Background: School teachers in India face significant occupational stress and anxiety due to increasing workloads, administrative pressures, and evolving educational demands. Pranayama, an ancient yogic breathing practice, has shown promise as a cost-effective intervention for managing anxiety.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pranayama techniques in reducing anxiety levels among school teachers in India.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 school teachers (ages 28-55) from urban and semi-urban schools across three Indian cities. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=60) receiving 45-minute pranayama sessions five days per week for eight weeks, or a control group (n=60) maintaining regular activities. Anxiety levels were measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks.

Results: The intervention group showed significant reduction in anxiety scores compared to the control group (p<0.001). Mean HAM-A scores decreased from 21.4±4.2 at baseline to 12.8±3.6 at eight weeks in the intervention group, while control group scores remained relatively stable (20.8±4.0 to 19.2±3.8). Effect size (Cohen's d) was 1.84, indicating a large treatment effect.