As the practice of yoga increases (over 13.4 million
Americans), researchers have been conducting studies on the benefits that yoga maintains
to offer. Here is a small sample of this
research:
One study of 24 women underwent a three month program of
Iyengar yoga twice a week for 90 minutes.
Eight of the women were part of a control group and did not do
yoga. The sixteen women who participated
had “pronounced and significant improvements” in lowering anxiety, perceived
stress and other factors including depression.
Michaelsen A. Grossman P, Acil A, Langhorst J, Ludtke R,
Esch T, Stefano GB, Dobos GJ, Rapid stress reduction and anxiolysis among
distressed women as a consequence of a three-month intensive yoga program. Med
Sci Monit. 2005 Dec; 11(12):CR555-561.
A study on ischaemic heart disease concluded that yoga was
seen to “help in regression of coronary lesions and in improving myocardial
perfusion.”
Yogendra J, Yogendra HJ, Ambardekar S,
Results of a hypertensive study showed that yoga training
“optimizes the sympathetic response to stressful stimuli” and “restores the
autonomic regulatory reflex mechanisms in hypertensive patients.” Patients were instructed in yoga for 60
minutes from Monday to Saturday for four weeks where blood pressure was
monitored at weekly intervals.
Vijayalakshmi P, Madanmohan, Bhavanani AB, Patil A, Babu K.
Modulation of stress induced by isometric handgrip test in hypertensive
patients following yogic relaxation training. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol
( 2004;) 48:: 59–64.[Medline]
One study of osteoporosis concluded that after a 12 week
yoga program patients were improved in the areas of posture, functional skills and
overall well being.
More research studies can be found here.