Structured Yoga and Meditation Practices from the Indian Knowledge System: Effects on Mental Well-being of Trainee Teachers
Geeta Pathak, Anita Sharma
International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research October 2, 2025 DOI: 10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.57064 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 94 |
| Population | Pre-service teachers at a Delhi college |
| Intervention | structured six-week yoga program |
| Duration | Six-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psychological intervention Mental health Relevance law Action physics Intervention counseling Psychological resilience Scale ratio Medical education Psychotherapist Applied psychology Control management Clinical psychology Pedagogy |
| Key findings | Participants in the six-week yoga program demonstrated significantly higher levels of mental well-being compared to the control group. |
Abstract
The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) constitutes one of the most enduring and comprehensive traditions of learning, encompassing disciplines such as mathematics, medicine, philosophy, arts, and spirituality. Unlike contemporary compartmentalized frameworks, IKS emphasizes the interdependence of knowledge domains and their role in fostering individual and collective well-being. Central to this system are practices such as yoga and meditation, which contribute to physical health, mental clarity, and self-awareness. In recent years, efforts have been made to integrate IKS with modern education, aiming to create holistic pedagogical models that address present-day challenges while preserving the depth of traditional wisdom. The present study investigated the impact of IKS-based practices on the mental health of pupil teachers through an action research approach in a Delhi college. Employing a quasi-experimental design, 45 pre-service teachers participated in a structured six-week yoga program (experimental group), while 49 peers formed the control group without intervention. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), a validated instrument for assessing psychological well-being, was administered at two points: prior to the intervention and after the completion of the program.Results indicated that participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher levels of mental well-being compared to those in the control group. These findings suggest that structured yoga programs can serve as effective interventions for enhancing the emotional health of future educators. The study underscores the relevance of IKS practices such as yoga and meditation in contemporary teacher education and advocates their integration into curricular activities to promote resilience and holistic well-being among pre-service teachers.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |