The effect of movement-focused and breath-focused yoga practice on stress parameters and sustained attention: A randomized controlled pilot study.


Author: Schmalzl L1, Powers C2, Zanesco AP3, Yetz N4, Groessl EJ5, Saron CD2

Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>College of Science and Integrative Health, Southern California University of Health Sciences, Whittier, CA, USA; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: lauraschmalzl@scuhs.edu.

<sup>2</sup>Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, CA, USA.

<sup>3</sup>Center for Mind and Brain, University of California Davis, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, FL, USA.

<sup>4</sup>Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, CO, USA.

<sup>5</sup>Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, CA, USA.
Conference/Journal: Conscious Cogn.
Date published: 2018 Aug 9
Other:
 Volume ID: 65   ,  Pages: 109-125   ,  Special Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.07.012. [Epub ahead of print]   ,  Word Count: 160  
    Yoga-based practices (YBP) typically involve a combination of movement sequences, conscious regulation of the breath, and techniques to engage attention. However, little is known about whether effects of YBP result from the synergistic combination of these components, or whether a subset may yield similar effects. In this study we compared the effect of a movement-focused practice and a breath-focused practice on stress parameters (perceived stress and salivary cortisol) and sustained attention (response inhibition) in yoga naïve university students. While participants of both programs showed a reduction in perceived stress and salivary cortisol, only the breath-focused group showed improvements in sustained attention. In addition, improvement in sustained attention was correlated with reduction in perceived stress but not with reduction in salivary cortisol. We discuss these findings in the context of a theoretical framework outlining bottom-up neurophysiological and top-down neurocognitive mechanisms hypothesized to be engaged by YBP.



KEYWORDS: Attention; Breath; Cortisol; Movement; Response inhibition; Stress; Vigilance; Yoga



PMID: 30099318  DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.07.012