Yoga, Mindfulness Are Good for the Brain

Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation provide similar benefits for executive function and mood, according to a recent study.

To conduct their study, the researchers assessed 31 yoga practitioners with moderate hatha yoga experience. Participants’ mean age was 27.71 years. Participants completed separate counterbalanced sessions of hatha yoga, meditation, and a reading control task. The hatha yoga session focused on conscious movement and meditation, and the meditation session focused on mindfulness of breath, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations.
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The Stroop task was used to evaluate executive function at baseline and at 5 and 10 minutes after a session. Participants self-reported their mood at baseline and immediately after each session via the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Results showed that hatha yoga and meditation both significantly improved Stroop performance, with little differences between the 2 conditions. Furthermore, both activities had demonstrated cognitive benefits 10 minutes after sessions, but not 5 minutes after.

Hatha yoga and meditation had also significantly improved POMS total mood scores, with little differences between each activity. However, hatha yoga had demonstrated significantly greater benefits on the vigor-activity subscale.

“Overall, findings suggest that acute bouts of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation benefit executive function and mood to a similar degree,” the researchers concluded.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Luu K, Hall PA. Examining the acute effects of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation on executive function and mood. Mindfulness. 2017;8(4):873-880. doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0661-2.