Reconciling the Science with Felt Experience (how not to use AI for that)

Then, as we step into teaching, we witness these same transformations unfold in our students. Each class becomes a laboratory where we observe the universal truth of yoga's nonlinear impact: breath by breath, progression/regression. Practice by practice, people change.

This phenomenological understanding—learning through living the practice—creates a deep well of experiential knowledge.

We know in our bones that these practices work because we've felt it, seen it, lived it. Yet as our curiosity deepens, many of us yearn to understand the "why" behind the "what."

While our experiential knowledge is profound, finding scientific validation for these observations can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Or that in looking for proof, we are somehow caught up in the buzzkill of reductionism.

Put it this way: A yogi sitting merged with the infinite is not looking for validation of the experience in PubMed. 

Enter the age of AI-powered research tools such as Consensus.ai. Using its model, specifically designed to analyze scholarly literature, we can now easily connect our practical insights with scientific evidence as a basis for informing further research.

Let's explore how modern research validates what yoga teachers have long understood about the power of practice.

The Science Behind Samadhi

What we observe in class – the calm that takes root during pranayama, the peace that follows a mindful practice – has concrete physiological foundations. Research shows these transformations are largely due to enhanced vagal tone, a key measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity that regulates our stress response.

The Breath-Body Connection

Those deep, conscious breaths we guide in class? Specific practices like Sudarshan Kriya and Bhramari pranayama have been scientifically proven to boost parasympathetic activity, effectively calming the stress response system (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005; Singh, 2024). T

his isn't just theory – it's measurable through improved heart rate variability (HRV), a key indicator of nervous system balance (Gerritsen & Band, 2018).

Beyond the Physical Practice

The benefits extend far beyond the physical. Studies show that both mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and yoga interventions enhance vagal tone, leading to better stress management and emotional regulation (Hunt et al., 2018; Tellhed et al., 2019).

This explains why students often report feeling more emotionally balanced and mentally clear after practice.

Measurable Health Impacts

The effects we observe in our students are backed by concrete health outcomes:

• Mental Health: Research confirms that yoga and mindfulness practices reduce stress, anxiety, and depression through enhanced emotional regulation (Brems, 2020; Hilcove et al., 2020)
• Heart Health: The cardiac benefits we see are supported by studies showing increased cardiac vagal modulation through yoga practice (Khattab et al., 2007; Zou et al., 2018)
• Brain Benefits: Those post-class mental clarity reports? They're validated by studies showing improved cognitive function through enhanced vagal tone (Singh, 2024; Gerritsen & Band, 2018)

A Bridge Between Worlds

As yoga teachers, we stand at a unique intersection between ancient wisdom and modern science. While our teaching comes primarily from direct experience and traditional knowledge, having access to scientific validation through AI-powered research tools adds another valuable dimension to our understanding.

This doesn't mean we need to quote studies in our classes, and god forbid we format absolute opinions based on what AI spits out. 

For me, ChatGPT and models like it built around knowledge and content generation are great for that purpose: generating rough content, inspiring ideas to explore, and possibly saving time. But please be very judicious about confusing such tools with the tools of research; in fact, I beg you, don't rely on AI for your research.

The reason I only use research-specific models to explore research questions?

Other models such as ChatGPT often "hallucinate" references, meaning they literally just make it up to support what the model thinks you want to hear. This is at the root of the Kafkaesque nightmare we know is coming for us: our uninformed opinions suddenly weaponized with quasi science that is literally manufactured to reinforce bias.

However, the research-inclined models are constrained to use only "real" science– peer-reviewed papers in verified publications– available in trusted databases. It does beg further questions about what is "real" research, but that is a question for another post. 

I'm here today offering yoga teachers some insight into research that may well reinforce our bias but at least it comes from "real" references.

And what is it that we think we know is true? That the practices we share have profound, measurable effects on human health and wellbeing.

The science isn't revealing anything new – it's catching up to what yoga teachers have known all along. Do we need "real" references, if such a thing exists, to prove it? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

References

Brown, R., & Gerbarg, P. (2005). Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: part I-neurophysiologic model.. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine, 11 1, 189-201. https://doi.org/10.1089/ACM.2005.11.189 

Hunt, M., Al-Braiki, F., Dailey, S., Russell, R., & Simon, K. (2018). Mindfulness Training, Yoga, or Both? Dismantling the Active Components of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention. Mindfulness, 9, 512-520. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12671-017-0793-Z 

Khattab, K., Khattab, A., Ortak, J., Richardt, G., & Bonnemeier, H. (2007). Iyengar Yoga Increases Cardiac Parasympathetic Nervous Modulation Among Healthy Yoga Practitioners. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 4, 511 - 517. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nem087 

Singh, S. (2024). EFFECT OF BHRAMARI PRANAYAMA ON HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS: A SYSTEMIC REVIEW. Era's Journal of Medical Research. https://doi.org/10.24041/ejmr2024.13 

Brems, C. (2020). Yoga as a Mind-Body Practice. **, 137-155. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30892-6_10 

Tellhed, U., Daukantaitė, D., Maddux, R., Svensson, T., & Melander, O. (2019). Yogic Breathing and Mindfulness as Stress Coping Mediate Positive Health Outcomes of Yoga. Mindfulness, 10, 2703 - 2715. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01225-4 

Zou, L., Sasaki, J., Wei, G., Huang, T., Yeung, A., Neto, O., Chen, K., & Hui, S. (2018). Effects of Mind–Body Exercises (Tai Chi/Yoga) on Heart Rate Variability Parameters and Perceived Stress: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7110404 

Hilcove, K., Marceau, C., Thekdi, P., Larkey, L., Brewer, M., & Jones, K. (2020). Holistic Nursing in Practice: Mindfulness-Based Yoga as an Intervention to Manage Stress and Burnout. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 39, 29 - 42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010120921587 

Gerritsen, R., & Band, G. (2018). Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00397 

The Science exactly as per Consensus:

Yoga and mindfulness practices have been linked to improved health outcomes through enhanced vagal tone, which is a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. This connection is primarily facilitated by practices such as yogic breathing and mindfulness, which can modulate the autonomic nervous system and improve heart rate variability (HRV).

Mechanisms of Improved Vagal Tone

Yogic Breathing: Practices like Sudarshan Kriya yoga and Bhramari pranayama have been shown to increase parasympathetic drive, calming stress response systems and enhancing vagal tone, which can alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005; Singh, 2024; Gerritsen & Band, 2018).

Mindfulness and Yoga: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and yoga interventions have been associated with higher HRV, indicating improved vagal tone. These practices help in reducing stress and anxiety by promoting adaptive vagal withdrawal during stress challenges (Hunt et al., 2018; Tellhed et al., 2019; Zou et al., 2018).

Health Outcomes

Mental Health: Yoga and mindfulness practices reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by enhancing mindfulness and emotional regulation, which are mediated by improved vagal tone (Brems, 2020; Tellhed et al., 2019; Hilcove et al., 2020).

Cardiovascular Health: Yoga increases cardiac vagal modulation, which is beneficial for heart health and can be a suitable intervention in cardiac rehabilitation programs (Khattab et al., 2007; Zou et al., 2018).

Cognitive and Emotional Benefits: Improved vagal tone through yoga and mindfulness enhances cognitive functions such as concentration, attention span, and memory, while also promoting emotional well-being (Singh, 2024; Gerritsen & Band, 2018).

Conclusion

Yoga and mindfulness practices improve health outcomes by enhancing vagal tone, which modulates the autonomic nervous system. This leads to reduced stress, improved mental health, and better cardiovascular function. These practices offer a holistic approach to health by integrating physical, mental, and emotional well-being.