Inner Engineering Yoga Program on Short and Long Term Health Effects (ISHA-Impact): A Longitudinal Study

NCT ID: NCT04189146

Last Updated: 2025-01-27

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

618 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-03-12

Study Completion Date

2023-12-31

Brief Summary

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This study will include any participant who registered, and plans to attend the Inner Engineering In-Person Completion Course. In 2019, this course was offered in: Los Angeles in March, Philadelphia in April and Toronto \& Dallas in November. This study has been involved in every IECO Course since 2019 and is still active today. Beginning in August 2021, investigators will recruit for the August Inner Engineering In-Person Completion Course. Investigators anticipate that this study can include up to 5,000 study participants. Participants would attend this course and complete the pre-modules regardless of whether or not they participate in this study.

Detailed Description

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This study aims to enroll participants who have registered for the Inner Engineering in-person course. Briefly, this course is a 1-2 day in-person course, in which participants will learn a simple 21 minute practice called Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, also known as Shambhavi Kriya. Shambhavi Kriya is a powerful and purifying energy technique which incorporates the breath. This practice is said to align the body systems so that the body, mind and emotions function in harmony. More information about the course can be found on the ISHA foundation website: https://www.innerengineering.com/ieo-new/completion/.

Registrants for IECO are asked to complete a series of seven (7) online modules (IEO) prior to the start of the in-person course. The online series provides the participants with an opportunity to intellectually explore the basics of life using methods that are distilled from the essence of yogic sciences. The course imparts wisdom to manage the body, mind, emotions, and the fundamental life energy within.

Importantly, the course modules (IEO) and the in-person meeting (IECO) and subsequent meditation and yoga practices would occur regardless of whether or not a person decided to participate in the study. The only study procedure imparted includes requesting the participants to complete a series of surveys over a one-year period.

This study only involves administration of electronic surveys at six different time points. These time points include: at the time of consent; after completing the Inner Engineering Online modules but before the in-person course begins; after the completion of the in-person (IECO) course; at 6 weeks; at 6 months and at 12 months. These surveys can take up to 15 minutes to complete. Electronic reminders will be sent to participants who have not completed these surveys within a week.

Additionally, participants must complete a two-minute compliance survey at the end of each week for 6 weeks after IECO completion. After these 6 weeks, this same two-minute compliance survey will be sent monthly until the end of the year. This survey is an important component of our data analysis, because it collects information on the frequency and duration of their routine practice.

Participants can choose to either complete their baseline \& post-IEO surveys only, or continue and complete Post IECO- 1 year follow up period. A break was incorporated because IEO \& IECO are 2 separate events, and participants who chose to complete IEO may not necessarily complete IECO. This break ensures maximum participation.

This study will include participants who are registered and plan to attend any Inner Engineering Online \& Inner Engineering Online Completion Course. This course is offered several times throughout the year and each course has several hundred participants. We anticipate we can collect data from up to 5,000 study participants and create a significant database of Inner Engineering practitioners.

Conditions

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Mediation Mood Stress Habits Nicotine Alcohol Consumption Pain Intensity Sleep Mindfulness Emotions Anxiety Depression

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

This study only involves administration of electronic surveys at six different time points. These time points include: at the time of consent; after completing the Inner Engineering Online modules but before the in-person course begins; after the completion of the in-person (IECO) course; at 6 weeks; at 6 months and at 12 months. These surveys can take up to 15 minutes to complete. Electronic reminders will be sent to participants who have not completed these surveys within a week.

Additionally, participants must complete a two-minute compliance survey at the end of each week for 6 weeks after IECO completion. After these 6 weeks, this same two-minute compliance survey will be sent monthly until the end of the year. This survey is an important component of our data analysis, because it collects information on the frequency and duration of their routine practice.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Inner Engineering Intervention

The intervention investigators propose for the study includes an Online Course with 7 modules, or a 10 hours long course, and a 1-2 day In-Person Course, in which participants will learn a simple 21 minute practice called Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, also known as Shambhavi Kriya.

Group Type OTHER

Inner Engineering Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The intervention investigators propose for the study includes an Online Course with 7 modules, or a 10 hours long course, and a 1-2 day In-Person Course, in which participants will learn a simple 21 minute practice called Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, also known as Shambhavi Kriya.

Shambhavi Kriya is a powerful and purifying energy technique incorporating the breath. This practice is said to align the participants system such that their body, mind and emotions function in harmony.

Interventions

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Inner Engineering Intervention

The intervention investigators propose for the study includes an Online Course with 7 modules, or a 10 hours long course, and a 1-2 day In-Person Course, in which participants will learn a simple 21 minute practice called Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, also known as Shambhavi Kriya.

Shambhavi Kriya is a powerful and purifying energy technique incorporating the breath. This practice is said to align the participants system such that their body, mind and emotions function in harmony.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Participants who have registered to take the Inner Engineer Online Course.
* Participants who have registered to take the Inner Engineer Completion Course.
* Participants must be able to read and understand English.

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants who report living outside the United States at the time of enrollment.
* Participants \< 18 years of age.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Balachundhar Subramaniam

Director, Center for Anesthesia Research Excellence

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Hyman SA, Shotwell MS, Michaels DR, Han X, Card EB, Morse JL, Weinger MB. A Survey Evaluating Burnout, Health Status, Depression, Reported Alcohol and Substance Use, and Social Support of Anesthesiologists. Anesth Analg. 2017 Dec;125(6):2009-2018. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002298.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28991114 (View on PubMed)

Kato T. Development of the Sleep Quality Questionnaire in healthy adults. J Health Psychol. 2014 Aug;19(8):977-86. doi: 10.1177/1359105313482168. Epub 2013 May 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23720542 (View on PubMed)

Shioata, M.N., D. Keltner, and O.P. John, Positive Emotion Dispositions Differntially Associatd with Big Five Personality and Attachement Style. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2006. 1(2): p. 61-71.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Ryan RM, Frederick C. On energy, personality, and health: subjective vitality as a dynamic reflection of well-being. J Pers. 1997 Sep;65(3):529-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.1997.tb00326.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9327588 (View on PubMed)

Ryan RM, Deci EL. On happiness and human potentials: a review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52:141-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.141.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11148302 (View on PubMed)

Peterson CT, Bauer SM, Chopra D, Mills PJ, Maturi RK. Effects of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, a Multicomponent Breath-Based Yogic Practice ( Pranayama), on Perceived Stress and General Well-Being. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Oct;22(4):788-797. doi: 10.1177/2156587217730934. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29228793 (View on PubMed)

Muralikrishnan K, Balakrishnan B, Balasubramanian K, Visnegarawla F. Measurement of the effect of Isha Yoga on cardiac autonomic nervous system using short-term heart rate variability. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2012 Apr;3(2):91-6. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.96528.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22707866 (View on PubMed)

Selvaraj, N., et al., Heart Rate Dynamics during Shambhavi Mahamudra - A Practice of Isha Yoga. Journal of Complementary and Inegrative Medicine, 2008. 5(1): p. 1-22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Swaminathan A, DeSchryver B, Rayapuraju A, Barbaro J, Orui H, Subramaniam B, Reed PU. From strain to strength: a yearlong study on the transformative influence of inner engineering online program on mental well-being. Front Psychol. 2025 Feb 4;16:1436910. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1436910. eCollection 2025.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39968198 (View on PubMed)

Upadhyay P, Joshi A, Mishra I, Kelly L, Novack L, Hariri S, Kveraga K, Subramaniam B. Short Term Effects of Inner Engineering Completion Online Program on Stress and Well-Being Measures. Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 27;13:814224. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.814224. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35572309 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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Other Identifiers

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2019P000205

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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