Yoga in correctional settings: A randomized controlled study. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2017 Oct 16; 8:204

Yoga is a holistic approach and it is quite difficult to understand the specific effects of Yoga for its many aspects such as Asana, Pranayama, Meditation, etc. Inspite of these challenges, scientific study on Yoga has been grown optimally. Several studies have shown the positive outcome of Yoga on various psychological and physiological parameters such as stress, anxiety, depression, memory, aggressiveness, etc. ( , ). Prison population is vulnerable to different psychiatric morbidities and often represent antisocial behavior ( , ). A randomized control trial has shown a significant improvement in perceived stress, positive affect, and psychological distress in prisoners after 10 weeks of Yoga practice ( ). A few meta-analysis has also suggested the positive effect of Yoga and meditation on psychological well-being and behavioral functioning in the prison population. The study has revealed that 10 weeks Yoga was associated with increased positive affect, impulse control, psychological well-being, sleep quality, and decreased aggressiveness, stress, and negative affect.