Impact of residential yoga training on occupational stress and health promotion in principals

The impact of yoga on occupational stress and wellbeing: exploring practitioners' experiences

Background

Workplace stress is a serious problem globally. It represents a major threat to the UN's sustainability goal of good health and wellbeing (SDG 3). The purpose of this article is to explore how yoga may be a tool for increased wellbeing and stress management at work and in everyday life.

Methods

To examine how yoga can facilitate employees' wellbeing and ability to cope with stress, we performed qualitative interviews with practitioners who did yoga regularly. We focused on how yoga was experienced by each of our interviewees and what practicing yoga meant to them. Our data material consists of 13 semi-structured lifeworld interviews. The sample consisted of 10 female and 3 male in the age range of 20-55 years old. The data were analyzed through a thematic analysis.

Results

The themes identified in the thematic analysis include: (1) yoga as a tool for increased wellbeing, (2) yoga for coping with stress and dealing with challenges, (3) the role of breathing, and (4) contextual factors. While confirming other research findings, this article elaborates on aspects informants described as induced by yoga, like self-awareness, calmness, balance, mood-lifting, focus, presence, self-care, and mastery. The reported positive outcomes of yoga constituted increased wellbeing, and also facilitated the ability to cope with stress and experience less stress. Informants also emphasized that yogic breathing was a central factor in inducing wellbeing and feeling less stressed. They also expressed that contextual factors, such as time, teacher, and location, influenced how practicing yoga was experienced and made sense of.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the interviewees experienced practicing yoga as positive, by reducing their occupational stress. Moreover, yoga increased their wellbeing, as well as their ability to cope with stress. These experienced changes were especially facilitated by yogic breathing, and influenced by contextual factors.

Comparative impact of yoga and ayurveda practice in insomnia: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is connected with a lifted hazard for neurocognitive dysfunction and psychiatric disarranges. Clinical observations of psychosomatic patients indicate that their distorted somatopsychic functioning necessitates their practice of yoga-like therapy. Sleep and its modifications and management have also been explained well in ayurveda. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Yoga and Nasya Karma on the sleep quality, stress, cognitive function, and quality of life of people suffering from acute insomnia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

It was an open-label, randomized controlled trial. A total of 120 participants were randomly (computer-generated randomization) equally allocated to three groups, yoga group (G-1), ayurveda group (G-2), and control group (G-3). All the groups were assessed on the first day before the start of the yoga regime and the 48^th day. Participants in the study were included in the age group of 18 to 45 years, fulfilling DSM-V criteria for insomnia, physically fit for the yoga module, and Nasya procedure. Outcomes were measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), cognitive failure questionnaire, and WHO Quality of Life Scale-Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). Proportions and frequencies were described for categorical variables and compared using the Chi-square test. ANOVA (one-way) and post hoc analysis, Bonferroni test, were performed for multiple comparisons in groups at a significance level of P < 0.05 using SPSS (23 version).

RESULTS

A total of 112 participants were analyzed as per protocol analysis. All groups have observed significant mean differences for stress (<0.05) and sleep quality (<0.05). All five aspects of quality of life - general health (<0.05), physical health (<0.01), psychological health (<0.05), social health (<0.05), and environmental health (<0.05) - had a significant mean difference in all three groups. All three aspects of cognitive failure, forgetfulness (<0.05), distractibility (<0.05), and false triggers (<0.01) had a significant mean difference in scores for all three groups.

CONCLUSION

Yoga practice was effective, followed by ayurveda and the control group in reducing stress and improving sleep, cognitive function, and quality of life.

Effectiveness of educational intervention on reducing oxidative stress caused by occupational stress in nurses: A health promotion approach

BACKGROUND

Nursing is one of the most stressful occupations. Educational intervention regarding stress management can play an important role in reducing occupational stress among nurses The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of educational intervention on reducing oxidative stress caused by occupational stress in nurses: A health promotion approach in a hospital in western Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present interventional study was performed in 2019 among 92 nurses working at the Kosar Hospital located in the city of Sanandaj in the country of Iran. Occupational stress was evaluated using the Osipow Occupational Stress Questionnaire. Oxidative stress was measured by taking blood samples and measuring the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde, and catalase (CAT) using SOD, malondialdehyde (MDA), and CAT kits. Educational intervention was carried out in the second stage. Three months after the intervention, data were taken again.

RESULTS

The results of the present study indicated that there was a significant difference in occupational stress between before and after the educational intervention (P < 0.05). A significant reduction in MDA (P = 0.038) and SOD (P = 0.048) was observed after educational intervention, but this was not the case for CAT (P = 0.592). There was no significant correlation between occupational stress with oxidative stress parameters before and after the educational intervention (P < 0.05). No significant difference in occupational stress was observed between men and women. Among the oxidative stress parameters under evaluation, MDA was higher among men compared to women and this was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Educational intervention regarding occupational stress is effective in reducing oxidative stress among nurses. The group meetings teach stress management to the participants and enable them to better manage their stress by utilizing their own capabilities. Thus, attention to this issue is vital in maintaining the mental and physical health of nurses and, in turn, improves the quality of care rendered.

Effect of head down tilt on heart rate variability

Context:

Sirshasan is supposed to increase blood flow to the brain and considered to be beneficial for intellectual function, however mastering these techniques may be difficult.

Aims:

To see the effect of headstand using a tilt table on heart rate variability (HRV).

Settings and Design:

A cross-sectional study that was done on 26 healthy volunteers.

Methods and Material:

HRV was assessed in the supine position and 30° head tilt position for 5 min. HRV recording was done on the power lab (AD Instruments P Ltd, Castle Hill Australia). The tilt table used was Medica Podium, New Delhi, HLT-200.

Statistical analysis used:

Paired t-test.

Results:

All the HRV parameters showed non-significant change except low-frequency parameters which showed significant change during head tilt.

Conclusions:

Headstand to a 30° using tilt table cause a decrease in the autonomic activity which is mainly because of decrease in sympathetic activity.

Can Yogic Breathing Techniques Like Simha Kriya and Isha Kriya Regulate COVID-19-Related Stress?

The global impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is tremendous on human life, not only affecting the physical and mental health of population but also impacting the economic system of countries and individual itself. The present situation demands prompt response toward COVID-19 by equipping the humans with strategies to overcome the infection and stress associated with it. These strategies must not only be limited to preventive and therapeutic measures, but also aim at improving immunity and mental health. This can be achieved by yogic breathing techniques. In this perspective, we emphasize the importance of yogic breathing, Simha Kriya and Isha kriya, the simple yet effective breathing techniques.