Does Practicing Only Yoga Asanas Impact Executive Functioning, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Well-Being Among College Students with Anxiety and Depression? An Exploratory Study in India

Abstract

The current study aimed to document the psychological benefits (if any) of hatha yoga on emotion regulation, emotional well-being and executive functioning in college students with depression and anxiety disorders. 83 participants (31 Males and 52 Females), 19 in Clinical Experimental (yoga practitioners with anxiety and depression), 21 in Clinical Control (non-yoga practitioners with anxiety and depression), 19 in Non-Clinical Experimental (yoga practitioners without anxiety and depression) and 24 in Non-Clinical Control (non-yoga practitioners of yoga without anxiety and depression) were recruited in the present study. Participants were assessed on emotional regulation, emotional well-being and executive functioning. The one-way ANOVA analysis on the four groups for different variables showed no significant differences. The results could be because practicing yoga asanas only as a fitness regime do not suffice to bring about changes in psychological processes as Hatha yoga focuses only on physical asanas (Csala et al., 2021). Conclusively, an inclusive approach of yoga, meditation and positive practices are important to bring about affective changes in participants’ emotional well-being and emotion regulation (Bhide et al., 2021).