1 2272 151 THE ROLE OF YOGA IN INFLAMMATORY MARKERS. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. IN THE HATHA YOGA ASHTANGA TRADITION (THE EIGHT LIMB PATANJALI YOGA), THREE OF THE LIMBS ARE MEDITATION, BREATHWORK (PRANAYAMA) AND PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), WHICH ARE WIDELY PRACTISED IN YOGA CLASSES. THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE ROOTED IN THE PRACTICE'S ORIGINS: IN YOGA, STRESS IS SAID TO BE THE ROOT OF ALL DISEASES. THE ESTABLISHED FIELDS OF PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPSYCHIATRY STUDY THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND MOOD OR MENTAL STATES. THIS MINI-REVIEW HAS SHIFTED THE EMPHASIS FROM RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON YOGA'S BENEFITS FOR STRESS, THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED OUTCOME OF YOGA RESEARCH, TO A SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE CURRENT LITERATURE BEARS STRONG EVIDENCE FOR THE BENEFITS OF YOGA ON THE LEVELS OF CIRCULATING CORTISOL AND CLASSICAL INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, SUCH AS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) AND CYTOKINES SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN-1 BETA (IL-1BETA), INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6), TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA) AND INTERFERON-GAMMA (INF-GAMMA). THE EVIDENCE FOR OTHER LESS STUDIED MARKERS, TELOMERASE ACTIVITY, BETA-ENDORPHINS, IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (IGA) AND BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) IS ALSO GROWING. THIS MINI-REVIEW CENTRES AROUND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN YOGA AND THESE MARKERS IN STRESS MANAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION, VASCULAR AND IMMUNE FUNCTION IN THE OLDER POPULATION, CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC DISEASES, AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES, BREAST CANCER AND PREGNANCY. OVERALL, THE LITERATURE EXAMINED REVEALS THE NOVELTY OF THIS FIELD OF RESEARCH AND SHEDS LIGHT ON METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES; HOWEVER, IT UNCOVERS THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO BE USED AS ADJUVANT THERAPY IN CONDITIONS WITH AN INFLAMMATORY COMPONENT. 2022 2 1587 27 MEDICAL YOGA THERAPY. MEDICAL YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE USE OF YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS. BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE FOR STRENGTHENING THE BODY, MEDICAL YOGA ALSO INCORPORATES APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM BENEFITS. MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT THE BODY IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING HELPING TO REGULATE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, IMPROVE MUSCULOSKELETAL AILMENTS AND KEEPING THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN TUNE. IT ALSO HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS, AS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN HELP TO INCREASE MENTAL ENERGY AND POSITIVE FEELINGS, AND DECREASE NEGATIVE FEELINGS OF AGGRESSIVENESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2017 3 406 45 BIOLOGICAL MARKERS FOR THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. FROM THE LAST FEW DECADES, THERE ARE INCREASING INCIDENCES OF DISORDERS LIKE PREMATURE AGING, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, FIBROMYALGIA, AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN ADDITION TO MEDICATION, RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT YOGA, A MIND-BODY THERAPY, CAN BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. YOGA COMBINES SPECIFIC PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING TECHNIQUES, RELAXATION AND MEDITATION THAT IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE BODY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO COLLATE THE RESEARCH EVIDENCES CLAIMING HEALTH BENEFITS OF PERFORMING TRADITIONAL YOGIC PRACTICES. WHAT ARE THE BIOLOGICAL AND OTHER RELIABLE INDICATORS TO SUGGEST THAT DOING ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND MEDITATION COULD REDUCE OR TREAT WIDE RANGE OF LIFE STYLE DISORDERS ARE DISCUSSED. IMPORTANTLY, THESE INDICATORS ARE OTHERWISE USED TO ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF DISORDERS. IN MANY OF THE STUDY IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA IMPROVES THE REDOX HEALTH OF BODY WHOSE IMBALANCE HAS BEEN WELL PROVEN TO CAUSE MANY HEALTH COMPLICATIONS. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES HAVE REVEALED THAT IT REVERSES MEMORY LOSS, REDUCE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND STRESS, THE BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF DISEASE. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS AND THEREFORE FURTHER RESEARCH INTO YOGA IS NEEDED TO VALIDATE THESE FINDINGS. 2019 4 2411 47 YOGA AND IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT MIND-BODY PRACTICE THAT IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED TO HAVE HEALTH BENEFITS IN A VARIETY OF CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL CONDITIONS. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE FINDINGS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WHICH IS IMPERATIVE TO JUSTIFY ITS APPLICATION IN THE CLINIC. FIFTEEN RCTS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE REVIEW. EVEN THOUGH THE EXISTING EVIDENCE IS NOT ENTIRELY CONSISTENT, A GENERAL PATTERN EMERGED SUGGESTING THAT YOGA CAN DOWNREGULATE PRO-INFLAMMATORY MARKERS. IN PARTICULAR, THE QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF RCTS REVEALED DECREASES IN IL-1BETA, AS WELL AS INDICATIONS FOR REDUCTIONS IN IL-6 AND TNF-ALPHA. THESE RESULTS IMPLY THAT YOGA MAY BE IMPLEMENTED AS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION FOR POPULATIONS AT RISK OR ALREADY SUFFERING FROM DISEASES WITH AN INFLAMMATORY COMPONENT. BEYOND THIS, YOGA PRACTICE MAY EXERT FURTHER BENEFICIAL EFFECTS BY ENHANCING CELL-MEDIATED AND MUCOSAL IMMUNITY. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT LONGER TIME SPANS OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENT EFFECTS ESPECIALLY ON CIRCULATING INFLAMMATORY MARKERS. OVERALL, THIS FIELD OF INVESTIGATION IS STILL YOUNG, HENCE THE CURRENT BODY OF EVIDENCE IS SMALL AND FOR MOST IMMUNE PARAMETERS, MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO DRAW DISTINCT CONCLUSIONS. 2018 5 1937 29 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA, NOT ONLY IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER BUT ALSO IN PROMOTING POSITIVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PAPER REVIEWS VARIOUS STUDIES ON THE TREATMENT OF NEUROSIS WITH TECHNIQUES DERIVED FROM YOGA. A FEW LACUNAE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE OUTLINED. IT IS HOPED THAT RESEARCH ALONG THESE LINES WILL DEVELOP A STANDARDIZED METHOD OF YOGA THERAPY WHICH CAN BE UTILIZED AND INTEGRATED WITHIN THE EXISTING METHODS OF TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS. 1994 6 646 36 DOES YOGA THERAPY REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION?: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO PRESENT A EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH REVIEW THAT VALIDATES YOGA THERAPY AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (BP). THE ARTICLE ALSO USES THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF DR HANS SELYE'S GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME. YOGA RESEARCHERS DEMONSTRATE THAT YOGA WORKS BECAUSE IT MODULATES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF THE BODY, SPECIFICALLY ITS EFFECT ON THE HEART RATE. THIS REVIEW IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE YOGA PRESENTS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF TREATING HYPERTENSION THAT IS NONPHARMACOLOGIC AND THEREFORE THERE ARE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS AND THERE ARE OTHER VALUABLE HEALTH BENEFITS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT STRESS IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO HIGH BP; HENCE, THE USE OF THE GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME AND THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF YOGA, THAT IS, IT IS A PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXERCISE PROGRAM, THAT IS IN SYNC WITH THE PHILOSOPHY OF HOLISTIC NURSING CARE WHERE ONE TREATS THE WHOLE INDIVIDUAL AND NOT JUST THE DISEASE. THE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH A SEARCH OF COMPUTERIZED DATABASES SUCH AS OVID, ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER, CINAHL, MEDLINE, AND HEALTH SOURCE: NURSING/ACADEMIC EDITION, PSYCHINFO, AS WELL AS RELIABLE WEB SITES SUCH AS THE CDC.GOV, AMONG OTHERS. AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED, AND 10 STUDIES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THEY INCLUDE A COMBINATION OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES, AND PILOT STUDIES. YOGA THERAPY IS A MULTIFUNCTIONAL EXERCISE MODALITY WITH NUMEROUS BENEFITS. NOT ONLY DOES YOGA REDUCE HIGH BP BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL, CHOLESTEROL LEVEL, AND BODY WEIGHT, MAJOR PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE AMERICAN SOCIETY. THE COMPLETED INTEGRATIVE REVIEW PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR NURSING IMPLEMENTATION AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF HIGH BP. 2012 7 2908 18 [PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTIVE DISEASES]. PREVENTION OF ADDICTIVE DISEASES SHOULD BE COMPLEX AND SYSTEMATIC AND IT SHOULD INCLUDE TRAINING OF SOCIAL SKILLS, DECISION-MAKING SKILLS, FAMILY INTERVENTION, ETC. SIMILARLY, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IS USUALLY LONG-TERM, SYSTEMATIC AND COMPLEX. PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA CAN BE USEFUL COMPONENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMMES. ON THE OTHER HAND, COMPETITIVE PROFESSIONAL SPORT RATHER INCREASES THE NUMBER OF RISK FACTORS FOR SUBSTANCE-RELATED PROBLEMS. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE USE OF YOGA IN SUBSTANCE DEPENDENT PATIENTS AND PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLES ARE MENTIONED. ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF YOGA IS THE INTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND RELAXATION. 2005 8 1834 31 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN WESTERN CULTURES AS A MEANS OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS TRAINING; HOWEVER, IT IS STILL DEPICTED AS TRENDY AS EVIDENCED BY AN APRIL 2001 TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY ON "THE POWER OF YOGA." THERE IS A NEED TO HAVE YOGA BETTER RECOGNIZED BY THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AS A COMPLEMENT TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL CARE. OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, A GROWING NUMBER OF RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL SUCH PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES AS BLOOD PRESSURE, RESPIRATION AND HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. THIS REVIEW PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY SUBSTANTIATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE AND FOR PEOPLE COMPROMISED BY MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY DISEASE. 2002 9 1890 33 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY YOGA, MEDITATION AND RELATED PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) APPROACHES HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY. YOGIC COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE MOST WIDELY USED IM APPROACHES AND INCLUDE DIVERSE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA ASANAS, MEDITATION, BREATHING EXERCISES, QI GONG, TAI CHI CHIH, AND VARIOUS OTHERS. STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST THAT THESE YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM AND THEREBY CAN INCREASE WELLNESS AND SUPPORT THE HEALING PROCESS FROM DISEASE. PREVIOUS WORK HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES; HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, HAVE LARGELY BEEN MISSING. THREE RECENT STUDIES STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN CIRCULATING IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE A MEASURABLE EFFECT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. THESE STUDIES ARE REVIEWED HEREIN AND SOME FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. 2013 10 514 22 COMPARING AEROBIC EXERCISE WITH YOGA IN ANXIETY REDUCTION: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. ANXIETY IS A COMMON MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER THAT AFFECTS MANY AMERICANS YET OFTEN GOES UNRECOGNIZED OR UNDERTREATED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE CURRENT LITERATURE TO ASSIST IN DETERMINING WHICH ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLIMENTARY THERAPY, AEROBIC EXERCISE OR YOGA, IS MOST BENEFICIAL IN REDUCING ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. THE LITERATURE SEARCH PROCESS RESULTED IN A TOTAL OF 14 ARTICLES INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING ANXIETY SYMPTOMS THAN AEROBIC EXERCISE. HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO HELP RECOMMEND AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF THERAPY FOR PATIENTS. 2022 11 2516 25 YOGA CLINICAL RESEARCH REVIEW. IN THIS PAPER RECENT RESEARCH IS REVIEWED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, ON PAIN SYNDROMES, CARDIOVASCULAR, AUTOIMMUNE AND IMMUNE CONDITIONS AND ON PREGNANCY. FURTHER, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA INCLUDING DECREASED HEARTRATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS INCLUDING WEIGHT LOSS AND INCREASED MUSCLE STRENGTH ARE REVIEWED. FINALLY, POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS ARE PROPOSED INCLUDING THE STIMULATION OF PRESSURE RECEPTORS LEADING TO ENHANCED VAGAL ACTIVITY AND REDUCED CORTISOL. THE REDUCTION IN CORTISOL, IN TURN, MAY CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE EFFECTS SUCH AS ENHANCED IMMUNE FUNCTION AND A LOWER PREMATURITY RATE. 2011 12 1051 35 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BRAIN WAVES AND STRUCTURAL ACTIVATION: A REVIEW. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THE VAST MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA. YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO SUBCATEGORIES THAT INCLUDE POSTURE-HOLDING EXERCISE (ASANA), BREATHING (PRANAYAMA, KRIYA), AND MEDITATION (SAHAJ) PRACTICE. STUDIES MEASURING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES HAVE SHOWN DECREASES IN ANXIETY, AND INCREASES IN COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AFTER YOGA INTERVENTIONS. SIMILAR STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN COGNITIVE ADVANTAGES AMONGST YOGA PRACTITIONERS VERSUS NON-PRACTITIONERS. THE MENTAL HEALTH AND COGNITIVE BENEFITS OF YOGA ARE EVIDENT, BUT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE BRAIN THAT LEAD TO THIS REMAIN A TOPIC THAT LACKS CONSENSUS. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE AND REVIEW EXISTING LITERATURE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BRAIN WAVES AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND ACTIVATION. AFTER A NARROWED SEARCH THROUGH A SET OF SPECIFIC INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA, 15 ARTICLES WERE USED IN THIS REVIEW. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND POSTURE-BASED YOGA INCREASED OVERALL BRAIN WAVE ACTIVITY. INCREASES IN GRAYGRAY MATTER ALONG WITH INCREASES IN AMYGDALA AND FRONTAL CORTEX ACTIVATION WERE EVIDENT AFTER A YOGA INTERVENTION. YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR A CLINICAL AND HEALTHY AGING POPULATION. FURTHER RESEARCH CAN EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC BRANCHES OF YOGA ON A DESIGNATED CLINICAL POPULATION. 2015 13 1913 33 ROLE OF BREATHING EXERCISES IN ASTHMA-YOGA AND PRANAYAMA. ASTHMA IS A CHRONIC AIRWAY INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT RESULTS FROM A COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. THERE IS NO CURE FOR ASTHMA, AND THE MANAGEMENT IS USUALLY AS PER PUBLISHED GUIDELINES. AS IN MANY CHRONIC DISEASES CONDITIONS, VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLIMENTARY THERAPIES HAVE BEEN TRIED. OF THESE, YOGA AND PRANAYAMA HAVE GAINED WIDER ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS. WHILE THE TERM YOGA IS A COMPLEX TERM ENCOMPASSING EIGHT LIMBS AS PER PATAMJAI IN THE YOGA SUTRAS, IN SIMPLE TERMS, YOGA IS DESCRIBED AS A COMBINATION OF 'ASANA' (PHYSICAL EXERCISES) AND 'PRANAYAMA' (BREATHING EXERCISE). THE TERM "ASTHMA" HAS BEEN DERIVED FROM THE GREEK WORD "PANTING,", WHICH INDICATES A RAPID AND SHALLOW BREATHING. THE MAIN AIM OF YOGA AND PRANAYAMA IN ASTHMA IS TO SYNCHRONIZE AND CONTROL BREATHING, THUS DECREASING HYPERVENTILATION. BESIDES THIS, THEY ALSO DECREASE THE STRESS/STRAIN/ANXIETY, CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR, BOOST IMMUNITY, AND IMPROVE STRENGTH/ENDURANCE OF RESPIRATORY MUSCLES THAT ARE HELPFUL IN ANY SUBJECT WITH ASTHMA. THERE HAVE BEEN A GOOD NUMBER OF STUDIES INCLUDING CLINICAL TRIALS IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA THAT HAVE FOUND SOME BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, THE PHYSIOLOGY OF YOGA AND PRANAYAMA, RATIONALE FOR THEIR USE IN CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA ALONG WITH A SUMMARY OF VARIOUS STUDIES CONDUCTED TILL DATE, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED. THESE ARE FOLLOWED BY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THEIR INCORPORATION IN THE STANDARD OF CARE OF CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA. 2022 14 1931 32 ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING THE CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS-A REVIEW. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW THE LITERATURE ON THE ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGING THE CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS TO EXAMINE THE CURRENT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE IN THIS FIELD AND TO PROVIDE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH IN THIS DOMAIN. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH OF 14 DATABASES USING 12 DIFFERENT SEARCH TERM COMBINATIONS IN THE AREA OF 'YOGA AND WORK STRESS' WAS CARRIED OUT TILL THE PERIOD JANUARY 2022 FOLLOWING THE PRISMA GUIDELINES TO SELECT THE RELEVANT ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PEER-REVIEWED SCIMAGO RANKED ARTICLES FOR REVIEW. TWO BROAD CLASSIFICATION AREAS WERE CONSIDERED TO UNDERSTAND THE RESEARCH QUESTION OF INTEREST IN THIS STUDY: (I) CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS [WHICH INCLUDES-(A) BEHAVIOURAL; (B) PHYSICAL; AND (C) PSYCHOLOGICAL] AND; (II) SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN YOGA FOR WORK STRESS MANAGEMENT [WHICH INCLUDES-(A) HATHA YOGA (HY); (B) VINI YOGA (VY); (C) DRU YOGA (DY); (D) INTEGRATED YOGA (IY); (E) KUNDALINI YOGA (KUY); (F) KRIPALU YOGA (KRY); (G) IYENGAR YOGA; (H) ASHTANGA YOGA (AY); (I) POWER YOGA (PY); AND (J) YOGA (GENERAL)]. THE MAIN CONTRIBUTION OF THIS STUDY IS THAT IT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW IN THE AREA OF 'YOGA AND ITS ROLE IN MANAGING THE CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS' COLLATING THE DISPERSED KNOWLEDGE IN THIS AREA BY INDICATING THE VARIOUS UNDERSTUDIED STAND-ALONE AND COMBINED CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS AND THE LESS RESEARCHED SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN YOGA AND YOGA PRACTICES ADMINISTERED TO MANAGE THESE CONSEQUENCES OF WORK STRESS, TO PROVIDE PROMISING AVENUES FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS RESEARCH FIELD. 2022 15 226 38 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 16 2061 37 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN CHILDREN. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM STRESS AND ANXIETY IN MALAYSIA IS ON THE RISE. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT MIND-BODY THERAPIES SUCH AS MINDFULNESS THERAPY, MEDITATION AND YOGA HAVE BEEN PRACTICED IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES TO REDUCE AND/OR MANAGE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. THIS REVIEW ARTICLE LOOKS AT THE INTERVENTION OF YOGA AS A MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT PRACTICE IN HELPING SCHOOL CHILDREN MANAGE STRESS AND ANXIETY. ARTICLES WERE RETRIEVED USING A COMBINATION OF DATABASES INCLUDING PUBMED/MEDLINE, AND PSYCINFO. NOT ONLY PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES, BUT ALSO THOSE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. ALL STUDIES REVIEWED HAD INCORPORATED SOME FORM OF MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT EXERCISE. THE INTERVENTION ENCOMPASSED ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (EXPANSION OF LIFE FORCE), DHARANA (CONCENTRATION) AND DHYANA (MEDITATION), WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENT PATHS IN YOGA. A TOTAL OF EIGHT ARTICLES MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA AND WERE REVIEWED. THE FINDINGS OF THIS REVIEW REVEAL THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS BROUGHT ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, IMPROVEMENT IN MANAGING AND REDUCING STRESS AND ANXIETY. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS IN MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE STUDIES REVIEWED, IN TERMS OF HETEROGENEITY AND SAMPLE SIZE, YOGA APPEARS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE MODALITY FOR HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH STRESS AND ANXIETY. IT APPEARS THAT IF SCHOOLS IN MALAYSIA CAN INCORPORATE YOGA AS PART OF THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM, IT WILL DEFINITELY BENEFIT THE STUDENTS. 2018 17 1083 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS AMONG HEALTHY ADULTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA WAS RECOMMENDED IN BOTH CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL POPULATIONS AS THERAPY METHODS. THE DIVERSITY OF YOGA PRACTICE AS A THERAPY METHOD HAS RARELY BEEN DISCUSSED AND IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS. PRIMARY STUDY OBJECTIVE: THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA ON STRESS IN HEALTHY POPULATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AUTHORS INTENDED TO FIGURE OUT YOGA EFFECTS ON STRESS SYSTEMATICALLY. METHODS/DESIGN: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY ARTICLES THAT ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND YOGA-RELATED INTERVENTIONS ON STRESS REDUCTION IN NONCLINICAL POPULATIONS. STUDIES WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE LENGTH OF THE INTERVENTION, YOGA TYPE, AND MEASURES OF OUTCOME. THE STUDIES WERE SELECTED THROUGHOUT LAST 5 YEARS (JANUARY 2014 TO NOVEMBER 2018) BY USING THE KEY SEARCHING TERM YOGA AND STRESS INCORPORATION WITH TENSION AND PRESSURE. THE SELECTION PROCESS FOLLOWED THE PRISMA FLOW DIAGRAM. RESULTS: TOTALLY, 12 ARTICLES ELABORATING ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA OR YOGA-RELATED INTERVENTIONS ON STRESS MANAGEMENT AND REMISSION WERE INCLUDED IN THE REVIEW. THIS REVIEW INCLUDED VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICE (E.G., HATHA YOGA, BIKRAM YOGA, KUNDALINI YOGA, SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA, KRIPALU YOGA, YIN YOGA). A TIME SPECTRUM WAS CONDUCTED FROM 4 WKS TO 28 WKS. THIS REVIEW REVEALED THAT MOST TYPES OF YOGA HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STRESS REDUCTION IN HEATHY POPULATIONS. CONCLUSION: FURTHER STUDIES ARE RECOMMENDED TO EXAMINE THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF YOGA AND UNDERLYING PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS CAUSING STRESS AND MENTAL RESTRAIN. IN ADDITION, IT IS SUGGESTED TO CONSIDER AGE AS A RISK FACTOR AFFECTING THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON STRESS. 2020 18 2630 27 YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: FIVE QUESTIONS TO MOVE THE EVIDENCE-BASE FORWARD. YOGA-BASED PRACTICES, DERIVED FROM ANCIENT EASTERN MIND-BODY PRACTICES, HAVE GROWN IN POPULARITY IN THE WEST OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. INCREASING EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS (YBIS). HOWEVER, DESPITE YOGA'S PROMISE AS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION, THE LITERATURE TO DATE IS MARKED BY SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS, WHICH REMAIN A BARRIER TO THE INTEGRATION OF YBIS INTO CONVENTIONAL CLINICAL CARE. WE HIGHLIGHT FIVE KEY AREAS OF STUDY THAT NEED FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO FILL CRUCIAL GAPS IN THE LITERATURE-BASE TO ADVANCE YOGA RESEARCH AND YOGA'S POTENTIAL AS AN EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2019 19 203 27 A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF HATHA YOGA. AN ESTIMATED 7.4 MILLION AMERICANS CURRENTLY PRACTICE HATHA YOGA. MOREOVER, 64% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REPORT DOING SO FOR WELL-BEING. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS REPORTED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING; HOWEVER, FEW STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED. THE FOLLOWING REVIEW PROVIDES AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, WHICH CONCEPTUALIZES YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HATHA YOGA IS PROVIDED THAT DESCRIBES THE PURPORTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND THE RELAXATION RESPONSE. A REVIEW OF THE EMERGING LITERATURE RELATED TO NITRIC OXIDE AND OXIDATIVE STRESS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND WELL-BEING ALSO IS INCLUDED. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES WITH A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE STATE OF THE RESEARCH AND PROVIDES SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES. 2008 20 2611 25 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