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Other Published Research on Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY)
Here are links to published research articles on the SKY technique used by Project Welcome Home Troops.

Naga Venkatesha Murthy, P.J., Janakiramaiah, N., Gangadhar, B.N., Subbakrishna, D.K. (1998). P300 amplitude and antidepressant response to Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). Journal of Affective Disorders. 50(1):45-8.
Abstract

Janakiramaiah N. Antidepressant efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in melancholia: a randomized comparison with Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Imipramine. Journal of Affective Disorders. 57(1-3):255-9.
Abstract

Bhatia, M., Kumar, A., Kumar, N., Pandey, R.M., and Kochupillai, V. (2003). Electrophysiologic evaluation of Sudarshan Kriya: an EEG, BAER, and P300 study. Indian Journal Physiol. Pharmacol. 47, 157-163.
Abstract

Sharma, H., Sen, S., Singh, N.K. Bhardwaj, V. Kochupillai, N. Singh (2003).Sudarshan Kriya practitioners exhibit better antioxidant status and lower blood lactate levels. Biological Psychology 63:281-291.
Abstract

Patricia L. Gerbarg and Richard P. Brown (Oct. 2005). Yoga: A breath of relief for Hurricane Katrina refugees. Current Psychiatry 4, 55-67.
Article at Current Psychiatry Online

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II-Clinical Applications and Guidelines Aug 2005, Vol. 11, No. 4 : 711 -717

Kochupillai V, Kumar P, Singh D. Effect of rhythmic breathing (Sudarshan Kriya and Pranayam) on immune functions and tobacco addiction. Annual NY Academy Science. 2005 Nov;1056:242-52.
Abstract

Kjellgren, A, Bood, SA, Axelsson, K, Norlander, T, Saatcioglu, F.(2007). Wellness through a comprehensive Yogic breathing program - A controlled pilot trial. BMC Complement Alternative Medicine.
Abstract

Sageman, S., and Brown, R. 2006. Free at Last, in DSM-IV-TR Case Book Volume 2, edited by R.L. Spitzer, M.B. First, J.B.W.Williams, M. Gibbon. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. Washington, DC. 2006. pp.109-121.
Short Summary

Brazier, A., Mulkins, A., Verhoef, M. (2006) Evaluating a yogic breathing and meditation intervention for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. American Journal Health Promotion. 20, 192-195.
Abstract

Naga Venkatesha Murthy, P.J., Gangadhar, B.N., Janakiramaiah, N., Subbakrishna, D.K. (1997). Normalization of P300 Amplitude following Treatment in Dysthymia. Biological Psychiatry, 42, 740-743.
Abstract

Harvard Mental Health Letter (excerpts) Vol. 5, No. 10 / April 2009

A type of controlled breathing with roots in traditional yoga shows promise in providing relief for depression. The practice, called Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY), involves several types of cyclical breathing patterns, ranging from slow and calming to rapid and stimulating.

One study compared 30 minutes of SKY breathing, done six days a week, to bilateral electroconvulsive therapy and the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine in 45 people hospitalized for depression. After four weeks of treatment, 93% of those receiving electroconvulsive therapy, 73% of those taking imipramine, and 67% of those using the breathing technique had achieved remission.

Another study examined the effects of SKY on depressive symptoms in 60 alcohol-dependent men. After a week of a standard detoxification program at a mental health center in Bangalore, India, participants were randomly assigned to two weeks of SKY or a standard alcoholism treatment control. After the full three weeks, scores on a standard depression inventory dropped 75% in the SKY group, as compared with 60% in the standard treatment group. Levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and corticotropin, also dropped in the SKY group, but not in the control group. The authors suggest that SKY might be a beneficial treatment for depression in the early stages of recovery from alcoholism.

Potential help for PTSD

Since evidence suggests that yoga can tone down maladaptive nervous system arousal, researchers are exploring whether or not yoga can be a helpful practice for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One randomized controlled study examined the effects of yoga and a breathing program (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, SKY) in disabled Australian Vietnam veterans diagnosed with severe PTSD. The veterans were heavy daily drinkers, and all were taking at least one antidepressant. The five-day course included breathing techniques, yoga asanas (stretching), education about stress reduction, and guided meditation. Participants were evaluated at the beginning of the study using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which ranks symptom severity on an 80-point scale.

Six weeks after the study began, the yoga and breathing group had dropped their CAPS scores from averages of 57 (moderate to severe symptoms) to 42 (mild to moderate). These improvements persisted at a six-month follow-up. The control group, consisting of veterans on a waiting list, showed no improvement.

About 20% of war veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from PTSD, according to one estimate. Experts treating this population suggest that yoga can be a useful addition to the treatment program.

Researchers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., are offering a yogic method of deep relaxation to veterans returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Kristie Gore, a psychologist at Walter Reed, says the military hopes that yoga-based treatments will be more acceptable to the soldiers and less stigmatizing than traditional psychotherapy. The center now uses yoga and yogic relaxation in post-deployment PTSD awareness courses, and plans to conduct a controlled trial of their effectiveness in the future.

Results of studies on
Sudarshan Kriya Yoga
(SKY) technique as
reported in Harvard
Mental Health Letter: