Abstract

Background: Yoga has its roots in India's Vedic era. Practising it enhances the overall health and well-being of students. Superbrain yoga (SBY) is a brief exercise based on the principle of ear acupuncture and repetitive 14 squats holding earlobes. It is practised by many students in India and across other parts of the world.

Objective: This systematic review assesses SBY on students' cognitive abilities, academic performance, as well as mental health benefits and discusses if using SBY in academic settings is viable.

Methods: The intervention studies of SBY or mixed with other exercises practiced by the student population published in journals and indexed in Web of Science, SCOPUS, and PubMed, are taken into consideration for this review based on PRISMA guidelines. The primary keywords include Superbrain Yoga, Thoppukaranam, and Super Brain Yoga. Studies published in English peer-reviewed journals between 2005 to 2021 were considered.

Results: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found that SBY practise was feasible in academic settings, with advantages to students' cognitive state (memory, attention, concentration), academic performance, and mental health Additionally, SBY and other yogasana were proven to be beneficial in raising cognitive activity and promoting positive behavioural improvements in students with special needs.

Conclusion: SBY is found to improve students cognitive abilities, academic performance, and mental health. More rigorous trials on SBY are needed to substantiate the effectiveness.

Graphical Abstract