Graduation Year

2015

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Reader 1

Judith LeMaster

Reader 2

Michael Spezio

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

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© 2014 Sophia E. Armington

Abstract

Yoga postures (asana) and yoga breathing techniques (pranayama) could be an effective method of treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This study investigates the importance of the style of yoga treatment (pranayama, asana, or both) and the frequency with which these interventions are conducted (two or five times per week). The participants in this study will be military personnel with diagnosed PTSD who are currently receiving CBT and pharmaceutical treatment. All participants will have their PTSD symptoms assessed before the study begins, and then once a week each of the 12 weeks of the study. Structured interviews will be administered to both participants and loved ones of participants before and after the study in order to verify construct validity. It is proposed that all groups will show improvement in all three styles (asana, pranayama, and both) over the span of 12 weeks and the groups that practice five times a week will improve more than groups that practice twice a week. Therefore, participants who practice both pranayama and asana twice a week will have the most decrease in PTSD symptoms.

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