Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation
Background and Objective: This paper concerns mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of yoga medicine, traditionally attributed to the enlivenment of prana. Our strategy was to investigate levels of Qi in acupuncture meridians, since Qi is usually considered equivalent to prana. Materials and Met...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2013-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Yoga |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2013;volume=6;issue=1;spage=61;epage=65;aulast=Nagilla |
| _version_ | 1819293312197066752 |
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| author | Niharika Nagilla Alex Hankey H R Nagendra |
| author_facet | Niharika Nagilla Alex Hankey H R Nagendra |
| author_sort | Niharika Nagilla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and Objective: This paper concerns mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of yoga medicine, traditionally attributed to the enlivenment of prana. Our strategy was to investigate levels of Qi in acupuncture meridians, since Qi is usually considered equivalent to prana.
Materials and Methods: Electrodermal measurements at acumeridian endpoints (Tsing points) were made on 32 healthy individuals, pre and post 3 weeks yoga lifestyle program using AcuGraph 3 (an instrument in wide use). A previous study found that inherent errors prevent AcuGraph from precisely evaluating Qi energies in single meridians, so group results are reported: (a) Energy levels, (b) energy stability, and (c) energy balance between (i) Yin/Yang meridians, (ii) upper and lower, and (iii) left and right regions of the body.
Results: Significant improvements were observed in all but energy stability, supporting the ideas that yoga enlivens prana, and that balance in meridians constitutes health. For balance variables, the study observed shifts toward normal at both ends of variable distributions, reducing standard deviations: post-intervention percentages of subjects with values in the ′healthy′ range increased.
Conclusion: Yoga improved regulation of Qi levels in acumeridian meridians as well as increasing them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T04:08:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-256c81e0085e4ddd901fa30e01a83d2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0973-6131 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T04:08:25Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Yoga |
| spelling | doaj.art-256c81e0085e4ddd901fa30e01a83d2e2022-12-21T17:16:07ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsInternational Journal of Yoga0973-61312013-01-0161616510.4103/0973-6131.105948Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulationNiharika NagillaAlex HankeyH R NagendraBackground and Objective: This paper concerns mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of yoga medicine, traditionally attributed to the enlivenment of prana. Our strategy was to investigate levels of Qi in acupuncture meridians, since Qi is usually considered equivalent to prana. Materials and Methods: Electrodermal measurements at acumeridian endpoints (Tsing points) were made on 32 healthy individuals, pre and post 3 weeks yoga lifestyle program using AcuGraph 3 (an instrument in wide use). A previous study found that inherent errors prevent AcuGraph from precisely evaluating Qi energies in single meridians, so group results are reported: (a) Energy levels, (b) energy stability, and (c) energy balance between (i) Yin/Yang meridians, (ii) upper and lower, and (iii) left and right regions of the body. Results: Significant improvements were observed in all but energy stability, supporting the ideas that yoga enlivens prana, and that balance in meridians constitutes health. For balance variables, the study observed shifts toward normal at both ends of variable distributions, reducing standard deviations: post-intervention percentages of subjects with values in the ′healthy′ range increased. Conclusion: Yoga improved regulation of Qi levels in acumeridian meridians as well as increasing them.http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2013;volume=6;issue=1;spage=61;epage=65;aulast=NagillaPrana; yoga; acumeridians; balance |
| spellingShingle | Niharika Nagilla Alex Hankey H R Nagendra Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation International Journal of Yoga Prana; yoga; acumeridians; balance |
| title | Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| title_full | Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| title_fullStr | Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| title_short | Effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies: Variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| title_sort | effects of yoga practice on acumeridian energies variance reduction implies benefits for regulation |
| topic | Prana; yoga; acumeridians; balance |
| url | http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2013;volume=6;issue=1;spage=61;epage=65;aulast=Nagilla |
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