THERAPEUTIC ACTION

Yawning: A yawn is a reflex consisting of the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the eardrums, followed by an exhalation of breath.

Yawning (oscitation) most often occurs in adults immediately before and after sleep, during tedious activities and as a result of its contagious quality. It is commonly associated with tiredness, stress, sleepiness, or even boredom and hunger. In humans, yawning is often triggered by others yawning (e.g. seeing a person yawning, talking to someone on the phone who is yawning) and is a typical example of positive feedback. This "contagious" yawning has also been observed in chimpanzees, dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles, and can occur across species. Approximately 20 psychological reasons for yawning have been proposed by scholars, but there is little agreement on the primacy of any one.

During a yawn, the tensor tympani muscle in the middle ear contracts, creating a rumbling noise from within the head. Yawning is sometimes accompanied, in humans and animals, by an instinctive act of stretching several parts of the body, including arms, neck, shoulders and back.

Yoga (/ˈjoʊɡə/; Sanskrit: योग;) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Among the most well-known types of yoga are Hatha yoga and Rāja yoga.

The origins of yoga have been speculated to date back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions; it is mentioned in the Rigveda, but most likely developed around the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, in ancient India's ascetic and śramaṇa movements. The chronology of earliest texts describing yoga-practices is unclear, varyingly credited to Upanishads. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali date from the first half of the 1st millennium CE, but only gained prominence in the West in the 20th century. Hatha yoga texts emerged around the 11th century with origins in tantra.

Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the West, following the success of Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the 1980s, yoga became popular as a system of physical exercise across the Western world. Yoga in Indian traditions, however, is more than physical exercise; it has a meditative and spiritual core. One of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism is also called Yoga, which has its own epistemology and metaphysics, and is closely related to Hindu Samkhya philosophy.

Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of yoga as a complementary intervention for cancer, schizophrenia, asthma, and heart disease. The results of these studies have been mixed and inconclusive. On December 1, 2016, yoga was listed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

Yogic breathing, often referred to as pranayama, is a practice which is fundamental to the physical and mental practice of yoga. It is closely linked to the practice of asanas and, as such, yoga students aim to unite the mind, the body and the breath. The yogic breathing is often used as an anchor for concentration and mindfulness, as well as having physical and emotional benefits of its own.

Yogic Technique - Sudarshan kriya: Sudarshan Kriya

Sudarshan Kriya is a set of breathing techniques promoted since 1982 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and is different from Kriya Yoga. Sudarshan Kriya is taught in various Art of Living programs.

A comprehensive scientific review in International Journal of Yoga apprises that Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) works on mental, physical and spiritual levels. Scientifically, Sudarshan Kriya improves antioxidant status at the enzyme and the gene level resulting in reduced DNA damage and cell aging. SKY practices have shown improved autonomic nervous system function, neuroendocrinal secretions, emotional processing, and social bonding through Vagal Nerve Stimulation and activation of the limbic system, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and stria terminalis.

Sudharshan Kriya employs a variety of breathing patterns. Every emotion has breathing patterns; for example, if one gets angry then one's breath is short and fast. Similarly, breathing affects the mind (for example, a deep, long breath relaxes the mind.) Through breathing in different patterns, one can influence emotions and gain control over one's mind. Research suggested that it helps in improving well being (improving immunity and detoxification), and peace of mind (reduce stress, enhance brain function).

A research published in April 2013 observed that a comprehensive practice of Yoga, Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam has rapid and significant effect on gene expression suggesting long term beneficial effects even at the molecular level.