Relaxation

Girls from the community home exhibited significantly higher breath rates and lower skin resistance than those from the regular school. Fear and anxiety in particular tend to correlate with irregular breath patterns similar to what was observed with community home girls. Skin conductance is one indicator of autonomic reactivity, which has been demonstrated to be higher among children with emotional and conduct disorders (Gerald, Connell & Taylor, 1991, cited in Telles, et al., 1997). After 6 months of either yoga or games, only the yoga group showed a reduced breath rate and more regular pattern of breathing. Skin resistance did not change for either group, however. Heart rate decreased in both groups, as has been previously found following yoga and physical exercise. In this case, the emphasis on relaxation and awareness in the yoga regimen seems responsible for the improvement of breathing, and the physical exercise incorporated in both yoga and games caused the decrease in heart rate. These results reflect a general improvement in overall physical health. Moreover, the reduction of high and irregular breath rate that may signal fear and anxiety hints at a possible improvement in mental health or at least decreased mental or emotional stress in community home girls.