The Impact of Yoga Nidra and Seated Meditation on the Mental Health of College Professors.
Camila Ferreira-Vorkapic, Claudio Joaquim Borba-Pinheiro, Murilo Marchioro, Daniel Santana
International Journal of Yoga 2018 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_57_17 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | College professors, men and women, aged 30 to 55 years |
| Interventions | Yoga Nidra seated meditation |
| Duration | 3-month study period |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | College Yoga Mental health Professor |
| Key findings | Both Yoga Nidra and seated meditation reduced anxiety and stress relative to a control group over three months, but neither intervention outperformed the control on depression. Yoga Nidra showed a tendency toward greater effectiveness for anxiety, improving both cognitive and physiological symptoms, while seated meditation improved only the physical component of anxiety. |
Abstract
World statistics for the prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders shows that a great number of individuals will experience some type of anxiety or mood disorder at some point in their lifetime. Mind-body interventions such as Hatha Yoga and seated meditation have been used as a form of self-help therapy and it is especially useful for challenging occupations such as teachers and professors. In this investigation, we aimed at observing the impact of Yoga Nidra and seated meditation on the anxiety and depression levels of college professors. Sixty college professors, men and women, aged between 30 and 55 years were randomly allocated in one of the three experimental groups: Yoga Nidra, seated meditation, and control group. Professors were evaluated two times throughout the 3-month study period. Psychological variables included anxiety, stress, and depression. Data analysis showed that the relaxation group presented better intragroup results in the anxiety levels. Meditation group presented better intragroup results only in the anxiety variable (physical component). Intergroup analysis showed that, except for the depression levels, both intervention groups presented better results than the control group in all other variables. Prepost results indicate that both interventions represent an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety and stress levels. However, there was a tendency toward a greater effectiveness of the Yoga Nidra intervention regarding anxiety, which might represent an effective tool in reducing both cognitive and physiological symptoms of anxiety.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Functional connectivity changes in meditators and novices during yoga nidra practice. Scientific Reports June 5, 2024
- Brain Connectivity Changes in Meditators and Novices during Yoga Nidra: A Novel fMRI Study bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 16, 2023
- Yoga Nidra Versus Music Therapy for Sleep and Mental Well-being in Post-COVID-19 Hospitalised Patients: A Three-arm Randomised Controlled Trial Annals of Neurosciences July 7, 2026
- Effectiveness of Yoga-based guided meditation In Improving the quality of sleep in patients with coronary artery disease: The Yoga Nidra Trial American Journal of Preventive Cardiology July 1, 2026
- Integrating Yoga and Mindfulness in the Management of Internet Gaming Disorder: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions. Current Psychiatry Reports September 9, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 6
- Transforming Trauma: A Qualitative Feasibility Study of Integrative Restoration (iRest) Yoga Nidra on Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder International Journal of Yoga Therapy September 1, 2011
- Three-Year Follow-up and Clinical Implications of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Stress Reduction Intervention in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders International Journal of Yoga Therapy 1998
- Reducing the symptomatology of panic disorder: the effects of a yoga program alone and in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2014
- Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback June 1, 2010
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as an Adjunct to Outpatient Psychotherapy Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2005
and 1 more in the library