EFFECT OF HATHA YOGA ON STRESS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVEL
Keywords:
Hatha yoga, Stress, Cortisol hormone, Salivary cortisolAbstract
This study aimed to examine the effects of Hatha yoga practice on stress levels and salivary cortisol in women aged 20–50 years with moderate to high stress levels. The hypothesis was to analyze whether Hatha yoga practice could reduce stress and cortisol levels. This research
employed a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design. The sample consisted of 28 participants who practiced Hatha yoga for 1 hour from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on a single day at the same place. Data were collected using the SPST-20 stress questionnaire and a salivary cortisol test kit. Data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired t-test, and correlation analysis.
The results showed a statistically significant reduction in stress levels, with the average stress score decreasing from 52.29 (SD = 13.55) before Hatha yoga practice to 33.57 (SD = 11.13) after Hatha yoga practice (p < 0.05). Salivary cortisol levels showed a slight but non-significant reduction, with an average of 5.37 nmol/dL (SD = 2.81) before Hatha yoga practice and 4.75 nmol/dL (SD = 4.15) after Hatha yoga practice. However, among participants with high stress levels, both stress and cortisol levels significantly decreased after Hatha yoga practice (p < 0.05).
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