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Saarni (1999) notes that development of emotional skills is important for an adolescent's development. Studies have shown that physical exercising helped in the maintenance of emotional wellbeing. Present study aimed to find the effect of Yoga, an ancient Indian form of exercise, on the intrapersonal factor of Emotional Intelligence as conceptualized by Bar-On (2006). The Youth Version of Bar-On's Emotional Quotient Inventory (2000) was used as the tool. Sample for the study consisted of two groups of adolescent girls drawn into Experimental and Control groups respectively. The results showed that practice of Yoga improved the Intrapersonal factor of Emotional Intelligence.
Keywords: yoga, intrapersonal emotional intelligence, adolescent girls
Bar-On (1997) defines emotional intelligence as an array of emotional, personal, and interpersonal abilities that influence one's overall ability to cope with environmental demands and pressures. As such, one's emotional intelligence is an important factor in determining one's ability to succeed in life. It directly influences one's general emotional well-being.
The Bar-On model comprises five major dimensions: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Adaptability, Stress Management, and General Mood. In turn, each of these broad dimensions comprises a number of sub components, which are related abilities and skills.
The present study focused on the Intrapersonal dimension of this model. It consists of five related abilities: a) emotional self awareness, the ability to recognize and understand ones feelings; b) assertiveness, the ability to express feelings, beliefs and thoughts; c) self-regard, the ability to accurately appraise oneself; d) self-actualization, the ability to realize one's potential capacities; and e) independence, the ability to be self-directed and self-controlled in one's thinking and actions and to be free of emotional dependence.
Saami (1999) has Usted some of the emotional skills that are important for the adolescents to develop. Among them, the skills to understand and handle one's emotions are given prime importance. Similarly Bar-On (1997), in his theory of Emotional Intelligence, places these abilitiesto recognize, handle and appraise one's emotionsin the Intrapersonal Dimension.
The emotional self-awareness is considered to be the basic element that influences our productivity in different walks of life, be it work or intimate relations (Golemán, 1995; Bar-On 1997). Various methods have been studied and found to improve these skills (Tice, 1992). Aerobic exercise, relaxation techniques and cognitive restructuring are some among them...