A Vital Mind in a Vital Body: Integrating Yoga Practice into an Undergraduate Positive Education Course

Abstract

With the high prevalence of mental illnesses in university students worldwide, researchers are investigating the effectiveness of mental health practices geared toward this subpopulation. Two encouraging approaches to promote student well-being are positive education (i.e., the teaching of applied positive psychology) and yoga. Nonetheless, few researchers have studied the combined effect of positive education and yoga on mental health. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the immediate and prolonged impact of integrating a yoga program into a positive education course offered at the University of Ottawa on undergraduate students’ mental health, affect, self-compassion, and vitality. In this mixed method single case experimental A1BA2 design, seven volunteer students completed a two-week baseline (A1), followed by a six-week yoga program including two weekly virtual yoga classes (B), and another two-week baseline (A2; post-yoga), all while taking the positive education course. Trait variables (i.e., mental health, trait self-compassion, and trait subjective vitality) were assessed via validated questionnaires during the baseline phases preceding and following the yoga program, while state variables (i.e., affect, state self-compassion, and state subjective vitality) were evaluated immediately before and after one of the weekly yoga sessions. Participants also completed diary entries guided by open-ended journal prompts related to the outcome variables following one of the weekly yoga sessions. Differences in trait and state quantitative variables pre- and post-yoga were compared by means of visual, stability, level, and trend analyses, while the qualitative data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Practicing yoga was found to improve all trait and state well-being outcomes, especially trait self-compassion and state subjective vitality, via greater pride, self-kindness, serenity, energy, and alertness. Results demonstrate that yoga and positive education mutually enhance university students’ mental health, affect, self-compassion, and vitality both immediately and prolongedly. This study addressed gaps in the literature and will help inform future implementation of yoga and positive education courses on university campuses.