Background. Mothers of adolescents face unique stressors that can adversely affect their mental health and family dynamics. Implementing effective interventions is essential to address maternal stress and anxiety in this population.

Objectives. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of yoga alone and yoga combined with Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) on physiological state, stress and anxiety management in mothers of adolescent children.

Materials and methods. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, involving 90 mothers (aged 35–55 years) of adolescents (aged 13–19 years). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control (n=30), yoga (n=30), or yoga with NLP (n=30). The yoga group engaged in 60-minute yoga sessions thrice weekly for 12 weeks, while the yoga with NLP group participated in the same yoga regimen plus weekly 90-minute NLP sessions. The control group received no intervention. Primary outcomes included blood pressure, heart rate, salivary cortisol, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) scale, measured at baseline and post-intervention.

Results. In the post-intervention period, significant between-group differences were observed across all outcomes (P<0.001). The yoga with NLP group demonstrated the greatest improvements, with reductions in systolic (119.93 ± 3.87 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (82.93 ± 3.37 mmHg), heart rate (74.90 ± 8.86 bpm), cortisol (14.17 ± 1.91 mg/dL), PSS (13.80 ± 2.73), and HAM-A (16.67 ± 2.55) scores, alongside increased PSOC scores (79.33 ± 6.35). The yoga-only group exhibited moderate enhancements, while the control group showed no changes.

Conclusions. The findings suggest that combined yoga and NLP significantly reduced stress and anxiety, as well as improved physiological outcomes in mothers of adolescents, highlighting its potential as an effective intervention.