Effect of Eight-Week Omkara Chanting Program on the Mindfulness Level of Early Adolescent Girls

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an eight-week Omkara chanting program in enhancing mindfulness levels among early adolescent girls. A pre-test post-test experimental research design was used with a total sample of 30 girls aged 10 to 12 years from a Marathi medium school in Sutarwadi, Pune. Participants were selected using a non-probability convenience sampling technique and divided equally into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group participated in an eight-week intervention that included 21 Omkara chants and breathing exercises, while the control group engaged only in breathing exercises without chanting. Mindfulness was measured using the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) developed by Greco, Baer, and Smith (2011). Data were analyzed using SPSS software with both descriptive and inferential statistics. The experimental group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness levels, with a mean change of 11.60 (±4.29), compared to 1.80 (±2.31) in the control group. The mean difference between the groups was 9.80, and the t-value was -7.794 with a p-value of 0.00, indicating a statistically significant effect. The findings suggest that the Omkara chanting program significantly improved mindfulness among early adolescent girls and may serve as a culturally relevant and cost-effective intervention for enhancing mental well-being in school-based settings.