1 1373 99 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 2 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 3 115 25 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 4 1684 27 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 5 1193 45 EXAMINING MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN: THE INFLUENCE OF MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, AND EMOTION REGULATION ON PTSD SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED POSSIBLE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) WERE REDUCED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ASSESSMENT CONTROL. METHOD: WE EXAMINED WHETHER CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, MINDFULNESS, AND EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES (EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND REAPPRAISAL) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSTTREATMENT PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR 38 WOMEN WITH DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS FOURTH EDITION FULL OR SUBTHRESHOLD PTSD. RESULTS: HIERARCHICAL LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS REVEALED THAT EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FOR THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE ASSESSMENT CONTROL. PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE CONTROL BUT NOT YOGA GROUP. HOWEVER, INCREASES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR THE YOGA BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND MAY IMPROVE PTSD SYMPTOMS BY INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO REPLICATE AND EXTEND THESE FINDINGS. 2014 6 2837 32 YOGA'S IMPACT ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR DISORDERED EATING: A PILOT PREVENTION TRIAL. YOGA HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR EATING DISORDERS, BUT FEW PREVENTION TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA SERIES IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE 50-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES/WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED A 3-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING) OR A CONTROL GROUP. RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 5 AND 10 WEEKS, INCLUDED BODY DISSATISFACTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND MINDFULNESS. MIXED MODELS CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS OF OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RUN. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 20 OUT OF 30 YOGA CLASSES, AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA SERIES. APPEARANCE ORIENTATION DECREASED AND POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER POSITIVE AFFECT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES IN OTHER OUTCOMES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. FUTURE YOGA RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING EDUCATION ABOUT BODY IMAGE, MEASURE AND SAMPLE SELECTION, AND USE OF AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORK. 2020 7 1707 33 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 8 112 29 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 9 1628 24 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 10 2538 44 YOGA FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD: A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP STUDY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA-THE INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL POSTURES AND MOVEMENT, BREATH EXERCISES, AND MINDFULNESS-MAY SERVE AS A USEFUL ADJUNCTIVE COMPONENT OF TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT TO BUILD SKILLS IN TOLERATING AND MODULATING PHYSIOLOGIC AND AFFECTIVE STATES THAT HAVE BECOME DYSREGULATED BY TRAUMA EXPOSURE. A PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AMONG 60 WOMEN WITH CHRONIC, TREATMENT-RESISTANT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND ASSOCIATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM PROLONGED OR MULTIPLE TRAUMA EXPOSURES. AFTER 10 SESSIONS OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ENGAGEMENT IN NEGATIVE TENSION REDUCTION ACTIVITIES (E.G., SELF-INJURY), AND GREATER REDUCTIONS IN DISSOCIATIVE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL (A SEMINAR IN WOMEN'S HEALTH). THE CURRENT STUDY IS A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS FROM THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YEARS AFTER STUDY COMPLETION TO ASSESS WHETHER THE INITIAL INTERVENTION AND/OR YOGA PRACTICE AFTER TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL CHANGES. FORTY-NINE WOMEN COMPLETED THE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS. HIERARCHICAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER TREATMENT GROUP STATUS IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THE STUDY PREDICTED GREATER CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS AND PTSD DIAGNOSIS. RESULTS: GROUP ASSIGNMENT IN THE ORIGINAL RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF LONGER-TERM OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, FREQUENCY OF CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICTED GREATER DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY, AS WELL AS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF A LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA APPEARS TO BE A USEFUL TREATMENT MODALITY; THE GREATEST LONG-TERM BENEFITS ARE DERIVED FROM MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE. 2016 11 1151 35 ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY: A PILOT STUDY ON WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH INTEGRATING YOGA INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE. INTRODUCTION: HEALTH GUIDELINES SUGGEST THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YET RARELY DO THEY MEET THESE GUIDELINES. MEANS TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN ARE REQUIRED, AND YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS A POSSIBLE METHOD TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, OUR PRIMARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE PREGNANT WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AN INTERVENTION WHICH INTEGRATES A LOW-INTENSITY FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YOGA, INTO PRENATAL CARE; OUR SECONDARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. METHODS: HELD IN AN OUTPATIENT OBSTETRICS DEPARTMENT OF AN URBAN HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS PILOT STUDY ENROLLED 16 PREGNANT WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVENTION THROUGHOUT THEIR PREGNANCY. WE EXPLORED PARTICIPANTS' LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERVENTION USING QUALITATIVE METHODS (PHENOMENOLOGY). MEANS, VARIANCES, AND COVARIANCES WERE CALCULATED FOR THE 2 MEASURES (SELF-EFFICACY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUPS SUGGEST THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR PRENATAL YOGA TO BE INTEGRATED INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE CLASSES AND WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY. PARTICIPANTS DID NOT CONSIDER THE INTERVENTION TO FIT WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF EXERCISE. WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED AMOUNTS OF TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM BASELINE TO THE END OF PREGNANCY, BUT THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SELF-EFFICACY OVER TIME. DISCUSSION: THE INTEGRATION OF GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO THE GROUP PRENATAL CARE MODEL WARRANTS FURTHER ATTENTION FOR POTENTIAL BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO MATERNAL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS. 2019 12 2458 32 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 13 2822 35 YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT TO MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. OBJECTIVES: RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERSISTENT DEPRESSION, THE BENEFITS OF WHICH MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING IN A SAMPLE OF PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: WHETHER YOGA INCREASES MINDFULNESS AND WHETHER YOGA ATTENUATES RUMINATION. RUMINATION AND MINDFULNESS BOTH REPRESENT ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT FOR ONSET AND MAINTENANCE OF DEPRESSIVE EPISODES. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED-TEN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED DESPITE ONGOING USE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED INTO AN RCT COMPARING YOGA WITH A HEALTH EDUCATION CLASS. MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND ACROSS 3 TIME POINTS DURING THE TEN-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT, COMPARED TO HEALTH EDUCATION, YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER MEAN LEVELS OF THE OBSERVE FACET OF MINDFULNESS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P =.004, D =0.38), AND THAT YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A FASTER RATE OF INCREASE IN LEVELS OF ACTING WITH AWARENESS OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P= .03, F(2) =0.027). THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO RUMINATION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST A SMALL EFFECT OF YOGA ON COMPONENTS OF MINDFULNESS DURING A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CONTINUED ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INITIAL 10 WEEKS MAY REVEAL CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH MAY ALSO EXAMINE MODERATORS OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION, INCLUDING CLINICAL FACTORS SUCH AS DEPRESSION SEVERITY OR DEPRESSION CHRONICITY, OR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS SUCH AS AGE. 2021 14 1254 27 FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF GENTLE HATHA YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION: FINDINGS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED MIXED-METHODS STUDY. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS A COMMON, DEBILITATING CHRONIC CONDITION IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. PARTICULARLY IN WOMEN, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND RUMINATIONS, OR REPETITIVE SELF-CRITICAL NEGATIVE THINKING. THERE IS A RESEARCH AND CLINICAL IMPERATIVE TO EVALUATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE FOR WOMEN WITH DEPRESSION AND THAT TARGET SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION IN WOMEN, SUCH AS RUMINATIONS. TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THIS NEED, WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, MIXED-METHODS COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY COMPARING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ATTENTION-CONTROL ACTIVITY IN 27 WOMEN WITH MDD. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE STRESS, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSION OVER TIME IN BOTH THE YOGA GROUP AND THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP, WITH THE YOGA GROUP HAVING A UNIQUE TREND IN DECREASED RUMINATIONS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED CONNECTEDNESS AND GAINING A COPING STRATEGY THROUGH YOGA. THE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FUTURE LARGE SCALE RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSED WOMEN AND THE UNIQUE ROLE OF YOGA IN DECREASING RUMINATION. 2013 15 2640 32 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. OBJECTIVE: RESEARCH INDICATES THAT COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO OVERACTIVATION OF THE STRESS RESPONSE. YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED BENEFITS WHEN PRACTICED BY INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SYMPTOMS OF PTSD, AND THE BIOLOGICAL STRESS RESPONSE IN VETERANS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD. METHOD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE MEASURED WITHIN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO BEGINNING AND FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF A 10-WEEK YOGA PROTOCOL. VETERANS WITH PTSD PARTICIPATED IN GENDER-SPECIFIC GROUPS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PAIRED T TESTS AND CORRELATIONAL ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE QUANTITATIVE DATA. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION SCORES ON MEASURES OF RESPONSE INHIBITION, PTSD, DEPRESSION, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SUBJECTIVE NEUROCOGNITIVE COMPLAINTS. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION CHANGES IN SLEEP AND DEPRESSION, AND BETWEEN CHANGE IN CORTISOL OUTPUT AND A MEASURE OF LIFE SATISFACTION. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (BASELINE TO POSTINTERVENTION) FOR OTHER OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND CORTISOL WERE NOT DETECTED. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING (RESPONSE INHIBITION) RELATED TO SYMPTOMS OF PTSD WHILE ALSO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS AFFIRM THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN MOOD SYMPTOMS AND INDICATE THE NEED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF CORTISOL IN LIFE SATISFACTION. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2020 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2020 16 87 34 A MIXED METHODS EVALUATION OF AN INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF AN INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF ITS ACCEPTABILITY AND IMPACT ON PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES. DESIGN: TEN PATIENTS TOOK PART IN A 16 WEEK YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION IN A HOSPITAL SETTING, CONSISTING OF 10 ONE-TO-ONE CONSULTATIONS WITH A YOGA THERAPIST FOLLOWED BY TWO GROUP REVIEW SESSIONS. CHANGES IN HEALTH (EQ-5D, HADS) WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION AND AT 12-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED POST-INTERVENTION AND ANALYSED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS: ATTENDANCE OF THE 1-TO-1 SESSIONS WAS HIGH (98 %) AND ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STRONG COMMITMENT TO THEIR PERSONALISED HOME PRACTICE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE AND GENERAL HEALTH AT POST-INTERVENTION AND 12-MONTHS (P < 0.05). IN INTERVIEWS, ALL BUT ONE PARTICIPANT REPORTED POSITIVE CHANGES TO THEIR SYMPTOMS AND SEVERAL REPORTED REDUCTIONS IN THEIR MEDICATION AND BROADER BENEFITS SUCH AS IMPROVED SLEEP, MOOD AND ENERGY, ENABLING RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH LIFE. THE PERSONALLY TAILORED NATURE OF THE PRACTICE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS WERE KEY MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS. PARTICULAR VALUE WAS PLACED ON THE THERAPEUTIC FUNCTION OF THE CONSULTATION AND PROVISION OF TOOLS TO MANAGE STRESS AND BUILD RESILIENCE. CONCLUSION: THIS YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION WAS POSITIVELY RECEIVED BY PATIENTS WITH RA, WITH HIGH LEVELS OF ADHERENCE TO BOTH THE TREATMENTS AND TAILORED HOME PRACTICE. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS POTENTIAL AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY TO IMPROVE RA SYMPTOMS, INCREASE SELF-CARE BEHAVIOURS AND MANAGE STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SUCH AS ANXIETY. A LARGER MULTI-CENTRE STUDY IS THEREFORE WARRANTED. 2020 17 1469 32 INNOVATIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF PERINATAL DEPRESSION: THE ROLE OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTIONS DURING PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: WE REVIEW EVIDENCE FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA AS INTERVENTIONS FOR DEPRESSED PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN. RECENT FINDINGS: RESULTS FROM EXISTING TRIALS HAVE GENERALLY INDICATED THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO WOMEN DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD, AND THAT THESE INTERVENTIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, SOME STUDIES HAVE NOT FOUND SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENTS WERE NOT ALWAYS MAINTAINED. THE AVAILABLE RESEARCH ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA AS INTERVENTIONS FOR PERINATAL DEPRESSION IS ENCOURAGING WITH REGARD TO FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, PATIENT SAFETY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY. THESE INTERVENTIONS HAVE THE ABILITY TO REACH A LARGE NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO MAY NOT ENGAGE IN TRADITIONAL TREATMENT. ADDITIONAL HIGH QUALITY, RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE NEEDED. FUTURE RESEARCH IS ALSO NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE OPTIMAL DOSE OF THESE INTERVENTIONS AND HOW TO BEST INCREASE SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT. 2019 18 110 26 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 19 1770 32 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 20 1239 33 FEASIBILITY OF A MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS POSE AN IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE DISORDERS EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT, OFTEN FAIL TO SEEK HELP, AND THEIR ILLNESSES FREQUENTLY DO NOT RESPOND TO TREATMENT. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENTS FOR THESE DISORDERS. MINDFUL YOGA REPRESENTS A PROMISING TREATMENT APPROACH. THIS PILOT STUDY TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF A 9-WEEK MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. ELEVEN PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED TO COMPLETE A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF THE INTERVENTION AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. EIGHT PATIENTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND RATED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE INTERVENTION WITH A MEAN SCORE OF 8.8 (RANGE OF 8 TO 9, USING A SCALE OF 1 TO 10). ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS. AMONG THE MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS, THE MOST POTENTIALLY PROMISING EFFECTS FROM THE INTERVENTION WERE FOUND FOR WORRY, FEAR OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, RUMINATION, AND AREAS RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, SUCH AS TRUSTING BODILY EXPERIENCES AND NOT DISTRACTING FROM SENSATIONS OF DISCOMFORT. A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A FEASIBLE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENT WHEN ADDED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL FOR A GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL YOGA IS RECOMMENDED. 2021