Effect of Short-term Yoga Practices on Physical and Mental Well-Being of Youth

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1 Abstract Effect of Short-term Yoga Practices on Physica and Menta We-Being of Youth AMITHA SEHGAL Associate Professor Department of Commerce R. A. Podar Coege of Commerce & Economics Matunga, Mumbai Te.: / The ancient science of yoga has gained goba acceptance as a means for physica, emotiona and spiritua heath. This study used a -after experimenta design to test the efficacy of a short-term yoga programme on students of commerce and business in the age group The study concudes that yoga has a cear positive effect on body posture, stress eves and overa fitness of the young aduts. It makes a strong case of further impementation and penetration of the The Ministry of AYUSH (Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), Common Yoga Protoco training for coege and university teachers. Keywords: yoga, youth, common yoga protoco, Ministry of AYUSH, Internationa Yoga Day Paper Type: Experimenta Focus Group Introduction The Internationa Yoga Day, June 21st brought into focus the importance of integrating the ancient science of yoga into the mainstream education system in India. On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations Genera Assemby decared June 21st as the Internationa Day of Yoga. The decaration came after the ca for the adoption of June 21st as Internationa Day of Yoga by Hon'be Indian Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi during his address to UN Genera Assemby on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: "Yoga is an invauabe gift of India's ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fufiment; harmony between man and nature; a hoistic approach to heath and we-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yoursef, the word and the nature. In Suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Sostice, as the Internationa Day of Yoga, Shri. Narendra Modi had said that, "the date is the ongest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has specia significance in many parts of the word. The goa of modern education has been to equip students for a iveihood. But it has remained argey inadequate to teach students to ive in a heathy and hoistic manner. A current forms of education give knowedge of the skis required to survive in the outside word. In contrast, yoga is an experientia science that heps in understanding the body and mind, to unfod an understanding of sef-knowedge. The utimate goa of human ife is to ive in harmony, be at peace and be happy. The Word Heath Organisation (WHO) defines heath as: A state of compete physica, menta and socia we-being and not merey absence of disease or infirmity, (WHO, 1946). PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

2 Sehga Framework of Study Objective The aim of the study was to study the effect of a short-term yoga practice programme on the state of mind and body of young students studying business and commerce. Subjects: The study is based on data coected on 23 students (12 Femae and 11 Mae) from R. A. Podar Coege of Commerce & Economics Coege, Mumbai, age range 18 to 21, who were interested in attending the yoga programme on a vountary basis. 40 students were recruited initiay and given an introductory session on the theory and goas of yoga aong with meditation. But, due to some reason or the other, ony 23 students consistenty participated in the programme. Yoga Programme Design: The Common Yoga Protoco designed by The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India was foowed precisey. The 10-day programme was conducted in a coege cass room for a duration of around one hour and 30 minutes, from a.m. to 1.00 p.m, from June 10th, 2016 to June 20th, Study Design: A random, sma sampe was used with a structured pre and post questionnaire administered to the sampe. The questionnaire had a mix of cosed-ended and open-ended questions. The Common Yoga Programme Schedue The students were briefed about the programme on June 10th at an orientation cum meditation session where the video on the Common Yoga Protoco was shown and questions answered. Instructions reating to preparation for the course with respect to cothes, food habits and timings were shared with around 60 students. From the next day June 11th the programme began in right earnest. The Common Yoga Protoco was taught as per the foowing sequence: Day One: The students assembed in a room on the 3rd foor where arrangements appropriate for yoga were made. The session started at sharp. The researcher distributed the questionnaires which were to be fied by the students with basic detais and basic information: Breath rate, Puse rate, height, weight, seeping habits, moods, etc. The session started with a shoka and an introduction about knowing the sef. The students earnt to be with their own seves. Then they were taught to count the number of breaths and their puse rate for one minute, sitting in Sukhasana. The students were expained the importance of breath, Prana. Our body thrives on breath hence it becomes very important for us to understand our breath the ife giver. This was foowed by Stretching exercises ike: Neck Rotation exercises, knee bending exercises, torso rotation exercise. The first day of the session ended with a shoka. Day Two: The second day witnessed a few more students as compared to the previous day. The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. A few new asanas were practiced: Tadasana The Mountain Pose, Vrikshasana The Pam Tree Pose, Uttanasana The Forward Bending Pose. 122 PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

3 Sehga Day Three: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas earnt on the previous day were practiced. A few more asanas were earnt: ArdhaChakrasana The Backward Bending Pose, Trikonasana The Triange Pose, Dandasana The Aert Pose, Badhakonasana The Butterfy Pose. Day Four: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas earnt on the previous day were practiced.. A few more asanas were earnt: Vajrasana The Thunderbot Pose, Shashankasana The Hare Pose, Ustrasana The Came Pose, Sukhasana The Peasant Pose. Day Five: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas earnt on the previous day were practiced. A few more asanas were earnt: Vakrasana The Twisted Pose, Bhujangasana The Cobra Pose, Shaabhasana The Locust Pose. Day Six: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas earnt on the previous day were practiced. A few more asanas were earnt: Setu Bandhasana The Bridge Pose, Pavanmuktasana The Abdomina Toxins Reieving Pose, Shavasana The Corpse Pose, Sukhasana The Peasant Pose. Day Seven: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas earnt on the previous day were practiced. Then Pranayamas were earnt: Kapabhati Pranayama The Intuition garnering practice, Anuomviom pranayama The Aternate Breathing practice, Bhramahri Pranayama The Bumbe Bee Humming Breathing practice, Aong with Nasika Mudra and Gyan Mudra. Day Eight: The session started with the shoka foowed by the stretching exercises. The asanas and Pranayamas earnt on the previous days were practiced. Day Nine: The students mastered their Yoga practice and poses and aso the pranayamas. They started gearing up for the Internationa Yoga Day. PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

4 Sehga Day Ten: The 10th Day was a run through for the Internationa Yoga day. The students assembed in the coege auditorium and performed the Yoga asanas, the way they woud do the foowing day. Again the forms were asked to be fied just ike day one and the students noticed an immense difference in their breathing habits, behavior and state of mind. The session and aso the 10 Day workshop ended with a heathy, deicious sattvic bhe, bananas and sweets treat. By now the students and the professor were a ike a mini yoga famiy, Happy in Yoga. Limitations of Study Sampe size was sma. The time duration was short. For a better research design it is necessary to have two separate groups of subjects: an experimenta group and a contro group and an increase in the duration of the study. Resuts and Observations No. Attendance Student No. Day 1 Day 10 Breathing Rate (breaths per minute) Stress Leves Tabe 1 Feedback on the Various Personaity Aspects of the Students Anger/Temper Outbursts Anxiety/Fear Sef Confidence Overa Fitness Leve Positivity Inter-persona Reationships Seep Quaity Appetite/ Eating Habits J J J K J J J J J J J J J K J J J J K J J J K J J J K K J J J J K K J J K J J J J J J J J J J K K J J J K J J J J J J J J J K K J J K J K J J L K J K J J J K J Abs 16 J J J J J J K J J J J J K K J J K J K J J J J J J J J K J J K J J K J J J J K J J J K K K J J K K J J J K J J J K K J J J J K K K J K K J J Abs 12 K J K K K J K J J J Bank Bank J J J K K J K J J J Bank 18 J K J J K K K J K J K K L Bank Bank J Bank Bank Bank J K L L K J J J J J J J J K K K J K J J J Bank 15 J J K K Bank J K J K Bank Bank 16 J K K K J J K J K K Body Posture 124 PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

5 Sehga Tabe 2 Resuts Nos. Students with Attendance Stress Leves Anger / Temper Outbursts Anxiety / Fear Sef Confidence Overa Fittness Leve Positivity Inter-persona Reationships Seep Quaity Appetite / Eating Habits Body Posture J J J J J J J J J J % age Lesser Lesser Lesser Better Better fufi ing Better 1 to % 88% 94% 38% 44% 75% 100% 50% 63% 17 to % 72% 43% 29% 14% 29% 86% 14% 86% 56% 43% 100% 57% An anaysis of the above tabes reveas the foowing effects of the short-term yoga session on the 23 students: A students who fied out the form on the first and ast day experienced a reduction in their breathing rate. They experienced sower breathing/per minute. 19 out of 23 students students fet ess stressed. 18 out of 23 students fet ess angry or had fewer temper outbursts. 8 out of 23 students had ess anxiety 8 out of 23 students fet more confident 15 out of 23 students fet more fit overa. 22 out of 23 students fet more positive. 9 out of 23 students fet their inter-persona reationships had improved. 16 out of 23 students experienced better quaity of seep. 12 out of 23 students had more satisfying eating/appetite behavior. 22 out of 23 students experienced a better body posture. Further, if the resuts are co-reated with attendance patterns (Tabe 2), the foowing observations are made: Students with 50 to 100 per cent attendance 88 per cent fet ess stress 94 per cent fet ess anger 38 per cent fet ess anxious 44 per cent fet more confident 75 per cent fet better overa fitness PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

6 Sehga 100 per cent fet more positive 50 per cent fet better inter-persona reationships 63 per cent had better seep quaity 56 per cent had more fufiing eating patterns 100 per cent had better body posture. Students with 30 to 50 per cent attendance 72 per cent fet ess stress 43 per cent fet ess anger 29 per cent fet ess anxious 14 per cent fet more confident 29 per cent fet better overa fitness 86 per cent fet more positive 14 per cent fet better inter-persona reationships 86 per cent had better seep quaity 43 per cent had more fufiing eating patterns 57 per cent had better body posture. The above anaysis reveas that yoga has a desired effect on improving positivity in attitude and outook towards ife. Even a short-term programme heps students to gain better body awareness and posture. It aso heps them reduce stress. Severa studies vaidate this observation that yoga improves positivity in the personaity and reduces stress, (Bhushan, L.I., 1994; Hafner-Hoter, Gunther, 2009; 23(4):244-8); Kamakhya, 2006); Ramadoss R., Bose, B., (2010). Some of the responses to the open-ended question: What did you ike best about the yoga sessions? are summarized as under: My menta tension was greaty reduced; My head fees ess jumbed and stress-free; It made me fee positive, fit and reduced unwanted stress; Asanas made me fee better ; With the camness yoga gives, I was abe to devote time for mysef; I fee a positive energy within mysef; I fee a change of mind and body - fee good; It is more menta physica, so after yoga I fee more energized exhausted; Usuay I woud get tired after casses but after doing yoga and then going to cass I did not get tired, I sti fet energetic; Fet more focused; It brings out the new in me, it cams me down and makes me meet a new me; For the first time I fet my breathing rate and puse rate; 126 PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN:

7 Sehga The best part about these yoga sessions is that I earnt the art of etting go. I reaized there were a ot of unnecessary things I was hoding back, which did not make way for the new. But now I fee ighter; Demonstrating and practicing yoga with our Principa, Dr. Shobana Vasudevan and teachers and st more 100 students on June 21, the Internationa Day of Yoga, was an encouraging experience and gave us greater confidence. 100 per cent of students said yes to the question: Woud you ike to continue practicing yoga? Concusions and Recommendations The study supports the vision of Hon'be Indian Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi that the ancient science of yoga must become a part of peopes ifestye for heath, vitaity and peace. It aso vaidates The University of Mumbai s initiative to train teachers of the University and coeges affiiated to the University. To integrate yoga with our ifestye, it must be taught to students by mainstream teachers, not just professiona yoga teachers. Learning from their core subject teachers gives students a perspective on how yoga is not another activity but a way of ife. It aso creates a specia bond between students and teachers and heps teachers become mentors and counseors. The study recommends that a greater number of teachers must be trained in the Common Yoga Protoco. Whie ack of space and time makes it difficut for most coeges to conduct yoga sessions on a reguar basis, a few yoga practices ike stretches, pranayama and breath awareness can be integrated during the reguar ecture hours, especiay in the first ecture of the day. References Bhushan, L.I. (1994). A yogic mode of menta heath, Indian Journa of Psychoogica Issues, 1(3), 1-5. Kumar, Kamakhya (2008). A study of the impact on stress and anxiety through yoga nidra, Indian Journa of Traditiona Knowedge, Vo.7 No.3. Hafner-Hoter, S., Kopp, M., Gunther, V. The effects of fitness training and yoga on we-being, stress, socia competence and body image, Neuropsychiatric, 2009; 23(4): Ramadoss R., Bose, B., (2010). Transformative Life Skis: Piot Study of a Yoga Mode for Reduced Stress and Improving Sef-Contro in Vunerabe Youth, Internationa Journa of Yoga Therapy: 2010, Vo. 20, No. 1, pp u u u PODAR PRABODHAN Vo. 4 ISSN: