Breath, Stress and Health: a Biocultural Study of Hatha Yoga Practice

Emory University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stress, Psychological; Stress, Physiological

Treatments: Other: Medium Dose Yoga; Other: High Dose Yoga

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03856892

IRB00107267

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to contribute uniquely to stress, longevity, and mental health research in two ways: by identifying clear protocols of breath-based yoga-meditative practice based on original materials; that are subsequently assessed with established scientific stress, biochemical immunity and longevity markers, and validated psychological measures that relate to mental health.

Full description

This study aims to contribute uniquely to stress, longevity, and mental health research in two ways: by identifying clear protocols of breath-based yoga-meditative practice based on original materials; that are subsequently assessed with established scientific stress markers across the sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis, biochemical immunity and longevity markers, and validated psychological measures as related to mental health. The study couples emic perspectives from the traditional yoga knowledge base, both textual and practice, with empirical measures from science as an opportunity to bridge these worlds as a first known study of hatha yoga to be tackled by the means and methods of biocultural anthropology. It therefore highlights the importance of context and detail in terms of assessing human behavioral practices, where accuracy in terms of definitions, technique detail, and original purported intentions and outcomes are addressed as relevant when measuring and explaining empirical outcomes under modern research mixed methods.

Enrollment: 97 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Novice to breath-based yoga practice
• Multicultural international participant base
• Fluent in English comprehension and reading
• In general good health
• Have a smartphone or similar device in order to receive surveys on a dedicated app

Exclusion criteria

• none

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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97 participants in 3 patient groups

Active Study Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to the Active Study Group are asked to follow a daily routine of the three protocols of psycho-physical yoga component techniques: Slow Engaged Dynamic Asana (SEDA), Breath Regulated Engaged Meditation (BREM), Sound Heart Engaged Meditation (SHEM). This intervention involves more hours in daily practice to equate to a "high dose" of breath and meditative techniques.

Treatment:

Other: High Dose Yoga

Active Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants randomized to the Active Control study arm are asked to follow a daily routine of low-to mid-intensity body posture practice that is body-based and has minimal breath or meditative elements. This intervention involves fewer hours in daily practice to equate to a "medium dose" of body focused techniques

Treatment:

Other: Medium Dose Yoga

Passive Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants randomized to the Passive Control study arm do not receive a study intervention.