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The science behind

Sudarshan Kriya™

100

More than
Peer-reviewed publications

Across Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. Three of these studies were conducted specifically in Singapore.

22

Includes
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs)

The gold standard in clinical research alongside cohort studies, observational studies, and biological investigations.

15

Studied in
Countries worldwide

Among working adults, university students, physicians, military veterans, prisoners and people managing clinical depression.

100

More than
Peer-reviewed publications

Across Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. Three of these studies were conducted specifically in Singapore.

22

Includes
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs)

The gold standard in clinical research alongside cohort studies, observational studies, and biological investigations.

15

Studied in
Countries worldwide

Among working adults, university students, physicians, military veterans, prisoners and people managing clinical depression.

Stress and anxiety 

In a randomised controlled trial of 135 university students,  Sudarshan Kriya™ reduced stress and anxiety more than mindfulness or emotional intelligence programmes.

Seppala EM et al.

Front Psychiatry. 2020

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Depression

A randomised pilot study at the University of Pennsylvania found Sudarshan Kriya™ significantly lowered depression scores in antidepressant-resistant patients with major depressive disorder.

Sharma A et al.

J Clin Psychiatry. 2017

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Anxiety disorder

A clinical study in patients with generalised anxiety disorder found significant reductions in anxiety severity, alongside improvements in sleep quality, after a period of Sudarshan Kriya™ practice.

Doria S et al. 

J Affect Disord. 2015

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PTSD symptoms

In a randomised study of US veterans, Sudarshan Kriya™ significantly reduced PTSD scores, sustained at one-year follow-up, versus no change in controls.

Seppala EM et al.

J Trauma Stress. 2014

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Emotional regulation 

A study in patients with anxiety and depression found that Sudarshan Kriya™ improved heart rate variability, a physiological marker of how well the nervous system regulates stress and emotion.

Toschi-Dias E et al.

J Affect Disord. 2017

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Wellbeing and optimism 

In a controlled study of 103 Swedish adults, Sudarshan Kriya™ significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and stress, and increased optimism (p<0.001) over six weeks, versus no change in controls.

Kjellgren A et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2007

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Insomnia

The 2024 physician RCT found a statistically significant 3-point reduction in insomnia scores in the Sudarshan Kriya™ group vs the control group, using a validated clinical insomnia scale.

Korkmaz A et al.
JAMA Netw Open. 2024

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Sleep quality

A clinical study in generalised anxiety disorder patients found  Sudarshan Kriya™ improved sleep quality alongside reduced anxiety.

Doria S et al.
J Affect Disord. 2015

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What's happening in the body and brain

The studies below measure biological and neurological changes in Sudarshan Kriya™ practitioners.

Cortisol

Several studies have measured blood cortisol levels before and after Sudarshan Kriya™ practice and observed reductions compared with baseline or control groups. Elevated cortisol is a well-established biological marker of chronic stress.

Vedamurthachar A et al.

J Affect Disord. 2006

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Kumar S. Int

J Applied Res. 2017

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Focus and alertness 

EEG studies have observed changes in brain wave patterns following Sudarshan Kriya™, including concurrent alpha and beta activity associated with focused alertness, and improvements in working memory scores.

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Bhatia M et al. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2003

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Chandra S et al.

Int J Yoga. 2016

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Immune markers changed

A University of Oslo study examined peripheral blood lymphocytes from Sudarshan Kriya™ practitioners and observed rapid changes in gene expression patterns relevant to stress response and immune function, suggesting biological effects at the cellular level.

Qu S et al. PLoS ONE. 2013

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Research from Singapore

Three peer-reviewed studies examined Sudarshan Kriya™ specifically in Singapore populations.

Daily practitioners were twice as likely to report being happier

A case-control study of 733 participants in Singapore found daily Sudarshan Kriya™ practice doubled the likelihood of reporting happiness vs non-practitioners.

Sloan RA, Kanchibhotla D. Altern Ther Health Med. 2023

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More frequent practice was associated with better sleep

Higher frequency of Sudarshan Kriya™ practice was significantly associated with lower odds of poor sleep quality. 

Sloan RA, Kanchibhotla D. Sleep Breath. 2021

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Frequent practitioners had 3.6 times higher odds of a healthier lifestyle

Those practising four or more days per week had significantly higher odds of healthy diet, exercise, and sleep habits compared with non-practitioners.

Sloan RA, Kanchibhotla D. J Altern Complement Med. 2021

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Fostering well-being through breath, meditation and yoga programs since 1981.

Established globally, practiced locally

Universal and inclusive

Research-backed, evidence-based

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