APPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN DAILY LIFE:

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APPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN DAILY LIFE A
RESEARCH-BASED PRESENTATION Shirley Telles MBBS,
Ph.D. (Neurophysiology) shirleytelles_at_gmail.com
Director, Patanjali Research Foundation PATANJALI
YOGPEETH, HARIDWAR, INDIA (www.patanjaliresearchfo
undation.com)
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Some definitions of Yoga

• Yoga is the process of gaining mastery over
  modifications of the mental state
• Patanjalis Yoga Sutras (Circa 900 B.C.)
• Yoga is the skill to calm the mind
• Yoga Vasista
• (Ancient Circa 3700 B.C. earlier )
• Yoga is equilibrium Bhagavad
  Gita (Ancient Sacred Text)

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The ancient sages of India
and
Then why do experiments?
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• QUESTIONS
• Are the effects seen in the laboratory the same
  as those described in ancient texts?
• What are the effects of a particular practice?
• Once we know the effects how can we apply it?
• In daily life at school, at work
• In rehabilitation
• In health

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SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES USED
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ENERGY EXPENDITURE
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AUTONOMIC VARIABLES
A volunteer seated in a sound attenuated cabin
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AUTONOMIC VARIABLES
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Heart Rate Variability
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Improved adaptation to differing requirements
Adaptation The ability to increase the rate when
required The ability to decrease the rate
when required

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EVOKED POTENTIALS AND EEG
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DO CERTAIN PRACTICES INCREASE THE BLOOD FLOW TO
THE BRAIN?
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FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (fMRI)
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NEW TECHNIQUES
NEW TECHNIQUES
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IMPORTANCE OF QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
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OLD TECHNIQUES
OBSERVATION, INTROSPECTION

1. Use of paper pencil tests, simple equipment
2. Importance of individual reports
3. Interviews, structured un-structured

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TYPES OF QUESTIONS ASKED IN YOGA RESEARCH
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• QUESTIONS
• Are the effects seen in the laboratory the same
  as those described in ancient texts?
• What are the effects of a particular practice?
• Once we know the effects how can we apply it?
• In daily life at work, at school
• In rehabilitation
• In health

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Physiology of Pranayamas

• Right uninostril breathing
• Left uninostril breathing and
• Alternate nostril breathing (nadisuddhi pranayama)

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Doing peaceful work, obtaining nourishment,
collecting grain..the best actions to perform
during the flow through the left swara
(nostril?)..Studying the scriptures,
journeying , hunting, controlling an
elephant.during the flow through right swara
(nostril?) Swara Yoga (Shiva
Swarodaya) Verse 105, Verse 123
FROM THE ANCIENT TEXTS
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Right nostril breathing (Surya anuloma viloma)

• Oxygen consumption
• Blood pressure
• Brain functions on the right side
• 
  
• BioPsychosocial Medicine, 2011
• Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback, 2008
• 
  Neurol Sci, 2004
• Psychol Reports, 1997
• J Alt Comp Med, 1996
• Indian J Physiol Pharmacol, 1994

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APPLICATIONS

• Young obese
• Slow learners
• Depression (?)

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Left nostril breathing (Chandra anuloma viloma)

• Blood pressure
• Imperceptible sweating (Skin Resistance)
• Neurol Sci, 2004
• Psychol Reports, 1997
• J Alt Comp Med, 1996
• Indian J Physiol Pharmacol, 1994

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APPLICATIONS

• Anxiety
• Insomnia

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Alternate nostril breathing (Anulom-Vilom
pranayama)appears to increase balance
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ANULOM-VILOM PRANAYAMA most useful,
scientifically proven
Persons with hypertension doing a task
Medical Science Monitor, 2013
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BALANCING THE LEFT AND RIGHT HALVES OF THE BRAIN
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Hence in many cases the descriptions in the
ancient texts can be correlated with present day
research
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• QUESTIONS
• Are the effects seen in the laboratory the same
  as those described in ancient texts?
• What are the effects of a particular practice?
• Once we know the effects how can we apply it?
• In daily life at work, at school
• In rehabilitation
• In health

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MEDITATION techniques studied

• Transcendental Meditation
• Brahmakumaris Raja Yoga
• Meditation on OM
• Vipassana meditation
• Single thought state

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Hence meditation is

• A state of alertful rest
• Sensory perception is enhanced and more accurate
• Physiological arousal is decreased

EFFECT OF MEDITATION ON SLEEP?
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WHOLE NIGHT POLYSOMNOGRAPHY
TYPES OF SLEEP
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Hence Meditation

1. Improves Slow Wave Sleep
2. Decreases REM/ Dream sleep
3. Reduces arousal during REM/ Dream sleep

• Medical Science Monitor, 2009
• Applied Psychophysiology Biofeedback, 2009

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• QUESTIONS
• Are the effects seen in the laboratory the same
  as those described in ancient texts?
• What are the effects of a particular practice?
• Once we know the effects how can we apply it?
• In daily life at work, at school
• In rehabilitation
• In health

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AFTER WORKING OUT THE EFFECTS, APPLICATIONS OF
PRACTICE

• Daily life
• Rehabilitation
• Therapy

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DAILY LIFE

• SCHOOL CHILDREN
• ADULT OFFICE WORKERS

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EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE IN SCHOOL CHILDREN a
randomized controlled trial
Doon School, Haridwar, India
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental
Health, 2013
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SCHOOL CHILDREN EFFECT OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL
EXERCISE Yoga
Physical Exercise


WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental
Health, 2013
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MEASURE OF EMOTIONAL STABILITY

Self Esteem Inventory
PARENTAL SELF-ESTEEM
GENERAL SELF-ESTEEM

P.E.

Y
YOY
YO
YO




Y



Y
P.E.
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PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER USERS
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Professional computer users showed

• Decreased stress related to using a computer
• Decreased somatization of stress
• Decreased visual and musculoskeletal discomfort
• 
  Work, 2009
• Medical Science Monitor, 2006
• Journal of Modern Optics, 2006
• Head and Face Medicine, 2006

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REHABILITATION
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Categories of people who received yoga as an
intervention

• Children with muscular dystrophy
• Children with congenitally impaired vision
• Adolescent girls in a state remand home
• A geriatric population
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY AN 18 MONTH
FOLLOW-UP STUDY YOGA AND AYURVEDA
Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 2011
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CHILDREN WITH IMPAIRED VISION
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CHILDREN WITH IMPAIRED VISION
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Children with impaired vision Yoga vs.
Gardening (3 weeks follow-up)

• fear
• Improves existing abilities
• (e.g., hearing)
• International Journal of
  Rehabilitation and Health, 1999.
• International Journal
  of Neuroscience, 1997, 1998.
• Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1998.

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ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN A REMAND HOME
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ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN A REMAND HOME
..Have you thought why kids become like this?
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Adolescents in a remand home effects of 6 months
of yoga practice

• 1. Improves behavior with supervisors, peers
• 2. Performance in various skilled activities
• (possible use in vocational training)
• 3. Reduces psychophysiological arousal
• Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1997.
• Indian Journal of Physiology and
  Pharmacology, 1997.

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YOGA FOR A GERIATRIC POPULATION
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• Setting A residential home for the aged,
  Bangalore, India
• Total number of residents 120
• Number of residents screened 90
• Number of residents selected 69

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YOGA IN PROGRESS
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The Aged Improve effect of yoga over 6 months
WHICH PRACTICE WAS MOST USEFUL?

• Quality of sleep
• Mental state
• Gait balance
• Memory (working memory associate learning) and
• Lung functions
• Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2005
• Journal of Indian Psychology, 2006
• Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2007
• Medical Science Monitor, 2008

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YOGA AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESSDISORDER
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After the Boxing Day Tsunami (December 26,
2004) A study one month later..
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AN ARCHIPELAGO IN THE BAY OF BENGAL THE
ANDAMAN ISLANDS
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FLOODS IN BIHAR (EAST COAST)
Indian J Physiol Pharmacol, 2008 Indian J Med
Sci 2009 BMC Psychiatry, 2010
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• YOGA AS A THERAPY
• Promotion of positive health
• Prevention of disease
• Yoga as a therapy

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PREVENTION IN PRE-MORBID CONDITIONS OBESITY
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VISCERAL FAT
SUB-CUTANEOUS FAT
VISCERAL FAT
YOGA HELPS IN CENTRAL OBESITY Medical
Science Monitor, 2011
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OBESITY a single group study

• BMI ?
• Body water ?
• Waist Circumference (cm) ?
• Hip Circumference (cm) ?
• Right Left hand grip strength (Kg) ?

Medical Science Monitor, 2010
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LEPTIN
Leptin is an appetite suppressant
Leptin was discovered in 1994 by Jeffrey M.
Friedman and colleagues at the Rockefeller
University
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A recent randomized control trial - Changes in
Leptin after fifteen days of yoga and
metabolically matched walking
YOGA
WALKING
Medical Science Monitor, 2014
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YOGA HELPS TO SUSTAIN WEIGHT LOSS BY HELPING US
MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
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IMPORTANCE OF ADDING YOGA THEORY TO PRACTICE
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Importance of both PRACTICE and THEORY
Psychological Reports, 2009
109(3) 924-30
Psychological Reports, 2009
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THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES

• Bronchial asthma
• Cancer
• Coronary heart disease
• Depression
• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Epilepsy
• Hypertension
• Obesity (as a pre-morbid condition)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Schizophrenia
• Tuberculosis

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Therapeutic Applications of Yoga

• Bronchial Asthma Singapore Med J. 1993 34
  306-308 Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1996 40
• 318- 324 J Asthma. 1987 24 183-186 Br Med
  J. 1985 19 1077-1079.
• Cancer Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2007 16
  462-474 Med Sci Monit. 2008 14 3-4 Integr
• Cancer Ther. 2009 8 37-46.
• Coronary heart disease J Assoc Physicians
  India. 1979 27 939- 942.
• Hypertension Angiology.1969 20 325-333.
• NIDDM J Assoc Physicians India. 2007 55
  121-126.
• Rheumatoid arthritis Indian J Physiol
  Pharmacol. 2001 45 355-360.
• Depression J Affect Disord. 2000 57 255-259.
• Schizophrenia J Affect Disord. 2006 94
  249-253.
• Epilepsy Epilepsy Behav. 2008 12(2) 245-252.

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BEYOND THE PHYSICAL..
Yoga calms the mind (perhaps by increasing the
inner resources through prayer and spiritual
practices bhakti yoga) and then the body is in
a state of balance or homeostasis

1. Medical Science Monitor, 2010
2. Psychological Reports, 2010