The Effects of Yoga Practice on Psychological Well-Being
Presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Conference, 2007, New Orleans

Statler T.A., Wheeler A., Siegel S.R., California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA.


BACKGROUND: Yoga is primarily used and interpreted as a physical activity in the Western world. However, the purpose of yoga in the East is different. There, yoga is employed as a technique to focus the mind, to help people live their lives with clarity and a positive outlook, and also to reduce their anxiety (Desikachar, 1984). The purpose of this study was to determine whether concentration and motivation improved, and anxiety decreased over the course of a 10-week university quarter as a result of participation in a regular yoga class.

METHODS: A sample of 84, predominantly female (93%) college students were enrolled in 4 Hatha yoga classes at a California university. The average age of the students was 23.6 + 9.9 years, and most students had at least 3 months of consistent yoga experience prior to the class. The students were 45% Hispanic, 35% White, 7% African American, 2% Asian American, and 7%, not reported. The TAIS (Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style), STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and AMSSE (Achievement Motivation Scale for a Supporting Environment) instruments were administered initially on the 2nd week of class and then again on the 9th week to assess concentration/ attention, motivation, and anxiety, respectively. A paired sample 2-tailed t-test was used to determine change in psychological indices over the term.

RESULTS: Concentration/attention improved overall (p < 0.001) with yoga students believing themselves better able to focus on appropriate tasks and filter extraneous information. Motivation to achieve success improved (p < 0.001), and motivation to avoid failure decreased (p< 0.001), reflecting a greater likelihood to strive for success in challenging situations. State anxiety did not change between T1 and T2, but trait anxiety decreased (p < 0.001) over the 8 weeks of assessment.

CONCLUSION: Students in 4 college yoga classes showed an improvement in concentration, decreased trait anxiety, and improved motivation for success between a pre and post test assessment of these characteristics. Future research should further examine the long-term psychosocial benefits of engaging in yoga.