The influence of hatha yoga on stress, anxiety, and suppression: A randomized controlled trial.
Bence Szaszkó, Rebecca Rosa Schmid, Ulrich Pomper, Mira Maiworm, Sophia Laiber, Hannah Tschenett, Urs Markus Nater, Ulrich Ansorge
Acta psychologica November 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104075
Summary
Engaging in Hatha Yoga for eight weeks significantly reduced self-reported stress and stress reactivity among 98 healthy participants aged 18 to 40. Those who practiced yoga reported improved mindfulness, while the waitlist group showed no such benefits. Notably, the intervention did not enhance participants' ability to suppress distractions, indicating that while yoga positively influences mental health, it does not directly affect cognitive functions related to distraction management. These findings highlight yoga's potential as a valuable tool for enhancing well-being amidst daily stressors.
Abstract
Engaging in yoga may mitigate stress and anxiety in individuals while potentially enhancing one's capacity to manage distractions. Our research aimed to explore the relation between these two outcomes: Can an eight-week yoga program foster distraction suppression, thereby reducing stress and discomfort? To answer this question, we used Hatha Yoga, the most commonly practiced form of yoga. We tested if the intervention improved participants' ability to suppress distractions and selectively decrease self-reported stress and stress reactivity. In Addition, we investigated whether such an intervention would increase participants' mindfulness. Our study included 98 healthy yoga novices between 18 and 40 years who were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a waitlist condition, with each participant completing pre- and post-intervention assessments, including questionnaires, as well as electrophysiological and behavioral measures. After eight weeks of yoga practice, significant reductions in self-reported stress and stress reactivity levels, as well as increased mindfulness, were observed among those participating in the intervention relative to those in the waitlist control group. There were, however, no significant changes in state or trait anxiety due to the intervention. Changes in stress measures could not be explained by changes in participants' ability to suppress distractors, which was not affected by the intervention. Overall, our findings suggest that regular participation in Hatha Yoga can improve mental health outcomes without impacting cognitive functioning directly related to distractor suppression. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05232422.