1 302 162 AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN PAIN, PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING AND MINDFULNESS, AND CHANGES IN CORTISOL LEVELS IN WOMEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA. OBJECTIVES: FIBROMYALGIA (FM) IS A CHRONIC CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY WIDESPREAD MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND HYPOCORTISOLISM. TO DATE, PUBLISHED STUDIES HAVE NOT INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CORTISOL IN FM. THIS PILOT STUDY USED A TIME SERIES DESIGN TO EVALUATE PAIN, PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES, MINDFULNESS, AND CORTISOL IN WOMEN WITH FM BEFORE AND AFTER A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 22) WERE RECRUITED FROM THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A 75 MINUTE YOGA CLASS TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. QUESTIONNAIRES CONCERNING PAIN (INTENSITY, UNPLEASANTNESS, QUALITY, SUM OF LOCAL AREAS OF PAIN, CATASTROPHIZING, ACCEPTANCE, DISABILITY), ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND MINDFULNESS WERE ADMINISTERED PRE-, MID- AND POST-INTERVENTION. SALIVARY CORTISOL SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED THREE TIMES A DAY FOR EACH OF TWO DAYS, PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) REVEALED THAT MEAN +/- STANDARD DEVIATION (SD) SCORES IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION FOR CONTINUOUS PAIN (PRE: 5.18 +/- 1.72; POST: 4.44 +/- 2.03), PAIN CATASTROPHIZING (PRE: 25.33 +/- 14.77; POST: 20.40 +/- 17.01), PAIN ACCEPTANCE (PRE: 60.47 +/- 23.43; POST: 65.50 +/- 22.93), AND MINDFULNESS (PRE: 120.21 +/- 21.80; POST: 130.63 +/- 20.82). INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT MEDIAN AUC FOR POST-INTERVENTION CORTISOL (263.69) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (P < 0.05) THAN MEDIAN AUC FOR PRE-INTERVENTION LEVELS (189.46). MEDIATION ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT MID-INTERVENTION MINDFULNESS SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) MEDIATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION PAIN CATASTROPHIZING SCORES. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY REDUCE PAIN AND CATASTROPHIZING, INCREASE ACCEPTANCE AND MINDFULNESS, AND ALTER TOTAL CORTISOL LEVELS IN WOMEN WITH FM. THE CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS AND CORTISOL LEVELS MAY PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR MECHANISMS OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH FM. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD USE AN RCT DESIGN WITH A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE. 2011 2 1170 50 EVALUATION OF A SPECIALIZED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PERSONS ADMITTED TO A COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL: A PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A SPECIALIZED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR INPATIENTS IN A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL. DESIGN. SINGLE-COHORT REPEATED MEASURES DESIGN. METHODS. PARTICIPANTS (N = 10) ADMITTED TO A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 50-60 MIN HATHA YOGA CLASS (MODIFIED FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS/SEATED POSITION) ONCE A WEEK FOR EIGHT WEEKS, WITH ASSIGNED HOMEWORK PRACTICE. QUESTIONNAIRES ON PAIN (PAIN, PAIN INTERFERENCE, AND PAIN CATASTROPHIZING), PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND EXPERIENCES WITH INJUSTICE), MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING WERE COLLECTED AT THREE INTERVALS: PRE-, MID-, AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS. REPEATED MEASURES ANOVAS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF TIME INDICATING IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YOGA PROGRAM ON THE (1) ANXIETY SUBSCALE OF THE HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE, F(2,18) = 4.74, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .35, (2) SELF-COMPASSION SCALE-SHORT FORM, F(2,18) = 3.71, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .29, AND (3) MAGNIFICATION SUBSCALE OF THE PAIN CATASTROPHIZING SCALE, F(2,18) = 3. 66, P < .05, AND ETAP(2) = .29. DISCUSSION. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVES PAIN-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES IN INDIVIDUALS ADMITTED TO A REHABILITATION AND COMPLEX CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL. 2016 3 2871 37 YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE FACILITATES SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN STRONGLY INFLUENCES SUSTAINED ATTENTION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUES MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUSTAINED ATTENTION BY ATTENUATING PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. HENCE, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND SELF-REPORTED PAIN DISABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 22 MEN AGED 30 TO 50 YEARS WITH LOW BACK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA (N = 11) OR CONTROL (N = 11) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (YBRT) 1 HOUR A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGIMEN. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION TO RESPONSE TASK (SART) AND THE OSWESTRY LOW BACK PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (OLBPDQ) MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 4-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ALL SELF-REPORTED OLBPDQ DOMAINS AND IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN A BEFORE AND AFTER COMPARISON 4 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PEARSON'S CORRELATION ALSO SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND PAIN REDUCTION FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES PAIN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVES INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED WITH IMPULSE CONTROL DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SUSTAINED ATTENTION TASK. 2020 4 2653 51 YOGA IMPROVES OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, DEPRESSION, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC PAIN IS A COMPLEX ACCUMULATION OF PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, THUS INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS PAIN AND PROMOTE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE ARE NEEDED. A HOLISTIC INTERVENTION, WITH MIND AND BODY COMPONENTS, IS LIKELY NECESSARY TO BEST TREAT THE COMPLEXITIES OF CHRONIC PAIN. THUS, WE DEVELOPED AND TESTED A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. OBJECTIVES: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT), PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION OR USUAL CARE GROUP. BETWEEN AND WITHIN GROUP DIFFERENCES FOR PRE-AND POST-OUTCOME MEASURE SCORES WERE ASSESSED FOR: OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, COMPLETION OF ACTIVITIES, AND DEPRESSION. METHODS: PILOT RCT WITH PARTICIPANT ALLOCATION TO 8 WEEKS OF YOGA OR USUAL CARE. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ONGOING MONTHLY SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING. DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA OR USUAL CARE AFTER BASELINE ASSESSMENTS. DEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED AND MEASURES INCLUDED: CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE (COPM) TO ASSESS OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE; THE 15-ITEM FRENCHAY ACTIVITIES INDEX (FAI)(ACTIVITIES); AND THE 9-ITEM PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9) FOR DEPRESSION. INDEPENDENT T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRE- AND POST 8-WEEK INTERVENTION FOR BOTH THE YOGA AND THE USUAL CARE GROUPS. PERCENT CHANGE SCORES AND EFFECT SIZES WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: 83 PEOPLE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY AND COMPLETED BASELINE ASSESSMENTS; 44 INDIVIDUALS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA AND 39 TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE AVERAGE AGE OF ALL PARTICIPANTS WAS 51.4+/-10.5 YEARS, 68% WERE FEMALE; AND 60% HAD AT LEAST SOME COLLEGE EDUCATION. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHICS OR OUTCOME MEASURES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE OR 8 WEEKS; HOWEVER, THE STUDY WAS NOT POWERED TO SEE SUCH DIFFERENCES. INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE IN ANY OUTCOME MEASURE OVER THE 8 WEEKS. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN COPM PERFORMANCE AND COPM SATISFACTION SCORES FOR INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE YOGA GROUP; BOTH SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. COPM PERFORMANCE IMPROVED BY 27% WITH A MODERATE TO LARGE EFFECT SIZE (3.66+/-1.85 VS 4.66+/-1.93, P < 0.001, D = 0.76). COPM SATISFACTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY 78% (2.14+/-2.31 VS. 3.80+/-2.50, P < 0.001) AND HAD A LARGE EFFECTS SIZE (D = 1.02). FAI SCORES IMPROVED, INDICATING INCREASED ACTIVITY OR ENGAGEMENT IN DAILY OCCUPATION DURING THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. SCORES INCREASED BY 5% (38.13+/-8.48 VS. 39.90+/-8.57, P = 0.024) WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE (D = 0.37). DEPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM 13.21+/-5.60 TO 11.41+/-5.82, P = 0.041, WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE. CONCLUSION: DATA FROM THIS PILOT RCT INDICATE YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION WITH PEOPLE IN CHRONIC PAIN TO IMPROVE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVITIES, AND DECREASE DEPRESSION. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONERS MAY CONSIDER ADDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH PAIN. 2019 5 1267 39 FOLLOW-UP OF YOGA OF AWARENESS FOR FIBROMYALGIA: RESULTS AT 3 MONTHS AND REPLICATION IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP. OBJECTIVES: PUBLISHED PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED TRIAL SUGGEST THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA OF AWARENESS INTERVENTION MAY BE EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING SYMPTOMS, FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS, AND COPING ABILITIES IN FIBROMYALGIA. THE PRIMARY AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE SAME INTERVENTION'S POSTTREATMENT EFFECTS IN A WAIT-LIST GROUP AND TO TEST THE INTERVENTION'S EFFECTS AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP. METHODS: UNPAIRED T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE DATA FROM A PER PROTOCOL SAMPLE OF 21 WOMEN IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP WHO HAD COMPLETED TREATMENT AND 18 WOMEN IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP WHO HAD COMPLETED TREATMENT. WITHIN-GROUP PAIRED T TESTS WERE PERFORMED TO COMPARE POSTTREATMENT DATA WITH 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP DATA IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS THE FIBROMYALGIA IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE REVISED (FIQR). MULTILEVEL RANDOM-EFFECTS MODELS WERE ALSO USED TO EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE RATES AND OUTCOMES. RESULTS: POSTTREATMENT RESULTS IN THE WAIT-LIST GROUP LARGELY MIRRORED RESULTS SEEN AT POSTTREATMENT IN THE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT GROUP, WITH THE FIQR TOTAL SCORE IMPROVING BY 31.9% ACROSS THE 2 GROUPS. FOLLOW-UP RESULTS SHOWED THAT PATIENTS SUSTAINED MOST OF THEIR POSTTREATMENT GAINS, WITH THE FIQR TOTAL SCORE REMAINING 21.9% IMPROVED AT 3 MONTHS. YOGA PRACTICE RATES WERE GOOD, AND MORE PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE BENEFIT FOR A VARIETY OF OUTCOMES. DISCUSSION: THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE BENEFITS OF YOGA OF AWARENESS IN FIBROMYALGIA ARE REPLICABLE AND CAN BE MAINTAINED. 2012 6 459 47 CHANGES IN PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WITH IYENGAR YOGA IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK (NCLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG ADULT POPULATION AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND HIGHER HEALTHCARE COSTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) WITH NCLBP. AIM OF THE STUDY: TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA THERAPY AND CONVENTIONAL EXERCISE THERAPY ON PAIN INTENSITY AND HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH RANDOM SAMPLING TECHNIQUE. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: SIXTY SUBJECTS WHO FULFILLED THE SELECTION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO IYENGAR YOGA (YOGA GROUP, N = 30) AND CONTROL GROUP (EXERCISE GROUP, N = 30). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED LOW BACK PAIN EVALUATION FORM AND HRQOL-4 QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE THEIR INTERVENTION AND AGAIN 4 WEEKS AND 6 MONTH LATER. YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT 29 YOGIC POSTURES TRAINING AND EXERCISE GROUP HAD UNDERGONE GENERAL EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR 4 WEEKS. STATISTICS: REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME, WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: PATIENTS IN BOTH GROUPS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PAIN AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL. IN VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE (VAS) YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 72.81% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 42.50% (P = 0.001). IN HRQOL, YOGA GROUP SHOWED REDUCTION OF 86.99% (P = 0.001) AS COMPARED TO EXERCISE GROUP 67.66% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IYENGAR YOGA PROVIDES BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN REDUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN HRQOL IN NONSPECIFIC CHRONIC BACK PAIN THAN GENERAL EXERCISE. 2014 7 657 30 EFFECT OF 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVE: TO ANALYZE THE EFFECT OF THE 'EXERCISE WITHOUT MOVEMENT' (E.W.M) YOGA METHOD ON MINDFULNESS AND ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. METHODS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF ONE MONTH E.W.M. INTERVENTION AMONG 38 PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE ENROLLED VOLUNTARILY TO BOTH GROUPS, STUDY (N = 16) AND CONTROL (N = 22). FIVE PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE STUDY. THE STATE MINDFULNESS SCALE (SMS) WAS USED TO MEASURE MINDFULNESS. THE ANXIETY INVENTORY BECK (BAI) AND THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI-II) WERE USED TO MEASURE THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, RESPECTIVELY, BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: STUDY GROUP SHOWED BOTH A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MINDFULNESS AND DECREASE IN ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE E.W.M. HAS BEEN USEFUL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND MAY REPRESENT A NEW METHOD IN THE MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION. 2016 8 244 37 A YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM REDUCES STRESS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS. FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE EXHIBIT REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASED STRESS LEVELS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM ON THE PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. A TOTAL OF 46 VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PARTICIPATE IN A STRESS-REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR A 2-MONTH PERIOD (YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM-YCMP GROUP) (N = 25) OR AN UNTREATED GROUP FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME (CONTROL GROUP) (N = 21). THE LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND MORNING SALIVARY CORTISOL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. THE GROUPS WERE INITIALLY HOMOGENEOUS; HOWEVER, AFTER INTERVENTION, THE GROUPS DIVERGED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE YCMP GROUP EXHIBITED A REDUCTION OF THE STRESS (P < 0.05), ANXIETY (P < 0.000001), AND DEPRESSION (P < 0.00001) LEVELS, AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN THE CONCENTRATION OF SALIVARY CORTISOL (P < 0.05). OUR STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM MAY OFFER AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. 2013 9 342 30 ASHTANGA YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING: AN UNCONTROLLED OPEN PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WEIGHT IN YOUTH AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES. SECONDARILY, THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN YOGA ON SELF-CONCEPT AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS WAS MEASURED. METHODS: A 12-WEEK PROSPECTIVE PILOT ASHTANGA YOGA PROGRAM ENROLLED TWENTY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. WEIGHT WAS MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SELF-CONCEPT, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES AT THE INITIATION AND COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC CHILDREN, AGES 8-15, COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS WAS 2KG. WEIGHT DECREASED FROM 61.2+/-20.2KG TO 59.2+/-19.2KG (P=0.01). FOUR OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM IMPROVED, ALTHOUGH TWO HAD DECREASES IN SELF-ESTEEM. ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IMPROVED IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: ASHTANGA YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY IN A PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC POPULATION. 2009 10 594 39 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO DEVELOP A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN (CPP) AND EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM ON PAIN SEVERITY, SEXUAL FUNCTION, AND WELL-BEING. METHODS: A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM FOR CPP WAS DEVELOPED BY A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANEL OF CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND YOGA CONSULTANTS. WOMEN REPORTING MODERATE TO SEVERE PELVIC PAIN FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS WERE RECRUITED INTO A SINGLE-ARM TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED TWICE WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES FOCUSING ON IYENGAR-BASED YOGA TECHNIQUES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE YOGA AT HOME AN HOUR A WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS SELF-RATED THE SEVERITY OF THEIR PELVIC PAIN USING DAILY LOGS. THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPANTS' PAIN ON EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS ASSESSED USING AN IMPACT OF PELVIC PAIN (IPP) QUESTIONNAIRE. SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS FURTHER ASSESSED USING THE SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN WOMEN QUESTIONNAIRE (SHOW-Q). RESULTS: AMONG THE 16 PARTICIPANTS (AGE RANGE = 31-64 YEARS), AVERAGE RATINGS OF THE SEVERITY OF PAIN "AT ITS WORST," "AT ITS BEST," AND "ON AVERAGE" DECREASED BY 29%, 32%, AND 34%, RESPECTIVELY, FROM START TO SIX WEEKS (P < 0.05 FOR ALL). WOMEN DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN SCORES ON IPP SUBSCALES FOR DAILY ACTIVITIES (1.8 +/- 0.7 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P < 0.001), EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING (1.7 +/- 0.9 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P = 0.005), AND SEXUAL FUNCTION (1.9 +/- 1.1 TO 1.0 +/- 0.9, P = 0.04). SCORES ON THE SHOW-Q "PELVIC PROBLEM INTERFERENCE" SCALE ALSO IMPROVED OVER SIX WEEKS (53 +/- 23 TO 27 +/- 23, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF THE FEASIBILITY OF TEACHING WOMEN WITH CPP TO PRACTICE YOGA TO SELF-MANAGE PAIN AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SEXUAL FUNCTION. 2017 11 2112 35 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT DECADES, SEVERAL MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON YOGA PROVED IT TO BE VERY USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SOME DISEASES. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION IN WOMEN LIVING IN ILAM, IRAN. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH PRE-POST TEST. TO COLLECT DATA, THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF DASS-21 (DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS SCALE-21) WAS USED. FOR ELIGIBLE SAMPLES, HATHA YOGA EXERCISES AND TRAINING SESSIONS WERE HELD FOR 4 WEEKS (3 TIME/WEEKS; 60-70 MIN EACH) BY A SPECIALIST. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING SPSS VERSION 20. RESULTS: 52 WOMEN WITH A MEAN AGE OF 33.5 +/- 6.5 WERE INCLUDED FOR ANALYSIS. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN WOMEN AFTER 12 SESSIONS OF REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS AN EFFECTIVE ROLE IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE. 2018 12 719 46 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 13 1085 41 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, FATIGUE, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF DIAMOND INDUSTRY: A NEW APPROACH IN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS. BACKGROUND: DIAMOND INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES OFTEN EXPERIENCE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND STRESS, CONTRIBUTING TO A LOW QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). YOGA IS AN ANCIENT DISCIPLINE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICE YOGA HAS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF WORKPLACE YOGA IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, AND QOL AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 60 PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 84) OR WAITLIST (N = 82) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED ONE HOUR OF YOGA, FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAITLIST GROUP FOLLOWED THEIR DAILY ROUTINES. MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUE, STRESS, AND QOL WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER THREE MONTHS. RESULTS: ONE-HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE EMPLOYEES COMPLETED THE STUDY. THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) IMPROVEMENT IN PAIN, PERCEIVED STRESS, FATIGUE, AND QOL DOMAINS AFTER THREE MONTHS COMPARED TO BASELINE. THE WAITLIST GROUP SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF THE MEASURES. IN THE POST SCORES COMPARISON BETWEEN THE GROUPS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSION: WORKPLACE YOGA FOUND TO BE A USEFUL, COST-EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING STRESS, MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, FATIGUES AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG EMPLOYEES OF THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY. YOGA MAY BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE WORKPLACE AS A WELLNESS PROGRAM AT THE WORKPLACE. 2021 14 1375 53 IMPACT OF DAILY YOGA-BASED EXERCISE ON PAIN, CATASTROPHIZING, AND SLEEP AMONGST INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA. BACKGROUND: FIBROMYALGIA (FM) IS A CHRONIC WIDESPREAD PAIN DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY NEGATIVE AFFECT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND FATIGUE. THIS UNCONTROLLED PILOT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF DAILY YOGA-BASED EXERCISE TO IMPROVE FM SYMPTOMS AND EXPLORED BASELINE PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GREATEST BENEFIT. METHODS: FM PATIENTS (N=46, WITH 36 COMPLETERS) REPORTED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND A RANGE OF FM SYMPTOMS USING VALIDATED INSTRUMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATION IN SATYANANDA YOGA, WHICH INCLUDED WEEKLY IN-PERSON PAIN-TAILORED GROUP CLASSES FOR 6 WEEKS AND DAILY HOME YOGA VIDEO PRACTICE. RESULTS: CHANGES IN FM SYMPTOMS FROM PRE- TO POST-YOGA WERE VARIABLE AMONGST PARTICIPANTS. GROUP MEANS FOR PAIN DECREASED, AS REPORTED BY AVERAGE DAILY DIARY AND BRIEF PAIN INVENTORY, WITH GREATER HOME PRACTICE MINUTES ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER DECREASE IN PAIN. AVERAGE DAILY RATINGS OF SLEEP AND FATIGUE IMPROVED. PAIN CATASTROPHIZING WAS DECREASED OVERALL, WITH GREATER CHANGE CORRELATED TO A DECREASE IN FM SYMPTOMS. WE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY GROUP MEAN CHANGES IN ACTIGRAPHY SLEEP EFFICIENCY, PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM-ANXIETY AND THE REVISED FIBROMYALGIA IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE. MULTILEVEL MODELING ANALYSIS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN ANXIETY AND CATASTROPHIZING FOR END-STUDY SLEEP EFFICIENCY, FATIGUE, AND PAIN, SUCH THAT PATIENTS WITH HIGHER BASELINE CATASTROPHIZING AND LOWER BASELINE ANXIETY REPORTED LESS PAIN AND FATIGUE, AND HIGHER SLEEP EFFICIENCY AFTER THE SIXTH WEEK OF YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE PAIN AND CATASTROPHIZING, AS WELL AS IMPROVE SLEEP, BUT THESE CHANGES WERE MODEST ACROSS STUDY PARTICIPANTS. GREATER UPTAKE OF HOME YOGA PRACTICE AS WELL AS A PHENOTYPE OF HIGHER BASELINE CATASTROPHIZING COMBINED WITH LOWER BASELINE ANXIETY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER IMPACT. FUTURE RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS COMPARING DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA OR EXERCISE WILL ALLOW DETERMINATION OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR FM AND ALLOW CLOSER TARGETING TO THE PATIENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM THEM. 2019 15 248 43 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 16 51 26 A COMPARATIVE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE EFFECTS OF BRAIN WAVE VIBRATION TRAINING, IYENGAR YOGA, AND MINDFULNESS ON MOOD, WELL-BEING, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. THIS RANDOMISED TRIAL COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF BRAIN WAVE VIBRATION (BWV) TRAINING, WHICH INVOLVES RHYTHMIC YOGA-LIKE MEDITATIVE EXERCISES, WITH IYENGAR YOGA AND MINDFULNESS. IYENGAR PROVIDED A CONTRAST FOR THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS AND MINDFULNESS FOR THE "MENTAL" COMPONENTS OF BWV. 35 HEALTHY ADULTS COMPLETED 10 75-MINUTE CLASSES OF BWV, IYENGAR, OR MINDFULNESS OVER FIVE WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED AT PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION FOR MOOD, SLEEP, MINDFULNESS, ABSORPTION, HEALTH, MEMORY, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. BETTER OVERALL MOOD AND VITALITY FOLLOWED BOTH BWV AND IYENGAR TRAINING, WHILE THE BWV GROUP ALONE HAD IMPROVED DEPRESSION AND SLEEP LATENCY. MINDFULNESS PRODUCED A COMPARATIVELY GREATER INCREASE IN ABSORPTION. ALL INTERVENTIONS IMPROVED STRESS AND MINDFULNESS, WHILE NO CHANGES OCCURRED IN HEALTH, MEMORY, OR SALIVARY CORTISOL. IN CONCLUSION, INCREASED WELL-BEING FOLLOWED TRAINING IN ALL THREE PRACTICES, INCREASED ABSORPTION WAS SPECIFIC TO MINDFULNESS, WHILE BWV WAS UNIQUE IN ITS BENEFITS TO DEPRESSION AND SLEEP LATENCY, WARRANTING FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 17 1369 19 IMPACT OF A SHORT YOGA INTERVENTION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' HEALTH: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: MEDICAL STUDENTS OFTEN EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS EARLY-ON IN UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING. AIMS: WE AIMED TO DEMONSTRATE THE IMPACT OF A BRIEF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS. METHOD: FOURTEEN FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A 16-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION PILOT STUDY. STUDENTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, MID-INTERVENTION AND END OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: THE STUDENTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN OVERALL HEALTH, PERCEIVED STRESS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING STRESS AND IMPROVING GENERAL WELL-BEING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS. 2009 18 1830 39 PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY AND SET-SHIFTING AMONG VETERANS PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA PROGRAM: A PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION: TRAUMA-FOCUSED PSYCHOTHERAPIES DO NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL VETERANS. YOGA SHOWS SOME POTENTIAL IN REDUCING STRESS AND PERHAPS EVEN PTSD IN VETERANS, ALTHOUGH LITTLE IS UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. THIS STUDY IDENTIFIES PRELIMINARY CORRELATES OF CHANGE IN PTSD AND PERCEIVED STRESS FOR VETERANS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NINE VETERANS (SEVEN MALES AND TWO FEMALES) WERE RECRUITED FROM AN EXISTING CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM AND OBSERVED OVER 16 WK. SEVERITY OF PTSD SYMPTOMS (PCL-5) AND PERCEIVED STRESS (PSS-10) WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND WEEKS 4, 6, 8, AND 16. PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY (AAQ-II) AND SET-SHIFTING (RATIO OF TRAIL MAKING TEST A TO B) WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE AND AT WEEK 6. SUBJECTS ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS FREELY, RANGING FROM 1 TO 23 CLASSES OVER THE 16 WEEKS. THE STANFORD UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVED THIS RESEARCH PROTOCOL. RESULTS: SELF-REPORTED PTSD SYMPTOMS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED WHILE PERCEIVED STRESS DID NOT. LOWER BASELINE SET-SHIFTING PREDICTED GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN PTSD BETWEEN BASELINE AND 4 WEEKS; EARLY IMPROVEMENTS IN SET-SHIFTING PREDICTED OVERALL REDUCTION IN PTSD. GREATER PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER PTSD AND PERCEIVED STRESS; MORE YOGA PRACTICE, BEFORE AND DURING THE STUDY, WAS ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY. OTHER PREDICTORS WERE NOT SUPPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: IN A SMALL UNCONTROLLED SAMPLE, PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY AND SET-SHIFTING PREDICTED CHANGES IN PTSD SYMPTOMS IN VETERANS PARTICIPATING IN A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS FINDINGS FROM PRIOR RESEARCH. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD INCLUDE AN ACTIVE COMPARISON GROUP AND RECORD FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICED OUTSIDE FORMAL SESSIONS. 2018 19 1086 42 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS, STRESS ADAPTION, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY AMONG MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS--A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCING WORK-RELATED STRESS MAY EXPERIENCE BURN OUT, LEADING TO A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR ORGANIZATION AND PATIENTS. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA CLASSES ON WORK-RELATED STRESS, STRESS ADAPTATION, AND AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY AMONG MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS USED, WHICH COMPARED THE OUTCOMES BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL (E.G., YOGA PROGRAM) AND THE CONTROL GROUPS (E.G., NO YOGA EXERCISE) FOR 12 WEEKS. WORK-RELATED STRESS AND STRESS ADAPTATION WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) WAS MEASURED AT BASELINE, MIDPOINT THROUGH THE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (6 WEEKS), AND POSTINTERVENTION (AFTER 12 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES). RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN WORK-RELATED STRESS (T = -6.225, P < .001), AND A SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF STRESS ADAPTATION (T = 2.128, P = .042). PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. COMPARING THE MEAN DIFFERENCES IN PRE- AND POSTTEST SCORES BETWEEN YOGA AND CONTROL GROUPS, WE FOUND THE YOGA GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED WORK-RELATED STRESS (T = -3.216, P = .002), BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRESS ADAPTATION (P = .084). WHILE CONTROLLING FOR THE PRETEST SCORES OF WORK-RELATED STRESS, PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA, BUT NOT THE CONTROL GROUP, REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY AT MIDPOINT (6 WEEKS) TEST (T = -2.799, P = .007), AND AT POSTTEST (12 WEEKS; T = -2.099, P = .040). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN WORK-RELATED STRESS AND AN INCREASE IN AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITY IN A WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM FOR 12 WEEKS, CLINICIANS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND EDUCATORS SHOULD OFFER YOGA CLASSES AS A STRATEGY TO HELP HEALTH PROFESSIONALS REDUCE THEIR WORK-RELATED STRESS AND BALANCE AUTONOMIC NERVE ACTIVITIES. 2015 20 2089 34 THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON AFFECT, CORTISOL AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. PERINATAL DEPRESSION IMPACTS MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON CORTISOL, AFFECT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE INVESTIGATED IN 51 WOMEN. TWICE DURING PREGNANCY, YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ON AFFECT AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE BEFORE AND AFTER A 90-MIN PRENATAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. CORRESPONDING MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FROM YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS ON DAYS OF USUAL ACTIVITY. DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED IN PREGNANCY AND POST PARTUM. CORTISOL WAS LOWER (P < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT HIGHER (P < .001) ON YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL ACTIVITY DAYS. NEGATIVE AFFECT AND CONTENTMENT (P < .05) IMPROVED MORE IN RESPONSE TO THE YOGA SESSION. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER POSTPARTUM (P < .05) BUT NOT ANTEPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS THAN CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PRENATAL HATHA YOGA MAY IMPROVE CURRENT MOOD AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2014