ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES AND AFFECTIVE REGULATION ABILITY OF WOMEN PRACTICING HATHA YOGA

SERGIO RINELLA¹, ROSSELLA ROMEO¹, DONATELLA DI CORRADO², SIMONA MASSIMINO^1*

¹Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, Italy - ²School of Sport Sciences, Department of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University, Enna, Italy

Introduction: The present study aims to evaluate the attentional processes and affective regulation ability of women practicing Hatha Yoga in comparison with peoples not practicing any physical activity. We hypothesized in the Hatha Yoga practitioners, reduced anxiety and a better tone of mood, superior performances in attentional tasks and, finally, more efficient attentive functions.

Materials and methods: The research sample includes 26 women, of whom 13 (average age 39.07 years ± 10.53 SD) practice Hatha Yoga (Yoga group) and 13 (average age 39.23 years ± 13.45 SD) do not practicing any sport activities (Nsport group). The following psychological assessment tests were used: Profile of Mood States (POMS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI-Y) and Attention And Concentration Test (ACT).

Results: Yoga group shows better control of internal tension states. None significant differences between the Yoga group and the Nsport group was observed by evaluating the anxiety, although in the Nsport group, State anxiety is associated with a lower sense of perceived energy, while in the Yoga group the State anxiety is related to a decrease of Depression. The Trait anxiety in Nsport group is associated with feelings of tension, fatigue, depression and aggression, with a consequent decrease in mood, whereas in the Yoga group none relationship between Trait anxiety and mood states was detected. Finally, concerning the sense of perceived energy, only the Yoga group showing performance improvement in the Attention and Concentration test.

Conclusion. The practice of Hatha Yoga can be seen as a factor that can prevent and improve the quality of people’s life, and although its effectiveness in treatment is still under investigation, it could be understood as a valid helper of classical treatments.