1 2278 102 THE ROLES OF SELF-COMPASSION, BODY SURVEILLANCE, AND BODY APPRECIATION IN PREDICTING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND PROSPECTIVE CHANGES WITHIN A YOGA CONTEXT. ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR THE IMMEDIATE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES IT BRINGS (E.G., PLEASURE, SATISFACTION) IS CRITICAL FOR LONG-TERM EXERCISE ADHERENCE. INVESTIGATIONS OF HOW FACTORS SUCH AS BODY IMAGE CONTRIBUTE TO INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE NEEDED. THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED BODY SURVEILLANCE AND BODY APPRECIATION AS MEDIATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CROSS-SECTIONALLY AND PROSPECTIVELY. ONE SAMPLE OF COLLEGE WOMEN COMPLETED MEASURES OF STUDY VARIABLES AT ONE TIME POINT (SAMPLE 1; N = 269, MAGE = 19.96) AND A SECOND SAMPLE DID SO DURING WEEKS 1, 8, AND 16 WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A 16-WEEK YOGA COURSE (SAMPLE 2; N = 323, MAGE = 20.31). IN SAMPLE 1, LATENT VARIABLE STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING SUPPORTED BODY APPRECIATION AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN SAMPLE 2, LATENT GROWTH CURVE ANALYSES REVEALED THAT CHANGE IN SELF-COMPASSION PREDICTED CHANGES IN BODY SURVEILLANCE AND BODY APPRECIATION IN EXPECTED DIRECTIONS. FURTHER, CHANGE IN BODY APPRECIATION POSITIVELY PREDICTED CHANGE IN INTRINSIC MOTIVATION. TARGETING SELF-COMPASSION AND BODY APPRECIATION MAY HELP SUPPORT WOMEN'S INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2019 2 1209 38 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 3 128 29 A PILOT YOGA PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM TO PROMOTE POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A PILOT YOGA-BASED PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CURRICULUM BY TESTING FOR CHANGE IN TRAIT BODY SURVEILLANCE, PHYSICAL SELF-WORTH, AND BODY APPRECIATION. FURTHER, WE EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CHANGE IN BODY IMAGE VARIABLES AND THE ROLE OF STATE MINDFULNESS IN PREDICTING STATE BODY SURVEILLANCE DURING CLASSES. ADOLESCENTS PARTICIPATED IN 12 WEEKS OF YOGA-BASED (N=20; MAGE=16.45, 90% FEMALE) OR TRADITIONAL (N=23;MAGE=14.52, 57% FEMALE) PE. RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT (P=.004), MODERATE DECREASES IN TRAIT BODY SURVEILLANCE AND MINIMAL NONSIGNIFICANT (P=.11) INCREASES IN PHYSICAL SELF-WORTH. CHANGE IN TRAIT BODY SURVEILLANCE WAS INVERSELY RELATED TO CHANGE IN PHYSICAL SELF-WORTH AND BODY APPRECIATION IN YOGA PARTICIPANTS. MULTI-LEVEL MODELING ANALYSES REVEALED THAT MORE MINDFUL STUDENTS ALSO SURVEYED THEIR BODY LESS DURING CLASS. INTENTIONALLY STRUCTURED YOGA PARTICIPATION MAY SUPPORT POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AMONG ADOLESCENTS. 2017 4 186 23 A RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF A YOGA-BASED BODY IMAGE INTERVENTION. RECENT LITERATURE ARGUES THAT BODY IMAGE INTERVENTIONS NEED TO BECOME MORE EMBODIED. THIS PAPER EVALUATES A BRIEF YOGA-BASED BODY IMAGE INTERVENTION WHICH INCORPORATES THEMES SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO FOCUS ON POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. YOUNG WOMEN (MAGE = 20.21, SDAGE = 2.15) WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO A FOUR-SESSION YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 22) OR A CONTROL CONDITION (N = 22). COMPARED TO CONTROLS, PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION REPORTED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BODY APPRECIATION, BODY CONNECTEDNESS, BODY SATISFACTION, AND POSITIVE MOOD AT POSTTEST AND AT 4-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN NEGATIVE MOOD OR BODY SURVEILLANCE. THESE FINDINGS ADD TO EXISTING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE WOMEN'S BODY IMAGE AND POSITIVE MOOD. IN ADDITION, THEY SUGGEST THAT A STRONG THEMATIC FOCUS ON POSITIVE BODY IMAGE CAN ACHIEVE BENEFITS AT RELATIVELY LOW YOGA DOSES. THESE FINDINGS ARE IMPORTANT AS INTERVENTION LENGTH IMPACTS THE POTENTIAL FOR DISSEMINATION. 2019 5 1195 27 EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INSTRUCTION ON POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND AFFECTIVE RESPONSES. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOGA AS PART OF EATING DISORDER PREVENTION EFFORTS THROUGH ITS POSITIVE IMPACT ON POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND EXPERIENCE OF POSITIVE CORE AFFECT. HOWEVER, THERE IS A NEED TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT WILL MORE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND POSITIVE AFFECT. WE EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF TEACHING A SINGLE YOGA CLASS USING MINDFULNESS-BASED INSTRUCTION COMPARED TO APPEARANCE-BASED AND NEUTRAL INSTRUCTION ALTERNATIVES ON EMBODIMENT (I.E., STATE BODY SURVEILLANCE, STATE BODY APPRECIATION, PLEASURE DURING YOGA) AND CHANGES IN AFFECT FROM BEFORE TO AFTER CLASS. FEMALE PARTICIPANTS (N = 62; M AGE = 23.89, SD = 6.86) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA CLASS THAT EMPHASIZED: BEING MINDFULLY PRESENT IN ONE'S BODY, CHANGING ONE'S APPEARANCE, OR JUST GETTING INTO YOGA POSES. ANOVAS REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BODY SURVEILLANCE (ETAP (2) =.10) AND LOWER FORECASTED PLEASURE (ETAP (2) =.21) IN THE APPEARANCE CLASS COMPARED TO THE OTHER TWO CLASSES. PARTICIPANTS IN THE MINDFULNESS CLASS EXPERIENCED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN AFFECT (ETAP (2) =.08) FROM BEFORE TO AFTER CLASS AND HIGHER REMEMBERED PLEASURE DURING THE YOGA CLASS (ETAP (2) =.19) COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE APPEARANCE CLASS. EMPHASIZING CHANGES TO APPEARANCE IN YOGA INSTRUCTION MAY PLACE PARTICIPANTS AT RISK FOR LESS POSITIVE AFFECT AND LESS POSITIVE EXPERIENCES OF EMBODIMENT COMPARED TO MINDFULNESS-BASED OR EVEN NEUTRAL YOGA INSTRUCTION. 2020 6 2392 25 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 7 1166 25 EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION ON PREADOLESCENTS' BODY IMAGE AND MOOD. YOGA IS AN EMBODYING ACTIVITY THAT PROMOTES BODY AWARENESS, BODY CONNECTION, BODY RESPONSIVENESS, AND APPRECIATION OF BODY FUNCTIONALITY, AND IT THEREFORE MAY BE A BENEFICIAL SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN'S BODY IMAGE. THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF A 4-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON PRE-ADOLESCENT GIRLS' AND BOYS' BODY IMAGE (BODY APPRECIATION, BODY ESTEEM, AND BODY SURVEILLANCE) AND MOOD (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT) 1-WEEK POST-INTERVENTION AND AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. BRITISH CHILDREN (N = 344; 54.4% FEMALE) AGED 9-11 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM FOUR SCHOOLS, TWO OF WHICH WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION AND TWO TO A PHYSICAL EDUCATION CONTROL CONDITION. OVERALL, GIRLS REPORTED GREATER BODY IMAGE CONCERN AND NEGATIVE MOOD THAN BOYS. UNEXPECTEDLY, BOTH GROUPS REPORTED INCREASED BODY APPRECIATION, BODY ESTEEM, AND POSITIVE MOOD, AND DECREASED BODY SURVEILLANCE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT FROM BASELINE TO POST-INTERVENTION AND/OR FOLLOW-UP. BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION EVALUATED THE SESSIONS VERY FAVOURABLY; THE MAJORITY DESIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE LESSONS. POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS FOR THESE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 8 2175 25 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONALITY APPRECIATION AND ADDITIONAL FACETS OF POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONALITY APPRECIATION, AND THE POTENTIAL MECHANISMS THAT COULD EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON ADDITIONAL FACETS OF POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. YOUNG ADULT WOMEN (N=114; MAGE=22.19) WERE RANDOMISED TO A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAMME OR WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED MEASURES OF FUNCTIONALITY APPRECIATION, BODY APPRECIATION, BODY COMPASSION, APPEARANCE EVALUATION, SELF-OBJECTIFICATION, AND EMBODIMENT AT PRETEST, MIDTEST, POSTTEST, AND 1-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. FOLLOW-UP DATA COULD NOT BE ANALYSED DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF ATTRITION. THE REMAINING DATA SHOWED THAT, COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, WOMEN IN THE YOGA PROGRAMME EXPERIENCED LOWER SELF-OBJECTIFICATION AT MIDTEST AND GREATER EMBODIMENT OVER TIME. FURTHER, ALL PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY APPRECIATION, BODY COMPASSION, AND APPEARANCE EVALUATION OVER TIME, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ASSIGNED GROUP. LOWER SELF-OBJECTIFICATION CONTRIBUTED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY APPRECIATION AND BODY COMPASSION. IN ADDITION, GREATER EMBODIMENT CONTRIBUTED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY APPRECIATION, BODY COMPASSION, AND APPEARANCE EVALUATION. CONTRARY TO OUR EXPECTATIONS, YOGA DID NOT LEAD TO INCREASED FUNCTIONALITY APPRECIATION, NOR WAS FUNCTIONALITY APPRECIATION A MEDIATOR OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. INSTEAD, LOWER SELF-OBJECTIFICATION, AND GREATER EMBODIMENT, DROVE IMPROVEMENTS IN POSITIVE BODY IMAGE. 2020 9 415 19 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 10 586 28 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 11 2844 29 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 12 999 24 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 13 2225 22 THE IMPACT OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS ON RELATIONAL OUTCOMES IN NOVICE YOGA PRACTITIONERS PARTICIPATING IN AN ACADEMIC YOGA COURSE. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ROLE OF DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS IN IMPACTING THE RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN NOVICE PRACTITIONERS IN AN UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC YOGA COURSE. PARTICIPANTS: 21 COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A YOGA COURSE THROUGHOUT A 15-WEEK ACADEMIC SEMESTER (JANUARY-APRIL 2016). METHODS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED LAB ASSESSMENTS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SEMESTER AND WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE EIGHT CONSECUTIVE INTERNET-BASED DAILY SURVEYS ACROSS SIX SEPARATE BURSTS, YIELDING 48 DATA POINTS FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. RESULTS: MULTIVARIATE TIME-SERIES ANALYSES REVEALED WITHIN-PERSON SUBGROUP DIFFERENCES SUCH THAT IN GENERAL, THOSE IN THE HIGH TRAIT MINDFULNESS GROUP GLEANED BENEFITS FROM YOGA PRACTICE WITH RESPECT TO RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATED TRAIT MINDFULNESS IMPACTS RELATIONAL OUTCOMES IN NOVICE YOGA PRACTITIONERS, SUGGESTING THOSE LOW IN TRAIT MINDFULNESS MAY NOT GARNER IMMEDIATE RELATIONAL BENEFITS FROM YOGA AND COULD BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO BOLSTER AGAINST ANY NEGATIVE INFLUENCES OF INITIATING YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 14 1712 19 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 15 1621 20 MINDFULNESS AND AVOIDANCE MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY. OBJECTIVES: THERE IS ACCUMULATING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CAN ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY, ALTHOUGH THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THIS OCCURS REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SELF-REPORTED ANXIETY AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL MEDIATING ROLES OF MINDFULNESS AND EMOTIONAL AVOIDANCE. METHODS: USING A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN, 367 PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED ONLINE AND COMPLETED MEASURES OF ANXIETY, AVOIDANCE, AND MINDFULNESS. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED THAT LENGTH OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH LOWER ANXIETY IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. AVOIDANCE AND MINDFULNESS MEDIATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LENGTH OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY, SHEDDING LIGHT ON POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THESE PRACTICES REDUCE ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: FUTURE EXPERIMENTAL AND LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE CAUSAL ROLE OF MINDFULNESS AND AVOIDANCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ANXIETY, AND WHETHER YOGA IS A USEFUL ADJUNCT TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2018 16 257 26 A YOGA-BASED THERAPY PROGRAM DESIGNED TO IMPROVE BODY IMAGE AMONG AN OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDERED POPULATION: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND RESULTS FROM A MIXED-METHODS PILOT STUDY. POOR BODY IMAGE IS A CRITICAL BARRIER TO EATING DISORDER RECOVERY. THIS PILOT PROJECT WAS DESIGNED AS A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO EXAMINE A NOVEL GROUP-BASED, THERAPEUTIC YOGA AND BODY IMAGE PROGRAM (YBI) FOR ADDRESSING NEGATIVE BODY IMAGE IN THOSE CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED WITH AN EATING DISORDER (ANOREXIA, BULIMIA NERVOSA, AND OTHER SPECIFIED FEEDING OR EATING DISORDER) RECEIVING OUTPATIENT LEVEL TREATMENT AT AN EATING DISORDER TREATMENT CENTER LOCATED IN MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED BY 67 PARTICIPANTS AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE 8-WEEK SERIES, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE YBI PROGRAM AND ITS POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF-WORTH DURING OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER TREATMENT. QUANTITATIVE SURVEY QUESTIONS ASSESSED PARTICIPANTS' BODY IMAGE CONCERNS, WHILE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS PROBED PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM ON THEIR BODY IMAGE. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE YOGA PROGRAM, MEAN ITEM SCORES ON THE BODY IMAGE CONCERN SURVEY IMPROVED: INCREASES RANGED FROM 0.3 TO 0.8 POINTS ON A 5-POINT SCALE. IN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED MANY POSITIVE CHANGES TO THEIR BODY IMAGE. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM IMPROVED THEIR SELF-ACCEPTANCE, SELF-AWARENESS, CONFIDENCE, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH, AND WAS A POSITIVE FORM OF RELEASE. PARTICIPANTS ALSO DISCUSSED PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF THE YOGA PROGRAM AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTED TO SELF-JUDGMENT, VULNERABILITY, AND CONFRONTATION OF UNCOMFORTABLE FEELINGS. THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY ARE PROMISING AND WARRANT CONSIDERATION OF MORE RIGOROUS STUDY DESIGNS TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF A BODY IMAGE SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM TO AID THOSE IN EATING DISORDER TREATMENT TO IMPROVE BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCES. 2020 17 645 23 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 18 1512 21 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 19 677 21 EFFECT OF A YOGA BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: EMOTION REGULATION IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENTS. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE MINDFULNESS THAT IS RELATED TO EMOTION REGULATION. MASTERING EMOTIONS TECHNIQUE (MEMT) IS ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CONTROL EMOTIONS AMONG PRACTITIONERS. HOWEVER, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO KNOWN STUDY REPORTING ITS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND ITS RELATED VARIABLES. THUS, THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF MEMT ON EMOTION REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO SUBJECTS WITH THE AGE VARIED FROM 18 TO 25 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE. ALL THE SUBJECTS UNDERWENT MEMT FOR THE DURATION OF 45 MIN A DAY FOR A PERIOD OF 2 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS EMOTIONAL REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE (ERQ), THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE (PANAS), SELF-COMPASSION SCALE (SCS), AND MINDFUL ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (MAAS) WERE TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE SCORES OF COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL, POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MAAS ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE SCORES OF NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AFTER THE PRACTICE OF MEMT COMPARED TO ITS RESPECTIVE BASELINE. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT PRACTICE OF MEMT IS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING EMOTION REGULATION, POSITIVE AFFECTS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS WHILE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE AFFECTS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. 2018 20 2236 17 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