1 361 96 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ATTENTION, AFFECT AND CARDIAC ACTIVITY IN A SINGLE YOGA SESSION FOR FEMALE CANCER SURVIVORS: AN ENACTIVE NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY-BASED APPROACH. YOGA PRACTICE IS REPORTED TO LEAD TO IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING, AND SYMPTOM INDICES IN CANCER SURVIVORS. IMPORTANTLY, MEDITATIVE STATES EXPERIENCED WITHIN YOGA PRACTICE ARE CORRELATED TO NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THAT MODERATE BOTH FOCUS OF ATTENTION AND AFFECTIVE VALENCE. THE CURRENT STUDY USED A MIXED METHODS APPROACH BASED IN NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY TO INVESTIGATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ATTENTION, AFFECT, AND CARDIAC ACTIVITY DURING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION FOR FEMALE CANCER SURVIVORS. YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A LINEAR INCREASE IN ASSOCIATIVE ATTENTION AND POSITIVE AFFECTIVE VALENCE, WHILE SHIFTS IN CARDIAC ACTIVITY WERE RELATED TO THE INTENSITY OF EACH YOGA SEQUENCE. CHANGES IN ATTENTION AND AFFECT WERE PREDICTED BY CONCURRENTLY ASSESSED CARDIAC ACTIVITY. AWARENESS OF BREATHING, PHYSICAL MOVEMENT, AND INCREASED RELAXATION WERE REPORTED BY PARTICIPANTS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR YOGA'S SALUTARY EFFECTS. WHILE YOGA PRACTICE SHARES COMMONALITIES WITH EXERCISE AND RELAXATION TRAINING, YOGA MAY SERVE PRIMARILY AS A PROMISING MEDITATIVE ATTENTION-AFFECT REGULATION TRAINING METHODOLOGY. 2014 2 1424 25 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 3 1512 24 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 4 2903 27 [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 2369 35 WHAT ARE THE KNOWN EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCES, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN? A NARRATIVE REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THE CURRENT BODY OF LITERATURE WAS REVIEWED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY FOR ITS UNIQUE INTEGRATION OF THE MIND AND BODY. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED MORE INTENSELY IN THE LAST DECADE. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, FEW STUDIES HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMPROVING MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS OR PAIN AND THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BRAIN MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. METHODS: A SEARCH OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE WAS MADE USING KEYWORDS SUCH AS: "YOGA BRAIN MOTOR", "YOGA BRAIN PAIN", "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN" AND "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN MOTOR PERFORMANCE". THE FINDINGS WERE THEN DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN AND THEIR REPORTED MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 61 ARTICLES WERE SELECTED, OUT OF WHICH 29 WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET OUR CRITERIA. A TOTAL OF THIRTY-TWO ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW, WHICH WE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED BY FOCUS: MOTOR PERFORMANCE (N=10), BODY AWARENESS (N=14) AND PAIN (N=8). DISCUSSION: OUR REVIEW SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON LEARNING RATE, SPEED AND ACCURACY OF A MOTOR TASK BY INCREASING ATTENTION AND DECREASING STRESS THROUGH A BETTER CONTROL OF SENSORIMOTOR RHYTHMS. YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO IMPROVE SENSORY AWARENESS AND INTEROCEPTION, REGULATE AUTONOMIC INPUT, INCREASE PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND PROMOTE SELF-REGULATION. YOGA WAS ALSO SHOWN TO REDUCE THE THREAT SIGNAL, INCREASE PAIN TOLERANCE, DECREASE PAIN UNPLEASANTNESS AND DECREASE THE ANXIETY AND DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN. THOSE CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF SPECIFIC BRAIN AREAS SUCH AS THE INSULA, THE AMYGDALA AND THE HIPPOCAMPUS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE STUDIES REVIEWED IN THIS REPORT, WE FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA SEEMS TO FACILITATE MOTOR LEARNING, TO INCREASE BODY AWARENESS AND TO DECREASE PAIN. THESE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF BRAIN ACTIVITY AND STRUCTURE. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO REVEAL ITS PRECISE MECHANISM OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN AND TO VALIDATE ITS WIDER APPLICATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2019 6 427 35 CAN YOGA BOOST ACCESS TO THE BODILY AND EMOTIONAL SELF? CHANGES IN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND IN AFFECTIVE EVALUATION BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA EXERCISE WITH AND WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS OF CONTROLLED BREATHING AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS IN YOUNG HEALTHY WOMEN. EXERCISE IS INDISPENSABLE FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. YOGA EXERCISE CAN HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING AND ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY MAKING IT AN IDEAL INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS AND RESILIENCE TO PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRESSORS. EMOTIONS TRIGGER ESPECIALLY STRONG BODILY AND AFFECTIVE-COGNITIVE RESPONSES BECAUSE OF THEIR SOCIAL RELEVANCE FOR THE SELF AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE OF MOBILIZING THE ORGANISM FOR ACTION. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER CHANGES IN EMOTION PROCESSING RELATED TO SELF-OTHER REFERENTIAL PROCESSING AND CHANGES IN CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY, REFLECTED BY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), OCCUR IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALREADY A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA EXERCISE WHEN YOGA POSTURES ARE PRACTICED WITH OR WITHOUT BREATHING- AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS INSTRUCTIONS. WOMEN, ALL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (N = 34, FINAL SAMPLE: N = 30, N = 25 NAIVE TO YOGA PRACTICE) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS WHO PERFORMED THE SAME YOGA EXERCISES WITH OR WITHOUT CONTROLLED BREATHING AND MINDFULNESS INSTRUCTIONS. EMOTIONAL, SELF-OTHER REFERENTIAL PROCESSING, AWARENESS OF BODILY SIGNALS AND HRV INDICATORS WERE INVESTIGATED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISE USING STANDARDIZED EXPERIMENTAL TASKS, STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRES, AND MOBILE RECORDING DEVICES. EXERCISING FOR 30 MINUTES CHANGED CARDIAC ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY. HRV MEASURES SHOWED ADAPTABILITY OF CARDIAC ACTIVITY DURING THE EXERCISE AS WELL AS DURING THE AFFECTIVE TASK POST- TO PRE-EXERCISE. EXERCISING WITH BREATHING INSTRUCTIONS AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS HAD NO SUPERIOR EFFECTS ON CARDIAC, PARTICULARLY PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, COMPARED TO PRACTICING THE SAME MOVEMENTS WITHOUT SUCH EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS. SELF-REFERENTIAL PROCESSING DID NOT CHANGE; HOWEVER, PARTICIPANTS WERE FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE IN THEIR AFFECTIVE JUDGMENTS OF EMOTIONAL STIMULI [REGARDLESS OF THEIR REFERENCE (SELF/OTHER)], AND SHOWED BETTER AWARENESS OF BODILY SIGNALS AFTER COMPARED TO BEFORE THE EXERCISE SESSION. THE RESULTS SUPPORT IMMEDIATE, ADAPTIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON CARDIAC AND AFFECTIVE-COGNITIVE PROCESSING IN AN ALL-FEMALE HEALTHY SAMPLE. THEREFORE, YOGA EXERCISE COULD BE RECOMMENDED AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR BOOSTING CARDIAC AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE IN THIS TARGET GROUP. 2021 7 2429 29 YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE - A REVIEW AND COMPARISON. YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL WITH ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS ONE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS. THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA WHICH ARE VERY COMMONLY APPLIED FOR HEALTH BENEFITS ARE ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (REGULATED BREATHING) AND MEDITATION. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANAS, YOGA RESEMBLES MORE OF A PHYSICAL EXERCISE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS ANOTHER KIND OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS ARTICLE AIMS AT EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN TERMS OF CONCEPTS, POSSIBLE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS. A NARRATIVE REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE FOR YOGA, ALONG WITH SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON YOGA AND EXERCISE INCLUDING HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARATIVE TRIALS WITH HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS DISEASE CONDITIONS. PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE SEVERAL SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE EQUAL AND/OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN MOST OUTCOME MEASURES. EMPHASIS ON BREATH REGULATION, MINDFULNESS DURING PRACTICE, AND IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO MAINTENANCE OF POSTURES ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOGA PRACTICES FROM PHYSICAL EXERCISES. 2016 8 1884 29 REDUCING STRESS IN SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS THROUGH MINDFUL YOGA. INTRODUCTION: SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN REPORT MUCH STRESS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS A PROGRAM OF AWARENESS-BASED PRACTICES EFFECTIVE WITH ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING THROUGH YOGA WITH SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS, ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION, AND EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES. METHOD: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP MET 1 HOUR A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AND COMPLETED 10 MINUTES OF DAILY HOMEWORK. RESULTS: SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REGULATION INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO REPORT GREATER APPRAISAL OF STRESS (P < .01) AND GREATER FREQUENCY OF COPING (P < .05). HOMEWORK ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTED STRESS. DISCUSSION: CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS MAY ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF STRESSORS IN ITSELF INCREASED STRESS, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS OR RELATED TO COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN MAY DIFFER FROM MINDFULNESS IN ADULTS AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2012 9 1373 27 IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SELF-EFFICACY, AND MOTIVATION IN WOMEN WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: STUDIES USING YOGA HAVE DEMONSTRATED INITIAL EFFICACY FOR TREATING SYMPTOMS ACROSS ANXIETY DISORDERS, INCLUDING POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. OBJECTIVE: UNDERSTANDING HOW INTERVENTIONS INFLUENCE PARTICIPANTS' PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WHAT DETERMINANTS AFFECT CONTINUED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MAINTENANCE OF THE BEHAVIOR MAY BE CRITICAL TO CONTINUED MENTAL HEALTH GAINS AND SYMPTOM REDUCTION. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE, INCLUDING SELF-EFFICACY AND REGULATORY MOTIVATION, IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SYMPTOMS (N=38). RESULTS: GROWTH CURVE MODELING RESULTS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR SELF-EFFICACY FOR EITHER GROUP, WHEREAS EXTERNAL MOTIVATION DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: INVESTIGATORS OF FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY WANT TO FOCUS ON INCREASING SELF-EFFICACY AND INTERNAL REGULATORY MOTIVATION, SO THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND RESULTANT SYMPTOM RELIEF CAN BE MAINTAINED. 2015 10 1707 22 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 11 1218 20 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 12 314 29 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 13 14 34 "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 14 1449 31 INFLUENCE OF HATHA YOGA ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS, PHYSICAL FITNESS, AND BODY IMAGE OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: A PILOT STUDY. BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS OFTEN EXPERIENCE CHANGES IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THEIR BODIES FOLLOWING SURGICAL TREATMENT. THESE CHANGES IN BODY IMAGE MAY INCREASE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS AND PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS AND REDUCE PARTICIPATION IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. WHILE THE NUMBER OF STUDIES EXAMINING DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA TARGETING WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER HAS INCREASED, STUDIES THUS FAR HAVE NOT STUDIED THE INFLUENCE THAT HATHA YOGA HAS ON BODY IMAGE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS IN TERMS OF BODY IMAGE, PERCEIVED CONSTRAINTS, AND PHYSICAL FITNESS FOLLOWING AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION. THIS STUDY USED A NONRANDOMIZED TWO-GROUP PILOT STUDY, COMPARING AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION WITH A LIGHT EXERCISE GROUP, BOTH DESIGNED FOR WOMEN WHO WERE AT LEAST NINE MONTHS POST-TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER. BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED IN THE AREAS OF BODY IMAGE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS, AND PHYSICAL FITNESS. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT QUANTITATIVELY, YOGA PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN LOWER- AND UPPER-BODY STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, WHILE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN ABDOMINAL STRENGTH AND LOWER-BODY STRENGTH. QUALITATIVE FINDINGS SUPPORT CHANGES IN BODY IMAGE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONSTRAINTS, AND PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP. IN CONCLUSION, HATHA YOGA MAY REDUCE CONSTRAINTS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND IMPROVE FITNESS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HATHA YOGA AND IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY IMAGE. 2011 15 2170 25 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 16 2458 29 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: EFFECTS OF TRAITS AND MOODS ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS BUT WHO ARE ONLY IN PARTIAL REMISSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PRESENT FURTHER DATA ON THE INTERVENTION, FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AFFECTING TREATMENT OUTCOME. TWENTY-SEVEN WOMEN AND 10 MEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY, OF WHOM 17 COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT DATA. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 20 CLASSES LED BY SENIOR IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS, IN THREE COURSES OF 20 YOGA CLASSES EACH. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH UNIPOLAR MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PARTIAL REMISSION. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION, AND PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR MOOD STATES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE SHOWN FOR DEPRESSION, ANGER, ANXIETY, NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS AND LOW FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN THE 17 COMPLETERS. ELEVEN OUT OF THESE COMPLETERS ACHIEVED REMISSION LEVELS POST-INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WHO REMITTED DIFFERED FROM THE NON-REMITTERS AT INTAKE ON SEVERAL TRAITS AND ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES INDICATIVE OF A GREATER CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION. MOODS IMPROVED FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE YOGA CLASSES. YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION; IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. IT PRODUCES MANY BENEFICIAL EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS, AS SUPPORTED BY OBSERVATIONS IN THIS STUDY. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL METHODS ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS THEY PROVIDE OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF THE PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT. THESE OBSERVATIONS MAY HELP GUIDE FURTHER CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS. 2007 17 1964 21 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 18 115 23 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 19 2736 32 YOGA POSES INCREASE SUBJECTIVE ENERGY AND STATE SELF-ESTEEM IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES'. RESEARCH ON BENEFICIAL CONSEQUENCES OF YOGA FOCUSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND SELF-ESTEEM. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE COMPARED TO THE EFFECTS OF 'POWER POSES,' WHICH ARGUABLY INCREASE THE SENSE OF POWER AND SELF-CONFIDENCE DUE TO THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE (CARNEY ET AL., 2010). THE STUDY TESTED THE NOVEL PREDICTION THAT YOGA POSES, WHICH ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE BUT INCREASE BODILY ENERGY, WOULD INCREASE THE SUBJECTIVE FEELING OF ENERGY AND THEREFORE INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM COMPARED TO 'HIGH POWER' AND 'LOW POWER' POSES. A TWO FACTORIAL, BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED EITHER TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH OPEN FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 19), TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH COVERED FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 22), TWO EXPANSIVE, HIGH POWER POSES (N = 21), OR TWO CONSTRICTIVE, LOW POWER POSES (N = 20) FOR 1-MIN EACH. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT YOGA POSES IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES' INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM. THIS EFFECT WAS MEDIATED BY AN INCREASED SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND WAS OBSERVED WHEN BASELINE TRAIT SELF-ESTEEM WAS CONTROLLED FOR. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF PERFORMING OPEN, EXPANSIVE BODY POSTURES MAY BE DRIVEN BY PROCESSES OTHER THAN THE POSES' ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL POWER AND DOMINANCE. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE CAN OCCUR AFTER PERFORMING YOGA POSES FOR ONLY 2 MIN. 2017 20 1770 31 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014