• J Altern Complement Med · Oct 2012

    Randomized Controlled Trial

    Yoga Nidra relaxation increases heart rate variability and is unaffected by a prior bout of Hatha yoga.

    • Nina Markil, Michael Whitehurst, Patrick L Jacobs, and Robert F Zoeller.
    • Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
    • J Altern Complement Med. 2012 Oct 1; 18 (10): 953-8.

    ObjectiveThe measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) is often applied as an index of autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance and, therefore, myocardial stability. Previous studies have suggested that relaxation or mind-body exercise can influence ANS balance positively as measured by HRV but may act via different mechanisms. No studies, to the authors' knowledge, have examined the acute response in HRV to interventions combining relaxation and mind-body exercise. The objective of this study was to compare the acute HRV responses to Yoga Nidra relaxation alone versus Yoga Nidra relaxation preceded by Hatha yoga.DesignThis was a randomized counter-balanced trial.SettingThe trial was conducted in a university exercise physiology laboratory.SubjectsSubjects included 20 women and men (29.15±6.98 years of age, with a range of 18-47 years).InterventionsParticipants completed a yoga plus relaxation (YR) session and a relaxation only (R) session.ResultsThe YR condition produced significant changes from baseline in heart rate (HR; beats per minute [bpm], p<0.001) and indices of HRV: R-R (ms, p<0.001), pNN50 (%, p=0.009), low frequency (LF; %, p=0.008) and high frequency (HF; %, p=0.035). The R condition produced significant changes from baseline in heart rate (bpm, p<0.001) as well as indices of HRV: R-R (ms, p<0.001), HF (ms(2), p=0.004), LF (%, p=0.005), HF (%, p=0.008) and LF:HF ratio (%, p=0.008). There were no significant differences between conditions at baseline nor for the changes from baseline for any of the variables.ConclusionsThese changes demonstrate a favorable shift in autonomic balance to the parasympathetic branch of the ANS for both conditions, and that Yoga Nidra relaxation produces favorable changes in measures of HRV whether alone or preceded by a bout of Hatha yoga.

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