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Scientific Research on Yoga > Special Populations > Students and Education

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Students and Education Preschools, Elementary, Middle and Secondary Schools, Post-Secondary Schools/Colleges, Postgraduate Education, Specialty/Professional Schools

Video Spotlight: Schools

Watch this video to learn more about the research conducted on yoga in schools.

Our hope is for yoga schools and yoga teachers to utilize this impactful content in their teachings to promote and highlight yoga's evident multi-faceted ability to improve lives. Let us know how research on yoga is important or valuable to you on social media (@YogaAlliance) or by emailing us at research@yogaalliance.org. We honor and value your personal experiences and look forward to featuring your stories.

These citations were curated by Yoga Alliance's Director of Yoga Research, Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa.

Review Papers

Review Papers (What's this?)

Interventions Within the Scope of Occupational Therapy to Improve Children's Academic Participation: A Systematic Review.
Grajo LC, Candler C, Sarafian A.
Am J Occup Ther. 2020 Mar/Apr;74(2):7402180030p1-7402180030p32.
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Secularity: Guiding Questions for Inclusive Yoga in Schools.
Cook-Cottone C, Childress T, Harper JC.
Int J Yoga Therap. 2019 Nov;29(1):127-133.
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Meta-Review on the Effectiveness of Classroom-Based Psychological Interventions Aimed at Improving Student Mental Health and Well-Being, and Preventing Mental Illness.
Šouláková B, Kasal A, Butzer B, Winkler P.
J Prim Prev. 2019 Jun;40(3):255-278.
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The Effects of Meditation, Yoga, and Mindfulness on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Tertiary Education Students: A Meta-Analysis.
Breedvelt JJF, Amanvermez Y, Harrer M, Karyotaki E, Gilbody S, Bockting CLH, Cuijpers P, Ebert DD.
Front Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 24;10:193.
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Mind & body practices in the treatment of adolescent anxiety.
Fulweiler B, John RM.
Nurse Pract. 2018 43(8):36-43.
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Psychophysiological effects of yoga on stress in college students.
Tripathi MN, Kumari S, Ganpat TS.
J Educ Health Promot. 2018 Mar 1;7:43.
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The benefits of yoga in children.
Nanthakumar C.
J Integr Med. 2018 Jan;16(1):14-19.
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Assessing Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) for School-Based Mindfulness and Yoga Interventions: A Systematic Review.
Gould LF, Dariotis JK, Greenberg MT, Mendelson T.
Mindfulness (N Y). 2016 Feb;7(1):5-33.
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Yoga in school settings: a research review.
Khalsa SB, Butzer B.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016 Jun;1373(1):45-55.
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Implementing yoga within the school curriculum: a scientific rationale for improving social-emotional learning and positive student outcomes.
Butzer B, Bury D, Telles S, Khalsa SBS.
J Child Serv. 2016 Mar; 11(1):3-24.
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Being present at school: implementing mindfulness in schools.
Bostic JQ, Nevarez MD, Potter MP, Prince JB, Benningfield MM, Aguirre BA.
Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2015 Apr;24(2):245-59.
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Are There Benefits from Teaching Yoga at Schools? A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials of Yoga-Based Interventions.
Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Feitoza JM, Marchioro M, Simões J, Kozasa E, Telles S.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:345835.
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Yoga for Children and Young People's Mental Health and Well-Being: Research Review and Reflections on the Mental Health Potentials of Yoga.
Hagen I, Nayar US.
Front Psychiatry. 2014 Apr 2;5:35.
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Yoga in the Schools: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Serwacki ML, Cook-Cottone C.
Int J Yoga Therap. 2012;(22):101-9.
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Notable Publications

Notable Publications (What's this?)

An Evaluation of Yoga and Meditation to Improve Attention, Hyperactivity, and Stress in High-School Students.
Saxena K, Verrico CD, Saxena J, Kurian S, Alexander S, Kahlon RS, Arvind RP, Goldberg A, DeVito N, Baig M, Grieb A, Bakhshaie J, Simonetti A, Storch EA, Williams L, Gillan L.
J Altern Complement Med. 2020 Aug;26(8):701-707.
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The effect of Hatha yoga intervention on students' creative ability.
Bollimbala A, James PS, Ganguli S.
Acta Psychol (Amst). 2020 Jul 27;209:103121. (preprint)
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School-based yoga intervention increases adolescent resilience: a pilot trial.
Felver JC, Razza R, Morton ML, Clawson AJ, Mannion RS.
J Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2020 Jun;32(1):1-10.
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Mindfulness training for healthcare professional students: A waitlist controlled pilot study on psychological and work-relevant outcomes.
Braun SE, Dow A, Loughan A, Mladen S, Crawford M, Rybarczyk B, Kinser P.
Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jun;51:102405. (preprint)
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Effectiveness of yogic visual concentration (Trataka) on cognitive performance and anxiety among adolescents.
Sherlee JI, David A.
J Complement Integr Med. 2020 May 16:/j/jcim.ahead-of-print/jcim-2019-0055/jcim-2019-0055.xml. (preprint)
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Mindfulness Training for Improving Attention Regulation in University Students: Is It Effective? and Do Yoga and Homework Matter?
Wimmer L, Bellingrath S, von Stockhausen L.
Front Psychol. 2020 Apr 29;11:719.
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Yoga in school sports improves functioning of autonomic nervous system in young adults: A non-randomized controlled pilot study.
Frank J, Seifert G, Schroeder R, Gruhn B, Stritter W, Jeitler M, Steckhan N, Kessler CS, Michalsen A, Voss A.
PLoS One. 2020 Apr 13;15(4):e0231299.
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Yoga in school sport - A non-randomized controlled pilot study in Germany.
Jeitler M, Kessler CS, Zillgen H, Högl M, Stöckigt B, Peters A, Schumann D, Stritter W, Seifert G, Michalsen A, Steckhan N.
Complement Ther Med. 2020 Jan;48:102243.
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The impact of yoga on teachers' self-rated emotions.
Telles S, Sharma SK, Gupta RK, Pal DK, Gandharva K, Balkrishna A.
BMC Res Notes. 2019 Oct 22;12(1):680.
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An Onsite Fitness Facility and Integrative Wellness Program Positively Impacted Health-Related Outcomes Among Teachers and Staff at an Urban Elementary/Middle School.
Parker EA, McArdle PF, Gioia D, Trilling A, Bahr-Robertson M, Costa N, Berman BM, D'Adamo CR.
Glob Adv Health Med. 2019 Sep 9;8:2164956119873276.
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Immediate Effect of a Yoga Breathing Practice on Attention and Anxiety in Pre-Teen Children.
Telles S, Gupta RK, Gandharva K, Vishwakarma B, Kala N, Balkrishna A.
Children (Basel). 2019 Jul 22;6(7):84.
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Improvements in Psychological and Occupational Well-being Following a Brief Yoga-Based Program for Education Professionals.
Trent NL, Borden S, Miraglia M, Pasalis E, Dusek JA, Khalsa SBS.
Glob Adv Health Med. 2019 Jun 11;8:2164956119856856.
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Comparison of Yoga versus Physical Exercise on Executive Function, Attention, and Working Memory in Adolescent Schoolchildren: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Vhavle SP, Rao RM, Manjunath NK.
Int J Yoga. 2019 May-Aug;12(2):172-173.
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Self-Esteem and Performance in Attentional Tasks in School Children after 4½ Months of Yoga.
Gulati K, Sharma SK, Telles S, Balkrishna A.
Int J Yoga. 2019 May-Aug;12(2):158-161.
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12 Weeks of Kindergarten-Based Yoga Practice Increases Visual Attention, Visual-Motor Precision and Decreases Behavior of Inattention and Hyperactivity in 5-Year-Old Children.
Jarraya S, Wagner M, Jarraya M, Engel FA.
Front Psychol. 2019 Apr 10;10:796.
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The Impact of Yoga Nidra and Seated Meditation on the Mental Health of College Professors.
Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D.
Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):215-223.
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Increased Mental Well-Being and Reduced State Anxiety in Teachers After Participation in a Residential Yoga Program.
Telles S, Gupta RK, Bhardwaj AK, Singh N, Mishra P, Pal DK, Balkrishna A.
Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2018 Jul 31;24:105-112.
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Effect of mindfulness and yoga on quality of life for elementary school students and teachers: results of a randomized controlled school-based study.
Bazzano AN, Anderson CE, Hylton C, Gustat J.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018 Apr 10;11:81-89.
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Yoga versus physical exercise for cardio-respiratory fitness in adolescent school children: a randomized controlled trial.
Satish V, Rao RM, Manjunath NK, Amritanshu R, Vivek U, Shreeganesh HR, Deepashree S.
Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2018 Jan 25. (preprint) Int J Adolesc Med Health. 2018 Jan 25;32(3):/j/ijamh.2020.32.issue-3/ijamh-2017-0154/ijamh-2017-0154.xml.
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Interpretive phenomenological analysis of a lawsuit contending that school-based yoga is religion: A study of school personnel.
Cook-Cottone C, Lemish E, Guyker W.
Int J Yoga Therap. 2017 Nov;27(1):25-35.
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Investigation of Yoga Pranayama and Vedic Mathematics on Mindfulness, Aggression and Emotion Regulation.
Shastri VV, Hankey A, Sharma B, Patra S.
Int J Yoga. 2017 Sep-Dec;10(3):138-144.
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Effect of Yoga on Psychological Functioning of Nursing Students: A Randomized Wait List Control Trial. Mathad MD, Pradhan B, Sasidharan RK.
J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 May;11(5):KC01-KC05.
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Evaluation of Yoga for Preventing Adolescent Substance Use Risk Factors in a Middle School Setting: A Preliminary Group-Randomized Controlled Trial.
Butzer B, LoRusso A, Shin SH, Khalsa SB.
J Youth Adolesc. 2017 Mar;46(3):603-632.
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A Qualitative Examination of Yoga for Middle School Adolescents. Butzer B, LoRusso AM, Windsor R, Riley F, Frame K, Khalsa SBS, Conboy L.
Adv Sch Ment Health Promot. 2017;10(3):195-219.
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A Qualitative Exploration of Implementation Factors in a School-Based Mindfulness and Yoga Program: Lessons Learned from Students and Teachers.
Dariotis JK, Mirabal-Beltran R, Cluxton-Keller F, Gould LF, Greenberg MT, Mendelson T.
Psychol Sch. 2017 Jan;54(1):53-69.
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"The Program Affects Me 'Cause it Gives Away Stress": Urban Students' Qualitative Perspectives on Stress and a School-Based Mindful Yoga Intervention.
Dariotis JK, Cluxton-Keller F, Mirabal-Beltran R, Gould LF, Greenberg MT, Mendelson T.
Explore (NY). 2016 Nov-Dec;12(6):443-450.
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A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Versus Yoga: Effects on Depression and/or Anxiety in College Students.
Falsafi N.
J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2016 Nov;22(6):483-497.
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Yoga Training in Junior Primary School-Aged Children Has an Impact on Physical Self-Perceptions and Problem-Related Behavior. Richter S, Tietjens M, Ziereis S, Querfurth S, Jansen P.
Front Psychol. 2016 Feb 23;7:203.
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Perceived Benefits of Yoga among Urban School Students: A Qualitative Analysis.
Wang D, Hagins M.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:8725654.
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Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes.
Polsgrove MJ, Eggleston BM, Lockyer RJ.
Int J Yoga. 2016 Jan-Jun;9(1):27-34.
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A Qualitative Evaluation of Student Learning and Skills Use in a School-Based Mindfulness and Yoga Program.
Dariotis JK, Mirabal-Beltran R, Cluxton-Keller F, Gould LF, Greenberg MT, Mendelson T.
Mindfulness (N Y). 2016 Feb;7(1):76-89.
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School-based Yoga Programs in the United States: A Survey.
Butzer B, Ebert M, Telles S, Khalsa SB.
Adv Mind Body Med. 2015 Fall;29(4):18-26.
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A Single Session of an Integrated Yoga Program as a Stress Management Tool for School Employees: Comparison of Daily Practice and Nondaily Practice of a Yoga Therapy Program.
Nosaka M, Okamura H.
J Altern Complement Med. 2015 Jul;21(7):444-9.
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A Yoga Stress Reduction Intervention for University Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students.
Brems C.
Int J Yoga Therap. 2015;25(1):61-77.
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Effects of suryanamaskar on relaxation among college students with high stress in Pune, India.
Godse AS, Shejwal BR, Godse AA.
Int J Yoga. 2015 Jan;8(1):15-21.
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Effect of yoga or physical exercise on physical, cognitive and emotional measures in children: a randomized controlled trial.
Telles S, Singh N, Bhardwaj AK, Kumar A, Balkrishna A.
Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2013 Nov 7;7(1):37.
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Feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a school-based mindfulness intervention for urban youth.
Mendelson T, Greenberg MT, Dariotis JK, Gould LF, Rhoades BL, Leaf PJ.
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010 Oct;38(7):985-94.
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