StressSKY BreathNCT07415460
Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students
A study testing SKY Breath Meditation and Yoga Videos in people with Stress and Anxiety, run by University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) for university students. Over an eight-week period, 56 students will be randomly assigned to either a SKY breathwork group or a control group engaging in general yoga without breathwork. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, Anxiety, Physical Activity
- What is being tested?
- SKY Breath Meditation and Yoga Videos
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 53 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 28 Aug 2026to 30 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants must:
- be currently enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students at the university in Alabama;
- be at least 18 years old;
- speak and read English;
- be available to attend a 3-day in-person retreat and twice-weekly online sessions for SKY breath program over 8 weeks;
- be able to provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Participants will be excluded if they:
- have a serious psychiatric condition (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic disorders) that could be exacerbated by group-based interventions;
- are in acute psychiatric crisis; such as, active suicidal ideation
- have acute medical conditions that contraindicate light physical activity or breathwork;
- are unable to obtain physician clearance for participation due to chronic conditions (e.g., uncontrolled asthma, severe cardiovascular disease, active psychiatric illness requiring intensive treatment).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Kunwal M. Scott, DNP contact
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401
Facilities and Grounds Main University of Alabama Contant Number, 205-348-6010, property@ua.edu
About this study
Official title: Breath of Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students - A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) for university students. Over an eight-week period, 56 students will be randomly assigned to either a SKY breathwork group or a control group engaging in general yoga without breathwork. The SKY group will participate in a three-day in-person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, and independent home practice. The study will assess recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as changes in physical activity, perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus. All participants will complete validated wellness questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. The goal is to determine whether SKY is a feasible, low-risk intervention that may enhance student well-being and inform future research.
Read the detailed description
The investigators are conducting a small pilot study to explore whether a specific type of breath-based meditation-Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY)-can support the well-being of university students. Over the course of eight weeks, 56 undergraduate and graduate students will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will take part in the SKY program, while the other will follow a general online yoga routine that does not include breathwork.
Participants in the SKY group will begin with a three-day in-person retreat, followed by weekly virtual sessions and independent home practice. The control group will engage in self-paced online yoga and receive occasional check-ins.
The primary focus of this study is feasibility: whether investigators can successfully recruit participants, maintain engagement, and support adherence to the intervention. The study will also examine whether SKY contributes to improvements in participants' physical and mental well-being. In addition to monitoring physical activity, the study will assess changes in perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus-key areas that commonly affect student populations.
All participants will complete validated mental health and wellness questionnaires before and after the program. Data will be analyzed using statistical methods that include all enrolled participants, regardless of program completion. The SKY practices are considered low-risk and have been used in diverse populations; all data will be handled confidentially and securely.
This research is intended to lay the foundation for a larger study and provide early insight into how SKY breathwork practices may help students navigate academic demands with increased calm, clarity, and resilience.
- Conditions
- Stress, Anxiety, Physical Activity
- Being tested
- SKY Breath Meditation, Yoga Videos
- Keywords
- SKY Breath Meditation, perceived stress scale, GAD-7, IPAQ-short form
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
SKY Breath MeditationOther
Three day in person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, home practice
Yoga VideosOther
Pre-recorded yoga videos will be sent to the participants to perform yoga three times per week
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week | Active comparator | Yoga videos to practice three times per week will be distributed to control group Receives: Other: Yoga Videos |
| Intervention group | Experimental | SKY breath meditation retreat for 3-days, once weekly online meditation session, and home practice. Receives: Other: SKY Breath Meditation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
perceived stress scale
measured by 10 items. score ranges from 0 to 40. Score of 0-13 would be considered low stress, score of 14-26 would be considered moderate stress, score of 27-40 would be considered high perceived stress.
Measured: 8 weeks
Secondary outcomes (2)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
a seven item scale with score ranging from 0 to 21. score of 0-4: Minimal anxiety, score of 5-9: Mild anxiety, 10-14: Moderate anxiety, and 15-21: Severe anxiety.
Measured: 8 weeks
International physical activity scale - short form
a seven-item scale with open ended questions for recalling physical activity.
Measured: 8 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Feb 2026
- Study start28 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 53 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kay Molwani Scott, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07415460
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 25-11-9227
- Acronym
- SKY Breath
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 29 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Apart from research team, no one will have access to the raw data. The information regarding the results shared will be after the data is de-identified.
Publications
Scott, K., Andrabi, M., Patiballa, S. K., McCoy, T., Shrestha, S., & Mumba, M. (2026). Breath of Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students - A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Breath of Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students - A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07415460
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SKY Breath / 25-11-9227
- Conditions
- Stress, Anxiety, Physical Activity
- Keywords
- SKY Breath Meditation, perceived stress scale, GAD-7, IPAQ-short form
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 53 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Alabama, TuscaloosaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 28 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) for university students. Over an eight-week period, 56 students will be randomly assigned to either a SKY breathwork group or a control group engaging in general yoga without breathwork. The SKY group will participate in a three-day in-person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, and independent home practice. The study will assess recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as changes in physical activity, perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus. All participants will complete validated wellness questionnaires at baseline and post-intervention. The goal is to determine whether SKY is a feasible, low-risk intervention that may enhance student well-being and inform future research.
Detailed description
The investigators are conducting a small pilot study to explore whether a specific type of breath-based meditation-Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY)-can support the well-being of university students. Over the course of eight weeks, 56 undergraduate and graduate students will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group will take part in the SKY program, while the other will follow a general online yoga routine that does not include breathwork.
Participants in the SKY group will begin with a three-day in-person retreat, followed by weekly virtual sessions and independent home practice. The control group will engage in self-paced online yoga and receive occasional check-ins.
The primary focus of this study is feasibility: whether investigators can successfully recruit participants, maintain engagement, and support adherence to the intervention. The study will also examine whether SKY contributes to improvements in participants' physical and mental well-being. In addition to monitoring physical activity, the study will assess changes in perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, social connectedness, and cognitive focus-key areas that commonly affect student populations.
All participants will complete validated mental health and wellness questionnaires before and after the program. Data will be analyzed using statistical methods that include all enrolled participants, regardless of program completion. The SKY practices are considered low-risk and have been used in diverse populations; all data will be handled confidentially and securely.
This research is intended to lay the foundation for a larger study and provide early insight into how SKY breathwork practices may help students navigate academic demands with increased calm, clarity, and resilience.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week | Active comparator | Other: Yoga VideosYoga videos to practice three times per week will be distributed to control group |
| Intervention group | Experimental | Other: SKY Breath MeditationSKY breath meditation retreat for 3-days, once weekly online meditation session, and home practice. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Participants must:
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participants will be excluded if they:
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| SKY Breath MeditationThree day in person retreat, weekly virtual sessions, home practice | Other | Intervention group |
| Yoga VideosPre-recorded yoga videos will be sent to the participants to perform yoga three times per week | Other | control group will receive online Yoga Videos to practice at least three times a week |
Primary outcome
perceived stress scale
Time frame: 8 weeks
measured by 10 items. score ranges from 0 to 40. Score of 0-13 would be considered low stress, score of 14-26 would be considered moderate stress, score of 27-40 would be considered high perceived stress.
2 secondary outcomes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale
Time frame: 8 weeks
International physical activity scale - short form
Time frame: 8 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Apr 2026.
- BackgroundScott, K., Andrabi, M., Patiballa, S. K., McCoy, T., Shrestha, S., & Mumba, M. (2026). Breath of Resilience: Evaluating the Impact of SKY Breath Meditation on Stress, Well-being, and Connection in College Students - A Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Apart from research team, no one will have access to the raw data. The information regarding the results shared will be after the data is de-identified.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Kunwal M. Scott, DNP contact
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing SKY Breath Meditation and Yoga Videos in people with Stress and Anxiety, run by University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sree K Patiballa, PhD (205-348-6163, spatiballa@ua.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
perceived stress scale (time frame: 8 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07415460, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Apr 2026.