The Pregnancy Tele-yoga Module to Combat Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Associated with Pregnancy: An Exploratory Open-label Multicentric Study.

Purpose: Untreated stress, anxiety, and depression during the perinatal period can lead to adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Yoga, the practice of body-mind-spirit techniques has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Aims: The aim of the study was to examine the feasibility and limited efficacy of the 4-week practice of pregnancy tele-yoga module (PTYM) delivered and monitored through an online platform. Methodology: A multicentric, open-label, exploratory study was conducted in the antenatal clinics (ANCs) of three tertiary care hospitals in India. Pregnant women between 13 and 32 weeks of gestation were invited to participate. PTYM was taught by the trained research staff. A YouTube link demonstrating the PTYM developed by the researchers was shared with consenting participants. Using the Yoga Performance Assessment (YPA), research staff monitored the online performance of the PTYM. Pre- and postintervention, women were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Results: Preintervention, among 162 consented pregnant women, anxiety (62.34%) was the most common mental health condition, followed by stress (55.55%) and depression (45.67%). YPA at the end of week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 was 19.45, 21.35, 24.15, and 28.45, respectively. Postintervention anxiety, stress, and depression persisted in 19.78%, 11.44%, and 10.41% of women. Pregnant women with stress (DASS-21 ≥15; n = 90), anxiety (DASS-21 ≥8; n = 101), and depressive (DASS-21 ≥10; n = 74) symptoms after undergoing 4 weeks of PTYM reported significant reduction in the scores. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated the feasibility and limited efficacy of PTYM in ANCs of a tertiary care hospital in India.

Yoga Program for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention (YOGA-DP) Among High-Risk People: Qualitative Study to Explore Reasons for Non-participation in a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial in India.

Background: Yoga-based interventions can be effective in preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We developed a Yoga program for T2DM prevention (YOGA-DP) among high-risk people and conducted a feasibility randomized controlled trial (RCT) in India. The objective of this study was to identify and explore why potential participants declined to participate in the feasibility RCT. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted at a Yoga center in New Delhi, India. Fourteen people (10 women and four men) who declined to participate in the feasibility RCT were interviewed, and 13 of them completed the non-participant questionnaire, which captured their socio-demographics, diets, physical activities, and reasons for declining. Results: Three types of barriers were identified and explored which prevented participation in the feasibility RCT: (1) personal barriers, such as lack of time, perceived sufficiency of knowledge, preferences about self-management of health, and trust in other traditional and alternative therapies; (2) contextual barriers, such as social influences and lack of awareness about preventive care; and (3) study-related barriers, such as lack of study information, poor accessibility to the Yoga site, and lack of trust in the study methods and intervention. Conclusions: We identified and explored personal, contextual, and study-related barriers to participation in a feasibility RCT in India. The findings will help to address recruitment challenges in future Yoga and other RCTs. Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: CTRI/2019/05/018893.

Yogic breathing practices improve lung functions of competitive young swimmers.

BACKGROUND: Resistive breathing practices are known to improve endurance and performance in competitive swimmers. However, the effect of Pranayama or Yogic Breathing Practices (YBP) in improving respiratory endurance and performance of competitive swimmers remains un-investigated. OBJECTIVES: To study effects of yogic breathing practices on lung functions of swimmers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty seven national and international competitive swimmers of the age range 13-20 years, with 8.29 ± 2.9 years of competitive swimming experience and practicing swimming for 9.58 ± 1.81 km everyday, were assigned randomly to either an experimental (YBP) or to wait list control group (no intervention). Outcome measures were taken on day 1 and day 30 and included (1) spirometry to measure lung function, (2) Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) to measure the antecedents and consequences of cognitive and somatic trait anxiety of sport performance and (3) number of strokes per breath to measure performance. The YBP group practiced a prescribed set of Yogic Breathing Practices - Sectional Breathing (Vibhagiya Pranayama), Yogic Bellows Breathing (Bhastrika Pranayama) and Alternate Nostril Breathing with Voluntary Internal Breath Holding (Nadi Shodhana with Anthar kumbhaka) for half an hour, five days a week for one month. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in the YBP group as compared to control group in maximal voluntary ventilation (p = 0.038), forced vital capacity (p = 0.026) and number of strokes per breath (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that YBP helps to enhance respiratory endurance in competitive swimmers.

Assessing depression following two ancient Indian interventions: effects of yoga and ayurveda on older adults in a residential home.

The effects of yoga and ayurveda on geriatric depression were evaluated in 69 persons older than 60 who were living in a residential home. Participants were stratified by age and gender and randomly allocated to three groups: Yoga, Ayurveda, or Wait-list Control. The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms prior to the intervention, and after 3 months and 6 months post-intervention. Participation in one of the three groups lasted 24 weeks. The yoga program (7 hours 30 minutes per week) included physical postures, relaxation techniques, regulated breathing, devotional songs, and lectures. The Ayurveda Group received an herbal preparation twice daily for the whole period. The depression symptom scores of the Yoga Group at both 3 and 6 months decreased significantly, from a group average baseline of 10.6 to 8.1 and 6.7, respectively (p < .001, paired t-test). The other groups showed no change. Hence, an integrated approach of yoga including the mental and philosophical aspects in addition to the physical practices was useful for institutionalized older persons.