As mental health is becoming increasingly prioritized, the disparity between the amount of undergraduate students who need mental health services and the amount of undergraduate students that actually receive this help is also becoming more noticeable. Over the past decade, there have been an increasing number of students seeking mental health services, with more students being diagnosed with mental health conditions. There have also been a rising number of students reporting heightened stress and anxiety due to COVID-19. With the increasing mental health diagnoses, especially during COVID-19, it is more important than ever to provide effective options for students to reduce their anxiety. To address this issue, we examined the effects of short easily accessible interventions including chair yoga, visual meditation and sound therapy to decrease anxiety in healthy college students. We report that a single session of five-minute chair yoga (p = 0.001) or visual meditation (p = 0.026) significantly reduced anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. We propose that results of this study be considered preliminary data in starting a self-help system for undergraduate students, especially during periods of exceptionally high stress, such as midterms or finals.

BACKGROUND SUMMARY: Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are an important component of the multidisciplinary approach to minimizing the symptomatology of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Within the program, patients learn about how to live with their non-curable disease and how to minimize exacerbations. Although patients learn about their disease process, breathing techniques, and exercise, there are no specific components that bridge the mind and body gap to promote mindfulness through the patients’ efforts within the program. LITERATURE REVIEW FINDINGS: This thesis contains a comprehensive literature review composed largely of randomized trials. These trials and studies summarize the framework of pulmonary rehabilitation programs and how yoga is implemented within treatment options for chronic diseases. The literature review highlights that pulmonary rehabilitation programs improve the quality of life in patients with emphysema through patient education on breathing and exercise. However, there is a lack of literature on the use of yoga techniques of breathing and exercise within the framework of pulmonary rehabilitation programs to promote mindfulness when living with a chronic disease. PROPOSED PROJECT: This thesis proposes a randomized controlled study to identify a more mindful approach to a pulmonary rehabilitation program for emphysema patients through the use of timed ujjayi pranayama (mindful breathing) and yoga asanas (poses). CONCLUSIONS: The results will be analyzed to determine if yoga techniques lead to statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes in emphysema patients enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. SIGNIFICANCE: The compiled data will reveal how yoga breathwork and movement will be beneficial for emphysema patients enrolled within a pulmonary rehabilitation program.