1 265 122 ACUTE EFFECTS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE AND HATHA YOGA ON CRAVING TO SMOKE. INTRODUCTION: RECENT STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON CRAVING TO SMOKE AND SMOKING WITHDRAWAL. THE CURRENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE EFFECTS OF 2 DIFFERENT FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON GENERAL AND CUE-ELICITED CRAVING TO SMOKE. METHODS: FOLLOWING 1-HR NICOTINE ABSTINENCE, 76 DAILY SMOKERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ENGAGE IN A 30-MIN BOUT OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE (CE; BRISK WALK ON A TREADMILL), HATHA YOGA (HY), OR A NONACTIVITY CONTROL CONDITION. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED MEASURES OF CRAVING AND MOOD, AND A SMOKING CUE REACTIVITY ASSESSMENT, BEFORE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, AND APPROXIMATELY 20 MIN AFTER THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR CONTROL CONDITIONS. RESULTS: COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL CONDITION, PARTICIPANTS IN EACH OF THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GROUPS REPORTED A DECREASE IN CRAVING TO SMOKE, AN INCREASE IN POSITIVE AFFECT, AND A DECREASE IN NEGATIVE AFFECT. IN ADDITION, CRAVING IN RESPONSE TO SMOKING CUES WAS SPECIFICALLY REDUCED AMONG THOSE WHO ENGAGED IN CE, WHEREAS THOSE WHO ENGAGED IN HY REPORTED A GENERAL DECREASE IN CRAVINGS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY PROVIDES FURTHER SUPPORT FOR THE USE OF EXERCISE BOUTS FOR ATTENUATING CIGARETTE CRAVINGS DURING TEMPORARY NICOTINE ABSTINENCE. RESULTS ALSO SUGGEST THAT CE CAN ATTENUATE CRAVINGS IN RESPONSE TO SMOKING CUES. THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH THAT MAY IMPROVE INTEGRATION OF EXERCISE WITHIN SMOKING CESSATION TREATMENT. 2011 2 16 37 "SMOKING DOES NOT GO WITH YOGA:" A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERCEPTIONS DURING YOGA AND SMOKING CESSATION. INTRODUCTION: SMOKING CESSATION IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND INCREASED EXPERIENCE OF STRESS. BECAUSE YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE AID TO SMOKING CESSATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES OF VINYASA YOGA AS PART OF A SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM. METHODS: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED POST-INTERVENTION WITH WOMEN (N = 20) WHO PARTICIPATED IN A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. THE 8-WEEK VINYASA YOGA INTERVENTION INCLUDED TWICE WEEKLY 60-MINUTE CLASSES THAT INVOLVED BREATHING EXERCISES, POSTURES (ASANAS), AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. FOCUS GROUPS WERE AUDIO RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA, BREATHING, AND BODILY SENSATIONS INCLUDING CIGARETTE CRAVING. RESULTS: FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED VINYASA YOGA AS PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING. MOST REPORTED DELIBERATE USE OF YOGIC BREATHING TO COPE WITH CIGARETTE CRAVING AND STRESS. OTHER PERCEIVED EFFECTS INCLUDED RELAXATION AND AN INCREASED SENSE OF BODY AWARENESS AND WELLBEING. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS POSITIVE AND POTENTIALLY HELPFUL FOR QUITTING SMOKING. YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2016 3 2457 38 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION: RATIONALE, STUDY DESIGN AND PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE QUITTING-IN-BALANCE STUDY. BACKGROUND: TOBACCO SMOKING REMAINS THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN. EXERCISE HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS AN AID TO SMOKING CESSATION BECAUSE IT REDUCES WEIGHT GAIN AND WEIGHT CONCERNS, IMPROVES AFFECT, AND REDUCES NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND CIGARETTE CRAVING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL, AND REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. YOGA PRACTICE ALSO INCLUDES REGULATION OF BREATHING AND FOCUSED ATTENTION, BOTH OF WHICH MAY ENHANCE STRESS REDUCTION AND IMPROVE MOOD AND WELL-BEING AND MAY IMPROVE CESSATION OUTCOMES. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS PILOT EFFICACY STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE RATES OF CESSATION AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A NOVEL, 8-WEEK YOGA PLUS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION VERSUS A WELLNESS PROGRAM PLUS THE SAME CBT SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDE 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT END OF TREATMENT, 3 AND 6 MONTHS FOLLOW UP AND POTENTIAL MEDIATING VARIABLES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING SMOKING, SELF-EFFICACY). OTHER ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, SPIRITUALITY, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY AND PERCEIVED HEALTH (SF-36). DISCUSSION: INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS ARE NEEDED THAT ADDRESS BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL SMOKING CESSATION AMONG MEN AND WOMEN. THE DESIGN CHOSEN FOR THIS STUDY WILL ALLOW US TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL MEDIATORS OF INTERVENTION EFFICACY SO THAT WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM(S) BY WHICH YOGA MAY ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IF SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE, YOGA CAN OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL EXERCISE FOR REDUCING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY SMOKING CESSATION AND PREDICT RELAPSE TO SMOKING AMONG RECENT QUITTERS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS NCT00492310. 2010 4 2456 44 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION IN WOMEN. BACKGROUND: TOBACCO SMOKING REMAINS THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN. AEROBIC EXERCISE HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS AN AID TO SMOKING CESSATION BECAUSE IT IMPROVES AFFECT AND REDUCES NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. STUDIES OUTSIDE THE REALM OF SMOKING CESSATION HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICE ALSO REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINES THE FEASIBILITY AND INITIAL EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. FIFTY-FIVE WOMEN WERE GIVEN 8-WEEK GROUP-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION AND WERE RANDOMIZED TO A TWICE-WEEKLY PROGRAM OF VINYASA YOGA OR A GENERAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM (CONTACT CONTROL). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT THE END OF TREATMENT VALIDATED BY SALIVA COTININE TESTING. LONGITUDINAL ANALYSES WERE ALSO CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF INTERVENTION ON SMOKING CESSATION AT 3- AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTION ON POTENTIAL MEDIATING VARIABLES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING SMOKING, SELF-EFFICACY), AS WELL AS MEASURES OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, AND PERCEIVED HEALTH (SF-36). RESULTS: AT END OF TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD A GREATER 7-DAY POINT-PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE RATE THAN CONTROLS (ODDS RATIO [OR], 4.56; 95% CI, 1.1-18.6). ABSTINENCE REMAINED HIGHER AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE SIX MONTH ASSESSMENT (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.34-6.92), ALTHOUGH DIFFERENCES WERE NO LONGER STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA PROGRAM ALSO SHOWED REDUCED ANXIETY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING WHEN COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE AN EFFICACIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION AMONG WOMEN. 2012 5 2039 44 TESTING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION: DESIGN AND METHODS OF THE BREATHEASY TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: SMOKERS TRYING TO QUIT ENCOUNTER MANY CHALLENGES INCLUDING NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND CONCERN REGARDING WEIGHT GAIN. THESE PHENOMENA MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SUCCESSFULLY QUIT SMOKING. STUDIES IN NON-SMOKING POPULATIONS SHOW THAT YOGA REDUCES STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL. BY INCREASING MINDFULNESS WE ANTICIPATE THAT YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE SMOKERS' ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH QUITTING. YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE COGNITIVE DELIBERATION WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHOICES AND AVOID SMOKING IN TEMPTING SITUATIONS. METHODS/DESIGN: THE BREATHEASY STUDY IS A RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE GIVEN AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES, AND ARE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER TWICE WEEKLY YOGA (YOGA) OR TWICE-WEEKLY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES WHICH SERVE AS A CONTROL FOR CONTACT AND PARTICIPANT BURDEN (CTL). ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 8 WEEKS, 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS PROLONGED ABSTINENCE USING AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT APPROACH. MULTIPLE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDITS USING BLIND DATA COLLECTION ARE EMPLOYED TO ENSURE TREATMENT FIDELITY AND RELIABILITY OF STUDY RESULTS. TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CTL, WE WILL EXAMINE THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION (I.E., MEDIATORS) UNDERLYING INTERVENTION EFFICACY. WE WILL EXAMINE THE MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING STATUS AT EACH FOLLOW-UP. FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE USED TO ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING ABSTINENCE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE A STRINGENT TEST OF THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF YOGA COMPARED TO A CONDITION THAT CONTROLS FOR CONTACT TIME AND ATTENTION. THE USE OF MIXED METHODOLOGY ALSO PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO VALIDATE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA AND HELPS TO EXPLORE NEW THEMES FOR FUTURE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA RESEARCH. 2014 6 2046 45 THE ACUTE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT. INTRODUCTION: DESPITE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SMOKING, SMOKERS HAVE DIFFICULTY QUITTING, SUGGESTING A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO HELP THEM QUIT. A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ACUTELY REDUCED CRAVING AMONG NICOTINE-DEPRIVED SMOKERS NOT ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT, YET IT IS UNKNOWN IF IT REDUCES CRAVING AMONG THOSE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THEIR SMOKING. THUS, THIS STUDY TESTED THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ACUTELY REDUCING CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. METHODS: DATA PRESENTED ARE PART OF A LARGER DISSERTATION PROJECT. PARTICIPANTS WERE 55 COMMUNITY-RECRUITED SMOKERS (62% MALE) MOTIVATED TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING RANDOMIZED TO ONE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA (N = 25) OR WELLNESS CONTROL (IE, READING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE; N = 30) ON THEIR INTERVENTION DAY (IE, THE DAY ON WHICH THEY BEGAN TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING). PARTICIPANTS RATED, "I HAVE A DESIRE FOR A CIGARETTE RIGHT NOW," ON A 7-POINT LIKERT SCALE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: AFTER STATISTICALLY CONTROLLING FOR CO IN BREATH, PARTICIPANT TYPE, AGE, GENDER, RACE, AND ETHNICITY, A SIGNIFICANT TIME X CONDITION INTERACTION WAS FOUND, F(1, 47) = 4.72, P = .035, ETAP2 = .09, SUGGESTING CRAVING DECREASED AT A GREATER RATE IN THE HATHA YOGA CONDITION RELATIVE TO THE WELLNESS CONDITION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION TOOL FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IMPLICATIONS: THIS IS THE FIRST KNOWN STUDY TO TEST THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CRAVING AMONG ADULT SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. WE FOUND THAT 30 MINUTES OF HATHA YOGA PRODUCED A GREATER REDUCTION IN CRAVING COMPARED TO A 30-MINUTE WELLNESS CONTROL CONDITION. THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS EVIDENT EVEN AFTER STATISTICALLY ACCOUNTING FOR OTHER IMPORTANT VARIABLES (EG, GENDER). RESULTS OF THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF LITERATURE DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2020 7 1183 39 EVALUATION OF YOGA FOR PREVENTING ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL SETTING: A PRELIMINARY GROUP-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. ADOLESCENCE IS A KEY DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD FOR PREVENTING SUBSTANCE USE INITIATION, HOWEVER PREVENTION PROGRAMS SOLELY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SUBSTANCE USE RARELY CHANGE ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE BEHAVIORS. RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SEVERAL SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS, AND THAT THESE PRACTICES MAY SERVE AS PROMISING INTERVENTIONS FOR PREVENTING ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE. THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR REDUCING SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS DURING EARLY ADOLESCENCE. SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED BY CLASSROOM TO RECEIVE EITHER A 32-SESSION YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 117) IN PLACE OF THEIR REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO CONTINUE WITH PHYSICAL-EDUCATION-AS-USUAL (N = 94). PARTICIPANTS (63.2 % FEMALE; 53.6 % WHITE) COMPLETED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING EMOTIONAL SELF-REGULATION, PERCEIVED STRESS, MOOD IMPAIRMENT, IMPULSIVITY, SUBSTANCE USE WILLINGNESS, AND ACTUAL SUBSTANCE USE. PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT 6-MONTHS AND 1-YEAR POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL CONDITION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WILLING TO TRY SMOKING CIGARETTES IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION THAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION. IMMEDIATE PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION DIFFERENCES DID NOT EMERGE FOR THE REMAINING OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ANALYSES REVEALED A PATTERN OF DELAYED EFFECTS IN WHICH FEMALES IN THE YOGA CONDITION, AND MALES IN THE CONTROL CONDITION, DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS WITH REGARD TO PREVENTING MALES' AND FEMALES' WILLINGNESS TO SMOKE CIGARETTES, AS WELL AS IMPROVING EMOTIONAL SELF-CONTROL IN FEMALES. HOWEVER ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS REQUIRED, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. THE PRESENT STUDY CONTRIBUTES TO THE LITERATURE ON ADOLESCENCE BY EXAMINING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA AS A NOVEL PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE USE RISK FACTORS. 2017 8 2045 37 THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. BACKGROUND: DESPITE AN INCREASE IN THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA EXERCISE, RESEARCH FOCUSING ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA EXERCISE AND COGNITION IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF AN ACUTE YOGA EXERCISE SESSION, RELATIVE TO AEROBIC EXERCISE, ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED WHERE 30 FEMALE COLLEGE-AGED PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE = 20.07, SD = 1.95) COMPLETED 3 COUNTERBALANCED TESTING SESSIONS: A YOGA EXERCISE SESSION, AN AEROBIC EXERCISE SESSION, AND A BASELINE ASSESSMENT. THE FLANKER AND N-BACK TASKS WERE USED TO MEASURE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED THAT COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AFTER THE YOGA EXERCISE BOUT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY SUPERIOR (IE, SHORTER REACTION TIMES, INCREASED ACCURACY) AS COMPARED WITH THE AEROBIC AND BASELINE CONDITIONS FOR BOTH INHIBITION AND WORKING MEMORY TASKS. THE AEROBIC AND BASELINE PERFORMANCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT, CONTRADICTING SOME OF THE PREVIOUS FINDINGS IN THE ACUTE AEROBIC EXERCISE AND COGNITION LITERATURE. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED RELATIVE TO THE NEED TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF OTHER NONTRADITIONAL MODES OF EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA ON COGNITION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME ELAPSED BETWEEN THE CESSATION OF THE EXERCISE BOUT AND THE INITIATION OF COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS IN IMPROVING TASK PERFORMANCE. 2013 9 1707 36 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 10 1512 30 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 11 248 38 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH ELEVATED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. CONTEXT: YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OFTEN REPORT THAT YOGA HAS AN UPLIFTING EFFECT ON THEIR MOODS, BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON YOGA AND DEPRESSION IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA COURSE ON MOOD IN MILDLY DEPRESSED YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN: YOUNG ADULTS PRE-SCREENED FOR MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA COURSE OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: COLLEGE CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS AGES 18 TO 29. AT INTAKE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXPERIENCING MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, BUT HAD RECEIVED NO CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENTS. NONE HAD SIGNIFICANT YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED TWO 1-HOUR IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE CLASSES EMPHASIZED YOGA POSTURES THOUGHT TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION, PARTICULARLY BACK BENDS, STANDING POSES, AND INVERSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA COURSE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY. THESE EFFECTS EMERGED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YOGA COURSE AND WERE MAINTAINED BY THE END. CHANGES ALSO WERE OBSERVED IN ACUTE MOOD, WITH SUBJECTS REPORTING DECREASED LEVELS OF NEGATIVE MOOD AND FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES. FINALLY, THERE WAS A TREND FOR HIGHER MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE END OF THE YOGA COURSE, COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE OF THE UTILITY OF YOGA ASANAS IN IMPROVING MOOD AND SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FUTURE STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE COMPLEX STUDY DESIGNS TO MORE FULLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD DISTURBANCES. 2004 12 2837 32 YOGA'S IMPACT ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR DISORDERED EATING: A PILOT PREVENTION TRIAL. YOGA HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR EATING DISORDERS, BUT FEW PREVENTION TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA SERIES IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE 50-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES/WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED A 3-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING) OR A CONTROL GROUP. RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 5 AND 10 WEEKS, INCLUDED BODY DISSATISFACTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND MINDFULNESS. MIXED MODELS CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS OF OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RUN. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 20 OUT OF 30 YOGA CLASSES, AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA SERIES. APPEARANCE ORIENTATION DECREASED AND POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER POSITIVE AFFECT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES IN OTHER OUTCOMES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. FUTURE YOGA RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING EDUCATION ABOUT BODY IMAGE, MEASURE AND SAMPLE SELECTION, AND USE OF AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORK. 2020 13 1700 43 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 14 1701 36 PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA STUDY DECREASES STRESS AND DEPRESSION SCORES FOR INCARCERATED WOMEN. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS EXHIBIT A HIGH INCIDENCE OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS, INCLUDING ADDICTION AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD), AS WELL AS THE ADDED STRESS OF CAPTIVITY. ACCESS TO STRESS-REDUCTION TOOLS IS LIMITED FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH MAY BE REGULAR STRUCTURED YOGA CLASSES. USING TWO APPROACHES, WE TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IN A POPULATION OF INCARCERATED WOMEN IN A COUNTY JAIL. THE FIRST APPROACH WAS AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHIVAL DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF A PROGRAM ANALYSIS. INDIVIDUALS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION IN SELF-REPORTED STRESS FOLLOWING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION. THE SECOND APPROACH WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY USING A WEEK-LONG YOGA INTERVENTION. THIRTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP FOR THE FIRST WEEK. IN THE SECOND WEEK, THE CONDITIONS WERE REVERSED. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WEEKLY, BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. BASELINE SCORES REVEALED HIGH RATES OF DEPRESSION, STRESS, AND EXPOSURE TO TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS COMPARED TO NORMATIVE DATA. STRESS AND DEPRESSION WERE ASSESSED USING THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS DEPRESSION AFTER A WEEK OF DAILY YOGA SESSIONS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECLINED UNDER BOTH CONTROL AND YOGA CONDITIONS. DUE TO THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE JAIL INSTITUTION, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE INTERVENTIONS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LIMITATIONS IN THIS STUDY, THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PARTICIPANTS' WELL-BEING. 2021 15 719 36 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH OF INCARCERATED WOMEN: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: INCARCERATED WOMEN SHARE A DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF MENTAL ILLNESS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN IN PRISON, ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT MODALITIES, SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, MAY INCREASE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (A) TO ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING A GENDER-RESPONSIVE EXERCISE INTERVENTION WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AND (B) TO OBSERVE THE EFFECT OF A GROUP-FORMAT IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM THAT MET TWO SESSIONS A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS ON LEVELS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG INCARCERATED WOMEN. METHODS: A REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN, IN WHICH EACH PARTICIPANT SERVED AS HER OWN CONTROL, WAS USED. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THREE SELF-ADMINISTERED INSTRUMENTS: THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE BEFORE TREATMENT (BASELINE) AND DURING TREATMENT (WEEKS 4, 8, AND 12). LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS WERE USED TO EXAMINE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH MEASURES OVER TIME, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL AVAILABLE DATA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH 21 WOMEN INITIALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVENTION, 6 WOMEN COMPLETED THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. A SIGNIFICANT LINEAR DECREASE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION OVER TIME, WITH MEAN VALUES CHANGING FROM 24.90 AT BASELINE TO 5.67 AT WEEK 12. THERE WAS A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY OVER TIME (12.00 AT BASELINE TO 7.33 AT WEEK 12) AND A NONLINEAR CHANGE IN STRESS OVER TIME, WITH DECREASES FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 4 AND SUBSEQUENT INCREASES TO WEEK 12. DISCUSSION: WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM EXPERIENCED FEWER SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY OVER TIME. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY MAY BE USED TO IMPROVE FUTURE INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF INCARCERATED WOMEN. 2010 16 2376 35 WHO ENROLLS IN A QUIT SMOKING PROGRAM WITH YOGA THERAPY? OBJECTIVES: YOGA MAY IMPROVE STRESS, AFFECT, AND WEIGHT CONTROL, ALL OF WHICH ARE COMMONLY CITED BARRIERS TO QUITTING SMOKING. HOWEVER, THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE CONCERNS MAY VARY BY SEX, RACE, ETHNICITY, AND AGE. WE EXAMINED SMOKING-RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS ENROLLING IN AN 8-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TESTING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT TO STANDARD SMOKING CESSATION. METHODS: OF 958 CALLERS, 227 WERE ELIGIBLE AND ENROLLED. RESULTS: THE SAMPLE WAS 55% FEMALE, 86% NON-HISPANIC WHITE, WITH A MEAN AGE OF 46 YEARS (SD = 12). MALES SMOKED MORE CIGARETTES/ DAY THAN FEMALES AND HAD LOWER MOTIVATION TO QUIT SMOKING. FEMALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO SMOKE FOR WEIGHT CONTROL, SOCIAL AND MOOD-RELATED REASONS, AND HAD HIGHER EXPECTATIONS FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA. AGE WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF OTHER SMOKERS IN THE HOUSEHOLD, AND SMOKING IN RESPONSE TO NEGATIVE MOODS, AND WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING RATE, AND CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT BOTH MALES AND FEMALES WERE INTERESTED IN A PROGRAM OFFERING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. HOWEVER, THERE WERE BOTH SEX AND AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO SMOKING-RELATED VARIABLES THAT MAY SUGGEST A NEED TO ADAPT THE INTERVENTION FOR SUB-POPULATIONS. 2017 17 1964 28 SEPARATING THE "LIMBS" OF YOGA: LIMITED EFFECTS ON STRESS AND MOOD. THOUGH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THEIR MOOD, IT IS UNCLEAR WHICH ASPECT OF YOGA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE EFFECTS. TO INVESTIGATE RELEVANT ASPECTS, OR "LIMBS" OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOVICES IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ENGAGED IN A SINGLE YOGA MANIPULATION (I.E., POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, OR LISTENING TO A LECTURE ABOUT YOGA) FOR 20 MIN BEFORE EXPERIENCING A MILD STRESSOR. PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, MOOD, AND ANXIETY LEVEL WERE ASSESSED, BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE YOGA MANIPULATION AND AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. THE 20-MIN YOGA MANIPULATION DID NOT DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECT ANY OF THE MEASURES, INCLUDING PARTICIPANTS' STRESS RESPONSE AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF A YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 18 1424 24 IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON COGNITION, ATTENUATION OF EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND STRESS REDUCTION. PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE MAINLY PERFORMED ON EASTERN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS OR UNHEALTHY SUBJECTS UNDERGOING CONCOMITANT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PER SE, AS WELL AS ITS POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE BENEFITS ON HEALTHY SUBJECTS. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MEMORY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS RELATED TO STRESS, COMPARING YOGA PRACTICE AND CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN HEALTHY MEN (PREVIOUSLY YOGA-NAIVE). MEMORY TESTS, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEMORY PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS. THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN IMPROVE ASPECTS OF COGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL STATE ON COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT PROMOTED BY YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE PROPOSED. 2012 19 1839 28 PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA OR WALKING AMONG OLDER ADULTS. FEW RESEARCHERS HAVE COMPARED PSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES AND OUTCOMES OF YOGA WITH MORE TRADITIONAL FORMS OF EXERCISE. THE AUTHORS' PRIMARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE CHANGES IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES OF MOOD AND STATE ANXIETY PRODUCED BY AN ACUTE BOUT OF YOGA OR WALKING AMONG OLDER ADULTS. THE SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE SELECTED PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF ACTIVITY. PARTICIPANTS WERE 51 ADULTS WHO WERE 50 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO WALKED FOR EXERCISE OR PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA CLASS. RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO EXERCISE, AND LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE THAN DID WALKERS. WITH CONTROL FOR THESE DIFFERENCES, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD IMPROVED LEVELS OF FATIGUE PRE- TO POSTSESSION, COMPARED WITH WALKERS. WITH CONTROL FOR DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES, THESE CHANGES WERE NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SEEK OUT MINDFUL-BASED EXERCISE TO COPE WITH GREATER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION AND LOWER LEVELS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. 2009 20 314 30 AN IN-SITU INVESTIGATION OF THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON POSITIVE- AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND STATE-ANXIETY IN CONTEXT OF PERCEIVED STRESS. BACKGROUND: BIKRAM YOGA IS A RELATIVELY NEW, BUT AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE. ITS HEALTH BENEFITS WERE DEMONSTRATED ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. AIMS: THE CURRENT FIELD STUDY TESTED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON PRACTITIONERS' POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THEIR LINK TO THE SELF-PERCEIVED STRESS, IN BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. METHOD: FIELD STUDY, WITHIN-PARTICIPANTS DESIGN, TESTING PERCEIVED STRESS AND ITS RELATION TO CHANGES IN POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY IN 53 HABITUAL BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CHANGES EMERGED IN ALL THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES AFTER THE 90-MIN BIKRAM YOGA SESSION. THE DECREASE IN NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. ESTIMATED EFFORT WAS UNRELATED TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHANGES RECORDED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. HEART RATES AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES INDICATED THAT PHYSICALLY BIKRAM YOGA IS ONLY MILDLY CHALLENGING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATE THAT, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE PHYSICAL EFFORT, BIKRAM YOGA IS A NEW MILD FORM OF EXERCISE THAT REDUCES NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THE REDUCTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. THEREFORE, BIKRAM YOGA APPEARS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PRACTITIONERS, BUT EVEN MORE SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL STRESS IN THE DAILY LIFE. 2017