Recruiting

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga

Sponsor:

Lancaster General Hospital

Code:

NCT07220421

Conditions

Burnout, Professional

Stress, Psychological

Stress, Physiological

Psychological Well-Being

Mind-Body Therapies

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 25 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breathing and Sahaj Meditation

Health Education Program (HEP)

Study Details

Brief summary:

This is a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in which clinicians from University of Pennsylvania Health Systems (UPHS) including Penn Medicine- Lancaster General Health (LGH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are offered a well-known program to help reduce clinician burnout: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breathing and Sahaj Meditation Intervention.

Conditions

Burnout, Professional

Stress, Psychological

Stress, Physiological

Psychological Well-Being

Mind-Body Therapies

Study ID

NCT07220421

Start date

Sep 15, 2025

Status verified date

Oct, 2025

Completion date

May, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 25 - 70

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 25-70 years of age,
  • UPHS or MGH clinician (physician, APP, CRNP, PA, psychologist),
  • Access to smart phone and internet,
  • Ability to give informed consent,
  • Interested in wearing an Oura ring and being part of a study to evaluate breath and meditation-derived exercises,
  • Willing to do relaxation exercise every day for 4 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Currently maintaining a regular/daily mind-body program practice (eg. meditation, yoga or breathing techniques),
  • Atrial fibrillation,
  • Pacemaker/defibrillator,
  • Untreated or severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI>=30),
  • History of diaphragm paralysis,
  • Unable or unwilling to complete the workshop,
  • Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
  • Severe valvular heart disease,
  • Prior or planned chest/abdominal or nasal/facial surgery within 6 months,
  • Severe psychiatric illness (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder), active substance use, seizure disorder or major somatic illness (uncontrolled hypertension, lung disease, liver disease, cancer or heart disease).

Study Design

Enrollment

180 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breathing and Sahaj Meditation

The SKY Breathing and Sahaj Meditation program involves teaching cyclical breathing techniques with various hand positions and a Guided Meditation practice. This program also includes teaching Cognitive Reframing Tools (CRTs) for emotional regulation.

active comparator: Health Education Program (HEP)

The Health Education Program (HEP) curriculum reviews various health related topics and facilitates group discussion on such topics. This program includes teachings on topics such as mental health, exercise and nature, nutrition and hydration, and self-care. It provides a learning experience on health topics and gives participants skills, tools, and knowledge to live healthier lives.

Interventions

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breathing and Sahaj Meditation

The SKY intervention is comprised of a week of baseline HRV and sleep metric readings, followed by an onboarding week of 3-day, 3.5 hours/day, online SKY workshops with a live instructor (10.5 hours total), followed by weekly online follow-up sessions with a live instructor (1 hour each) for a period of 4 weeks. Clinicians also practice on their own daily for 45 minutes during these 4 weeks and wear an Oura Ring continuously. They do not have to do their daily practice on the days that they have a follow-up session.

Well-being and burnout metrics will be assessed using PFI Week 1, Week 4, and Week 6. Evaluation of the impact of the program on other factors as measured by other questionnaires Week 1 and Week 6. HRV and sleep metrics will be used as a physiologic marker of well-being and will be measured continuously via Oura Ring.

Health Education Program (HEP)

The HEP coaches will provide these sessions online with an initial onboarding week of 2-day, 3 hours/day online HEP workshop followed by weekly online follow up sessions for 2 hours each with a live instructor. They will also pursue 45 min of daily practice for a period of 4 weeks. They do not have to do their daily practice on the days that they have a follow-up session.

Well-being and burnout metrics will be assessed using PFI Week 1, Week 4, and Week 6. Evaluation of the impact of the program on other factors as measured by other questionnaires Week 1 and Week 6. HRV and sleep metrics will be used as a physiologic marker of well-being and will be measured continuously via Oura Ring.

Primary outcome measure

  • Evaluation of the effect of well-being foundational programs on burnout in clinicians at hospital health systems utilizing the Stanford Professional Fulfilment Index. [ Time Frame: Assess at Baseline (week1), Midpoint (week 4), and Endpoint (week 6). ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Halle Becker, MPH

7175441777Halle.Becker@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

7175441777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Locations

Massachusetts General Hospital

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114

Contacts

Jagpreet Chhatwal, PhD

617-724-4487JagChhatwal@mgh.harvard.edu

Princeton Medical Center / Princeton Health affiliated sites

Recruiting

Plainsboro, New Jersey, United States, 08536

Contacts

Halle Miller, MPH

717-544-1777halle.miller@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

717-544-1777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Mrinalini Meesala, MD

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health

Recruiting

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States, 17602

Contacts

Halle Becker, MPH

717-544-1777Halle.Becker@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

717-544-1777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Mrinalini Meesala, MD

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Recruiting

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104

Contacts

Halle Miller, MPH

717-544-1777halle.miller@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

717-544-1777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Mrinalini Meesala, MD

Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Recruiting

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104

Contacts

Halle Miller, MPH

717-544-1777halle.miller@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

717-544-1777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Mrinalini Meesala, MD

Pennsylvania Hospital

Recruiting

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107

Contacts

Halle Miller, MPH

717-544-1777halle.miller@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Jonathan Derr, MBA

717-544-1777Jonathan.Derr@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Principal Investigator:

Mrinalini Meesala, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Lancaster General Hospital

Last update posted

Oct 23, 2025

Last verified

Oct, 2025

Keywords

  • Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) Breathing and Sahaj Meditation
  • Stress Reduction
  • Healthcare Professional Burnout
  • Workplace Wellbeing
  • Work Life Balance
  • Physician
  • Healthcare Provider
  • Cognitive Performance
  • Cognitive Attention
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep
  • Heart Rate Variability
  • Resilience
  • Social Connection
  • Self-Valuation
  • Professional Fulfilment
  • Medical Errors
  • Physician Turnover
  • Healthcare Economics
  • Occupational Burnout

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Lancaster General Hospital on 2025-10-23.