Morning yoga as an embodied regulatory practice: longitudinal changes in children’s self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a school-based yoga program

Shoichi Shiota, Takahiro Ohitokata, Hiroshi Harada

Background Self-esteem and gratitude are important psychological constructs associated with children’s socio-emotional development and well-being. Previous studies have suggested that yoga may be associated with emotional regulation, attentional stability, and prosocial functioning. However, few studies have examined whether participation in school-based yoga programs is associated with changes in both self-esteem and gratitude among children. The present study aimed to examine longitudinal changes in self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a structured yoga program incorporating loving-kindness meditation in elementary school settings. Methods This pilot study was conducted in seven public elementary schools in Kitakyushu City, Japan, as part of the regular school curriculum. A total of 401 children participated in a structured “Asa (morning) yoga” program conducted once weekly for 15 min from September 2025 to February 2026. The intervention included physical postures (asana), breathing techniques, attention-focused meditation, and loving-kindness meditation. Self-esteem was assessed using the Self-esteem Scale by Rosenberg for Elementary and Junior High School Students, and gratitude was assessed using the Interpersonal Gratitude Scale for Children. Pre–post changes were analyzed using paired t -tests. Results Self-esteem scores were significantly higher at post-intervention than at pre-intervention. Gratitude scores were also significantly higher at post-intervention than at pre-intervention. Conclusion Participation in a brief, structured school-based yoga program was associated with positive pre–post changes in self-esteem and gratitude over the study period. These findings suggest that participation in school-based yoga programs may be associated with positive changes in selected socio-emotional outcomes in children. However, given the absence of a control group, causal interpretations should be made with caution, and future controlled studies are needed to clarify the nature of these relationships.