All Studies · Anxiety & Stress · Garcia-Sesnich (2017)

Garcia-Sesnich (2017)

Low · Non-Randomized Trial · Supportive (Non-Randomized) · n = 26
Quality Index (Adjusted QI) 0.742
0 Low < 0.56 Moderate 0.56–0.77 High ≥ 0.78 1
Study Details
ConditionStress (salivary biomarkers + perceived stress in healthy university students)
Clinical domainAnxiety & Stress
PopulationHealthy university students (18–45 yrs); KY group: 11 women, 2 men, mean age 25.1 ± 3.9; control: 10 women, 3 men, mean age 23.9 ± 2.1
Sample sizen = 26
Country / SettingChile (Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago)
Protocol clusterGeneral/Varied KY
Duration3 months; KY classes twice weekly (12:30–14:00h, ~90 min each); 30 classes total; minimum 50% attendance of classes required
Control typeNo Treatment
ComparatorNo-yoga control group (n=13) from same university campus; no active intervention
Outcomes & Effect Sizes
Primary outcomeStress biomarkers (salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase) + Perceived stress
Scales usedSalivary cortisol (ELISA, Salimetrics); Salivary alpha-amylase activity (kinetic assay, Salimetrics); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14, Spanish version)
Key resultImmediate KY effect: significant cortisol decrease after both first class (p=0.042) and last class (p=0.001). Longitudinal: no significant cortisol change between groups. Alpha-amylase: no significant changes. Perceived stress: significant decrease in KY group (23.54 → 16.78, p=0.02) vs no change in controls; between-group difference p=0.003.
Effect sizeImmediate cortisol decrease (p=0.042, p=0.001); perceived stress decrease (p=0.02 within-group, p=0.003 between-group). No standardized effect sizes reported.
RetentionKY group: 13/26 initial (50% attrition — irregular attendance, <50% class attendance, or insufficient saliva <1 mL). Control: 13/20 initial (35% attrition — insufficient saliva or missing final sample).
SafetyNo adverse events reported
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Methodological Summary

Non-randomized controlled study; N=26 (13 KY, 13 control); prospective; 3-month intervention; single-site (University of Chile); salivary biomarkers + PSS-14; high attrition (50% KY, 35% control); ethics committee approved; no randomization; uncontrolled confounds (oral contraceptives, exercise, smoking, exam period)

KY Protocol Components

Kundalini Yoga for Stress Biomarkers (Salivary Cortisol & Alpha-Amylase) DESIGN: Prospective controlled clinical study; KY group (n=13) vs no-yoga control (n=13). SETTING: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago. Classes held twice weekly (12:30–14:00h) for 3 months (30 classes total); minimum 50% attendance required. INSTRUCTOR: Certified by Kundalini Research Institute; classes taught as per Yogi Bhajan's teachings. CLASS STRUCTURE (6 components, 60–90 min total): 1. Tuning-in with the Adi Mantra (5–10 min) 2. Pranayam or warm-up (5–10 min) 3. Kriya — orchestrated pattern of movements, sound, pranayam, mudras, concentration, and meditation (30–45 min) 4. Relaxation/layout (5–15 min) 5. Meditation (11–31 min) 6. Closing with blessing song "May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You" KY PHILOSOPHY: Described as a Raaj Yoga focused on self-awareness and highest consciousness. "Kriya" defined as an orchestrated pattern of movements, sound, pranayam, mudras, concentration and meditation that automatically guide the energies of the body and mind to a specific result or change of consciousness. SALIVARY SAMPLING: 4 samples from KY group (before/after first and last class) to assess immediate and longitudinal effects; 2 samples from controls (baseline and 3 months). Saliva collected using Salivette device; cortisol by ELISA, alpha-amylase by kinetic assay (both Salimetrics kits). PARTICIPANTS: Beginners (<1 year continuous practice); healthy individuals 18–45 yrs. Excluded: anxiety/stress disorders under treatment, corticoid use, oral infectious diseases.

Quality Item Scores — 1 fail · 2 partial · 3 pass · ★ critical
★A1
2
A2
3
★B1
3
★B2
2
B3
3
B4
2
★B5
3
B6
2
★B7
1
★B8
2
B9
3
★C1
1
JP1
3
Critical fails2
Raw QI0.769
SAF0.965
Adjusted QI0.742
Final ratingLow