Volitional Yoga Breathing Influences Attention and Anxiety: An Exploratory Randomized Crossover Study

Area of Science:

• Mind-body medicine
• Yoga and meditation research
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Previous research has examined individual yoga breathing practices.
• This study explored the effects of four distinct yoga breathing techniques, breath awareness, and quiet rest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different yoga breathing practices on attention and anxiety levels.
• To compare the effects of alternate nostril, bellows, bumblebee, and high-frequency yoga breathing against breath awareness and quiet rest.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover study involving 38 male volunteers.
• Participants underwent six 18-minute sessions in random order: four yoga breathing techniques, breath awareness, and quiet seated rest.
• Attention was measured using the Six Letter Cancellation Test (SLCT), and anxiety using the Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory-state (STAI-s).

Main Results:

• High-frequency yoga breathing significantly improved total and net attempted scores on the SLCT.
• Significant reductions in state anxiety (STAI-s scores) were observed after alternate nostril, bellows, bumblebee, and high-frequency yoga breathing.
• Alternate nostril yoga breathing resulted in significantly lower state anxiety scores compared to breath awareness.

Conclusions:

• High-frequency yoga breathing enhanced sustained attention, while several yoga breathing techniques effectively reduced state anxiety.
• Variations in volitional control and modification of breathing patterns may explain the differential effects.
• Limitations include an all-male, yoga-experienced sample; future research should include diverse genders and experience levels, and objective measures.