Impact of Yoga Practice in Hearing-Impaired and Mute Adolescents: Experimental Study - Abstract
Adolescents with hearing impairments and mutism face unique challenges in emotional regulation and cognitive development due
to communication barriers and social isolation. Conventional therapeutic and educational strategies may not fully address these issues,
necessitating the exploration of alternative interventions. Yoga, recognized for its holistic benefits on mental and emotional well-being,
offers a promising approach for enhancing cognitive and emotional functioning in this population. This study examines the effects of
Integrative Approaches to Yoga Therapy (IAYT) on cognitive and emotional functioning in hearing-impaired and mute adolescents. Study
consisted 60 participants (16–21 years) recruited from Oceanik College, Bengaluru, allocated them into a yoga group and a control group.
Cognitive and emotional outcomes were assessed using the Digit Letter Substitution Test (DLST) and the Positive and Negative Affect
Schedule (PANAS). The yoga group showed significant improvements in attention, processing speed, and emotional well-being (p < 0.001),
while the control group showed minimal changes. This study highlights the potential of yoga-based interventions in education and therapy
for this population and calls for further research on long-term benefits and broader applicability.