The psychological stress of teachers is well documented. However, there are few evaluated intervention
tion programs specifically for this occupational group that aim to improve stress management. Two intervention
specifically for teachers (the stress reduction program with yoga elements and the exercise-oriented
self-regulation method Biodanza) are examined in the present study with regard to their effects on the sympathetic nervous system.
effects on the sympathicotonic activation level. As an indicator, the percentage of sympa-
thic activation states in the skin resistance during a 24-hour monitoring. The measurements
The measurements were taken before and after the 10-week intervention on the same day of the week. A test group 1 (VG 1)
group 1 (VG 1) with eight female teachers who completed the training program with yoga elements in 2000 and 2001.
solved. The experimental group 2 (VG 2) also consisted of eight teachers, who, however, used the psychological, dance-oriented self-regulation method Biodanz.
dance-oriented self-regulation method Biodanza. The results show a decrease of the psychophysiological
activation states in the 24-hour skin resistance monitoring after the 10-week intervention in VG 1 with an ei-
a high effect size (d'>0.8) and power (1-ß>0.8) in each case (yoga training, d'=1.28, power=0.98, p=0.4**) and VG 2
(Biodanza, d'=1.28, Power=0.98, p=0.11). This indicates a reduction in general tension, with the
vegetative working point from sympathetic tension states to increased parasympathetic relaxation states.
states is shifted in the long term. In addition, improved activity-relaxation synchronization of the ba-
sal Rest-Activity-Cycle (BRAC) as a result of yoga and biodanza, i.e. the participants reach their optimal activity level more easily after the two interventions.
terventions more easily reach their optimal activation and relaxation ratio of 67% activation pattern to 33% relaxation pattern.
pattern, which is an indicator of health. This finding shows that both yoga and biodanza are metho-
are methods with an autoregulatory effect. Thus, these two - in academic stress research new - interventions prove to be stress-reducing and
interventions as stress-reducing and health-promoting stress reduction methods. Because of the small
sample size, the present study has the character of a pilot study and should be continued by further investigations.
should be continued or repeated.