The effects of a complex yoga-based intervention on healthy psychological functioning

Author: Adam Koncz1,2, Eszter Nagy3, Barbara Csala1, János Körmendi1,2,4, Vera Gál1,2, Csilla Suhaj1,2, Csongor Selmeci5, Ágota Selmeciné Bogdán5, Szilvia Boros1, Ferenc Köteles6,2
Affiliation:
1 Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
2 Ádám György Psychophysiology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
3 Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
4 Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
5 Magyar Jóga Társaság/Hungarian Yoga Society, Veszprém, Hungary.
6 Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.
Conference/Journal: Front Psychol
Date published: 2023 Mar 30
Other: Volume ID: 14 , Pages: 1120992 , Special Notes: doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120992. , Word Count: 180


Background:
Yoga based interventions were found to have a positive impact on various indicators of psychological functioning, such as perceived stress, satisfaction with life, positive and negative affectivity. Additionally, such interventions improved bodily or interoceptive awareness and spirituality.

Methods:
The present study assessed the effects of a 3-month long complex yoga-based intervention compared to a passive control group in a Hungarian community sample. The final sample consisted of 44 intervention (Mage = 47.5, SD = = 8.76) and 29 control participants (Mage = 47.4, SD = 9.47). The aforementioned constructs were measured 1 week before and after the intervention.

Results:
The intervention reduced participants' perceived stress (p = <0.001, ηp 2 = 0.153) and negative affectivity (p = 0.019, ηp 2 = 0.113), improved spirituality (p = 0.048, ηp 2 = 0.054) and various aspects of interoceptive awareness such as noticing (p = <0.001, ηp 2 = 0.169) attention regulation (p = <0.001, ηp 2 = 0.211), self-regulation (p = 0.002, ηp 2 = 0.190) body listening (p = 0.010, ηp 2 = 0.097), trusting (p = 0.026, ηp 2 = 0.070), but did not impact positive affectivity and satisfaction with life.

Conclusion:
A 3-months long complex yoga-based intervention has a positive impact on many aspects of healthy psychological functioning.

Keywords: interoceptive awareness; positive and negative affect; satisfaction with life; spirituality; stress; yoga-based intervention.

PMID: 37063561 PMCID: PMC10097994 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120992

BACK