Mapping Changes in Executive Functioning, Emotion Regulation and Wellbeing Indicators During COVID-19 Second Wave in India: Investigating Psychological Effectiveness of a Short-Online, Advanced Yoga and Meditation Program
Garima Rajan, Kamlesh Singh
Medical - Clinical - Research December 2, 2025 DOI: 10.52106/3069-9088.1004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 32 |
| Population | Adults participating in an online advanced yoga and meditation program during the COVID-19 pandemic (11 men, 21 women; mean age 38.12 years) |
| Intervention | Yoga and meditation program |
| Duration | Four-day program; pre-post assessment |
| Measures | Stroop test, Go/No-go task, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Version, Multidimensional Flourishing Scale, Peace of Mind Scale, Harmony in Life Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Following a four-day online advanced yoga and meditation program, participants showed statistically significant improvements in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and selective attention, greater use of cognitive reappraisal and less use of expressive suppression, and significant increases in overall flourishing, harmony in life, and peace of mind. The authors argue this demonstrates the effectiveness of short online yoga- and meditation-based programs for emotion regulation, executive functioning, and well-being. |
Abstract
The present study sought to examine the changes in executive functioning, emotion regulation, and other positive psychological outcomes among participants following their completion of a four-day online advanced yoga and meditation program conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 32 participants (11 men and 21 women; Mage = 38.12 years; SD = 9.65) who completed the standardized Stroop test and Go/No-go task for executive functioning assessment. Participants also responded to Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire- Short Version, Multidimensional Flourishing Scale, Peace of Mind Scale, and Harmony in Life Scale through the Android smartphone app, PsyEx, in a pre–post-test design. The results of pre–post test scores using paired t-test on Stroop task showed statistically significant improvement for inhibitory control or response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and selective attention from the online advanced yoga and meditation program. The results also revealed that the participants made significantly greater use of cognitive reappraisal strategy for emotion regulation and reported significantly lower use of expressive suppression emotion regulation strategy after the advanced yoga and meditation program. The study findings also revealed a significant improvement in overall flourishing, harmony in life, and peace of mind among participants following the short, intensive online advanced yoga and meditation program. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of short, online yoga- and meditation-based programs in improving emotional regulation, executive functioning, and overall well-being. Furthermore, the study provides robust evidence supporting the integration of yoga- and meditation-based programs as effective psychological interventions for diverse populations.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |