Effect of yogic breathing practice on all-round well-being of teenagers.

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical life period that marks the transition into adulthood. This novel study aims to evaluate the benefits of 4- day intervention, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a breathing technique, on the emotional, mental, and cognitive health of teenagers. Open label trial tests were administered at pre-intervention, immediately after SKY, and after 40 days of SKY practice. Cognitive abilities of 275 adolescents were tested using the Six letter cancellation test. Mental well-being was assessed using the World Health Organization-five Index (WHO-5), and Emotional well-being using the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) questionnaire. The Results were analyzed using a paired-sample t test. The results showed an improvement in cognitive abilities for 71% of the study population as measured by the six-letter cancellation test, better mental health scores for 86%, and better SDQ scores for 95% of the population after SKY practice.