Improvements in Psychological and Occupational Well-being Following a Brief Yoga-Based Program for Education Professionals

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine changes in psychological and occupational well-being in education professionals who attended a yoga-based program. Methods Education professionals who attended a 3-day yoga-based RISE (resilience, integration, self-awareness, engagement) program were recruited to participate. RISE was administered at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Measures of psychological and occupational well-being, and health-related behaviors were completed before (baseline), after (post), and 2 months after RISE (follow-up). Forty-four participants completed baseline and post and were included in the analysis. Of those, 33 participants also completed the follow-up. Paired samples t tests were used to compare scores between time points. Results Compared to baseline, at post, participants showed improvements in perceived stress, mindfulness, empowerment, positive affect, negative affect, self-compassion, total work engagement, vigor, sleep quality (all P values < .001), resilience, satisfaction with life, as well as exhaustion and professional efficacy which are dimensions of burnout (all P values < .01). At the follow-up, significant improvements were maintained for mindfulness, empowerment, self-compassion, sleep quality (all P values < .001), resilience, vigor, and exhaustion (all P values < .01) and positive affect, satisfaction with life, and work engagement (all P values < .05). Conclusions These findings suggest that the yoga-based RISE program improves psychological and occupational well-being in education professionals. In addition, participants reported that attending RISE was feasible, they could continue using RISE practices long-term, shared them with work colleagues, and reported that RISE positively impacted both their daily lives and workplace environment. With these promising results, additional controlled research is warranted.

“Making it okay”: professionals in high-stress environments construct their understanding of the impact of a yoga-based retreat designed to build resilience

“…For researchers interested in individuals exposed to stress and trauma, contextual understanding of increases in wellness outcomes (Trent et al, 2018 ) can provide meaningful tools for interventions and suggestions for assessment. For individuals in professions exposed to high amounts of stress and/or trauma, the current findings in conjunction with previous RISE reports (Dyer et al, 2020 ; Trent et al, 2018 , 2019a ) give support for the construction of positive experiences and evidence for mechanisms influencing outcomes in a yoga-based retreat setting.…”

“…Yoga decreases anxiety in depression with clinical populations (Kwok et al, 2019 ). Over several years, Kripalu Yoga programmes have demonstrably improved psychological and physical health indicators in many populations, including youth in schools (Butzer et al, 2017 ), police officers (Jeter et al, 2013 ), obese populations (Braun et al, 2012 ), mental health professionals (Riley et al, 2017 ), educators (Trent et al, 2019a ), physicians (Scheid et al, 2020 ), and heterogeneous groups of frontline professionals (Dyer et al, 2020 ; Trent et al, 2018 , 2019b ).…”

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on depression in adolescents

“…Therefore, students are required to maintain a gentle and introspective attitude throughout the practice. Each pose of Kripalu Yoga needs to be maintained for a long time in order to fully release the pent-up emotions[ 96 ]. Kripalu Yoga has achieved significant intervention effects in one study, which may be related to its emphasis on obeying the wisdom of the body[ 40 ].…”

Development of Culinary and Self-Care Programs in Diverse Settings: Theoretical Considerations and Available Evidence

“…Studies have shown after a brief intervention, participants show improvements in perceived stress, mindfulness, empowerment, positive affect, negative affect, selfcompassion, total work engagement, vigor, sleep quality, resilience, satisfaction with life, as well as reduced professional burnout (all P values < .01). 50 As a contemplative activity incorporating attention training, breath awareness, and integration of breath and movement, yoga explores and strengthens the connection between the body, mind, and spirit. Evidence shows regular yoga practice leads to improvement in the cardiopulmonary risk profile, 51 anti-inflammatory effects, 52 relief of pain, 53 and attentional control, 54 as well as enhancement of executive functioning and working memory, buffering age-related decline.…”