Yoga therapy: Does it really work?

Prof. (Retd. ) Dr. Balanand Sinha University Dept Prof. (Retd.) Dr. Balanand Sinha University Dept. of Psychology Tilkamanjhi Bhagalpur University Bhagalpur – 812007, Bihar, India Email: - balanandsinha1@gmail.com Dr. Niranjan Prasad Yadav Associate Professor University Dept. of Psychology Tilkamanjhi Bhagalpur University Bhagalpur – 812007, Bihar, India Email: - niranjan.pd.yadav@gmail.com

The time tested Yoga therapy was empirically tested as to its efficacy in treating a common psychosomatic illness (i.e. high blood pressure).

A group of incidentally chosen volunteers (N=30) was subjected to yogic intervention (such as asan and pranayam) for 6 months in addition to allopathic treatment.

Another group (N=30) of volunteers served as the control group as they were treated for the same ailment only through allopathic medicine.

Volunteers from both the groups were suffering from high blood pressure for the last six months or more. The two groups were equal in terms of severity of the said disease (as ascertained by their medical prescription and the doctors treating them).

The volunteers were asked to rate their condition in improvement on a 5 point self – rating measure ranging from very bad to very well. The score ranged from 1 to 5 progressively indicating higher point as better in condition.

Statistical treatment of the findings (through t - test) indicated that the first group of volunteers rated their condition after treatment as better than the second group.

Thus, it can be deduced that the curative power of yoga therapy increases further when combined with allopathic treatment.

The implications of the findings can be assessed in view of the growing popularity of yoga therapy all over the world in recent times with the advent of yoga gurus and the declaration of 21st June as Yoga Day by the UNO.

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