The Impact of yoga and meditation in school physical education curricula: A comprehensive review
Thella Vamsi Krishna, N Premkumar
International Journal of Physical Education Sports and Health April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.22271/kheljournal.2026.v13.i4b.4409 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Transformative learning Curriculum Mood Physical education Mental health Psychosocial Cognition Medical education Well-being Psychotherapist Resource disambiguation Applied psychology Martial arts |
| Key findings | Integrating yoga and meditation into school PE curricula improves student well-being and academic outcomes across multiple domains, including stress reduction, mood enhancement, and cognitive development. |
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the integration of yoga and meditation into school Physical Education (PE) curricula, examining their multifaceted impact on student well-being and academic outcomes. Traditional PE programs, primarily focused on physical fitness, often overlook critical mental and emotional health needs. Yoga and meditation, as holistic mind-body practices, address this gap by fostering psychosocial well-being, emotional regulation, and cognitive development. The evidence demonstrates significant benefits across mental, emotional, physical, cognitive, and social domains, including stress and anxiety reduction, mood enhancement, improved self-esteem, enhanced physical fitness, increased concentration, and positive effects on academic performance. Promising outcomes are also observed for neurodiverse student populations. Methodological approaches vary, with systematic reviews highlighting the need for more rigorous research designs, particularly randomized controlled trials, and a greater emphasis on objective outcome measures. Practical implementation strategies emphasize seamless curriculum integration, developmentally appropriate pedagogy, and comprehensive teacher training that includes trauma-informed approaches and personal wellness for educators. Challenges include overcoming student and staff resistance, resource limitations, and the need for more standardized research. The synthesis of findings underscores the transformative potential of these practices in fostering holistic student development, advocating for their thoughtful and strategic integration into contemporary educational frameworks.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |