RESEARCH HORIZONS

Magazine 2014

International Peer-Reviewed Journal

RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014

YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION METHOD

IN THE REDUCTION OF ANXIETY IN COLLEGE GIRLS

Cicilia Chettiar

ABSTRACT

The presence of high levels of anxiety in students has been documented in various studies. There are

various methods of intervention that are suggested and have been found acceptable. This study covers

the application of specific yoga techniques to female student population taught by a trained yoga teacher.

It was hypothesized that students who are exposed to specific Yoga asanas will respond positively and

find a reduction in their anxiety levels as measured by their physiological manifestations. Anxiety levels

were assessed using Beck’s Anxiety Inventory both before and after the intervention. A control group

matching the experimental group in demographics was also used to ensure that change occurred only

in the specific experimental group. Results indicate significant reduction in the levels of anxiety in the

experimental group as measured by the t-test.

Keywords : Yoga, Positivity, Anxiety, Control Group

Introduction

The lifestyle of youth today is prone to a lot of stress and challenges. Particularly young students who

are on the threshold of their careers that threaten to overwhelm their ability to cope. Even seemingly

well adjusted young students are frequently prone to various anxiety based symptoms due to the

pressures on them.

Not all such stressors are academic. Some are social, some financial and many are related to family.

In the face of such overwhelming demands, many students give up the good fight and turn to unhealthy

options. Some become part of gangs or cliques that provide a sense of identity and self-validation.

Such gangs can range from most healthy to least healthy.

It is not always possible within the scope of the academic set up to provide too much of training or to

provide guidance to the student to a very large extent. In such a scenario it makes sense to provide the

student access to techniques and strategies that can be used by them on their own time at their own

space and something that will benefit them in the long run. Besides, the additional burden of a stigma

prevents most students from seeking therapeutic solutions. With this scenario as a reference point, the

current study attempted to cover the student’s personal growth and provide a coping mechanism that

can be sustained even after they have completed their education.

The role of alternative therapies in the treatment of anxiety has been studied in great detail over the

years. Although there are various methods to help in the management of anxiety, in the present study,

yoga was selected as an alternative that could be taught to the students to train them to manage their

anxiety. With research still on the rise today, yoga has been greatly commended for its triumphs in

“

modulating stress response systems” (Kirkwood, 2005). This was largely due to the need for an

instrument that required very little investment of time and money to sustain it and yet yield a maximum

of returns. Most of the student population is financially dependent on their parents and so providing

them techniques that further add to their financial burden was not considered viable.

Yoga & Anxiety

Since the 1970s, meditation and other stress-reduction techniques have been studied as possible

treatments for depression and anxiety. Available reviews of many studies have shown that yoga can

reduce the impact of exaggerated stress responses and maybe helpful for both anxiety and depression.

The benefits of yoga are not just restricted to the improvement in physiological states as shown my

biological indicators. It extends to the perception of stress. By affecting stress perception it modulates

stress response system. The individual therefore observes a noticeable change in his experience of

life in general and anxiety in particular.

The use of breath work, or pranayama, is useful to those who suffer from anxiety particularly because

breathing exercises help combat the physiological symptoms such as, short, tight upper-chest breathing.

Relaxation is the key to the elimination of anxiety because when one deepens the breath by lengthening

the exhalation they are reducing the short shallowness of breath that is associated with the inhalation.

Lengthening of the exhalation can help the person achieve a healthy level of carbon dioxide in the

bloodstream that helps in the relaxation process.

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International Peer-Reviewed Journal

RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014

The different bodily postures (asanas) and the breathing exercises are considered central to the aim of

achieving relaxation and reducing anxiety (Monk-Turner & Turner, 2010). There have been numerous

studies confirming the beneficial effects of yoga. There are also known physiological benefits to the

practice of yoga (Bali, Ebenezer, & Nagendra, 2010). Yoga was also found to have a beneficial effect

on perceived stress, coping and experience of positive and negative affect (Permith-Levine, 2014).

In a comparative study (Gupta & Sawane, 2012) on the effects of yoga and swimming on pulmonary

functions, it was found that swimming had a slight edge as compared to yogic exercises. The inclusion

of physiologists in the team of yoga researchers has led to a significant increase in the credibility of

yoga thanks to the physiological measures that act to verify and justify the psychological effects felt by

the yoga practitioner. But there are many studies that support yoga in the treatment of rheumatoid

arthritis (Telles, Naveen, Gaur & Balkrishna, 2011), stress management (Kirkwood, Rampes, Tuffrey, &

Piklington, 2005), decreasing heart rate & systolic and diastolic blood pressure (Selvamurthy et. al.

998,) and decreasing anxiety (Michalsen et. al. 2005; West et.al. 2004), and increasing feelings of

emotional, social, and spiritual well-being (Moadel et.al. 2007).

Brown and Gerbarg (2005) in a paper ono Sudarshan kriya Yogic breathing in the treatment of stress

developed a neurophysiologic model. This model integrated research on yoga with polyvagal theory,

vagal stimulation, hyperventilation and clinical observations. Based on research they explained how

slow breathing had an impact on the autonomic nervous system. They compared to this breathing to

animal studies which indicated this breathing occurs in threatening situations for animals but for humans

occurred in non-threatening situations as well. During slow breathing people feel calm but alert and

attentive.

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is an adaptive system that mobilizes energy for “fight or flight”

behaviours. Bhastrika, a form of breathing technique enhances the SNS reserves and the capacity to

continue functioning effectively over time as opposed to becoming depleted and in reaction to multiple-

stressors becoming hyper-reactive or hypo-reactive.

Method

The study used a pre and post experimental design across an experimental and control group. There

were thirty students each in experimental and control groups. Results of anxiety as measured by

Becks’ Anxiety Inventory were evaluated before intervention and after intervention thus creating a pre

and post experimental design. The following hypotheses were generated:

Hypotheses

There will be a statistical difference in the pre-test & post-test BAI scores for the experimental

group.

There will be no difference in the pre-test & post-test BAI scores for the control group.

Participants

The participants were 120 females of a suburban Mumbai college 18-20 year olds studying in the arts

stream. None of the participants were from the psychology stream and had no prior experience with

yoga. The participants were invited after explaining to them that they would have to make a commitment

of one month and perform the tasks as assigned. Mean age of the participants was 19.1 years.

Materials

Becks Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was used to assess the anxiety levels of the students and after the

intervention program. BAI (Beck, Epstein, Brown & Steer, 1988) is a 21-item scale that showed high

internal consistency (á = .92) and test–retest reliability over 1 week, r (81) = .75.

Yoga Exercises or Asanas

The following exercises were taught to the students by a trained yoga teacher. The exercises were

selected on the basis of the benefits that could be provided in the reduction of anxiety & fatigue and

also increase in concentration.

. Prithvi Mudra - Touch Ring Finger to Thumb

Prithvi Mudra helps to strengthen the body and alleviates fatigue. It also helps to open the mind and

frees it from irrational prejudices and beliefs. Practicing this Mudra also helps to foster self-confidence

and belief in the self.

. Anulomvilom - This is a breathing exercise meant to purify the body as well as the mind. It reduces

stress and has physiological benefits

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International Peer-Reviewed Journal

RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014

. Bhramari – This calms the mind by settling the flight or fight response pattern. It also claims to lower

blood pressure and aids in healing the body tissues.Keep your finger on your ears & make Honey bee

sound.

. Bhastrika Pranayama - This rhythmic inhalation and exhalation stimulates the circulation of cerebral

fluid, creating compression and decompression in the brain. Rhythmic diaphragm movements stimulate

heart & lung muscles improving blood circulation. Accelerated blood circulation and rate of gas

exchange in each cell produces heat and washes out gases.

. Simhasana or Lion Position - This position benefits the face and the throat. It improves posture

prevents sagging of the throat and development of wrinkles and can therefore be considered to have

aesthetic benefits which are the priority for most young girls.

. Abdominal Breathing - By expanding the lung’s air pockets and improving the flow of blood and

lymph, abdominal breathing also helps prevent infection of the lung and other tissues. But most of all

it is an excellent tool to stimulate the relaxation response that results in less tension and an overall

sense of well being.

All the above stated benefits are according to the Yoga teacher and have found echoes in magazines,

journals and web sites related to Yoga.

Procedure

The participants were first briefed about the study. The BAI was administered to the group. Thirty

students were randomly selected as control group. The remaining thirty were taught the asanas through

demonstration. Each participant also performed the asanas before the Yoga experimenter to ensure

that they had clearly understood the technique of performing the asanas. Once the experimenter was

certain that the students were sure about what they had to do, they were instructed to perform these

six exercises everyday early morning. The students followed the instructions and performed the yoga

asanas or exercises for a thrity day period. At the end of thirty days the BAI was administered to them

once again and the scores were tabulated.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis was carried out using the t-test with time (pre-test, post-test) as the subject factor

for comparison and with the scores on the BAI as the dependent variable.

Results and Discussion

Difference between means was calculated using the SPSS software. The anxiety scores of the EG

before the Yoga intervention (M=32.10) was clearly higher than the anxiety scores after intervention

(

M=17.97) with t(30) = 4.93, p=.000 (two tailed), d = .90. The anxiety scores of the CG before the

Yoga intervention (M=32.10) was found to have increased slightly after the intervention period of 30

days (M=32.47) with t(30) = -.367, p=.878.

The statistically significant result for the experimental group indicates that there has been an impact of

the intervention provided. The effect size is also significantly large and enables us to consider the

intervention program favorably.

The present study adds to the body of research in the field of yoga and anxiety. The population being

restricted largely to female under graduate students ensured comparability between subjects leading

to a largely matched sample. The reduction in anxiety scores with the BAI was dramatic with the fall

being almost fifty percent.

The BAI is largely a measure of physiological symptoms related to anxiety. Therefore the use of Yoga

asanas specifically aimed at reduction of bodily stress was a fruitful effort. The asanas were decided

after understanding the requirements of the students in terms of physical and emotional relief. At the

same time they were concerned that the intervention or should not impact their lifestyle or inconvenience

them.

The entire set of six exercises took about fifteen minutes in a day. Encouraging students to perform

them on a daily basis in the early hours of the day was a challenge which was met by following up

regularly. The above study although conducted with a limited sample, was justified by the success rate

observed by the researchers and the participants. All those who were part of the experimental group

expressed an easing up of life in general. Although they were unable to clearly articulate what changed

specifically, they had no doubt that performing these asanas regularly had great physical & psychological

benefits thereby leading to a better quality of life.

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International Peer-Reviewed Journal

RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014

Limitations

The sample size could be considered a concern. There was also a possibility that the students being

mindful of their Yoga routine also developed a healthier attitude simply because of the Hawthorne

effect (Mayo, 1945). Some of the challenges of yoga research as expounded by (Brown et. Al., 2005)

like designing sham controls, double blinding, fully documenting yoga procedures obtaining the right

instructors etc. can even be applied to this study. Yet an attempt was made to ensure the presence of

a matched control group and uniformity in the conduction of Yoga asanas.

Conclusion

The above study lends support to the assumptions about the beneficial effects of Yoga. Students can

be empowered by including Yoga as an essential part of their curriculum. More empirical studies

should be conducted to understand the applications and benefits of Yoga in the student community.

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http://udini.proquest.com/view/differences-in-perceived-stress-goid:304845628/

Dr. Cicilia Chettiar : Head, Dept. of Psychology, Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, Mumbai

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