METHOD

Subjects

There were four groups having twenty subjects each. Two groups consisted of (i) volunteers for yoga training (group average age 23.1±4.4 years; 10 male and 10 female subjects) and (ii) those deputed from their work place for training in yoga (group average age 32.5±4.1 years; all male subjects). Both groups practised yoga for a month. The other two groups consisted of corresponding age and gender matched subjects who were not given yoga training. These two control or non-yoga groups were not matched for motivation with the yoga groups. However, they did not appear to be specially motivated to learn yoga, as none of them asked for yoga training though the option of receiving training in yoga after the study was completed, was open to them.

Procedure

All four groups were assessed on a tweezer dexterity task detailed below, at the beginning and end of a month. The assessment was modelled on the O’Connor tweezer dexterity test (8). The apparatus was manufactured by Anand Agencies, Pune, India. Subjects were instructed to pick up cylindrical metal pins with a tweezer using the dominant hand and place them in holes in a metal plate, as quickly as possible. They were told when to begin the test and after 4 minutes were asked to stop. The number of pins placed was counted as the dexterity score. It was noted that all subjects were right hand dominant (for writing, throwing a ball, combing their hair etc.).

Data analysis

A two factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to cheek for significant differences between the four groups, i.e., Factor A, and for difference between recordings on day 1 (before) and day 30 (after), i.e., Factor B. The Tukey test for the least significant difference between means was used for multiple comparisons.

A two factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the gender effect, comparing the dexterity scores of three groups (Factor A), viz. the male volunteers (n=10), female volunteers (n=10) and the deputed subjects (all males, n=20). Their day 30 and day 1 data were compared (Factor B). Pairwise comparisons of the values of the three groups were made using the Student-Newman-Keuls method.

Yoga training

Both yoga groups (volunteers and deputed subjects) received 30 days training in asanas 90 min, pranayamas 60 min, kriyas 30 min, meditation 20 min, devotional sessions 60 min, guided relaxation 60 min and lectures on the theory and philosophy of yoga 60 min.