Abstract

The present study examined the short-term effects of Hatha Yoga on mood states. Participants were male and female adult yoga students. On a weekday evening before yoga class, participants completed a pretest survey that included the Semantic Differential Feeling and Mood Scale (SDFMS), a measure of mood states. The participants were guided through an hour-long Hatha Yoga practice followed immediately by the SDFMS posttest. The independent variable was the time the SDFMS was taken (Before/After), and the dependent variable was the change in SDFMS score for five subscale conditions: Depressed/Elated, Anxious/Relaxed, Confident/Unsure, Energetic/Fatigued, and Good-Natured/Grouchy. The results supported the hypothesis that each of the five subscales scores was significantly more positive after the yoga practice than before the yoga practice.