Yoga Benefits
“Health is wealth, Peace of mind is Happiness. Yoga shows the way”Swami Vishnu-devananda
Perceived Benefits of Yoga Intervention by College Students:An Exploratory Study
Tania G. Bayne, M.S., Jamie D. Aten, Ph.D., J. Andy Smith, Ph.D., & Tammy Greer, Ph.D.
The University of Southern Mississippi
INTRODUCTION
- Yoga is a practical philosphy that involves every aspect of a person’s being: physical, psychological and spiritual (Iyengar, 2003).
- Yoga-based interventions have been found to have diverse effects including diminished stress (West et al., 2004), decreased anxiety and depression (Pilkington et al., 2005) and improved concentration (Woolery, 2004).
- College students have unique concerns and needs, such as social adjustment, stress management and academic performance that yet need to be better addressed by university counseling centers (Rubin & Feeney, 1986; Milligan, 2006)
- Deep sense of physical and mental relaxation
- Improved mental clarity and concentration
- Increased body awareness and self-care
- More energy and a better mood throughout the day
- Decreased habitual/emotional reactivity
- A better understanding and use of mindfulness practices
- Improved work/study performance
- A new positive perspective in life
College students have unique concerns and needs, such as social adjustment, stress management and academic performance that yet need to be better addressed by university counseling centers (Rubin & Feeney, 1986; Milligan, 2006)
The study has been presented at the American Psychological Association (APA) in San Francisco in August 2007 and is submitted for professional journal publication.
