Yoga and attention: A systematic review

Abstract

In modern times, people are suffering from numerous types of difficulties. Stress and mental problems have become part of one's life. Excessive use of mobile phones, other electronic devices, and drug intake has caused many cognitive and mental problems. Attention, memory, and cognitive functions are affected by electronic and digital devices. Previous studies have shown that yoga can reduce stress and anxiety and improve cognitive functions such as attention and memory. The patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome search strategy was used to identify the keywords. Using the key words “yoga and attention,” 285 studies were identified from three databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct) and a search engine (Google Scholar). For discussion, 18 studies were included in the review. There was a wide range of age groups where the effectiveness of yoga on attention had been researched. This systematic review also revealed that attention in children also depends on memory development and anxiety. The particular study on the systematic reviews showed the high effectiveness of yoga, yogic exercises, mindfulness, and other yogic techniques on the level of attention among children. The study also revealed the coexistence of attention with memory development.