A practitioner-informed framework for yoga-based emotional regulation among rural adolescents

Adolescent aggression is a significant public mental health concern associated with long-term behavioral, educational, and social outcomes. In rural and resource-constrained settings, limited access to specialized psychosocial services highlights the need for feasible, community-based preventive approaches. Yoga has been associated with improvements in emotional regulation and self-control; however, structured practitioner-informed guidance for delivering yoga in adolescent group settings, particularly in contexts involving aggression risk, remains limited.

This study aimed to (i) explore the experiential perspectives of yoga trainers involved in adolescent instruction and (ii) translate these perspectives into a practitioner-informed framework and practice-oriented guidance for delivering yoga sessions that support emotional regulation and aggression management among rural youth.

A qualitative descriptive, survey-based design was employed. An open-ended, semi-structured online questionnaire was administered to 36 purposively selected yoga trainers (YT) in India with experience teaching adolescents; 31 complete responses were analyzed. Data were analyzed using hybrid deductive-inductive reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes related to yoga delivery, adolescent engagement, and emotional regulation.

Nine major thematic domains emerged, addressing developmental characteristics of adolescence, rural contextual constraints, pedagogical adaptations, appropriate āsana and prāṇāyāma practices, and trainer responsibilities. Trainers described aggression regulation as embedded within routine yoga practice through progressive sequencing of postures, breath regulation, meditation, and relaxation techniques. These insights informed the development of a practitioner-informed framework, along with nine practice recommendations and four operational requirements for safe and context-sensitive yoga delivery in adolescent group settings. The framework highlights the potential role of structured yoga programs as preventive mental health strategies that can be integrated into school and community-based adolescent health initiatives in low-resource environments.

This study proposes a practitioner-informed framework for delivering group-based yoga sessions that support emotional regulation and aggression management among rural adolescents. The findings translate trainer experiences into practice-oriented guidance for implementing structured yoga programs in school and community settings.