Yoga - Meditation and Positive Psychology

This book chapter explores the synergy between positive mental health and Yoga and Meditation traditions from India.

The Effect of Yoga Meditation Practice on Young Adults’ Inhibitory Control: An fNIRS Study

Objectives: The present study aimed to test the effect of yoga meditation (YoMed) practice on inhibitory control of young adults.Methods: A total of 50 participants (23 male, 21–28 years old) from a university in Jinan, Shandong Province were enrolled in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a YoMed group or a Control group. Participants’ basic information, physical activity, and inhibitory control were measured. A multi-channel continuous-wave near-infrared spectrometer was used to monitor the brain’s hemodynamic responses.Results: After the intervention, we found significant differences in Flanker tasks between the YoMed group and Control group. The accuracy in the YoMed group was higher than those in the Control group (p < 0.05). Analysis of fNIRS data showed that oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased in the YoMed group during the Flanker tasks after the YoMed intervention.Conclusion: YoMed has a temporarily promoting effect on the brain activation of young adults. It is an effective and appropriate exercise to improve the inhibitory control of young adults.

Guru Persona

This article analyses the construction of the images of two contemporary Indian gurus—Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (SSRS) and Jaggi Vasudev (JV)—and their charismatic authority through a close study of their biographies. The genre, labelled “guruography” by Stephen Jacobs (2016, 61), serves as a useful tool to study the various elements that consolidate the guru’s public profile, enhancing his unique personal or charismatic authority. The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Isha Foundation (IF) headed by Jaggi Vasudev, are both guru-led faith based organizations that have managed to consolidate a significant following worldwide. The gurus serve as thriving examples of living founder-leaders of transnational groups with a specific focus on yoga, meditation, and pranayama (specialized breathing rhythms commonly practiced in yoga). This work analyses guru biographies in order to ascertain their role in influencing a favourable reading of guru charisma, and also to demonstrate the role played by these narratives in generating a shared understanding of the guru. It also discusses the various factors that have a bearing on the overall charismatic appeal of the leaders of faith based groups.

EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON BODY IMAGE OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS

The purpose of this study was to know the Effect of Yoga Meditation on Body Image of visually Impaired Children. For this research researcher has select 40 boys (n= 40) aging 13 to 15 years from Pragati Andha Vidyalaya, Badlapur, Dist. – Thane, Maharashtra. Researcher has used the non-equivalent group design, Group A, (Yoga Meditation group n = 20) treated as experimental group and Group B (Non-Yoga Meditation Group N = 20) treated as a control group. Research has conducted in three phase, Phase I (Pre- test), Phase II (Training for 6 weeks), Phase III (Post Test). To know the status of Body Image, Body Image Inventory by Dr. T. K. Bera (2018) has been used. After posttest Group A (experimental group) has gone through the Integrated Yoga Meditation Training for 6 weeks for 60 min. daily. Post Test has been conducted after the 6 weeks training. All the score were analysis with the help of One- Way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).

Effect of Raja Yoga Meditation on the Distress and Anxiety Levels of Women with Breast Cancer

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Raja yoga meditation on the level of distress and anxiety in women with breast cancer. Method: A randomized, controlled, clinical trial was carried out in a specialized center between February and December 2019. The patients in the intervention group (n = 25) participated in four group meditation sessions for one month, and the participants in the control group (n = 25) were exposed to an educational activity for the same period and frequency. Cohen’s d was used to evaluate the effect size. Results: A significant reduction in the level of distress and anxiety was found in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The effect of meditation was average in reducing distress, anxiety, depression, and vital signs. There was also an average effect on the increase in saturation of peripheral oxygen (SPO2). Conclusion: The practice of meditation reduced distress and anxiety more effectively than the usual care practices.

Health Professions Students’ Knowledge of and Attitude toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Respondents reported an overall positive attitude toward and interest in CAM. Ninety percent had heard of and three-quarters reported previous experience with CAM practices. Respondents alluded to personal experience but also to knowledge gained about CAM in classes and clinical assignments. Acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, meditation, cupping, aromatherapy, and chiropractic care were the CAM practices most respondents had heard about; yoga, meditation, massage therapy, aromatherapy, and chiropractic care were the CAM practices most respondents reported personal experience with. The top five practices students planned on making part of their career were yoga, meditation, massage therapy, diet-based therapy, and music therapy. Graduating health professions students had a more positive attitude toward CAM than pre-health professions students. They also had a higher average score for their interest in learning about CAM practices. Three-quarters of respondents planned on making CAM part of their career.

THE EFFECTS OF SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM NAAD YOGA MEDITATION TRAINING ON MINDFULNESS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Introduction: Meditation has been practiced since times immemorial consciously or unconsciously by the people from different origins and the trend has caught more attention of the researchers worldwide due to popularity of yoga in the recent years. Method: Internet-delivered online NAAD yoga meditation training for 6 weeks was being imparted to the university level participants (n = 67) and were assessed before, during and after treatment, and their compliance with the intervention they received was tracked online. In the randomized controlled trail (RCT) study, the treatments were received at a time, place, and computer of the participants’ choosing with the proviso that the training be completed live and online during each of 6 successive weeks (6 days a week with a 32 minutes session each day). The trait MAAS, a 15-item scale designed to assess individual differences in the frequency of mindful states over time questionnaire was being used as tool to assess (also known as trait) mindfulness amongst all the participants. Results: Both a short term (3 weeks) long-term (6 weeks) NAAD yoga meditation programs elicited a statistically significant improvement on MAAS scores (p&lt;.000).