P300 Following Four Voluntarily Regulated Yoga Breathing Practices and Breath Awareness.

Attention was influenced by yoga breathing in previously published research. Each yoga breathing practice uniquely modifies specific breath characteristics. Differences in the study designs, assessment methods and interventions resulted in difficulty in comparing effects between yoga breathing practices. This study aimed (i) to compare four yoga breathing practices on attention using an auditory oddball task and (ii) to determine cardiac autonomic activity associated with attention using heart rate variability. P300 event related potential was recorded simultaneously with heart rate variability before and after 18-minute periods each of (i) high frequency yoga breathing (with increased breath frequency), (ii) bellows yoga breathing (with increased depth of respiration), (iii) alternate nostril yoga breathing (with alternate nostril patency), (iv) bumblebee yoga breathing (with prolonged exhale), (v) breath awareness (with attention to the breath) and (vi) quiet seated rest as control in 38 yoga experienced males (average age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years). The six sessions were on separate, randomly allocated days. The P300 peak amplitude recorded at Pz was significantly increased after four yoga breathing practices (Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc tests, repeated measures ANOVA). No significant changes were noted in heart rate variability following yoga breathing or control sessions. These findings suggest that the four yoga breathing practices increase the attentional neural resources engaged for this auditory oddball task, irrespective of the characteristic of breath uniquely regulated in the four yoga breathing practices.

Volitional Yoga Breathing Influences Attention and Anxiety: An Exploratory Randomized Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies assessed yoga breathing practices individually. This exploratory, randomized crossover study assessed attention and anxiety following four yoga breathing practices, breath awareness, and quiet seated rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight male volunteers between 20 and 37 years (group mean age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years) were assessed in six sessions in random order (www.randomizer.org) on separate days. The sessions were: (i) alternate nostril yoga breathing, (ii) bellows yoga breathing, (iii) bumblebee yoga breathing, (iv) high-frequency yoga breathing, (v) breath awareness, and (vi) quiet seated rest. The sessions were for 18 min each. Six letter cancellation test (SLCT) and Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory-state (STAI-s) were administered pre and post each session. Data analysis used general linear mixed model analysis, with fixed effect of states (pre and post) and sessions. RESULTS: A significant main effect of states was observed on total attempted (F1,407 = 5.374, p = 0.021) and net attempted scores (F1,407 = 6.178, p = 0.013) of the SLCT, with a significant increase in scores following high-frequency yoga breathing (padj = 0.031 for total attempted scores; padj = 0.029 for net attempted scores). Also, a significant main effect of states on STAI-s scores was observed (F1,407 = 33.979, p < 0.001), with a significant decrease in scores following alternate nostril yoga breathing (padj = 0.001), bellows yoga breathing (padj = 0.008), bumblebee yoga breathing (padj = 0.002), and high-frequency yoga breathing (padj = 0.042) compared to the corresponding pre state. There was a significant main effect of sessions (F5,407 = 3.043, p = 0.010) on STAI-s scores, with scores post alternate nostril yoga breathing significantly lower than post breath awareness (padj = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Following high-frequency yoga breathing sustained attention was better than before while state anxiety decreased in post-pre comparisons of alternate nostril yoga breathing, bellows yoga breathing, bumblebee yoga breathing, and high-frequency yoga breathing. The differences between breathing practices may be due to differences in degree of volitional regulation of breathing and in the breath patterns modified volitionally. The generalizability of the findings was limited by including an all male, yoga experienced sample. Future research should include participants of both genders and could include different levels of yoga experience, with assessments including objective measures of attention and anxiety.

Effect of yoga on vigilance, self rated sleep and state anxiety in Border Security Force personnel in India.

BACKGROUND: Military occupations require heightened vigilance with resultant sleep disturbances, increased anxiety and reduced vigilance. OBJECTIVE: To compare yoga with physical training to reduce insomnia, anxiety and increase vigilance in security personnel. METHODS: One hundred and twelve Border Security Force personnel (BSF group, males; mean age±SD = 30.4±7.4 years) were compared with 112 personnel of a private security firm (SIS group). The BSF group received yoga for nine days and the SIS group received physical training for the same period. Assessments were at baseline and after 9 days, with the digit vigilance test (DVT), Spielberger's STAI-S, and a sleep rating questionnaire. RESULTS: (1) Between groups: (i) at baseline the BSF group had higher vigilance and more daytime naps compared to the SIS group and (ii) after nine days the SIS group had higher state anxiety compared to the BSF group (ANOVA, Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc comparisons; SPSS Version 24.0) (2) In post-pre intervention comparisons (i) the BSF group increased vigilance and decreased state anxiety after yoga, with improved sleep, while (ii) the SIS group showed increased vigilance after physical training. CONCLUSION: Yoga may improve sleep, reduce anxiety while increasing vigilance in occupations requiring vigilance.

Quality of Life in Yoga Experienced and Yoga Naïve Asian Indian Adults with Obesity.

Background: Obesity adversely affects quality of life which then acts as a barrier to weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Hence, those interventions which positively influence the quality of life along with weight reduction are considered useful for sustained weight loss in persons with obesity. An earlier study showed better quality of life in obese adults who had experience of yoga compared to yoga naïve obese adults. However, the main limitation of the study was the small sample size (n=20 in each group). Objective: The present study aimed to determine whether with larger sample sizes the quality of life would differ in yoga experienced compared to yoga naïve adults with obesity. Methods: There were 596 Asian Indian obese adults (age range 20 to 59 years; group mean age ± SD; 43.9 ± 9.9 years): of whom (i) 298 were yoga experienced (154 females; group mean age ± SD; 44.0 ± 9.8 years) with a minimum of 1 month of experience in yoga practice and (ii) 298 were yoga naïve (154 females; group mean age ± SD; 43.8 ± 10.0 years). All the participants were assessed for quality of life using the Moorehead-Ardelt quality of life questionnaire II. Data were drawn from a larger nationwide trial which assessed the effects of yoga compared to nutritional advice on obesity over a one-year follow-up period (CTRI/2018/05/014077). Results: There were higher participant-reported outcomes for four out of six aspects of quality of life in the yoga experienced compared to the yoga naïve (p < 0.008, based on t values of the least squares linear regression analyses, Bonferroni adjusted, and adjusted for age, gender, and BMI as covariates). These were enjoyment in physical activities, ability to work, self-esteem, and social satisfaction. Conclusion: Obese adults with yoga experience appear to have better quality of life in specific aspects, compared to yoga naïve persons with a comparable degree of obesity.

Changes in vigilance, self rated sleep and state anxiety in military personnel in India following yoga.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of 9 days of yoga on self-rated sleep, state anxiety and performance in a vigilance test among border security force (BSF) personnel. Seven hundred and twenty-two BSF personnel took part in the trial. They were all males, with an average age of 30.9 ± 7.4 years. All of them were involved in guarding the country's border. They were deputed for 9 days residential training in yoga. Before and after training they were assessed for self-rated sleep, state anxiety and vigilance. RESULTS: The results suggest the benefits of yoga in BSF personnel. The BSF personnel showed a significant increase in scores in the vigilance test, a decrease in state anxiety, and improved self-rated sleep.