National Journal of Laboratory Medicine. 2016 Jan, Vol 5(1): 33-36 33 DOI: 10.7860/NJLM/2016/16039:2094 Review Article ABSTRACT DM acquires pressing clinical and economic significance due to work loss and disability leading to increased expenditures on medicines and hospital stay. Therefore, there is a need to identify cost-effective prevention and management strategies and the use of mind–body therapies may hold promise for its prevention and treatment. Yoga offers holistic solution to the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications involving lifestyle changes encompassing kriyas, various asana, changes in diet, management of stress, meditation. Various studies suggest that yoga may improve indices of risk in adults with type 2 DM, including blood sugar levels and reduced resistance to insulin, lipid profiles, anthropometric characteristics.The effect of yoga incorporating asanas, pranayamas, meditation, kriyas, satvik diet, attitudinal and behavioral modification, and mental discipline is beneficial to patients of type 2 Diabetes mellitus. INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus (DM) is plausibly one of the earliest diseases known to mankind. About 3000 years ago it was reported in Egyptian manuscript [1]. In, The difference between type 1 and type 2 DM was made in 1936 [2]. Type 2 DM (non-insulin dependent DM) is the most prevalent form of DM categorized by hyperglycemia, resistance to insulin, and relative defciency to insulin. The risk determinants of Type 2 DM are interconnected by genetic, environmental and behavioural factors [3,4]. Type 2 DM is characterized by increased morbidity and mortality; it has an insidious onset and late recognition and leads to premature morbidity and mortality. Type 2 DM acquires pressing clinical and economic signifcance due to work loss and disability leading to increased expenditures on medicines and hospital stay. Evidently, there is a need to identify cost-effective prevention and management strategies for type 2 DM that address the multiple interrelated factors underlying this increasingly common disorder. There is a strong impact of psychological and social factors on the progression from Insulin Resistance Syndrome to type 2 DM. The mind–body discipline of yoga has been widely used in India for the management of diabetes and related chronic insulin resistance conditions [5-9]. In adult diabetic patients, yoga therapy has shown more benefcial effects and very few adverse effects [10]. Still, the researches on yoga therapy as a complimentary alternative medicine in patients of diabetes mellitus are few. As yoga is holistic living incorporating social and lifestyle changes which are subjective measurements therefore, studies on the contribution of yoga in preventing and reducing complication of lifestyle diseases like diabetes are even fewer. Yoga offers holistic solution to the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. Yogic management of diabetes mellitus involves lifestyle changes encompassing kriyas, various asana, changes in diet, management of stress, meditation and leading a holistic life. The comprehensive yoga, an approach incorporating body postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayamas), meditation (affecting the manomayakosa), cleansing (kriyas), nutrition (satvik diet), attitudinal and behavioral modifcation, and mental discipline, (affecting the vijnanmaya and anandamayakosha) is more benefcial and loyal to its ancient inhabitants [11-14]. AIMS The objective of this review is primarily to review the published research literature for the effectiveness of yoga-based therapy as a modality for diabetes management and to examine important factors in the social environment that affect the practice of yoga, leading to a change in life style and health behavior among adults with or at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Effects of Yoga on Markers of Insulin Resistance The studies assessing the effects of yoga on insulin resistance markers in patients of type 2 DM have documented considerable improvement in one or more clinical post-intervention measures following the practice of yoga either alone or in combination with other therapies Community Medicine Section Keywords: Insulin resistance diseases, Lifestyle diseases, Mind body medicine. BABITA RAGHUWANSHI, VIKAS BHATIA, RAJESH H. MANIK A Review on Yoga Therapy for Diabetes Management