Perception of Higher Institutes' Students on The Role of Yoga and Meditation in Indian Knowledge Systems in Enhancing their Cognitive Development: A Study of Punjab Region

The purpose of this study is to investigate how Punjabi university students perceive the cognitive advantages of yoga and meditation as essential elements of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). Four universities' worth of 400 students' responses to a standardised questionnaire were gathered. The results show that a sizable majority of students are aware of how these routines enhance cognitive development and lead to improvements in focus, memory, and creativity. Additionally, a correlation was found between the frequency of practice and the perceived cognitive advances, with students perceiving higher benefits from regular practice. Notwithstanding the favourable opinions, obstacles like schedule conflicts made it difficult to include yoga and meditation into regular study sessions. The study highlights how important it is for educational institutions to include these activities in their curricula in order to improve students' cognitive development and general wellbeing. According to the findings, deliberate efforts should be put into place to encourage student participation in yoga and meditation.