Effect of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga and Pranayam (SKY&P) on Borderline Essential Hypertension: A Pilot Study

Dr Tabassum Rashid & Dr Afaf Moustafa

Effat University Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

ICHM !"
November 17-18, 2012

#$hen the %reath &anders, the mind is unsteady, but &hen the %reath is sti'', so is the mind sti''()
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika

ain research study

Eva'uatin* the effe+ts of S,-&./ a breathin* and meditation intervention, on 'eve's of %., o0y*en in b'ood, .1, and .ositive Affe+t and 2e*ative Affe+t amon* individua's &ith border'ine essentia' hy3ertension

.ro4e+t 3eriod5 !""/ !" .rin+i3a' Investi*ator5 Tabassum Rashid .h D Co/ Investi*ator5 Afaf Moustafa MD

Pilot Study: outline

Intro .ur3ose Method5

/Sam3'e
/.ro+edure /Data Ana'ysis

Resu'ts Dis+ussion & Con+'usion 6imitations and S+o3e

!hy Essential Hypertension"

2umerous 3sy+ho'o*i+a' resear+hes re3ort si*nifi+ant'y hi*her s+ores on measures of 5

2euroti+ism An0iety De3ression 7enera' 3sy+ho'o*i+a' distress8 stress,et+

#ntroduction

The &ord Yoga +omes from the Sans9rit &ord Yuj that means to yo9e, 4oin or unite

.ra+ti+ed for +enturies, it entai's ama'*amation of a'' as3e+ts of the individua' : body, mind and sou' : to a+hieve a ha33y, ba'an+ed and hea'thy 'ife

Current'y yo*a is bein* studied as a s+ien+e//3ra+ti+a', methodi+a', and systemati+

The Art of Yoga Breathing: Pranayama

.ranayam5 The an+ient s+ien+e of breath meanin* both #+ontro' of ener*y; and #e03erien+e of ener*y; <Sovi9, !!!=

Tasmin Sati Svasa prasvasayorgativicchedah Pranayamah>Re*u'ation of breath or the +ontro' of .rana is the sto33a*e of inha'ation and e0ha'ation, &hi+h fo''o&s after se+urin* that steadiness of 3osture or seat, Asana?.atan4a'i -o*a Sutras, Cha3ter II/@A

The ob4e+t of .ranayama 3ra+ti+e is to em3hasiBe the Inha'ation, the E0ha'ation, or retention of the breath(

Em3hasis on the Inha'ation is +a''ed .ura9a .ranayama, &hereas, Re+ha9a .ranayama refers to a form of .ranayama in &hi+h the E0ha'ation is 'en*thened &hi'e the Inha'ation remains free(

Sudharshan Kriya Yoga (SKY)

Sudarshan Kriya in+or3orates s3e+ifi+ natura' rhythms of the breath &hi+h harmoniBe the body, mind and emotions( This uniCue breathin* te+hniCue e'iminates stress, fati*ue and ne*ative emotions su+h as an*er, frustration and de3ression, 'eavin* you +a'm yet ener*iBed, fo+used yet re'a0ed;(

Sudar-shan5 Su stands for #3ro3er; and dar-shan means #vision;

,riya5 a yo*i+ 3ra+/ti+e meant to 3urify the body

Sri Sri Ravi Shan9ar 5 Art of 'ivin*

Selected $iterature %e&ie'

Resear+h indi+ates that Sudarshan ,riya has si*nifi+ant effe+ts and out+omes on severa' 3hysi+a' and 3sy+ho'o*i+a' disorders5

Redu+es 'eve's of stress by redu+in* the stress hormone D+ortiso'E %oosts immune system In+reases anti/o0idant 3rote+tion5 EnBymati+ a+tivities and *ene e03ression of s3e+ifi+ antio0idant systems have been re3orted to be in+reased in S, 3ra+titioners?'ifes3an of the 'ym3ho+ytes &ere in+reased &hi+h +orre'ated &ith an in+rease in the e03ression of anti/+e'' death *enes and 3rosurviva' *enes( This study su**ests that S, may e0ert its effe+ts on various 3hysio'o*i+a' systems throu*h +han*es in *ene re*u'ation( <Sharma, !!F=( S,- & brain fun+tionin*?EE7 ana'ysis sho&s better information 3ro+essin*(

Redu+es an0iety and de3ression from mi'd, moderate to severe( A 3i'ot study investi*ated the anti/de3ressant effi+a+y of Sudarshan ,riya and a++om3anyin* breathin* 3ra+ti+es <S,&.= in "G dysthymi+ and "G me'an+ho'i+ <ma4or= de3ression 3atients &hose so'e treatment &as S,&., and sho&ed a si*nifi+ant im3rovement <Jana9iramah, et a'(, !!!= .ost/traumati+ stress disorder <Des+i'o, T(, et a'(, !!A=on Sunami survivorsH on Hurri+ane ,atrina survivors <7arber* & %ro&n, !!G=

Co*nitive emotion re*u'ation / sustained modu'ation of e'e+tri+a' brain 3otentia's <7oot4es, 6(, 1ran9en, I(H(A(, and Ian Strien, J($( < !""=

ethodology
Sample

T&enty five border'ine hy3ertensive fema'e 3atients <J!/G!yrs=re*istered in the out3atient +'ini+ of a 3rivate &omenEs university &ere se'e+ted for the study(

The 3arti+i3ants &ere not on any 9ind of 3res+ribed medi+ations either for hy3ertension or any other 3hysi+a' or 3sy+ho'o*i+a' ai'ment(

DSa*a of sma'' sam3'eE <SSSK=

Procedure

The 3ro3osa' &as a33roved by the Effat University Resear+h Committee, and 3ermission to use human sub4e+ts &as obtained from the Resear+h Ethi+s Committee

An informed &ritten +onsent &as obtained from the 3arti+i3ants

The initia' sam3'e siBe +om3rised of "J 3arti+i3ants in the the +ontro' *rou3

e03erimenta' *rou3 and " in

Ho&ever, J 3arti+i3ants from the e03erimenta' *rou3 dro33ed out in the very be*innin* and J more sto33ed durin* the first G/L &ee9s of intervention, redu+in* the sam3'e to 3rob'emati+a''y 'o&(

The e03erimenta' *rou3 &as trained in .ranayamas and Cy+'i+ %reathin* of S,- by an Art of 6ivin* <AM6='i+ensed instru+tor in a G/day intensive 3ro*ram

.arti+i3ants fo''o&ed u3 3ra+ti+in* on a'' &ee9 days for an hour in the .sy+ho'o*y 6ab at Effat University

Mn &ee9ends they &ere advised to 3ra+ti+e at home and 9ee3 a 'o*

.arti+i3ants &ere advised 2MT to ma9e any +han*es in their 'ife sty'e5 diet, e0er+ise, et+

the 3ra+ti+e +ontinued for t&e've &ee9s, &ith a bi/month'y fo''o& u3 &ith the instru+tor

Iarious 3arameters in+'udin* %'ood 3ressure &ere re+orded before interventions, &ee9'y durin* the tria's, and at the end of the e03erimenta' tria's

Process(

U44ayi breath a'so +a''ed Do+ean breathE, Dvi+tory breathE8 3ranayam yo*i+ three/3art breath/in* <three +y+'es, on+e &ith hands on &aist, hands at +hest 'eve' &ith e'bo&s e0tended to the side, and arms u3 and hands tou+h/in* ba+9 shou'/ders, bi+e3s by the ears=

bas-trika: <a'so +a''ed be'/'o&s breath, three re3/e/ti/tions=, Mm +hant/in* <three re3/e/ti/tions= and

Sudar-shan Kriya5 a s3e+ia' yo*i+ 3a+9a*e invo'vin* rhythmi+ breathin* 3ro+ess of variant rhythms ran*in* from s'o& and +a'min* to ra3id and stimu'atin*

A'' four of these breath/in* e0er/+ises or 3ra+/ti+es are 3art of yo*i+ tra/di/tion, and Sri Sri Ravi Shan9ar has mod/i/fied them s'i*ht'y or sub/stan/tia''y(

Data Analysis

Usin* I%M S.SS/ ! soft&are, the inde3endent sam3'es t/test &as used to e0amine the differen+es amon* the e03erimenta' and +ontro' *rou3s

The 3aired sam3'es t/test &as administered to measure the differen+es, if any, 3re and 3ost intervention 3hases in the e03erimenta' *rou3, as &e'' as +ontro' *rou3, and a'so to measure the differen+es in ea+h 3arti+i3ants 3re and 3ost intervention means of both systo'i+ and diasto'i+ b'ood 3ressure(

%esults

The 3ost intervention systo'i+ b'ood 3ressure of 3arti+i3ants in the e03erimenta' *rou3 <M N FA, SD N G(O"= &as 'o&er than that of the 3arti+i3ants in the +ontro' *rou3 < N "JL(@@, S! N ""(@L=(The test &as si*nifi+ant, t<"G= N / (@L, p N (!G(

A 3aired/sam3'es t test &as used to see the differen+e &ithin e03erimenta' *rou3 3re and 3ost intervention on both systo'i+ and diasto'i+ b'ood 3ressure( The resu'ts indi+ated that the mean for 3ost intervention <M N L("J, SD N J(FF= &as si*nifi+ant'y 'o&er than the mean for 3ost intervention <M N "!, SD N O( A=, t<O= N @(@F, p P (!G(

Resu'ts indi+ated a de+rease in the means of both systo'i+ and diasto'i+ b'ood 3ressure of 3arti+i3ants <.P!(!G=, &hen +a'+u'ated se3arate'yK

Qualitative data to substantiate the findings

Intervie&s/ Re+ordin*s/Trans+ri3ts/ Content Ana'ysis

%'ood 3ressure 'eve's +ame do&n to norma' and stayed &ithin norma' ran*e even after the tria's sto33ed Stress re'ieved 1e't more ener*eti+ %etter 3erforman+e .ositive moods 6ess irritabi'ity

)onclusion

This 3i'ot study on a sma'' sam3'e has indi+ated that S,-& . may be benefi+ia' in border'ine essentia' hy3ertension, ho&ever, further systemati+ studies usin* 'ar*er sam3'es and various 'o+ations are stron*'y re+ommended to +onfirm these resu'ts(

Im3'i+ations5

Sudharshan ,riya & .ranayam +ou'd be a +ost effe+tive treatment for hy3ertension 2o side effe+ts 2o intervention $ith additiona' hea'th benefits Easy to 'earn and 3ra+ti+e

*heoretical E+planation,

QQQQQQQQQQQ

Limitations

6imitations5

Ty3e of sam3'e 5 Interna' va'idityQ Sma'' sam3'e 5 E0terna' Ia'idityQ 6imited *eneraBibi'tyK

Ques ions or !ommen s"

*HA-K Y./,,,