{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:38:13Z","timestamp":1786649893630,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]],"date-time":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764547200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>\n                    A\n                    <jats:sc>BSTRACT<\/jats:sc>\n                  <\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Pranayama, yogic breathing techniques, are considered a form of meditation. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with prana; thus, pranayama is a means to control the inner force, the prana shakti or life energy. Pranayama is more than regular breathing and if practiced in structured and methodical manner can reduce the body\u2019s physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. It has more recently gained popularity in the western world because of the many health benefits that come from a pranayama practice. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions worldwide. Anxiety is an emotional state in which one perceives worry, danger, apprehension, and nervousness and has negative effects on all aspects such as social, personal, and academic performance. It is closely linked with autonomic nervous system dysregulation, often reflected in decreased heart rate variability (HRV), a biomarker of vagal tone and emotional and psychological resilience. HRV reflects the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activities. Nonpharmacological approaches such as yogic breathing techniques have shown promising approaches in reducing anxiety symptoms. The modulation of HRV through slow breathing, often characterized by a prolonged expiratory phase, enhances vagal tone, restores sympathovagal balance, and promotes homeostasis. Research indicates that yoga interventions positively impact individuals with mental health disorders, improving positive symptoms and quality of life and reducing milder symptoms. This review explores the therapeutic potential of slow pranayama in reducing anxiety symptoms and managing anxiety disorders. It examines current evidence, limitations, and future research directions for integrating yoga-based practices into mental health care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_570_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,29]],"date-time":"2025-12-29T13:01:20Z","timestamp":1767013280000},"page":"4948-4954","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Therapeutic potential of slow pranayama in anxiety"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Neena","family":"Sharma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, Union Territory"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kamlesh","family":"Jha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, Bihar, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chandrakanta","family":"Munni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy, SBMCH, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20251230","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.62.6.593","article-title":"Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication","volume":"62","author":"Kessler","year":"2005","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry"},{"key":"R2-20251230","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.2991\/jegh.k.191028.001","article-title":"Epidemiology of Type 2 Diabetes - Global Burden of Disease and Forecasted Trends","volume":"10","author":"Khan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Epidemiol Glob Health"},{"key":"R4-20251230","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"482","DOI":"10.1161\/01.CIR.84.2.482","article-title":"Cardiovascular neural regulation explored in the frequency domain","volume":"84","author":"Malliani","year":"1991","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"R5-20251230","first-page":"499","article-title":"Heart rate variability. 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