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

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Physical Activity; Stress; Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Yoga Videos; Other: SKY Breath Meditation

Detailed Description

The investigators are conducting a small pilot study to explore whether a specific type of breath-based meditation-Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY)-can support the well-being of university students. Over the course of eight weeks, 56 undergraduate and graduate students will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will take part in the SKY program, while the other will follow a general online yoga routine that does not include breathwork.

Participants in the SKY group will begin with a three-day in-person retreat, followed by weekly virtual sessions and independent home practice. The control group will engage in self-paced online yoga and receive occasional check-ins.

The primary focus of this study is feasibility: whether investigators can successfully recruit participants, maintain engagement, and support adherence to the intervention. The study will also examine whether SKY contributes to improvements in participants' physical and mental well-being. In addition to monitoring physical activity, the study will assess changes in perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus-key areas that commonly affect student populations.

All participants will complete validated mental health and wellness questionnaires before and after the program. Data will be analyzed using statistical methods that include all enrolled participants, regardless of program completion. The SKY practices are considered low-risk and have been used in diverse populations; all data will be handled confidentially and securely.

This research is intended to lay the foundation for a larger study and provide early insight into how SKY breathwork practices may help students navigate academic demands with increased calm, clarity, and resilience.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 53
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sree K Patiballa, PhD; Phone Number: 205-348-6163; Email: spatiballa@ua.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Kunwal M. Scott, DNP; Email: kmscott10@ua.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Alabama
    • Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, 35401
      • Recruiting
      • University of Alabama
      • Contact: Facilities and Grounds Main University of Alabama Contant Number; Phone Number: 205-348-6010; Email: property@ua.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants must:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants will be excluded if they:

  1. have a serious psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic disorders) that could be exacerbated by group-based interventions;
  2. are in acute psychiatric crisis; such as, active suicidal ideation
  3. have acute medical conditions that contraindicate light physical activity or breathwork;
  4. 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).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week; Yoga videos to practice three times per week will be distributed to control group	Other: Yoga Videos; Pre-recorded yoga videos will be sent to the participants to perform yoga three times per week
Experimental: Intervention group; SKY breath meditation retreat for 3-days, once weekly online meditation session, and home practice.	Other: SKY Breath Meditation; Three day in person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, home practice

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale	a seven item scale with score ranging from 0 to 21. score of 0-4: Minimal anxiety, score of 5-9: Mild anxiety, 10-14: Moderate anxiety, and 15-21: Severe anxiety.	8 weeks
International physical activity scale - short form	a seven-item scale with open ended questions for recalling physical activity.	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 28, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 21, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 27, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: GAD-7; perceived stress scale; SKY Breath Meditation; IPAQ-short form
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Behavior; Anxiety Disorders; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25-11-9227

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Apart from research team, no one will have access to the raw data. The information regarding the results shared will be after the data is de-identified.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No