1 2149 61 THE EFFECTS OF POWER AND STRETCH YOGA ON AFFECT AND SALIVARY CORTISOL IN WOMEN. YOGA PRACTICE IS KNOWN TO IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND DECREASE STRESS. HOWEVER, ACUTE YOGA IS UNDERSTUDIED. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA ON AFFECT AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN COLLEGE WOMEN. THIRTY-THREE WOMEN AGED 18-30 YEARS EACH COMPLETED 1-HOUR SESSIONS OF POWER YOGA AND STRETCH YOGA. MEASURES OF AFFECT AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE ASSESSED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER EACH SESSION. PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED POWER YOGA TO BE MORE PLEASURABLE AND ENERGIZING. SALIVARY CORTISOL SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER BOTH YOGA SESSIONS. THUS, EVEN ONE SESSION OF YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING AFFECT AND DECREASING STRESS IN COLLEGE WOMEN. 2019 2 248 24 A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH ELEVATED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. CONTEXT: YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OFTEN REPORT THAT YOGA HAS AN UPLIFTING EFFECT ON THEIR MOODS, BUT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON YOGA AND DEPRESSION IS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A SHORT-TERM IYENGAR YOGA COURSE ON MOOD IN MILDLY DEPRESSED YOUNG ADULTS. DESIGN: YOUNG ADULTS PRE-SCREENED FOR MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA COURSE OR WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: COLLEGE CAMPUS RECREATION CENTER. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-EIGHT VOLUNTEERS AGES 18 TO 29. AT INTAKE, ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE EXPERIENCING MILD LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, BUT HAD RECEIVED NO CURRENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES OR TREATMENTS. NONE HAD SIGNIFICANT YOGA EXPERIENCE. INTERVENTION: SUBJECTS IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED TWO 1-HOUR IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES EACH WEEK FOR 5 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. THE CLASSES EMPHASIZED YOGA POSTURES THOUGHT TO ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION, PARTICULARLY BACK BENDS, STANDING POSES, AND INVERSIONS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA COURSE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND TRAIT ANXIETY. THESE EFFECTS EMERGED BY THE MIDDLE OF THE YOGA COURSE AND WERE MAINTAINED BY THE END. CHANGES ALSO WERE OBSERVED IN ACUTE MOOD, WITH SUBJECTS REPORTING DECREASED LEVELS OF NEGATIVE MOOD AND FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES. FINALLY, THERE WAS A TREND FOR HIGHER MORNING CORTISOL LEVELS IN THE YOGA GROUP BY THE END OF THE YOGA COURSE, COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE OF THE UTILITY OF YOGA ASANAS IN IMPROVING MOOD AND SUPPORT THE NEED FOR FUTURE STUDIES WITH LARGER SAMPLES AND MORE COMPLEX STUDY DESIGNS TO MORE FULLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD DISTURBANCES. 2004 3 209 32 A SINGLE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA IMPROVES STRESS REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY AFTER AN ACUTE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS TASK-A COUNTERBALANCED, RANDOMIZED-CROSSOVER TRIAL IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IS PROMOTED AS AN ANTI-STRESS ACTIVITY, HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH IT ACTS. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A HATHA YOGA SESSION, DISPLAYED ON A VIDEO, ON THE RESPONSE TO AND RECOVERY FROM AN ACUTE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSOR. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS TOOK PART IN A COUNTERBALANCED, RANDOMIZED-CROSSOVER TRIAL, WITH A YOGA AND A CONTROL CONDITION (WATCHING TV). PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THE LABORATORY IN THE AFTERNOON ON TWO DAYS AND EACH SESSION COMPRISED A BASELINE, CONTROL OR YOGA TASK, STRESS TASK AND RECOVERY. BLOOD PRESSURE (BP), HEART RATE (HR) AND SALIVARY CORTISOL RESPONSES WERE MEASURED. STATE COGNITIVE- AND SOMATIC-ANXIETY ALONG WITH SELF-CONFIDENCE WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE STRESSOR. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH NO DIFFERENCE IN THE BP OR HR RESPONSES TO STRESS WERE FOUND BETWEEN CONDITIONS, SYSTOLIC BP (P=0.047) AND DIASTOLIC BP (P=0.018) RECOVERY FROM STRESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATED AND SALIVARY CORTISOL REACTIVITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (P=0.01) IN THE YOGA CONDITION. A YOGA SESSION ALSO INCREASED SELF-CONFIDENCE (P=0.006) IN PREPARATION FOR THE TASK AND AFTER COMPLETION. MOREOVER, SELF-CONFIDENCE REPORTED AFTER THE STRESS TASK WAS CONSIDERED DEBILITATIVE TOWARDS PERFORMANCE IN THE CONTROL CONDITION, BUT REMAINED FACILITATIVE IN THE YOGA CONDITION. CONCLUSION: OUR RESULTS SHOW THAT A SINGLE VIDEO-INSTRUCTED SESSION OF HATHA YOGA WAS ABLE TO IMPROVE STRESS REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY FROM AN ACUTE STRESS TASK IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. THESE POSITIVE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ENCOURAGE FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN AT-RISK POPULATIONS IN WHICH THE MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS MAY BE GREATER, AND SUPPORT THE USE OF YOGA FOR STRESS REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY. 2017 4 2089 28 THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON AFFECT, CORTISOL AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. PERINATAL DEPRESSION IMPACTS MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON CORTISOL, AFFECT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE INVESTIGATED IN 51 WOMEN. TWICE DURING PREGNANCY, YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ON AFFECT AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE BEFORE AND AFTER A 90-MIN PRENATAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. CORRESPONDING MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FROM YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS ON DAYS OF USUAL ACTIVITY. DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED IN PREGNANCY AND POST PARTUM. CORTISOL WAS LOWER (P < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT HIGHER (P < .001) ON YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL ACTIVITY DAYS. NEGATIVE AFFECT AND CONTENTMENT (P < .05) IMPROVED MORE IN RESPONSE TO THE YOGA SESSION. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER POSTPARTUM (P < .05) BUT NOT ANTEPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS THAN CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PRENATAL HATHA YOGA MAY IMPROVE CURRENT MOOD AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2014 5 244 25 A YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM REDUCES STRESS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS. FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE EXHIBIT REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCREASED STRESS LEVELS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM ON THE PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. A TOTAL OF 46 VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO PARTICIPATE IN A STRESS-REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR A 2-MONTH PERIOD (YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM-YCMP GROUP) (N = 25) OR AN UNTREATED GROUP FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME (CONTROL GROUP) (N = 21). THE LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND MORNING SALIVARY CORTISOL OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. THE GROUPS WERE INITIALLY HOMOGENEOUS; HOWEVER, AFTER INTERVENTION, THE GROUPS DIVERGED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE YCMP GROUP EXHIBITED A REDUCTION OF THE STRESS (P < 0.05), ANXIETY (P < 0.000001), AND DEPRESSION (P < 0.00001) LEVELS, AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN THE CONCENTRATION OF SALIVARY CORTISOL (P < 0.05). OUR STUDY SUGGESTS THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM MAY OFFER AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR REDUCING PERCEIVED STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL IN FAMILIAL CAREGIVERS. 2013 6 723 24 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH SEVERAL STRESS FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THEREFORE, THE FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY IS A PERIOD THAT CALLS FOR CAREFUL ATTENTION AND RESEARCH. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN NURSING STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY EMPLOYING A PRE-/POST-TEST DESIGN WITH A CONTROL GROUP. A TOTAL OF 75 HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY WAS APPLIED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE SESSION 1 AND AFTER SESSION 8. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE STUDENTS TO MEASURE THEIR CORTISOL LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION. RESULTS: EVALUATION OF THE MEAN SCORES OBTAINED FROM THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05). IN THREE OUT OF THE EIGHT SESSIONS, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP REGARDING THE MEAN VALUES OF PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO HELP FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS COPE WITH STRESS AND REDUCE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 2021 7 59 33 A COMPARISON OF THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF YOGA ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS: A PILOT STUDY. YOGA IS A FREQUENTLY RECOMMENDED STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGY; HOWEVER, THE ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE TO VARYING TYPES OF YOGA ARE NOT FULLY CLEAR. THUS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF MEDITATIVE AND POWER YOGA ON INDICES OF PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS. IN A CROSSOVER COUNTERBALANCED DESIGN, PHYSICALLY ACTIVE FEMALES (N = 13; AGE = 20.8 YRS +/- 0.8, HEIGHT = 164.5 CM +/- 6.1, BODY MASS = 65.0 KG +/- 13.8) WHO DID NOT REGULARLY PARTICIPATE IN YOGA OR MINDFUL TRAINING ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED TWO VISITS EACH, WITH A STANDARDIZED INSTRUCTIONAL-VIDEO 30-MIN YOGA SESSION WITH EITHER A) MEDITATIVE (HATHA STYLE) YOGA OR B) POWER (VINYASA STYLE) YOGA. PRIOR TO AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH YOGA BOUT, PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS WAS ASSESSED USING THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY (STAI) QUESTIONNAIRE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL SAMPLES WERE OBTAINED TO MEASURE INDICES OF PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS. STATE ANXIETY SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOLLOWING MEDITATIVE YOGA (P = 0.047) BUT WERE NOT DIFFERENT FOLLOWING POWER YOGA (P = 0.625). SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOLLOWING MEDITATIVE YOGA (P = 0.020) BUT NOT FOLLOWING POWER YOGA (P = 0.242). RESULTS INDICATE THAT ACUTE ENGAGEMENT IN MEDITATIVE YOGA DECREASES MARKERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS, WHILE POWER YOGA DOES NOT IMPART A SIGNIFICANT STRESS-RELIEVING BENEFIT. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT DIFFERING TYPES OF YOGA MAY HAVE VARIOUS STRESS-RELIEVING CAPABILITIES AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY INDIVIDUALS SEEKING ANXIOLYTIC BENEFITS. 2020 8 1826 25 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LAUGHTER YOGA SESSIONS IN JAPAN: A PILOT STUDY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE AND EVALUATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON COMMUNITY MEMBERS. PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN A 45 MIN LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION ONCE PER MONTH FOR 6 MONTHS. BEFORE AND AFTER ALL SESSIONS, PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-BRIEF JAPANESE VERSION (J-POMS-B) QUESTIONNAIRE TO ASSESS THEIR MOOD, AND HAD BLOOD DRAWN FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF STRESS INDICATORS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION. SERIAL CHANGES IN J-POMS-B SCORES WERE TESTED BY THREE WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND CHANGES IN LABORATORY RESULTS PER SESSION WERE EVALUATED WITH A PAIRED T-TEST. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT REPEATED SESSIONS OF LAUGHTER YOGA HAD PSYCHOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE ASPECTS OF TENSION-ANXIETY, AND VIGOR. ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE AND CORTISOL VALUES RELATED TO THE PARTICIPANTS' STRESS LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AFTER THE FOURTH LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION. THESE RESULTS INDICATED THAT MULTIPLE LAUGHTER YOGA SESSIONS APPEARED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF HEALTHY ADULTS. 2018 9 1424 22 IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON COGNITION, ATTENUATION OF EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND STRESS REDUCTION. PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE MAINLY PERFORMED ON EASTERN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS OR UNHEALTHY SUBJECTS UNDERGOING CONCOMITANT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PER SE, AS WELL AS ITS POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE BENEFITS ON HEALTHY SUBJECTS. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MEMORY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS RELATED TO STRESS, COMPARING YOGA PRACTICE AND CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN HEALTHY MEN (PREVIOUSLY YOGA-NAIVE). MEMORY TESTS, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEMORY PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS. THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN IMPROVE ASPECTS OF COGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL STATE ON COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT PROMOTED BY YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE PROPOSED. 2012 10 1562 22 LONGITUDINAL AND IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF KUNDALINI YOGA ON SALIVARY LEVELS OF CORTISOL AND ACTIVITY OF ALPHA-AMYLASE AND ITS EFFECT ON PERCEIVED STRESS. CONTEXT: STRESS IS DEFINED AS AN ALTERATION OF AN ORGANISM'S BALANCE IN RESPONSE TO A DEMAND PERCEIVED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. DIVERSE METHODS EXIST TO EVALUATE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE. A NONINVASIVE METHOD IS SALIVARY MEASUREMENT OF CORTISOL AND ALPHA-AMYLASE. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR STRESS. AIMS: TO DETERMINE THE KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) EFFECT, IMMEDIATE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS OF REGULAR PRACTICE, ON THE PERCEPTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND THE SALIVARY LEVELS OF CORTISOL AND ALPHA-AMYLASE ACTIVITY. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: TO DETERMINE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERCEIVED STRESS, LEVELS OF CORTISOL AND ALPHA-AMYLASE ACTIVITY IN SALIVA, AND COMPARE BETWEEN THE PARTICIPANTS TO KY CLASSES PERFORMED FOR 3 MONTHS AND A GROUP THAT DOES NOT PRACTICE ANY TYPE OF YOGA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: THE TOTAL SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 26 PEOPLE BETWEEN 18 AND 45-YEAR-OLD; 13 TAKING PART IN KY CLASSES GIVEN AT THE FACULTY OF DENTISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF CHILE AND 13 CONTROLS. SALIVARY SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED, ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY WAS PERFORMED TO QUANTIFY CORTISOL AND KINETIC REACTION TEST WAS MADE TO DETERMINE ALPHA-AMYLASE ACTIVITY. PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE WAS APPLIED AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS WAS APPLIED USING STATA V11.1 SOFTWARE. SHAPIRO-WILK TEST WAS USED TO DETERMINE DATA DISTRIBUTION. THE PAIRED ANALYSIS WAS FULFILLED BY T-TEST OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST. T-TEST OR MANN-WHITNEY'S TEST WAS APPLIED TO COMPARE LONGITUDINAL DATA. A STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE WAS CONSIDERED WHEN P < 0.05. RESULTS: KY PRACTICE HAD AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON SALIVARY CORTISOL. THE ACTIVITY OF ALPHA-AMYLASE DID NOT SHOW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OF PERCEIVED STRESS IN THE STUDY GROUP WAS FOUND. CONCLUSIONS: KY PRACTICE SHOWS AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND ON PERCEIVED STRESS AFTER 3 MONTHS OF PRACTICE. 2017 11 1512 22 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 12 314 25 AN IN-SITU INVESTIGATION OF THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON POSITIVE- AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND STATE-ANXIETY IN CONTEXT OF PERCEIVED STRESS. BACKGROUND: BIKRAM YOGA IS A RELATIVELY NEW, BUT AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE. ITS HEALTH BENEFITS WERE DEMONSTRATED ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. AIMS: THE CURRENT FIELD STUDY TESTED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON PRACTITIONERS' POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THEIR LINK TO THE SELF-PERCEIVED STRESS, IN BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. METHOD: FIELD STUDY, WITHIN-PARTICIPANTS DESIGN, TESTING PERCEIVED STRESS AND ITS RELATION TO CHANGES IN POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY IN 53 HABITUAL BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CHANGES EMERGED IN ALL THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES AFTER THE 90-MIN BIKRAM YOGA SESSION. THE DECREASE IN NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. ESTIMATED EFFORT WAS UNRELATED TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHANGES RECORDED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. HEART RATES AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES INDICATED THAT PHYSICALLY BIKRAM YOGA IS ONLY MILDLY CHALLENGING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATE THAT, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE PHYSICAL EFFORT, BIKRAM YOGA IS A NEW MILD FORM OF EXERCISE THAT REDUCES NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THE REDUCTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. THEREFORE, BIKRAM YOGA APPEARS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PRACTITIONERS, BUT EVEN MORE SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL STRESS IN THE DAILY LIFE. 2017 13 720 24 EFFECT OF IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE ON FATIGUE AND DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL CONCENTRATION IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. PURPOSE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR IYENGAR YOGA PRACTICE ON MEASURES OF SELF-PERCEIVED PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTION AND DIURNAL SALIVARY CORTISOL SECRETION IN STAGE II-IV BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (N = 18). DATA SOURCES: WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ATTEND YOGA PRACTICE FOR 90 MIN TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS (N = 9) OR TO A WAIT-LISTED, NONINTERVENTIONAL CONTROL GROUP (N = 9). TRADITIONAL IYENGAR YOGA ROUTINES THAT PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED IN DIFFICULTY AS PARTICIPANTS GAINED STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY WERE USED. AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK STUDY PERIOD, WOMEN COMPLETED SELF-REPORT INSTRUMENTS TO DOCUMENT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, AND COLLECTED SALIVARY SAMPLES FOR CORTISOL ANALYSIS FOUR TIMES DURING THE DAY FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD LOWER MORNING AND 5 P.M. SALIVARY CORTISOL AND IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND FATIGUE SCORES. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS ARE AT RISK FOR CHRONIC PSYCHOSOCIAL DISTRESS THAT MAY ALTER ACTIVITY OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS, RESULTING IN ABERRANT REGULATION OF CORTISOL SECRETION AND INCREASED RISK OF IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION AND CANCER PROGRESSION. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE A LOW-RISK, COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING, FATIGUE, AND REGULATION OF CORTISOL SECRETION IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. THESE FINDINGS REQUIRE VALIDATION WITH A LARGER RANDOMIZED STUDY. 2011 14 2675 25 YOGA IN PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPROVES ADOLESCENT MOOD AND AFFECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DIRECTLY COMPARE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS VERSUS A SINGLE STANDARD PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASS ON STUDENT MOOD. FORTY-SEVEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING MOOD AND AFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS AND A SINGLE PE CLASS ONE WEEK LATER. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED-SAMPLES T TESTS AND WILCOXON-SIGNED RANKS TESTS AND BY COMPARING EFFECT SIZES BETWEEN THE TWO CONDITIONS. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DECREASES IN ANGER, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE FROM BEFORE TO AFTER PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN NEGATIVE AFFECT OCCURRED AFTER YOGA BUT NOT AFTER PE; HOWEVER, THE CHANGES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, AFTER PARTICIPATING IN BOTH YOGA AND PE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND TENSION, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY PROVIDE UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS ABOVE AND BEYOND PARTICIPATION IN PE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD CONTINUE TO ELUCIDATE THE DISTINCT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE ACTIVITIES. 2015 15 1616 19 MINDFUL AWARENESS FOR FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS THROUGH YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION. OBJECTIVE: ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION IN FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY DESIGN IS A NONRANDOMIZED TRIAL CARRIED OUT AMONG FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS (N = 120). THE SELECTED SUBJECTS WERE ALLOCATED INTO THREE GROUPS, NAMELY, GROUP A: YOGA GROUP ASSIGNED UNDER A PROFESSIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR, GROUP B: MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO GROUP, AND GROUP C: A COMBINATION OF TWO (A AND B) INVOLVING YOGA SESSIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS; FOLLOWING WHICH FORMATIVE EXAMINATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AT 6 WEEKS WHICH WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 1 AND THOSE CARRIED OUT AT 12 WEEKS WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 2. USING SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR ADULTS (STAI-A) RECORDINGS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, STRESSOR 1, AND STRESSOR 2. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH STRESSORS IN ALL THE GROUPS WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORE FROM STRESSOR 1 TO 2 IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS. THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OCCURRED IN STAI-A SCORES IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS AT BOTH STRESSORS (P < 0.001) WITH NO CHANGE OBSERVED IN GROUP 2 SUBJECTS. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY IS ONE OF A KIND AND POSITIVELY CORRELATES YOGA AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS WITH STRESS REDUCTION. BOTH OF THESE INTERVENTIONS PROVED TO BE BENEFICIARY FOR PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDY SUBJECTS. 2020 16 719 29 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 17 2000 22 STRESS MANAGEMENT: A RANDOMIZED STUDY OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY AND YOGA. IN THIS STUDY, A STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BASED ON COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY PRINCIPLES WAS COMPARED WITH A KUNDALINIYOGA PROGRAM. A STUDY SAMPLE OF 26 WOMEN AND 7 MEN FROM A LARGE SWEDISH COMPANY WERE DIVIDED RANDOMLY INTO 2 GROUPS FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF INTERVENTION; A TOTAL OF 4 GROUPS. THE GROUPS WERE INSTRUCTED BY TRAINED GROUP LEADERS AND 10 SESSIONS WERE HELD WITH EACH OF GROUPS, OVER A PERIOD OF 4 MONTHS. PSYCHOLOGICAL (SELF-RATED STRESS AND STRESS BEHAVIOUR, ANGER, EXHAUSTION, QUALITY OF LIFE) AND PHYSIOLOGICAL (BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, URINARY CATECHOLAMINES, SALIVARY CORTISOL) MEASUREMENTS OBTAINED BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MOST OF THE VARIABLES IN BOTH GROUPS AS WELL AS MEDIUM-TO-HIGH EFFECT SIZES. HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE 2 PROGRAMS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT BOTH COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY AND YOGA ARE PROMISING STRESS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. 2006 18 1700 27 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 19 716 22 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES ON IMMUNE RESPONSES IN EXAMINATION STRESS - A PRELIMINARY STUDY. BACKGROUND: STRESS IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED OCCURRENCE OF AUTONOMIC, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM PATHOLOGY. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, AND IMMUNE SYSTEM DURING MEDICAL TERM -ACADEMIC EXAMINATION AND THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON THE SAME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT ON SIXTY FIRST-YEAR MBBS STUDENTS RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP (30 EACH). THE YOGA GROUP UNDERWENT INTEGRATED YOGA PRACTICES FOR 35 MINUTES DAILY IN THE PRESENCE OF TRAINED YOGA TEACHER FOR 12 WEEKS. CONTROL GROUP DID NOT UNDERGO ANY KIND OF YOGA PRACTICE OR STRESS MANAGEMENT. PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS LIKE HEART RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE MEASURED. GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF RECENT STRESS SCALE AND SPIELBERGERS STATE ANXIETY SCORE WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND DURING THE EXAMINATION. SERUM CORTISOL LEVELS, IL-4, AND IFN-GAMMA LEVELS WERE DETERMINED BY ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY TECHNIQUE. RESULT: IN THE YOGA GROUP, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS DURING THE EXAMINATION STRESS, WHEREAS IN THE CONTROL GROUP, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WAS OBSERVED. LIKEWISE, THE INDICATORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS SHOWED HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN CONTROL GROUP COMPARED WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN YOGA GROUP. DURING THE EXAMINATION, THE INCREASE IN SERUM CORTICAL AND DECREASE IN SERUM IFN-GAMMA IN YOGA GROUP WAS LESS SIGNIFICANT (P<0.01) THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P<0.001). BOTH THE GROUPS DEMONSTRATED AN INCREASE IN SERUM IL-4 LEVELS, THE CHANGES BEING INSIGNIFICANT FOR THE DURATION OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSION: YOGA RESISTS THE AUTONOMIC CHANGES AND IMPAIRMENT OF CELLULAR IMMUNITY SEEN IN EXAMINATION STRESS. 2011 20 110 17 A PILOT STUDY MEASURING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE TRAIT OF MINDFULNESS. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER YOGA WOULD INCREASE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION. METHOD: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. MINDFULNESS WAS ASSESSED PRE AND POST YOGA, USING THE FREIBURG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY (FMI). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS, AND IN THREE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALES; ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT, ACCEPTING AND OPEN ATTITUDES TOWARD EXPERIENCE, AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). THE CONTROL GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS (P < .02) AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE A VIABLE METHOD FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION, POTENTIALLY IMPLICATING YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE METHOD FOR THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL MOOD STATES (I.E. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION). THE CONTROL GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED MODERATE ELEVATIONS OF MINDFULNESS AT THE SECOND ASSESSMENT. 2009