Reducing Test Anxiety and Academic Stress through Simplified Kundalini Yoga: A Neurobehavioral Perspective

Abstract

The common issues faced by many students include test anxiety and academic stress; however, both can have detrimental impacts on their cognitive, emotional, and academic performance. Thus, this study aimed at the efficacy of Simplified Kundalini Yoga (SKY) for alleviating test anxiety and academic stress and explored the mechanisms through which this method exerts its effects. In this randomized controlled trial, an experimental research design, 60 students (aged 14–17 years) were divided into two groups, namely a SKY intervention group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). The intervention included an 8-week SKY program that involved simplified physical exercises, Kaya Kalpa, meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques. Outcome measures included Test Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Academic Stress Scale, Heart Rate Variability, Salivary Cortisol, Stroop Colour-Word task, and Go–No–Go Task. The results showed significant decreases in test anxiety, perceived stress, and academic stress in the SKY group relative to the control group (p < .001). There were also significant changes in HRV, cortisol regulation, executive function, attention, and inhibitory control. The mediation analysis found that HRV served as a partial mediator of the relationship between test anxiety, thereby indicating that autonomic regulation is one of the mechanisms through which the program works. Therefore, SKY can be considered an effective, affordable, and feasible intervention to enhance psychological wellbeing and neurocognitive functioning in stressed students.