Raja Yoga Meditation in Glycaemic Status in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

In the current times, stress affects most of the persons either directly or indirectly. In modern times; stress either physical, mental or psychological has received a great attention as a causative and or exaggerating factor for many diseases diseases like diabetes, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease etc. Meditation is a behavioral intervention which can be easily learnt and practiced by persons of all age groups and physical condition. Meditation has been proven to alter autonomic regulation of homeostatic mechanisms and cause positive effects on human physiology. In the cross-sectional study conducted on 60 patients of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, 30 patients practicing Raja Yoga meditation for more than 5 years and 30 patients not practicing meditation. We found significant reduction in blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin levels in practitioners of meditation. Lipid profile, total cholesterol and serum triglycerides too showed significant decline in practitioners of meditation. Thus we found that meditation has a beneficial effect in maintaining autonomic equilibrium in type 2 diabetes mellitus.