Personal Research
MANTRA MEDITATION (The Yoga Of Silent Sound) AS STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Gerry Sander, MS, OTR, E-RYT, CPT
Due to dealing with time constraints, the hassles of daily life and the quest for good grades, university students are prime candidates for chronic stress damage. Students show increased interest in this problem, but may not have access to an effective means of stress management.
The design of this study was single-group and quasi-experimental. A convenience sample of occupational therapy students from a local university was enrolled. The Hassles Assessment Scale for Students in College was used as pre and post-test, and students were to record some of their feelings which related to the practice of mantra meditation.
Group data were collected on each of three variables that are components of stress: (1) frequency, (2) intensity, and (3) duration in relation to everyday hassles. All group data showed significant reductions in complaints of stress.On an individual basis, all of the participants showed a decrease in their levels of stress. Most showed a percentage change of twenty to fifty-two percent.The findings of this study show that mantra meditation is an effective stress reduction tool, which may increase quality of life for university students.
