Yoga Nidra Combined With Breathing Relaxation and Short-Term Blood Pressure Changes in Adults With Hypertension

Abstract

Mind–body practices are often investigated as adjuncts to medical blood pressure management. This study examined yoga nidra combined with breathing relaxation and short-term blood pressure changes in adults with hypertension using a three-day, two-group quasi-experimental repeated-measures assessment. The study took place at RSJD dr. Amino Gondohutomo, Central Java, Indonesia, in 2025–2026 and included 56 adults with hypertension, allocated to intervention and control groups of 28 each. The intervention consisted of YONARA, a combined Yoga Nidra and controlled breathing relaxation session repeated on three consecutive days. Outcomes were assessed using daily systolic, diastolic and calculated mean arterial pressure measurements before and after each session. Within-session mean systolic reductions in the intervention group were 9.71, 11.96 and 13.92 mmHg on days one to three; the corresponding day-three diastolic reduction was 10.60 mmHg. Control-group changes were small and inconsistent. The repeated-measures analysis reported significant time-by-group terms for systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure (reported p values approximately 0.0001). In interpretation, coordinated breathing and relaxation may temporarily reduce physiological arousal, making a short-term change in measured blood pressure plausible. This endpoint captures immediate response and not durable ambulatory blood-pressure control or changes in cardiovascular risk. The design and measurement constraints mean that associations should not be represented as definitive causal effects.