Scientific Study of Yoga

Introduction

Scientific evidence that supports yoga is steadily rising. Yoga acts on the mind and body as a unit while scientific studies concentrate on specific aspects of it so some study the mind angle (eg. anxiety and depression) and others the body angle (eg. Back Ache).

PubMed is run by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. These studies are very authoritive so are marked 'PubMed'.

General

The Minded Institue is run by Heather Mason. They publicise yoga research, conduct research of their own and train medical people and yoga teachers in evidence based yoga therapy.

Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D is assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, has conducted clinical research of yoga and meditation for more than a decade. This is his book Your Brain on Yoga (Harvard Medical School Guides)

Anxiety and Depression

Yoga For Depression site

Harvard Medical School on Yoga for Anxiety and Depression

This study shows yoga can help with depression PubMed - Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Trauma - PTSD

This Google scholar search for 'ptsd yoga study'comes up with a huge list.

The Trauma Centre is one of an increasing number of organisations conducting their own research and using evidence based techniques. This study Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: Principles, Practice, and Research is interesting.

Lower Back Pain

PubMed - A systematic review and meta-analysis of yoga for low back pain.

News story about University of York Study The University of York Study

RSI Repetitice Strain Injury

Dr. Deepah Sharan runs an RSI treatment centre in India. He recommeds a wide range of ways to deal with RSI including yoga. Dr. Deepak Sharan's Yoga page

Alzheimers

Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D heads the Alzheimers Prevention organisation in the USA. He has studied the use of Kundalini Yoga's Kirtan Kriya Alzheimers Prevention