Pranayama Meditation (Yoga Breathing) for Stress Relief: Is it Beneficial for Teachers?

A five-week pranayama meditation (yoga breathing) course, with one 60-minute weekly class focusing on breath awareness, reduced perceived stress in participants. The exploratory mixed-methods case study used the Perceived Stress Scale before and after the course, weekly journal reflections, and a final structured interview. Participants reported lower perceived stress and benefits in both their professional and personal lives. The findings suggest that such a brief breathing-based meditation program can help relieve stress for teachers.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The effects of stress can have a significant impact on an individual’s personal life, relationship with colleagues, job satisfaction and career prospects. If unmanaged, stress can be the trigger that drives talented, motivated teachers out of our classrooms and into other professions. Yoga and meditation have been prescribed as a form of complementary alternative medicine for the treatment of stress, anxiety and depression. The current exploratory, mixed-methods case study aimed to determine if the participants in a five-week pranayama meditation (yoga breathing) course experienced a degree of stress relief. The course included one 60-minute weekly meditation class focusing on breath awareness. The Perceived Stress Scale was administered pre and post-course, weekly journal reflections were recorded, and a structured interview was completed at the conclusion of the course. Findings indicated that the participants experienced a decrease in their perceived level of stress. Participants reported benefits in both their professional and personal lives.