Yoga Lowers Inmates’ Aggression and Anxiety

When you think of people practicing yoga who do you think of?   Prison inmates are not the first group of people you would immediately think of I am sure.  This study reported here for Scientific American investigated the benefits of yoga on prisoners from  seven different UK prisons.

Yoga has been proven in previous studies to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in prison inmates. This study carried out by researchers at Oxford University also showed that yoga increased the focus of the participants and reduced  impulsivity which is one of the main factors in acts of violence in prison settings.   One hundred prison inmates took part in the study and those practicing yoga became less aggressive and less stressed.

Yoga Lowers Inmates’ Aggression and Anxiety – Scientific American.