Effect of Chandrayana Vrata and Selected Yogic Practices on Holistic Health and Wellbeing: A Preliminary Exploratory Study

Abstract In this exploratory study ( n = 10), participants followed Chandrayana Vrata , a lunar-phase-based dietary practice from India’s yogic tradition, combined with daily yoga for 30 days. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed a significant reduction in BMI (mean difference = 1.75; P = 0.007) and improved well-being scores (OAWBTY: P = 0.006; HPYQ improved but did not reach statistical significance: P =0.080). Mild changes in blood pressure were observed, although they were not statistically significant. No meaningful changes were observed in the control group. These preliminary findings suggest that integrating traditional fasting with yoga may support improvements in physical health and subjective well-being; however, the very small sample size warrants cautious interpretation of the results. Larger, well-controlled studies are required to further validate these outcomes.