Promoting Mental Health through Yoga: A Holistic Perspective for Secondary School Education
The Research Dialogue July 7, 2026 Indu Saharan, Priyanka Rani
This theoretical paper argues that yoga should be integrated into secondary school education as a holistic intervention to support adolescent mental health. Drawing on classical yogic philosophy, educational psychology, positive psychology, and empirical literature, it explains how yoga's components—Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana, and relaxation—enhance psychological well-being through physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways. The authors contend that yoga fosters self-regulation, stress management, emotional stability, resilience, attention, and positive relationships, and that structured school-based yoga programs align with holistic education and India's National Education Policy 2020. They conclude that systematic implementation can serve as a preventive and promotive mental health strategy.