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Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Integrating Yoga into School Health Programs: A Preventive Strategy for Adolescent Mental and Physical Health A Narrative Review

Authors: Abhishek Dogra; Rohini Jain; Nancy;

Integrating Yoga into School Health Programs: A Preventive Strategy for Adolescent Mental and Physical Health A Narrative Review

Abstract

Across much of the world, the health of adolescents has been quietly and steadily eroding. The causes are not mysterious: academic pressures, increasingly sedentary lives, near-constant digital immersion, and emotional coping skills that are rarely taught and often underdeveloped. The COVID-19 pandemic then compressed years of psychosocial strain into months. This paper takes stock of what is known about one particular response to this crisis—the integration of yoga into school health programmes—and asks whether the evidence is strong enough to justify a more deliberate policy commitment. A narrative review was conducted drawing on peer-reviewed literature from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink, and ScienceDirect, covering the period 2012 to 2026; approximately 55 studies and relevant policy documents were thematically analysed. Interventions under scrutiny span structured yoga formats including asana, pranayama, mindfulness practices, and relaxation techniques; outcomes examined include stress, emotional regulation, sleep, attention, classroom conduct, and physical fitness. On the theoretical side, autonomic nervous system regulation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulation, and interoceptive self-regulation are considered as the mechanisms most plausibly linking yoga to health outcomes. The evidence is encouraging, though not uncomplicated. Well-designed yoga programmes appear to produce real psychological and physical gains. The literature, however, is fragmented, frequently short-term, poorly standardised, and—within Indian school systems specifically—markedly thin on the ground. The most consequential gaps are identified and the case is made that yoga deserves deliberate, evidence-guided integration into school wellness policy, particularly in light of India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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