AUTHOR(S): Punitkumar Basavaraj Nayak and Dr. K Krishna Sharma

ABSTRACT:
Yoga a traditional practice combining kriyas, asanas, breath control pranayamas, meditation and relaxation has gained significant attention for its potential benefits on psychological and immune health. This systematic review explores the effects of yoga practices on psychological well-being and immune system function. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is an interdisciplinary field that studies the interactions between the brain, nervous system, and immune system. Yoga and psychoimmunology are connected through their mutual focus on the interplay between mind, body, and health. A comprehensive search of electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science and google scholar) was conducted to identify Method for integrating or comparing the findings from qualitative studies. It looks for ‘themes’ or ‘constructs’ that lie in or across individual qualitative studies published from 2014 to 2024. Studies included in this review assessed the effects of yoga on psychological health outcomes (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and immune system markers (e.g., inflammatory cytokines, immune cell activity). Data were extracted on study design, sample size, yoga intervention details, and key outcomes. A total of 42 studies met the inclusion criteria. Yoga interventions, including various styles such as Hatha and Vinyasa demonstrated consistent improvements in psychological well-being, with significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms across most studies. The evidence suggests that yoga practices can positively impact both psychological and immune health. The observed benefits include reductions in stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as improvements in immune system functioning.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/yogic.2024.v9.i2c.1628

Pages: 148-152  |  696 Views  453 Downloads