THE MIND-BREATH CONNECTION: DHEERGHA SWASAM AS A CATALYST FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
S Nagarajan, K Subbulakshmi, S Vidhya Shankari, G Raghuram
Adolescência e Saúde June 10, 2026 DOI: 10.67440/ahj.v21i3s.1289 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Female postgraduate students in Chennai, India, aged 21 to 25 |
| Interventions | Yogic practices with Dheergha Swasam Yogic practices without Dheergha Swasam |
| Duration | 12 weeks, 60 minutes per session, five days per week |
| Measures | WHO-5 Well-being Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Diaphragmatic breathing Randomized controlled trial Mental health Promotion chess Breathing exercises Psychological well-being Physical therapy Clinical psychology Scale ratio Psychological intervention |
| Key findings | Adding Dheergha Swasam to a 12-week yoga program significantly improved mindfulness, self-esteem, and psychological well-being compared to yoga alone and no intervention, with large effect sizes for well-being and self-esteem. Yoga alone also outperformed the control. |
Abstract
Few randomized studies have isolated the incremental contribution of Dheergha Swasam (deep diaphragmatic breathing), a fundamental yoga technique thought to promote the psychological benefits of asana-based practice in student groups. In this three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial, female postgraduate students in Chennai, India, were asked if a 12-week yoga practice program that included Dheergha Swasam improved their mindfulness, self-esteem and psychological well-being more than an identical program without diaphragmatic breathing or no structured intervention. 150 eligible female college students the ages of 21 to 25 were divided in to three groups at random: Group I (Yogic Practices with Dheergha Swasam, n = 50), Group II (Yogic Practices without Dheergha Swasam, n = 50) and Group III (no-intervention control, n = 50). For 12 weeks, 60 minutes sessions took place five days a week. The WHO-5 Well-being Index, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were used to measure psychological well-being, self-esteem and mindfulness, at baseline and after the intervention. All three outcomes showed statistically significant between group differences in change scores (all p < 0.001), with moderate to large effects for mindfulness (partial η2 = 0.425), large effect sizes for psychological well-being (partial η2 = 0.661) and self-esteem (partial η2 = 0.673). Group I considerably outperformed Group II and Group III on all measures, according to Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc comparisons, but Group II also did better than the control group. These results support the incorporation of deep diaphragmatic breathing in campus-based mental health promotion programs for young female college students by indicating that including it in to a structured yoga protocol offers additional psychological benefits beyond asana practice alone.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |