The International Association
for Human Values
Copyright 2007 International Associaton for Human Values
2401 15th Street NW l Washington DC l 20009
All rights reserved
2401 15th Street NW l Washington DC l 20009
All rights reserved
Current Psychiatry Online Vol. 4, No. 10 / October 2005
Yoga - a Breath of relief for Hurricane Katrina refugees
Stress-reducing programs relieve trauma symptoms,
perhaps by stimulating the vagus nerve.
perhaps by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD Assistant professor in clinical psychiatry, New York Medical College.
Richard P. Brown, MD Associate professor in clinical psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians, NY.
Richard P. Brown, MD Associate professor in clinical psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians, NY.
Excerpts:
This article describes two programs shown to ameliorate anxiety, depression, insomnia, hyperarousal and re-experiencing (flashbacks) in survivors of war, terrorism, and natural disasters. We present a neurophysiologic model to explain how yoga breathing could have these effects.
Two world-wide, nonprofit, humanitarian organizations that originated in India-the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and International Association for Human Values (IAHV)-have provided disaster and stress relief programs in 146 countries.
Among Hurricane Katrina survivors…child evacuees who took a yoga breath course Sept. 7 at the Austin convention center said they felt less tense and less aggressive by the second or third day of the course. Their sleep and energy improved, and their writings reflected a more positive self-image.
Two world-wide, nonprofit, humanitarian organizations that originated in India-the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and International Association for Human Values (IAHV)-have provided disaster and stress relief programs in 146 countries.
Among Hurricane Katrina survivors…child evacuees who took a yoga breath course Sept. 7 at the Austin convention center said they felt less tense and less aggressive by the second or third day of the course. Their sleep and energy improved, and their writings reflected a more positive self-image.
Other sites where trauma relief breathing techniques have been taught:
In Russia, they offered programs for Russian soldiers with PTSD after more than 300 hostages were killed in the September 2004 Beslan school terrorist attack (Photo 1). Many Beslan civilians also participated in the yoga breath courses.
Lessons from 9/11
More than 1,000 New Yorkers received free yoga breathing courses beginning 2 weeks after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack and continuing for 6 months. Although retrospective analysis has questioned the efficacy of conventional psychotherapy in treating mass trauma within the first weeks of a disaster, SKY and BWS teachers and participants reported that trauma symptoms improved dramatically. Two sample cases follow:
Case 1: Persistent fear. Ms. P, age 28, suffered constant panic attacks after witnessing the twin towers' collapse and having her apartment engulfed in the toxic cloud. She was afraid to be alone, afraid to go out, and felt "numb, depressed, and paralyzed." Twelve weeks after the terrorist attack, she took the SKY course on the advice of her therapist.
The first Sudarshan Kriya gave her a feeling of lightness and clarity. During the second, she felt happy and peaceful, as though "purified." The course relieved her symptoms and helped her get on with life.
Ms. P is a recovering alcoholic who was sober for 2 years before 9/11. When interviewed in 2005, she said the yoga programs helped her stay sober and quit smoking. She still practices SKY and is taking advanced courses. She has no posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression symptoms.
The first Sudarshan Kriya gave her a feeling of lightness and clarity. During the second, she felt happy and peaceful, as though "purified." The course relieved her symptoms and helped her get on with life.
Ms. P is a recovering alcoholic who was sober for 2 years before 9/11. When interviewed in 2005, she said the yoga programs helped her stay sober and quit smoking. She still practices SKY and is taking advanced courses. She has no posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression symptoms.
Case 2: Sleepless nights. Ms. M, age 48, did not sleep more than 1 hour a night for 2 weeks after 9/11. She was so groggy that she could not return to work as a waitress. During the first Sudarshan Kriya she cried with fear every time she got to the fast breath cycles because they reminded her of how she was breathing while running from the dust cloud, terrified that she would die. The next day, however, she felt peaceful during Kriya [breathing] and finished it feeling happy. That night she slept 12 hours.
Advantages of yoga breathing programs for emergency trauma relief
1. Well-tolerated by recently traumatized survivors of mass disasters
2. Rapidly improve psychological and physiological symptoms of post-traumatic stress, including insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, depression, hyperarousal, overreactivity to triggers, re-experiencing, emotional numbing, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, angry outbursts.
3. Cost-effective group treatments.
4. Acceptable to survivors who do not want to be stigmatized by seeking "psychiatric" treatment.
5. Enhance group bonding, group support, and the empowerment of survivors to take responsibility for projects for the good of their communities.
4. Acceptable to survivors who do not want to be stigmatized by seeking "psychiatric" treatment.
5. Enhance group bonding, group support, and the empowerment of survivors to take responsibility for projects for the good of their communities.
In Southeast Asia, AOLF and IAHV volunteers delivered supplies, set up refugee camps and orphanages, and provided BWS trauma relief to more than 15,000 survivors of the December 2004 tsunami.
Other disasters where trauma programs have been offered include:
l floods in Jakarta (Indonesia), Poland, and Dresden (Germany)
l earthquakes in Gujurat (India) and Bam (Iran)
l terrorist train bombing in Madrid (Spain)
l war or civil strife in Chechnya, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Kabul (Afghanistan), Ramallah (Palestine), Gaza Strip (Palestine), South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Sudan, and Malawi.
l floods in Jakarta (Indonesia), Poland, and Dresden (Germany)
l earthquakes in Gujurat (India) and Bam (Iran)
l terrorist train bombing in Madrid (Spain)
l war or civil strife in Chechnya, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Kabul (Afghanistan), Ramallah (Palestine), Gaza Strip (Palestine), South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, Sudan, and Malawi.
Russian soldiers taking part in Breath Workshop just after participating in the attack to free the Beslan School hostages where many were killed. see youtube video
In tsunami hit areas courses were conducted for over 15,000 people to help them overcome post-traumatic stress disorders.
How effective?
For data on the effect of the breathing programs, we have drawn on pilot studies; reports from first responders, relief workers, and news reporters; and government documents. Our review shows that the breathing programs have advantages over traditional psychotherapy and are effective in relieving survivors' depression, stress, and anxiety.
Tsunami survivors. A wait-list controlled study of survivors of the December 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami found dramatic improvements in test scores for PTSD and depression after 8-hour BWS training (Descilo et al, manuscript in preparation).
Anxiety and PTSD. Studies of anxiety and PTSD using similar breath techniques document benefits in anxiety, student exam stress, and in Australian Vietnam veterans with PTSD. SKY reduced chronic PTSD symptoms in a pilot study of Australian Vietnam veterans
A 6-week study using breath techniques and other mind-body interventions significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in high school students traumatized by war in Kosovo.
Tsunami survivors. A wait-list controlled study of survivors of the December 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami found dramatic improvements in test scores for PTSD and depression after 8-hour BWS training (Descilo et al, manuscript in preparation).
Anxiety and PTSD. Studies of anxiety and PTSD using similar breath techniques document benefits in anxiety, student exam stress, and in Australian Vietnam veterans with PTSD. SKY reduced chronic PTSD symptoms in a pilot study of Australian Vietnam veterans
A 6-week study using breath techniques and other mind-body interventions significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in high school students traumatized by war in Kosovo.
Experiences: Veterans l Police l War Surviviors l Prisons l Research l Relief work l Video l Resources
