| Scientific Research on Yoga Yoga increases GABA levels in brain A new pilot study carried out at Boston University School of Medicine and MacLean Hospital, at the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, show that yoga causes a rise in gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.......... Yoga might reduce eyestrain According to new research, yoga may help to reduce eyestrain for people who work at computers . A recent study showed that computer workers who practiced yoga for 60 days reported improved visual comfort and reduced "dry eye.'' ....................... "Yoga breathing through a particular nostril increases spatial memory scores without lateralized effects," by Naveen KV; Nagarathna R; Nagendra HR; Telles S., of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India, in Psychol Rep, 1997 Oct, 81:2, 555-61. Abstract Uninostril breathing facilitates the performance on spatial and verbal cognitive tasks, said to be right and left brain functions, respectively................................... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Pranayama increases grip strength without lateralized effects," Raghuraj P; Nagarathna R; Nagendra HR;Telles S of the Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India, in the Indian J Physiol Pharmacol, 1997 Apr, 41:2, 129-33. Abstract The present study was conducted to determine whether breathing through a particular nostril has a lateralized effect on hand grip strength. 130 right hand dominant, school children between 11 and 18 yrs of age were randomly assigned to 5 groups. Each group......................................................... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yoga helpful for Bronchial asthma Study of pulmonary and autonomic functions of asthma patients after yoga training," by A.A. Khanam, U. Sachdeva, R. Guleria and K.K. Deepak (Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi) in Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oct. 24, 1996. Abstract "The concept of yoga is helpful for the treatment of Bronchial Asthma", has created a great interest in the medical research field. ................................................ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clinical case report: efficacy of yogic techniques in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorders," by D.S. Shannahoff-Khalsa and L.R. Beckett (Research Group for Mind-Body Dynamics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla Calif.), in International Journal of Neuroscience, March 1996. Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of yogic techniques in the treatment of eight adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A specific yogic breathing pattern has been prescribed for the treatment of OCD, as well as others for treating generalized anxiety. Subjects improved on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) comparing baseline with three, six, nine, & 12 month results. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yoga may be one of the hottest fitness trends sweeping the country, but a Florida State University medical educator thinks it also may be the prescription for ailments ranging from headaches to heart disease. Yoga can be as important as any medication. This is a way to improve the quality of your life. Yoga and Back Pain Good news for those suffering from back pain. According to a study of 101 adults living with chronic lower back pain conducted by Seattle's Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies, yoga can effectively reduce pain levels and dependence on painkillers for those suffering from lower back problems. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meditation may slow aging. A study found that people who had been meditating for more than 5 years were biologically 12 to 15 years younger than non-meditators. International Journal Neuroscience. 53% of UK employees have experienced stress in the workplace, with just stress related absenteeism resulting in the loss of 6.5 million working days each year. International Stress Management Assoc ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Otto Warburg received the 1931 Nobel price for proving that cancer is anaerobic. It does not survive in high concentrations of oxygen. |