1 1179 110 EVALUATION OF THE BENEFITS OF A KRIPALU YOGA PROGRAM FOR POLICE ACADEMY TRAINEES: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: LAW ENFORCEMENT RANKS AS ONE OF THE MOST STRESSFUL OCCUPATIONS IN THE WORLD. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE COMPOSED OF POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES, AND IS KNOWN FOR ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON STRESS AND MOOD DISTURBANCE. OBJECTIVES: THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF KRIPALU YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS, MOOD, AND MINDFULNESS DURING POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING. METHOD: FORTY-TWO RECRUITS PARTICIPATED IN A 6-CLASS YOGA INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND THE FIVE FACET MINDFULNESS QUESTIONNAIRE PRIOR TO AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE YOGA PROGRAM, AS WELL AS AN EXIT SURVEY. RESULTS: PAIRED SAMPLES T-TESTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT POSTINTERVENTION CHANGES IN PERCEIVED STRESS AND MOOD, REDUCTIONS IN TENSION AND FATIGUE, AND A TREND TOWARD REDUCED ANGER. CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS WERE NOT DETECTED. THE EXIT SURVEY INDICATED PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR SOME PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR REDUCING STRESS, TENSION, AND FATIGUE AMONG POLICE ACADEMY TRAINEES. FUTURE LONGITUDINAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO EVALUATE ITS FULL POTENTIAL AS A PERMANENT COMPONENT OF POLICE ACADEMY TRAINING. 2013 2 1369 25 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 3 248 32 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 4 893 20 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. PURPOSE: THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY, SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN AND METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PLANNED AS A SEMIEXPERIMENTAL NONRANDOMIZED STUDY WITH A CONTROL GROUP. FINDINGS: YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DECREASED THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND STATE ANXIETY LEVELS, BUT HAD NO EFFECT ON TRAIT ANXIETY LEVELS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOGA-BASED TREATMENT CAN BE INCLUDED IN NURSING INTERVENTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN YOUNG ADULTS. 2020 5 1701 31 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 6 1182 33 EVALUATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO 11 WEEKS OF YOGA SESSIONS BASED UPON THE YOGA ED PROGRAM OVER A SINGLE SEMESTER. STUDENTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOME MEASURES REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME RELATIVE TO CONTROLS ON MEASURES OF ANGER CONTROL AND FATIGUE/INERTIA. MOST OUTCOME MEASURES EXHIBITED A PATTERN OF WORSENING IN THE CONTROL GROUP OVER TIME, WHEREAS CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME WERE EITHER MINIMAL OR SHOWED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA IS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL SETTING AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYING A PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 7 110 27 A PILOT STUDY MEASURING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE TRAIT OF MINDFULNESS. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER YOGA WOULD INCREASE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION. METHOD: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. MINDFULNESS WAS ASSESSED PRE AND POST YOGA, USING THE FREIBURG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY (FMI). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS, AND IN THREE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALES; ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT, ACCEPTING AND OPEN ATTITUDES TOWARD EXPERIENCE, AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). THE CONTROL GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS (P < .02) AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE A VIABLE METHOD FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION, POTENTIALLY IMPLICATING YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE METHOD FOR THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL MOOD STATES (I.E. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION). THE CONTROL GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED MODERATE ELEVATIONS OF MINDFULNESS AT THE SECOND ASSESSMENT. 2009 8 719 33 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 9 2062 35 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH TO THE EFFECTS OF POSES AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. BACKGROUND: DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LIKELY TO BE MORE SEDENTARY AND OBESE AND EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOGA AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS LEVELS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND BEHAVIOR OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. AIMS: USING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO EXAMINE BEHAVIORAL, PERSONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE MULTILEVEL INFLUENCES OF A YOGA-BASED CLASSROOM INTERVENTION ON URBAN YOUTH. METHODS: USING A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS (N = 40) AT ONE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A SURVEY CONTAINED STRESS, YOGA BEHAVIOR, AND AGGRESSION SCALES. IN ADDITION, INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERVIEWS, A TEACHER INTERVIEW, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PAIRED AND INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS SHOWED PRE/POST DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PARTICIPATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS (P < 0.01). QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE MAIN THEMES: (1) INCREASED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES, (2) BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BOTH IN/OUT OF SCHOOL, AND (3) IMPACT ON PERSONAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT URBAN CLASSROOMS SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO DAILY STUDENT PA AND ALSO CAN BE STRESS RELIEVING, FUN, CALMING, AND EASY TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. 2020 10 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 11 1884 28 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 12 955 28 EFFECTS OF A KUNDALINI YOGA PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE YOUR OWN GREATNESS AFFIRMED (YOGA) FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERS YOGA TO URBAN INNER-CITY SCHOOLS WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING PRACTICAL BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AT HIGH RISK OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. A 10-WEEK YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERED 1 TO 2 TIMES PER WEEK WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 3 SCHOOLS IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF THE PROGRAM ON STUDENT STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. METHODS: THIRTY CHILDREN WERE ADMINISTERED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE, AND THE RESILIENCE SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM. AFTER THE PROGRAM, INFORMAL QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH SCHOOL TEACHERS, YOGA TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED STUDENTS STRESS (P < 0.05), POSITIVE AFFECT (P < 0.05), AND RESILIENCE (P < 0.001). THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS INDICATED THAT STUDENTS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND YOGA TEACHERS ALL FOUND THE PROGRAM TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENTS' WELL-BEING. CONCLUSION: TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE STUDENTS IN LOW-INCOME URBAN SCHOOLS WITH BEHAVIORAL SKILLS THAT WILL PROTECT AGAINST RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. 2018 13 1628 22 MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MEASURES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND ASSESS THEIR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND WELLBEING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A WEB-BASED SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES WITH MONTHS OF PRACTICE. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WITH TWO OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK AND MINDFULNESS HIGHER IN THOSE WITH A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE. DISCUSSION: KEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CLASS FREQUENCY, PRACTICE EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION PRACTICE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION EXAMINING MINDFULNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. 2018 14 1428 35 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A 3-DAY YOGA-BASED RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. RISE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). FORTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND POST AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. OF THOSE, 33 PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. PAIRED SAMPLES T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: COMPARED TO BASELINE, AT POST, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, POSITIVE AFFECT, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, TOTAL WORK ENGAGEMENT, VIGOR, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AS WELL AS EXHAUSTION AND PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY WHICH ARE DIMENSIONS OF BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < .01). AT THE FOLLOW-UP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MAINTAINED FOR MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, VIGOR, AND EXHAUSTION (ALL P VALUES < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT (ALL P VALUES < .05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED RISE PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT ATTENDING RISE WAS FEASIBLE, THEY COULD CONTINUE USING RISE PRACTICES LONG-TERM, SHARED THEM WITH WORK COLLEAGUES, AND REPORTED THAT RISE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THEIR DAILY LIVES AND WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. WITH THESE PROMISING RESULTS, ADDITIONAL CONTROLLED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED. 2019 15 38 35 A 3-DAY RESIDENTIAL YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IMPROVES EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS' PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN A SINGLE ARM TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXAMINED CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN URBAN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS AFTER ATTENDING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (NYC DOE) WHO WERE ATTENDING A RESIDENTIAL 3-DAY YOGA-BASED PROGRAM AT KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND TWO MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM (FOLLOW-UP). PAIRED SAMPLES T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: AT POST, PARTICIPANTS (N=74) SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS, RESILIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, WORK ENGAGEMENT, BURNOUT, EXERCISE, AND VEGETABLE INTAKE (ALL P VALUES < 0.05) COMPARED TO BASELINE. AT THE FOLLOW-UP (N=33), SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN RESILIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, WORK ENGAGEMENT, AND BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < 0.05) COMPARED TO BASELINE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE DEGREE OF HOME PRACTICE OF THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIPLE MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AT FOLLOW-UP (ALL P VALUES < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND HEALTHY BEHAVIORS IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM AND UP TO TWO-MONTHS FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, MORE DATA WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM SUSTAINED BENEFITS OVER THE LONGER TERM. 2021 16 960 41 EFFECTS OF A YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PERFORMANCE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF MUSICIANS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES ARE EFFECTIVE IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, ALLEVIATING ANXIETY AND MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS AND IMPROVING MOOD AND COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE. MUSICIANS EXPERIENCE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN THEIR PROFESSION INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY AND PERFORMANCE-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. YOGA AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE THEREFORE POTENTIALLY USEFUL PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. MATERIAL/METHODS: MUSICIANS ENROLLED IN A PRESTIGIOUS 2-MONTH SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM AT A YOGA CENTER DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM. THE 10 PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA PROGRAM COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRES EVALUATING PERFORMANCE-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, MOOD AND FLOW EXPERIENCE. FELLOWS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO SERVE AS CONTROLS AND COMPLETED THE SAME ASSESSMENTS (N=8). RESULTS: THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SOME IMPROVEMENTS RELATIVE TO CONTROL SUBJECTS ON MOST MEASURES, WITH THE RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE ANXIETY BEING THE GREATEST. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS FROM THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A ROUTINE PRACTICE TO REDUCE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY IN MUSICIANS. 2006 17 2675 31 YOGA IN PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPROVES ADOLESCENT MOOD AND AFFECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DIRECTLY COMPARE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS VERSUS A SINGLE STANDARD PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASS ON STUDENT MOOD. FORTY-SEVEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING MOOD AND AFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS AND A SINGLE PE CLASS ONE WEEK LATER. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED-SAMPLES T TESTS AND WILCOXON-SIGNED RANKS TESTS AND BY COMPARING EFFECT SIZES BETWEEN THE TWO CONDITIONS. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DECREASES IN ANGER, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE FROM BEFORE TO AFTER PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN NEGATIVE AFFECT OCCURRED AFTER YOGA BUT NOT AFTER PE; HOWEVER, THE CHANGES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, AFTER PARTICIPATING IN BOTH YOGA AND PE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND TENSION, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY PROVIDE UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS ABOVE AND BEYOND PARTICIPATION IN PE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD CONTINUE TO ELUCIDATE THE DISTINCT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE ACTIVITIES. 2015 18 2837 27 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 19 935 24 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS TO REDUCE DEPRESSION AND IMPROVE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. SINGLE MOTHERS ARE VULNERABLE TO MENTAL HEALTH SUCH AS DEPRESSION, BUT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS INSUFFICIENT. YOGA IS KNOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND PROMOTING RESILIENCE. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAMS IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND IMPROVING THE RESILIENCE OF SINGLE MOTHERS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY INCLUDED 20 SINGLE MOTHERS WHO BELONGED TO THE SINGLE MOTHERS ASSOCIATION, WHO WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TRAINING (N=10) AND NONTRAINING (N=10) GROUPS. THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SINGLE MOTHERS CONSISTED OF ASANA YOGA, MEDITATION, AND MIND EXPRESSION THROUGH EXPERT MEETINGS; A TOTAL OF EIGHT SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED ONCE A WEEK FOR 120 MIN. TESTING FOR DEPRESSION AND RESILIENCE WAS PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY, DEPRESSION IN SINGLE MOTHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, AND RESILIENCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. THEREFORE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM IN LOWERING THE DEPRESSION OF SINGLE MOTHERS AND IMPROVING RESILIENCE WAS CONFIRMED. IN THE FUTURE CONDUCT OF MANY STUDIES WILL BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO HELP THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SINGLE MOTHERS. 2022 20 254 33 A YOGA STRESS REDUCTION INTERVENTION FOR UNIVERSITY FACULTY, STAFF, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. YOGA CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED ABILITY TO COPE WITH PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, VOCATIONAL, OR ACADEMIC STRESS. ONE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS CHALLENGED REGARDING ADEQUATE SELF-CARE IN THE FACE OF STRESS ARE PERSONNEL IN UNIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR HELPING PROFESSIONS (E.G., PSYCHOLOGY, NURSING, NUTRITION). THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY EXPLORED ENGAGEMENT IN AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A SYSTEMATIC 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM AIMED AT UNIVERSITY FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 10 WEEKLY 90-MINUTE SESSIONS THAT WERE STRUCTURED TO INCLUDE CONCEPTUAL GROUNDING, BREATHING, POSTURES, AND MEDITATION. WEEKLY CLASS OUTLINES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS FOR HOME PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS SIGNED INFORMED CONSENTS, LIABILITY WAIVERS, AND HEALTH SCREENINGS. SELF-REPORTS OF HOME PRACTICE, BARRIERS TO PRACTICE, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND STRESS SYMPTOMS WERE USED TO EVALUATE WHETHER THE INTERVENTION WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ENGAGING PARTICIPANTS AND REDUCING STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ENGAGEMENT WAS DEMONSTRATED BY STUDY ADHERENCE IN THE FIRST 10-WEEK SERIES (88%; 44 OF 50 ENROLLED), AS WELL AS RE-ENROLLMENT FOR AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL 10-WEEK SERIES (64%; 28 OF 44). INTERVENTION SUCCESS WAS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH REPEATED MEASURE S ANOVAS OF 44 PARTICIPANTS' DATA, WHICH SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT AFTER A SINGLE 10-WEEK SERIES IN PERCEIVED STRESS, AS WELL AS SELF-REPORTED PSYCHOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF STRESS. THE STUDY DEMONSTRATES FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION IN AN ACADEMIC SETTING AND PROVIDES PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY IN STRESS REDUCTION. IT ALSO SUPPLIES 10 DETAILED SESSION PROTOCOLS FOR INTERVENTION REPLICATION. 2015