NEUROCOGNITIVE AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH KUMBHAKA

Abstract

Präëäyäma is the 4th limb, among the practices of añöängayoga. It has been newlinedescribed in the as cessation of breathing, in the aphorisms of the sage Patanjali newline(Saraswati, 2011). The practice of präëäyäma involves modulation of breath and includes newlinethree phases viz., püraka (inhalation), recaka (exhalation) and kumbhaka (holding of newlinebreath) (Nagendra, 2007). The practice of Breath Holding (Kumbhaka) is considered as newlinean essential part of the practice of präëäyäma. Although the effects of the practice of newlinedifferent präëäyäma techniques have been studied, there is lack of clear understanding newlineabout the effects of kumbhaka. newlineThe traditional texts of yoga emphasize on the practice of intermittent breath newlineholding, however, such practice has sought very limited scientific attention. The proposed newlinemultiple health benefits of intermittent yogic breath holding include an increase in newlinehemoglobin by increasing erythropoietin, increase in vascular endothelial growth factor newlineleading to the formation of collaterals, reduction in blood pressure and resistance to newlinecellular damage and thereby delayed ageing (Malshe, 2011). A study demonstrated newlinereduced pulse rate and increased galvanic skin resistance, following alternate nostril newlinebreathing (ANB) with intermittent breath holding (Turankar et al., 2013). Another study newlinedemonstrated an increase in oxygen consumption while performing Ujjayi Pranayama newlinewith breath holding for a short duration. In contrast, lowered oxygen consumption was newlineobserved with prolonged breath holding (Telles and Desiraju, 1991). Since the practice of newlineANB and Ujjayi Pranayama are found to influence the human physiology even without newlineiii newlinethe practice of breath holding (Bhavanani, Ramanathan, Balaji, and Pushpa, 2014; Lee and newlineGhiya, 2012; Mason et al., 2013), the effects of intermittent breath holding remain newlineunclear.The present study is proposed to understand the immediate changes in the neurocognitive newlineabilities and cardiac autonomic regulation following yogic breath holding newline(YBH) in healthy volunteers.