Resources

Here you'll find all the papers we've referenced on our site when talking about various health benefits of pranayama, meditation and exercise.

Stress management

  • Neumann ID, Landgraf R. Balance of brain oxytocin and vasopressin: implications for anxiety, depression, and social behaviors.
  • Richard P. Brown MD, Yogic Breathing and Meditation: When the Thalamus Quiets the Cortex and Rouses the Limbic System
  • Diane B. Miller, James P. O'Callaghan, Neuroendocrine aspects of the response to stress
  • Elizabeth O. Johnson Themis C. Kamilaris, George P. Chrousos,Philip W. Gold Mechanisms of stress: A dynamic overview of hormonal and behavioral homeostasis

Cardiovascular health

  • Jerath R, Edry JW, Barnes VA, Jerath V. Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Med Hypotheses 2006; 67(3):566-71.
  • Grossman E, Grossman A, Schein MH, Zimlichman R, Gavish B. Breathing-control lowers blood pressure. J Hum Hypertens 2001;15(4):263-9.
  • Rosenthal T, Alter A, Peleg E, Gavish B. Device-guided breathing exercises reduce blood pressure: ambulatory and home measurements. Am J Hypertens 2001;14(1):74-6. Radaelli A, Raco R, Perfetti P, Viola A, Azzellino A, Signorini MG, et al. Effects of slow, controlled breathing on baroreceptor control of heart rate and blood pressure in healthy men. J Hypertens 2004;22(7):1361-70.
  • Joseph CN, Porta C, Casucci G, Casiraghi N, Maffeis M, Rossi M, et al. Slow breathing improves arterial baroreflex sensitivity and decreases blood pressure in essential hypertension. Hypertension 2005;46(4):714-8.
  • Sanya EO, Brown CM, von Wilmowsky C, Neundorfer B, Hilz MJ. Impairment of parasympathetic baroreflex responses in migraine patients. Acta Neurol Scand 2005;111(2):102-7.
  • Pinna GD, Maestri R, La Rovere MT, Gobbi E, Fanfulla F. Effect of paced breathing on ventilatory and cardiovascular variability parameters during short-term investigations of autonomic function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2006;290(1):H424-33.
  • Tzeng YC, Sin PY, Lucas SJ, Ainslie PN. Respiratory modulation of cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity. J Appl Physiol 2009;107(3):718-24.
  • Meles E, Giannattasio C, Failla M, et al. Nonpharmacologic treatment of hypertension by respiratory exercise in the home setting. Am J Hypertens. 2004;17:370–374.
  • Pramanik T, Sharma HO, Mishra S, Mishra A, Prajapati R, Singh S. Immediate effect of slow pace bhastrika pranayama on blood pressure and heart rate.
  • Bhargava R, Gogate MG, Mascarenhas JF. Autonomic responses to breath holding and its variations following pranayama.
  • Brindley DN, McCann BS, Niaura R, Stoney CM, Suarez EC. Stress and lipoprotein metabolism: Modulators and mechanisms. Metabolism 1993;42:3-15
  • Brindley DN, Rolland Y. Possible connections between stress, obesity, hypertension and altered lipoprotein metabolism that may result in atherosclerosis. Clin Sci 1989;77:453-61.
  • Chacko N. Joseph, Cesare Porta, Gaia Casucci, Nadia Casiraghi,Mara Maffeis, Marco Rossi, Luciano Bernardi. Slow Breathing Improves Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity and Decreases Blood Pressure in Essential Hypertension
  • Christopher Gilbert, Clinical Applications of Breathing Regulation Beyond Anxiety Management

Respiratory Health

  • Westerdahl E, Lindmark B, Eriksson T, Friberg O, Hedenstierna G, Tenling A. Deep-breathing exercises reduce atelectasis and improve pulmonary function after coronary artery bypass surgery.
  • Girodo M, Ekstrand KA, Metivier GJ. Deep diaphragmatic breathing: rehabilitation exercises for the asthmatic patient.
  • Weiner P, Azgad Y, Ganam R. Inspiratory muscle training for bronchial asthma.
  • Vitacca M, Clini E, Bianchi L, Ambrosino N. Acute effects of deep diaphragmatic breathing in COPD patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency.
  • Gigliotti F, Romagnoli I, Scano G. Breathing retraining and exercise conditioning in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a physiological approach.
  • Fernandes M, Cukier A, Feltrim MI. Efficacy of diaphragmatic breathing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Immune system

  • Richard J. Davidson, PhD, Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, Jessica Schumacher, MS, Melissa Rosenkranz, BA, Daniel Muller, MD, PhD,Saki F. Santorelli, EdD, Ferris Urbanowski, MA, Anne Harrington, PhD, Katherine Bonus, MA and John F. Sheridan, PhD, Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation.
  • Michael N. Starnbach, Ph.D The Truth About Your Immune System
  • Emily Deans, M.D. How Stress Makes You Sick and Sad The link between depression, anxiety, diabetes, and stress
  • Kochupillai V, Kumar P, Singh D, Aggarwal D, Bhardwaj N, Bhutani M, Das SN .Effect of rhythmic breathing on immune functions and tobacco addiction.
  • Kim KS, Lee SW, Choe MA, Yi MS, Choi S, Kwon SH. Effects of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback on stress, immune response and quality of life in patients with a mastectomy for breast cancer

Pain Control

  • Stacy A. Friesner, RN, MS, ACNP, Donna Miles Curry, PhD, RNC, Gail R. Moddeman, PhD, RN Comparison of two pain-management strategies during chest tube removal: Relaxation exercise with opioids and opioids alone.
  • Astin JA. Mind-body therapies for the management of pain.
  • Daniela Roditi and Michael E Robinson. The role of psychological interventions in the management of patients with chronic pain

Lipid Profile

  • Brindley DN, McCann BS, Niaura R, Stoney CM, Suarez EC. Stress and lipoprotein metabolism: Modulators and mechanisms. Metabolism 1993;42:3-15
  • Brindley DN, Rolland Y. Possible connections between stress, obesity, hypertension and altered lipoprotein metabolism that may result in atherosclerosis. Clin Sci 1989;77:453-61.
  • Subramanian S, Elango T, Malligarjunan H, Kochupillai V, Dayalan H. Role of sudarshan kriya and pranayama on lipid profile and blood cell parameters during exam stress: A randomized controlle trial.