Yoga as an Alternative Intervention for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Among College Students

Substance use and abuse continues to plague U.S. college campuses. The literature is replete with information from various disciplines on how to identify and intervene in this public health dilemma impacting college students. Identifications, treatments, and interventions are often based on Western medicine, but there is a growing movement and evidence supporting the effectiveness, value, and usefulness of Eastern therapies to combat this problem. Yoga is one Eastern intervention that has proven beneficial for promoting quality of life and wellness relationship to several acute and chronic illnesses. As a result of advocating for the inclusion of yoga in traditional college settings, two college campuses in Central Illinois introduced yoga courses for students, faculty, and staff. The courses are reviewed, and the positive results reported by students are shared. The information and evidence of yoga's benefits collected in this study warrant consideration by college campuses to initiate this practice enhancing primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in their populations.