Y Yoga Works: Effects of Acute Yoga on Anxiety, Affect, & Cognition

The goal of this research is to determine what components of an integrated yoga practice that influence anxiety, cognition, and affect. Anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental disorders, affecting about 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. (Kessler et al., 2005). Additionally, females are significantly more likely than males to develop an anxiety disorder throughout the lifespan (Bruce et al., 2005). Yoga in general has been shown to have a substantial number of benefits on mental health and cognition. However, there is little to no research on what parts of yoga are working to achieve positive effects. A total of 60 highly anxious female college students will experience all the following conditions: integrated yoga (a combination of postures, breathwork, and meditation), yoga postures only, breathwork/meditation only, watching a yoga documentary. Before and after each session, we will assess the effects of all conditions on anxiety, cognition, and affect.

Inclusion criteria

• college student
• study over 14 hours
• highly anxious
• must identify as a female

Exclusion criteria

• is not a college student
• does not study 14 hours or more
• is not highly anxious
• identifies as a male
• is under the age of 17