We want to bring in STEM majors to do yoga stretches and breathing exercises while listening to tranquil, Zen sounds to soothe the mind. Yoga is a terrific relaxation and mindfulness technique that will assist our participants to focus on the now rather than future worries or occurrences. Breathing exercises might help you relax because they simulate how your body feels when it is already calm. We hope that everyone who participates in this intervention will include stress-relieving yoga to deal with the tension that comes with being a STEM major and studying the requisite curriculum.
Supporting Research to our intervention:
How effective is yoga at reducing stress among college students? There have been a number of studies that prove how effective yoga is at reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. In a pilot study completed by Nemeroff and his colleagues, they used yoga classes as an early intervention for stress and anxiety. Results showed that after 6 weeks of twice-weekly, hour-long yoga classes, significant reductions in stress, anxiety, pathological worry, and rumination were reported (Nemeroff et. al, 2022).
In addition to reductions in stress and anxiety, yoga can also benefit students who are dealing with physiological stress. Michaela Pascoe and Isabelle E. Bauer completed randomized control trials to determine the effects of yoga on stress measures and mood. Based on the review of 25 different randomized control studies, they found preliminary evidence that yoga practice leads to better regulation of the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, as well as a decrease in depressive and anxious symptoms in a range of populations (Pascoe & Bauer, 2015). Based on the evidence provided, yoga can have a positive impact on the mental, physical and emotional well-being of the people who participate in the activity.