Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students

NCT07415460 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 25-11-9227
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 53
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) for university students. Over an eight-week period, 56 students will be randomly assigned to either a SKY breathwork group or a control group engaging in general yoga without breathwork. The SKY group will participate in a three-day in-person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, and independent home practice. The study will assess recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as changes in physical activity, perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus. All participants will complete validated wellness questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. The goal is to determine whether SKY is a feasible, low-risk intervention that may enhance student well-being and inform future research.

Conditions

Stress; Anxiety; Physical Activity

Keywords

SKY Breath Meditation; perceived stress scale; GAD-7; IPAQ-short form

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• perceived stress scale

  measured by 10 items. score ranges from 0 to 40. Score of 0-13 would be considered low stress, score of 14-26 would be considered moderate stress, score of 27-40 would be considered high perceived stress.

  8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale

  8 weeks

• International physical activity scale - short form

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Yoga videos to practice three times per week will be distributed to control group

Other: Yoga Videos

Intervention group

EXPERIMENTAL

SKY breath meditation retreat for 3-days, once weekly online meditation session, and home practice.

Other: SKY Breath Meditation

Interventions

SKY Breath Meditation OTHER

Three day in person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, home practice

Intervention group

Yoga Videos OTHER

Pre-recorded yoga videos will be sent to the participants to perform yoga three times per week

control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must:
• be currently enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students at the university in Alabama;
• be at least 18 years old;
• speak and read English;
• be available to attend a 3-day in-person retreat and twice-weekly online sessions for SKY breath program over 8 weeks;
• be able to provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Participants will be excluded if they:
• have a serious psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic disorders) that could be exacerbated by group-based interventions;
• are in acute psychiatric crisis; such as, active suicidal ideation
• have acute medical conditions that contraindicate light physical activity or breathwork;
• are unable to obtain physician clearance for participation due to chronic conditions (e.g., uncontrolled asthma, severe cardiovascular disease, active psychiatric illness requiring intensive treatment).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Scott, K., Andrabi, M., Patiballa, S. K., McCoy, T., Shrestha, S., & Mumba, M. (2026). Breath of Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students - A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Sree K Patiballa, PhD

CONTACT

205-348-6163; spatiballa@ua.edu

Kunwal M. Scott, DNP

CONTACT

kmscott10@ua.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 21, 2026
• First Posted: February 17, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): August 28, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Last Updated: April 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)