Effect of Yoga With and Without Meditation on Serum Cortisol and Stress Level among the Obese Women

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of yoga with and without meditation on Serum Cortisol and Stress level among obese women. Thirty obese women who were (aged 30 to 45 years) living in Kondapur, Hyderabad selected as subjects. The selected subjects were randomly assigned into three experimental groups. Each group consists of ten (n = 10) and were treated for a period of 12 weeks. The first group treated with the Specific Ashtanga Yogic Practices (AYP) and the second group with the Specific Hatha Yogic Practices (HYP) and the third group considered as the Control group that did not receive any of the above treatments. Serum Cortisol level (blood samples) and Stress level assessment (Stress Questionnaire constructed by Latha Satish (1997)), were taken for all the three groups at the baseline and after a week of the treatment. Analysis of Covariance was applied for examining the hypothesis. Whenever the adjusted post test mean was found to be significant, the Scheffé S test was applied. After 12 weeks of the specific yogic practices it is evident that AYP and HYP have significant changes in selected criterion variables when compared with the control group. In the Serum Cortisol level, the AYP and HYP have shown the significant reduction over the Control group and in Stress level AYP shown significant reduction than the HYP and control group. The results suggest the importance of practicing AYP and HYP for reducing the Stress level and controlling the Serum Cortisol level among the obese women.

Author Name : D.Praveena & K.Venkatachalapathy

Keywords: Specific Ashtanga Yogic Practices, Specific Hatha Yogic Practices, Serum Cortisol level and Stress level.