Pranayama or breath regulation is considered as an essential component of Yoga, which is said to influence the physiological systems. We present a comprehensive overview of scientific literature in the field of yogic breathing. We searched PubMed, PubMed Central and IndMed for citations for keywords "Pranayama" and "Yogic Breathing". The search yielded a total of 1400 references. Experimental papers, case studies and case series in English, revealing the effects of yogic breathing were included in the review. The preponderance of literature points to beneficial effects of yogic breathing techniques in both physiological and clinical setups. Advantageous effects of yogic breathing on the neurocognitive, psychophysiological, respiratory, biochemical and metabolic functions in healthy individuals were elicited. They were also found useful in management of various clinical conditions. Overall, yogic breathing could be considered safe, when practiced under guidance of a trained teacher. Considering the positive effects of yogic breathing, further large scale studies with rigorous designs to understand the mechanisms involved with yogic breathing are warranted.

North Am J Med Sci, Official publication of ,Canada

School children undergo stress, which could impact their psychological functions and cognitive abilities. Yoga practices have been found useful in enhancing psychological functions and performance. The current study was planned to evaluate a yoga-based relaxation technique's efficacy as an extracurricular activity on psychological state and cognitive function. This study was a parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted at a government school in south India. Sixty students with age ranging between 14-16 years (mean age ± SD; 15.3 ± 0.71 years) satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized to experimental and control groups with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Experimental group received Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT), whereas the control group performed supine rest (SR) for two-weeks. Participants were assessed with State trait anxiety inventory - short form, Mind Wandering Questionnaire, State Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, and Trail making task at baseline and post-intervention. Experimental group showed a reduction in state anxiety and mind wandering with improvement in state mindfulness and performance in the Trail-making task compared to the control group. Results of the current trial indicate the beneficial role of MSRT in enhancing psychological and cognitive functions in children. Further, large-scale trials are warranted to ascertain the usefulness of the technique.