1 1756 130 PLASTICITY OF VISUAL ATTENTION IN ISHA YOGA MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS BEFORE AND AFTER A 3-MONTH RETREAT. MEDITATION HAS LATELY RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST FROM COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE. STUDIES SUGGEST THAT DAILY MEDITATION LEADS TO LONG LASTING ATTENTIONAL AND NEURONAL PLASTICITY. WE PRESENT CHANGES RELATED TO THE ATTENTIONAL SYSTEMS BEFORE AND AFTER A 3 MONTH INTENSIVE MEDITATION RETREAT. WE USED THREE BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOPHYSICAL TESTS - A STROOP TASK, AN ATTENTIONAL BLINK TASK, AND A GLOBAL-LOCAL LETTER TASK-TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF ISHA YOGA MEDITATION ON ATTENTIONAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION. 82 ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE TESTED AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF THE RETREAT. OUR RESULTS SHOWED AN INCREASE IN CORRECT RESPONSES SPECIFIC TO INCONGRUENT STIMULI IN THE STROOP TASK. CONGRUENTLY, A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PREVIOUS MEDITATION EXPERIENCE AND ACCURACY TO INCONGRUENT STROOP STIMULI WAS ALSO OBSERVED AT BASELINE. WE ALSO OBSERVED A REDUCTION OF THE ATTENTIONAL BLINK. UNEXPECTEDLY, A NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PREVIOUS MEDITATION EXPERIENCE AND ATTENTIONAL BLINK PERFORMANCE AT BASELINE WAS OBSERVED. REGARDING SPATIAL ATTENTION ORIENTATION AS ASSESSED USING THE GLOBAL-LOCAL LETTER TASK, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED A BIAS TOWARD LOCAL PROCESSING. ONLY SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN PERFORMANCE WERE FOUND PRE- VS. POST- MEDITATION RETREAT. BIASING TOWARD THE LOCAL STIMULI IN THE GLOBAL-LOCAL TASK AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION OF PREVIOUS MEDITATION EXPERIENCE WITH ATTENTIONAL BLINK PERFORMANCE IS CONSISTENT WITH ISHA PRACTICES BEING FOCUSED-ATTENTION PRACTICES. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY SMALL EFFECT SIZES AND THE ABSENCE OF A CONTROL GROUP, OUR RESULTS DO NOT ALLOW CLEAR SUPPORT NOR REJECTION OF THE HYPOTHESIS OF MEDITATION-DRIVEN NEURONAL PLASTICITY IN THE ATTENTIONAL SYSTEM FOR ISHA YOGA PRACTICE. 2013 2 1559 24 LONG-TERM VIHANGAM YOGA MEDITATION AND SCORES ON TESTS OF ATTENTION. ALTHOUGH THE LITERATURE INDICATES THAT MEDITATION HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SEVERAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN FUNCTIONING, FEW STUDIES HAVE SPECIFICALLY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON VARIOUS DOMAINS OF ATTENTION. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE DIFFERENCES IN VARIOUS DOMAINS OF ATTENTION BETWEEN LONG-TERM CONCENTRATIVE MEDITATORS VERSUS MATCHED CONTROLS. 15 PRACTITIONERS OF VIHANGAM YOGA (> 10 YR. EXPERIENCE) WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. CONTROLS MATCHED ON AGE, SEX, AND YEARS OF EDUCATION WERE RECRUITED. BOTH GROUPS WERE ADMINISTERED THE STROOP, TRAIL-MAKING, AND DIGIT SYMBOL SUBSTITUTION TESTS AS WELL AS THE DIGIT FORWARD AND DIGIT BACKWARD TESTS. THE GROUP OF VIHANGAM YOGIS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER MEAN PERFORMANCE ON ALL TESTS OF ATTENTION. LONG-TERM VIHANGAM YOGA MEDITATION IMPROVES ATTENTION SPAN, PROCESSING SPEED, ATTENTION ALTERNATION ABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE IN INTERFERENCE TESTS. 2010 3 2137 30 THE EFFECTS OF ACUTE YOGA ON ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN RESPONSE TO A CARBON DIOXIDE INHALATION TASK IN WOMEN. PURPOSE: WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL ANXIETY SYMPTOMS, AND ITS POSSIBLE RESPIRATORY MECHANISM, IN HIGH-ANXIOUS WOMEN. METHODS: EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 40MIN OF GUIDED YOGA AND A LIGHT STRETCHING PROTOCOL IN A RANDOMIZED, COUNTERBALANCED ORDER.THE 7.5%CO2-INHALATION TASK WAS ADMINISTERED BEFORE, IMMEDIATELY AFTER AND 1H AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS.STATE ANXIETY AND PANIC WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH INHALATION TASK.TIDAL VOLUME, VENTILATION AND RESPIRATORY RATE WERE MEASURED DURING EVERY 7.5%CO2-INHALATION TASKS. RESULTS: THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT 3-WAY INTERACTION(P>.05).THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OF CO2-INHALATION TASK ON PANIC AND RESPIRATORY MEASURES(P<.05).WHEN COLLAPSED OVER INHALATION TASK AND CONDITION, THERE WAS A SMALL REDUCTION IN COGNITIVE ANXIETY FROM BASELINE TO IMMEDIATELY POST AND 1-H POST-CONDITION(P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: THERE APPEARS TO BE AN OVERALL EFFECT OF GENERAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR ATTENUATING ANXIETY COGNITIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES, INDICATING POSSIBLE DISSOCIATION BETWEEN THE COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AMONG WOMEN WITH ANXIETY SENSITIVITY. 2019 4 677 36 EFFECT OF A YOGA BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: EMOTION REGULATION IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENTS. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE MINDFULNESS THAT IS RELATED TO EMOTION REGULATION. MASTERING EMOTIONS TECHNIQUE (MEMT) IS ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CONTROL EMOTIONS AMONG PRACTITIONERS. HOWEVER, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO KNOWN STUDY REPORTING ITS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND ITS RELATED VARIABLES. THUS, THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF MEMT ON EMOTION REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO SUBJECTS WITH THE AGE VARIED FROM 18 TO 25 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE. ALL THE SUBJECTS UNDERWENT MEMT FOR THE DURATION OF 45 MIN A DAY FOR A PERIOD OF 2 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS EMOTIONAL REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE (ERQ), THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE (PANAS), SELF-COMPASSION SCALE (SCS), AND MINDFUL ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (MAAS) WERE TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE SCORES OF COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL, POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MAAS ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE SCORES OF NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AFTER THE PRACTICE OF MEMT COMPARED TO ITS RESPECTIVE BASELINE. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT PRACTICE OF MEMT IS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING EMOTION REGULATION, POSITIVE AFFECTS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS WHILE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE AFFECTS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. 2018 5 277 30 ADDITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING ENHANCES PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. THE CURRENT STUDY ASSESSED THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH STATE MINDFULNESS, MIND-WANDERING AND STATE ANXIETY. ALSO, WE EXAMINED IF AN ADDITIONAL 20 MIN OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP) FOR 8 WEEKS WOULD AFFECT THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES MORE THAN REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE (CONTROL GROUP) ALONE. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EXPERIMENTAL (N = 60) AND CONTROL (N = 56) GROUPS. STATE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (SMAAS), MIND-WANDERING QUESTIONNAIRE (MWQ) AND STATE ANXIETY INVENTORY WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF 8 WEEKS. RESULTS: BASELINE ASSESSMENT REVEALED A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH SMAAS SCORES AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH MWQ AND STATE ANXIETY SCORES. AT THE END OF 8 WEEKS, BOTH GROUPS DEMONSTRATED ENHANCED PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, BUT THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVING ADDITIONAL YOGA BREATHING PERFORMED BETTER THAN THE GROUP PRACTICING YOGA ALONE. CONCLUSION: AN ADDITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA BREATHING WITH INTERMITTENT BREATH HOLDING WAS FOUND TO ENHANCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS IN YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2018 6 597 29 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY TESTING OF A BRIEF YOGA MODULE ON WELL-BEING AND COGNITION OF POSTGRADUATE MENTAL HEALTHCARE STUDENTS IN TERTIARY SETTINGS. BACKGROUND: MENTAL HEALTH-CARE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE STRESS AND BURNOUT DURING THEIR TRAINING PERIOD. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN IMPROVING ONE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A BRIEF YOGA MODULE FOR POSTGRADUATE MENTAL HEALTH-CARE STUDENTS. METHODS: AMIXED METHOD DESIGN WAS USED. PHASE 1 INVOLVED DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE YOGA MODULE USING THE QUALITATIVE EXPLORATORY METHOD. PHASE II TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF THE MODULE ON A SAMPLE OF 28 FIRST-YEAR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS. THESE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A 15-DAY (30 MIN/DAY) BRIEF YOGA MODULE FOR IMPROVING THEIR WELL-BEING AND COGNITION (MIRROR NEURON ACTIVATION [MNA] AND TOWER OF LONDON TASK AS ASSESSED ON DAY 0, DAY 15 (2 WEEKS), AND DAY 30 (4 WEEKS). QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK OF THE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS WAS ALSO RECORDED. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE WELL-BEING SCORES WAS OBSERVED IN THE STUDENTS WHO ADHERED TO THE YOGA PRACTICE AFTER 2 WEEKS AND 4 WEEKS. FUNCTIONAL NEAR INFRA-RED SPECTROSCOPY (FNIRS) DATA INDICATED THAT ADHERENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT ACTIVATION OF LEFT SOMATOSENSORY REGION OF THE BRAIN AND DEACTIVATION IN THE RIGHT PRIMARY SOMATOSENSORY REGION DURING THE STATIC AND ACTIVE PHASE OF THE MNA TASK, RESPECTIVELY. ADHERENT GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN REACTION TIME DURING "ZERO-MOVES" TASKS OF TOWER OF LONDON. THE QUALITATIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE MODULE HELPED IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH OF THE STUDENTS. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS FOUND TO HAVE HIGH NEED AND MEDIUM TO HIGH FEASIBILITY. A SYSTEMIC INTEGRATION OF STUDENT WELL-BEING-ORIENTED INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING YOGA IN THE CURRICULUM OF POSTGRADUATE MENTAL HEALTH-CARE COURSES IS ADVOCATED. 2021 7 2890 35 YOGA: POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER. YOGA HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO MODULATE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVITY, DECREASING ANXIETY AND STRESS, AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SOUGHT TO EXAMINE THE USE OF YOGIC TECHNIQUES ON PERSONS WHO STUTTER GIVEN THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL/ANXIETY AND STUTTERING THAT CURRENT MULTIFACTORIAL MODELS OF STUTTERING PROPOSE. FOUR PARTICIPANTS (M = 52 YR, SD = 10; 2 FEMALE, 2 MALE), RECRUITED FROM LOCAL STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE. STUTTERING SEVERITY, ANXIETY, AND EXPERIENCES REGARDING STUTTERING AND COMMUNICATION WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, POST INTERVENTION, AND AT 4 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. THE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED GROUP YOGA SESSIONS AND ENGAGED IN HOME PRACTICE. DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS OUTCOME MEASURES, WITH THE MOST IMPROVEMENT RELATED TO ANXIETY. PARTICIPANTS ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AS PER QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER AND WARRANTS FURTHER STUDY USING AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. 2016 8 2752 29 YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE. YOGA IS AN ACTIVITY THAT AIMS TO INTEGRATE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS AND IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR APPROACH TO ENHANCING PHYSICAL FITNESS. THE INTEGRATION OF IMAGERY WITHIN YOGA PRACTICE IS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND MAY BE CRITICAL IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE BENEFITS OF YOGA THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. IN THIS STUDY, WE TESTED WHETHER INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA DEMONSTRATE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ON AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF IMPLICIT MOTOR IMAGERY. THIRTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS (18 YOGA, 18 NON-YOGA) MATCHED FOR AGE, SEX AND HANDEDNESS, UNDERTOOK THE HAND LATERALITY RECOGNITION TASK; AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF IMPLICIT MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE. ACCURACY AND RESPONSE TIMES WERE GATHERED AND ANALYSED TO DETERMINE ANY GROUP DIFFERENCES AS WELL AS ANY DIFFERENCES RELATING TO THE TYPICAL HALLMARKS OF IMAGERY (I.E. DOMINANCE AND AWKWARDNESS EFFECTS) ON THE TASK. RESPONSE TIMES (RTS) IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN CONTROLS (P < 0.05) AND THERE WAS ALSO A TREND TOWARDS GREATER ACCURACY FOR THE YOGA GROUP (P = 0.073). DOMINANCE EFFECTS (FASTER RESPONSES TO IMAGES CORRESPONDING WITH THE DOMINANT LIMB) AND AWKWARDNESS EFFECTS (FASTER RESPONSES TO IMAGES CORRESPONDING WITH NATURAL COMPARED WITH AWKWARD POSTURES) WERE EVIDENT ACROSS GROUPS, SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPANTS' USE OF MOTOR IMAGERY IN UNDERTAKING THE TASK. ADDITIONALLY, A GROUP X AWKWARDNESS INTERACTION (P < 0.05) REVEALED THAT THE ENHANCED IMAGERY PERFORMANCE FOR THE YOGA GROUP WAS MOST PRONOUNCED FOR AWKWARD POSTURES. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE; AN ASSOCIATION THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT IN EXPLAINING THE ESTABLISHED REHABILITATIVE VALUE OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. 2017 9 2085 29 THE EFFECT OF LONG TERM COMBINED YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE OF HEALTHY ADULTS. BACKGROUND: DIFFERENT PROCEDURES PRACTICED IN YOGA HAVE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE WHEN STUDIED ACUTELY. IN DAILY LIFE HOWEVER, THESE PROCEDURES ARE USUALLY PRACTICED IN COMBINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE NET CHANGE IN THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) OF INDIVIDUALS ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES (ASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES, MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING EXERCISES) FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS, AT A RESIDENTIAL YOGA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER AT BANGALORE. METHODS: THE MEASURED BMR OF INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF CONTROL SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA BUT LED SIMILAR LIFESTYLES. RESULTS: THE BMR OF THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE NON-YOGA GROUP, AND WAS LOWER BY ABOUT 13 % WHEN ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT (P < 0.001). THIS DIFFERENCE PERSISTED WHEN THE GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED BY GENDER; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE IN BMR ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT WAS GREATER IN WOMEN THAN MEN (ABOUT 8 AND 18% RESPECTIVELY). IN ADDITION, THE MEAN BMR OF THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEIR PREDICTED VALUES, WHILE THE MEAN BMR OF NON-YOGA GROUP WAS COMPARABLE WITH THEIR PREDICTED VALUES DERIVED FROM 1985 WHO/FAO/UNU PREDICTIVE EQUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BMR, PROBABLY LINKED TO REDUCED AROUSAL, WITH THE LONG TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA USING A COMBINATION OF STIMULATORY AND INHIBITORY YOGIC PRACTICES. 2006 10 1169 25 EVALUATION OF A SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ANXIETY. YOGA IS OFTEN VIEWED AS A FORM OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE, AS IT STRIVES TO ACHIEVE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND THAT AIDS HEALING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THE BENEFICIAL ROLE OF YOGA IN ANXIETY REDUCTION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESIGN AND EVALUATE A 10-WEEK SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY BASED YOGA INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ANXIETY. THE YOGA INTERVENTION UTILIZED THE CONSTRUCTS OF BEHAVIORAL CAPABILITY, EXPECTATIONS, SELF-EFFICACY FOR YOGA FROM SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY, AND INCLUDED ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), SHAVA ASANA (RELAXATION), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION). A ONE-BETWEEN AND ONE-WITHIN GROUP, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WAS UTILIZED FOR EVALUATION. SCALES MEASURING EXPECTATIONS FROM YOGA, SELF-EFFICACY FOR YOGA, AND SPEILBERGER'S STATE TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, WERE ADMINISTERED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) WERE PERFORMED TO COMPARE PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SCORES IN THE TWO GROUPS. YOGA AS AN APPROACH SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS FOR ANXIETY REDUCTION. 2011 11 760 28 EFFECT OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES ON P300 AMPLITUDE AND LATENCY. THE COGNITIVE ABILITY WHICH WAS PERCEIVED AS A CONSTANT TRAIT, IS NOW UNDERSTOOD TO BE UPGRADED BY ADAPTIVE AND EXTENDED TRAINING. YOGA PRACTICES ARE KNOWN TO SHARPEN THE INTELLECT AND ENHANCE CONCENTRATION. IN THE INITIAL PERIOD OF PRACTICING YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE/SUPPORTING TOOL TO MEDICAL LINE OF TREATMENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE ABILITY USING OBJECTIVE METHOD, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH EVIDENCES. HENCE, AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR PRACTICE OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA ON AUDITORY EVENT RELATED POTENTIAL (P300) BY RECORDING AND COMPARING PEAK LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS WITH GROUP I AND GROUP II PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA FOR MORE THAN 36 MONTHS AND LESS THAN 36 MONTHS RESPECTIVELY. GROUP III WERE NON-PRACTITIONERS WITH NO PRIOR PRACTICE OF ANY FORM OF YOGA. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP WITH A TOTAL OF 60 PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN 40 TO 65 YEARS OF AGE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. RESULTS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOR MEAN LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE BETWEEN THREE GROUPS. FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGEST THAT SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES SLOWS DOWN THE PROCESS OF AGING EFFECT OR MAINTAINS ON COGNITIVE ABILITY IN ADULTS. 2021 12 579 26 DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING FOR PHYSICIAN TRAINEES: CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED. WELL-BEING ACTIVITIES MAY HELP TO COUNTERACT PHYSICIAN BURNOUT. YOGA IS KNOWN TO ENHANCE WELL-BEING, BUT THERE ARE FEW STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PHYSICIANS IN TRAINING. THIS PROSPECTIVE METHODOLOGY-DEVELOPMENT STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE HOW TO ESTABLISH A YOGA-BASED WELL-BEING INTERVENTION FOR PHYSICIAN TRAINEES IN A LARGE URBAN TRAINING HOSPITAL. WE AIMED TO IDENTIFY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO TRAINEE PARTICIPATION AND EXPLORE AN INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE CHANGES IN SELF-REPORTED WELL-BEING AFTER YOGA. COHORTS INCLUDED A REQUIRED-ATTENDANCE GROUP, A VOLUNTARY-ATTENDANCE GROUP, AND AN UNASSIGNED WALK-IN YOGA GROUP. WEEKLY 1-HOUR YOGA SESSIONS WERE LED BY A QUALIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR FOR 4 WEEKS. THE SEVEN-QUESTION RESIDENT PHYSICIAN WELL-BEING INDEX (RPWBI) WAS USED TO MEASURE RESIDENT WELL-BEING BEFORE YOGA, AFTER 4 WEEKS OF YOGA, AND 6 MONTHS POST-YOGA. TRAINEES ATTENDING EACH SESSION RANGED FROM 17 FOR REQUIRED YOGA TO 0-2 FOR VOLUNTARY YOGA, 2-9 FOR LUNCHTIME WALK-IN YOGA, AND 1-7 FOR EVENING WALK-IN YOGA. IN THE REQUIRED-YOGA GROUP (N = 17), OVERALL RPWBI MEAN SCORES DID NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE THREE QUERY TIMES, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEY DECLINED OVER TIME. THE MEAN BASELINE RPWBI SCORE FOR THE REQUIRED GROUP BEFORE YOGA WAS IN THE NON-DISTRESSED RANGE AND ANSWERS TO THE SEVEN INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS VARIED. REQUIRING A YOGA ACTIVITY FOR MEDICAL TRAINEES MAY BE A GOOD STRATEGY FOR PROMOTING PARTICIPATION IN YOGA. THE RPWBI MAY HAVE LIMITED UTILITY FOR MEASURING CHANGES IN OVERALL GROUP WELL-BEING AFTER A YOGA INTERVENTION. 2021 13 678 24 EFFECT OF A YOGA PRACTICE SESSION AND A YOGA THEORY SESSION ON STATE ANXIETY. YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED FOR VARYING DURATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY. IN THIS STUDY, THERE WERE 300 NAIVE-TO-YOGA PERSONS OF BOTH SEXES WHO WERE ATTENDING A YOGA THERAPY CENTER IN NORTH INDIA FOR STRESS RELIEF AS DAY VISITORS AND WERE NOT RESIDING AT THE CENTER. THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS, YOGA PRACTICE AND YOGA THEORY, AND THEIR STATE ANXIETY WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER A 2-HR. YOGA SESSION. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SCORES ON STATE ANXIETY WAS FOUND IN THE YOGA PRACTICE GROUP (14.7% DECREASE), AS WELL AS IN THE YOGA THEORY GROUP (3.4% DECREASE). THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORES FOLLOWING THE SESSIONS WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HENCE, YOGA PRACTICE AS WELL AS LEARNING ABOUT THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA APPEAR TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY, WITH A GREATER REDUCTION FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE. 2009 14 1643 19 MOOD CHANGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF VITALITY: A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF RELAXATION, VISUALIZATION AND YOGA. THE EFFECTS OF THREE DIFFERENT PROCEDURES, RELAXATION, VISUALIZATION AND YOGIC BREATHING AND STRETCH (PRANAYAMA) ON PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENERGY AND ON POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE MOOD STATES HAVE BEEN ASSESSED IN A GROUP OF NORMAL VOLUNTEERS (N = 71, AGE RANGE 21-76). PRANAYAMA PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER INCREASE IN PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ENERGY AND FEELINGS OF ALERTNESS AND ENTHUSIASM THAN THE OTHER TWO PROCEDURES (P < 0.5). RELAXATION MADE SUBJECTS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SLEEPY AND SLUGGISH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SESSION THAN PRANAYAMA (P < 0.05). VISUALIZATION MADE THEM MORE SLUGGISH BUT LESS CONTENT THAN PRANAYAMA (P < 0.05) AND MORE UPSET THAN RELAXATION AFTER THE SECOND SESSION (P < 0.05). THUS, A 30 MIN PROGRAMME OF YOGIC STRETCH AND BREATHING EXERCISES WHICH IS SIMPLE TO LEARN AND WHICH CAN BE PRACTISED EVEN BY THE ELDERLY HAD A MARKEDLY 'INVIGORATING' EFFECT ON PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ENERGY AND INCREASED HIGH POSITIVE MOOD. A MORE EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION IS PLANNED TO ESTABLISH WHETHER SUCH A PROGRAMME CAN READILY BE INCORPORATED INTO EVERYDAY LIFE, AND WITH WHAT LONG-TERM RESULTS. 1993 15 251 33 A YOGA PROGRAM FOR COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT. BACKGROUND: RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE MAY IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. ALTHOUGH PRELIMINARY DATA INDICATE THAT YOGA IMPROVES WORKING MEMORY (WM), HIGH-RESOLUTION INFORMATION ABOUT THE TYPE OF WM SUBCONSTRUCTS, NAMELY MAINTENANCE AND MANIPULATION, IS NOT AVAILABLE. FURTHERMORE, THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT AND IMPROVED MINDFULNESS AS A RESULT OF YOGA PRACTICE REQUIRES EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A BRIEF YOGA PROGRAM ON WM MAINTENANCE, WM MANIPULATION AND ATTENTIVE MINDFULNESS. METHODS: MEASURES OF WM (DIGIT SPAN FORWARD, BACKWARD, AND SEQUENCING, AND LETTER-NUMBER SEQUENCING) WERE ADMINISTERED PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING 6 SESSIONS OF YOGA (N = 43). ADDITIONALLY, THE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE WAS ADMINISTERED TO EXAMINE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON MINDFULNESS, AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CHANGES IN WM AND MINDFULNESS. RESULTS: ANALYSES REVEALED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FROM PRE- TO POST- TRAINING ASSESSMENT ON BOTH MAINTENANCE WM (DIGIT SPAN FORWARD) AND MANIPULATION WM (DIGIT SPAN BACKWARD AND LETTER-NUMBER SEQUENCING). NO CHANGE WAS FOUND ON DIGIT SPAN SEQUENCING. IMPROVEMENT WAS ALSO FOUND ON MINDFULNESS SCORES. HOWEVER, NO CORRELATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND WM MEASURES. CONCLUSIONS: A 6-SESSION YOGA PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ON MANIPULATION AND MAINTENANCE WM MEASURES AS WELL AS ENHANCED MINDFULNESS SCORES. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF YOGA-RELATED COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT AND MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY ENHANCE COGNITION, IDEALLY BY UTILIZING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BATTERIES. 2017 16 1010 25 EFFECTS OF MULTISENSORY YOGA ON BEHAVIOR IN A MALE CHILD WITH APERT AND ASPERGER SYNDROME. THIS CASE FOCUSED ON A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH APERT AND ASPERGER'S SYNDROME WHO ATTENDED 8, 45 MIN MULTISENSORY YOGA SESSIONS, TWICE A WEEK, DURING 4-WEEK CAMP. RESULTS FROM THE PRE- AND POST-TESTS ON TREATMENT AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AUTISM SOCIAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOTAL SCORE CHANGES FROM 19 TO 7 FOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS. SPARKS TARGET BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST SCORES CHANGED FROM EIGHT TO ONE SHOWING PROGRESSION IN ABILITY TO STAY ON TASK. YOGA POSE RATING SCALE DISPLAYED THE TRANSFORMATION IN TOTAL SCORES FROM 80 = EMERGING TO 115 = CONSISTENCY IN POSE PERFORMANCE. THE FIELD NOTES REVEALED THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EXPRESSIVE EMOTIONS, SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, AND DECLINE IN LOOKING AROUND. OUTSIDE CLASS PARENT AND SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST REPORTED THE IMPROVED ABILITY TO SELF-REGULATE STRESS USING LION'S BREATH AND SUPER BRAIN. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE AN IMPROVEMENT IN BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCED THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION, AND SOCIAL INTERACTION AFTER YOGA TRAINING FOR THIS CHILD. 2016 17 2611 23 YOGA FOR REHABILITATION: AN OVERVIEW. THE USE OF YOGA FOR REHABILITATION HAS DIVERSE APPLICATIONS. YOGA PRACTICE BENEFITED MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SUBJECTS BY IMPROVING THEIR MENTAL ABILITY, ALSO THE MOTOR CO-ORDINATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS. PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED SUBJECTS HAD A RESTORATION OF SOME DEGREE OF FUNCTIONAL ABILITY AFTER PRACTICING YOGA. VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN CHILDREN SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THEIR ABNORMAL ANXIETY LEVELS WHEN THEY PRACTICED YOGA FOR THREE WEEKS, WHILE A PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAD NO SUCH EFFECT. SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED ADULTS (PRISONERS IN A JAIL) AND CHILDREN IN A REMAND HOME SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEP, APPETITE AND GENERAL WELL BEING, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL. THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION WAS REPORTED TO DECREASE THE DEGREE OF SUBSTANCE (MARIJUANA) ABUSE, BY STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL RESOLVE AND DECREASING THE ANXIETY. ANOTHER IMPORTANT AREA IS THE APPLICATION OF YOGA (AND INDEED, LIFESTYLE CHANGE), IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. FINALLY, THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE MENTAL STATE AND GENERAL WELL BEING OF HIV POSITIVE PERSONS AND PATIENTS WITH AIDS, IS BEING EXPLORED. 1997 18 2461 28 YOGA AS A NOVEL ADJUVANT THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES. CONTEXT: RECENT STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS WELL TOLERATED BY PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES (IIMS) AND CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY TO PHARMACOLOGIC AGENTS, ESPECIALLY IF STARTED EARLY. TO DATE, NO STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH IIMS. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SELF-REPORTED DIFFICULTY IN PERFORMING ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADL) AND MUSCLE STRENGTH IN PATIENTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE IIMS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COHORT STUDY IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED USING THE MYOSITIS ACTIVITIES PROFILE (MAP) AND MANUAL MUSCLE TESTING (MMT) BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMPLETION OF AN 8-WEEK INSTRUCTOR-GUIDED YOGA COURSE WAS PERFORMED. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: WILCOXON SIGNED-RANKED TEST WAS PERFORMED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THE AVERAGE POSTTREATMENT MAP SCORES OF SIX PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE OF 2.51 POINTS, WHILE THE AVERAGE MMT SCORE OF FOUR PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE OF 11 POINTS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST STUDY TO DATE TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH IIM. CONTINUED RESEARCH SHOULD BE DONE ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT THERAPY, FOR IN ADDITION TO INCREASE IN MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ABILITY TO PERFORM ADL, YOGA MAY OFFER POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SLEEP. 2021 19 2449 28 YOGA AND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ATTENTIONAL LOAD AND EMOTION INTERFERENCE. THIS STUDY COMPARED 45 YOGA PRACTITIONERS (M AGE = 29.7 YR., SD = 6.4) AND 45 MATCHED CONTROLS (M AGE = 29.3 YR., SD = 6.2) ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A BEHAVIORAL TASK THAT ASSESSED NEGATIVE EMOTION INTERFERENCE DURING A HIGH- AND A LOW-ATTENTIONAL DEMAND CONDITION, AS WELL AS ON STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES. OUTCOMES WERE ALSO COMPARED BETWEEN BEGINNER AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS. FOR THE BEHAVIORAL TASK, THE FINAL SAMPLE COMPRISED 36 YOGA AND 38 CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THE YOGA GROUP PRESENTED LOWER EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE HIGH ATTENTIONAL CONDITION, COMPARED TO THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION; RATED EMOTIONAL IMAGES AS LESS UNPLEASANT, COMPARED TO CONTROLS; AND REPORTED LOWER STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES RELATIVE TO CONTROLS. ALSO, EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION WAS LOWER AMONG ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS AND STATE ANXIETY WAS LOWER AMONG PRACTITIONERS ATTENDING MORE THAN TWO WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES. THE RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA MAY HELP IMPROVE SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS AND LOWER ANXIETY. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED IN LONGITUDINAL STUDIES. 2015 20 1504 35 INVESTIGATION OF YOGA PRANAYAMA AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION AND EMOTION REGULATION. BACKGROUND: COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN MATHEMATICS, HAVE MADE EMOTIONAL STRESS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR PREUNIVERSITY STUDENTS, EMOTIONS LIKE AGGRESSION TOWARD FELLOW STUDENTS AND TEACHERS INCREASE. MINDFULNESS IS A QUALITY THAT REDUCES BOTH EMOTIONAL STRESS AND AGGRESSION, SO INCREASING MINDFULNESS SHOULD BE HELPFUL. AIMS: TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRANAYAMA (YP) AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS (VM) ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND EMOTION REGULATION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 12(TH) GRADERS ATTENDING A PREUNIVERSITY COLLEGE IN CHIKKAMAGALURU, INDIA, OF BOTH GENDERS. EXCLUSION CRITERIA INCLUDED MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. THREE CLASSES WERE ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE INTERVENTIONS, WHICH CONSISTED OF 15 DAYS EACH OF 30 MIN DAILY INSTRUCTION IN YP, GROUP 1, VM, GROUP 2, OR 30 MIN ORDINARY CLASS WORK, GROUP 3, THE CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE USING THE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE, THE NONPHYSICAL AGGRESSION SCALE FROM PITTSBURGH YOUTH STUDY, AND THE EMOTION REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: SPSS 19.0. RESULTS: MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL REGULATION CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE YP GROUP, WHILE MINDFULNESS ALONE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE VM GROUP. NO GROUP CHANGED ON POSITIVE EMOTION REGULATION. CONTROLS APPARENTLY IMPROVED ON AGGRESSION. AN INTERESTING POST HOC CORRELATION ANALYSIS IS ALSO REPORTED, AMONG OTHER THINGS DIRECTLY LINKING INCREASED MINDFULNESS TO DECREASED AGGRESSION. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DECREASING EMOTIONAL PRESSURE ON STUDENTS FACING PREUNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS EXAMINATIONS. INCREASING MINDFULNESS IS CONSIDERED A WAY OF INCREASING EMOTION REGULATION, SO THE FAILURE OF THIS STUDY TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THAT IS OF INTEREST. 2017