Psychophysiological Effects of Yoga for Adults With Occupational Stress

Stress is a psychological process initiated by events that threaten, harm or challenge an organism or that exceed available coping resources and it is characterized by psychological responses that are directed towards adaptation. PNI research suggests that chronic stress can lead to or exacerbate mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, cognitive (thinking) problems, personality changes, and problem behaviors. In survival mode, the optimal amounts of cortisol can be lifesaving. But, chronic elevated levels can lead to serious issues. Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Among the well-known types of yoga are Asthang yoga and Hath yoga. Moving yourself into a healthy parasympathetic state, and staying there as much of the time as possible, helps heal all health conditions, both physical and emotional ones as well. The parasympathetic system returns the body's physiological conditions to normal (homeostasis). Vagus Nerve Stimulation normalizes an elevated HPA axis (Selfhacked, 2015).

Yoga and The Physics of Higher States of Consciousness

Higher states of consciousness are developed by meditation, defined by Patanjali as that which transforms focused attention into pure consciousness, the 4th state of pure consciousness - a major state in its own right, with its own physics, that of ‘experience information'. Phenomenologies of states 5 to 7 are explained from the perspective of modern physics and quantum cosmology. The role of the 5th state in life is to make possible witnessing states 1 to 3 resulting in ‘Perfection in Action'. Refinement of perception involved in the 6th State results in hearing the Cosmic Om, seeing the Inner Light, and seventh sense perception. All require special amplification processes on pathways of perception. Unity and Brahman Consciousness and their development are discussed with examples from the great sayings of the Upanishads, and similar cognitions like those of poet, Thomas Traherne. Throughout, supporting physics is given, particularly that of experience information, and its implications for Schrodinger's cat paradox and our scientific understanding of the universe as a whole.

Yoga for Psychological Wellbeing in Modern Life and Contexts

In this chapter, we will address how Yoga may contribute to psychological wellbeing. The chapter will be based on review of relevant literature in the backdrop of the theoretical framework of Self-Efficacy developed by Albert Bandura in his comprehensive ‘social cognitive theory of human motivation and learning'. Illustrations are included from our study: “Yoga to promote young people's mental health and well-being?” First, we will address some current social tendencies that contribute to everyday stress and challenges to people's general wellbeing. Second, we aim to have some conceptual clarification related to the concepts in our title “Yoga for psychological wellbeing”. Third, we will address how Yoga may function as a tool for self-regulation and its relationship with self-efficacy. Fourth, we will describe how Yoga is perceived as a mean to cope with stress. We will discuss how different people use Yoga to cope with stress, and how this partly relates to the role of Yoga as a tool for self-regulation.

Foundations for Yoga Practice in Rehabilitation

Yoga, as both a science and art, elicits neurochemical response mediated by neurophysiological mechanisms, and when used in rehabilitation, can honor both its cultural philosophy while evolving as an evidence-based therapy. The central theme of this chapter is to provide a foundation for a novel yogic model of rehabilitation practice using proposed common psychotherapeutic and physiological factors that affect patient outcomes. This model is guided by Ten Precepts that can guide the use of yoga in rehabilitation as a medical, therapeutic, yoga, in order to foster evidence-based practice, which is representative of best practice techniques in rehabilitation. The 10 Precepts include guidelines on optimization of patient assessment and intervention, education, respiratory function as a first-line psychophysiological intervention, fostering stability and safety through six evidence-based neurophysiological principles, inclusion of Ayurveda and other yogic tools, and non-dogmatic yoga practice in rehabilitation.

Yoga for Seniors

Increasing life expectancies have resulted in global aging of the population. Because of physiological changes associated with aging, older adults are more vulnerable to developing chronic diseases and disability. Multimorbidity with two or more aging and stress-related conditions occurs in more than half of older adults. The use of polypharmacy for multiple disorders increases risks of adverse reactions. Mind-body medicine uses ancient Eastern practices like yoga and meditation to achieve balance between mind, body and spirit. The US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) showed the growing popularity of yoga practice in people aged 65 and over. The use of mind-body therapies like yoga could supplement conventional medicine in management of mild-moderate mental and physical symptoms. Yoga therapy empowers individuals to take responsibility for own health and is ideal for preventing chronic stress-related disorders of aging because of low-cost and improved safety profile.

Psychophysiological Rationale for Use of Yoga in Heart Disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The main reason for increase of CVD is considered to be unhealthy lifestyle consistent of high fat, refined diet, psychosocial stress, lack of exercise and tobacco. In spite of several recent advances in the management of CVD the incidence is rapidly increasing specially in the developing countries and their economic burden is huge. There is a need for new cost effective and safe strategy to control this growing epidemic of CVD. Yoga may be such an alternative for controlling CVD. Several research studies suggest that yoga may be promising technique for primary and secondary prevention of CVD and these will be reviewed briefly in this chapter.

Management of Obesity With Yoga

A number of experimental studies have been carried out to assess the effectiveness of yoga to manage obesity. This review (1) examined studies assessing the effects of yoga practices on obesity and (2) graded them according to standard grading methods. Fifteen studies were reviewed of which 6 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The six RCTs had a moderately good rating (70.6 to 88.0 percent). Nonetheless this review showed that there are inadequate studies which have adequate sample sizes, rigorous study designs and conduct a long term follow up, to conclude that yoga can play a definite role in weight management. Nonetheless the evidence is encouraging though future studies should be designed more rigorously.

Research-Based Applied Psychophysiology

Recent research indicates that yoga can be effective for reducing both musculoskeletal conditions and stress. In the workplace, musculoskeletal conditions and stress are the two most common reasons for sickness absence. The World Health Organisation has identified the workplace as a priority area for promoting good health. As a result, yoga is increasingly being offered in workplace settings to improve the physical health and mental wellbeing of employees. In September 2014, a comprehensive search of relevant electronic databases was performed to determine the effectiveness of yoga in workplace settings. Eight randomised trials met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that the effectiveness of yoga in the workplace was strong for musculoskeletal conditions, moderate for perceived stress, limited for sleep quality and conflicting for heart rate variability. Overall, this evidence is promising, yet limited due to a lack of high quality studies of yoga in workplace settings.

Influence of Yoga on the Autonomic Nervous System

Increased interest in exploring the physiological benefits of yoga in last few decades resulted in plethora of scientific studies involving different physiological measures in healthy volunteers and patients with various disorders. Of these measures, autonomic functions assessment remained prime role because of wider regulation of autonomic nervous system functions over all visceral systems of the body. Through its two limbs (sympathetic and parasympathetic) autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary visceral organs and systems of the body, which is critical in maintaining the homeostasis of all the physiological functions. This homeostasis is altered in various disease conditions most of which resulted because of the increased stress, a product of modern day lifestyle. Yoga is perfect antidote for the stress, effectively tackling the dreaded effects of stress on physiological systems mainly acting through modulating sympathovagal balance to maintain the homeostasis and restoring the health. We will discuss how yoga achieves this balance in various disorders by reviewing the autonomic system, its functions, laboratory assessments and plenty of scientific studies conducted over last few decades in various disorders involving yoga and autonomic functions. Although we have general idea as to how yoga modulates the sympathovagal balance improving clinical condition, we need to have more long-term, in-depth, well-controlled studies not only to understand these complex interactions of yoga and autonomic functions but also to provide scientific credibility to yoga research in world's scientific community. These steps would hopefully enable mankind to lead the disease-free healthy life style effectively to achieve meaningfully the purpose of one's life.

Long-Term Changes in Experienced Yoga Practitioners

This chapter explores subjective and objective correlates of the state of Yoga during Transcendental Meditation practice. Yoga fits the three criteria of a higher state of consciousness: (1) Yoga has a different subject/object relationship than other states. In Yoga there is no content—only self-awareness. (2) Yoga involves a more expanded sense-of-self. Content analysis of descriptions of Yoga yielded three themes: the absence of time, absence of space and absence of body sense. Yoga is the most universal aspect of the individual. (3) Yoga is defined by distinct physiological patterns. Slowing of breath, autonomic orienting and frontal alpha1 brain coherence are reported during the state of Yoga. The integration of Yoga with waking, sleeping and dreaming also fits the criteria for being a higher state of consciousness, called Cosmic Consciousness in the Vedic tradition. The chapter ends with the conclusion that growth of higher states of consciousness is the most important result of experiencing the state of Yoga. Then, life is lived in freedom.