Yoga Science & Spirituality
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New Electronic Journal Yoga Science & Spirituality
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Yoga Science & Spirituality is launched to deepen public understanding of scientific yoga and its spiritual dimensions. Modern yoga’s popularity has grown, yet its traditional foundations and identity are increasingly diluted.
AIM: To present scientific research on yoga’s therapeutic, educational, and spiritual potential, reinforce core yogic principles, and honor contributors to the field of Scientific Yoga.
METHODS: The journal gathers and disseminates studies by yoga researchers and teachers, integrates perspectives from holistic disciplines, and documents historical and contemporary contributions to Scientific Yoga.
RESULTS: Growing scientific interest reveals yoga’s measurable psycho-physical and spiritual benefits. The journal provides a platform for evidence-based insights while promoting the preservation of yoga’s original principles, including Yama and Niyama.
CONCLUSION: By combining scientific inquiry with traditional yogic values, the journal aims to safeguard yoga’s authentic essence and highlight its cultural and civilizational significance
Yoga as a Method of Rehabilitation of Patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) leads to progressive physical, psychological, and social impairments, particularly in patients undergoing haemodialysis. Alongside medical treatment, complementary approaches aimed at improving adaptation, psychological balance, and quality of life are increasingly explored.
AIM: To evaluate the effects of a specialized, structured yoga program as a complementary component of integral rehabilitation in patients with CRI undergoing haemodialysis.
METHODS: A seven-month specialized yoga course (62 sessions, 60 minutes each) was conducted at a nephrology and dialysis institute. Twenty-four patients were enrolled, of whom five male patients completed the program. Psychosocial status was assessed using specially designed questionnaires (A1, A2) and the Cornell Index, while clinical condition was monitored through medical examinations, laboratory analyses, and clinical observation.
RESULTS: Improvements were observed within the first weeks to months of practice. All participants showed better tolerance of haemodialysis and diet, reduced muscle and joint pain, cramps, insomnia, headaches, and blood pressure instability, along with increased physical endurance. Psychological benefits included enhanced calmness, mood, self-confidence, and improved social interactions. Some laboratory parameters also improved, although confounding factors were present.
CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that a specialized yoga program is a feasible and potentially effective supportive therapy in the rehabilitation of haemodialysis patients with CRI, contributing to physical, psychological, and social well-being. Larger controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings and establish evidence-based recommendations
The Yoga Institute, Mumbai: Preserving Classical Yoga While Expanding Globally
Full text linkBACKGROUND: The Yoga Institute, Mumbai, founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendra, is the world’s first organized yoga center. It has played a pioneering role in making classical yoga accessible to householders while integrating scientific research, therapeutic applications, and global knowledge exchange.
AIM: To examine the historical foundations, pedagogical principles, therapeutic contributions, and international influence of The Yoga Institute, with particular attention to its role in preserving classical yoga while adapting to modern social and scientific contexts.
METHODS: A narrative historical and analytical review was conducted based on documented institutional history, published research, educational programs, archival materials, and records of international collaborations, including exchanges with the Yoga Federation of Macedonia.
RESULTS: The Yoga Institute successfully systematized classical Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga practices for householders, established early scientific research on yoga therapy, and developed structured teacher training and health programs. Its international collaborations and publications facilitated global dissemination while maintaining ethical and philosophical foundations. The Institute also influenced national yoga education standards and health policy in India.
CONCLUSIONS: The Yoga Institute represents a sustainable model for integrating classical yoga philosophy with scientific validation, therapeutic practice, and global engagement. Its century-long legacy demonstrates that yoga can remain authentic and holistic while responding effectively to modern educational, medical, and cultural demands
Yoga as a Complementary Method in Rehabilitation of Patients After Myocardial Infarction
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Coronary arterial disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chronic psycho-emotional stress is recognized as a major risk factor influencing the onset, progression, and prognosis of CAD. Contemporary rehabilitation increasingly emphasizes stress reduction and lifestyle modification as part of secondary prevention.
AIM: To evaluate the effects of a specialized yoga program on stress reduction, modification of risk factors, and functional recovery in patients undergoing rehabilitation for coronary arterial disease.
METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in 514 patients with CAD who regularly attended specialized yoga courses during a one-month inpatient rehabilitation program. The intervention included relaxation techniques, vyayama, pranayama, kriyas, theoretical education, and supervised walks. Clinical status, cardiovascular functional parameters (EKG, echocardiography, treadmill stress test), correction of risk factors, and subjective physical and psychological outcomes were assessed using standardized examinations and questionnaires, including perceived stress scales.
RESULTS: After one month, patients showed a 20% improvement in overall functional cardiovascular capacity, with increases in exercise tolerance and oxygen consumption. Echocardiography demonstrated improvement in left ventricular function (EF +6%, FS +4%). Significant correction of risk factors was observed, particularly smoking (89.0%), psycho-emotional stress (73.8%), and arterial hypertension (76.7%). Subjectively, most patients reported improved physical condition, relaxation, reduced anxiety, better sleep quality, and enhanced stress resistance. A high proportion (78.2%) intended to continue yoga practice after discharge.
CONCLUSIONS: Specialized yoga programs appear to be a safe and effective complementary approach in the rehabilitation and secondary prevention of coronary arterial disease, primarily through reduction of chronic psycho-emotional stress and improved self-control, lifestyle awareness, and adherence to preventive measures. Although findings are encouraging, further long-term, controlled, and multicentric studies are required to confirm sustained cardiovascular benefits
Yoga Mīmāṃsā: Journal of Science and Culture in Yoga (YMJSCY) – A Review of the First Scientific Yoga Journal
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Scientific journals play a central role in validating and disseminating research through peer review. For much of history, yoga was viewed primarily as a spiritual discipline, with limited scientific investigation. The establishment of Yoga Mīmāṃsā: Journal of Science and Culture in Yoga (YMJSCY) in 1924 marked a turning point by introducing systematic scientific inquiry into yogic practices.
AIM: To review the historical origins, scientific scope, editorial development, and continuing significance of Yoga Mīmāṃsā as the world’s oldest peer-reviewed multidisciplinary journal dedicated to yoga research.
METHODS: A qualitative, literature-based historical and descriptive review was conducted using peer-reviewed publications, archival materials, editorial records, and institutional documentation related to YMJSCY and the development of scientific yoga research.
RESULTS: Founded by Swami Kuvalayananda at the Kaivalyadhama Institute, YMJSCY emerged from early experimental studies conducted in 1920–1921 that integrated traditional yogic philosophy with modern scientific methods. The journal has maintained uninterrupted publication for over a century, reaching 57 volumes by 2025. Its content spans fundamental, applied, interdisciplinary, and philosophico-literary research, supported by a rigorous double-blind peer-review process and open-access dissemination.
CONCLUSIONS: Yoga Mīmāṃsā has played a foundational role in establishing yoga as a subject of systematic scientific inquiry. Its longevity, adaptability, and scholarly influence underscore its enduring relevance in both historical and contemporary yoga research
Published Papers about Yoga in the Scopus Database (2025)
Full text linkoai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/6596BACKGROUND: Contemporary scientific research has demonstrated that yoga exerts measurable effects on numerous physiological systems, including autonomic regulation, immune activity, neuroendocrine balance, and musculoskeletal functioning
AIM: The aim of this study was to present current state of indexed papers about yoga in the Scopus database in order to understand the connection of yoga with science and spirituality.
METHODS: A search of the Scopus database was performed on November 07, 2025, in order to identify published papers from the yoga documents in all fields of Scopus. A total number of 71,875 documents were found. All documents were included in the analysis of the number of published documents about yoga.
RESULTS: First document about yoga was published in 1904 with very small increase of published papers till 2003. From 2003 to 2005 there is very big increase in the indexed papers in the Scopus database with more than 8K papers published in 2025. On the first place of the number of published documents about yoga in the Scopus database is International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, followed by the journals Frontiers in Psychology, and Plos One. In most of the published papers there is no author ID found. The biggest number of published papers about yoga relates to the author Cramer, H. (201 papers). Harvard Medical School published the biggest number of papers connected with yoga. Most of published documents about yoga in the Scopus database published researchers from United States, India, United Kingdom, China, and Australia. Published papers from the former Yugoslav republics about Yoga are on the lower part of the scale with Croatia on the first place, followed with Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Macedonia. Most of the published papers about yoga are articles with the subject area medicine. International Journal of Yoga Therapy is the only journal devoted to yoga and indexed in Scopus database.
CONCLUSION: The number of publications included in Scopus database from the field of yoga continuously was present from1904 with the sharp increase between 2003 and 2025 year
Science Studies Yoga: A Review of Physiological Data by James Funderburk, PhD
Full text linkScience Studies Yoga: A Review of Physiological Data by James Funderburk represents a significant scholarly contribution to the scientific understanding of yoga. The book critically examines yoga not as a spiritual or philosophical system, but as a subject of empirical investigation grounded in modern physiology. Drawing on experimental studies, clinical observations, and laboratory measurements, Funderburk reviews physiological data related to yogic breathing, meditation, relaxation, and physical postures. The work systematically analyzes the effects of yoga on key physiological systems, including respiration, cardiovascular function, metabolism, and neural activity, with particular attention to indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption, brain wave patterns, and autonomic nervous system responses. Emphasizing methodological rigor, the author carefully discusses the limitations of existing studies, including small sample sizes and lack of standardization, thereby presenting yoga research as an evolving scientific field. By integrating perspectives from physiology, psychology, and neuroscience, the book bridges Eastern contemplative practices and Western biomedical science and anticipates later developments in mind–body medicine. Overall, the work establishes yoga as a legitimate area of physiological research and provides a foundational reference for scholars and healthcare professionals interested in evidence-based approaches to mind–body practices
Overview of Yoga Therapy
Full text linkBACKGROUND: During the early 1990s, yoga was still widely misunderstood and burdened by cultural and scientific prejudices, particularly in the context of healthcare. Only a limited number of open-minded researchers explored its therapeutic potential. Since then, yoga—especially Hatha Yoga—has gradually gained scientific and clinical recognition as a complementary approach to health and disease management.
AIM: To present a reflective and conceptual overview of yoga therapy as a holistic health approach, contrasting its principles with conventional medical models and emphasizing its therapeutic, philosophical, and lifestyle dimensions.
METHODS: This work is based on a narrative, philosophical, and experiential analysis of yoga therapy, grounded in classical yoga texts, long-term practical experience, and historical perspectives on the development of therapeutic yoga. Comparative conceptual analysis between medical and yogic views of illness and healing is employed.
RESULTS: Yoga therapy views the human being as an integrated physical, energetic, and psycho-mental entity. Classical Hatha Yoga techniques—including asanas, pranayama, kriyas, relaxation, and meditation—demonstrate inherent therapeutic effects when applied through individualized, progressive, and carefully adapted programs. Unlike conventional medicine, yoga therapy emphasizes active patient participation, personal responsibility, lifestyle modification, and mental transformation alongside physical practice.
CONCLUSIONS: Yoga therapy represents an integrative and holistic approach to health that complements modern medicine without claiming to be a universal cure. Its value lies not only in symptom management but also in fostering awareness, acceptance, resilience, and conscious living. The growing volume of scientific publications on yoga, particularly in medical and psychological fields, supports its increasing relevance and integration into contemporary healthcare models
Interview with Dr Vasilije Tomanoski from Nefroplus, Ohrid, Republic of North Macedonia
Full text linkBACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition associated with severe physical, psychological, and social consequences, particularly in patients requiring long-term hemodialysis. Alongside conventional nephrological care, there is growing interest in complementary rehabilitation approaches aimed at improving quality of life.
AIM: To present the historical development of the Dialysis Center in Struga, outline the clinical challenges of CKD and hemodialysis, and evaluate the role and effects of yoga as a complementary method in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic kidney insufficiency by the interview with Dr Vasilije Tomanovski from the Nefroplus, Ohrid, Republic of North Macedonia.
METHODS: This work is based on a descriptive and experiential analysis of clinical practice at the Dialysis Center in Struga, combined with observations from a seven-month pilot yoga therapy program involving patients with end-stage CKD undergoing hemodialysis. Data were derived from clinical experience, patient-reported outcomes, and professional observations, and were further discussed in scientific and international forums.
RESULTS: Hemodialysis significantly prolonged survival and improved metabolic stability but was associated with physical, neurological, and psychological complications. The yoga therapy program was well accepted by both patients and medical staff and led to improvements in dialysis tolerance, physical endurance, mood, sleep quality, social interaction, and adherence to dietary and hygiene regimens. In some patients, profound psychosocial and functional improvements were observed.
CONCLUSIONS: The Dialysis Center in Struga emerged as a leading institution in the former Yugoslavia due to strong professional dedication and team spirit. CKD patients face complex physical and psychological burdens that are only partially addressed by hemodialysis. The integration of yoga as a complementary rehabilitation method was well accepted by both patients and medical staff and was associated with notable improvements in physical endurance, psychological well-being, social interaction, and tolerance to dialysis. These findings support the holistic integration of complementary therapies into conventional care and justify further controlled and long-term research on yoga therapy in CKD rehabilitation