The effects of a complex yoga-based intervention on healthy psychological functioning

Adam Koncz; Eszter Nagy; Barbara Csala; János Körmendi; Vera Gál; Csilla Suhaj; Csongor Selmeci; Ágota Selmeciné Bogdán; Szilvia Boros; Ferenc Köteles

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120992

The effects of a complex yoga-based intervention on healthy psychological functioning

Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 30:14:1120992. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120992. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Adam Koncz^{1

2}, Eszter Nagy³, Barbara Csala¹, János Körmendi^{1

2

4}, Vera Gál^{1

2}, Csilla Suhaj^{1

2}, Csongor Selmeci⁵, Ágota Selmeciné Bogdán⁵, Szilvia Boros¹, Ferenc Köteles^{6

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
² Ádám György Psychophysiology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
³ Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Magyar Jóga Társaság/Hungarian Yoga Society, Veszprém, Hungary.
⁶ Institute of Psychology, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Budapest, Hungary.

Abstract

Background: Yoga based interventions were found to have a positive impact on various indicators of psychological functioning, such as perceived stress, satisfaction with life, positive and negative affectivity. Additionally, such interventions improved bodily or interoceptive awareness and spirituality.

Methods: The present study assessed the effects of a 3-month long complex yoga-based intervention compared to a passive control group in a Hungarian community sample. The final sample consisted of 44 intervention (Mage = 47.5, SD = = 8.76) and 29 control participants (Mage = 47.4, SD = 9.47). The aforementioned constructs were measured 1 week before and after the intervention.

Results: The intervention reduced participants' perceived stress (p = <0.001, η_p ² = 0.153) and negative affectivity (p = 0.019, η_p ² = 0.113), improved spirituality (p = 0.048, η_p ² = 0.054) and various aspects of interoceptive awareness such as noticing (p = <0.001, η_p ² = 0.169) attention regulation (p = <0.001, η_p ² = 0.211), self-regulation (p = 0.002, η_p ² = 0.190) body listening (p = 0.010, η_p ² = 0.097), trusting (p = 0.026, η_p ² = 0.070), but did not impact positive affectivity and satisfaction with life.

Conclusion: A 3-months long complex yoga-based intervention has a positive impact on many aspects of healthy psychological functioning.

Keywords: interoceptive awareness; positive and negative affect; satisfaction with life; spirituality; stress; yoga-based intervention.