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A controlled study conducted at the University of Duisberg-Essen in Germany involving 24 women (mean age: 37.9 years) with self-perceived mental distress, showed that participation in a 3-month yoga program consisting of two 90-minute classes per week, significantly improved the mental attitudes of the participants. Subjects were divided into two groups - Group 1 consisted of 16 women who participated in the 3-month yoga program ("Iyengar yoga"), and Group 2 consisted of 8 women who were put on a waiting list, who served as controls. Subjects completed various tests to measure different aspects of psychological health and well-being both before the yoga program, and again after the 3-month yoga program. Significant improvements were seen in the women who participated in the yoga program, as compared with the control group. Specifically, improvements in perceived stress, and on scores of tests measuring anxiety, well-being, vigor, fatigue, and depression, were found. In addition, improvements in physical well-being, such as marked pain relief, were experienced by women who had complained of headaches and back pain at the start of the study. This study suggests that yoga may have a significant role to play in safely and effectively reducing stress and improving mental/psychological health in women experiencing mental distress
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