Effect of Moola Bandha (Perineum Contraction), A Yogic Lock on Cognitive Functions of College Students: An Exploratory Study.

Academic performance and excellence of college students are mainly depending on their cognitive functions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a yogic lock or hold, Moola bandha (perineum contraction) on cognitive functions of teacher training college students. Twenty-three healthy volunteers with the mean ± standard deviation age of 21.96 ± 1.64 years were recruited from a district institute of education and training (DIET) college, North India. All the subjects were asked to perform Moola bandha for the duration of 30 min a day (15 min in the morning and 15 min in the evening) for a period of 30 days. Assessments were taken before and after the intervention period. Results of this study showed a significant increase in the scores of d2 attention total number, digits span forward and backward test, Stroop tasks (neutral total and correct, congruent total and correct, and incongruent correct), and self-control scale along with a significant reduction in d2 attention (omission, commission, and timings), trail making text A and B duration, and positive and negative affective schedule's negative affect scores compared with its respective baseline. These results suggest that 30 min of daily practice of Moola bandha for 30 days is effective in improving the cognitive functions of teacher training college students.