1 1749 141 PILOT STUDY OF INTEGRAL YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMS TO OBTAIN PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR REDUCING SELF-REPORTED MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES IN A RANDOMIZED STUDY INCLUDING AN ATTENTION CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: WE RANDOMIZED 54 LATE PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (2-12 MO OF AMENORRHEA) AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (>12 MO OF AMENORRHEA)--AGED 45 TO 58 YEARS AND WHO EXPERIENCED AT LEAST FOUR HOT FLASHES PER DAY, ON AVERAGE, FOR AT LEAST 4 WEEKS--TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: YOGA, HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATION (HW), AND WAIT LIST (WL). YOGA AND HW CLASSES CONSISTED OF WEEKLY 90-MINUTE CLASSES FOR 10 WEEKS. ALL WOMEN COMPLETED DAILY HOT FLASH DIARIES THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL (10 WK) TO TRACK THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLASHES. THE MEAN HOT FLASH INDEX SCORE IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MILD, MODERATE, SEVERE, AND VERY SEVERE HOT FLASHES. RESULTS: HOT FLASH FREQUENCY DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS TIME FOR ALL THREE GROUPS, WITH THE STRONGEST DECLINE OCCURRING DURING THE FIRST WEEK. THERE WAS NO OVERALL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN HOT FLASH FREQUENCY DECREASE OVER TIME BY TREATMENT GROUPS, BUT THE YOGA AND HW GROUPS FOLLOWED SIMILAR PATTERNS AND SHOWED GREATER DECREASES THAN THE WL GROUP. ON WEEK 10, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED AN APPROXIMATELY 66% DECREASE IN HOT FLASH FREQUENCY, WOMEN IN THE HW GROUP REPORTED A 63% DECREASE, AND WOMEN IN THE WL GROUP REPORTED A 36% DECREASE. THE HOT FLASH INDEX SHOWED A SIMILAR PATTERN. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN SERVE AS A BEHAVIORAL OPTION FOR REDUCING HOT FLASHES BUT MAY NOT OFFER ANY ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS. 2014 2 111 47 A PILOT STUDY OF A HATHA YOGA TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF A YOGA TREATMENT FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. BOTH PHYSIOLOGIC AND SELF-REPORTED MEASURES OF HOT FLASHES WERE INCLUDED. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE WITHIN-GROUP PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED. PARTICIPANTS WERE 12 PERI- AND POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN EXPERIENCING AT LEAST 4 MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES PER DAY, AT LEAST 4 DAYS PER WEEK. ASSESSMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER COMPLETION OF A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM. PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT MEASURES INCLUDED: SEVERITY OF QUESTIONNAIRE-RATED MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (WIKLUND SYMPTOM CHECK LIST), FREQUENCY, DURATION, AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLASHES (24-H AMBULATORY SKIN-CONDUCTANCE MONITORING; HOT-FLASH DIARY), INTERFERENCE OF HOT FLASHES WITH DAILY LIFE (HOT FLASH RELATED DAILY INTERFERENCE SCALE), AND SUBJECTIVE SLEEP QUALITY (PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX). YOGA CLASSES INCLUDED BREATHING TECHNIQUES, POSTURES, AND RELAXATION POSES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO PRACTICE AT HOME 15 MIN EACH DAY IN ADDITION TO WEEKLY CLASSES. RESULTS: ELEVEN WOMEN COMPLETED THE STUDY AND ATTENDED A MEAN OF 7.45 (S.D. 1.63) CLASSES. SIGNIFICANT PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR SEVERITY OF QUESTIONNAIRE-RATED TOTAL MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, HOT-FLASH DAILY INTERFERENCE; AND SLEEP EFFICIENCY, DISTURBANCES, AND QUALITY. NEITHER 24-H MONITORING NOR ACCOMPANYING DIARIES YIELDED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HOT FLASHES. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA TREATMENT AND STUDY PROCEDURES WERE FEASIBLE FOR MIDLIFE WOMEN. IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOM PERCEPTIONS AND WELL BEING WARRANT FURTHER STUDY OF YOGA FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, WITH A LARGER NUMBER OF WOMEN AND INCLUDING A CONTROL GROUP. 2007 3 1223 51 FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF HOT FLUSHES: A PILOT TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF HOT FLUSHES IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. METHODS: A PILOT TRIAL IN 14 POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN EXPERIENCING > OR =4 MODERATE TO SEVERE HOT FLUSHES PER DAY OR > OR =30 MODERATE TO SEVERE HOT FLUSHES PER WEEK. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF EIGHT RESTORATIVE YOGA POSES TAUGHT IN A 3-H INTRODUCTORY SESSION AND 8 WEEKLY 90-MIN SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, SUBJECT RETENTION AND ADHERENCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED BY SUBJECT INTERVIEW AND QUESTIONNAIRES. EFFICACY MEASURES INCLUDED CHANGE IN FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF HOT FLUSHES AS RECORDED ON A 7-DAY DIARY. RESULTS: RECRUITMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS PLANNED. THE MAJORITY OF STUDY SUBJECTS (93%) COMPLETED THE TRIAL. OF THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE TRIAL, 92% ATTENDED SEVEN OR MORE OF THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. THE MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE STUDY AND 75% CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER THE STUDY. MEAN NUMBER OF HOT FLUSHES PER WEEK DECREASED BY 30.8% (95% CI 15.6-45.9%) AND MEAN HOT FLUSH SCORE DECREASED 34.2% (95% CI 16.0-52.5%) FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 8. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT TRIAL DEMONSTRATES THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO TEACH RESTORATIVE YOGA TO MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THE HIGH RATES OF SUBJECT RETENTION AND SATISFACTION SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS AN ACCEPTABLE INTERVENTION IN THIS POPULATION. OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT A LARGER, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO EXPLORE THE EFFICACY OF RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR TREATMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS WOULD BE SAFE AND FEASIBLE. 2007 4 1068 37 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS AND SLEEP QUALITY ACROSS MENOPAUSE STATUSES. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP (N = 104 EACH), AND THOSE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP PRACTICED YOGA FOR 20 WEEKS. THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: THE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SCALE; MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT; MENOPAUSE RATING SCALE; AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX. THE RESULTS REVEALED THAT YOGA EFFECTIVELY DECREASED MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, WITH THE STRONGEST EFFECTS NOTED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (MEAN +/- STANDARD DEVIATION: 14.98 +/- 7.10), FOLLOWED BY PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN (6.11 +/- 2.07). YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AFTER CONTROLLING FOR SOCIAL SUPPORT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, AND MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS (P < 0.001). HOWEVER, YOGA DID NOT AFFECT SLEEP QUALITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN POSTMENOPAUSAL AND PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OUR DATA INDICATE THAT YOGA CAN HELP DECREASE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, PARTICULARLY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL AND POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN, AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. 2022 5 136 41 A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION APPROACH FOR IMPROVING LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: YOGA TARGETS PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES WHICH MAY BE IMPORTANT FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS (WL). THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF YOGA WITHIN A WEIGHT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOLLOWING WL TREATMENT. METHODS: 60 WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY (34.3+/-3.9 KG/M2, 48.1+/-10.1 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (2X/WEEK; YOGA) OR A STRUCTURALLY EQUIVALENT CONTROL (COOKING/NUTRITION CLASSES; CON), FOLLOWING A 3-MONTH BEHAVIORAL WL PROGRAM. FEASIBILITY (ATTENDANCE, ADHERENCE, RETENTION) AND ACCEPTABILITY (PROGRAM SATISFACTION RATINGS) WERE ASSESSED. TREATMENT GROUPS WERE COMPARED ON WEIGHT CHANGE, MINDFULNESS, DISTRESS TOLERANCE, STRESS, AFFECT, AND SELF-COMPASSION AT 6 MONTHS. INITIAL WL (3-MO WL) WAS EVALUATED AS A POTENTIAL MODERATOR. RESULTS: ATTENDANCE, RETENTION, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION RATINGS OF YOGA WERE HIGH. TREATMENT GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER ON WL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTS (WITH EXCEPTION OF ONE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALE) AT 6 MONTHS. HOWEVER, AMONG THOSE WITH HIGH INITIAL WL (>/=5%), YOGA LOST SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WEIGHT (-9.0KG VS. -6.7KG) AT 6 MONTHS AND RESULTED IN GREATER DISTRESS TOLERANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND SELF-COMPASSION AND LOWER NEGATIVE AFFECT, COMPARED TO CON. CONCLUSIONS: STUDY FINDINGS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIAL STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING LONG-TERM WL AMONG THOSE LOSING >/=5% IN STANDARD BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT. 2022 6 2729 40 YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. GOAL OF WORK: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE LIMITED OPTIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HOT FLASHES AND RELATED SYMPTOMS. FURTHER, THERAPIES WIDELY USED TO PREVENT RECURRENCE IN SURVIVORS, SUCH AS TAMOXIFEN, TEND TO INDUCE OR EXACERBATE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. THE AIM OF THIS PRELIMINARY, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN A SAMPLE OF SURVIVORS OF EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER (STAGES IA-IIB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-SEVEN DISEASE-FREE WOMEN EXPERIENCING HOT FLASHES WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE 8-WEEK YOGA OF AWARENESS PROGRAM (GENTLE YOGA POSES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING EXERCISES) OR TO WAIT-LIST CONTROL. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DAILY REPORTS OF HOT FLASHES COLLECTED AT BASELINE, POSTTREATMENT, AND 3 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT VIA AN INTERACTIVE TELEPHONE SYSTEM. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY INTENTION TO TREAT. MAIN RESULTS: AT POSTTREATMENT, WOMEN WHO RECEIVED THE YOGA PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENTS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL CONDITION IN HOT-FLASH FREQUENCY, SEVERITY, AND TOTAL SCORES AND IN LEVELS OF JOINT PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SYMPTOM-RELATED BOTHER, AND VIGOR. AT 3 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP, PATIENTS MAINTAINED THEIR TREATMENT GAINS IN HOT FLASHES, JOINT PAIN, FATIGUE, SYMPTOM-RELATED BOTHER, AND VIGOR AND SHOWED ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN NEGATIVE MOOD, RELAXATION, AND ACCEPTANCE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES PROMISING SUPPORT FOR THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR HOT FLASHES AND OTHER MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS IN EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. 2009 7 2319 43 TREATING THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS IN INDIAN WOMEN WITH AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND PERSONALITY IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. DESIGN: ONE HUNDRED TWENTY PARTICIPANTS (AGES 40-55 Y) WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO STUDY ARMS, IE, YOGA AND CONTROL. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY COMPRISING SURYA NAMASKARA (SUN SALUTATION) WITH 12 POSTURES, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES), AND AVARTAN DHYAN (CYCLIC MEDITATION), WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP PRACTICED A SET OF SIMPLE PHYSICAL EXERCISES UNDER SUPERVISION OF TRAINED TEACHERS FOR 8 WEEKS (1 H DAILY, 5 DAYS PER WEEK). THE ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE BY GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: OF THE THREE FACTORS OF THE GREENE CLIMACTERIC SCALE, THE MANN-WHITNEY TEST SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05) IN THE VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS, A MARGINALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE (P = 0.06) IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS BUT NOT IN THE SOMATIC COMPONENT. EFFECT SIZES WERE HIGHER IN THE YOGA GROUP FOR ALL FACTORS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE OF DECREASE IN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE SCORES (P < 0.001, INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T TEST) IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH CONTROLS (BETWEEN-GROUP ANALYSIS) WITH A HIGHER EFFECT SIZE IN THE YOGA GROUP (1.10) THAN THE CONTROL (0.27). ON THE EYSENCK'S PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE DECREASE IN NEUROTICISM WAS GREATER (P < 0.05) IN THE YOGA GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.43) THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (EFFECT SIZE = 0.21) WITH NO CHANGE IN EXTROVERSION IN EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: EIGHT WEEKS OF AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY DECREASES CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND NEUROTICISM IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOMEN BETTER THAN PHYSICAL EXERCISE. 2008 8 594 38 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO DEVELOP A GROUP-BASED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN (CPP) AND EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM ON PAIN SEVERITY, SEXUAL FUNCTION, AND WELL-BEING. METHODS: A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM FOR CPP WAS DEVELOPED BY A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PANEL OF CLINICIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND YOGA CONSULTANTS. WOMEN REPORTING MODERATE TO SEVERE PELVIC PAIN FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS WERE RECRUITED INTO A SINGLE-ARM TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED TWICE WEEKLY GROUP CLASSES FOCUSING ON IYENGAR-BASED YOGA TECHNIQUES AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO PRACTICE YOGA AT HOME AN HOUR A WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS SELF-RATED THE SEVERITY OF THEIR PELVIC PAIN USING DAILY LOGS. THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPANTS' PAIN ON EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS ASSESSED USING AN IMPACT OF PELVIC PAIN (IPP) QUESTIONNAIRE. SEXUAL FUNCTION WAS FURTHER ASSESSED USING THE SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN WOMEN QUESTIONNAIRE (SHOW-Q). RESULTS: AMONG THE 16 PARTICIPANTS (AGE RANGE = 31-64 YEARS), AVERAGE RATINGS OF THE SEVERITY OF PAIN "AT ITS WORST," "AT ITS BEST," AND "ON AVERAGE" DECREASED BY 29%, 32%, AND 34%, RESPECTIVELY, FROM START TO SIX WEEKS (P < 0.05 FOR ALL). WOMEN DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN SCORES ON IPP SUBSCALES FOR DAILY ACTIVITIES (1.8 +/- 0.7 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P < 0.001), EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING (1.7 +/- 0.9 TO 0.9 +/- 0.7, P = 0.005), AND SEXUAL FUNCTION (1.9 +/- 1.1 TO 1.0 +/- 0.9, P = 0.04). SCORES ON THE SHOW-Q "PELVIC PROBLEM INTERFERENCE" SCALE ALSO IMPROVED OVER SIX WEEKS (53 +/- 23 TO 27 +/- 23, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF THE FEASIBILITY OF TEACHING WOMEN WITH CPP TO PRACTICE YOGA TO SELF-MANAGE PAIN AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SEXUAL FUNCTION. 2017 9 1442 35 INCREASED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND REDUCED STATE ANXIETY IN TEACHERS AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM. BACKGROUND REDUCING STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE IMPROVES MENTAL HEALTH. TEACHING IS OF SOCIAL IMPORTANCE, BUT IT MAY RECEIVE INADEQUATE RECOGNITION AND REWARDS. THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED MENTAL WELL-BEING AND STATE ANXIETY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO PRACTICED 15 DAYS OF YOGA IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING WITH THOSE WHO CONTINUED THEIR USUAL ROUTINE. MATERIAL AND METHODS WE ENROLLED 236 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. WE ASSIGNED 118 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 41.5+/-6.0 YEARS, 74 FEMALES) TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP; THEY UNDERWENT 15 DAYS OF YOGA TRAINING FOR 6 HOURS/DAY) IN A RESIDENTIAL YOGA CENTER. THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP (GROUP MEAN +/-S.D., AGE 42.3+/-6.0 YEARS, 79 FEMALES) CONSISTED OF 118 TEACHERS WHO CONTINUED WITH THEIR NORMAL TEACHING ROUTINE. RESULTS AFTER 15 DAYS IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OVERALL MENTAL WELL-BEING (P<.001) AND LOWER STATE ANXIETY (P<.01) (REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA, FOLLOWED BY POST HOC MULTIPLE COMPARISON TESTS). AT BASELINE, THE NON-YOGA CONTROL GROUP HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF STATE ANXIETY, PRESUMABLY RELATED TO THEIR REMAINING IN THE WORKPLACE. CONCLUSIONS THE STUDY WAS A 15-DAY, COMPARATIVE, CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT AFTER 15 DAYS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE RESIDENTIAL YOGA PROGRAM, PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS INCREASED ALL ASPECTS OF MENTAL WELL-BEING AND HAD REDUCED STATE ANXIETY. 2018 10 342 27 ASHTANGA YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING: AN UNCONTROLLED OPEN PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WEIGHT IN YOUTH AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES. SECONDARILY, THE IMPACT OF PARTICIPATION IN YOGA ON SELF-CONCEPT AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS WAS MEASURED. METHODS: A 12-WEEK PROSPECTIVE PILOT ASHTANGA YOGA PROGRAM ENROLLED TWENTY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. WEIGHT WAS MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SELF-CONCEPT, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES AT THE INITIATION AND COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC CHILDREN, AGES 8-15, COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. THE AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS WAS 2KG. WEIGHT DECREASED FROM 61.2+/-20.2KG TO 59.2+/-19.2KG (P=0.01). FOUR OF FIVE CHILDREN WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM IMPROVED, ALTHOUGH TWO HAD DECREASES IN SELF-ESTEEM. ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IMPROVED IN THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: ASHTANGA YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY IN A PREDOMINATELY HISPANIC POPULATION. 2009 11 2653 53 YOGA IMPROVES OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, DEPRESSION, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC PAIN IS A COMPLEX ACCUMULATION OF PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, THUS INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS PAIN AND PROMOTE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE ARE NEEDED. A HOLISTIC INTERVENTION, WITH MIND AND BODY COMPONENTS, IS LIKELY NECESSARY TO BEST TREAT THE COMPLEXITIES OF CHRONIC PAIN. THUS, WE DEVELOPED AND TESTED A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. OBJECTIVES: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL (RCT), PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION OR USUAL CARE GROUP. BETWEEN AND WITHIN GROUP DIFFERENCES FOR PRE-AND POST-OUTCOME MEASURE SCORES WERE ASSESSED FOR: OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, COMPLETION OF ACTIVITIES, AND DEPRESSION. METHODS: PILOT RCT WITH PARTICIPANT ALLOCATION TO 8 WEEKS OF YOGA OR USUAL CARE. BOTH GROUPS RECEIVED ONGOING MONTHLY SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMING. DATA WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA OR USUAL CARE AFTER BASELINE ASSESSMENTS. DEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED AND MEASURES INCLUDED: CANADIAN OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE (COPM) TO ASSESS OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE; THE 15-ITEM FRENCHAY ACTIVITIES INDEX (FAI)(ACTIVITIES); AND THE 9-ITEM PATIENT HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (PHQ-9) FOR DEPRESSION. INDEPENDENT T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRE- AND POST 8-WEEK INTERVENTION FOR BOTH THE YOGA AND THE USUAL CARE GROUPS. PERCENT CHANGE SCORES AND EFFECT SIZES WERE CALCULATED. RESULTS: 83 PEOPLE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY AND COMPLETED BASELINE ASSESSMENTS; 44 INDIVIDUALS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA AND 39 TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE AVERAGE AGE OF ALL PARTICIPANTS WAS 51.4+/-10.5 YEARS, 68% WERE FEMALE; AND 60% HAD AT LEAST SOME COLLEGE EDUCATION. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHICS OR OUTCOME MEASURES BETWEEN GROUPS AT BASELINE OR 8 WEEKS; HOWEVER, THE STUDY WAS NOT POWERED TO SEE SUCH DIFFERENCES. INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE IN ANY OUTCOME MEASURE OVER THE 8 WEEKS. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN COPM PERFORMANCE AND COPM SATISFACTION SCORES FOR INDIVIDUALS RANDOMIZED TO THE YOGA GROUP; BOTH SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. COPM PERFORMANCE IMPROVED BY 27% WITH A MODERATE TO LARGE EFFECT SIZE (3.66+/-1.85 VS 4.66+/-1.93, P < 0.001, D = 0.76). COPM SATISFACTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY 78% (2.14+/-2.31 VS. 3.80+/-2.50, P < 0.001) AND HAD A LARGE EFFECTS SIZE (D = 1.02). FAI SCORES IMPROVED, INDICATING INCREASED ACTIVITY OR ENGAGEMENT IN DAILY OCCUPATION DURING THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. SCORES INCREASED BY 5% (38.13+/-8.48 VS. 39.90+/-8.57, P = 0.024) WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE (D = 0.37). DEPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FROM 13.21+/-5.60 TO 11.41+/-5.82, P = 0.041, WITH A SMALL EFFECT SIZE. CONCLUSION: DATA FROM THIS PILOT RCT INDICATE YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION WITH PEOPLE IN CHRONIC PAIN TO IMPROVE OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE, INCREASE ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVITIES, AND DECREASE DEPRESSION. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONERS MAY CONSIDER ADDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH PAIN. 2019 12 1364 38 IMPACT OF 10-MIN DAILY YOGA EXERCISES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCOMFORT OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS DURING COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA FOR 1 MONTH ON MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. BACKGROUND: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED MANY PEOPLE TO SWITCH TO TELEWORKING. THE ABRUPT CHANGE FROM AN OFFICE SETTING TO AN IMPROVISED HOME-OFFICE MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE MUSCULOSKELETAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF WORKERS. BY PROVIDING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ADVERSE EFFECTS. METHOD: FIFTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS (42 WOMEN, 12 MEN) FOLLOWED A 1-MONTH YOGA PROGRAM, WHILE 40 PARTICIPANTS (26 WOMEN, 14 MEN) CONTINUED WITH THEIR COMMON WORK ROUTINE. THE CORNELL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO EVALUATE SEVERITY, INTERFERENCE WITH WORK AND FREQUENCY OF PAIN, AND TO OBTAIN A TOTAL DISCOMFORT SCORE FOR 25 BODY AREAS. MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS EVALUATED WITH THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES QUESTIONNAIRE. BOTH GROUPS COMPLETED BOTH QUESTIONNAIRES, BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENTATION PERIOD. RESULTS: AFTER 1 MONTH, FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE DISCOMFORT OF EYES, HEAD, NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK, RIGHT WRIST, AND HIPS/BUTTOCKS, AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN DISCOMFORT SEVERITY, FREQUENCY AND INTERFERENCE FOR THE NECK, UPPER AND LOWER BACK. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FOR THE YOGA GROUP ONLY. NO FAVORABLE CHANGES OCCURRED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM APPEARS TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISCOMFORT AND MOOD DISTURBANCE OF HOME-OFFICE WORKERS. APPLICATION: SEDENTARY WORKERS MAY BENEFIT FROM 10 MIN/DAY OF YOGA DURING THE WORKDAY TO ATTENUATE POTENTIAL PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DISCOMFORT DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND BEYOND. 2021 13 2190 25 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PARTICIPATION ON WOMEN'S QUALITY OF LIFE AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT DURING THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION: A PILOT STUDY. TYPICALLY LASTING 5-10 YEARS, THE MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION IS ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPTOMS INCLUDING HOT FLASHES, NIGHT SWEATS, AND LABILE MOOD. AS THESE SYMPTOMS OFTEN HINDER A WOMAN'S SUCCESSFUL FUNCTIONING IN EVERYDAY LIFE, HORMONE THERAPY IS COMMONLY PRESCRIBED AS A MEANS TO DIMINISH SYMPTOMS. MANY WOMEN, HOWEVER, ARE SEEKING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS DUE TO SIDE EFFECTS AND/OR DETRIMENTAL HEALTH-RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. WE COMPLETED A MIXED METHODS STUDY TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MENOPAUSE AND CHANGES IN WOMEN'S QUALITY OF LIFE, AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. 2015 14 1380 36 IMPACT OF LONG TERM YOGA PRACTICE ON SLEEP QUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ELDERLY. BACKGROUND: SLEEP DISTURBANCES AND DECLINE IN THE PHYSICAL FUNCTIONALITY ARE COMMON CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH AGING. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS ADVERSE EFFECTS. SHORT TERM TRIALS OF YOGA ON SLEEP HAVE SHOWN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM YOGA EXERCISES ON SLEEP QUALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN THE ELDERLY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN WHICH DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM ELDERLY PEOPLE AGED 60 YEARS OR MORE LIVING IN NAGPUR CITY. WE EMPLOYED TWO TYPES OF SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES: PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) AND QOL LEIDEN-PADUA (LEIPAD) QUESTIONNAIRE. A TOTAL OF 65 ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN WHO SIGNED AN INFORMED CONSENT AND COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. SLEEP QUALITY SCORE PSQI AND QOL (LEIPAD QUESTIONNAIRE) SCORE OF THE STUDY GROUP WERE EVALUATED AND COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP USING MANN-WHITNEY U TEST. RESULTS: TOTAL PSQI SCORE IN YOGA GROUP WAS LOWER THAN THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP. ALSO VARIOUS QOL SCORES OF THE YOGA GROUPS WERE HIGHER THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: ADDITION OF REGULAR YOGA EXERCISES IN THE DAILY ROUTINE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE CAN HELP TO ACHIEVE GOOD SLEEP QUALITY AS WELL AS IMPROVE THE QOL. 2013 15 719 43 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 16 2260 40 THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN, MENSTRUAL PATTERNS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) IN TWO GROUPS OF WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: THOSE WHO DID AND THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIFIC 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. METHOD: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. IT WAS CONDUCTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS MEDICAL SCHOOL, CAMPINAS, SP, BRAZIL. FORTY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: AN INTERVENTION GROUP OF WOMEN WHO PRACTICED YOGA (N = 28), AND A CONTROL GROUP OF WOMEN WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA (N = 12). PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90-MIN SCHEDULED YOGA SESSIONS TWICE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. ADDITIONALLY, AN ENDOMETRIOSIS HEALTH PROFILE (EHP)-30 QUESTIONNAIRE WAS APPLIED TO EVALUATE WOMEN'S QOL AT ADMISSION AND 2 MONTHS LATER UPON COMPLETION OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. MENSTRUAL AND DAILY PAIN PATTERNS WERE EVALUATED THROUGH A DAILY CALENDAR (VISUAL ANALOG SCALE). RESULTS: THE DEGREE OF DAILY PAIN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AMONG THE WOMEN WHO PRACTICED YOGA COMPARED WITH THE NON-YOGA GROUP (P = 0.0007). THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT OF QOL IN BOTH GROUPS BETWEEN BASELINE AND THE END OF THE STUDY EVALUATION. IN RELATION TO EHP-30 DOMAINS, PAIN (P = 0.0046), IMPOTENCE (P = 0.0006), WELL-BEING (P = 0.0009), AND IMAGE (P = 0.0087) FROM THE CENTRAL QUESTIONNAIRE, AND WORK (P = 0.0027) AND TREATMENT (P = 0.0245) FROM THE MODULAR QUESTIONNAIRE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE STUDY GROUPS OVER TIME. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS REGARDING THE DIARY OF MENSTRUAL PATTERNS (P = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A REDUCTION IN LEVELS OF CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN QOL IN WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS. 2017 17 476 41 CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS AMONG THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR MANAGING CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER YOGA PRACTICES IN PREMENOPAUSE CAN AFFECT THE OCCURRENCE OF SYMPTOMS WHEN WOMEN REACH MENOPAUSE. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTICES BEFORE MENOPAUSE MAY AVOID OR MITIGATE CLIMACTERIC-RELATED SYMPTOMS. DESIGN: THIS STUDY OF 108 WOMEN BETWEEN 40 AND 65 YEARS OLD INCLUDED 28 WOMEN WHO STARTED TO PRACTICE YOGA IN PREMENOPAUSE AND HAD ALREADY PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, AND AS CONTROLS 30 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS (PA) WHO HAD PRACTICED FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS, AND 50 SEDENTARY WOMEN. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS WERE EVALUATED WITH THE KUPPERMAN MENOPAUSAL INDEX (KMI) AND THE WOMEN'S HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE (WHQ). MOREOVER, WE MEASURED THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH THE WHQ. RESULTS: THE KMI SHOWED THAT 39.3% OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD NO MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS, AND NONE REPORTED SEVERE SYMPTOMS. THE WHQ INDICATED A FEW SYMPTOMS AND A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS (3.56; 3.35-3.80). IN ADDITION, WE FOUND THAT THE YOGA GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MODERATE AND SEVERE SYMPTOMS (P = 0.002) COMPARED WITH THE SEDENTARY GROUP. WE ALSO OBSERVED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD LESS VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS AND MEMORY/CONCENTRATION DISORDERS THAN PA PRACTITIONERS (P = 0.010 AND P = 0.047) AND SEDENTARY WOMEN (P = 0.001 AND P = 0.001) AND ALSO USED FEWER DRUGS THAN THE PA (P < 0.001) AND THE SEDENTARY GROUPS (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO STARTED TO PRACTICE IN PREMENOPAUSE HAD SATISFACTORY RESULTS ON THE FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. ALTHOUGH FURTHER RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT OUR FINDINGS, WE CONCLUDE THAT YOGA PRACTICE MAY REPRESENT AN EFFICIENT NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MANAGE AND PREVENT CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS. 2022 18 696 34 EFFECT OF FOUR WEEKS OF INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND SLEEP QUALITY AMONG FEMALE NURSING PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: STUDIES HAVE REPORTED THAT SIGNIFICANT NURSING PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCE TREMENDOUS STRESS WHICH OFTEN AFFECTS THEIR SLEEP QUALITY LEADING TO POOR WELL-BEING. YOGA BEING A MIND BODY INTERVENTION REPORTED TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE STRESS. AIM: THE PRESENT PILOT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND SLEEP QUALITY OF THE FEMALE NURSING PROFESSIONALS WORKING AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-THREE APPARENTLY HEALTHY NURSING STAFFS IN THE AGE RANGE OF 30-60 YEARS (MEAN AGE 40.60 +/- 10.26) WERE RECRUITED AS PARTICIPANTS OF THE STUDY, FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN DELHI. PARTICIPANTS WERE ADMINISTERED PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED 4 WEEK OF YOGA INTERVENTION FOR 45 MIN/DAY FOR 5 DAYS A WEEK. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION ON THE POSTSCORES OF PSS (T = 5.86, P < 0.0001, PAIRED T-TEST) AND PSQI (Z = -4.38, P < 0.0001, WILCOXON SIGNED-RANKS TEST) IN COMPARISON TO PRESCORES. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, PERCEIVED STRESS REDUCED BY 27.01% AND THE SLEEP QUALITY IMPROVED BY 38.68%. CONCLUSION: THE FINDING OF THE STUDY SUGGESTS EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN REDUCTION OF THE PERCEIVED STRESS AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF SLEEP OF THE NURSING PROFESSIONAL. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT FINDINGS NEED TO BE CONFIRMED WITH FURTHER STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZE AND ROBUST RESEARCH DESIGN. 2021 19 290 44 ADJUNCTIVE YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR PERSISTENT MAJOR DEPRESSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER HATHA YOGA IS AN EFFICACIOUS ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CONTINUED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT. METHOD: WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (N = 63) V. HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES (HEALTHY LIVING WORKSHOP; HLW; N = 59) IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION USE. HLW SERVED AS AN ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP. THE INTERVENTION PERIOD WAS 10 WEEKS, WITH FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS 3 AND 6 MONTHS AFTERWARDS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY ASSESSED BY BLIND RATER AT 10 WEEKS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER THE ENTIRE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIODS, SOCIAL AND ROLE FUNCTIONING, GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS, PAIN, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: AT 10 WEEKS, WE DID NOT FIND A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS (B = -0.82, S.E. = 0.88, P = 0.36). HOWEVER, OVER THE ENTIRE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, WHEN CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE, YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED LOWER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION THAN HLW PARTICIPANTS (B = -1.38, S.E. = 0.57, P = 0.02). AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, 51% OF YOGA PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED A RESPONSE (50% REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS) COMPARED WITH 31% OF HLW PARTICIPANTS (ODDS RATIO = 2.31; P = 0.04). YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SOCIAL AND ROLE FUNCTIONING AND GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT SEE A DIFFERENCE IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER THE ENTIRE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. BENEFITS OF YOGA MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. 2017 20 2871 35 YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE FACILITATES SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. CONTEXT: THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN STRONGLY INFLUENCES SUSTAINED ATTENTION, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR NEUROCOGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUES MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUSTAINED ATTENTION BY ATTENUATING PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. HENCE, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND SELF-REPORTED PAIN DISABILITY IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 22 MEN AGED 30 TO 50 YEARS WITH LOW BACK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA (N = 11) OR CONTROL (N = 11) GROUPS. THE YOGA GROUP PRACTICED A YOGA-BASED RELAXATION TECHNIQUE (YBRT) 1 HOUR A DAY FOR 4 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP MAINTAINED THEIR USUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGIMEN. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION TO RESPONSE TASK (SART) AND THE OSWESTRY LOW BACK PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (OLBPDQ) MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 4-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ALL SELF-REPORTED OLBPDQ DOMAINS AND IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION IN A BEFORE AND AFTER COMPARISON 4 WEEKS FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PEARSON'S CORRELATION ALSO SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND PAIN REDUCTION FOLLOWING THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES PAIN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVES INFORMATION PROCESSING SPEED WITH IMPULSE CONTROL DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A SUSTAINED ATTENTION TASK. 2020