Effect of a one-month yoga training program on performance in a mirror-tracing task.

The performance in a mirror star tracing task was assessed in two groups of volunteers (yoga and control) with 26 people in each group, and age range between 18 and 45 years. The star to be traced was six pointed and the outline was made up of 60 circles (4 mm in diameter). At the end of one month the yoga group showed a significant improvement in terms of an increase in the number of circles crossed (P<0.001, Wilcoxon paired signed ranks test) for both hands and a decrease in the number of circles left out for the right hand (P<0.05). The control group showed a significant increase in number of circles crossed for the left hand alone (P<0.05) at the end of a month attributed to re-test. The study suggests that one month of yoga improved reversal ability, eye-hand co-ordination, speed and accuracy which are necessary for mirror star tracing.