In recent times, the therapeutic potential of Yoga has captured the imagination of researchersworldwide and numerous studies are being done on the benefits of Yoga in various medicalconditions. Yoga is a popular means of relieving stress and improving fitness as it decreases stress and anxiety and improves health status. The application of Yoga as a therapy is simple and inexpensive and can be easily adopted in most patients without any complications.

1. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research
Yoga as a therapy in modern medical settings
In recent times, the therapeutic potential of Yoga has captured the imagination of
researchersworldwide and numerous studies are being done on the benefits of Yoga
in various medicalconditions. Yoga is a popular means of relieving stress and
improving fitness as it decreases stress and anxiety and improves health status. The
application of Yoga as a therapy is simple and inexpensive and can be easily
adopted in most patients without any complications.
Dr Ananda BalayogiBhavanani, Deputy Director CYTER
at MGMCRI, Pondicherry emphasized that Yoga therapy
or more correctly Yoga Chikitsa, encompasses the use of
asana, pranayama and relaxation techniques along with
dietary advice and Yogic counselling that address the root
cause of the problem rather than merely providing
symptomatic relief. He shared some of his experiences in
Yoga therapy at ACYTER, JIPMER where more than
30,000 patients benefited from Yoga since 2008 and at the
Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research
(CYTER) in MGMCRI of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth where
more 8000 patients have benefited from Yoga since 2010.
Eight week Yoga therapy programme in hypertensive patients showed statistically
significant decrease in weight, BMI and all resting cardiovascular indices.
Cholesterol levels and cholesterol based ratios showed healthy changes. Majority
were satisfied with their wellbeing after the programme and it was concluded that a
comprehensive Yoga therapy programme has potential to enhance the beneficial
effects of standard medical management of essential hypertension and can be used
as an effective complementary or integrative therapy programme.
Hypertensive patients also showed reduction in heart rate and blood pressure after
pranava, sukha and chandranadi pranayamas, thus providing a simple and cost
effective technique can be used in the management of hypertensive patients in
addition to the regular medical management.
Heart failure patients showed an increase in
cardiac parasympathetic activity with
decrease in cardiac sympathetic activity after
Shavasana that can be used as an add-on
therapy for maintenance of sympathovagal
balance in heart failure patients.
Pranava pranayam (chanting AUM) in the
supine posture produces an integrated
relaxation response, that is clinically valuable in patients with hypertension and
diabetes mellitus.

2. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research
12 week Yoga therapy as a lifestyle intervention in patients of type 2 diabetes
mellitus with distal symmetric polyneuropathy sowed significant improvements
with respect to DNS score, DNE score and visual analogue score for pain in Yoga
group. Vibration perception at great toe and ankle reflex also
improvedsignificantly.There were 2 instances in Yoga group where H-reflex
appeared after follow-up period despite absent recordings at baseline. Thus Yoga
therapy showed an additive effect to standard medical care by providing more
benefits with respect to electrodiagnostic studies. The results of our work provides
preliminary evidence that Yoga when combined with standard medical care
provides additional benefits in terms of improving clinical outcome, glycaemic
control, resting cardiovascular parameters, cardiovagal modulation of heart and
peripheral neurophysiologic derangements. These results may provide directions for
further in-depth research evaluating efficacy of Yoga as a complementary therapy
for diabetic neuropathy.
An evaluation was done of the effect
of yoga therapy on reaction time,
biochemical parameters and wellness
score of peri and post-menopausal
diabetic patients. Yoga therapy
shortened reaction time and decreased
fasting and postprandial blood
glucose levels as well as reduced
cholesterol. Shortening of RT implies
an improvement in the information
processing and reflexes and was the
first such report in diabetic patients. Changes in blood glucose levels was attributed
to improved insulin sensitivity, decline in insulin resistance and increased sensitivity
of the pancreatic  cells to glucose signals. Yoga improved the ‘heart friendly’ status
of lipid profile and as the participants wereperi and post-menopausal, the decrease
in cardiovascular risk profile was of greater significance. A comprehensive yoga
therapy programme has the potential to enhance the beneficial effects of standard
medical management of diabetes mellitus and can be used as an effective
complementary or integrative therapy programme.
Quality of life improvements, reduced depression scores, enhanced lung function
and cardiovascular relaxation was found in senior citizens of a hospice in
Pondicherry. There was also enhanced central neuronal processing resulting in
quicker reaction time in children of a special school.
Many patients of COPD have benefited from the Yoga therapy that has enhanced
their lung function such as FEV1 and PEFR. Many are able to reduce their drug
dosage and report an enhanced sense of wellbeing. This may be due to the
pranayama that improve capacity to exhale against resistance along with a
nonspecific bronchoprotective or bronchorelaxing effect.

3. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research
CASE REPORTS:
 A 36 year old female with elevated TSH level and low normal T4 levels was
diagnosed as having primary subclinical hypothyroidism and advised to start
replacement therapy 4 years ago. She came for consultation to our Yoga OPD
and was given appropriate Yogic counselling and taught a series of
techniques potentially beneficial to patients of thyroid conditions. She
continued the practices for a year and reported back at the end of the year
with her biochemical investigations. After one year of therapy, there was a fall
in TSH and a normalization of free T4 values. A third biochemical analysis
three months later showed that TSH and FT4 further stabilized at normal
levels. As the anti TPO antibodies were positive both before and after the
Yoga intervention, the patient was advised to continue the Yoga practices on a
regular basis as long as possible with regular six-monthly follow up.
 A 21 year old male working as an executive in Chennai presented to his
clinician with complaints of headache and giddiness. There were no other
major symptoms though he was anxious about his condition. As his blood
pressure was 160/100 he was advised to start antihypertensive medication.
He took the medicines for a week and on a visit to Pondicherry the following
week, came for consultation at the ACYTER Yoga OPD where his blood
pressure was recorded as 130/90 mm Hg. He was given appropriate yogic
counselling and dietary advice and taught a series of techniques that are
potentially beneficial to patients of hypertension. This included jathis and
asanas such as tala, hastakona, trikona, meru, vakra, bhujanga, uttanpada and
pawanmukta. Pranayamas such as sukha, vyagraha, pranava,
nasargamukhabhastrika, chandranadi and bhramari were also taught.
Relaxation practices included shavasana with savitri pranayama and yoga
nidra. He continued the practices for 10 days and his blood pressure were
monitored daily. He continued doing these practises at ACYTER as well as at
home. His BP averaged 128/86 forthe first three days and reduced to 122/84
by the 4th day. It normalised at 124/80 during the last few days. The patient
expressed a sense of relaxation and felt a decrease in his anxiety levels.
 A 55 year old male, with history of diabetes since 16 yr and hypertension
since 7yr andon medication at JIPMER medicine OPD attended consultation
in ACYTER YogaOPD. His blood pressure was BP 130/90 mm Hg and blood
sugar levels were 140mg% (AC) and 173 mg% (PC). The patient was highly
stressed out and quite fedup with life. He was given appropriate yogic
counseling and dietary advice andtaught a series of techniques that are
potentially beneficial to patients of bothdiabetes and hypertension. This
included suryanamaskar, talasana, trikonasana,vakrasana, pawanmuktasana,
viparitakarani, chandranadi pranayama, pranavapranayama and relaxation
techniques. He has continued the practices regularly forthe past 2 years both
at our centre as well as at home. He reports a feeling ofrejuvenation and
energy and his outlook towards life changed dramatically. Hisblood pressure

4. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research
stabilized around 110/70 with 50% decrease in antihypertensivemedications.
His blood sugar levels also stabilized at 120 mg% (AC) and 167mg% (PC)
with no change in medications. This patient has felt the benefits of yogain
changing his life for the better and has brought more than two dozen patients
to the centre to experience the benefits of yoga that he feels have come in his
life.
 A 33 year old female, suffering from chronicobstructive airway disease
(COAD) for the past five years came to the yoga OPD.She was on regular
medication and had complaints of uncontrolled wheezingdespite using
various inhalers. Her FEV1 was 57%. She was given appropriateyogic
counselling and dietary advice and taught a series of techniques
potentiallybeneficial to patients of COAD. She was taught breath body co-
ordinationpractices and suryanamaskar as well as asanas such as ushtra,
gomukha, vakra,bhujanga and matsya and the jala neti cleaning technique.
She was also taughtsectional breathing and pranayamas such as vyaghrah,
mukhabhastrika, suryanadiand nadishuddhi. Relaxation techniques used
were kaya kriya and yoga nidra. Shecontinued the practices for 2 months at
the centre and at home and reported thatshe was feeling a sense of ease and
comfort that wasn’t there earlier. Thefrequency of her wheezing attacks had
also reduced. Repeat PFT showed that herFEV1 had increased to 68%.
 A 4 year old femalechild, with complaints of respiratory difficulties since
birth was on regulartreatment for bronchial asthma with oral medication and
inhaler. She came forconsultation to the Yoga OPD with complaints of
wheezing,breathlessness and the mother expressed a desire to try out the
yoga practices. Themother was given appropriate yogic counseling and
dietary advice and then thechild was taught in a playful manner a series of
techniques that are potentiallybeneficial to patients of bronchial asthma. She
was taught breath body co-ordination practices and suryanamaskar as well as
asanas such as ushtra, gomukha,vakra, bhujanga and matsya. She was also
introduced to the jala neti nasal cleaningtechnique. She was then taught
sectional breathing and pranayamas such asvyaghra, mukhabhastrika and
suryanadi. She continued the practices for nearlyone year and her complaints
reduced slowly. She continued doing these practices at the centre as well as
home and the frequency and severity of her wheezing attacksreduced. After
the practice of 4 months she was able to stop the oral medicationsand usage of
inhaler was also lesser. The consulting pediatrician advised her tostop the
inhaler too as she was able to be comfortable without it. There were
noepisodes of wheezing reported till the end of the year even though she was
nottaking any medicines.
Yoga as a therapy is also cost-effective, relatively simple to learn, and carries
minimal risk; hence, yoga should be advocated as an adjunct, complementary
therapy in our search for an integrated system of medicine capable of producing
health and well-being for all.

5. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research
Modern medical advancements provide the rationale for the integration of various
traditional healing techniques including Yoga to promote healing, health, and
longevity. It is imperative that advances in medicine include the holistic approach of
Yoga to face the current challenges in health care. Under the dynamic leadership of
the Chairman Shri MK Rajagopalan, authorities of SBVU had set up CYTER in 2010
and many activities have been going on since then. This initiative is being personally
guided by the Chancellor Prof P Rajaram, the Vice Chancellor Prof KR Sethuraman
and the Dean (Research and PG Studies) Prof N Ananthakrishnan under the SBV
AIM HIGH initiative for Alternative and Integrative Medicine. A scientifically
sound Yoga therapy programme is imparted through the Yoga Therapy OPD that is
functioning daily from 9 am to 1pm. Consultations are offered by Dr. Ananda
Balayogi Bhavanani, Deputy Director and Dr.Meena Ramanathan, Coordinator and
Yoga Therapist and qualified Yoga instructors are imparting the schedules.
Individualized and group Yoga therapy sessions are being conducted for various
medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal and psychiatric
disorders with excellent feedback from participants. More than 8500 patients have
benefited from Yoga Therapy consultations and sessions since 2010. Numerous
research studies have been completed under guidance of Dr. Madanmohan,
Professor and Head, Department of Physiology and Director CYTER and 32 papers
have been published.

6. CYTER, MGMCRI, SBVU, Pondicherry, India.
© BHAVANANI AB 2015. www.sbvu.ac.in/cyter-center-for-yoga-therapy-education-and-research