Impact of Yogic Practices Including Breathing Techniques on Personality Traits among Middle-Aged Women: A Short Review

Abstract

Middle-aged women often face some burden of career, family, and menopausal transitions, which can disrupt emotional health. While yoga is a known de-stressor, the specific role of yogic breathing (pranayama) regulate core personality dimensions remains less explored. The objective of the present review was to examine how regular yogic breathing practices help develop positive personality traits and maintain emotional stability in middle-aged women. A systematic search was conducted across the databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus. Following a rigorous searching process using the terms such as ‘yogic breathing’, ‘pranayama’, ‘personality traits’ and ‘middle-aged women’, six experimental studies were selected and analysed. Based on the empirical evidences, studies reveal that breathing techniques significantly improve emotional stability by reducing Neuroticism and impulsive behaviours connected with Psychoticism. Practitioners showed a shift toward ‘Sattva’ (balance), which associated with higher emotional regulation and neighbourly, stable Extraversion. Compared to women who do not practice it, those who practice breathing exercises showed less anxiety and better self-control, which helps them stay mentally stable during midlife. It helps reduce nervousness and emotional instability and supports a more balanced and confident nature. So, the current short review may conclude that yogic breathing is a helpful practice for improving the personality traits of middle-aged women. However, in the future, more long-term studies should be done to understand how different breathing techniques affect personality traits development over time.