1 400 95 BEYOND THE EAST/WEST DICHOTOMY-THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE CONVEYS THE BENEFITS OF AN AYURVEDIC LENS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH. THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC OFFERINGS OF "YOGA COURSES" WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY, WHILE STUDENTS WERE NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF WHAT YOGA HAS TO OFFER AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE, NOR HOW IT GREW UP ALONGSIDE AYURVEDA. STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED. YET, THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA EMERGED. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE COURSE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, "INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS" THAT PROVIDES NONWESTERN WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH. THE FOCUS OF YTP IS TO OFFER COLLEGE STUDENTS AN IN-DEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA, INCORPORATING BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST), AND AN AYURVEDA HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. THIS COURSE IS AN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION, TRANSLATING THE BENEFITS OF AYURVEDIC AND YOGIC LIFESTYLE TO A WESTERN AUDIENCE. 2019 2 2891 66 YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE-A COURSE THAT ILLUSTRATES WHY YOGA BELONGS IN THE ACADEMY. THE COURSE "YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE" (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT ALTHOUGH GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC YOGA COURSE OFFERINGS WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY WITH WAITLISTS, STUDENTS WERE OFTEN NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF YOGA AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE. IN THE AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE, STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED, YET THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR USING YOGA TO ADDRESS VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA FELT LIKE A GROUNDING PRACTICE. STUDENTS WANTED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR WHAT THEY EXPERIENTIALLY KNEW TO BE TRUE: YOGA HELPED THEM FEEL MORE GROUNDED IN THEIR BODIES. IN 2004, WHEN YTP WAS DESIGNED, COLLEGE YOGA COURSES WERE TYPICALLY IN DEPARTMENTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND LITTLE TO NO ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE THEORETICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS BEHIND WHY YOGA IS PRACTICED. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND THE COURSE OFFERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AN INDEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA THAT INCORPORATES BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST) AND HOLISTIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. THE CLINICAL/EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS COURSE IS TO EXPOSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (INCLUDING THOSE STUDYING TO BECOME HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS) TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROVIDE. USING THE UNIVERSITY'S EDUCATIONAL SETTING PROVIDES A VENUE TO AUGMENT THE FUTURE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE. 2019 3 1479 29 INTEGRATING BRAIN SCIENCE INTO HEALTH STUDIES: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE IN CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND YOGA. AS NEUROSCIENCE KNOWLEDGE GROWS IN ITS SCOPE OF SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS SO DOES THE NEED TO EDUCATE A WIDER AUDIENCE ON HOW TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE ITS RESEARCH FINDINGS. EFFORTS AT FINDING TEACHING APPROACHES THAT ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND HIGHLY APPLICABLE TO STUDENT EXPERIENCE ARE THUS ONGOING. THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH COURSE THAT COMBINES THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, SPECIFICALLY YOGA. THE CLASS AIMS TO REACH A DIVERSE MIX OF STUDENTS BY TEACHING APPLICABLE, HEALTH-RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL WHILE DIRECTLY CONNECTING IT TO FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE. OUTCOMES INDICATE SUCCESS ON THESE GOALS: THE COURSE ATTRACTED A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS, INCLUDING NEARLY 50% NON-SCIENCE MAJORS. ON A PRE/POST TEST, STUDENTS SHOWED LARGE INCREASES IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF NEUROSCIENCE. STUDENTS' RATINGS OF THE COURSE OVERALL, OF INCREASES IN POSITIVE FEELINGS ABOUT ITS FIELD, AND OF THEIR PROGRESS ON SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES WERE HIGHLY POSITIVE. FINALLY, STUDENTS IN THEIR WRITTEN WORK APPLIED NEUROSCIENCE COURSE CONTENT TO THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES. SUCH RESULTS INDICATE THAT THIS APPROACH COULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND APPLIED INTEGRATION OF RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH CURRICULUM. 2017 4 1733 26 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 5 398 23 BEYOND SCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS: SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS WITH VINIYOGA MEDITATION. HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES GROUNDED IN ANCIENT WISDOM, BUT OFTEN HAVE LIMITED DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PRACTICES. MEDITATION PARTICIPANT SELF-REPORTS PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF THREE VINIYOGA MEDITATIONS AND HOW AND WHY THOSE MEDITATIONS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES. EACH OF THE MEDITATIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS HAD A UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND USED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE OCEAN AS A MEDITATION OBJECT. YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA ANATOMY MODELS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM ARE USED TO HELP EXPLAIN PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATED PERSONAL BENEFITS AND INSIGHTS. FOUR ASPECTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THEM IN MEDITATION ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH TANGIBLE EXAMPLES: (1) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GENERALLY IN SOMEONE'S LIFE; (2) THE STATE OF THEIR SYSTEM (MIND, BODY, BREATH) AROUND THE TIME OF THE MEDITATION; (3) REACTIONS TO THE MEDITATION STEPS AND INSTRUCTIONS; AND (4) THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECT OF MEDITATION. SUMMARIES OF THE PRACTICES, AND WHY AND FOR WHOM EACH MEDITATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN VINIYOGA AND YOGA THERAPY. 2019 6 2448 21 YOGA AND THE EXPERIENCE OF EMBODIMENT: A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE LINKS. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON BODY IMAGE AND EMBODIMENT HAS BEEN A RECENT AREA OF FOCUS IN THE FIELD OF BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS. THIS PAPER COMPRISES A THEORETICAL DISCUSSION OF HOW THE PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN LEAD TO POSITIVE WAYS OF INHABITING THE BODY, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF EMBODIMENT. YOGA MAY ENHANCE THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE OF EMBODIMENT, BY HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON EACH OF ITS FIVE DIMENSIONS: BODY CONNECTION AND COMFORT, AGENCY AND FUNCTIONALITY, ATTUNED SELF-CARE, SUBJECTIVE IMMERSION (RESISTING OBJECTIFICATION), AND EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESSION OF DESIRES. THE ARTICLE THEREFORE DESCRIBES EXAMPLES OF TEACHER-RELATED PRACTICES DURING YOGA THAT CAN ENHANCE EACH OF THESE DIMENSIONS. FURTHER, YOGA TEACHERS CAN CONSIDER THE VARIED PROTECTIVE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS DELINEATED BY THE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF EMBODIMENT TO FACILITATE POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLICITLY INTEGRATE EMBODIMENT THEORY WITH YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AS WELL AS MEASURES THAT ASSESS BOTH POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF CHANGE AND POSITIVE WAYS OF LIVING IN THE BODY. 2020 7 1256 17 FELDENKRAIS METHOD, ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE, AND YOGA--BODY AWARENESS THERAPY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. THE THREE DISCIPLINES DESCRIBED ARE PRACTICED BY MANY INDIVIDUALS FOR A MYRIAD OF REASONS. DEPENDING UPON ABILITY AND DEPTH OF STUDY, TEACHERS OF ALL THREE DISCIPLINES MAY HAVE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES WITH WHICH TO ANALYSE, INSTRUCT, AND INTERACT WITH STUDENTS/CLIENTS. IN THE AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE, PERSONS WHO SEEK OUT THESE PRACTICES AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES AND EXPRESSIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OFTEN ARE MOTIVATED TO MAINTAIN OR ESTABLISH AN OPTIMAL STATE OF WELL-BEING AND FUNCTION. PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS WHO WORK WITH PERFORMING ARTISTS ARE IN A POSITION TO ENCOURAGE SUCH POSITIVE DIRECTION IN PATIENTS, PROVIDE INFORMATION ON LOCAL RESOURCES, AND CONSIDER THE PRACTICES AS COLLABORATIVE AND ADJUNCTIVE TO MEDICAL CARE. 2006 8 2378 18 WHY AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPISTS AND WHY NOW? IAYT HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR YOGA THERAPY AS A HEALING PROFESSION TO GROW AND DEVELOP ITS MISSION TO DELIVER OPTIMAL THERAPEUTICS VIA INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS AND TAILORED GROUP CLASSES. FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE NATIONAL AYURVEDIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NAMA) HAS BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO CONSIDER THE VALUE AND DEFINITION OF AN AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPIST (AYT) PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION WITHIN THE YOGA THERAPY DISCIPLINE. THE AYT DESIGNATION WOULD COMPLEMENT THE CURRENT STANDARDS FOR YOGA THERAPISTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY IAYT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO DISCUSS (1) WHY THE AYT DESIGNATION IS IMPORTANT; (2) HOW IT SUPPORTS AND EXPANDS ON IAYT'S MISSION; AND (3) WHY NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DEVELOP COMPETENCIES, STANDARDS, AND A SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPY. 2015 9 2882 16 YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. YOGA, PRACTICED WIDELY IN THE EAST, IS NOW POPULAR IN THE WEST AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. THIS ARTICLE BRINGS A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. SELECTED YOGA POSTURES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BENEFIT CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED. IN ADDITION, THE PHILOSOPHY, GENERAL GUIDELINES, AND MEDICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DESCRIBED. 2004 10 1673 23 NORTH AMERICAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS' LIVED EXPERIENCES OF MIND-BODY CONNECTION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA WAS BORN IN INDIA THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO AND BROUGHT TO NORTH AMERICA GRADUALLY BEGINNING IN THE 20TH CENTURY. THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA IS SPIRITUAL IN NATURE WITH AN INTENTION OF PURIFYING THE MIND AND BODY, LEADING TO AN ALLEVIATION OF SUFFERING THROUGH CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE (I.E., LIBERATION). YOGA HAS GAINED WIDESPREAD POPULARITY IN NORTH AMERICA, BUT WHETHER NORTH AMERICAN YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDES AN INTENTION ON THE PURIFICATION OF THE MIND-BODY, IN CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A MIND-BODY CONNECTION, HAS YET TO BE EXPLORED. THIS RESEARCH STUDY INVESTIGATED NORTH AMERICAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS' EXPERIENCES OF MIND-BODY CONNECTION IN THEIR PRACTICES. SIX YOGA PRACTITIONERS RESIDING IN NORTH AMERICA WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS STUDY. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIORECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED. PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED TO PRODUCE THE ESSENCE DATA, AND THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED TO PRODUCE THE CONTEXTUAL DATA. PHENOMENOLOGICAL THEMES REGARDING THE CO-RESEARCHERS' EXPERIENCES OF MIND-BODY CONNECTION IN THEIR YOGA PRACTICES WERE IDENTIFIED AND GROUPED INTO FOUR TEXTURAL ESSENCES: (1) THE EXPERIENCE OF BREATH, (2) LOCAL OR INTERNAL EXPERIENCES, (3) AN INCREASED SENSE OF AWARENESS AND MINDFULNESS, AND (4) TRANSCENDENTAL AND SPIRITUAL QUALITIES. FOUR STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS THAT ALLOW PRACTITIONERS TO EXPERIENCE MIND-BODY CONNECTION DURING YOGA PRACTICE WERE IDENTIFIED: (1) BREATH, (2) PHYSICAL ASANA, (3) PRACTITIONER INTENTIONALITY, AND (4) ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGEST A CAPACITY FOR NORTH AMERICAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO EXPERIENCE MIND-BODY CONNECTION THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICE. 2021 11 2554 25 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: RESEARCH REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH POTENTIALS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH STRESS AND REGULATE THEMSELVES. YOGA PROVIDES TRAINING OF MIND AND BODY TO BRING EMOTIONAL BALANCE. WE ARGUE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SUCH TOOLS TO LISTEN INWARD TO THEIR BODIES, FEELINGS, AND IDEAS. YOGA MAY ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING IN SOUND WAYS, TO STRENGTHEN THEMSELVES, AND BE CONTRIBUTING SOCIAL BEINGS. FIRST, WE ADDRESS HOW CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN TODAY'S WORLD FACE NUMEROUS EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTANT STIMULATION THROUGH THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. ONE REASON WHY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IS THAT GLOBALIZATION EXPOSES THE YOUTH ALL OVER THE WORLD TO VARIOUS NEW DEMANDS, STANDARDS, AND OPTIONS. THERE IS ALSO INCREASED PRESSURE TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, PARTLY DUE TO INCREASED COMPETITION BUT ALSO A DIVERSE RANGE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES THAN IN THE PAST. OUR ARGUMENT ALSO PARTIALLY RESTS ON THE FACT THAT MODERN SOCIETY OFFERS PLENTY OF DISTRACTIONS AND UNWELCOME ATTRACTIONS, ESPECIALLY LINKED TO NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES. THE DOMINANT PRESENCE OF MULTIMEDIA DEVICES AND THE TIME SPENT ON THEM BY CHILDREN ARE CLEAR INDICATORS OF THE SHIFT IN LIFESTYLES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR NEW GENERATION. WHILE THESE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, AND ENTERTAINMENT, THEY ALSO RESULT IN CONSTANT COMPETITION FOR YOUNGSTER'S ATTENTION. A MAIN CONCEPT IN OUR ARTICLE IS THAT YOGA MAY HELP CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS AND THUS, CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO BALANCE IN LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND MENTAL HEALTH. WE PRESENT RESEARCH LITERATURE SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IMPROVES CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. SIMILARLY, YOGA IN SCHOOLS HELPS STUDENTS IMPROVE RESILIENCE, MOOD, AND SELF-REGULATION SKILLS PERTAINING TO EMOTIONS AND STRESS. 2014 12 2211 25 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 13 2375 20 WHITE PAPER: YOGA THERAPY AND PAIN-HOW YOGA THERAPY SERVES IN COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT, AND HOW IT CAN DO MORE. THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE ROLE OF YOGA THERAPY IN COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT (CIPM). THE PAIN CRISIS IS DESCRIBED, AND HOW YOGA THERAPISTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SOLUTION IS EXPLAINED. YOGA THERAPY CAN BE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY UNDERTAKING THAT WILL BE REQUIRED TO IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOMES AND ALTER THE TRAJECTORY OF THE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS CONSTITUTED BY AN EPIDEMIC OF POORLY UNDERSTOOD AND INADEQUATELY ADDRESSED PAIN. ADDITIONAL CONTEXT AND EVIDENCE ARE PRESENTED TO DOCUMENT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIVING WITH PAIN. THE WHITE PAPER CONCLUDES BY LISTING RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROVIDERS, CONSUMERS, PAYERS, AND LEGISLATORS, WHO TOGETHER CAN ADDRESS SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO CIPM, AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR ENABLING THE YOGA THERAPY PROFESSION TO MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THESE SOLUTIONS. 2020 14 414 21 BODIES IN YOGA: TANGLED DISCOURSES IN CANADIAN STUDIOS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A ONE AND A HALF-YEAR ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY CONDUCTED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES OF THEIR BODIES IN THE CONTEXT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CONCEPTUALISED THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL BODIES IN THIS PRACTICE THROUGH IDEAS OF SYSTEMS, FRAGMENTS, AND MATERIALITY. IT ARGUES THAT PARTICIPANTS' LARGER NARRATIVES ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALTHY BODIES INFORM HOW YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IS EMBEDDED IN DISCOURSES OF BODY WORK WHERE YOGA, HEALTH, AND PARTICULAR NOTIONS OF BODILY-NESS BECOME A PROJECT FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA OF WHAT A BODY IS OR SHOULD BE. 2021 15 2413 13 YOGA AND ITS INTEGRATION IN MODERN EDUCATION. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA WITH THE MODERN EDUCATION, WHICH WILL HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIALITIES. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HAS TO BE ALLOTTED FOR TEACHING YOGA AND THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA TO BE INTRODUCED AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE ALSO TRACED HERE. 1987 16 1735 28 PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY. THERE IS GROWING RECOGNITION WITHIN PSYCHOLOGY AND OTHER DISCIPLINES THAT BODY EXPERIENCE MAY BE AS IMPORTANT AS COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, PSYCHOLOGY HAS FEW PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF MIND AND BODY WITHIN THERAPY. PHOENIX RISING YOGA THERAPY (PRYT) IS A FORM OF MIND-BODY THERAPY THAT USES YOGA POSTURE, TOUCH, AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC DIALOGUE TO FACILITATE GROWTH AND HEALING. THE CURRENT STUDY EXPLORED THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE OF FOUR WOMEN WHO EACH RECEIVED FIVE PRYT SESSIONS. RESEARCH QUESTIONS POSED WERE: (1) WHAT ARE THE CLIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF THE PHENOMENA OF PRYT? AND (2) HOW DOES RECEIVING PRYT SESSIONS IMPACT THE CLIENTS' LIVES? THE FOLLOWING THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA AS THE ESSENCE OF PRYT SESSIONS: MINDFULNESS, SELF-AWARENESS, MIND-BODY CONNECTION, IN VIVO EXPERIENCE OF NEW BEHAVIORS, CLIENT-DIRECTED, EMPOWERMENT, AND LIFE CHANGES. THESE THEMES SHOW SIGNIFICANCE IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE MODALITIES SUCH AS PRYT FOR CLIENTS. EACH PARTICIPANT NOTED GREATER INSIGHT INTO MIND-BODY CONNECTION. THEY NOTICED THE EFFECT OF COGNITION AND EMOTION ON THE BODY, OBSERVED HOW THE BODY CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE COPING THROUGH MOVEMENT AND BREATHING, AND EXPERIENCED DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT AREAS OF THEIR BODIES. ALTHOUGH THESE RESULTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY GENERALIZABLE, THEY OFFER INTERESTING THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR EMBODIED INTERVENTIONS. 2018 17 1500 20 INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT: A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS ON HOW WE GOT HERE. STUDYING THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO BODY IMAGE, EMBODIMENT, AND EATING DISORDERS BRINGS TOGETHER THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, AND WOMEN LIVING IN BODIES WITHIN A SOCIETY THAT CAN BE TOUGH ON BODY APPRECIATION. DEVELOPING THIS EDITION ON "YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT" HAS BEEN A WORK OF LOVE FOR ALL OF US. AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, WE HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN OUR OWN BODIES AND FELT THAT THERE MAY BE BENEFITS FOR OTHERS. AS RESEARCHERS, WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO ENHANCE WELL-BEING, PROMOTE A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND SENSE OF EMBODIMENT, AND BOTH PREVENT AND TREAT EATING DISORDERS. OUR EXPERIENCES AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CURIOSITY AS RESEARCHERS, LED US TO EXPLORE THE EXTANT EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AS A TOOL FOR LEADING TO IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY IMAGE, DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS, AND EATING DISORDERS, AND TO EMBARK ON OUR OWN RESEARCH IN THIS AREA TO FILL NECESSARY GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE. OUR LONG-TERM DEDICATION TO THE FIELDS OF BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR EMERGING INTEREST IN YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL, LED US TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS EDITION ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. 2020 18 1278 15 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES THE CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE SPECIAL ISSUE, YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OR WORK, WE OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCHERS FOR POPULATION-BASED, QUALITATIVE, AND PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH. 2020 19 242 23 A WELLBEING SKILL: MOVING ATTENTIVELY IN HOSPITAL YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS SOMETIMES INTERPRETED AS MEDICAL THERAPY AND THE EVIDENCE FROM BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INDICATES THAT IT CAN BE USEFUL IN A BROAD RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS. YOGA, HOWEVER, CAN ALSO BE PURSUED AS A PROCESS-ORIENTED CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE. THIS ARTICLE DRAWS ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION-BASED RESEARCH WITH YOGA PRACTITIONERS AT TWO HOSPITALS, ONE IN PONDICHERRY, INDIA, AND ONE IN FUKUI, JAPAN. IT EXPLORES HOW PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES AT THESE HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS ARE INVITED TO MOVE WITHOUT ANTICIPATING AN OUTCOME AND TO CULTIVATE ATTITUDES SUCH AS CONTENTMENT AND NON-VIOLENCE. TAKING CUES FROM RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS' APPROACHES TO YOGA AS A SKILL AND FROM ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF SKILL, YOGA IS CONSIDERED HERE AS A CAPACITY OF MOVING WITH AWARENESS. A SKILL-BASED APPROACH ALLOWS PRACTITIONERS TO TRY OUT YOGIC TECHNIQUES ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL ABILITIES AND NEEDS. THE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT, IN THE CONTEXTS DISCUSSED, YOGA PRACTITIONERS PURSUE WELLBEING NOT AS AN INDIVIDUAL THERAPEUTIC GOAL BUT AS MUTUAL EXPLORATIVE LEARNING. 2021 20 2502 24 YOGA AS THERAPY IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. YOGA AS THERAPY WITH PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR MANY CENTURIES IN INDIA, AND ONLY RECENTLY HAS BECOME UTILIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE YOGA SYSTEM EVOLVED AS A 'SYSTEM OF LIBERATION' TO ALLOW MAN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN HIS EGO-SELF AND PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, AND AS SUCH, ITS MEDICAL BENEFITS ARE REALLY 'SIDE-EFFECTS'. INTEGRAL YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER, WITH WHICH MANY OTHER SELF-REGULATORY SOMATOPSYCHIC APPROACHES HAVE MUCH IN COMMON, CONSISTS OF A HOLISTIC TECHNOLOGY WHICH FUNCTIONS TO RESTORE OPTIMAL HOMEOSTATIS BY A VARIETY OF SPECIAL TECHNIQUES NOT FOUND IN OTHER APPROACHES. CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PATIENTS INDICATE THAT THEIR DISTORTED SOMATOPSYCHIC FUNCTIONING NECESSITATES THEIR PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE THERAPY. A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE INDICATES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS PROVEN MOST EFFECTIVE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PSYCHOSOMATIC AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA CAN BE PARTIALLY UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY. 1979