1 2266 98 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A CLUSTER ANALYSIS. YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 261) COMPLETED THE REVISED EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUALITY INVENTORY (ESI) AND THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL BODY-SELF RELATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE. CLUSTER ANALYSIS REVEALED THREE CLUSTERS: CLUSTER A SCORED HIGH ON ALL FOUR SPIRITUAL CONSTRUCTS. THEY HAD HIGH POSITIVE EVALUATIONS OF THEIR APPEARANCE, BUT A LOWER ORIENTATION TOWARDS THEIR APPEARANCE. THEY TENDED TO HAVE A HIGH EVALUATION OF THEIR FITNESS AND HEALTH, AND HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION. CLUSTER B SHOWED LOWER SCORES ON THE SPIRITUAL CONSTRUCTS. LIKE CLUSTER A, MEMBERS OF CLUSTER B TENDED TO SHOW HIGH POSITIVE EVALUATIONS OF APPEARANCE AND FITNESS. THEY ALSO HAD HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION. MEMBERS OF CLUSTER B HAD A HIGHER FITNESS ORIENTATION AND A HIGHER APPEARANCE ORIENTATION THAN MEMBERS OF CLUSTER A. MEMBERS OF CLUSTER C HAD LOW SCORES FOR ALL SPIRITUAL CONSTRUCTS. THEY HAD A LOW EVALUATION OF, AND UNHAPPINESS WITH, THEIR APPEARANCE. THEY WERE UNHAPPY WITH THE SIZE AND APPEARANCE OF THEIR BODIES. THEY TENDED TO SEE THEMSELVES AS OVERWEIGHT. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN YEARS OF PRACTICE BETWEEN THE THREE GROUPS (KRUSKALL -WALLIS, P = .0041). MEMBERS OF CLUSTER A HAVE THE MOST YEARS OF YOGA EXPERIENCE AND MEMBERS OF CLUSTER B HAVE MORE YOGA EXPERIENCE THAN MEMBERS OF CLUSTER C. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF A DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORY FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS. SUCH A DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE MAY HAVE IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE AND INSTRUCTION.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
2 2844 30 YOGA, DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS: DOES THE TYPE OF EXERCISE MATTER? AN ONLINE STUDY INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXERCISE, BODY IMAGE, AND WELL-BEING IN REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SPECIFICALLY EXERCISING, HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO IMPROVE BODY IMAGE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING. WITH RESPECT TO BODY IMAGE, PREVIOUS FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT A GENERAL BENEFIT OF EXERCISE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXERCISING AND BODY IMAGE VARIES WITH THE TYPE OF EXERCISE THAT INDIVIDUALS PREFERENTIALLY AND REGULARLY ENGAGE IN. IN ADDITION, PHYSICAL EFFICACY WAS EXPLORED AS A POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDIATOR BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE AND BODY IMAGE. USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN, HEALTHY REGULAR EXERCISE PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA, BALLROOM DANCE, TEAM SPORTS, OR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS AS WELL AS HEALTHY ADULTS REPORTING NO REGULAR EXERCISING WERE SURVEYED. BODY IMAGE AND ITS DIFFERENT FACETS WERE ASSESSED BY A SET OF STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES, COVERING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS PARTICULARLY RELATED TO NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS WERE QUESTIONED WITH REGARD TO MENTAL HEALTH. PARTICIPANTS WERE 270 HEALTHY ADULTS. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, MEASURES OF VARIANCE (ANOVA), AND MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH ORTHOGONAL CONTRASTS WERE PERFORMED TO INVESTIGATE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT EXERCISE AND NON-EXERCISE GROUPS IN THE VARIABLES OF INTEREST. IN LINE WITH THE HYPOTHESES AND PREVIOUS FINDINGS, THE STATISTIC COMPARISONS REVEALED THAT BODY DISSATISFACTION (AS ONE IMPORTANT FACTOR OF NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE) WAS MOST PRONOUNCED IN THE NON-EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED TO ALL EXERCISE GROUPS [CONTRAST: NO EXERCISE VERSUS EXERCISE (ALL GROUPS TAKEN TOGETHER)]. PHYSICAL EFFICACY, AS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRE, MEDIATED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE OF EXERCISE (USING CONTRASTS) AND BODY IMAGE INCLUDING PERCEPTUAL, COGNITIVE, AND AFFECTIVE BODY IMAGE DIMENSIONS. THE FINDINGS SHED LIGHT ON SO FAR LESS SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATED QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPES OF EXERCISE, LIKE YOGA AND BALLROOM DANCE, AND BODY IMAGE. THE RESULTS UNDERSCORE THE RELEVANCE OF CONSIDERING POSSIBLE INFLUENCING FACTORS IN EXERCISE RESEARCH, SUCH AS THE PERCEPTION OF ONE'S PHYSICAL EFFICACY AS A MEDIATOR OF THIS RELATIONSHIP.	2021	
                                                                  
3  586 26 DETERMINANTS OF MAINTAINING A DAILY YOGA PRACTICE: HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY PERSPECTIVE. BACKGROUND: DESPITE THE GROWING EVIDENCE OF THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF A YOGA PRACTICE, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SUSTAINED PRACTICE. AIMS: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE TWOFOLD: (1) TO DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS (AGE, EDUCATION LEVEL, AND MARITAL STATUS) AND YOGA ASANA-RELATED BEHAVIOR OF PARTICIPANTS WHO PRACTICE ASHTANGA AND (2) TO EXAMINE THE HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL (HLOC) (AN INDIVIDUAL'S BELIEFS ABOUT THE EXTENT OF CONTROL THAT THEY HAVE OVER THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO THEM) AND SELF-DETERMINATION THEORIES. (PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO BECOME SELF-DETERMINED WHEN THEIR NEEDS FOR COMPETENCE, CONNECTION, AND AUTONOMY ARE FULFILLED IN RELATION TO THE MOTIVATED BEHAVIOR.). METHODS: ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 100, AGE RANGE: 20-62 YEARS) REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES: DEMOGRAPHICS, ASANA PRACTICE, THE PERCEIVED CHOICE AND AWARENESS OF SELF SCALE, HLOC, THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE-12, THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, AND THE STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY. RESULTS: IT WAS OBSERVED THAT PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR AN AVERAGE 6.43 YEARS, 5 DAYS A WEEK FOR 93 MIN REPRESENTING A SUSTAINED, MOTIVATED HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOR. YEARS OF PRACTICE AND PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT IN HOME PRACTICE EXPLAIN 9% OF THE VARIANCE IN THE AWARENESS OF SELF, AND 7% IS EXPLAINED BY THE NUMBER OF PRACTICE DAYS A WEEK AND STATE ANXIETY. ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE A HIGH INTERNAL HLOC; THIS IS RELATED TO REDUCED TRAIT ANXIETY AND INCREASED PERCEIVED CHOICE. CONCLUSIONS: THE MYSORE SYSTEM OF YOGA APPEARS TO FACILITATE SUSTAINED HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOR; IT IS SUGGESTED THAT HEALTH PROMOTION SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE THREE ASPECTS OF SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY: COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS, WHILE FOCUSING ON THE INCREASING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND INTERNALIZING HLOC.	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
4 2721 26 YOGA MEETS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: EXAMINING THE INTEGRATION OF HEDONIC (GRATITUDE) AND EUDAIMONIC (MEANING) WELLBEING IN RELATION TO THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EXISTENCE OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND TWO DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING: MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. BOTH OF THE VARIABLES ARE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CONSTRUCTS; THERE IS THEORETICAL AFFINITY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE RELATED TO OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR PARTICIPANTS AGED 18 YEARS AND ABOVE, WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE RANGING FROM NONE TO OVER SIX YEARS, RESPONDED TO A NUMBER OF SCALES. THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF YEARS DURING WHICH INDIVIDUALS PRACTICED YOGA AT LEAST TWO TIMES A WEEK. PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED TO THE FOLLOWING SCALES: MLQ (MEANING IN LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE) AND GQ-6 (GRATITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE). THIS STUDY HYPOTHESISED THAT THE NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING YOGA WOULD BE POSITIVELY CORRELATED TO THE SCORE OBTAINED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED SCALES. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS REGARDING THE CONTRIBUTION OF YOGA TO BOTH HEDONIC AND EUDAIMONIC HAPPINESS ARE DISCUSSED.	2014	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
5  999 26 EFFECTS OF INTUITIVE EATING ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THIS STUDY IS A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF INTUITIVE EATING AND CORRELATIONS WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THE STUDY INVOLVED 204 PARTICIPANTS, COMPRISING 66 YOGA PRACTITIONERS, 74 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND 64 SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 59, WHO WERE RESIDENT IN BRAZIL AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH FACEBOOK AND THE APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRES VIA GOOGLE FORMS TO MEASURE INTUITIVE EATING, FOOD CONSUMPTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, STRESS LEVEL, SATISFACTION WITH BODY IMAGE AND LEVEL OF MINDFULNESS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT WHILE INTUITIVE EATING DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS, BOTH SHOWED GREATER ADOPTION OF INTUITIVE EATING AS COMPARED TO INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS. STILL, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD BETTER CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNS OF HUNGER AND SATIETY, AS WELL AS BETTER EATING BEHAVIOR, QUALITY OF LIFE, SATISFACTION WITH BODY IMAGE, HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT, AND STRESS-RELATED EMOTIONAL REGULATION, AS COMPARED TO THE OTHER GROUPS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN INTUITIVE EATING AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BODY ESTEEM, MINDFULNESS AND EATING BEHAVIORS THAT DISCOURAGED EATING IN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES, AND A NEGATIVE CORRELATION TO STRESS AND WEIGHT GAIN. THIS STUDY FINDS THAT PHYSICAL EXERCISE, IN PARTICULAR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, IS LINKED TO THE PROMOTION OF BETTER INTUITIVE EATING BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
6 1315 27 HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES WITH REGULAR YOGA AND HEARTFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM A MULTINATIONAL, CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH THE BENEFITS OF YOGA ARE WELL ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE WORLD, THERE ARE LIMITED STUDIES EXPLORING THE LONG-TERM INTERRELATION BETWEEN YOGA, MEDITATION, AND HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY, THERE IS LIMITED RESEARCH EXPLORING THE DIFFERENCES IN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) AMONG REGULAR MEDITATORS AND NONMEDITATORS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE DIFFERENCES IN 7 DOMAINS OF HRQOL (INCLUDING QUALITY OF LIFE, ABILITY TO ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, ABILITY TO RELAX, FREQUENCY OF NERVOUSNESS AND STRESS, COPING WITH DAY-TO-DAY STRESS, WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY, AND STAYING HEALTHY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC) AMONG PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL, ONLINE SURVEY WAS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A 100-DAY YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM, CULMINATING IN THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA EVENT, ORGANIZED BY THE HEARTFULNESS INSTITUTE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH IN YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, MINISTRY OF AYUSH, SVYASA YOGA UNIVERSITY, AND PATANJALI YOGA INSTITUTE, INDIA. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF DAILY VIRTUAL YOGA, MEDITATION, AND SPEAKER SESSIONS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED BY NONPARAMETRIC MANN-WHITNEY U TEST AND KRUSKAL-WALLIS TESTS FOR CONTINUOUS VARIABLES AND CHI-SQUARE TEST FOR CATEGORICAL VARIABLES. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 3164 PARTICIPANTS FROM 39 COUNTRIES COMPLETED THE SURVEY. MEAN AGE WAS 33.8 (SD 13.6) YEARS. THE MAJORITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE (N=1643, 52%) AND STUDENTS (N=1312, 41.5%). REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ALL 7 DOMAINS OF HRQOL (MANN-WHITNEY P<.05 AND CHI(2)P<.05). NOTABLY, EXPERIENCED HEARTFULNESS (>/=2 YEARS) MEDITATORS REPORTED BETTER OUTCOMES IN ALL THE DOMAINS OF HRQOL AS COMPARED TO THOSE NOT CURRENTLY PRACTICING THIS FORM OF MEDITATION AND PARTICIPANTS WITH </=1 YEAR OF HEARTFULNESS MEDITATION EXPERIENCE (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES TO EXPLORE HRQOL OUTCOMES AMONG PARTICIPANTS OF A 100-DAY VIRTUAL YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM. OVERALL, A YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE WAS FOUND TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR PROMOTING HRQOL. REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH FACTORS PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, WITH LONG-TERM MEDITATION PRACTICE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED BENEFITS.	2022	

7 1209 24 EXPLORING CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS AND BODY APPRECIATION DURING YOGA PARTICIPATION. EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE POSITIVE ROLE THAT YOGA PARTICIPATION CAN PLAY IN PREDICTING POSITIVE BODY IMAGE EXPERIENCES. HOWEVER, LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MECHANISMS THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN THIS RELATIONSHIP. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO TEST FOR CHANGE IN STATE AND TRAIT MINDFULNESS AND BODY APPRECIATION AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGE IN TRAIT MINDFULNESS AND CHANGE IN BODY APPRECIATION ACROSS 16 WEEKS OF YOGA PARTICIPATION. PARTICIPANTS (N=376; MAGE=20.45; 87% FEMALE) WERE RECRUITED FROM FOR-CREDIT YOGA CLASSES AT A UNIVERSITY. THEY COMPLETED MEASURES OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS AND BODY APPRECIATION AT THE BEGINNING, MID-POINT, AND END OF THE 16-WEEK COURSE. THEY ALSO COMPLETED A MEASURE OF STATE MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY THAT TARGETED THEIR EXPERIENCE DURING YOGA EVERY OTHER WEEK AFTER CLASS. LATENT GROWTH CURVES WERE ESTIMATED FOR EACH VARIABLE AND DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT (P<.001) POSITIVE CHANGE IN TRAIT MINDFULNESS AND BODY APPRECIATION. THE FULL STRUCTURAL MODEL SHOWED THAT THE RATE OF CHANGE IN TRAIT MINDFULNESS ASSOCIATED POSITIVELY WITH THE RATE OF CHANGE IN BODY APPRECIATION. THIS SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP SUPPORTS THE ROLE THAT MINDFULNESS MAY PLAY IN SUPPORTING GROWTH IN POSITIVE BODY IMAGE DURING YOGA PARTICIPATION.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
8  415 21 BODY AWARENESS, EATING ATTITUDES, AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS OF WOMEN PRACTICING YOGA. THIS RESEARCH EVALUATED ATTITUDES ABOUT BODY IMAGE AND EATING IN WOMEN PRACTICING POSTURAL YOGA. STUDY 1 DESCRIBED SCORES FROM QUESTIONNAIRES ON VARIABLES RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, INTUITIVE EATING, SPIRITUALITY, AND REASONS FOR PRACTICING. SCORES WERE FAVORABLE ON ALL MEASURES WITH SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS (P < .01) AMONG ALL MAIN VARIABLES EXCEPT BETWEEN SPIRITUAL READINESS AND INTUITIVE EATING, AND BETWEEN BMI AND BOTH BODY AWARENESS AND SPIRITUAL READINESS. REASONS FOR PRACTICING DID NOT AFFECT SCORES. STUDY 2 EVALUATED INTERVIEWS IN A SUB-SAMPLE. QUALITATIVE DATA REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY SATISFACTION AND DISORDERED EATING DUE IN PART TO YOGA AND ITS ASSOCIATED SPIRITUALITY.	2009	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
9  386 23 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
10 2392 26 YOGA AND BODY IMAGE: HOW DO YOUNG ADULTS PRACTICING YOGA DESCRIBE ITS IMPACT ON THEIR BODY IMAGE? THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON BODY IMAGE. YOUNG ADULTS (N= 34 FEMALE, 12 MALE; MAGE = 30.6 [SD = 1.6]) PRACTICING YOGA WERE INTERVIEWED AND DATA WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGING THEMES ACROSS WEIGHT STATUS. IN GENERAL, PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSED THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR BODY IMAGE, BUT SOME DESCRIBED BOTH A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACT. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED AS HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE VIA PERCEIVED PHYSICAL CHANGES, GRATITUDE FOR ONE'S BODY, A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WITHIN ONE'S YOGA PRACTICE, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND WITNESSING DIFFERENT TYPES OF BODIES PRACTICING YOGA. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE VIA COMPARATIVE CRITIQUE (E.G., UPWARD COMPARISONS WITH OTHERS) AND INNER CRITIQUE (E.G., NEGATIVE SELF-TALK). THEMES WERE GENERALLY SIMILAR ACROSS WEIGHT STATUS; EXCEPTIONS WERE THAT PARTICIPANTS AT HIGHER WEIGHT STATUS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN THOSE AT LOWER WEIGHT STATUS TO DISCUSS ACCOMPLISHMENT WITHIN ONE'S YOGA PRACTICE AS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE AND COMPARATIVE CRITIQUE AS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BODY IMAGE. YOGA STUDIOS AND INSTRUCTORS CAN TAKE STEPS TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF YOGA AND TO PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE OF PARTICIPANTS WITH DIVERSE BODY SHAPES AND SIZES.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
11 2236 24 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE USE OF YOGA BY USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF 286 YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE AIM WAS TO EXPLORE YOGA PRACTICE, REASONS FOR USING THIS THERAPY; PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE AND ANY POTENTIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA USE AND WELL-BEING. NINETY ONE PARTICIPANTS (32.82%) REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA FROM THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS. PRACTITIONERS REPORTED A RELATIVELY HIGH INTENSITY (MEAN: 7.46 H/MONTH) AND LENGTH (25.88 MONTHS) OF PRACTICE. THE MOST COMMON REASONS GIVEN FOR UNDERTAKING YOGA WERE TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AND PROMOTE RELAXATION. SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE INCLUDED GENDER, HIGHER EDUCATION WITH INCREASED YOGA USE GENERALLY RELATED TO ENHANCED FEELINGS OF WELL-BEING. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA USE IS MORE COMMONLY USED BY CANCER SURVIVORS WITH GREATER RESOURCES. UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT THE USE OF YOGA BY CANCER SURVIVORS MAY FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
12 2237 32 THE IMPACTS OF PILATES AND YOGA ON HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS AND SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER PILATES AND YOGA LEAD PEOPLE TO ADOPT GENERALLY HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE ELEMENTS AND FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS. TO THIS END, WE DESIGNED AN 8 WEEK EXERCISE PROGRAM OF PILATES AND YOGA REVIEWED BY VETERAN PRACTITIONERS AND CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY THROUGH WHICH WE COLLECTED THE DATA FROM 90 VOLUNTEERED ADULT SUBJECTS BETWEEN AGES 30 AND 49 (MEAN AGE = 35.47), EQUALLY REPRESENTED BY WOMEN AND MEN WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH PILATES OR YOGA. IN THE 8 WEEK LONG EXPERIMENT, WE ASSIGNED THE SUBJECTS TO THREE GROUPS, WHERE SUBJECTS IN THE TWO EXERCISE GROUPS REGULARLY TOOK PART IN EITHER PILATES OR YOGA CLASSES, AND THE CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN NEITHER EXERCISE CLASSES. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED TWO SURVEYS, THE HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE PROFILE (HPLP II) AND THE HEALTH SELF-RATING SCALE (HSRS), BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR ASSIGNED PROGRAM. IN OUR ANALYSIS OF PRE- AND POST-TREATMENT DIFFERENCES ACROSS THE THREE GROUPS, WE RAN ANOVA, ANCOVA, AND SHEFFE TEST, IMPLEMENTED USING SPSS PASW STATISTICS 18.00. OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT PILATES AND YOGA GROUPS EXHIBITED A HIGHER ENGAGEMENT IN HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE PROGRAM. SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS, MEASURED WITH HSRS, ALSO IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG PILATES AND YOGA PARTICIPANTS COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AFTER THE PROGRAM. THE SUPPLEMENTARY ANALYSIS FINDS NO SIGNIFICANT GENDER-BASED DIFFERENCE IN THESE IMPACTS. OVERALL, OUR RESULTS CONFIRM THAT PILATES AND YOGA HELP RECRUIT HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS IN PARTICIPANTS AND ENGENDER POSITIVE BELIEFS ABOUT THEIR SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS, THEREBY SETTING A POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT CYCLE IN MOTION. BY PROVIDING CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE PROMOTION OF PILATES OR YOGA CAN SERVE AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGY THAT HELPS INDIVIDUALS CHANGE BEHAVIORS ADVERSE TO THEIR HEALTH, THIS STUDY OFFERS PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ALIKE.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
13 1712 22 PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG URBAN SCHOOL STUDENTS: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. THIS STUDY REPORTS ON THE FINDINGS OF A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR URBAN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YEAR-LONG YOGA PROGRAM TO DETERMINE THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS AS WELL AS BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES. RESULTS SHOW THAT STUDENTS PERCEIVED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AS INCREASED SELF-REGULATION, MINDFULNESS, SELF-ESTEEM, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND STRESS REDUCTION. BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES FOR A YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDE LACK OF TIME AND SPACE. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED ARE INTERRELATED TO ONE ANOTHER IS DISCUSSED. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMING ARE ALSO OFFERED.	2016	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
14  469 24 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USERS AMONG OLDER AUSTRALIAN WOMEN - RESULTS FROM THE 45 AND UP STUDY. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE PREDOMINANTLY UTILISED BY HEALTHY WELL-EDUCATED YOUNG WOMEN, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT UTILISATION BY OLDER CHRONICALLY ILL WOMEN. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USE AMONG MIDDLE-TO-HIGHER AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS IS A SUB-STUDY OF THE 45 AND UP STUDY INCLUDING 1925 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AGED 53-95 YEARS DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS (ASTHMA, DEPRESSION, DIABETES, OSTEOARTHRITIS, AND OSTEOPOROSIS). INFORMATION ON YOGA AND MEDITATION USE FREQUENCIES (CATEGORIES: 'NO YOGA', 'AT LEAST ONCE DAILY', 'AT LEAST ONCE WEEKLY', AND 'AT LEAST ONCE MONTHLY'), SELF-PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS AND COMMUNICATION WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WERE ASSESSED VIA SELF-REPORT. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION USE, USING SPSS 24.0. RESULTS: OVERALL 6.8% AND 10.7% OF WOMEN REPORTED THE USE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION RESPECTIVELY. MEDITATION WAS RARELY PRACTICED SUPERVISED (11.7%), COMPARED TO SIGNIFICANT HIGHER RATES IN YOGA (53.2%). PREDICTORS FOR YOGA AND MEDITATION USE WERE MARITAL STATUS (MARRIED/IN RELATIONSHIP>NOT MARRIED/IN RELATIONSHIP), HIGHER HEALTH RELATED HARDINESS, AND HIGHER EDUCATION, WHEREAS OBESITY, AND DIABETES DECREASED LIKELIHOOD OF USE. WHILE THE MAJORITY FOUND YOGA AND MEDITATION HELPFUL FOR THEIR CONDITION, THE USE WAS RARELY MONITORED BY OR DISCUSSED WITH HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY FINDS THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE USED BY MIDDLE-TO-HIGHER AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IS CONCERNING AND MIGHT HINDER COORDINATED AND EFFECTIVE HEALTH CARE AROUND CHRONIC ILLNESS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO HELP UNDERSTAND POSSIBLE CONCURRENT HEALTH CARE USE AND THEREBY HELP INFORM SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND COORDINATE HEALTH SEEKING AMONGST THOSE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
15 1777 24 PRACTICING HATHA-YOGA, SENSE OF COHERENCE AND SENSE OF AGENCY. NEUROPHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH. BACKGROUND: A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BELIEF THAT YOGA BENEFITS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE AIM OF THE STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE SENSE OF COHERENCE AND SENSE OF AGENCY ARE MORE DEVELOPED IN PEOPLE PRACTICING HATHA-YOGA THAN IN THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER PRACTICED YOGA. METHODS: TAHE, SOC-29 QUESTIONNAIRE AND SHORT MICROPHENOMENOLOGICAL INTERVIEW CONDUCTED ON A GROUP OF 15 PEOPLE (8 YOGA INSTRUCTORS, 7 IN THE CONTROL GROUP). RESULTS: IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT THE STUDY GROUP HAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SCORES IN BOTH THE SENSE OF AGENCY AND SENSE OF COHERENCE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN ADDITION, A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN THE PART OF THE VALUES MENTIONED ABOVE. CONCLUSIONS: THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE HATHA-YOGA EXERCISE INCREASES THE SENSE OF AGENCY, WHICH IN THE LONG RUN CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. IN ORDER TO FIND A CLEAR AND CERTAIN LINK BETWEEN THE SENSE OF COHERENCE AND THE SENSE OF AGENCY ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NECESSARY.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
16  645 35 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
17 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
18 2262 21 THE PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA OR MEDITATION USERS IN ICELAND: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY. BACKGROUND: USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION HAS INCREASED DECISIVELY IN RECENT YEARS. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE AIM WAS TO FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA AND MEDITATION TO SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND, RELIGIOSITY, HEALTHCARE-RELATED ATTITUDES, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND PHYSICIAN VISITS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY BUILDS ON DATA FROM A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF ICELANDIC ADULTS, AGED 18-75 (N = 1599; RESPONSE RATE OF 58%). RESULTS: THE OVERALL USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION REACHED 19.3% IN 2015. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 12.5% POINTS OVER A NINE-YEAR PERIOD. THE INCREASE WAS MUCH GREATER FOR WOMEN. YOGA OR MEDITATION USE WAS POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE FEMALE GENDER, YOUNGER AGE, HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION, AND NOT BELONGING TO A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION. IT WAS ALSO POSITIVELY RELATED TO HIGHER ANXIETY, PREVIOUS VISITS TO A PHYSICIAN, AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD CAM SERVICES, BUT IT WAS NEGATIVELY RELATED TO HAVING CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. CONCLUSION: INCREASED USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION MAY REFLECT PUBLIC INTEREST IN ICELANDER'S SELF-CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PREDICTORS AND EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
19 1774 22 PRACTICE AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN INDIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS BENEFICIAL DURING PREGNANCY, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT PROPORTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN INDIA PRACTICE YOGA. TO ADDRESS THIS RESEARCH GAP, WE CONDUCTED A STUDY TO ADDRESS FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT PROPORTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN RURAL MAHARASHTRA PRACTICE YOGA? (2) WHICH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AMONG THESE WOMEN? AND (3) WHAT IS THE PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF INTEGRATING YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION INTO ROUTINE ANTENATAL CARE? A CONSECUTIVE SAMPLE OF PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING THE ANTENATAL CLINIC OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, WHO COULD FLUENTLY COMMUNICATE IN MARATHI AND WHO DID NOT HAVE ANY SERIOUS PHYSICAL ILLNESS OR COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, WERE INCLUDED IN THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. A TOTAL OF 228 SUBJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN OUR STUDY. YOGA WAS PRACTICED BY 38 OF THEM (16.7%, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL 12.1-22.1) DURING THE CURRENT PREGNANCY. OLDER AGE, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND BEING A PROFESSIONAL (TEACHER, HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, OR BANK OFFICIAL) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA. MORE THAN HALF OF THE PARTICIPANTS (53.9%) THOUGHT THAT YOGA SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THEIR ANTENATAL CARE; THIS PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS EXCEPT FOR THE PARTICIPANTS' OCCUPATION. THIS STUDY PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE PREVALENCE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN A RURAL SETTING IN INDIA. IT ALSO EXPLORES THE PERCEIVED ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS AMONG THIS GROUP. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN INFORM DESIGN OF FUTURE STUDIES TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS DURING PREGNANCY.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
20 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