Brief Report on the Outcomes of an Integrated Approach on Stress, Anxiety, and Persistent Pain for Veterans; Mindful Yoga and Auricular Acupuncture

Objective: The aim of this study was to pilot test an integrated treatment approach, including mindful yoga and auricular acupuncture, for Veterans with overlapping mental health disorders and persistent pain. Design: A single-arm, quasi-experimental study with a 12-week intervention period. Methods: Veterans were referred to the program through their established mental health provider, which was marketed as a trauma sensitive mindful yoga program with optional auricular acupuncture for Veterans currently undergoing mental health treatment. The program consisted of 12 weekly 90-minute group yoga sessions that included mindful breathing, mindful movement, and guided relaxation. Auricular acupuncture was also offered but not required prior to each yoga session, where five acupuncture points were targeted for relaxation and stress relief. Stress, pain, and anxiety were assessed pre and post intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale, the PEG scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale. Results: Out of fifty-five Veterans entering the program with a mental health diagnosis, twenty-seven Veterans completed the 12-week Mindful Yoga program. For those that completed the program, the average attendance was 9.5 out of 12 sessions. Means scores show improvement in perceived stress, pain, and anxiety compared with baseline scores. Statistically significant improvements were noted in both perceived stress (P = 0.0007) and anxiety (P = 0.0093). Conclusions: This study suggests that combining mindful yoga with auricular acupuncture can reduce symptoms of stress, pain, and anxiety in Veterans that commit to the program. Although this was a small sample, mean scores showed statistically significant improvements in perceived stress and anxiety and modest improvements in pain, warranting further study.

Enhancement of the Cognitive Abilities in Visually Impaired Children Following a Yoga Based Intervention

Background: Perception and cognition in individuals are directly linked to the sensory organs. Yogic practices and meditation are known to calm the mind and enhance the cognitive abilities in an individual. Objective: In visually impaired children, academic performance is affected by their loss of vision. The present study is a pilot study to understand the improvement in verbal recall memory of children with visual impairment following the practice of a yogic module. Methods: The study was a pre-post single arm study of 113 children from a blind school in Surat who underwent a seven hour yoga and pranayama-based workshop. The intervention included three ancient techniques, viz. pranayama (breathing techniques), super brain yoga and yoga nidra (supine relaxation). Assessment of the verbal memory was done using Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Subjects were tested for verbal memory recall before and after the intervention. Results: Results indicated a significant improvement in the retention and recall memory of the participants post intervention (p value <0.001). Both genders demonstrated an equivalent performance after the intervention. Conclusion: The results indicate that such holistic techniques play a positive role in improving the academic performance of visually impaired children.

Effect of Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT)-Yoga Based Relaxation Technique on Sleep Quality and Mental Health in it Professionals: A Pilot Study

Background: Significant number of IT professionals suffer from various health problems, including poor mental health and sleep quality, which affects their work efficacy and quality of life. Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) is a chanting based relaxation technique showed to be effective in improving the physical and mental health of individuals. Aim: Present study is intended to evaluate the effect of MSRT on anxiety, mood profile, and sleep quality in IT professionals. Methods: One hundred IT professionals (54 males) with age range 25-40 years (average 29 years.) received 45 minutes of MSRT intervention thrice a week for one month. Participants were excluded from the study if they had any kind of chronic disease, regular antipsychotic medication, auditory impairment, major depression, previous exposure to any kind of Yoga in past one year. The participants were assessed for state & trait anxiety, mood profile, and sleep quality at baseline and after one month using standard assessment measures. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20 software. Results: There was a significant improvement in state anxiety (23% decrease), trait anxiety (19% decrease), mood disturbance (84% decrease), and sleep quality (56% improvement) after one month of MSRT practice compared to baseline. Conclusion: Present pilot study indicates the potential use of MSRT intervention in improving mental health and sleep quality in IT professionals. However, future studies should be conducted with a large sample size and robust research design.