Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Yogic Techniques for Stress Management

P4 – explain the role of complementary therapies in relation to orthodox treatments (IE3; CT2;

Of the many techniques people use to reduce stress, yoga is among one of the more popular. Although some may believe that effects of yoga are merely physical, there is research that suggests that yoga has direct impacts on one’s mental state. According to Forbes, in addition to the benefits on the heart and blood flow, yoga helps release dopamine and gaba and serotonin (Walton, 2012). All of these are known to create feeling of happiness in a person (K. W. Brown, personal communication, Sept. 7). For this lab, I decided I would try yoga for myself to test the results.

The primary limitation of the study was of gender bias as all the participants were male. The effects of yoga on a COPD patient’s lungs cannot be interpreted for an entire population because the results for the female population may vary. In addition, confounding factors could have been present during the study because participants were encouraged to practice yoga at home outside of the study’s schedule. The effects of placebo cannot be determined from this study because there was a lack of proper control group which could compare the results of practicing yoga with those who did not. For example, the study had noted improvement in participant’s quality of life on aspects concerning social functioning and psychological disturbances, but the measurements are subjective and cannot be compared to a control group. Also, the researchers acknowledge that the QOL and dependent variables were being measured on a short-term basis and would require a controlled study with a longer duration to observe whether the benefits could be sustained for longer period of

This quantitative research used randomized controlled trial in the study. The purpose of the research was to investigate the effects of yogic exercises on life stress in nursing students. The subjects were 27 female undergraduate nursing students between the ages of 20 to 23. They were randomly selected. Twelve of the subjects were put on exercise regimen (the experiment group) and fifteen represent the control group. The experiment group did exercise 60 minutes per week for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of data collection and analysis, the result shows that the experimental group that participated in yogic exercise reduced their stress levels by statistically significant margin as compared to that of the control group (stress levels actually increased).

People encounter various challenges in life ranging from diseases, lack of basic essential needs and psychiatric problems among others. This has given rise to various forms of therapies being adopted by specialists whilst offering solutions to depressed individuals. Group therapy has taken a center-stage in the management of depression. Butler et al (2008) in their article titled "Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood: a randomized pilot trial" show that depression and anxiety form part of the well-known conditions named by individuals seeking treatment using therapies and complementary alternatives. Alternative therapies include yoga, qigong, tai chi, mediation, and exercise. They argue that people are increasingly using these therapies. Butler provides information claiming that yoga and exercise are effective therapies with high rates than uncontrolled activities (Butler, et al 2008). The authors also demonstrate that these therapies can be compared to established anxiety treatments and depression treatments such as sertraline, cognitive behavioral therapy, and imipramine.

When considering whether or not yogic relaxation is better than meditation, it's best to remember that it all depends. Each process can bring different benefits for those who need them. It all depends on the specific need of the person.

Objectives: This study was primarily aimed at assessing the efficacy of integrated yogic intervention (IYI) on physical distress (PD), emotional distress (ED) and total distress (TD) and predicting nature of relationship between PD and ED after the IYI.

Nowadays life of people has become quite stressful. To reduce stress people are getting addicted to things like alcohol, tobacco and drugs. People are searching numerous ways to reduce stress. The best way to reduce stress is through meditation and yoga. Meditation and yoga is the complete package through which you can make your life fit, healthy and stress-free. Yoga and meditation when practiced together strengthen the body and mind connection, improving overall fitness and well-being. Both yoga and meditation, when done regularly, has proven to be highly beneficial. Though the practices of yoga and meditation have their roots in ancient cultures, both have become modern day movements.

Cardiovascular disease is a global burden and by changing risk factors such as increasing physical activity and reducing stress by relaxation can lower the incidence of the disease (Hartley, Dyakova, Holmes, Clarke, Lee, Ernst, & Rees, 2014) The study had 800 participants with high risk factors of the cardiovascular disease and were recruited to 11 study trials. After eight months of this ongoing study, Hartley and Colleagues (2014) found that any form of yoga showed reduction in the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein. Since patients with the cardiovascular disease are unable to perform rigorous exercises, yoga was concluded to be an ideal choice for them. Participants, who

Yoga has been associated with stress. The larger the amount of stress a person has, the less likely that person is to feel in control of themselves and their surroundings. Yoga has also been linked to a person’s health and wellbeing. During a one week experiment, a researcher did yoga once a day at 7:00 pm for a half hour. A survey was taken twice, in hour intervals, after the yoga session was completed, at 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm. The surveys are what was used to find the data that created the results of the experiment. One type of yoga, integrated yoga, was used throughout the week. The results concluded yoga helps relieve stress for one hour after the session was completed, but was stressed again shortly after that hour was finished. Different styles of yoga classes could be offered and more times could be made available at the Elmen Center. Yoga is currently offered at 4:30 pm in the Back Alley, but more class times could be 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. Different styles include hot yoga, iyengar yoga, or hatha yoga. To improve evaluations, a person could add questions about their level of stress before and after the yoga class. These improvements will allow researchers to see if the results are true for the majority of people.

Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion. Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system of development for the body, mind, and spirit. The continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of peace and well-being, and also a feeling of being at one with their environment. This is a simple definition.

Yoga's psychological benefits include; improvement of anxiety, depression, stress tolerance, addictive disorders, bi polar disorders, eating disorders, insomnia and overall emotional balance. Physical benefits include; improvement of chronic pain, reduction of heart rate and blood pressure, increased circulation, and function. The benefits continue; improvement in venous return of the

We spent most of our day sitting in our offices, for so many hours, that the chair starts to grow on us. It’s true, we have so much to do during the day that by the time we finish work, we forget that we’ve been sitting the whole day and it’s time to stretch those muscles. However, most of you haven’t got the energy nor the will to get out of bed and stretch. But, what if I told you that you will only need eight minutes in your day and that those precious eight minutes will not only improve your posture, but those eight minutes can truly improve your overall health. Stretching doesn’t look so bad after all, besides what are eight minutes compared to permanent health benefits and relieved back pain.

In today’s environment, many people are suffering with the stress and anxiety of day to day living and are finding themselves unable to cope with life’s little emergencies. Prescription drugs are on the rise due to the increasing need for people to deal with their stress and anxiety. However, many people are searching for ways to be less stressed and live a happy and healthy life without drugs. If stress and anxiety are getting the best of you, then think about grabbing a mat and giving yoga and meditation a spin. With that in mind, this paper will take a look at the benefits of yoga and meditation to create a more peaceful and healthy lifestyle.

In Satin, Jillian R., et al., "Yoga and Psychophysiological Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: Comparing Yoga Practitioners, Runners, and Sedentary Individuals", this cross-sectional study examined the cardiovascular health markers in long-term practitioners of yoga (yogis), runners, and sedentary individuals. The researchers compared physiological, psychological, and lifestyle variables associated with cardiovascular health across groups. Results showed that Yogis and runners showed favorable profiles compared to sedentary individuals on heart rate, heart rate variability, depression, perceived stress, and cigarette smoking. Runners and male yogis showed superior aerobic fitness compared to the sedentary group. Yogis demonstrated a lower respiration rate compared to sedentary individuals and were more likely to refrain from eating meat compared to other groups. Yogis and runners demonstrated several cardiovascular health advantages over sedentary individuals.