The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is studying the effects of yogic breathing (pranayama) on the autonomic nervous system, and Boston-area yoga practitioners are invited to participate. The study requires two visits to the research laboratory for a total of six hours. BIDMC is conducting the research in conjunction with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Suzie Bertisch, a clinician investigator at BIDMC and instructor at Harvard Medical School who focuses on sleep disorders, will lead the study. Funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health, the research will examine the relationship between mind-body practices and the autonomic nervous system. “There are claims made about the ways yoga and similar meditative practices improve cardiovascular disease, yet few high-quality scientific studies support these claims,” says Bertisch. “Improving our understanding of the mechanisms of yoga will help to promote its practice and, more importantly, help integrate the practice into mainstream medicine and engage more people.”

For more information,  call 617-754-1439 or email [email protected].