In its long history – and it is a very long history, first mentioned in 3000-year-old Vedic texts – yoga has been attributed to healing or ameliorating many things. In one of the main texts on yoga, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, yoga is described as “stilling the fluctuations of the mind”. And new research suggests that it could help reduce an irregular heart rhythm – stilling the fluctuations of the heart, if you will.
Research carried out at the University of Kansas in the US has found that people who regularly practice yoga reduce their risk of atrial fibrillation. Not only that, but researchers also found that yoga reduced feelings of anxiety and depression. For people at risk of atrial fibrillation, this comes as good news, as the only treatments currently available for the condition include invasive procedures or medication with unpleasant side effects.
What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm – or irregular heartbeat – caused by unusual generation of electrical signals in the heart. Atrial fibrillation is a major cause of stroke in the aged. It is a common and potentially dangerous condition.
Normal heart contractions start as an electrical impulse, producing a wave of muscle contractions; the electrical activity spreads through the walls of the atria and causes them to contract, forcing blood into the ventricles. The atria and ventricles work together, alternately contracting and relaxing to pump blood through the heart.
Emotions, exercise, medications or fever can affect the rate at which the heart beats, but in atrial fibrillation can be caused by underlying heart disease, or even excessive alcohol or caffeine intake.
Study Shows Significant Impact
The study involved a small group of 49 patients who had never tried yoga before and had no physical limitations. They were monitored for six months – for the first three months the patients could do any physical activity they liked, then for the remaining three months, they were given a program of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and relaxation.
The patients did three yoga sessions a week and were encouraged to practice at home daily. The study monitored episodes of irregular heartbeat throughout the trial, and patients completed short surveys to assess their levels of anxiety, depression and overall quality of life.
The study showed that the yoga program cut episodes of irregular heartbeat in half – a significant reduction – and also reduced depression and anxiety, increased physical fitness and helped the patients’ social functioning.
As anyone who has practiced yoga before, these findings will come as no surprise – yoga contributes to practitioners’ sense of community, or sanga as it’s known in yoga, and confers an overall sense of peace and wellbeing, which tends to carry through beyond the yoga class and into everyday life. It teaches us tools for dealing with what life throws at us – even if it to stop and breathe in stressful situations.
The doctor in charge of the study, Dr Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, said, "It appears yoga has a significant impact on helping to regulate patients' heartbeat and improves the overall quality of life."
Given the small size of the study, Dr Lakkireddy cautioned that larger studies need to be carried out to see if his findings are replicated. However, he also said that since yoga is non-invasive, low-cost, and confers a range of other physical and mental benefits, it should definitely be considered as a complementary treatment of the condition.
Source: Medical News Today
Originally published on Apr 19, 2011
