Yoga as a Study Partner: Enhance Physical and Mental Health of Competitive Examination Aspirants

Abstract

Aspirants preparing for competitive exams in India often experience chronic stress, anxiety, fatigue, and poor physical health due to extended study hours, social isolation, and academic pressure. Their aspirations towards lucrative profession compel them to compromise with their wellbeing and create physical, mental and emotional threats. They just forget about ‘Yoga’- the blessing of Indian knowledge system and a holistic and preventive intervention that has the capacity to normalize the situation. So, the study aims to explore the significance of yoga in improving physical and mental health of aspirants and suggest effective yoga practices that will keep aspirants stable and balanced to achieve their aspirations. A narrative review-based report was synthesized with the evidences collected from several empirical studies, national education policy reports, and published literatures from 2010 to 2025 and presented through thematic analysis guided by the objectives of the study. It is resulted that yoga reduces stress, enhances focus and emotional regulation, improves sleep quality, posture, and energy balance. Practices such as pranayama (Anulom Vilom, Bhramari), asanas (Balasana, Tadasana), and short meditations were found to be highly effective and easy to integrate into aspirants’ daily routines. Yoga emerges as a low-cost, accessible, and impactful strategy for managing exam-related stress and promoting sustainable academic preparation. Its integration into aspirants’ lifestyles supports both immediate performance and long-term well-being, in line with the National Education Policy 2020’s emphasis on holistic education.