Why Research Has Always Been Part of My Journey
My work in yoga, naturopathy and integrative health has never been limited to clinical practice.
Alongside caring for patients, teaching students and conducting health-education programs, I have remained deeply interested in a fundamental question:
How can traditional approaches to health be studied carefully, understood scientifically and applied responsibly?
This question has shaped much of my academic and professional journey.
My early clinical experience gave me an appreciation for the practical value of lifestyle, yoga, naturopathy and other traditional approaches. At the same time, my scientific training made me increasingly interested in understanding what happens in the body and mind when people practise these approaches.
That interest eventually led me into formal research in psychophysiology, academic teaching, research fellowships, publications, journal reviewing and continuing work in preventive and integrative medicine.
For me, research is not separate from healthcare.
It is one of the ways we learn to ask better questions.
From Clinical Observation to Scientific Inquiry
When I began working with patients and teaching yoga and naturopathy, I repeatedly encountered people whose health was influenced by much more than a single symptom or isolated organ.
Breathing, relaxation, physical activity, stress, sleep, emotional state, nutrition and daily habits could all form part of a person’s experience of health.
This naturally led me to become interested in the relationship between traditional practices and measurable physiological changes.
Rather than asking only whether a practice was described as beneficial in traditional texts, I became interested in questions such as:
- What happens to the body during a particular practice?
- How does breathing change?
- What happens to oxygen consumption?
- Does the autonomic nervous system respond differently?
- Can changes in heart-rate variability be observed?
- What happens to measures of attention or cognitive performance?
- Can psychophysiological measurements help us understand states produced by yoga and meditation?
These questions became particularly important during my research training.
My PhD in Psychophysiology
I completed my PhD in Psychophysiology at Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (sVYASA), Bangalore, in January 2007.
My doctoral research focused on:
“A Comparison of Psychophysiological Effects of Two Yogic Meditation Techniques.”
My research was conducted under the guidance of Dr. H. R. Nagendra and Dr. Shirley Telles.
Psychophysiology was especially meaningful to me because it sits at an interesting intersection.
It asks us to look at the relationship between psychological processes and physiological responses.
This is highly relevant to yoga and meditation because these practices involve the body, breathing, attention, relaxation and mental states simultaneously.
My doctoral work therefore became part of a much larger exploration: understanding how practices traditionally described in terms of mind, breath and awareness can also be investigated through measurable physiological and behavioural parameters.
Research at sVYASA
My association with sVYASA extended beyond doctoral education.
I worked as a Research Fellow in the Department of Yoga Research at sVYASA, Bangalore, from September 2002 to May 2005.
I also worked clinically as a Consulting Yoga and Naturopathic Physician at Arogyadhama, the institution’s 200-bedded yoga therapy health home, during that period.
This combination of research and clinical exposure was particularly valuable.
Research can tell us about measurable changes under defined conditions.
Clinical practice shows us the complexity of real human lives.
People do not arrive as research variables.
They arrive with histories, habits, families, work pressures, emotions, beliefs, expectations, medical conditions and individual circumstances.
Learning to respect both perspectives has remained important in my approach to healthcare.
Studying the Effects of Yoga-Based Relaxation
Some of my published research focused on the physiological and psychological effects of yoga-based relaxation practices.
Among my publications are studies examining:
- p300 responses following two yoga-based relaxation techniques
- oxygen consumption and respiration during and after yoga relaxation techniques
- heart-rate variability following yoga-based relaxation
- performance in a letter-cancellation task following yoga-based relaxation
- energy expenditure during cyclic meditation compared with supine rest
These studies explored different aspects of the relationship between yogic practices and measurable psychophysiological responses.
They also reflect an important feature of my research journey: I have been interested not simply in whether a person feels different after a practice, but also in whether objective or structured measures can help us understand what may be changing.
My publication record includes peer-reviewed work in journals such as the International Journal of Neuroscience, Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, International Journal of Stress Management, Perceptual and Motor Skills and the Journal of Indian Psychology.
What Psychophysiology Taught Me
One of the most valuable lessons from this work is that health cannot always be understood by looking at only one level.
The body has measurable physiological processes.
The mind has patterns of attention, thought and emotion.
Breathing can be both automatic and consciously influenced.
Movement affects the body while also influencing attention and mood.
Relaxation may involve changes across several physiological systems.
These observations do not mean that every traditional health claim is automatically scientifically established.
That distinction is important.
Research should help us understand what has actually been demonstrated, under what conditions, in which population, and with what limitations.
This is one reason I continue to value scientific inquiry alongside traditional knowledge.
Research and the Practice of Yoga
Yoga has a long philosophical and practical history.
Modern research, however, often asks different kinds of questions.
A researcher may investigate heart-rate variability, oxygen consumption, respiratory patterns, cognitive performance, psychological measures or other physiological variables.
These measurements do not necessarily capture everything that yoga means within its traditional framework.
At the same time, they can provide useful information about specific aspects of the practice.
I find this relationship between traditional knowledge and modern scientific investigation particularly interesting.
It allows us to appreciate traditional practices without assuming that every traditional explanation has already been scientifically established.
And it allows scientific research to investigate measurable dimensions without claiming that measurements capture the entire human experience.
That balance is important in integrative healthcare.
Beyond Research Papers
Research is not only about publishing papers.
It also involves asking questions, evaluating evidence, discussing findings, teaching students how to think critically and helping practitioners understand the difference between observation, experience and established evidence.
Throughout my career, I have therefore remained involved in academic and professional education.
I have served as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Yoga and Biosciences at sVYASA, Bangalore, and as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Naturopathy at Government Naturopathy College and Hospital, Kagal, under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.
Earlier in my career, I also served as Head of the Department of Naturopathy & Yoga at Ganga Educational Society’s Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy and as an Assistant Professor in Swasthya Vrutta and Community Medicine at Ganga Ayurvedic Medical College.
Teaching has strengthened my belief that good healthcare requires not only knowledge, but also the ability to question, observe and learn continuously.
Research in Preventive and Integrative Medicine
My research interests eventually expanded beyond psychophysiology.
I have also been involved in work related to preventive and integrative medicine.
My CV records my role as Director for Research at KHOJ – Center for Research in Preventive and Integrative Medicine, as well as my role as Secretary of the Shivambu Health Research Institute, a registered research organization in Kolhapur.
These experiences broadened my perspective.
Research in healthcare does not always begin with a sophisticated laboratory.
Sometimes it begins with a carefully documented clinical question.
Sometimes it begins with a pattern repeatedly observed in practice.
Sometimes it begins with a traditional practice that deserves careful investigation.
The important question is how we study it.
Bringing Traditional Knowledge and Scientific Thinking Together
My professional journey has taken place at an intersection of several traditions.
There is modern scientific medicine, with its emphasis on diagnosis, clinical evidence and measurable outcomes.
There are traditional systems such as Ayurveda and naturopathy, with their own concepts, practices and histories.
There is yoga, which includes physical practices but extends into breathing, attention, meditation and philosophy.
And there is the lived experience of the individual.
I do not see these as reasons to abandon scientific thinking.
Rather, they make scientific thinking more important.
When we bring different approaches together, we need clarity about what each approach actually says, what evidence exists, where evidence is limited and where further research is needed.
That is the spirit in which I have approached integrative health.
Publications as Part of a Larger Conversation
My published research represents only one part of my contribution to health education.
I have also written review articles for newspapers and magazines dealing with yoga, naturopathy and health.
I have authored books including Jivanacha Adhar Naisargic Ahar, dealing with naturopathic diet, and Panch-Kosha Chikitsa and Ashtangik Chikitsa, dealing with yoga-related approaches.
I have also been involved in health publications as a reviewer and editor, including work associated with the Indian Journal of Yoga (iJOY) and health and yoga publications in Marathi, Hindi and English.
Writing and publishing have therefore been another way of sharing knowledge beyond the consultation room and classroom.
Research Methodology and Professional Education
Over the years, I have also participated as a faculty member and resource person in seminars and workshops dealing with research methodology and advances in yoga and naturopathy.
This aspect of academic work is particularly important to me.
Learning how to evaluate evidence is just as important as learning individual facts.
A health claim should invite questions:
What is the evidence?
How was it studied?
Who was studied?
What was actually measured?
How large was the effect?
Were there limitations?
Can the findings reasonably be applied to another person?
These questions help protect healthcare from both extremes: blind acceptance and premature dismissal.
Research Does Not Mean That Everything Is Proven
This is an important principle in my approach.
The existence of research does not mean that every claim surrounding yoga, naturopathy, Ayurveda, meditation or lifestyle medicine has been proven.
Nor does the absence of extensive research automatically mean that a traditional practice has no value.
Evidence exists on a spectrum.
Some interventions have substantial research behind them.
Some have promising but incomplete evidence.
Some have primarily traditional or experiential support.
And some claims may not withstand careful investigation.
A responsible approach is to recognize these differences.
That is especially important when people are making decisions about serious health conditions.
Traditional or complementary practices should not be presented as substitutes for appropriate diagnosis, emergency care or evidence-based treatment when such care is needed.
From Research to Patient Care
For me, research ultimately comes back to the person sitting in front of me.
A research paper may study one physiological variable.
A patient may present with several interacting concerns.
A study may investigate a particular yoga technique under controlled conditions.
A person may need a broader plan involving sleep, movement, nutrition, stress management, medical care and behavioural change.
The challenge is to translate knowledge responsibly.
That means avoiding exaggerated promises.
It means recognizing individual differences.
It means knowing when a lifestyle approach may be appropriate and when medical investigation is necessary.
And it means remaining open to learning.
This is where research, clinical experience and patient-centred care meet.
A Continuing Relationship With Scientific Inquiry
My research journey did not end with the completion of my PhD.
It continues through clinical observation, teaching, health education, professional discussions, research-related activities and engagement with the evolving evidence around yoga, lifestyle and integrative health.
Healthcare itself is continuously changing.
New research changes what we understand.
Old assumptions are sometimes confirmed.
Sometimes they are modified.
Sometimes they are rejected.
And sometimes a question remains unanswered for years.
I believe that uncertainty is not a weakness of science.
It is an invitation to investigate further.
What Research Means to Me Today
When I look back at my journey, I see research as a bridge.
It has helped me connect: traditional knowledge with scientific inquiry, clinical experience with academic investigation, individual wellbeing with measurable physiology, and healthcare practice with continuous learning.
My work in psychophysiology gave me one way of studying the relationship between mind and body.
My clinical experience taught me that every person is more complex than a research variable.
My academic work taught me the importance of questioning and teaching.
And my continuing work in preventive and integrative health has reinforced the need to bring these perspectives together responsibly.
The goal is not to prove that one system is always right.
The goal is to understand what helps people, what the evidence supports, where the uncertainties remain, and how different forms of knowledge can be used appropriately.
Where Research Fits Into My Approach to Health
Today, when I think about integrative healthcare, I do not begin with a list of therapies.
I begin with a person.
What is happening? What does the medical evidence tell us? What needs investigation? What can be supported through lifestyle? What role might movement, breathing, yoga, nutrition or other complementary approaches appropriately play? What does the individual value? And, importantly, what should not be delayed or replaced by appropriate medical care?
These questions form part of a responsible integrative approach.
My research journey has taught me to remain curious without becoming uncritical, and open-minded without abandoning evidence.
That balance continues to guide my work.
A Journey That Continues
Research is never truly finished.
Every answer creates another question.
Every clinical observation can lead to a new hypothesis.
Every new study adds another piece to a much larger picture.
My work across psychophysiology, yoga research, naturopathy, preventive medicine, integrative healthcare and health education has given me an enduring respect for that process.
I continue to see research not simply as a collection of publications, but as a way of approaching health with curiosity, discipline, humility and responsibility.
And ultimately, that is what I hope my research journey contributes to: a more thoughtful understanding of health—one that respects scientific evidence, learns from experience, remains open to traditional knowledge, and never loses sight of the whole person.
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Visit the Research & Publications page for further academic and research content.
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