Stretching the Mind: The Effect of Yoga on Children's Imagination and Creative Thinking

Background: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a yoga-based intervention program on children's imagination and creative thinking. Methods: The study was conducted using a randomized controlled experimental design. A total of 60 eighth-grade middle school students participated in the study, with 30 assigned to the experimental group and 30 to the control group. The experimental group received structured yoga sessions twice a week for eight weeks (45 minutes per session), while the control group received no yoga-based intervention and continued routine educational activities. The Dual Facet Imagination Scale (DFIS) and the Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS) were used as data collection instruments. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted in both groups. Data were analyzed using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate changes in imagination and creative thinking outcomes. Keywords: Yoga, Creativity, Mindfulness, Imagination, Mental Flexibility

Inclusion Criteria: * Being an eighth-grade middle school student. * Being enrolled in one of the two classes selected for the study. * Meeting the age requirements specified in the study protocol. * Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study. * Having the necessary parental/guardian consent to participate. * Being able to understand and follow the instructions given during the study. * Being able to participate in the yoga-based intervention program. * Completing the required pre-test assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Not meeting the age or educational-level requirements of the study. * Declining to participate in the study or withdrawing consent. * Having a condition that prevents participation in the yoga-based intervention. * Being unable to follow the instructions or participate in the intervention activities. * Failing to complete the required baseline (pre-test) assessments. * Withdrawing from the study before completion of the intervention or post-test assessment.