UNDERSTANDING HOW YOGA WORKS: A SHORT REVIEW OF FINDINGS FROM CYTER, PONDICHERRY, INDIA.

Meena Ramanathan and Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani*

ABSTRACT

The Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research (CYTER) has been functioning at Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (MGMCR & RI) under the auspices of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Puducherry, for the past six years (2010-2016). More than 30,000 patients have benefited from Yoga therapy consultations and have attended individual and group therapy sessions at CYTER. Numerous research projects are being conducted as collaborative efforts between CYTER and various departments of MGMCRI, as well as KGNC and CIDRF. This review summarizes some of the important findings from 14 research works done at CYTER and published between 2010 and 2016. These studies provide preliminary evidence of the therapeutic potential of Yoga and induce further studies exploring physiological, psychological and biochemical mechanisms as well as beneficial clinical effects.

Keywords: CYTER, MGMCRI, KGNC and CIDRF.