Stress and mental health issues are widespread in college students, and they may benefit from increased resilience. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of Hatha yoga on resilience and determine the relationship between resilience and academic persistence. This study was a quantitative, prospective controlled trial using a pretest and posttest design with a convenience sample. Participants included first-year University students who participateed in weekly 1-hour yoga sessions, practiced progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for 10 minutes daily, 6 times per week, or continued with activity as usual (wait list control). The intervention length was shortened from 6 weeks to 4 weeks due to the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Outcome measures included Brief Resilience Score (BRS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 25), Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30), and persistence to sophmore year. Results included significant post-score increases compared to pre- for the PMR group in the BRS and CD-RISC 25 scales, demonstrating increased resilience. Significant changes were found for yoga and PMR in ARS-30 Factor 3 scores, showing a decrease in negative thoughts regarding academics. No relationship between resilience and academic persistence was found. This study demonstrates that Hatha yoga and PMR can positively impact resilience in first-year college students.
