YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM

The Effect of Yoga and Mindfulness Practice on Body Image and Self-Esteem Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 Principal Investigator: Kati Miller (kati.miller@richmond.edu, 508-641-3392) Supervisor: Dr. Peter LeViness (plevines@richmond.edu, 804-289-8119) The Department of Psychology

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Study Summary This study will explore the effect of yoga and mindfulness practice on body image satisfaction and self-esteem. The population will be 16 University of Richmond Introduction of Psychology students who have never practiced yoga or meditation before. 8 participants will be in the experimental group, which will practice yoga and mindfulness for one hour once a week for 7 weeks and they will journal for 5 minutes at the end of each yoga class. The 8 participants in the control group will meet for 5 minutes once a week for 7 weeks to journal. The results will be measured using pre and post assessments of body image satisfaction and self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Body Image Concern Inventory. Information on the researchers Kati Miller is a sophomore at the University of Richmond and is studying to become a LAIS and Psychology double major. Kati is an AFAA certified yoga instructor and Red Cross CPR certified. She will be conducting her research under the supervision of Dr. Peter LeViness, director of CAPS. Literature Review The purpose of this study is to explore if yoga and mindfulness practice can increase body image satisfaction and self-esteem. The results of previous studies support this idea. As Douglass (2009) found when using yoga to help women with eating disorders, yoga enables patients to experience their bodies in a new way...Rather than having all the senses focused on the external, awareness is tuned to internal sensations. The shift in focus from external judgment, pressures, and expectations to internal thoughts and feelings allows yoga practitioners to connect more deeply with their bodies. Dale et al. (2009) found that, in contrast to those in an aerobic control group, those who participated in yoga had higher body awareness,

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM responsiveness, and satisfaction, as well as less self-objectification. In addition to allowing practitioners to become more comfortable with and aware of their bodies, previous research suggests that yoga also increases self-esteem. Douglass (2009) found that women with eating disorders, when confronted with new or more challenging poses, doubt themselves. As Douglass (2009) patients began to question their abilities they were able to see, right in the moment, their negative self-talk. Yoga becomes an experimental laboratory for seeing and then changing habitual patterns. Yoga practice allowed the women to recognize their own self-esteem-damaging internal dialogue and work to correct it, eventually increasing their self-esteem and their sense of self-worth (Douglass, 2009). Additionally, Douglass (2009) found that, The process of practicing stretching and strengthbuilding positions with relaxation, meditation and breathing techniques provides opportunities for self-awareness, reflection and change while at the same time creating inner peace. I hope to build on these findings by studying the effect of yoga and mindfulness practice on the selfesteem and the body image of men and women. It is hypothesized that participants that practice yoga and mindfulness for 7 weeks will experience improved body satisfaction and increased selfesteem. There are many benefits of this study for the study participants. Through yoga practice participants may experience greater strength and flexibility, decreased stress, a greater sense of relaxation, and better sleep patterns (Danhauer et al., 2009). Participants will also learn stresscoping skills such as meditation and deep breathing exercises. Hopefully, in addition to these benefits, participants will also experience improved body satisfaction and a higher self-esteem. As with any physical activity, there is a small risk of physical harm when practicing yoga. I am an AFAA certified yoga instructor and I am American Red Cross CPR certified.

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Further, if participants have any kind of physical condition or ailment that could make yoga unsafe for them, they will be asked to not participate in the experiment. Additionally, reflecting on self-esteem and body image might stir up strong feelings for participants. On the consent form participants are urged to contact CAPS if they would like help to work through their emotions, and if I notice that a participant is particularly emotional, I will suggest that they either remove themselves from the study and/or seek guidance at CAPS. Procedure The introduction to the study will take place in a classroom with computers so that participants can complete the consent form and self-esteem and body-satisfaction assessments. Subjects will be given a brief description of the study, they will be asked to not participate in the study if they are not yet 18 years old, or if they have any kind of physical ailment that will affect their ability to partake in the study, they will be reminded that they may leave the study at any time if they wish, and lastly they will be asked to sign the consent form after reviewing it thoroughly and asking any questions they might have. After consent has been given and the consent forms have been collected by the experimenter, each subject will randomly draw a card from a stack of randomly mixed index cards, half of which will be labeled with odd numbers and half of which will be labeled with even numbers. The number that each participant draws from the stack will serve as his or her identification number for the entire experiment, and participants with odd ID numbers will be in the control group, while participants with even ID numbers will be in the experimental group. Next, the each participant will be instructed to take the pre-assessment packet corresponding to the participants ID number (e.g., subject 15 will take packet number 15). Each packet will include a schedule for the experiment (control group members will receive a schedule

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM outlining when and where they will meet to journal, and experimental group members will receive a schedule outlining when and where they will meet for the yoga/meditation classes and journaling sessions), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and the Body Image Concern Inventory (Littleton & Radecki Breitkopf, 2008). Upon receiving their packet subjects will be instructed to complete both assessments. In the packet, subjects also will be given a journal already labeled with their ID number (subject 15 will be given journal number 15). Finally, each student will be instructed to log into their Richmond email account and email Dr. LeViness their ID number so that he can create a roster for attendance purposes. Subjects will exit the classroom and leave their assessments and their journals in a stack on a chair by the door face down to preserve their confidentiality. The experimental group, the participants with even ID numbers, will meet for one hour once a week for 7 weeks to practice yoga and mindfulness. The yoga classes will always follow the same format: Class will start sitting cross-legged on the mat with meditation and deep breathing for 3 minutes. The yoga practice, ending with Shavasana (a resting pose), will last for 45 minutes. Participants will then meditate for an additional 3 minutes before finishing the class with 5 minutes of journaling. At the end of the 7th yoga class, the experimental group participants will complete the post self-esteem and body satisfaction assessments. The control group, the participants with odd ID numbers, will meet for 5 minutes once a week for 7 weeks to journal, and at the end of the 7th journaling session they will complete the post self-esteem and body satisfaction assessments. The journaling procedure will be uniform for both groups. Participants will collect their labeled journal from the stack of journals. I will read a journaling prompt, and participants will

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM have 5 minutes to respond to the prompt. After 5 minutes participants will place their journals back in the stack. Data Collection and Analysis I will not analyze the assessments or the journals until the 7 sessions have been completed, so all responses made during the study will be completely confidential. The data I am primarily interested in is the quantitative data from the pre and post assessments. I will calculate the difference between the scores on the pre assessments and the scores on the post assessments, and then I will calculate a mean difference score for both the control group and the experimental group. I will look through the journals to see if there are any particularly relevant anecdotes, and I may quote from the journals (without referencing the individuals ID number or any other possibly identifying factor) when writing my final lab report. Attendance Policy and Incentives Attendance for each of the 7 sessions will be taken using the tally mark system: participants will place a tally mark next to their ID number on an attendance sheet at the beginning of each session to signify that they were present. At the end of the experiment I will give Dr. LeViness the total number of tallies that correspond to each ID number, and he will refer to the roster associating participants names and their ID numbers to mark their attendance accordingly on the SONA system to award them credit. Participants will receive study participation credit on the SONA system based on how many of the sessions they attend. If a participant attends 7 sessions, he or she will be awarded 7 study participation credits for this experiment.

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Description of the Subject Populations It is hoped that we will have 16 University of Richmond Introduction to Psychology students in our experiment, 8 in the control group, and 8 in the experimental group. People with physical limitations (disabilities, joint problems, recent surgeries) will be asked to not participate in the study. Participants will be recruited using the SONA study sign-up website and a brief speech made in each Introduction to Psychology class about the study at the beginning of the semester. Discussion of the Investigators Interaction with the Subjects. I will interact with the subjects when administering and explaining the consent forms and the introductory packets, when prompting the journaling sessions, when instructing the yoga and mindfulness practice, and when administering the post assessments. Provisions for Confidentiality Each subject will randomly draw his or her ID number by drawing a card from a stack of randomly mixed index cards, half of which will be labeled with odd numbers and half of which will be labeled with even numbers. The number that each participant draws from the stack will serve as his or her identification number for the entire experiment, and participants with odd ID numbers will be in the control group, while participants with even ID numbers will be in the experimental group. Subjects will submit their assessment results using their ID numbers, and they will identify and retrieve their journals from the stack by using their ID number. Participants will sign in to the attendance record by placing a tally mark next to their ID number. Surveys and journals will be identified only by ID number, and I will not analyze the surveys or the journals until the study has been completed, so all responses made during the study will be completely

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM confidential. Further, the data will only be reported as a whole for both the experimental group and the control group. Discussion of How the Informed Consent of Subjects Will Be Obtained Subjects, once advised to not participate in the experiment if they are not yet 18 years old or if they have any kind of physical restriction that might impede them from fully participating in the study, will be asked to sign the consent form before completing the pre assessments or any other part of the study. I will verbally explain what is on the consent form and answer any questions before subjects sign the form. Subjects will be reminded that if they ever wish to leave the study that they are free to do so. The Assessments and the Journaling Prompts Please refer to the copies of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Body Image Concern Inventory, and the journaling prompts.

YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM References Dale, L. P., Mattison, A. M., Greening, K., Galen, G., Neace, W. P., & Maticin, M. L. (2009). Yoga workshop impacts psychological functioning and mood of women with selfreported history of eating disorders. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, 17(5), 422-434. doi: 10.1080/10640260903210222 Danhauer, S. C., Mihalko, S. L., Russell, G. B., Campbell, C. R., Felder, L., Daley, K., & Levine, E. A. (2009). Restorative yoga for women with breast cancer: findings from a randomized pilot study. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, 18(4), 360-368. doi: 10.1002/pon.1503 Douglass, L. (2009). Yoga as an intervention in the treatment of eating disorders: does it help? Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, 17(2), 126-139. doi: 10.1080/10640260802714555 Littleton, H., & Radecki Breitkopf, C. (2008). The body image concern inventory: validation in a multiethnic sample and initial development of a Spanish language version. Elsevier, Body Image(5), 381-388. Retrieved November 28, 2011, from www.elsevier.com/locate/bodyimage Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

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Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Instructions: Below is a list of statements dealing with your general feelings about yourself. Indicate your level of agreement with each statement by marking the appropriate circle with an x.

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YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Body Image Concern Inventory

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YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Journaling Prompts 1. What are your favorite parts of your body? 2. What is an activity that you do really well? (Public speaking, basketball, cooking, playing an instrument) Talk about one success you have had that has been important to you while doing this activity. 3. What is a challenge that you have overcome? 4. Reflect on Markus Zusaks quote, Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are. What are you? In what ways are you beautiful? 5. What have you done really well this week? What are you going to do to celebrate your success? 6. Reflect on Albert Einsteins quote, Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. What is your recognized or unrecognized genius? 7. Reflecting on the past 6 weeks of this study (feel free to look through your past journal entries), what about yourself are you most proud of?

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YOGA AND MINDFULNESS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM Example Yoga Routine I. Beginning Meditation 1. Sitting: Deep breathing 2. Mountain pose breathing 3. Rhythm of the heart: turning and giving 4. Wide leg forward bend to flat back (3x) 5. Shake it out 6. Mountain pose: lead down center line 7. Sitting meditation Warm-Up 1. Flying cross-legged pose Staff Pose (2x per side) 2. Boat Pose (I, II, III) 3. Cross-legged twist (1x per side w/ Cobblers Pose in between) 4. Roll forward to All Fours 5. Bent-Leg downward dog Full Downward Dog Plank All fours [Backbend your spine] (3x) 6. All Fours Knees, Chest, Chin Baby Cobra All Fours (3x) 7. Prostration Pose: Breathing Yoga Burn a. Downward Dog Side Twist Forward Bow/Lunge (3x) Ana Hata Asen Fluid Cobra to Upward Dog b. Lunge Triangle Pose Warrior II c. Standing Forward Bend Slide Chest forward (3x) d. Chair (I, II, III) e. Eagle f. Side Stretch g. Mountain Pose w/ Namaste Hands: Breathing h. Twisting Side Bend with Interlaced Hands (1x each side per hands) i. Downward Dog Warrior I Warrior II Extended Side Angle j. Right Lunge Chest/Thigh Opener k. Right Lunge Right Back Twist Supported Back Bend l. Prostration Pose: Breathing m. Sphinx Locust n. Bow Pose (3x) o. Bent Leg Downward Dog All Fours p. Cobblers Pose Back Bend Forward Bend (3x) q. Undulating Right Leg Figure-4 (3x) Cobblers Pose (REPEAT LEFT SIDE) r. Staff Pose Forward Fold s. Upward-Facing Plank Pose (I, II, III) t. Constructive Rest Pose: Breathing Cool-Down a. Bridge Pose (3x) b. Hug Knees to Chest and Rock c. Back Stretch d. Shavasana

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III.

IV.

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