Yoga can improve mental health for kids under home care

Regular practise of Kundalini Yoga -- which incorporates movement, dynamic breathing techniques, meditation and the chanting of mantras -- can potentially help improve the health and psychological well being of children as well as the workforce in residential care homes, a study has found.

The results showed that the yogic technique has the potential to encourage togetherness and mutuality and improve health and psychological outcomes for children as well as the staff.

"The findings are very exciting as they suggest that the practice of Kundalini yoga, involving both staff and children in care, is a plausible intervention that can lead to individual and social benefits," said lead author Elvira Perez, research fellow at the University of Nottingham in Britain.

Individuals reported that the yoga sessions helped to show them beneficial exercises that they could use in various contexts, such as before going to bed, or during emotionally challenging times at work as well as at home.

The social benefits were also far-reaching with some participants reporting that they felt more positive, open to others and, as a consequence, had seen an improvement in their social lives and out of work.

The study was published at The Journal of Children's Services.