1 1621 85 MINDFULNESS AND AVOIDANCE MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY. OBJECTIVES: THERE IS ACCUMULATING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CAN ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, ALTHOUGH THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THIS OCCURS REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SELF-REPORTED ANXIETY AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL MEDIATING ROLES OF MINDFULNESS AND EMOTIONAL AVOIDANCE. METHODS: USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN, 367 PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED ONLINE AND COMPLETED MEASURES OF ANXIETY, AVOIDANCE, AND MINDFULNESS. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED THAT LENGTH OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH LOWER ANXIETY IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. AVOIDANCE AND MINDFULNESS MEDIATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LENGTH OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY, SHEDDING LIGHT ON POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THESE PRACTICES REDUCE ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: FUTURE EXPERIMENTAL AND LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE CAUSAL ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AND AVOIDANCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY, AND WHETHER YOGA IS A USEFUL ADJUNCT TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2018 2 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 3 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 4 1628 26 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 5 2903 25 [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 6 1884 30 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 7 314 23 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 8 1373 30 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 9 2844 35 YOGA, DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS: DOES THE TYPE OF EXERCISE MATTER? AN ONLINE STUDY INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXERCISE, BODY IMAGE, AND WELL-BEING IN REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SPECIFICALLY EXERCISING, HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO IMPROVE BODY IMAGE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING. WITH RESPECT TO BODY IMAGE, PREVIOUS FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT A GENERAL BENEFIT OF EXERCISE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXERCISING AND BODY IMAGE VARIES WITH THE TYPE OF EXERCISE THAT INDIVIDUALS PREFERENTIALLY AND REGULARLY ENGAGE IN. IN ADDITION, PHYSICAL EFFICACY WAS EXPLORED AS A POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE AND BODY IMAGE. USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN, HEALTHY REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA, BALLROOM DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS AS WELL AS HEALTHY ADULTS REPORTING NO REGULAR EXERCISING WERE SURVEYED. BODY IMAGE AND ITS DIFFERENT FACETS WERE ASSESSED BY A SET OF STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES, COVERING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS PARTICULARLY RELATED TO NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS WERE QUESTIONED WITH REGARD TO MENTAL HEALTH. PARTICIPANTS WERE 270 HEALTHY ADULTS. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, MEASURES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA), AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH ORTHOGONAL CONTRASTS WERE PERFORMED TO INVESTIGATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT EXERCISE AND NON-EXERCISE GROUPS IN THE VARIABLES OF INTEREST. IN LINE WITH THE HYPOTHESES AND PREVIOUS FINDINGS, THE STATISTIC COMPARISONS REVEALED THAT BODY DISSATISFACTION (AS ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR OF NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE) WAS MOST PRONOUNCED IN THE NON-EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED TO ALL EXERCISE GROUPS [CONTRAST: NO EXERCISE VERSUS EXERCISE (ALL GROUPS TAKEN TOGETHER)]. PHYSICAL EFFICACY, AS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRE, MEDIATED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE (USING CONTRASTS) AND BODY IMAGE INCLUDING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS. THE FINDINGS SHED LIGHT ON SO FAR LESS SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF EXERCISE, LIKE YOGA AND BALLROOM DANCE, AND BODY IMAGE. THE RESULTS UNDERSCORE THE RELEVANCE OF CONSIDERING POSSIBLE INFLUENCING FACTORS IN EXERCISE RESEARCH, SUCH AS THE PERCEPTION OF ONE'S PHYSICAL EFFICACY AS A MEDIATOR OF THIS RELATIONSHIP. 2021 10 110 23 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 11 1 28 "A FEELING OF CONNECTEDNESS": PERSPECTIVES ON A GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND DEBILITATING HEALTH CONDITIONS IN WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND WORLDWIDE. MANY WOMEN WITH MDD SEEK OUT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, EITHER AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL CARE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THEIR DEPRESSION. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ARE DERIVED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH AND DAILY LOGS BY 12 WOMEN WITH MDD WHO TOOK PART IN AN 8-WEEK GENTLE YOGA INTERVENTION AS PART OF A LARGER PARENT RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCE OF DEPRESSION INVOLVED STRESS, RUMINATIONS, AND ISOLATION. IN ADDITION, THEIR EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WERE THAT IT SERVED AS A SELF-CARE TECHNIQUE FOR THE STRESS AND RUMINATIVE ASPECTS OF DEPRESSION AND THAT IT SERVED AS A RELATIONAL TECHNIQUE, FACILITATING CONNECTEDNESS AND SHARED EXPERIENCES IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. FUTURE LONG-TERM RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO EVALUATE THESE CONCEPTS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. 2013 12 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 13 1424 24 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 14 248 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 15 246 24 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN THE REDUCTION OF PTSD SYMPTOMOLOGY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) TREATMENT ON PTSD SYMPTOMS AND OVERALL WELLBEING. TO SUPPLEMENT THE CURRENT FIELD OF INQUIRY, A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT) WAS CONDUCTED COMPARING AN 8-SESSION KY INTERVENTION WITH A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP. 80 INDIVIDUALS WITH CURRENT PTSD SYMPTOMS PARTICIPATED. BOTH GROUPS DEMONSTRATED CHANGES IN PTSD SYMPTOMOLOGY BUT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED GREATER CHANGES IN MEASURES OF SLEEP, POSITIVE AFFECT, PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND RESILIENCE. BETWEEN-GROUPS EFFECT SIZES WERE SMALL TO MODERATE (0.09-0.25). KY MAY BE AN ADJUNCTIVE OR ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTION FOR PTSD. FINDINGS INDICATE THE NEED FOR FURTHER YOGA RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM OF YOGA IN RELATION TO MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, GENDER AND ETHNIC COMPARISONS, AND SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE FOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS. 2015 16 1587 17 MEDICAL YOGA THERAPY. MEDICAL YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE USE OF YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS. BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE FOR STRENGTHENING THE BODY, MEDICAL YOGA ALSO INCORPORATES APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS. MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT THE BODY IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING HELPING TO REGULATE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, IMPROVE MUSCULOSKELETAL AILMENTS AND KEEPING THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN TUNE. IT ALSO HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS, AS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN HELP TO INCREASE MENTAL ENERGY AND POSITIVE FEELINGS, AND DECREASE NEGATIVE FEELINGS OF AGGRESSIVENESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2017 17 1700 34 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 18 893 21 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 19 1751 27 PILOT STUDY: USE OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND YOGA PRACTICES WITH LOW-INCOME AND/OR UNINSURED PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY. PURPOSE: THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICES, INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA, ON DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN UNINSURED AND/OR LOW-INCOME PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE DESIGN WAS REPEATED MEASURES WITH ONE GROUP. METHOD: PATIENTS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING INCLUDING SELF-COMPASSION AND YOGA. DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING WERE MEASURED FOUR TIMES. FINDINGS: INTERVENTIONS WERE EFFECTIVE IN HELPING UNINSURED AND LOW-INCOME PATIENTS REDUCE DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR THESE DISORDERS. THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 2015 20 2848 30 YOGA, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY - A REVIEW OF LITERATURE. PURPOSE: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR CANCER ARE EXPOSED TO A WIDE VARIETY OF STRESSORS BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL. NOT ONLY ADULTS BUT ALSO CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS INCREASINGLY PRACTICE YOGA IN A HEALTH-PROMOTING MANNER AND TO COPE WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. METHODS: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE WAS CONDUCTED TO PRESENT THE CURRENT OUTCOMES ON YOGA, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY AN ONCOLOGICAL DISEASE. RESULTS: EIGHT STUDIES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT EXAMINED YOGA TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES. THREE STUDIES WERE FOUND ON MINDFULNESS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY. THE STUDIES SUMMARIZED HERE SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD HELP TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, REDUCE FATIGUE, IMPROVE ACTIVITY AND FITNESS LEVELS, IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY, INCREASE APPETITE AND DECREASE ANXIETY IN VARIOUS STAGES OF THE DISEASE AND ITS TREATMENT. THE REVIEWED STUDIES SHOWED THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL ILLNESSES ARE FEASIBLE IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS AND ARE WELL RECEIVED. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THE STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MAY HELP TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS DURING AND AFTER ONCOLOGICAL TREATMENT. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OF EVIDENCE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS IN PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY PATIENTS. RESEARCH MUST MEET THIS CHALLENGE TO DEVELOP SUITABLE DESIGNS TO FURTHER AND BETTER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES. 2021