Acute Physiological and Emotional Responses to a Brief 24-Minute Yoga Session: Randomized Exploratory Pilot Study...

Area of Science:

• Mind-body medicine
• Psychophysiology
• Wellness interventions

Background:

• Wellness tourism often includes yoga for stress reduction.
• Limited evidence exists on the immediate physiological and emotional effects of short yoga sessions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather preliminary data on acute physiological and emotional responses to a 24-minute yoga session.
• To compare these responses against quiet sitting in individuals new to yoga.

Main Methods:

• A randomized waitlist-controlled pilot study with 19 participants.
• Measured salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, heart rate, and electroencephalogram (EEG)-derived emotional indices.
• Compared a 24-minute yoga session (breathing, postures, meditation) with quiet sitting.

Main Results:

• No significant group differences in salivary cortisol or alpha-amylase.
• Yoga group showed increased heart rate during postures and meditation.
• Exploratory EEG analysis indicated potential stress reduction and increased concentration in some participants during yoga.

Conclusions:

• A single 24-minute yoga session did not alter stress biomarkers at the group level.
• Measurable cardiovascular activation and varied EEG-based emotional responses were observed.
• Findings suggest significant interindividual variability, necessitating larger studies.