Abstract

Background: Yoga, originated thousands of years ago in India, is now well recognized as a form of mind-body medicine. Regular practice of yoga in the form of postures and breathing techniques stabilizes the autonomic nervous system with a tendency toward parasympathetic dominance and reduces the sympathetic arousal.

Aims and Objectives: To assess the stress level among regular yoga practicing individuals.

Materials and Methods: Regular yoga trained students (n - 90) were recruited from Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College, Arumbakkam, Chennai. Based on the duration of yoga practice, students were categorized into four groups: Group A (40 months). Perceived stress scale (PSS) was administered for assessing stress level.

Results: The students in Group C (10.37 ± 5.21) and Group D (11.00 ± 4.59) showed significantly (P < 0.01) less PSS score compared with other group yoga students.

Conclusion: This study suggests that regular practice of yoga significantly reduces stress level among the practitioners, but further investigation into this relationship using large, well-defined population, adequate controls, randomization, and long duration should be explored before recommending yoga as a treatment option.

Key words: Yoga; Regular Practice; Stress; Perceived Stress Scale