Examination of Yoga on Heart Rate Variability and Mindfulness Levels
Esin Kaplan, Abdurrahman Aktop
Turkish Journal of Sport and Exercise July 21, 2023 DOI: 10.15314/tsed.1295102 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Women who did and did not practice yoga, mean age 30.25 years |
| Intervention | Yoga |
| Measures | SDNN, RMSSD, MeanHR, LF/HF, coherence, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Women who practiced yoga had significantly higher SDNN, lower mean heart rate, and higher mindfulness scores than non-practitioners, while RMSSD, LF/HF, and coherence did not differ significantly. The authors conclude that yoga increases heart rate variability and supports mindfulness, but the cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. |
Abstract
The aim of the study is to examine the effect of yoga practices on heart rate variability and mindfulness levels. A total of 52 women who did and didn’t do yoga (Mean age= 30.25±5.58) voluntarily participated in the study. Heart rate variability was measured using the HeartMath brand emWave Pro+. Using the Emwave Pro device, the resting heart rate variability measurements were taken for 5 minutes in the sitting position. For this study, SDNN, RMSSD, MeanHR, LF/HF, and coherence parameters were evaluated. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) was used to determine the mindfulness levels of the participants. According to the findings, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the yoga group in the levels of SDNN (p>.005), meanHR (p>.020), and awareness (p>.041)”. There is no significant difference in RMSSD (P =.050), LF/HF (P <.232), and Coherence (P <.718) parameters. As a result, yoga practices increase HRV. It is also an application that helps women to improve their mindfulness level.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |