs to be confirmed in more definitive studies. Trial registration information: This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as "A Closer Look at Yoga Nidra: Sleep Lab Analyses" (NCT#03685227).
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Changes in Neural Connectivity and Memory Following a Yoga Intervention for Older Adults: A Pilot Study
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2016
  • J ALZHEIMERS DIS
Background: No study has explored the effect of yoga on cognitive decline and resting-state functional connectivity. Objectives: This study explored the relationship between performance on memory tests and resting-state functional connectivity before and after a yoga intervention versus active control for subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Participants ( ≥ 55 y) with MCI were randomized to receive a yoga intervention or active “gold-standard” control (i.e., memory enhancement training (MET)) for 12 weeks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to map correlations between brain networks and memory performance changes over time. Default mode networks (DMN), language and superior parietal networks were chosen as networks of interest to analyze the association with changes in verbal and visuospatial memory performance. Results: Fourteen yoga and 11 MET participants completed the study. The yoga group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in depression and visuospatial memory. We observed improved verbal memory performance correlated with increased connectivity between the DMN and frontal medial cortex, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, right middle frontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and left lateral occipital cortex. Improved verbal memory performance positively correlated with increased connectivity between the language processing network and the left inferior frontal gyrus. Improved visuospatial memory performance correlated inversely with connectivity between the superior parietal network and the medial parietal cortex. Conclusion:Yoga may be as effective as MET in improving functional connectivity in relation to verbal memory performance. These findings should be confirmed in larger prospective studies.
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Psycho-Biological Changes with Add on Yoga Nidra in Patients with Menstrual Disorders: a Randomized Clinical Trial
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Full-text available
  • Mar 2016
Introduction: Menstrual disorders are common problems among women in the reproductive age group. Yuga interventions may decrease the physical and psychological problems related to menstrual disorders. The present study was aimed to assess the effect of Yoga Nidra on psychological problems in patients with menstrual disorders. Methods: A total number of 100 women recruited from the department of obstetrics and gynecology and were then randomly allocated into two groups: a) intervention received yogic intervention and medication for 6 month, and b) control group received no yogic intervention and they only received prescribed medication). Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) and hormonal profile were assessed at the time of before and after six months on both groups. Results: The mean score of anxiety, depression, positive well-being, general health, and vitality scores, as well as hormonal levels, in posttest were significantly different in intervention group as compared with pretest. But there was no significant difference in control group. Conclusion: Yoga Nidra can be a successful therapy to overcome the psychiatric morbidity associated with menstrual irregularities. Therefore, Yogic relaxation training (Yoga Nidra) could be prescribed as an adjunct to conventional drug therapy for menstrual dysfunction.
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A study on the impact on stress and anxiety through Yoga nidra
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Full-text available
  • Jan 2004
Stress is a cognitive or emotional response made by the individual towards any situation, which demands adjustment. When the demands of the situation exceed the ability of the individual distress results, which may manifest in mental and physical symptoms of abnormality. The practice of Yoga nidra helps in building up the coping ability. The practitioner of Yoga nidra slowly becomes aware of the inherent dormant potentialities and thus prevents himself from becoming a victim of distress. As well as relaxation of yoga nidra relaxes the physical as well as mental stresses as it relaxes the whole nervous system. Stress-related disorders evolve gradually through four stages. In the first stage, psychological symptoms like anxiety and irritability arise due to over activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Yoga nidra can be consider as a highly effective practice for reducing stress on the basis of the present study as Yoga nidra releases the stress of the students of higher classes. Practice of Yoga Nidra also reduces the Anxiety of male and female subjects both. It may have positive results for the other age groups and occupations also.
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Delivering Integrative Restoration-Yoga Nidra Meditation (iRest®) to Women with Sexual Trauma at a Veteran's Medical Center: A Pilot Study
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Full-text available
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This pilot study examines iRest, a form of guided mindfulness meditation, and its ability to reduce symptoms associated with sexual trauma, including military sexual trauma (MST), in a sample of women seeking psychotherapy services at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. 90-minute sessions were held 19 times, twice a week for 10 weeks, except for the week with a holiday. Participants completed self-report measures Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI), Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Check List (PCL) pre- and post-treatment. Sixteen women were recruited: 15 enrolled, 5 dropped due to transportation issues, and 10 completed the protocol. Completers reported significant decreases in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PCL, t (9) = 3.17, p < 0.01, d = 0.66), negative thoughts of self-blame (PTCI t (9) = 2.96, p < 0.05, d = 0.52), and depression (BSI, t (9) = 2.33, p < 0.05, d = 0.64). Participants also offered verbal reports of decreased body tension, improved quality of sleep, improved ability to handle intrusive thoughts, improved ability to manage stress, and an increased feeling of joy. Participants also enthusiastically endorsed the class and stated they would take it again and recommend it to others. This small pilot study showed promising results for delivering iRest to women with sexual trauma in a VA medical center. Further research is warranted.
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Six-month trial of Yoga Nidra in menstrual disorder patients: Effects on somatoform symptoms
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2011
  • Ind Psychiatry J
Yoga Nidra is a successful therapy for both recent and long-standing psychological disturbances of all kinds especially depression and high anxiety level and neurotic patterns. The purpose of the present work, therefore, was to conduct a preliminary randomized study of Yoga Nidra as a treatment in the patients of menstrual disorders with somatoform symptoms. Patients were recruited from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CSM Medical University (erstwhile KGMU) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. One hundred and fifty female patients with menstrual disorders were randomly divided in to two groups 1- Intervention group: 75 subjects (Yoga Nidra intervention and medication) 2- control group: 75 subjects (without Yoga Nidra intervention only medication). Schedule for clinical assessment in neuropsychiatry tool was used. There was significant improvement in pain symptoms (P<0.006), gastrointestinal symptoms (P<0.04), cardiovascular symptoms (P<0.02) and urogenital symptoms (P<0.005) after 6 months of Yoga Nidra therapy in Intervention group in comparison to control group. Yoga Nidra appears to be a promising intervention for psychosomatic problems. It is cost-effective and easy to implement. The results indicate that somatoform symptoms in patients with menstrual disorder can be decreased by learning and applying a program based on Yogic intervention (Yoga Nidra).
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Yoga Nidra as a complementary treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorder
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2012
Emotional insecurity, stress, depressive or/and anxiety symptoms are common with variable severity among patients with menstrual disorder. Yogic relaxation therapy (Yoga Nidra) leads to conscious and subconscious recognition of these underlying psychological factors and helps releasing of suppressed conflicts. To evaluate the effect of Yoga Nidra on anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorders. Subjects were recruited from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S.M. Medical University (erstwhile KGMU), Lucknow Uttar Pradesh, India. The subjects were randomly divided in to two groups: Intervention group (with yogic intervention) and control group (without yogic intervention). Assessments of all subjects were carried out by administering Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D) at baseline and after six months. The mean age with S.D of the intervention group was 27.67 ± 7.85 years, and for control group was 26.58 ± 6.87 years (among completed intervention group nn = 65 and control group nn = 61). There was significant reduction of scores in HAM-A (P<0.003) and HAM-D (P<0.02) respectively in subjects with mild to moderate anxiety and depressive symptoms after six months of yoga therapy (Yoga Nidra) in intervention group in comparison to control group. The patients with mild to moderate anxiety and depressive symptoms improve significantly with 'Yoga Nidra' intervention. There is no significant improvement in the patients with severe anxiety and depressive symptoms.
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Psychological effects of yoga nidra in women with menstrual disorders: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Article
  • Apr 2017
  • Compl Ther Clin Pract
Objective To assess the effects of yoga nidra on psychological problems in women with menstrual disorders. Methods A search was conducted using CINAHL, the Cochrane library, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed electronic databases, and using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in any language up to and including July 2016, which reported the psychological effects of yoga nidra in women with menstrual disorders. Results Two potential trials were identified and both were included in the review. A significant difference was observed between experimental and control groups in that anxiety and depression were significantly decreased in the experimental group when compared with the control group. Conclusions There is evidence from two RCTs that yoga nidra may have favorable effects in terms of reducing psychological problems in women with menstrual disorders.
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The Effects of an 8-Week Hatha Yoga Intervention on Executive Function in Older Adults
Article
  • Jul 2014
  • J GERONTOL A-BIOL
Background: Few scientific studies have examined movement-based embodied contemplative practices such as yoga and their effects on cognition. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the effects of an 8-week Hatha yoga intervention on executive function measures of task switching and working memory capacity. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 118; mean age = 62.0) were randomized to one of two groups: a Hatha yoga intervention or a stretching-strengthening control. Both groups participated in hour-long exercise classes 3×/week over the 8-week study period. All participants completed established tests of executive function including the task switching paradigm, n-back and running memory span at baseline and follow-up. Results: Analysis of covariances showed significantly shorter reaction times on the mixed and repeat task switching trials (partial η(2) = .04, p < .05) for the Hatha yoga group. Higher accuracy was recorded on the single trials (partial η(2) = .05, p < .05), the 2-back condition of the n-back (partial η(2) = .08, p < .001), and partial recall scores (partial η(2) = .06, p < .01) of running span task. Conclusions: Following 8 weeks of yoga practice, participants in the yoga intervention group showed significantly improved performance on the executive function measures of working memory capacity and efficiency of mental set shifting and flexibility compared with their stretching-strengthening counterparts. Although the underlying mechanisms need to be investigated, these results demand larger systematic trials to thoroughly examine effects of yoga on executive function as well as across other domains of cognition, and its potential to maintain or improve cognitive functioning in the aging process.
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Transforming Trauma: A Qualitative Feasibility Study of Integrative Restoration (iRest) Yoga Nidra on Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Article
  • Sep 2011
This eight-week study examined the feasibility of offering weekly classes in Integrative Restoration (iRest), a form of mindfulness meditation, to military combat veterans at a community mental health agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. Participants were 16 male combat veterans (15 Vietnam War and 1 Iraq War) of mixed ethnicity, aged 41 to 66 years, suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The 11 participants who completed the study reported reduced rage, anxiety, and emotional reactivity, and increased feelings of relaxation, peace, self-awareness, and self-efficacy, despite challenges with mental focus, intrusive memories, and other concerns. All participants reported they would have attended ongoing iRest classes at the agency approximately once per week.
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