This data emerged from a small trial of Sahaja Yoga meditation (SYM) reported by Rai in New Delhi, India. In a randomised controlled trial, 18 female sufferers of severe asthma were allocated either to a SYM or a waiting list/standard treatment control group. The study was not published in the peer-reviewed literature, but nevertheless the study warrants attention. In 9 patients randomised to the intervention group, the FEV1/FVC ratio increased from 48% at baseline to 66% at the conclusion of the 4-month intervention. Over the same period the spirometric ratio did not change in 9 control participants (p < 0.001). Participants in the intervention group had an average of 5.8 “acute attacks” during the treatment period, compared with 12.9 “acute attacks” over the same period in the controls (p < 0.001).
More information about asthma can be found at Dr Ramesh Manocha’s blog.