RESEARCH SLIDES

Sudarshan Kriya &

related Practices (SK&P)

65+ independent studies conducted on four continents and published in peer-

reviewed journals have demonstrated a comprehensive range of benefits from
practicing Sudarshan Kriya, and related breathing exercises.

The following slides highlight results from some of that research.

SKY Significantly Decreases Cortisol
Gotham
Levels (a Stress Hormone)
10 Pre-test
Post-test
9

7
DECREASED BY

57%
Cortisol (g/dl)

4 *
3

0
Standard care
Standard Care StandardCare
Standard care+SKY
+ SKY
* - p value <0.05

Adding SKY to conventional treatment for individuals in recovery for substance use
was twice as effective in reducing Cortisol levels than conventional treatment alone.
A.Vedamurthachar et al.(2006)
Significantly Greater
Gotham Mental Focus
in Sky Practitioners

Mean Spectral Power in Mean Spectral Power in Various

Various Bands in Controls Bands in Sudarshan Kriya Teachers

EEG measures electrical brain activity. In this study, SKY practitioners demonstrated
significantly greater (P<0.05) EEG Beta wave activity than controls, which is
indicative of heightened alertness/ mental focus.
Bhatia et al.(2003 )
 SKY Enhances
GothamImmunity
(Lymphocyte count)
Controls
SKY
45
*
40 *
71%
Lymphocytes (%)

35 INCREASE

30

25

20

15

10

0
Baseline Control 3 weeks SKY Control 6 weeks SKY * - p value <0.001
practice practice

Approximately 70% of all immune cells are lymphocytes. SKY significantly increased
lymphocyte count by more than 50% compared to controls, suggesting enhanced
immune function.
Subramanian, S. et al. (2012)
 Gotham Increases
SKY Significantly
the well-being hormone Prolactin
10 Pre-test
Post-test
50%
INCREASE
9

8 *
7

6
Units

0
Control
Control SKY
SKY
* - p value < 0.05

Prolactin, a well-being hormone is abnormally low in depressed individuals. Depressed

patients experienced 50% increase in their Prolactin (well being hormone) levels after
their very first SKY session.

Janakiramaiah et al. (1998)

 Gotham Increases
SKY Significantly
Antioxidant Production
370 16
318% Non SKY 164% Non SKY
SKY
INCREASE SKY INCREASE
320 14

12
270
mmoles/mg protein

10
Glutathione

Units/ml
220

SOD
8
170
6
120
4

70
2

20 0
Glutathione SOD

Antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage, which is responsible for many
diseases and the aging process. SKY practitioners exhibited more than twice the
levels of the 3 major antioxidants, Glutathione, SOD and Catalase (data not
shown here), compared to controls.
Sharma et al. (2003)
 SKY Significantly
Gotham
Enhances Restful Sleep
35

Percentage of Total Sleep Time (%)

Controls
SKY 28%
30 INCREASE

25

20
218%
INCREASE
15

10

0
Slow
SlowWave
WaveSleep
Sleep(SWS)
(SWS) REM(Rapid
REM (RapidEye
Eye Movement)
Movement) Sleep
Sleep
- p-value <0.05

SKY practitioners spend more time in deeper sleep (slow wave sleep), than controls
(~3 times more). SKY practitioners spend 13% of their total sleep time in the deeper
restful SWS state, while controls spend only 4% of their sleep time in SWS state.
Sulekha et al. (2006)
 SKY Significantly
Gotham
Reduces Cholesterol
Controls
SKY
185

175
Cholesterol (mg/dl)

DECREASED BY

13%
165
*
155 *

145

135

125
Baseline Control 3 weeks SKY Control 6 weeks SKY
practice practice
* - p value <0.05

SKY significantly reduced cholesterol, with no change in diet in just 3 weeks, even
under stressful conditions.

Subramanian, S. et al. (2012)

 Healthier Blood Pressure
Gothamin SKY Participants
Normal Individuals & Hypertensives
Before SKY
HEALTHIER 100 After SKY
140
* BLOOD DECREASED BY

5%
PRESSURE
130 PARAMETERS 95 DECREASED BY
120 4%
110 90 *
100
Before SKY
After SKY *
90 * * 85
80
80
70
60 75
50
40 70
Heart
HeartRate
Rate(bpm)
(bpm) Systolic
Systolic DiastolicB.P.
B.P. (mmHg) Diastolic Diastolic B.P (Men)
Diastolic B.P. (Men) Diastolic
Diastolic B.P
B.P.(Women)
(Women)
(mmHg) B.P.(mmHg) B.P.(mmHg)
* - p value <0.0001 * - p value <0.01

Systolic B.P. Pressure in the arteries when heart muscle contracts (Normal value is 120)
Diastolic B.P. - Pressure in the arteries when heart muscle relaxes (Normal value is 80)

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in N. America. Heart rate and blood
pressure are two key indicators of heart function. People practicing SKY showed
healthier heart rate and blood pressure values.

Somwanshi S. D. et al. (2013) V.V.AGTE et al. (2011)

 SKY Significantly
Gotham
Enhances Optimism
26 Pre-test
Post-test

25
6%INCRE
Degree of Optimism

24 ASE

23

22

21

20

19

18

17
Control
Control SKY
SKY

Optimism significantly increased in SKY practitioners in 4 weeks, yet slightly

decreased in controls

Kjellgren et al. (2007)

 Gotham decreases
SKY significantly
Clinical & Non-clinical Depression
Clinical Depression Non-Clinical Depression
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD)

31 Before SKY
5
Pre-test

Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD)

Week 2 Post-test
Week 4
26 4.5

21 4
DECREASED BY

DECREASED BY
34%
16 67% 3.5

11
*
3

6 2.5

1 2
Anti-depressant Drug
Anti-Depressant Drug SKY
SKY Control SKY
(HAD) Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale
* - p value = 0.001

SKY significantly reduces major depressive SKY reduces everyday blues

disorder as effectively as anti-depressant drug (non-clinical depression) by one
therapy, yet is free of unwanted side effects. third in four weeks.
N.Janakiramaiah et al.(2000) Kjellgren et al. (2007)
 Gotham decreases
SKY Significantly
Clinical & Non-clinical Anxiety
Clinical Anxiety Non-Clinical Anxiety

Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD)

Percentage experiencing complete

Controls Pre-test
100 SKY
8 Post-test
DECREASED BY

23%
Remission in Anxiety (%)

90
EXPERIENCED 7
REMISSION
80
41%
70 6 *
60
50 5

40
4
30
20
3
10
0 2
Control
Control SKY
SKY

73% of individuals suffering from Generalized (HAD) Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale
* - p value <0.01
Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who were not helped
by standard psychiatric care experienced SKY significantly decreases everyday
reduction in anxiety, and 41% achieved anxiety.
remission 4 weeks after learning SKY.
Katzman MA et al. , (2012) Kjellgren et al. (2007)
 SKY Gotham
Significantly Reduces PTSD

45 Controls
PCL-M (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

SKY

40
DECREASED BY
~34%
Checklist-Military Version)

20% REDUCTION
35 AFTER 1 YEAR,
COMPARED TO
CONTROL
30
* *
25

20

15

10
11week
weekbefore
before SKY
SKY 1 week
1 weekafter
afterSKY
SKY 3 months after
3 months SKY
after SKY 1 year
1 yearafter
afterSKY
SKY
* - p value <0.001
- p value = 0.003

Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who practiced SKY had significant reductions in PTSD
symptoms after just one week of SKY practice. Results persisted for one year with
no follow-up sessions, demonstrating a long term benefit.
Seppala et al. (2014)