Mindful awareness for female dental students through yoga, motivational video, and a combination of two on stress reduction

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the potential effect of yoga, motivational videos, and a combination of two on stress reduction in female dental students. METHODS: The current study design is a nonrandomized trial carried out among female dental students (n = 120). The selected subjects were allocated into three groups, namely, group A: yoga group assigned under a professional yoga instructor, group B: motivational video group, and group C: a combination of two (A and B) involving yoga sessions and motivational videos; following which formative examinations were carried out at 6 weeks which were referred to as stressor 1 and those carried out at 12 weeks were referred to as stressor 2. Using Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI-A) recordings were measured at baseline, stressor 1, and stressor 2. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in trait anxiety scores at both stressors in all the groups with a significant reduction in depression score from stressor 1 to 2 in group 1 and group 3 subjects. The significant decrease occurred in STAI-A scores in group 1 and group 3 subjects at both stressors (P < 0.001) with no change observed in group 2 subjects. CONCLUSION: The present study is one of a kind and positively correlates yoga and motivational videos with stress reduction. Both of these interventions proved to be beneficiary for physical as well as mental health of study subjects.