1 1778 116 PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA'S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL UNITED STATES SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR, YET LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE REGARDING PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHANGES PRACTITIONERS REPORTED IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DOMAINS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INTERNET-BASED SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 542, INCLUDING 162 TEACHERS) RECRUITED VIA EMAIL AND FLYERS SENT TO YOGA STUDIOS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (US). PARTICIPANTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 18 TO 85 YEARS (M = 44). MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS RATED THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY EXPERIENCED POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CHANGE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS AND THEN LISTED UP TO THREE POSITIVE AND THREE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. RESULTS: BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REPORTED MODERATELY HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE PHYSICAL CHANGES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES, ALTHOUGH TEACHERS GENERALLY REPORTED MORE POSITIVE CHANGES. FEW NEGATIVE CHANGES WERE REPORTED. IN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES, THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS WERE GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS AND RELAXATION. MOST COMMONLY REPORTED NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE INJURIES, SORENESS, EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS/IRRITABILITY, AND EXPENSE. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY PERCEIVE HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE CHANGES, BUT SOME ALSO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EFFECTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ASSESS SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF CHANGE ALONGSIDE MORE OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF IMPROVEMENT. 2016 2 2749 46 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES. 2020 3 1025 32 EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANA PRACTICE APPROACH ON TYPES OF BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. CONTEXT: MODERN SCIENCE AND THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HATHA YOGA, HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA, REPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. WHILE ALL HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO PRACTICE, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SPECIFIC PRACTICE APPROACHES IMPACT THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED BY PRACTITIONERS. AIMS: OUR AIM WAS TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE APPROACHES (TIME OF DAY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, ETC.), AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF YOGA. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ACROSS LEVELS AND STYLES OF PRACTICE. DATA WERE COMPILED FROM A LARGE VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 2620) REGARDING RESPONDENTS' METHODS OF PRACTICE, YOGA EXPERIENCE LEVELS, AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO YOGA PRACTICE THAT POSITIVELY PREDICTED PARTICULAR BENEFITS. RESULTS: FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT A TEACHER, WAS A POSITIVE PREDICTOR OF REPORTING NEARLY ALL BENEFITS OF YOGA, WITH AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF EXPERIENCING MOST BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER DID YOGA FIVE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. OTHER ASPECTS OF PRACTICE APPROACH, EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, HAD LESS EFFECT ON THE BENEFITS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK WILL PROVIDE PRACTITIONERS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS. OTHER PRACTICE APPROACHES CAN VARY MORE WIDELY WITHOUT HAVING A MARKED IMPACT ON MOST BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. 2019 4 563 28 CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR THEIR GENERALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOW A PERSON PRACTICES YOGA AND THE PERSON'S HRQOL IS NOT KNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY VIA EMAIL. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS, HRQOL, AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. ANALYSES OF DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDERS EVALUATED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (USE OF YOGA TOOLS, LENGTH OF PRACTICE, LOCATION, METHOD, ETC.) AND THE 10-ITEM PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SCALE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. RESULTS: MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION MODELS DEMONSTRATED HIGHER MENTAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE, HIGHER INCOME, AND THE METHOD OF PRACTICING IN A COMMUNITY GROUP CLASS (VERSUS ONE-ON-ONE). HIGHER PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTH OF LIFETIME PRACTICE, TEACHER STATUS, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA STYLE, AND PRACTICING IN A YOGA SCHOOL/STUDIO (VERSUS AT HOME). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION PRACTICE IN YOGA IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH. LENGTH OF LIFETIME YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE BENEFIT OVER TIME. DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND METHODS OF PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES. COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ON THE VARIATIONS IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2017 5 1628 31 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 6 2685 32 YOGA IN THE REAL WORLD: PERCEPTIONS, MOTIVATORS, BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF USE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PRACTICED BY NEARLY 16 MILLION US ADULTS. CLINICAL YOGA RESEARCH HAS YIELDED PROMISING FINDINGS IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN NON-PATIENT POPULATIONS IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SURVEY A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA USE IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING. METHODS: THIS STUDY USED A PRE-POST TEST DESIGN IN A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS REGISTERED FOR A 4-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN A NETWORK OF FIVE YOGA STUDIOS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. STUDENTS WERE LINKED VIA E-MAIL TO BASELINE AND ENDPOINT SURVEYS. ANALYSES WERE DESCRIPTIVE. RESULTS: SIX HUNDRED FOUR STUDENTS COMPLETED THE BASELINE SURVEY, AND 290 (48%) COMPLETED THE 4-WEEK ENDPOINT SURVEY. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, WITH RESPONDENTS BEING PRIMARILY FEMALE (86%), WHITE (88%), AND COLLEGE EDUCATED (78%). THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRACTICE WAS TIME (55%). RESPONDENTS PERCEIVED YOGA PRIMARILY AS AN EXERCISE ACTIVITY (92%), SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (73%), OR A WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT A HEALTH CONDITION (50%). MAIN REASONS FOR TAKING YOGA WERE GENERAL WELLNESS (81%), PHYSICAL EXERCISE (80%), AND STRESS MANAGEMENT (73%). NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BELIEVED YOGA WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WITH 28% TAKING YOGA TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH CONDITION. ON AVERAGE, RESPONDENTS PRACTICED 3 TO 4 HOURS/ WEEK IN AND OUT OF CLASS. CONCLUSIONS: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WERE CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL SURVEY DATA. DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS PERCEIVED SEVERAL WAYS. INFORMATION ON PRACTICE PATTERNS PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION, WHICH MAY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS INCORPORATE YOGA INTO DAILY LIFE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT. 2013 7 470 29 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY. YOGA IS A GLOBALLY POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE USED FOR HEALTH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA PRACTICE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDENTS WERE ANALYZED FOR PATTERNS IN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (YOGA TECHNIQUES, LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, AND YOGA TYPE). ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE AND YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY WERE COMPUTED. THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS WERE THEN ANALYZED AS PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY IN A REGRESSION MODEL: LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, YOGA TYPE, AND TECHNIQUES. MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED USE OF ALL THREE YOGA TECHNIQUES (MOVEMENTS, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION) AND PRACTICED AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 +/- 1.9 DAYS A WEEK. KEY CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED BY TEACHER STATUS AND BY YOGA TYPE (VINIYOGA PRACTITIONERS VS. OTHER YOGA STYLES). IN OUR REGRESSION MODEL, BEING A YOGA TEACHER, BEING TAUGHT A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA PRACTICE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND REGULAR USE OF MOVEMENT WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PRACTICE FREQUENCY. OUR ANALYSES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOGA FACTORS SUCH AS TEACHER STATUS, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND USE OF TOOLS RELATE TO PRACTICE FREQUENCY. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY MAY ALLOW FOR THE IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA FOR HEALTH. 2018 8 645 26 DOES YOGA SHAPE BODY, MIND AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND/AIMS: TO ASSESS THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA STUDENTS COMPARED WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ADMINISTERED TO THE TWO GROUPS. RESULTS: FIVE INDICATORS TO MEASURE MENTAL WELLNESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. ON THREE OF THESE FIVE MEASURES, COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MORE MENTAL WELLNESS THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS - IN OTHER WORDS, THE RELATIONSHIP WAS THE INVERSE OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED. COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THEIR LIFE MORE OFTEN THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AS WELL AS MORE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO REPORT BEING TOLERANT OF OTHERS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY APPROVED OF THEIR BEHAVIOR OR BELIEFS. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT HAVING STRONG MORALS AND HEALTHY VALUES AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. WE FOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON MORE THAN HALF OF OUR SPIRIT ITEMS (FIVE OF NINE). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT EXPRESSING THEIR SPIRITUALITY APPROPRIATELY AND IN HEALTHY WAYS, RECOGNIZING THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION FAITH COULD MAKE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE (SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.07 LEVEL), ROUTINELY UNDERTAKING NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAVING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. FURTHER, WE FOUND SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT EXPERIENCING HAPPINESS WITHIN. CONCLUSIONS: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE FOUND ON THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT. FURTHER WORK NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 9 472 34 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 10 1723 32 PERCEPTIONS OF HATHA YOGA AMONGST PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN A TRIAL OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVES: TO UNDERSTAND DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS' EXPERIENCES IN A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER 10 WEEKS OF HATHA YOGA CLASSES OR A HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL GROUP. THIS REPORT INCLUDES RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA CLASSES. AT THE START OF CLASSES, AVERAGE DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY LEVEL WAS MODERATE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES, WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS (N=50) TO PROVIDE WRITTEN RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT CLASSES, WHAT THEY DID NOT LIKE OR DID NOT FIND HELPFUL, AND WHAT THEY LEARNED. WE ANALYZED QUALITATIVE DATA USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: ELEMENTS OF YOGA CLASSES THAT MAY INCREASE ACCEPTABILITY FOR DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS INCLUDE HAVING INSTRUCTORS WHO PROMOTE A NON-COMPETITIVE AND NON-JUDGMENTAL ATMOSPHERE, WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ABLE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION, AND WHO ARE KIND AND WARM. INCLUDING DEPRESSION-RELATED THEMES IN CLASSES, TEACHING MINDFULNESS, TEACHING BREATHING EXERCISES, AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR TRANSLATING CLASS INTO HOME PRACTICE MAY HELP TO MAKE YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR TARGETING DEPRESSION. PARTICIPANTS' COMMENTS REINFORCED THE IMPORTANCE OF ASPECTS OF MINDFULNESS, SUCH AS ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF ONE'S SELF AND ONE'S EXPERIENCE, AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION. OTHER POTENTIAL MECHANISMS INCLUDE USE OF BREATHING PRACTICES IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT UNDERLIE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF YOGIC BREATHING. THE MOST SERIOUS CONCERN HIGHLIGHTED BY A FEW PARTICIPANTS WAS THE CONCERN THAT THE YOGA CLASSES WERE TOO DIFFICULT GIVEN THEIR PHYSICAL ABILITIES. 2017 11 2385 33 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 12 1711 22 PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AFTER STROKE: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST YOGA CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO HEALTH AND WELLBEING AFTER STROKE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AMONG ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-SIX COMMUNITY DWELLING ADULTS (14 FEMALE, 12 MALE) WHO WERE AT LEAST 6-MONTHS POST-STROKE PARTICIPATED IN FOUR FOCUS GROUPS HELD AT LOCAL STROKE RECOVERY MEETINGS. DATA WAS RECORDED AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED THEMATICALLY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IDENTIFIED WHOLE BODY BENEFITS, THE RETURN OF CONNECTION AND FEELING HEALTH IN MIND AS THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF YOGA. PERCEIVED BARRIERS INCLUDED PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, COGNITIVE CHALLENGES, ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS, AND FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. CONCLUSION: STROKE SURVIVORS PERCEIVE YOGA PRACTICE PROVIDES BENEFITS IN 'CONNECTEDNESS'. FUTURE INTERVENTIONS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, FOCUS ON THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION ASPECTS OF YOGA, AND MODIFYING ACTIVITIES TO SAFELY ACCOMMODATE THE PHYSICAL ABILITIES OF THE PARTICIPANTS. 2019 13 386 33 BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY FROM INDIA. OBJECTIVE: BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED IN SURVEYS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO (I) DETERMINE THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS IN INDIA AND (II) CORRELATE THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA WITH FACTORS RELATED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS CONVENIENCE SAMPLING IN-PERSON SURVEY REPORTS BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN 3135 YOGA EXPERIENCED PERSONS. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED BY 94.5 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS WERE IMPROVEMENT IN: (I) PHYSICAL FITNESS, (II) MENTAL STATE AND (III) COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. AN ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA WAS REPORTED BY 1.9 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS. THE THREE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED WERE: (I) SORENESS AND PAIN, (II) MUSCLE INJURIES AND (III) FATIGUE. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION (IN ALL CASES P < 0.05 CHI SQUARE TEST; CRAMER'S V > 0.10) WITH REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA: (I) EXPERIENCE OF YOGA IN MONTHS, (II) TIME SPENT PRACTICING YOGA IN A WEEK, (III) NUMBER OF YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED, AND (IV) WHETHER AWARENESS WAS MAINTAINED DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE OR NOT. CONCLUSION: BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO PHYSICAL HEALTH WERE THE MOST COMMON, WITH SORENESS AND PAIN THE MOST COMMON ADVERSE EFFECT OF YOGA. YOGA PRACTICE RELATED FACTORS INFLUENCE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2021 14 2249 26 THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA PARTICIPATION IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. CONTEXT: THE MULTIFACTORIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE LITERATURE, WITH THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA THERAPY INTO HEALTHCARE BEING AN EMERGING FIELD. IN GENERAL, YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS ARE UTILIZED IN THE COMMUNITY AS AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER THERAPY. AT PRESENT, LIMITED REHABILITATION UNITS ROUTINELY INCORPORATE INTEGRATIVE THERAPY OPTIONS WITHIN A HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLORE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THIRTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED TO THE STUDY AFTER VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA CLASS WITHIN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION UNIT OF A MAJOR METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL. YOGA SESSIONS WERE HELD WEEKLY FOR 60 MIN AND CONSISTED OF A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA STYLE. THIS WAS A MIXED-METHODS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL ONE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST STUDY. METHODOLOGY: QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED TO MEASURE PERCEPTIONS OF RELAXATION AND WELL-BEING BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA CLASSES, ALONG WITH THE SATISFACTION OF THE CLASS. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE UTILIZED TO COLLECT QUALITATIVE DATA OF EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PARTICIPATION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA. QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS, AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE ALSO PROVIDED. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS DESCRIBED BY PARTICIPANTS ARE REPORTED IN THIS PAPER. THESE INCLUDE IMPROVED RELAXATION, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, BEING PRESENT, AND SELF-AWARENESS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM REGULAR YOGA PARTICIPATION WITHIN AN INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING. 2020 15 1512 34 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 16 1715 28 PERCEIVED MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA TARGETING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. INTRODUCTION: THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE YOGA TEACHERS' AND YOGA THERAPISTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE WAYS YOGA IS APPLIED TO TREAT SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND IDENTIFY THE DEFINING FEATURES, MAIN COMPONENTS, AND MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE. METHODS: A QUALITATIVE DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. SIX YOGA TEACHERS WHO HAD SPECIFIC TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING THERAPEUTIC YOGA OR PRACTICING 'YOGA THERAPY' TOOK PART IN ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEWS DURING WHICH THEY GAVE ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HELPING PEOPLE COPE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS THROUGH YOGA. PARTICIPANTS' INTERVIEWS WERE TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND WERE ANALYSED USING AN INTEGRATIVE INDUCTIVE-DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS: FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED IN RELATION TO THE BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA: AWARENESS, CHOICE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TAILORING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUPPORT PREVIOUS RESEARCH WHICH SUGGESTS THAT INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION, AND MAY HELP TO FORM A THEORETICAL RATIONALE FOR THE FUTURE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WITH YOGA. 2020 17 2062 36 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH TO THE EFFECTS OF POSES AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. BACKGROUND: DISADVANTAGED YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LIKELY TO BE MORE SEDENTARY AND OBESE AND EXPERIENCE MORE STRESS THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. YOGA AND BREATHING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS LEVELS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS, AND BEHAVIOR OF SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. AIMS: USING SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO EXAMINE BEHAVIORAL, PERSONAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE MULTILEVEL INFLUENCES OF A YOGA-BASED CLASSROOM INTERVENTION ON URBAN YOUTH. METHODS: USING A MIXED METHODOLOGICAL QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THIS PILOT STUDY INCLUDED THE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS (N = 40) AT ONE URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A SURVEY CONTAINED STRESS, YOGA BEHAVIOR, AND AGGRESSION SCALES. IN ADDITION, INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERVIEWS, A TEACHER INTERVIEW, AND CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. RESULTS: PAIRED AND INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T-TESTS SHOWED PRE/POST DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PARTICIPATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS (P < 0.01). QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE MAIN THEMES: (1) INCREASED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF YOGA TECHNIQUES, (2) BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BOTH IN/OUT OF SCHOOL, AND (3) IMPACT ON PERSONAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT URBAN CLASSROOMS SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING AS IT CONTRIBUTES TO DAILY STUDENT PA AND ALSO CAN BE STRESS RELIEVING, FUN, CALMING, AND EASY TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. 2020 18 2903 23 [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 19 1718 30 PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, WELL-BEING, AND COVID 19 RESPONSE IN ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO MATCHED CONTROLS: A RESEARCH PROTOCOL. OBJECTIVES: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT STRESSOR WORLDWIDE AND REPORTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, DEPRESSION, SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES, AND OVERALL DECREASED WELLBEING ARE INCREASING. YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS TO COMPARE ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO CONTROLS ON PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, WELLBEING, AND PROTECTION AND RECOVERY FROM COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN. IN THIS PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ARE BEING COMPARED BETWEEN SEASONED YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH TWO CONTROLS WHO ARE AGE (+/-3 YEARS), GENDER MATCHED, AND LIVING IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ASKED TO COMPLETE A SERIES OF WEB-BASED SURVEYS AT BASELINE, SIX WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS. THESE SURVEYS INCLUDE VALIDATED SCALES AND OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS ON COVID-19 INFECTION AND MEDICAL HISTORY. THE VALIDATED QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESS STRESS, MOOD STATES, RESILIENCE, AND OVERALL WELLBEING. QUESTIONNAIRES, WEEKLY ACTIVITY DIARIES, AND MEDICAL HISTORY, WILL BE COLLECTED USING REDCAP. RESULTS: WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT ROUTINE YOGA PRACTICE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WILL REDUCE STRESS, ENHANCE WELL-BEING, AND PROVIDE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS AGAINST COVID-19. CONCLUSION: WITH THE GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AND INCREASED INTEREST IN ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGIC PRACTICES, THIS STUDY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE ABOUT THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2021 20 1812 32 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. BACKGROUND: TRAUMA IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE, OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER YOGA PRACTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A TRAUMA HISTORY AND MAY IMPROVE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. THUS, WE CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES. METHODS: TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASSES WERE LED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELD IN THREE SECTORS THAT WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ANONYMOUS SURVEY USING A RETROSPECTIVE PRE-POST DESIGN. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT CAPTURED REASONS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: STUDENTS WERE MOTIVATED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES BY EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. STUDENTS REPORTED PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING AND GREATER USE OF SELF-REGULATION SKILLS AFTER STARTING YOGA. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL BY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OR RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE VALUE OF OFFERING TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING WARRANT FORMAL STUDY. 2021