Impact of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on Salivary pH: An Exploratory Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Saliva is increasingly used as a diagnostic tool as it is non-invasive, easily accessible, and less stressful compared to blood sampling. Saliva has a vital role in maintaining oral health. It is necessary for the salivary pH to be neutral in the oral cavity for the optimal functioning of its components. Stress has an effect on salivary pH. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of a mind-body intervention like Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) on the salivary pH. METHODS AND MATERIALS: An exploratory pilot study involving an open trial on 321 healthy individuals who were novice to SKY was conducted. The salivary pH was measured before and after a single 90-min session of SKY. RESULTS: The salivary pH continued to be neutral after the intervention in the group that had initial neutral pH. There was a statistically significant shift of pH towards neutral in both the groups that had either acidic or alkaline pH initially. CONCLUSION: Mind-body interventions like SKY modulate the salivary pH to bring it to the range of optimal functioning. This pilot study provides information for future long-term studies that can be implemented with measures of anxiety and stress along with measuring other salivary biomarkers.

Impact of a Yogic Breathing Technique on the Well-Being of Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for healthcare globally, the brunt of which has been borne by the health care providers (HCPs). These challenges are felt more keenly in India, as they stretch an insufficiently resourced healthcare system. The long hours, cross over of responsibilities, lack of resources to adequately care for patients, and concerns around safety of self and loves ones, have led to a spike in anxiety, depression, insomnia and other stress - related disorders in healthcare providers. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) is a mind-body intervention that has been studied in multiple clinical populations. Prior to this study, there has been no exploration of the impact of SKY on healthcare providers, specifically the impact of a mind-body intervention like SKY on HCPs during a pandemic. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of SKY on the well-being of HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a pilot feasibility study with a single arm pre-post design. SKY was taught to participants in a 4-day online breath and meditation workshop. We measured outcomes related to depression, anxiety, resilience, life satisfaction, and quality of sleep. Results: Ninety-two subjects completed the study survey before and after the intervention. A significant reduction was observed in the levels of stress, anxiety and depression immediately after the program. In addition, the participants reported sig1nificant improvement in life satisfaction, resilience, and the quality of their sleep. Conclusion: The results indicate that SKY breathing technique had a positive impact on the well-being of healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Participants experienced improved quality of sleep, enhanced satisfaction with life, and increased resilience after SKY. This pilot study provides important data for future multi-site randomized controlled trials to study the impact of yogic techniques on well-being of the HCPs.