G. SVYASA Ph. D. Theses

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Yoga Theses by Yoga PhD Students at SVYASA. These pages present some efforts at Scientific Validation of Yoga. You may receive full text of available yoga research papers

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A COMPARISON OF HIGH FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING (HFYB) WITH BREATH AWARENESS (BAW) AND AEROBIC EXERCISE ASSESSING NEUROPLASTICITY BY GAMMA OSCILLATION, BDNF LEVELS, AND COGNITIVE TASK PERFORMANCE.
(S-VYASA, 2026) BUDHI BAL RANA; DEEPESHWAR SINGH
BACKGROUND: Cognitive task performance is generally accompanied by increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), brain oscillations, and elevated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Cognitive abilities such as working memory (WM) are essential for daily functioning and are also critical for higher-order processes, including planning and problem-solving. AIM: The study aims to assess the effect of Kapalabhati or high-frequency yoga breathing (HFYB) on BDNF levels, gamma brain oscillations, and performance in one cognitive task, compared with running and breath awareness (BAW). METHODS: Participants: Forty-eight yoga practitioners, aged 18 to 35 years, were recruited for the study. Participants having more than 6 months of yoga experience are willing to participate in the study and adhere to the study’s protocols. Male subjects alone were studied, as some studies have found that female autonomic, cognitive functions, and respiratory variables can be modulated by the phases of the menstrual cycle. Design: The study was a 3-arm randomized controlled trial with assessments conducted at the beginning and immediately after HFYB, including running and breath awareness exercises. Assessment: The pre- and post-assessments included cognitive function (working memory or N-back task), Cardiorespiratory/autonomic variables (Heart rate variability, energy expenditure, and metabolic rate), biochemical measurements (BDNF level), and Brain waves or oscillations (electroencephalography-EEG). Intervention: Participants received a 15-day orientation to ensure uniformity in practice. The Kapalabhati group practiced HFYB for 15 minutes (three rounds of 5 minutes each, with a 1 minute break in between). The running and breath awareness groups followed the same schedule for an equal duration. RESULT: The running group exhibited continuous parasympathetic withdrawal in both pre-WM and post WM periods (p < 0.01). In the HFYB group, parasympathetic withdrawal was observed during pre WM and practice; however, parasympathetic activity was re-established post-WM, suggesting a modulatory effect. WM accuracy improved in all groups (p < 0.05), while reaction time decreased (p < 0.05). A statistically significant increase in BDNF levels (p < 0.01) was observed only in the HFYB group, with no significant changes in the others. The running group showed significant increases in metabolic rate and energy expenditure (p < 0.05) in both within- and between-group comparisons. Spectral analysis revealed a significant increase in alpha waves in the frontal region (p < 0.05) and gamma power (p < 0.05) during HFYB practice. HFYB also showed significant changes across the frontal, temporal, and occipital regions. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that HFYB can modulate vagal tone and parasympathetic activity while improving working memory performance. The parasympathetic reactivation observed may be cardioprotective, thereby promoting better health and longevity. Spectral analysis also showed enhanced alpha power in the frontal region and increased gamma oscillations in the fronto temporal-occipital regions, indicating that HFYB may improve higher cognitive functions by increasing cortical activity. Thus, HFYB may serve as a cost-effective, neuroprotective practice for promoting cognitive health. Keywords: High frequency yoga breathing, Heart rate variability, working memory, Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), brain oscillation.
A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF YOGIC COUNSELLING MODULE ON PSYCHO- SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF ADOLESCENTS WITH COGNITIVE DISTORTION
(S-VYASA, 2026) RAJESH RAO K; SATYA PRAKASH PUROHIT
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a critical developmental stage characterized by significant physical, emotional, and social transformations, including identity formation and increased sensitivity to societal expectations. In India, this phase is compounded by academic pressures and family expectations, often leading to psycho-social challenges. Research reveals a high prevalence of mental health issues among Indian adolescents, with 23.33% facing mental health challenges and 7.3% experiencing mental disorders, particularly in urban areas. These challenges are closely linked to cognitive distortions, which are irrational thought patterns such as mind reading, personalization, and catastrophizing. These distortions contribute to emotional distress, anxiety, stress, and depression. Beck’s cognitive theory connects these distortions to the onset of depression, highlighting adolescents' vulnerability. Additionally, cultural stigma and limited access to mental health services often worsen the issue, leaving many adolescents to cope in isolation. To address these concerns, holistic interventions targeting psycho-social and cognitive aspects are crucial. This study introduces the Yogic Counselling Module (YCM), derived from ancient Indian scriptures, as a framework for fostering emotional regulation, self awareness, and adaptive coping strategies. The theoretical foundation integrates Social Learning Theory (SLT) proposed by Bandura and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), proposed by Beck. The SLT emphasizes learning through observation and positive reinforcement to improve stress management and self-esteem. The Western psychological approach of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and restructuring negative thought patterns, a concept that aligns closely with yogic principles such as self-reflection and contemplation. In yoga, Svadhyaya (self-study) and Mananam (reflection) mirror the techniques used in CBT to correct thinking errors. Through the exploration of constructs like Manas (Mind) and Ahamkara (Ego), adolescents can critically assess their mental processes and behaviors, fostering self-awareness and emotional regulation. Ancient Indian scriptures, including the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, provide additional tools for addressing cognitive distortions, further aiding emotional regulation. These texts promote self-awareness, resilience, and mindfulness, which adolescents can apply to manage mental health challenges such as stress and anxiety. The Yogic Counselling Module (YCM) aims to integrate these principles through guided reflection on yogic teachings to correct cognitive distortions and enhance psycho-social well-being, including resilience and emotional regulation. By merging modern therapeutic frameworks with traditional yoga philosophy, YCM offers a holistic approach to addressing the psycho social challenges adolescents face today. AIMS-AND-OBJECTIVES AIM OF THE STUDY To develop aYogic Counselling Module (YCM) and evaluate its impact on the psychosocial well-being of adolescents, particularly in relation to cognitive distortion. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To develop a Yogic Counselling Module (YCM) focused on improving psychosocial well-being among adolescents. 2. To evaluate the efficacy of YCM on the psychosocial well-being of adolescents through a pilot study. 3. To assess the effect of YCM on cognitive distortion, stress, self-esteem, mindfulness, mental well-being, resilience, depression, anxiety, and emotional regulation at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. 4. To evaluate the impact of YCM on observed behaviours in the classroom (obedience, attention, punctuality) and at home (through teachers’ and parents’ observations). 5. To examine the correlations among the primary variable (cognitive distortions) and secondary variables (stress, self-esteem, mindfulness, mental well-being, resilience, depression, anxiety, and emotional regulation). 6. To document recommendations to address cognitive distortion through yogic counseling as requested by the Ethics committee. METHODS PARTICIPANTS A total of 83 participants were recruited in the present study, with an age group of 13-18 years. All recruited adolescent participants were from an educational institution in Bengaluru. The recruited participants were allocated into two groups, the Yogic Counselling group (YCM) and Control group (CG) with YCM (n= 41) and CG (n= 42) participants. The adolescents who could read and write in English, had no prior counseling experiences, and were willing to participate were included in the present study. The adolescents who had earlier psychological issues, chronic illness, or head injuries were excluded from the study.
Anomalous variations in microbial growth explained by traditional knowledge
(SVYASA, 2022-11-20) Vegaraju Prabhakar; Alex Hankey; Ramesh N. Mavathur
The main cultures of modern India, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism find a common source in the Vedas and the Vedic literature, which existed for thousands of years before the rise of subsequent teachers such as Mahavira, Lord Buddha, Adishankara and the later Gurus of the Sikhs. Vedic literature contains statements that have been tested and verified by methods of modern science. Yoga practices from Shad darshanas have been profoundly verified experimentally in both physiological studies and medical trials. Adishankara’s profound statements from his commentaries and expressions on Advaita Vedanta have been shown to provide a profound basis for understanding consciousness in terms of modern science. Ayurveda passed thorough scientific scrutiny and testing, where thousands of studies have now been published and is shown to agree with deep understanding of biology in both theory and experiment. The limbs of the Veda, the Vedangas, have also been tested. The first, Shiksha, has been shown to provide deep insights into the nature of experience, and the foundation for a new approach to cognitive science. The last of the Vedangas, Jyotisha, the Vedic system of sidereal astrology, has also been thoroughly tested. An earlier S-VYASA PhD study began this process by showing that Jyotisha can predict output of microbiological growth processes, where microbes, i.e. bacteria or viruses, are cultured in flasks. Such microbial growth processes are highly variable and thus unpredictable, but by using times of flask-inoculation as the process starting time great reductions in the uncertainty were achieved – variances decreased by up to 80%. This previous PhD thesis and its accompanying publications showed that Jyotisha astrology can correctly vi predict output of vaccine production runs based on starting time of flask inoculation. When benefic Grahas were influencing the Lagna Muhurta, growth of bacteria was enhanced, while virus propagation was slowed. On the other hand, when malefic grahas were influencing the Lagna, growth of bacteria was slowed, and propagation of viruses was enhanced. These results are extended by the work carried out for the present thesis, which studied exponential phase growth of a simple, non-pathogenic variant of E. Coli bacteria. Rather than assess final output, the present study measured rates of bacterial growth, in particular during exponential phase growth, when the rate of doubling is constant, to understand the influence of Jyotisha factors on it. Such growth rates exhibit variations which have been considered inexplicable, i.e. anomalous artefacts. In addition to refining previous experiments, the current study was designed so that microbiology educational programs at schools and colleges could repeat them because of the safe, easy strain of bacteria used. The thesis proper starts with an exposition of Jyotisha as a supreme spiritual science elucidating deep understanding of Vedic sciences of the soul. Its appellation as the ‘science of sciences’ in the Vedic literature is fully justified. Of primary concern to the soul is its progress on the path of Sanatana Dharma, expounded in terms of the four concepts of Chaturvidha Purushardha, namely Dharma – Artha – Kama – Moksha: spiritual tendencies, ways to make gains of all kinds, probable achievements, and feasibility of attaining spiritual liberation. Jyotisha’s division of the Kalapurusha into 12 Bhavas yields a triplet of each of the four. For Dharma, individual nature, teachers, and spiritual merit give the greatest contributions, reflected in: Lagna, the 1st bhava, for the person, the 5th bhava for education, teachers and children, and the 9th bhava for Nature Support in life, i.e. in the auspicious Trikona bhavas. Similar triplets for Artha, Kama and Moksha may be defined. Part 1 of the thesis also gives a short exposition of the fundamentals of Jyotisha used to interpret a given Kundali. vii Jyotisha’s significance lies in its ability to make predictions about the course of any process and its outcome based on its starting time. Most usually it is used to predict the main tendencies in a person’s life, based on the time of their birth, Janma, and how to avoid or mitigate various kinds of suffering if any are predicted. Jyotisha expounds that starting times, whether auspicious or inauspicious, influence all processes. Now even microbiological processes and their outcomes are found to vary with quality of starting times, elucidating the dimension of time as heterogeneous. Experimentally, application of these principles of Jyotisha accurately predicts differences in vaccine production when inoculation times of production flasks are taken as Muhurta. As microbiologists know, output from such experiments is unpredictable; but the 3 Grahas, Guru (Jupiter), Chandra (Moon), and Rahu (the North Node) account for more than 70% of observed variance. Also earlier research assessed the effects of three solar eclipses even though they did not pass through India, since these are said to exert their malefic influence on all life on earth. Comparative values of virus vaccine production on solar eclipse dates showed that their effects were indeed more than Rahu’s Aims and Objectives The aim of this PhD thesis is to extend those results to continue efforts to establish the validity of Jyotisha astrology in modern scientific terms by studying and investigating specific Jyotisha influences on Exponential Phase Growth patterns of batch cultures using an easily obtainable non-pathogenic strain of bacterium K12-MG1655 of E. Coli. The objectives to provide Jyotisha-based explanations for the hitherto inexplicable anomalous variations, in bacterial growth rates are: (1) to identify factors that contribute to variances in growth rate; and (2) to investigate specific Jyotisha influences on Exponential Phase Growth. Ethical Clearance: Approval was obtained from the I.E.C. of S-VYASA Yoga University. viii Selection of Materials and Source: An easily obtainable, non-pathogenic strain of E. coli, K 12 MG 1655, was procured from National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. Methods: The E. coli was grown according to standard protocols used in Microbiology. Design: Exponential phase growth rate (EPGR) and variances with reference to different Times of Flask Inoculation (TOFI) were studied. Intervention: The TOFI was taken as the appropriate valid Jyotisha parameter. Natural variations in growth allowed assessment of variations in growth rate. Novelty: Assessment of Jyotisha influences on EPGR of bacteria is novel. Assessments: OD-600 measurements were made with 1 ml of bacterial culture aliquots at 0, 60, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 300 and 360 minutes after TOFI. Mean slopes of exponential phase growth were obtained as regression lines for the five points from 180 to 360 minutes. Experiments measured detailed growth curves, assessed growth, computed Cell Numbers, Growth Rates, Doubling Time or Generation Time and Number of Generations at the above time points after TOFI and further correlated the variations with Graha Shadbalas. Also, the study tried to quantify effects of solar and lunar eclipses, both partial and total, on EPGR Results Growth Curves Generated: Over an eighteen-month period beginning 16.02.2017 and ending 11.08.2018, a total of one hundred and fifty growth curves (GCs) were generated for one hundred and two start times. These comprised (1) 59 individual growth curves (GCs), which included 30 GCs with eclipse start times, (2) 38 duplicate GCs (done parallel in 2 flasks for each TOFI) generating 76 GCs total, and (3) 5 triplicate GCs (done parallel in 3 flasks for each TOFI), i.e. 15 GCs total. Variances Obtained: Overall variance of all 150 regression line slopes was 0.1327; that for ix single TOFI obtained from within group doubles and triples (76 + 15 GCs) was 0.0218. Deliberate choice of start times during the many months of GC experiments permitted intermediate variances to be calculated for sets of GCs both 2 hours and 2 days apart. F test Analyses of Variances: F test indicated good significance indicating that, as we select and compare groups of GCs with to increasing difference between start times from a same start time to larger time differences, variances steadily increased from small values to larger ones. Influence of Eclipses: Growth curves on six eclipse days had reduced exponential phase growth rates. Influence of Planetary Strengths: Further detailed analyses showed that the graha Shadbala, planetary strength, of Kuja Graha correlated significantly with the slope of exponential phase segment of growth. Other grahas showed weaker trends. In other words, Shadbalas of Grahas correlated with exponential phase growth. Summary and Conclusion Incorporating the relevance of the time, space and consciousness dimension embodied in Jyotisha astrology; a subtler dimension than those so far incorporated in modern bioscience, the present experiments offer new understanding of variances in bacterial growth that replace previous ideas. While the previous experimental results were concerned with effects of Grahas on vaccine production the current study tests the possible effects of Saptagrahas on exponential phase of growth curves of the non-pathogenic bacterium, E. Coli K-12 MG 1655. Another salient finding was the effect that Mars (Kuja graha) dominance exerts on exponential phase growth, a discovery that confirms the effect exerted by planetary bodies on the biology of cells. The data of Kuja Shadbala reducing the growth rates during the exponential phase is an x evidence of Kuja’s malefic nature manifesting. Eclipses were observed to have similar malefic, life-opposing influences. Although the solar eclipses, during which experiment was conducted, could not be seen in India; its effect appeared to act globally. Present results also support earlier research observation of strong life opposing effects of eclipses, consistent with statements in the Jyotisha. Unlike earlier experiments that require license to grow pathogenic organisms, the methodology explained in the current study can be repeated in any ordinary biology laboratory, possibly creating wider acceptance & appreciation of Grahas’ influence on bacterial growth and enabling any researcher to experimentally test the hypothesis that variances in exponential phase growth rates of bacteria are smaller for smaller times between starting TOFIs. Biologists can now empirically test the validity of Jyotisha principles to offer scientific explanations for the high variances attributable to Navagrahas. Thus, this information not only helps to add a new dimension to microbiology, that of Bio-astrology / Ayur-Jyotisha supported by the astrophysical theory, but also explain how such influences are generated – one such being the influence of quantum correlations associated with each of Navagrahas. Jyotisha may become a source for innovative biological teaching and research, and revolutionize perspectives on biomedicine. Medical Jyotisha / Bio-Jyotisha may gain the primary role accorded to it by Ayurveda. This research study will have implications for Ayurveda and Yoga in addition to Jyotisha itself which helps to prove Time and Space become heterogeneous complex variables in their influence on biological processes. Key Words: Vedanga Jyotisha, Chaturvidha Purushardha, Exponential Phase Growth Rate, Heterogeneity of time dimension, Variance, Starting Time Clustering, Eclipses. (7 words)
Application of Guna-Implicit Association test to Study Social Desirability in Explicit Measures of Gunas in Yoga Students
(SVYASA, 2014-01-12) Ilavarasu, Judu V.
Assessment of Personality through explicit self-report measures like questionnaires always suffers from the influence of social desirability.
Benefits of yoga education in high school curriculum for anger management: A randomized control study
(Swami Vivekananda Yoga University, 2017-12) Mani T. L., Alaka
Adolescent anger is one of the key contributors of adolescent mortality and many negative developmental outcomes. Research studies indicate, escalated anger issues in schools and colleges across the globe including India. Anger being multidimensional construct, assessment of anger and its management remains a significant challenge. Despite a number of studies done on anger, it is still an emotion that is very much misunderstood. While, the available adolescent anger theories and inventories provide considerable direction towards the way forward, they lack clarity in terms of providing a comprehensive approach in assessment and management of anger. Considering negative developmental outcomes and the far reaching consequences of adolescent anger, there is a growing consensus among researchers, educators and health professionals to develop effective school based anger management programs. Indian Classical texts, mainly Vedic science provides immense conceptual resources to understand the concept of anger and its dynamics. There is an increasing trend of adopting spiritual concepts and practices for promoting mental health. Yogic Science having its strong roots in spirituality as well as evidence based approaches acceptable to modern science will be able to provide holistic approach to anger assessment and anger management.
Bio-mechanics of yogasanas : A study of alignment and proficiency
(SVYASA, 2022-12-22) Mohan Kishore D.; Manjunath N. K.
BACKGROUND Yoga is a traditional Indian way of keeping the mind and body fit, through physical postures (asanas), voluntarily regulated breathing (pranayama), meditation and relaxation techniques. The recent pandemic has seen a huge surge in the number of yoga practitioners, many practicing without proper guidance which leads to unexpected injury. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The present study was designed to develop a technology-driven pose estimation method to assess and evaluate yoga postures to understand the level of accuracy. It will assist practitioners to perform any yoga posture with the support of a machine learning algorithm. METHODS Participants Twenty practitioners in the age group of 18 to 60 years performing different postures in real time were captured and fed separately to the proposed architectures and a comparison of the estimated accuracy was done. Design The present exploratory study included a group of 20 yoga practitioners to assess the accuracy and proficiency of yoga postures. Assessments: The image of a yoga practitioner performing an asäna is captured by a camera and fed separately to the four deep learning architectures, which then estimate the pose performed by the practitioner by comparing it with the pre-trained model. An error is shown if it does not match any of the five asanas. Intervention: The five yoga poses considered for posture estimation are (a) Ardhacandräsana (Half-moon pose) (b) Täòäsana (Mountain pose) (c) Trikoëäsana (Triangular pose) (d) Vérabhadräsana (Warrior pose-II) (e) Våkñäsana (Tree pose) Results: In this work, four distinct deep learning architectures-Epipolarpose, Openpose, Posenet, and Mediapipe-were utilized to evaluate yoga postures. The results show that, despite only utilising one camera, Mediapipe outperforms the other approaches in terms of accuracy. Five yoga postures have had their poses estimated using various suggested methods. Following the model's validation, the posture correctness of 20 real-time sample photos was estimated using the model. Conclusions: The health and fitness industry can employ human pose estimation efficiently. The huge range of poses with high degrees of freedom, the occlusions caused by the body or other objects blocking limbs as viewed from the camera, and the wide range of appearances or clothes make pose assessment for fitness applications particularly difficult. The mediapipe design offers the best estimation accuracy, according to this study, which evaluates the estimation of five different postures
Chandoyoga : Its effects on mindfulness, anxiety, self-concept, positive and negative affect & neuropsychological variables in adolescence
(SVYASA, 2022-11-20) Mollika Ganguly; Sanjib Patra; Sampadananda Mishra, SAMPADANANDA MISHRA
Background Adolescence is a critical age where due to immense physical and psychological transformations, children are found to have higher anxiety levels, identity crises leading to self-doubt, deregulated emotions etc. Failing to cope with these rapid changes there has been noticed decline in cognitive abilities like memory and attention affecting academic performance. Child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) is a growing concern all over the world. Mindfulness practices have not only been helpful in improving emotional quotient of an individual but its regular practice has also remarkably impacted awareness levels and attention in children. The present study hypothesized that practicing Sanskrit chanting as a mindfulness tool also identifying the benefits of the specific characteristic of chanting called Chanda/meters or Sanskrit prosody on equipping adolescents with better psychological health and improved cognitive abilities. The purpose was multi-fold 1. To have scientific evidence that Chandas/Sanskrit prosody (specific rhythms and pauses) has its own effect irrespective of the language, music, words or their meaning while chanting a shloka and validating its benefits mentioned in our ancient texts. 2. To make a study design that can identify the impact of the Chandas/prosody aspect of chanting and eliminating the factors like language, meaning of the phrase etc. 3. With this preliminary study and considering one type of Chanda, opening gates for researchers to further explore all kinds of Chandas to its maximum potential. 4. If the results matched our hypothesis, then we would like to conduct further study for children with special needs mainly ADHD and Autism spectrum disorder. viii Aims and Objectives Aim To study the effect of Chanda/Sanskrit prosody on cognitive abilities, mindfulness, anxiety and self-concept among adolescents. Objectives 1. To find the impact of Chanda/Sanskrit prosody on positive and negative emotions in school-going adolescents. 2. To find the impact of Chanda/Sanskrit prosody on cognitive performance in school going adolescents. 3. To identify the impact of Chanda/Sanskrit prosody on Anxiety, mindfulness and self concept in school-going adolescents. Research Question Does Chanda/Sanskrit prosody have any impact on emotions, cognitive performance, anxiety, mindfulness and self-concept scales in school-going adolescents? Hypothesis 1. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has helpful effect on positive and negative emotions in school-going adolescents. 2. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has positive impact on cognitive performance in school going adolescents. 3. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has positive impact on anxiety, mindfulness and self concept scales in school-going adolescents. ix Null Hypothesis 1. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has no effect in positive or negative emotions in school going adolescents. 2. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has no impact on cognitive performance in school-going adolescents. 3. Chanda/Sanskrit prosody has no impact on anxiety, mindfulness and self-concept scales in school-going adolescents. Method: Participants Participants for the study were appointed from a CBSE School called Samsidh Mount Litera Zee School, from Urban Bangalore, India. Children from grades 7 and 8 who met the inclusion criteria were allocated into 4 groups of the study. Randomization for groups could not be done as these kids already were in 4 different sections and shuffling them during school hours was not permitted. Sample size This sample size was obtained by calculating the Effect size as 0.94, fixing alpha as “0.05”, power of the study as 0.8, based on the previous study (Telles et al., 2017). But considering the rate of drop out and conduct an appropriate statistical analysis, a sample size of 120 participants was considered for the proposed research. Design The design of the study was a four-armed control trial. The intervention period was 5 days a week for all four groups for one month. Baseline and post intervention data was collected in the school premises before and after 30 days. x Assessments The outcome measures comprised of (a) Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, (b) Stroop Color-Word Test, (c) Digit Letter Substitution Test, (d) Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale, (e) Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale for Children and (f) Children’s Self concept Scale. Data analysis: The study aimed to test the hypothesis that chanting or humming slokas/mantras in a Chanda is associated with significant differences in post intervention mean± SD to pre intervention values of children’s self-concept scale, anxiety, emotions, sustained attention, executive function, mindfulness and awareness in adolescence. Continuous variables were reported as mean ± SD, categorical variables as the frequency with percentage. For continuous outcomes, within-group pre-post comparisons were made by paired 't' test and for between-group comparisons, two-sample 't' test was used to compare outcomes at baseline and follow-up. All comparisons were two-sided. p <0.05 was set as the cut-off of statistical significance. A post hoc analysis was run to assess the superiority of group effect on each variable. STATA version 14.2 was used for statistical analysis. Result PANAS-C There was no difference in both domains of PANAS in within group analysis. However, the positive affect was statistically significant when compared between the groups (p<0.01). A post-hoc analysis revealed the superiority of the CM and HM groups in positive affect alone when compared with other two groups. xi DLST and Stroop Test Within-group analysis using sample t-test demonstrated significant changes in HC, CS, and SS groups (p<0.001) with DLST scores. Post-hoc analysis revealed that the CS group had higher scores; however, there were no differences between the HC and CS groups. Stroop scores improved in all groups except for the SS group. Post-hoc analysis to examine the superiority between groups presented a higher statistical significance in CS group when compared to HC group. A statistical significance was also observed between the chanting and SS group. There were statistical differences within the group in both HC and CS groups in the Stroop mistake scores, but no differences were observed between groups. Anxiety, MAAS-C and Self-concept A significant change was noticed in the domains of anxiety, Intellectual and school status, physical appearance and attributes, and the total scores of the self-concept scale in all the four groups after the interventions. On pairwise group comparisons, the change in the domain of anxiety was significant for the Chanting vs English phrase reading, Chanting vs Humming and Chanting vs Silent sitting (p<0.05). When intellectual and school status for English phrase reading was compared to Silent sitting group, a significant difference was depicted (p<0.05). Also, Physical appearance and attributes scores and total scores were found significantly improved for Chanting vs Humming but only total scores in humming vs Silent sitting groups. There was a significant change in all the domains except happiness and satisfaction after chanting (p<0.01). However, participants in the English phrase reading group also showed a significant increase in the scores of anxiety and total scores of the Self-concept scale after intervention (p<0.01 and p=0.03). There was reduction in the anxiety levels for the humming group whereas increase in all anxiety scores in the remaining three groups. xii Conclusion Humming of Sanskrit prosody has reported an overall reduction in anxiety levels when compared to the remaining three groups. However, there was a decrease in the anxiety levels in the chanting group as well. There was a significant increase in mindfulness scores in the humming as well as chanting groups. Also, there was no change observed in the self-concept scales in the humming group. Beside this, mantra chanting and only humming the prosody without verse, had a similar effect on both emotional personality features of positive and negative effect. The results also suggest amelioration in the positive affect following chanting and humming the prosody, although there were no changes in the negative effect. Keywords: Sanskrit-prosody, Chanda, Adolescence, Self-concept, Anxiety, Mindfulness, positive & Negative affect, Mindfulness, sustained attention and Stroop effect
CHANGES IN PREFRONTAL OXYGENATION, CARDIAC ACTIVITY AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS FOLLOWING MIND SOUND RESONANCE TECHNIQUE
(S-VYASA, 2026) SUSHANTA KUMAR MOHANTY; AMIT KUMAR SINGH; DEEPESHWAR SINGH
BACKGROUND Mind is a conglomeration of thoughts that are manifest and unmanifest either in a conscious state or subconscious state. Repetitive thought patterns are a reaction to mental and breathing imbalances, which leads to psychological and emotional imbalances as well as physical disturbances such as abnormalities in heart rate, brain oxygenation, and cognition, as well as the emergence of numerous diseases. The main principles of cognition include executive functions, memory, attention, and thought processes. Cognitive disruption affects memory, focus, and attention. College student exhibit increased aggression due to academic stress, competition, time management, and financial concerns, which impact their psychological, physiological, and cognitive functions. Over the previous decade, college students have shown increased psychological distress, sadness, and anxiety. A poll of Australian tertiary students revealed that 65% experienced severe or very high psychological anguish, while 35.4% contemplated self-harm or suicide. In a sample of university students in Turkey, 27.1% exhibited depression, 47.1% experienced anxiety, and 27% reported stress. Furthermore, 30% of Canadian undergraduate students exhibited psychological difficulties, while 41.9% of Malaysian medical students were identified with emotional illnesses. Depression, anxiety, and stress were more prevalent in Asian countries than in other nations. Research in India indicated that medical students experienced elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress at rates of 51.3%, 66.9%, and 53%, respectively. Research indicates that stressors that college students encounter may serve as indicators of mental health diagnoses. Poor mental health can result in a variety of adverse effects, such as communal separation, difficulty concentrating in the classroom, regular attendance, assignment completion, and overall well-being. This can result in squandered opportunities and, ultimately, a diminished sense of self-worth. Moreover, other risk factors for cognitive impairment in individuals with poor mental health were found, including hypertension and depression. Neuroimaging research indicates that compromised mental health correlates with irregularities in both functional and structural connections of the brain, resulting in cognitive impairment. Research indicates that, even in the initial phases of cognitive loss, distinct abnormalities in cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation parameters were seen. Research on heart rate variability has demonstrated that mental health correlates with irregularities in sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Working memory, a cognitive capacity that allows for the active retention and manipulation of information, is a fundamental component of the human memory system and is associated with other cognitive abilities, including attention, executive function, verbal memory, and information processing speed. In addition to pharmaceuticals, non-pharmacological interventions such as physical exercise, yoga, computer-based training, nutrition, brain stimulation, sleep, and music are increasingly significant in addressing cognitive deficiencies. Meditation has emerged as a prominent non-pharmacological method, earning global recognition as a form of complementary and alternative medicine, with its therapeutic advantages being investigated across diverse clinical situations. The Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) is a sound-based meditation method that employs mantras to create resonance, facilitating profound relaxation for both the mind and body. The Mind Sound Resonance Technique (MSRT) has demonstrated a beneficial impact on all facets of mental and physical health. Furthermore, it has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate, tension, anxiety, and depression, while simultaneously improving self esteem in both clinical and non-clinical groups. Research indicates that MSRT reduces state anxiety, enhances psychomotor performance, and elevates cognitive capabilities, including sustained attention and information processing speed. Notwithstanding these encouraging results, the correlation between prefrontal oxygenation, psychophysiological alterations, and mental health remains inadequately investigated. The current study is to assess the effects of a one-month MSRT practice on prefrontal oxygenation, heart rate variability, cognitive function, and its association with mental health in college students. This research aims to address the gap by investigating how prefrontal oxygenation and psychophysiological alterations generated by MSRT can enhance overall mental well-being. We posited that one month of MSRT practice could enhance prefrontal oxygenation, heart rate variability, cognitive function, and mental well-being. .
A Comparative Study of The Psycho physiological Effects of Cyclic Meditation and Supine Rest (Shavasana)
(2009-11) Subramanya Pailoor
Cyclic meditation combines ‘stimulating’ and ‘calming’ practices, based on a statement in ancient yoga texts suggesting that this combination may be helpful to reach mental equilibrium. Cyclic meditation consists of cycles of yoga postures interspersed with periods of supine rest. Practicing cyclic meditation reduced psychophysiological arousal based on a decrease in oxygen consumption and changes in the heart rate variability suggestive of a shift towards vagal dominance. Cyclic meditation improved the performance in a P300 event related potential task and also improved the performance in a letter cancellation task more than relaxation in the corpse posture (shavasana). Both tasks require selective attention and concentration. The benefits were ascribed to possible stress reducing effects of cyclic meditation, as the practice reduces physiological and cortical arousal.This was ascribed to reduced anxiety, though this was not assessed. The effects of cyclic meditation on MLAEPs have not been studied.
A comparison of cognitive functions of yoga based education (gurukula) system and modern education system
(2009-01-01) Rangan R.
A comparison of cognitive functions of yoga based education (gurukula) system and modern education system
A Comparison of Psychophysiological effects of Two Yoga Relaxation Techniques
(2006-01-01) Sarang S.P.
A Comparison of Psychophysiological effects of Two Yoga Relaxation Techniques
Concept of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi in prasthanatrayi and patanjali yoga sutra - An analysis.
(S-VYASA, 2025-01-16) Madan Mohan; Prof. M. K. Sridhar
The concept of meditation is a practice that has been used for a long period of time. However, different people usually carry the concept of meditation for a different purpose. Some form of meditation is just simple and are just used by ordinary people just to attain a moment of relaxation or to reduce stress. However, some concepts of meditation are complex such as Samādhi. Nevertheless, some are religious-oriented while others are secular in nature. However, there is a lot that has been done in the field of science to try and explain the scientific explanation of meditation. But over the years, the aspect of meditation such as Samādhi has remained controversial with no proper scientific explanation. The principles of Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi hold immense importance within Indian philosophical traditions. These profound practices are extensively discussed in the Prasthānatrayī, which comprises the foundational texts of Vedānta. Dhāraṇā involves directing and focusing the mind on a specific object, while Dhyāna denotes the meditative state that arises from sustained concentration. Samādhi represents the pinnacle of consciousness attained through the practice of Dhyāna, wherein the individual transcends personal identity and attains complete absorption in the object of meditation. These three practices are intricately interconnected and should be cultivated sequentially. The comprehensive exploration of Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi is expounded in the Prasthānatrayī, encompassing the Yogasūtra, Brahmasūtra, and Upaniṣad, thereby providing a profound understanding of their significance in the Indian philosophical traditions.
Concept of Siddhi in yoga texts : Comparison with modern physics and transpersonal psychology
(SVYASA, 2022-05-13) SONEJI RADHA TULSIDAS ASHA; Sridhar M. K.; Alex Hankey
viii ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Though well known in ancient times, materialism has meant that Siddhis are no longer generally accepted. The term ‗siddhi‘ translates as ‗perfection‘, ‗attainment‘, or ‗success‘. Siddhis result from yoga practices that train the mind to operate on subtle levels. The study sets out a list of siddhis in ancient yoga texts with their descriptions, and procedures to develop them. It also lists abilities described in Transpersonal Psychology, and provides explanations from instability physics that explain these higher functions of the mind for the academic community. Siddhis arise when, through spiritual practices, the mind‘s higher potentials are realized. As natural phenomena they should be understood as milestones on the spiritual path. The study provides academics, philosophers, and scientists, a basis for understanding the concept of siddhi and its ramifications. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The study has two aims: first, to generate a complete listing of siddhis described in yoga texts, along with the means to develop them; second, to discuss them in terms of modern science. Its overall objective is to extended the scientific paradigm to include siddhi; more precisely that they constitute advanced states of psychology, which known physics of mind can explain. The study thus purposes to link knowledge from the dateless past with today‘s empirical sciences. METHODS The study is literary research, taking as its problem: How to include siddhis in the scientific paradigm, and its body of evidence, siddhis listed in both the Sanskrit literature and modern investigations. Source texts for the study were selected after discussions with experts in the field. The two Yoga Çästra, the Bhagavada Gétä and Pataïjali Yoga Sütra, twenty Yoga ix Upaniñads, and four Yoga Tantras were studied in detail, and translated into English after transliteration. Modern science research data was taken from texts and papers published in academic journals. APPROACH The study has both practical and analytical aspects. It studies siddhi from ancient and modern perspectives, i.e. from the three angles of Yoga Texts, Modern Physics of Consciousness, and Transpersonal Psychology, which uses terms such as subtle phenomena, extraordinary capabilities of human beings, extra sensory perception / ability, consciousness and its biophysics, manifestation of potential abilities and fulfillment of mental potential. It builds a science of siddhi from the phenomenon of siddhi, using the lens of modern science to analyze procedures given in ancient texts for siddhi attainment. Siddhi is not bound by time or space. Yogis acquire them as they transcend those levels of existence. RESU./LTS A complete set of translations of the selected texts and çloka are given. Similarly a detailed comparison is made between the special abilities described in Transpersonal Psychology and those in Yoga Texts. Analysis of the physics of instabilities, such as those known in fractal physiology, shows that siddhis are compatible with known laws of physics. CONCLUSION Many parts of the Vedic literature describe siddhis; some describe means for their development. The study has elucidated them all, comparing them with those named in Transpersonal Psychology. It also considers how contemporary physics may account for siddhis on the basis of recently developed theories of conscious experience. Despite appearing supernatural, siddhis are available to all human beings through subtle aspects of mind. Most people with mobile phones have the experience of knowing the identity of a caller, especially of a close friend or relative – ‗telephone telepathy‘, scientifically x substantiated by Rupert Sheldrake. Siddhis start at this level, and, as this study describes, proceed to really extraordinary phenomena that make Mind appear more fundamental than Matter. Testing the theory as various siddhis are performed may lead to the emergence of a new empirical scientific discipline.
CONCEPT OF WAKING STATE (JĀGRAT), DREAM (SVAPNA), DEEP-SLEEP (SUṣUPTI), TURĪYĀ STATE IN THE MĀṆḌŪKYA UPANIṣAD AND IN COMPARISON WITH MODERN PSYCHOLOGY
(SVYASA, 2021-01) Durga, T. K.; Sridhar, M. K.
BACKGROUND The cultural and spiritual legacy of India is vast as well as rich. There is nothing sectarian or regional about it. It is so universal in its appeal and so catholic in its approach that it belongs to the whole world. This legacy is derived from the Vedas. They include all schools of Indian thought except that of the Lokāyata, Buddhists and Jains. Each of them is subdivided into Samhitā (collections), Brāhmaṇa (dealing with Vedic rituals, sacrificial rites), Āraṇyaka (sacrificial rites) and Upaniṣads. Homogeneity can be found in all the Upaniṣads. They deal with the topics of supreme reality (Brahman), individual soul (Ātman), world (jagat) and their inter – relationships. These concepts are in the form of an enchanting dialogue between a teacher and a student, father and son, mother and son and so on. In the Upaniṣads, we get an intelligible body of verified and verifiable spiritual insights mixed with a mass of myths and legends, cosmological speculation relating to the nature and origin of the universe. While the former has universal validity, and has a claim on human intelligence in all ages, the latter forswears all such claims. All positivistic knowledge contained in any literature, including religious literature, is limited and conditioned by the level of contemporary scientific knowledge. Among the ten Upaniṣads, Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad is taken for an analysis here. In the brief compass of its twelve verses of the condensed thought, the Māṇḍūkya surveys the whole of experience through a study of the three states of waking, dream, dreamless sleep, and reveals the Ātman, the self of man, the Turīyā or the fourth, as it puts it, as pure consciousness, eternal and non-dual. It proclaims in its second verse, the infinite dimension of man in a pregnant utterance - one of the four mahāvākyas or “great utterances” of the Upaniṣads: Ayam ātma brahmā - this Ātman (self of man) is Brahman. The four states are analyzed here with Māṇḍūkya Kārika of Gauḍapāda. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad speaks of mind and consciousness in various states and as comparison, modern psychological views about mind, sleep and consciousness are broadly discussed here. WESTERN VIEWS In Indian philosophy both mind and matter are placed in the same category as they become objects of knowledge. But in western philosophy both are based on a clear distinction between mind and matter. In the Indian philosophical tradition, mind helps in knowing consciousness whereas in the western paradigm, mind becomes the subject as well as the object of knowing. Knowing gives an understanding of the truth and could lead to realization. In the eastern tradition, knowing becomes a being and becoming. This knowledge of the self (ātman) helps the individual in attaining happiness (sukha) and welfare (abhyudaya) in this world, and realization of the supreme reality (Brahman) leading to liberation (mokṣa). Thus knowing and understanding about consciousness become complimentary in both the systems. AIM AND OBJECTIVES To study the concept of Waking state (jāgrat), Dream (svapnam), deep-sleep state (suṣupti) and Turīyā in the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad and in comparison with modern psychology. LINES OF INVESTIGATION Initially, the ten Upaniṣads were studied with the commentary of Ādi Śankarācārya, the essence of the major ten Upaniṣads, namely Iśa, Kena, Kaṭa, Praśna, Mūṇḍa, Māṇḍūkya, Taittirīya, Aitareya, Chāndogya, and Bṛhadāraṇyaka, were given in a nutshell. The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad with the commentary of Gauḍapāda was studied elaborately and analysis was made regarding the four states of consciousness. The research method employed here was analytical in nature. Secondly, a comparison of these three states was done with modern psychology and wherever the similarities and dissimilarities were found, they were brought out objectively. The significant contributions of Indian thought were highlighted. Thirdly, Anveṣaṇa, the research department of SVYASA yoga University has done scientific research on the state of mind, fickleness of mind (cancalatā), one pointedness of mind (ekāgratā),) focused attention of mind (dhāraṇa) and deep concentration or attention (dhyāna) for the last few years. Those selected research papers were examined, analyzed and the contributions of those researchers and scholars were documented here. Thus, the study of three states of Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad was compared with Indian philosophy and modern scientific researches in an analytical way. MATERIALS AND METHODS As the PhD Thesis topic is literary and theoretical in nature, the general research methodology used in the domains of language, philosophy or arts was used which involved a broad study of the background subject, an analysis of the thesis topic, comparison with modern psychology and final assessment and conclusions. Hence the standard research methodology used in scientific researches such as experimental trials, random control trial (RCT), interventions such as pre – and post interventions, limitations, inclusion principle, exclusion principle, sample strategy, samples, empirical analysis etc., have not been employed in this pure literary research.
Correlation of Electro Photonic Imaging parameters and Biochemical parameters in diabetes type 2
(S-VYASA, 2017-02) Bhat, Romesh Kumar
Nature has its own manner and timing of revealing itself. Yoga is one of such divine philosophy that it has revealed through the sages and Rishis of India. The second verse of Patanjali describes most of it. Yoga is to control the distractions of the mind. Once that is done it is easier to merge individual consciousness with supreme consciousness and be in a state of bliss free from the materialistic disposition and its allied pain and misery. Controlling the mind is to control the Prana which is part of consciousness. It is Shiva making effort to be Shiva. Pranayama helps to control the Prana and hence the mind. The uncontrolled fluctuations are the cause of diseases as that disturbs the homeostasis of the body. Through Yoga we can check it and that is why Yoga has become popular worldwide, namely for disease prevention and management. From the alternative medicine, Electro photonic imaging (EPI) technique is emerging as a novel technique of measurement of the bio-energy of the body. Yoga intervention for improvements in homeostasis and monitoring the changes through Electro photonic imaging (EPI) technique is a desired holistic approach for monitoring health and happiness across the world. It is necessary to correlate EPI norms with the established biochemical parameters to have wide and scientific acceptability in modern medicine. There is a need for such study. The study is in two parts. In the first part, a study of classical literature is presented wherein scriptural concepts on Prana and its relation to health is discussed. In the second part, experimental aspects of bio-energy are taken up and measurements using EPI is presented.
Cross-sectional comparative study of yoga delivery: Remote and in-person in demographics of India (East) & North America (West)
(S-VYASA, 2025-06-19) Sanjay Gupta; Sony Kumari
BACKGROUND As an increasingly recognized complementary healthcare approach, yoga demonstrates efficacy in managing a wide range of health issues, including chronic pain, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression. With the global popularity of Hatha yoga and lifestyle shifts, yoga has transitioned into mainstream health care and wellness practices. Despite its benefits, integrating yoga into conventional healthcare remains challenging owing to the diversity in practice styles, demographic variability, and limited standardization of research methods and outcomes. The shift to digital platforms accelerated by the pandemic has transformed yoga’s accessibility and adaptability, allowing practitioners to engage remotely. However, remote yoga delivery raises concerns regarding consistency, reliability, and authenticity compared with traditional in-person sessions. Given these complexities, this study investigated the comparability and efficacy of remote versus in-person yoga across three key dimensions: authenticity, deliverability, effectiveness of delivery structure, and content inclusiveness. By examining these aspects across culturally distinct populations in North America (West) and India (East), this study provides insights into the potential of remote yoga for healthcare integration, emphasizing the need for structured, culturally adaptive approaches to enhance reliability and usability in various healthcare settings. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of remote yoga delivery compared to in-person practices in supporting health and wellness across diverse global populations. Specifically, it seeks to identify critical factors in authenticity, delivery, usability structure, and content inclusiveness that influence the quality and effectiveness of remote yoga as a reliable and effective healthcare practice. By addressing demographic and cultural differences, this study also explored delivery variability and the reliability of yoga interventions in aligning with healthcare needs. METHODS Participants: The study involved a culturally diverse sample of participants from North America (Western population) and India (Eastern population), representing a cross section of yoga practitioners engaging in both remote and in-person settings. Design: A cross-sectional mixed-method design was employed, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative component compared remote and in-person yoga practices, whereas the qualitative analysis explored expert insights into remote yoga authenticity and the delivery gaps between these methodologies. Assessments: Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), Essential Properties of Yoga Questionnaire (EPYQ) and a Qualitative Interview of yoga experts Intervention: No Intervention was provided RESULTS Qualitative analysis revealed that 90% of experts regarded traditional in-person yoga as the gold standard for authentic practice, deeply rooted in traditions, discipline, and the Guru-Shishya Parampara, which remote delivery models cannot fully replicate. However, there is strong consensus on the positive impact and growing significance of remote yoga, particularly its ability to enhance global accessibility through advancements in technology and refined delivery methodologies. Experts have also highlighted the potential to effectively address global health challenges. Although remote yoga may not entirely match the depth of in-person practice, it serves as a powerful and accessible alternative for practitioners worldwide.
Development and psychometric validation of the music receptivity scale
(SVYASA, 2022-12-22) Mahesh George; Judu Ilavarasu
Introduction One of the most quoted definitions of Yoga is ‘yujyate anena iti yogaù’. Here, ‘Yuj’ in Sanskrit means ‘to Yoke’ or to unite. Here it refers to the union of the jévätmä (individual soul) with the paramätmä (the supreme soul). Music in it true sense is said to be the union of shruti and laya. The perfect union of shruti and laya renders the listeners in a meditative trance provided they submit themselves to the music. Flow experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) are quite common in music practice, performances and composition. The novel construct introduced in this study focuses on an individual’s experience listening to a given piece of music; the focus is on how he internalizes a given piece of music. ‘Flow’ experiences may occur quite often when an individual internalizes a given piece of music to a great extent. In this study, we proposed and developed a construct, Music Receptivity and further constructed a psychometric instrument called Music Receptivity Scale (MRS), field-tested it and data analysis revealed good psychometric properties. Literature review Ancient scriptures were reviewed which unraveled various aspects of music and how music could be used as a tool for personal and spiritual upliftment. Further, scientific literature review revealed multiple studies that focused on musical engagement, musical aptitude etc. Multiple psychometric instruments are available which measures the trait aspects predominantly, of music listening and engagement. Hence, we clearly saw a lacunae for state measuring instruments in music listening. However, these studies gave us rich inputs while developing the Music Receptivity Scale (MRS). Aim To develop an instrument to measure music receptivity in the context of Indian music. Objectives 1. To construct an instrument to measure music receptivity by item generation and validation. iii 2. To test and validate the instrument amongst different individuals in the context of Indian music. 3. To find out the validity of the developed instrument (in a bhajan setup) amongst yoga population. Methods Participants For phase 1 of the study, with the aim of generating items for the instrument, we approached music experts from the department of music, University of Kerala and also Sree Swathi Tirunal College of Music, Trivandrum, for in-depth unstructured interviews. Data redundancy was reached by the 7th interview. Further we approached another 7 experts from the field of music for a Focus Group Discussion, from above-mentioned two colleges. For phase 2, we approached two colleges, one was Marian Engineering College, Trivandrum and the other was Immanuel College, Vazhichal. We conducted the pilot study with 63 individuals from Marian Engineering College and field-testing of the tool with 212 individuals from the same college. Additionally we conducted field-testing with 101 individuals from Immanuel College, Vazhichal. Further, we field-tested the tool with 44 musicians from the Department of Music, University of Kerala. In order to validate the MRS among the Yoga population, we selected 72 Yoga students (male -28, female – 44) from S-VYASA Yoga University, Bengaluru. Mean age among male students were 26 and that among female students were 25. Design The research design was a mixed design, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Phase 1 was qualitative study and phase 2 was quantitative study employing survey method. The Music Receptivity Scale (MRS) was also validated amongst a Yoga population. Assessment tools For the qualitative phase: In-depth interview guide (Probe questions) iv Focus group discussion guide For the quantitative phase: Music Receptivity Scale (MRS) Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS) d2 test of attention Interest In Music (IIM) Scale Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-SF) Mind Wandering Scale (MWS) Data extraction and analysis Three sets of data, pilot (n=63), general population (n=313), musicians (n=44) were separately analyzed. The final sample size used to report the results is 313, which is in the ratio of 13 cases per item, more than the recommended 10 cases per item. All the analyses were done using R statistical software, version 3.4.2 (R Development Core Team, 2020) and its packages psych (Revelle, 2019). To refine the construct of music receptivity, and to get inputs for item generation, we conducted unstructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. Items were generated based on the inputs obtained from the in-depth interviews and the FGD. The consolidated questionnaire had 23 items designed to capture the domains of attention, interest, lyrical appraisal, emotional experience and hurdles. As the aim of this study was to evaluate the structure of music receptivity scale (MRS), we used exploratory factor analysis to determine the number and nature of underlying factors of MRS. We used parallel analysis to determine the number of factors to retain (Horn, 1965); principal axis factoring was performed to evaluate the number of underlying factors by employing oblique rotation (oblimin) as the domains were anticipated to be correlated. Maximum iterations for convergence were fixed at 1000. The analyses revealed more than one solution. v Results Data analysis yielded two solutions – a two factor solution (Affect and Attention) and a four factor solution (Emotion, interest, attention and hurdles). Validation amongst Yoga population yielded mixed results for convergent and divergent validity. Discussion We intended to develop an instrument to measure music receptivity, field test it and assess its psychometric properties and as a culmination of which, we developed a 20- item questionnaire having four domains (emotional experience, interest, attention, hurdles) and a shorter 12-item version of the same. The two-factor solution was a reduced item version, and it yielded the two most important meta-components of music receptivity, i.e., affect and attention. The affect domain included interest and emotional experience, whereas attention remained as a separate factor. We could also observe discriminant validity between musicians and non-musicians, where the musicians had significantly higher music receptivity scores compared to non musicians. Conclusion The Music Receptivity Scale was developed and it has a 20 item long form and a 12 item short form. As this tool was primarily intended for music therapy purposes, this tool needs to be field tested in music therapy settings. Further, the mode of application of this tool could be via a mobile application for the ease of use.
Development of Human Potential through Yogic Practices assessed by Psychological and Health Variables
(Saraswati Central Library, 2012-03-29) Sushil S Khemka
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There are a large number of methods of yoga catering to the needs of different types of people in society to bring about the transformation of the individual. They are broadly classified into four streams. Swami Vivekananda puts them as Work, Worship, Philosophy and Psychic control. One can even achieve highest goal of life either one or more or all of these to get one liberated. Integral Yoga modules included all these four streams of yoga in our study.
DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY MODEL BASED ON TRIGUNA CONCEPT OF SAMKHYA PHILOSOPHY.
(S-VYASA, 2019-09) Suresh N
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The term personality is derived from the Greek word ‘persona’ which means mask or outward appearance of a person. Personality is generally understood as how people influence others through their external appearances. Personality is a set of qualities that make a person distinct from another. Personality comprises of all the attributes– behavioural, temperamental, emotional and mental– that which makes him or her unique individual. Personality is totality of person’s attitudes, interests, behavioural patterns, emotional responses, social roles, and other individual traits that endure over long periods of time. Gorden Allport (1961) defines “Personality is the dynamic organisation within an individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment”. Personality is a complex, multi-dimensional construct and there is no simple definition of what personality is. Maddi (1980) defines personality as, “A stable set of characteristics and tendencies that determine those commonalities and differences in the psychological behaviour and that may not be easily understood as the sole result of the social and biological pressures of the moment". Both the definition suggests that personality is a dynamic aspect of human behaviour. With the increasing realization that many of the western psychological concepts and methods lack relevance to different cultural systems the need for developing indigenous psychologies was recognized all over the world (Kim & Berry, 1973). In India, attempts have been made for almost a century to develop indigenous models and theories from the rich source of knowledge viz., the Vedas, Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad-Gīta and other philosophical texts.In recent times more and more researchers have taken active interest in indigenizing and developing indigenous psychology (Kumar, Misra & Mohanty, 2000; Paranjpe, 1999; Srivastava, 2002). The structure, nature and evolution of human personality are elaborated in these sources with special reference to the concept Triguṇa. The theoretical expositions on Triguṇa and their manifestations in human nature have attracted the attention of Indian psychologists. From the above discussion, Personality is a very complex and multidimensional construct of a human being. There is no common definition of personality has been coined. Every individual defines personality in different ways which includes trait, genetic factors, environmental factors and physical appearance. This research focuses on development of personality model using Triguṇa concept of Sāṁkhya philosophy. Psychometric measurement tool (Questionnaire) which can answer the questions related to the objectives and hypotheses of the study were administered to the target population. This instrument had 36 questions to measure Triguṇa. 1.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The review of relevant literature on Triguṇa showed that even though, many studies have been undertaken in this area of personality by both eastern and western countries, few studies still exhibit gaps. Hence there is a need to develop a comprehensive model including both Eastern concept and Western concepts of personality. Thus, the broader objective of this research is to study the holistic model satisfying the fusion of both eastern and western theories.
DEVELOPMENT, CONTENT VALIDATION, AND FEASIBILITY OF A TELE YOGA MODULE FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER
(S-VYASA, 2026) KATLA NARESH; RAMESH MAVATHUR; JUDU ILAVARASU; HEMANT BHARGAV; BHARATH HOLLA
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing concern worldwide. The increasing incidence of PTSD, compounded by the social stigma associated with it, often prevents individuals from seeking professional help. The objective of this study was to develop, validate, and test the feasibility of Tele-Yoga Module (TYM) for managing PTSD, within a community setting in India. Methods: The development of the TYM involved a systematic review of existing literature on yoga-based interventions for PTSD and a thorough examination of classical yoga texts. Following this, the module was content validated based on feedback from 23 experts in yoga and mental health. The feasibility of the module was then tested in a 12-week study with sixty participants diagnosed with PTSD as per DSM-V criteria. Participants were split evenly between the TYM and a treatment-as-usual (TAU) group. We measured variables such as PTSD symptoms, social functioning, resilience, anxiety, depression, and yoga-based personality traits. Results: Participants in the TYM group showed significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression, compared to the TAU group (p < 0.001 for all). No significant between group differences were observed in resilience and psycho-social functions (p = 0.11). The feasibility aspects of the TYM have been discussed under seven dimensions, including safety and acceptability. These findings suggest that the TYM can serve as a potentially useful add-on intervention in managing PTSD. This study contributes to the emerging field of tele-yoga and highlights the importance of culturally and contextually adapted mental health interventions. Such approaches are crucial for addressing the global burden of PTSD. Keywords: PTSD, Tele yoga, Module development, feasibility, stigma