Introducing yoga breaks to university studies; are there any benefits or barriers? A qualitative study.

I am a student researcher from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Burnley. I am conducting this study as part of my third-year project to explore whether university students experience any benefits or barriers when participating in a yoga break program. It is no secret that studying can be stressful; statistically, students spend extended periods hunched over a desk. Research suggests that the mindful movement practised through yoga can help mitigate the challenges that students face, not only benefitting them physically but also helping to improve well-being, resilience, focus, and knowledge acquisition.

This study aims to provide students with positive coping mechanisms to help manage university life and gather individual perspectives. This will inform research on how students can be better supported throughout their university journey. This information sheet is designed to help you learn more about the study and what will be expected of you if you decide to participate.

Through the “yoga program” link on this website, you can access four short yoga break videos ranging from 5 to 8 minutes. Classes involve simple breathing exercises, yoga postures, meditation and mindfulness practices. They have been designed for beginners, so no previous yoga experience is necessary. They can be practised seated or standing without a mat to ensure they are accessible to all. There is also a behaviour-tracking and mindful reflection tool, which you can use to make notes about your experience. This is not compulsory and is provided as an added self-reflection tool for those who feel they will benefit. Participants are advised to use the videos at home when taking short breaks from studying over four weeks at any desirable time. Please ensure you have a clear, safe space to do this that is free from clutter to prevent accidents from occurring. If you do not manage to practice all of the videos but would still like to participate in an interview, I will still be very interested in hearing about your experience.

After four weeks, if you wish to engage in an interview, then please email the student researcher to arrange this. You will need to sign a written consent form before an interview takes place. You will then be invited to participate in a semi-structured recorded interview via Microsoft Teams. The interview will take approximately 30 minutes, and the first four participants will be compensated with a £10 Amazon voucher.

Participation is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any point up until one week after you have completed your interview with the student researcher. To withdraw, you can email the student researcher to inform them that you would like to withdraw, and your data will be deleted. All participants must be aged 18 or over.

By meeting the above requirements and agreeing to participate in an interview, you consent that your data can be used within this study. All personal information will remain confidential, and your name will be protected using a pseudonym. Interview recordings, transcripts, and related data will be stored securely on the password-protected and encrypted university-approved server. Interview data will only be accessible to authorised research team members who know the importance of data confidentiality. Microsoft Teams will be used to conduct interviews as it provides encryption for data in transit and at rest. Only data necessary for the study's research objectives will be collected, and no unnecessary personal information will be obtained. Any data generated by the study must be retained in accordance with the University's policy on Academic Integrity. Therefore, data generated during the research will be kept securely in paper or electronic form for five years from the end of the research study. Recordings will be deleted after all work has been marked and moderated.

Please be aware that yoga practices can stir up challenging emotions, and some individuals may find this unsettling; therefore, please think carefully about this when deciding whether to participate. Open communication is encouraged to ensure safety for all participant's well-being, the researcher is a qualified yoga instructor and will be available if you have any questions or require modifications. Additionally, if you would benefit from support at any point during or after taking part in this study, support services have been provided at the end of this document.

If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, such as joint issues, cardiovascular problems, or respiratory conditions, there is a potential risk that certain movement or breathing techniques could exacerbate these conditions. Therefore, do not participate if you have been advised to refrain from practising yoga by your doctor.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about this study, and if you wish to participate, please notify the student researcher via email. If you have further questions or queries, do not hesitate to ask; additional information will gladly be supplied.
If you have any concerns about the research that you wish to raise with somebody independent of the research team, you should raise this with the University Officer for Ethics (OfficerForEthics@uclan.ac.uk).