1 7 104 "I WOULD JUST FEEL REALLY RELAXED AND AT PEACE": FINDINGS FROM A PILOT PRISON YOGA PROGRAM IN AUSTRALIA. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR YOGA AS A WELL-BEING INTERVENTION IN PRISON. NO SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN AUSTRALIA TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRISON YOGA PROGRAMS. IN 2017, THE AUTHORS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (ACT) CORRECTIVE SERVICES AND THE YOGA FOUNDATION, INTRODUCED A WEEKLY PILOT YOGA PROGRAM AT THE ACT PRISON. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM THE PROGRAM. ALTHOUGH THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE (N = 8) IS ACKNOWLEDGED, OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PARTICIPANTS ATTAINED STATISTICALLY AND CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM, DEMONSTRATED BY IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SELF-ESTEEM, GOAL-DIRECTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND NON-ACCEPTANCE. THEY ALSO REPORTED IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY, SLEEP AND RELAXATION, PAIN REDUCTION, AND IDENTIFIED IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR MENTAL WELL-BEING, COMMENTING THAT THE PROGRAM MADE THEM FEEL "CALM" AND "AT PEACE." THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY ADVOCATING FOR THE EXPANSION OF SUCH PROGRAMS IN AUSTRALIAN PRISONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH ON SUCH PROGRAMS. 2019 2 1712 25 PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG URBAN SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. THIS STUDY REPORTS ON THE FINDINGS OF A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR URBAN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YEAR-LONG YOGA PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES. RESULTS SHOW THAT STUDENTS PERCEIVED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AS INCREASED SELF-REGULATION, MINDFULNESS, SELF-ESTEEM, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND STRESS REDUCTION. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES FOR A YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDE LACK OF TIME AND SPACE. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED ARE INTERRELATED TO ONE ANOTHER IS DISCUSSED. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMING ARE ALSO OFFERED. 2016 3 1146 25 EMPOWERING A COMMUNITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT: EVALUATION OF A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS IN CUSTODY. THE CURRENT STUDY EVALUATED A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF BRINGING YOGA PSYCHOLOGY (AS AN INTEGRATED EIGHT-LIMBED SYSTEM) TO ADULTS IN CUSTODY (AIC), WHO WERE TRAINED TO BECOME YOGA TEACHERS WHO WILL IN TURN TEACH OTHER AICS. THE STUDY USED QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE MEASURES TO ASSESS THE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE OVERALL PRISON ENVIRONMENT. THE STUDY INCLUDED ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH 12 AICS AND NINE YOGA TEACHER VOLUNTEERS, AS WELL AS KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS WITH TWO CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND FIVE ADMINISTRATORS WHO WORK WITHIN OR DIRECTLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM. QUANTITATIVE RESULTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ALL KEY OUTCOME VARIABLES (SELF-COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, UNDERSTANDING OF YOGA PHILOSOPHY, AND TEACHING SKILLS) FROM PRETEST TO PROGRAM COMPLETION AND FROM COMPLETION TO 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. ADDITIONALLY, AIC YOGA TEACHERS BECAME MORE SIMILAR ON ALL OUTCOME MEASURES TO THE VOLUNTEER TEACHERS FROM PRETEST TO PROGRAM COMPLETION AND FROM COMPLETION TO FOLLOW-UP. QUALITATIVE METHODS (USED FOR 31 KEY INFORMANT AND FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS) REVEALED THEMES THAT ILLUMINATED POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PRISON COMMUNITY REGARDING PARTICIPANTS' PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ATTITUDES AND VALUES, BEHAVIORS, RELATIONSHIPS, YOGA PHILOSOPHY IN PRISON, CULTURE, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PROVIDED TO SUPPORT SUSTAINING THE CURRENT PROGRAM AND TO HELP WITH THE CREATION OF NEW PROGRAMS TO INFUSE YOGA PHILOSOPHY INTO CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENTS. 2019 4 2903 25 [HOW SHOULD YOGA IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA TREATMENT BE APPLIED? A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY ON YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL FROM PATIENTS' PERSPECTIVE]. AN ALTERED INTEROCEPTION IS A CENTRAL CORRELATE OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA (AN) AND ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE OFFERS A PROMISING APPROACH IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. FIRST RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A BODY-FOCUSED INTERVENTION IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. HOWEVER, TO DATE THERE IS A LACK OF EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE QUESTION HOW YOGA STRATEGIES AND YOGA ELEMENTS (POSTURES, RELAXATION, BREATH, MEDITATION) SHOULD BE APPLIED. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY WITH N=6 FEMALE PATIENTS WITH AN UNDERGOING TREATMENT IN A SPECIALIST UNIT SUPPORTING RE-INSERTION SUBSEQUENT TO A PRECEDING INPATIENT AN TREATMENT. STUDY PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A WEEKLY ONE-HOUR HATHA-YOGA INTERVENTION OVER AT LEAST 12 WEEKS. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS (1/2 TO 1 HOUR) WERE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE EXPERIENCES OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS DURING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING GROUNDED THEORY. AT THE UPPER LEVEL OF ANALYSIS, FOUR CATEGORIES WERE DIFFERENTIATED: INFORMATION REGARDING 1) STUDY PARTICIPANTS' SYMPTOMS, 2) ASPECTS OF THE SETTING EXPERIENCED TO BE BENEFICIAL, 3) YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL AND 4) PERCEIVED CONSEQUENCES OF YOGA STRATEGIES. WITH REGARD TO THE YOGA STRATEGIES PERCEIVED TO BE BENEFICIAL, ANALYSES REVEALED 4 SUBCATEGORIES: FEATURES OF 1) POSTURES AND MOVEMENTS, 2) BREATH AND MEDITATION EXERCISES, 3) RELAXATION EXERCISES AND 4) GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SETTING. THE RESULTS GIVE FIRST INDICATIONS REGARDING THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF AN AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. FURTHER QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDIES ARE NEEDED, E.G., WITH REGARD TO EFFECTIVENESS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, MEDIATORS OR MODERATORS TO BETTER EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF AN. 2021 5 1628 24 MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MEASURES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND ASSESS THEIR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND WELLBEING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A WEB-BASED SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES WITH MONTHS OF PRACTICE. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WITH TWO OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK AND MINDFULNESS HIGHER IN THOSE WITH A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE. DISCUSSION: KEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CLASS FREQUENCY, PRACTICE EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION PRACTICE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION EXAMINING MINDFULNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. 2018 6 1512 18 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN. 2011 7 2495 18 YOGA AS PALLIATION IN WOMEN WITH ADVANCED CANCER: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE PALLIATIVE POTENTIAL OF HOME-BASED YOGA SESSIONS PROVIDED TO WOMEN WITH ADVANCED CANCER. METHOD: PERSONALISED 45-MINUTE YOGA SESSIONS WERE OFFERED TO THREE WOMEN WITH ADVANCED CANCER BY AN EXPERIENCED YOGA TEACHER. EACH WOMAN TOOK PART IN A ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEW AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE YOGA PROGRAMME AND WAS ASKED TO DESCRIBE HER EXPERIENCES OF THE PROGRAMME'S IMPACT. RESULTS: THE PERSONALISED NATURE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS RESULTED IN SIMILAR POSITIVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS COMPARABLE TO THOSE DEMONSTRATED IN OTHER STUDIES WITH CANCER PATIENTS. PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS THE ALLEVIATION OF ILLNESS IMPACTS. THE ENHANCEMENT OF MIND-BODY AND BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTIONS WERE ALSO NOTED. CONCLUSION: PERSONALISED HOME-BASED YOGA PROGRAMMES FOR PEOPLE WITH ADVANCED CANCER MAY PRODUCE SIMILAR BENEFITS, INCLUDING PALLIATION, AS THOSE INSTITUTIONALLY-BASED PROGRAMMES FOR PEOPLE WITH NON-ADVANCED CANCER. 2016 8 380 20 BECOMING CONNECTED: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF YOGA PARTICIPATION AFTER STROKE. PURPOSE: TO INVESTIGATE THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES OF A YOGA PROGRAMME FOR STROKE SURVIVORS. METHOD: THIS ARTICLE REPORTS ON A PRELIMINARY STUDY USING QUALITATIVE METHODS TO INVESTIGATE THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES OF A YOGA PROGRAMME. NINE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD EXPERIENCED STROKE WERE INTERVIEWED FOLLOWING A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME INVOLVING MOVEMENT, BREATHING AND MEDITATION PRACTICES. AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH WAS USED TO DETERMINE MEANINGS ATTACHED TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AS WELL AS PERCEPTIONS OF OUTCOMES. RESULTS: INTERPRETATIVE THEMES EVOLVING FROM THE DATA WERE ORGANISED AROUND A BIO-PSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH BENEFITS FROM YOGA. EMERGENT THEMES FROM THE ANALYSIS INCLUDED: GREATER SENSATION; FEELING CALMER AND BECOMING CONNECTED. THESE THEMES RESPECTIVELY REVEALED PERCEIVED PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF STRENGTH, RANGE OF MOVEMENT OR WALKING ABILITY, AN IMPROVED SENSE OF CALMNESS AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR RECONNECTING AND ACCEPTING A DIFFERENT BODY. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY HAS GENERATED ORIGINAL FINDINGS THAT SUGGEST THAT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A STROKE YOGA PARTICIPATION CAN PROVIDE A NUMBER OF MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS AND SUPPORT THE RATIONALE FOR INCORPORATING YOGA AND MEDITATION-BASED PRACTICES INTO REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES. 2011 9 1218 27 EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND ITS ABILITY TO INCREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE FINDINGS OF SELECTED ARTICLES REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. AS PARTICIPATION RATES IN MIND-BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS SUCH AS YOGA CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE NATURE OF YOGA AND THE EVIDENCE OF ITS MANY THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS. THUS, THIS MANUSCRIPT PROVIDES INFORMATION REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AS IT HAS BEEN STUDIED IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS CONCERNING A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT AILMENTS AND CONDITIONS. THERAPEUTIC YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE APPLICATION OF YOGA POSTURES AND PRACTICE TO THE TREATMENT OF HEALTH CONDITIONS AND INVOLVES INSTRUCTION IN YOGIC PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS TO PREVENT REDUCE OR ALLEVIATE STRUCTURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL PAIN, SUFFERING OR LIMITATIONS. RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY SHOW THAT YOGIC PRACTICES ENHANCE MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND BODY FLEXIBILITY, PROMOTE AND IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, PROMOTE RECOVERY FROM AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTION, REDUCE STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CHRONIC PAIN, IMPROVE SLEEP PATTERNS, AND ENHANCE OVERALL WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2011 10 1588 26 MEDICAL YOGA: ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD-A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS. THE PREVALENCE OF STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS HAS GROWN IN RECENT YEARS. MANY OF THESE PATIENTS SEEK HELP IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. YOGA CAN REDUCE STRESS AND THUS COMPLEMENTS PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY IN MEDICAL PRACTICE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF YOGA TREATMENT IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING OR, SPECIFICALLY, THE EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WHEN SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS. THUS, THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF PARTICIPATING IN MEDICAL YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING. THIS STUDY HAS A DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL DESIGN AND TOOK PLACE AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN SWEDEN DURING 2011. FIVE WOMEN AND ONE MAN (43-51 YEARS) PARTICIPATED. THEY WERE RECRUITED FROM THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N=18) IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, IN WHICH THEY HAD PARTICIPATED IN A MEDICAL YOGA GROUP IN ADDITION TO STANDARD CARE FOR 12 WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY MEANS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, AND A PHENOMENOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED. THE ESSENTIAL MEANING OF THE MEDICAL YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS THAT THE MEDICAL YOGA WAS NOT AN ENDPOINT OF RECOVERY BUT THE START OF A PROCESS TOWARDS AN INCREASED SENSE OF WHOLENESS. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A WAY OF ALLEVIATING SUFFERING, AND IT PROVIDED THE PARTICIPANTS WITH A TOOL FOR DEALING WITH THEIR STRESS AND CURRENT SITUATION ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL. IT LED TO GREATER SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-ESTEEM, WHICH IN TURN HAD AN IMPLICIT IMPACT ON THEIR LIFEWORLD. IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL TERMS, THIS CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD, ENCOMPASSING A PERCEPTION OF DEEPENED IDENTITY. FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE, DUE TO USING THE BODY IN A NEW WAY (YOGA), THE PARTICIPANTS HAD LEARNT TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, WHICH ENRICHED AND RECAST THEIR PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES. 2014 11 2800 28 YOGA THERAPY FOR THE MIND EIGHT-WEEK COURSE: PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCES. MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. WHILE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA CONTINUES TO RISE IN WESTERN CULTURE, LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO EXPLORE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FROM A QUALITATIVE, CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE. THIS STUDY EXPLORES PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES OF THE "YOGA THERAPY FOR THE MIND EIGHT-WEEK COURSE" (YTFTM), AN INTERNATIONAL, MANUALIZED YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. EIGHT FEMALE PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED USING AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, WITH FOUR MASTER THEMES EMERGING: "PERSONAL JOURNEY OF CHANGE," "AMBIVALENCE," "MIND/BODY CONNECTION," AND "GROUP EXPERIENCE." THE FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE SUPPORT IN OVERCOMING THESE. FINDINGS ALSO REVEAL THAT PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS FROM THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ASANA IN ADDITION TO MINDFULNESS, SUCH AS A MORE HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, ADAPTIVE COPING STRATEGIES, AND ENHANCED WELL-BEING. 2017 12 394 15 BENEFITS, BARRIERS, AND CUES TO ACTION OF YOGA PRACTICE: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE PERCEIVED BENEFITS, BARRIERS, AND CUES TO ACTION OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG ADULTS. METHODS: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH PERSONS WHO HAD NEVER PRACTICED YOGA, PRACTITIONERS OF ONE YEAR OR LESS, AND PRACTITIONERS FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR. THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL WAS THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF INQUIRY. RESULTS: ALL PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGED A VARIETY OF BENEFITS OF YOGA. BARRIERS OUTWEIGHED BENEFITS AMONG PERSONS WHO HAD NEVER PRACTICED DESPITE KNOWLEDGE OF BENEFITS. POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA AND YOGA INSTRUCTORS FACILITATED PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: NEWLY IDENTIFIED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS INDICATE THE NEED FOR QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH AND BEHAVIORAL TRIALS. 2009 13 147 21 A QUALITATIVE EXAMINATION OF YOGA FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS PART OF A GROUP RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN WHICH 7(TH) GRADE STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION OR PHYSICAL-EDUCATION-AS-USUAL. SIXTEEN STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE YOGA CONDITION TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS. QUALITATIVE ANALYSES REVEALED 13 THEMES THAT WERE ORGANIZED INTO TWO CATEGORIES: USABILITY (STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE USEFULNESS, LEARNABILITY, AND CONVENIENCE OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION) AND EFFECT (STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE DIRECT RESULTS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION). STUDENTS REPORTED BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OPINIONS OF YOGA, ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING DIRECT COMPARISONS BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION. STUDENTS HAD PARTICULARLY POSITIVE OPINIONS REGARDING THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, SLEEP, AND RELAXATION. STUDENT OPINIONS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SELF-REGULATION, SOCIAL INTERACTION, SUBSTANCE USE, AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WERE ALSO GENERALLY POSITIVE, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT MIXED. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SHOWS PROMISE FOR PROVIDING AN IN-DEPTH PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPACT OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS IN SCHOOLS. 2017 14 2563 23 YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PAIN WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM. METHODS: A CONSECUTIVE CONVENIENCE SAMPLE WAS RECRUITED FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN CENTRE. SEVEN ADULT PATIENTS (SIX WOMEN), AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM, INCLUDING WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS AND AT-HOME PRACTICE. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS EXPLORED THE EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICING YOGA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARTICIPANT'S PAIN EXPERIENCE. AN INDUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEWS EXPLORED EMERGENT THEMES FROM PARTICIPANTS' DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: ANALYSES IDENTIFIED THREE THEMES: RENEWED AWARENESS OF THE BODY; TRANSFORMED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BODY IN PAIN; AND ACCEPTANCE. DISCUSSION: PARTICIPANTS' DATA SUGGESTED THAT THEY REFRAMED WHAT IT MEANT TO LIVE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. SOME PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT THE SENSORY ASPECTS OF PAIN DID NOT CHANGE BUT THAT PAIN BECAME LESS BOTHERSOME. THEY WERE BETTER ABLE TO CONTROL THE DEGREE TO WHICH PAIN INTERFERED WITH THEIR DAILY LIFE. OTHER PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS FREQUENT OR LESS INTENSE PAIN EPISODES BECAUSE THEY COULD RECOGNIZE BODY SIGNALS AND ADJUST THEMSELVES TO ALLEVIATE PAINFUL SENSATIONS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PATIENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM YOGA MAY DO SO IN PART BECAUSE YOGA ENABLES CHANGES IN COGNITIONS AND BEHAVIOURS TOWARDS PAIN. 2011 15 1 22 "A FEELING OF CONNECTEDNESS": PERSPECTIVES ON A GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND DEBILITATING HEALTH CONDITIONS IN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. MANY WOMEN WITH MDD SEEK OUT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, EITHER AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL CARE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THEIR DEPRESSION. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ARE DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH AND DAILY LOGS BY 12 WOMEN WITH MDD WHO TOOK PART IN AN 8-WEEK GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION AS PART OF A LARGER PARENT RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION INVOLVED STRESS, RUMINATIONS, AND ISOLATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WERE THAT IT SERVED AS A SELF-CARE TECHNIQUE FOR THE STRESS AND RUMINATIVE ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION AND THAT IT SERVED AS A RELATIONAL TECHNIQUE, FACILITATING CONNECTEDNESS AND SHARED EXPERIENCES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. FUTURE LONG-TERM RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EVALUATE THESE CONCEPTS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. 2013 16 4 23 "I COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS": ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES REFLECT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA PRACTICE. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA AS SHARED BY ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES AND TO EXAMINE THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME. METHODS: IN THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY, 13 ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES DESCRIBED THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA AND THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS OCCURRED 16 TO 20 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED CLINICAL TRIAL. RESULTS: THEMES OF READINESS FOR CONTINUING YOGA, ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT FOR YOGA, AND INTEGRATING YOGA EMERGED THROUGH DATA ANALYSIS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA IS APPEALING TO SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES, BUT MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME IS A CHALLENGE. DIABETES EDUCATORS MAY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MAINTENANCE BY DISCUSSING SPECIFIC STRATEGIES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESS INTEREST IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2010 17 1604 19 MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - THE CASE FOR YOGA IN SCHOOLS. BACKGROUND: MENTAL WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IS DETERIORATING. POOR MENTAL WELLBEING CAN BE RELATED TO UNMANAGED STRESS. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ARE WIDESPREAD AND RESULT IN YOUNG PEOPLE HAVING STRESSFUL LIVES. STRESS HAS MANY MANIFESTATIONS, AND COPING WITH IT CAN LEAD TO RISKY HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOURS. MAIN BODY: A SAFE, SCIENTIFICALLY-SUPPORTED, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SET OF STRESS-REDUCTION SKILLS IS PROVIDED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. AT PRESENT, YOGA IS AVAILABLE PRIVATELY, NOT PUBLICLY. AFTER APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED AND EVALUATED INTERVENTIONS, THE PUBLIC PROVISION OF YOGA COULD BE INTEGRATED WITHIN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, THEREBY REDUCING THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AND OFFERING A PREVENTATIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. SHORT CONCLUSION: WE SUGGEST THAT THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF AN INVESTMENT IN A CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WOULD DO MUCH TO REDUCE STRESS BOTH NOW FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 2018 18 2351 25 USING YOGA NIDRA TO IMPROVE STRESS IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSES IN A PILOT STUDY. GIVEN TODAY'S HURRIED AND STRESSFUL HEATHCARE SYSTEM, NURSES NEED MECHANISMS TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, PROMOTE THEIR OWN WELLNESS, AND BUILD RESILIENCE IN MANAGING SICK PATIENTS. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MECHANISM; IT CAN DECREASE ANXIETY AND IMPROVE SLEEP AND QUALITY OF LIFE. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, NINE NURSES PARTICIPATED IN 6 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF YOGA NIDRA. MEASURES OF SLEEP, STRESS, AND MUSCLE FATIGUE WERE OBTAINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT UPON QUALITY OF LIFE AND STRESS. ALTHOUGH BASED ON A SMALL SAMPLE OF NURSES, RESULTS INDICATED POSITIVE FINDINGS FOR BOTH PERCEIVED STRESS LEVEL AND MUSCLE FATIGUE. THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF YOGA IN STRESS REDUCTION, MUSCLE TENSION, AND SELF-CARE IN NURSES. 2017 19 472 30 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 20 14 30 "NOW I SEE A BRIGHTER DAY": EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS A CHRONIC DISEASE CHARACTERIZED BY INFLAMMATION OF JOINTS AND ASSOCIATED FATIGUE, DETERIORATED RANGE OF MOTION, AND IMPAIRED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA ARE AT A PARTICULAR RISK FOR COMPROMISED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND THERE IS A NEED FOR SAFE, EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL MEDICAL APPROACHES. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO USE FACE-TO-FACE PARTICIPANT INTERVIEWS, CONDUCTED BEFORE AND AFTER AN IYENGAR YOGA (IY) PROGRAM, TO EXAMINE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA.THIS PILOT STUDY UTILIZED A SINGLE-ARM DESIGN WHERE ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION. CLASSES WERE TAUGHT TWICE PER WEEK (1.5 HOURS EACH) FOR 6 WEEKS BY AN IY TEACHER QUALIFIED IN THERAPEUTICS. INTERVIEW THEMES INCLUDED PARTICIPANTS' BASELINE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT YOGA AND VIEWPOINTS AS TO HOW THEIR FUNCTIONING HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY THE IY INTERVENTION WERE EXAMINED. FIVE YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA AGED 24-31 YEARS (MEAN = 28; 80% FEMALE) COMPLETED THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS CONSISTENTLY REPORTED THAT YOGA HELPED WITH ENERGY, RELAXATION AND MOOD AND THEY DISCUSSED PERCEIVED MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOGA IMPACTED WELL-BEING. MECHANISMS INCLUDED PHYSICAL CHANGES SUCH AS RANGE OF MOTION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL AWARENESS, AND PSYCHOSPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS ACCEPTANCE, COPING, SELF-EFFICACY AND MINDFULNESS. THOUGH THE STUDY IS LIMITED, PARTICIPANTS' RESPONSES PROVIDE COMPELLING EVIDENCE THAT IY FOR RA PATIENTS IS AN INTERVENTION WORTHY OF FURTHER EXPLORATION. THE MECHANISMS AND OUTCOMES REPORTED BY PARTICIPANTS SUPPORT A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL, WHICH PROPOSES THAT YOGA BENEFITS PATIENTS THROUGH BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOSPIRITUAL CHANGES. 2011