Yoga improves body image, mindfulness among college-age women

The effect that yoga has on certain aspects of personal development can hardly be overstated. Besides being a healthy way to engage in low-impact exercise while reconnecting the mind and body, this holistic regimen has been shown to have a wealth of positive psychological effects, including the improvement of one's own self-image, according to recent research.

A dissertation written by Washington State University psychological counselor and PhD candidate Sara Elysia Clancy stated that college-age women who take yoga reported experiencing improvements in bodily satisfaction and reductions in self-objectification.

It is a testament to the power of yoga that such a dynamic exercise system, combining deep breathing with gentle stretches, can help women overcome being saturated by media images of thin models.

The National Institute on Media and the Family reports that by age 17, 78 percent of U.S. girls are unhappy with their bodies.

However, yoga may help. Clancy found that after three months of daily yoga, female college students were happier with their self-image and reported lower body dissatisfaction scores.

The researcher added that in her investigation, she noticed that women experienced the greatest gains in the areas of acceptance, mind-body connection, physical compassion, awareness, physical functioning and mindfulness.

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