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Fitness

Kirtan Kriya Yoga Meditation Reduces Inflammation and Stress

New research shows brief, daily Kirtan Kriya yoga meditations can reduce inflammation in our bodies and help prevent diseases such as cardiovascular disease and depression.

Joshua Wortman

Written by Joshua Wortman Last updated on July 26, 2012

Most people know yoga can be a relaxing, stress-relieving form of exercise, but they do not know why it reduces stress. An element of many yoga disciplines, including Kundalini yoga, is the practice of meditation. Kirtan Kirya is a meditation specific to Kundalini yoga. A recent study at UCLA showed that including Kirtan Kriya in brief, daily meditations reduced the stress levels of people who care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.1

The study divided participants into two groups. One group consisted of participants who performed the yoga routine, while the other group was asked to relax in a quiet place with their eyes closed while listening to instrumental music. The yoga routine consisted of a form of chanting and meditation yoga for twelve minutes per day for eight weeks. The other group also listened to the instrumental music for the same durations.2

The results showed that 68 genes of the participants praciticing yoga responded differently, resulting in reduced inflammation. The non-yoga practitioners did not show this response. An increase in inflammation is one of the ways the human body expresses stress. Chronic inflammation can result in stress-related diseases like cardiovascular maladies and depression. “The goal of the study was to determine if meditation might alter the activity of inflammatory and antiviral proteins that shape immune cell gene expression,” said Lavretsky. “Our analysis showed a reduced activity of those proteins linked directly to increased inflammation.”3

The results of the study are promising as rate of Alzheimer’s and dementia are increasing in the United States. This means more caregivers will be required to do the stressful work of assisting these patients and family members. Research has shown that if inflammation in the body is not reduced many health issues can arise. Research has also shown that meditation could help relieve stress in caregivers, but the mechanisms as to why it could help were not previously understood. Now we know yoga’s stress-relieving powers come from reducing inflammation and the body’s immune response. 4

“This is encouraging news. Caregivers often don’t have the time, energy, or contacts that could bring them a little relief from the stress of taking care of a loved one with dementia, so practicing a brief form of yogic meditation, which is easy to learn, is a useful too.”5

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Joshua Wortman

About Joshua Wortman

Joshua began lifting in high school, but really doesn’t consider his effective training to have begun until the last few years. Joshua was always very strong for his bodyweight, but he didn’t just want to be strong, he wanted to look strong. At 140 pounds, no matter how strong he was for his age and weight, the size wasn’t there.

During his last year of college, Joshua began research on bodybuilding, and since his graduation, he has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. Josh experienced a minor setback in 2009 when he experienced an L5-L6 disc herniation while doing deadlifts. Consequently, his lower body training was very limited for almost a year. Thankfully, he has self-rehabbed his back to pretty much full strength.

Since he graduated from NC State University with his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, Joshua has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. His knowledge has increased ten fold since when he began, and both his knowledge anpersonal progress have also bred success in the fact he started up Get Right Get Tight Fitness.

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