Pulmonary, Cardiovascular, and Hemodynamic Effects of Pranayama or Yogic Breathing

Thyyar M Ravindranath*

Received : September 19, 2026 | Published : September 30, 2026

Citation: Ravindranath TM. Pulmonary, Cardiovascular, and Hemodynamic Effects of Pranayama or Yogic Breathing. Adv Integr Complement Med. 2026;1(1):1-6.

License: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) , which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons licence is provided, and any changes made are indicated.

Abstract

Deep or yogic breathing or Pranayama has numerous health benefits. This article enumerates pulmonary, cardiovascular, and hemodynamic effects of deep breathing. These effects appear at the time a deep breath is initiated and persists as long as the breath continues. Hence, the beneficial effects are instant and prolonged as long as it does not exceed certain threshold. The effects of Pranayama are discussed from a critical care perspective in modulating pulmonary and cardio-hemodynamic functions as a complement to main stream medicine. The practice is simple and easily applicable in counteracting the effects of critical illness on ultimate organ dysfunction. Moreover, Pranayama practice initiated prior to illness may counteract the undesirable effect of critical illness and help in the process of healing and recovery. It may also be cost effective and as an attractive reimbursable health practice in maintaining wellbeing for the health insurance industry.

Keywords: pranayama, yogic breathing, deep breathing, cardiac, pulmonary, parasympathetic-sympathetic, complimentary medicine.