Published Research Papers

1. Naga Venkatesha Murthy PJ, Janakiramaiah N, Gangadhar BN, et al: P300 amplitude and antidepressant response to Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). J Affect Disord 50(1):45-8, 1998. A small open pilot study found that SKY significantly improved depression in 15 patients with dysthymia and 15 with major depression.

2. Janakiramaiah N, Gangadhar BN, Naga Venkatesha Murthy PJ, et al: Therapeutic efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) in dysthymic disorder. NIMHANS Journal 1998;21-8. An open study of 46 patients with dysthymia (mean illness duration 3.15 years) showed significant improvement on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Clinical Global Impression scales 1 and 3 months after SKY breath training. Among the 37 patients who completed the program, 67.5% achieved remission. After SKY training, small but significant prolactin elevation occurred.

3. Janakiramaiah N, Gangadhar BN, Naga Venkatesha Murthy PJ, et al: Antidepressant efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY) in melancholia: a randomized comparison with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and imipramine. J Affect Disord 2000;57(1-3):255-9. In a randomized, controlled study, 45 hospitalized patients with severe melancholic depression were divided into three groups. The first group received bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) three times a week for 4 weeks. The medication group took an antidepressant, imipramine 150 mg at night. The third group received training in SKY yoga breathing only. At the time of admission, all patients scored 17 or higher on the 17-item HRSD. In fact, the mean scores were quite high for each group: ECT = 26.7 + 5.0; imipramine = 22.7 + 5.7; SKY = 25.1 + 6.5. SKY was as effective as imipramine and almost as effective as ECT, as shown by reductions in BDI and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) total scores. Remission was defined as HRSD < 8.0. Considering the severity of the patients' depressions, the remission rate of 67% with SKY is impressive and indicates that although SKY is less powerful than ECT, it does offer an effective alternative even in severe depression without the side effects caused by ECT or imipramine.

4. Vedamurthachar A, Janakiramaiah N, Hegde JM, Shetty TK, Subbakrishna DK, Sureshbabu SV, Gangadhar BN: Antidepressant efficacy and hormonal effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in alcohol dependent individuals. J Affect Disord. 2006 Aug; 94(1-3):249-53. In a 3-week study of hospitalized alcohol dependent patients, those treated with SKY plus standard treatment had greater reductions in depression, anxiety and cortisol than patients given standard treatment and rehabilitation

5. Bhatia M, Kumar A, Kumar N, et al: Electrophysiologic evaluation of Sudarshan Kriya: an EEG, BAER, P300 study. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2003. 47(2):157-136 A significant increase in beta-1 and beta-2 activity in the left frontal, midline and parieto-occipital regions was noted on EEGs of 19 regular SKY practitioners at rest when compared with 15 healthy age-matched controls. No significant differences were found on the BAER or P300 latency measures. An increase in beta frequency activity in these areas has been associated with attentive information processing

6. Sharma H, Sen S, Singh A, et al: Sudarshan kriya practitioners exhibit better antioxidant status and lower blood lactate levels. Biol Psychol. 2003. 63: 281-291. In study of the indicators of stress took baseline measures of antioxidants superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase, glutathione, and blood lactate levels in healthy males from the Police Training Academy (PTA) in Delhi, India. Ten trainees practiced SKY for 5 months, while a matched comparison group of PTA trainees did not. At the end of 5 months, those who had practiced SKY showed statistically significant improvements in all stress indicators compared to the control group.

7. Sageman S: Breaking through the despair: spiritually oriented group therapy as a means of healing women with severe mental illness. J Am Acad Psychoanal Dyn Psychiatry 32(1):125-41, 2004. Dr. Sageman introduced ujjayi breathing to a therapy group for women with severe chronic mental illness, predominantly schizophrenia. Most were Latino or African Americans living below the poverty line with histories of abuse, childhood trauma, and repeated psychiatric hospitalizations. The patients learned ujjayi quickly and responded with rapid improvement in mood, energy, and attention. Schizophrenic patients may benefit from modified nonstimulating yoga techniques in a supportive setting with skilled mental health professionals.

8. Gerbarg PL and Brown RP: Yoga: a breath of relief for Hurricane Katrina refugees. Current Psychiatry. 4(10): 55-67, Oct 2005.

9. Sageman S and Brown R: Free at Last, in DSM-IV-TR Case Book Volume 2, edited by R.L. Spitzer, M.B. First, J.B.W.Williams, M. Gibbon. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. Washington, DC. 2006. pp.109-121. This chapter describes the use of natural and conventional treatments in a complex case with multiple psychiatric diagnoses. Sudarshan Kriya yoga breathing provided the patient with a means of self-soothing that increased her resilience so that she no longer became despondent when confronted by painful reminders of past trauma. SKY was credited with breaking the link between past trauma and negative emotions.

10. Brazier A, Mulkins A, Verhoef M: Am J Health Promot. 2006 Jan-Feb;20(3):192-5. Evaluating a yogic breathing and meditation intervention for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. A randomized controlled trial was used to assess the effects of a SKY program on 47 individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Positive changes in well-being on the Mental Health Index (MHI) and the MOS-HIV Health Survey (MOS) were primarily seen immediately following the program and disappeared at later data points. The Daily Stress Inventory (DSI), indicated an increase in experience and impact of stress over time for the intervention group after the program. However, qualitative interviews described positive changes in how participants were living their day-to-day lives. The mixed results of this study may reflect the need for longer follow-up interventions to maintain the gains in a population suffering the severe stresses associated with HIV.

11. Gerbarg PL: Yoga and Psychoanalysis, chapter in Bodies in Treatment: The Unspoken Dimension, edited by F. S. Anderson. The Analytic Press, Inc. Hillsdale, NJ. 2007 (in press). Through the presentation of a complex case, Dr. Gerbarg discusses neuro-psychoanalytic research and theory in light of the observed effects of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga on the progress of a psychoanalytic treatment. This provides material for an evolving integrative model.

View additional research (opens in new window) In North America, those interested in conducting or collaborating on research should email researchcommittee@artofliving.org