{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T05:04:18Z","timestamp":1784783058602,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784764800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Self-esteem and gratitude are important psychological constructs associated with children\u2019s 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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      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 \u201cAsa (morning) yoga\u201d program conducted once weekly for 15\u202fmin 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\u2013post changes were analyzed using paired\n                      <jats:italic>t<\/jats:italic>\n                      -tests.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participation in a brief, structured school-based yoga program was associated with positive pre\u2013post 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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1884043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T04:33:26Z","timestamp":1784781206000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Morning yoga as an embodied regulatory practice: longitudinal changes in children\u2019s self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a school-based yoga program"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Shoichi","family":"Shiota","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of General Education, Aomori University of Health and Welfare","place":["Aomori, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takahiro","family":"Ohitokata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tahara Public Elementary School","place":["Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiroshi","family":"Harada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Board of Education of Kitakyushu City","place":["Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.47067\/real.v7i4.395","article-title":"Exploring how the practice of gratitude can strengthen interpersonal relationships, enhance mental well-being, foster emotional resilience, and promote greater social connectedness and cooperation","volume":"7","author":"Basit","year":"2024","journal-title":"Rev. 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