Effect of Asanas, Meditation and Pranayama on Physiological and Psychological Variables of College-level Students
Debajyoti Acharyya, Srikanta Mishra
Indian Journal of YOGA Exercise & Sport Science and Physical Education July 24, 2024 DOI: 10.58914/ijyesspe.2024-9.spl.9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | College-level students |
| Interventions | Yogasana Meditation Pranayama |
| Topics | Breathwork Meditation |
| Key points | The text proposes that yoga, meditation, and pranayama practice may influence physiological and psychological variables in college students, and frames psychological fitness as measurable through anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem, satisfaction, relationships, responsibility, and competence. It offers definitions of asana and pranayama but reports no results. |
Abstract
The objective of this study was to find out the influence of Yogasana, Meditation and Pranayama practice on the Physiological and Psychological variables of College-level Students, Psychological fitness — or mental health — can be measured by assessing levels of anxiety, depression, stress, self-esteem, satisfaction, positive relationships, responsibility and competence. A person with high anxiety levels and poor relationships is not as psychologically fit as someone with low anxiety levels and rich relationships. And like ‘workouts’ that improve physical fitness, there are exercises that improve psychological fitness. The definition of health-related fitness involves exercise activities that you do to try to improve your physical health and stay healthy, particularly in the categories of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, muscular endurance and body composition. Yoga is a holistic science of universal applicability and adaptability. Although originated in India, Yoga and meditation are being practiced throughout the world. The rather consistent and wide range of benefits and applications of yoga and meditation led numerous multi-disciplinary researchers to conduct research in these areas. An “Asana” is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, to any type of position, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses. “Pranayama” is control of Breath”. “Prana” is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and “ayama” means control. So Pranayama is “Control of Breath”.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on breathwork, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breathwork as a Therapeutic Modality: An Overview for Counselors | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Breathwork in body psychotherapy: Clinical applications | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Enhancement of inter-hemispheric brain waves synchronisation after Pranayama practice | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Relationship and Mechanism Underlying the Effect of Conscious Breathing on the Autonomic Nervous System and Brain Waves | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Holotropic Breathwork, Second Edition | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |