1 2367 96 WEEKLY ASSESSMENT OF NUMBER OF YOGA CLASSES AND AMOUNT OF YOGA HOME PRACTICE: AGREEMENT WITH DAILY DIARIES. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT DESIGNED TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE, TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE IN THE PAST WEEK, AND NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL HOME YOGA PRACTICE. "INFORMAL" PRACTICE WAS DEFINED AS "IN THE MIDDLE OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, YOU SPENT A FEW MOMENTS ENGAGED IN ASANAS/POSTURES, FOCUS ON BREATH, BODY AWARENESS, OR VERY BRIEF MEDITATION, FOR LESS THAN 5 MIN AT A TIME." WE ASSESSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THIS WEEKLY ASSESSMENT AND A DAILY HOME PRACTICE LOG. DESIGN AND SETTING: SEVENTY-TWO COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED ONLINE DAILY YOGA LOGS FOR 28 DAYS AS WELL AS THE WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT FOUR TIMES OVER THE 28 DAY PERIOD. RESULTS: WE EXAMINED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS ON THE FOUR INDICES OF AMOUNT OF WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS FOR NUMBER OF CLASSES, NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE, AND TOTAL NUMBER OF MINUTES ENGAGED IN FORMAL HOME PRACTICE. AGREEMENT WAS LOWER FOR NUMBER OF TIMES ENGAGED IN INFORMAL PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR USE OF A WEEKLY YOGA PRACTICE ASSESSMENT TO ASSESS NUMBER OF CLASSES ATTENDED AND AMOUNT OF FORMAL BUT NOT INFORMAL HOME PRACTICE. 2019 2 1707 28 PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOLLOWING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY DESCRIBED PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXAMINED DIFFERENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COMPARED WITH CONTROLS. METHODS: A LONGITUDINAL COMPARATIVE DESIGN MEASURED THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON YOGA PRACTICE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, USING DATA AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION MONTHS 3, 6, AND 15. RESULTS: DISPARATE PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE OCCURRED BETWEEN INTERVENTION AND CONTROL PARTICIPANTS OVER TIME, BUT THE SUBJECTIVE DEFINITION OF YOGA PRACTICE LIMITS INTERPRETATION. MULTILEVEL MODEL ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT TREATMENT GROUP DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THE RATE OF CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER THE STUDY PERIOD. WHILE AGE AND EDUCATION WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT INDIVIDUAL PREDICTORS, THE INCLUSION OF THESE VARIABLES IN THE MODEL DID IMPROVE FIT. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2012 3 2385 32 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 4 1997 38 STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATING SELF-EFFICACY AND OBSERVED SUCCESS IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES FOR THERAPEUTIC INDICATIONS: METHODS FROM A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER WOMEN. BACKGROUND: MOST CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING YOGA LACK ADEQUATE DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC YOGA ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES. FEW STUDIES HAVE MEASURED SELF-EFFICACY REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF YOGA POSTURES OR ASSESSED OBSERVED SUCCESS IN PERFORMING POSTURES. METHODS: WE DEVELOPED AND PILOTED SEVERAL TOOLS TO EVALUATE SELF-EFFICACY AND OBSERVED SUCCESS IN PRACTICING YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF A RANDOMIZED FEASIBILITY TRIAL OF AN IYENGAR-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE IN AMBULATORY WOMEN >/=50 YEARS. AT THE END OF THE 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION INVOLVING TWICE WEEKLY GROUP YOGA CLASSES AND ONCE WEEKLY HOME PRACTICE, PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR SELF-EFFICACY IN PERFORMING EACH OF THE INCLUDED 15 YOGA POSTURES ON A 5-POINT LIKERT SCALE. DURING THE 12TH WEEK, AN EXPERT YOGA CONSULTANT OBSERVED PARTICIPANTS AND RATED THEIR COMPETENCY IN PERFORMING POSTURES ON A 5-POINT SCALE. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT SELF-EFFICACY IN ADHERING TO HOME YOGA PRACTICE. WE EXAMINED THE DISTRIBUTION OF AND CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SCORES ON THE ABOVE MEASURES. RESULTS: AMONG 27 PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE 65 YEARS), THE RANGE OF MEANS FOR SELF-EFFICACY RATINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL POSTURES WAS 3.6 TO 4.5. THE RANGE OF MEANS FOR OBSERVED COMPETENCY RATINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL POSTURES WAS 3.3 TO 5.0. MEAN SELF-EFFICACY RATING FOR CONFIDENCE IN ADHERING TO THE ASSIGNED ONCE-WEEKLY HOME YOGA PRACTICE WAS 2.8 (RANGE 1 TO 5). POSTURE SELF-EFFICACY WAS INVERSELY CORRELATED WITH PARTICIPANT AGE (P = 0.01) AND POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL FUNCTION (P = 0.03) AND MOBILITY (P = 0.01). NO SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN POSTURE SELF-EFFICACY SCALE SCORES AND EXPERT-OBSERVED YOGA COMPETENCY RATINGS OR PRACTICE ADHERENCE SELF-EFFICACY SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: THESE MEASURES HOLD PROMISE FOR ADVANCING YOGA RESEARCH AND PRACTICE BY DESCRIBING METHODS TO: 1) MEASURE SELF-EFFICACY IN PERFORMING SPECIFIC YOGA POSTURES; 2) USE AN EXPERT OBSERVER TO ASSESS PARTICIPANTS' COMPETENCE IN PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES; AND 3) MEASURE SELF-EFFICACY IN ADHERING TO HOME PRACTICE. THESE PROPOSED MEASURES CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, TO ASSESS WHETHER STUDY PARTICIPANTS ARE ABLE TO LEARN TO PRACTICE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA AND/OR MAINTAIN THIS PRACTICE OVER TIME, AS WELL AS TO INVESTIGATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SELF-EFFICACY AND COMPETENCY IN PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT02342678, JANUARY 21, 2015. 2020 5 2837 28 YOGA'S IMPACT ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR DISORDERED EATING: A PILOT PREVENTION TRIAL. YOGA HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR EATING DISORDERS, BUT FEW PREVENTION TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA SERIES IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS (N = 52). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE 50-MINUTE YOGA CLASSES/WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS WHO RECEIVED A 3-DAY INTENSIVE TRAINING) OR A CONTROL GROUP. RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS, ASSESSED AT BASELINE, 5 AND 10 WEEKS, INCLUDED BODY DISSATISFACTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, LONELINESS, SELF-COMPASSION, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND MINDFULNESS. MIXED MODELS CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS OF OUTCOME VARIABLES WERE RUN. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 20 OUT OF 30 YOGA CLASSES, AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH THE YOGA SERIES. APPEARANCE ORIENTATION DECREASED AND POSITIVE AFFECT INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP. AFTER CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE LEVELS, THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER POSITIVE AFFECT THAN THE CONTROL GROUP. CHANGES IN OTHER OUTCOMES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. FUTURE YOGA RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING EDUCATION ABOUT BODY IMAGE, MEASURE AND SAMPLE SELECTION, AND USE OF AN IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FRAMEWORK. 2020 6 1684 24 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 7 976 27 EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM WITH HEALTH EDUCATION AND HATHA YOGA ON THE HEALTH OF PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS. INTRODUCTION: MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS ARE RELEVANT IN THE WORKERS' DISEASE PROCESS, AND ERGONOMIC INTERVENTIONS THAT INCLUDE GUIDANCE AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE CONSIST OF STRATEGIES OF HEALTH PROMOTION. INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES ARE PRESENTED AS A POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING COMPREHENSIVE CARE AND YOGA CONSISTS OF A THERAPEUTIC ALTERNATIVE. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA IN MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS IN PROFESSIONALS OF A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. METHODS: WE SELECTED 125 PROFESSIONALS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS OF INTENSITY >/= 1 WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED THEM TO INTERVENTION (N = 63) AND CONTROL (N = 62) GROUPS, REQUESTING ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRES: INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION, THE NORDIC MUSCULOSKELETAL QUESTIONNAIRE AND A NUMERIC SCALE, THE PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WENT THROUGH A 12-WEEK PROGRAM WITH EDUCATIONAL MEASURES AND HATHA YOGA. AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD, BOTH GROUPS ANSWERED TO THE QUESTIONNAIRES ONCE AGAIN. WE COMPARED DATA BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION AND BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS: BOTH GROUPS PRESENTED IMPROVEMENTS AFTER 12 WEEKS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN RESULTS OBTAINED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DATA COLLECTIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEVELS OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS DECREASED MORE STRONGLY IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONSIDERING THAT THE INTERVENTION GROUP BEGAN THE PROGRAM IN WORSE CLINICAL CONDITIONS, THE PROGRAM LED TO A REDUCTION IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS, BUT THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP TO REACH BETTER RESULTS THAN THE CONTROL. CONCLUSIONS: THE INTERVENTION PROMOTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE INTENSITY OF PAIN, DISABILITY, AND STRESS AMONG THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE INTERVENTION GROUP. SIMILAR PROGRAMS COULD BE EXPLORED IN THE PROMOTION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH. 2020 8 1151 28 ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY: A PILOT STUDY ON WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH INTEGRATING YOGA INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE. INTRODUCTION: HEALTH GUIDELINES SUGGEST THAT PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YET RARELY DO THEY MEET THESE GUIDELINES. MEANS TO ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN ARE REQUIRED, AND YOGA HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS A POSSIBLE METHOD TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, OUR PRIMARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE PREGNANT WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AN INTERVENTION WHICH INTEGRATES A LOW-INTENSITY FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YOGA, INTO PRENATAL CARE; OUR SECONDARY AIM IS TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN PARTICIPANTS' SELF-EFFICACY FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER TIME. METHODS: HELD IN AN OUTPATIENT OBSTETRICS DEPARTMENT OF AN URBAN HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES, THIS PILOT STUDY ENROLLED 16 PREGNANT WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVENTION THROUGHOUT THEIR PREGNANCY. WE EXPLORED PARTICIPANTS' LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERVENTION USING QUALITATIVE METHODS (PHENOMENOLOGY). MEANS, VARIANCES, AND COVARIANCES WERE CALCULATED FOR THE 2 MEASURES (SELF-EFFICACY AND TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUPS SUGGEST THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR PRENATAL YOGA TO BE INTEGRATED INTO GROUP PRENATAL CARE CLASSES AND WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED CONFIDENCE WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING PREGNANCY. PARTICIPANTS DID NOT CONSIDER THE INTERVENTION TO FIT WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF EXERCISE. WOMEN REPORTED INCREASED AMOUNTS OF TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM BASELINE TO THE END OF PREGNANCY, BUT THERE WERE NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SELF-EFFICACY OVER TIME. DISCUSSION: THE INTEGRATION OF GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO THE GROUP PRENATAL CARE MODEL WARRANTS FURTHER ATTENTION FOR POTENTIAL BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO MATERNAL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS. 2019 9 2754 35 YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS IMPROVEMENTS IN DAY-TO-DAY PAIN IN WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER. CONTEXT: WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM BURDEN, INCLUDING CANCER PAIN. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE THAT HAS SHOWN PROMISE FOR ALLEVIATING CANCER PAIN, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE INCLUDED PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC DISEASE OR EXAMINED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE WHETHER DAILY PAIN CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM AMONG WOMEN WITH MBC AND WHETHER TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE WAS RELATED TO DAILY PAIN. METHODS: ON ALTERNATE WEEKS DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, WE COLLECTED DAILY MEASURES OF PAIN FROM A SUBSET OF 48 WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 30) OR A SUPPORT GROUP CONDITION (N = 18). WE ALSO ASSESSED DAILY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO YOGA. RESULTS: PAIN LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS, AND NO DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT EFFECTS WERE FOUND ON DAILY PAIN. HOWEVER, AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO YOGA, A DOSE/RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE DURATION AND DAILY PAIN. WHEN PATIENTS HAD SPENT RELATIVELY MORE TIME PRACTICING YOGA ACROSS TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE LOWER PAIN ON THE NEXT DAY. THIS FINDING IS CONSISTENT WITH AN EARLIER MBC STUDY. MEDITATION PRACTICE SHOWED THE STRONGEST ASSOCIATION WITH LOWER DAILY PAIN. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE (MEDITATION PRACTICE IN PARTICULAR) IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE IMPROVEMENTS IN CANCER PAIN, AND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE MORE IMPACTFUL IF TESTED IN A SAMPLE OF PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER IN WHICH PAIN IS RELATIVELY ELEVATED. 2021 10 1242 29 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 11 1586 28 MEDICAL YOGA IN THE WORKPLACE SETTING-PERCEIVED STRESS AND WORK ABILITY-A FEASIBILITY STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING AN INTERVENTION OF MEDICAL YOGA IN THE WORKPLACE AND INVESTIGATED ITS EFFECTS ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND WORK ABILITY. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS WAS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT STUDY COMPARING A GROUP WHO RECEIVED MEDICAL YOGA (INTERVENTION GROUP, N=17), WITH A GROUP WAITING TO RECEIVE MEDICAL YOGA (CONTROL GROUP, N=15). INTERVENTION: MEDICAL YOGA IN NINE WEEKLY SESSIONS LED BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR, AS WELL AS AN INSTRUCTION FILM TO BE FOLLOWED AT HOME TWICE WEEKLY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY WAS ASSESSED THROUGH RECRUITMENT, ELIGIBILITY, WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE, RESPONSE TO QUESTIONNAIRES AND ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION PLAN. STRESS WAS MEASURED WITH THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, WORK ABILITY WITH THE WORK ABILITY INDEX. RESULTS: CONVINCING UNIT MANAGERS TO LET THEIR EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN THIS INTERVENTION WAS DIFFICULT. ELIGIBILITY WAS PERFECT, BUT ONLY 40% OF WORKERS WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE. THE SUBJECTS ADHERED TO A GREAT EXTENT TO THE INTERVENTION AND ANSWERED THE QUESTIONNAIRES SATISFACTORILY. REACHING TARGET INDIVIDUALS REQUIRES CAREFUL ATTENTION TO INFORMING PARTICIPANTS. THE INTERVENTION SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON STRESS AND WORK ABILITY, THOUGH THE TWO MEASURES CORRELATED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME. CONCLUSION: FACTORS LIMITING FEASIBILITY OF THIS WORKPLACE INTERVENTION WERE IDENTIFIED. WORK PLACE INTERVENTIONS MAY NEED TO BE SANCTIONED AT A HIGHER MANAGERIAL LEVEL. THE OPTIMAL TIME, LENGTH AND AVAILABILITY OF THE WORKPLACE INTERVENTION SHOULD BE EXPLORED FURTHER. KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS STUDY COULD BE USED AS A FOUNDATION WHEN PLANNING A LARGER SCALE STUDY. 2017 12 198 29 A REGULAR YOGA INTERVENTION FOR STAFF NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: ALTHOUGH MANY STUDIES HAVE ASSESSED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN OLDER INDIVIDUALS, MINIMAL RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON HOW NURSES USE YOGA TO IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND TO REDUCE WORK STRESS AFTER WORK HOURS. WE USED THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX IN CHINESE AND THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON MEDICAL WORKER'S STRESS IN CHINESE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF SLEEP AND WORK STRESS OF STAFF NURSES EMPLOYED BY A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN CHINA. BACKGROUND: DISTURBANCES IN THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM INTERRUPT AN INDIVIDUAL'S PATTERN OF SLEEP. STUDY DESIGN: CONVENIENT SAMPLING METHOD. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NURSES WERE RANDOMISED INTO TWO GROUPS: A YOGA GROUP AND A NON-YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP PERFORMED YOGA MORE THAN TWO TIMES EVERY WEEK FOR 50-60 MINUTES EACH TIME AFTER WORK HOURS. THE NG GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN YOGA. AFTER SIX MONTHS, SELF-REPORTED SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS WERE COMPARED BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, AND THEN WE USED LINEAR REGRESSION TO CONFIRM THE INDEPENDENT FACTORS RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. RESULTS: NURSES IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD BETTER SLEEP QUALITY AND LOWER WORK STRESS COMPARED WITH NURSES IN THE NON-YOGA GROUP. THE LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL INDICATED THAT NURSING EXPERIENCE, AGE AND YOGA INTERVENTION WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO SLEEP QUALITY. CONCLUSION: REGULAR YOGA CAN IMPROVE SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE WORK STRESS IN STAFF NURSES. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO NURSE SLEEP QUALITY AND WORK STRESS, THEREBY TAKING CORRESPONDING MEASURES TO REDUCE WORK PRESSURE AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2015 13 115 22 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 14 1628 22 MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MEASURES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND ASSESS THEIR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND WELLBEING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A WEB-BASED SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES WITH MONTHS OF PRACTICE. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WITH TWO OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK AND MINDFULNESS HIGHER IN THOSE WITH A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE. DISCUSSION: KEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CLASS FREQUENCY, PRACTICE EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION PRACTICE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION EXAMINING MINDFULNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. 2018 15 2222 30 THE IMPACT OF MODIFIED HATHA YOGA ON CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE A POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR A 6-WEEK MODIFIED HATHA YOGA PROTOCOL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS ON PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS (M = 4; F = 17), BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 AND 65, WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER AN IMMEDIATE YOGA BASED INTERVENTION, OR TO A CONTROL GROUP WITH NO TREATMENT DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD BUT RECEIVED LATER YOGA TRAINING. METHODS: A SPECIFIC CLBP YOGA PROTOCOL DESIGNED AND MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERED FOR ONE HOUR, TWICE A WEEK FOR 6 WEEKS. PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED THE FORWARD REACH (FR) AND SIT AND REACH (SR) TESTS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED OSWESTRY DISABILITY INDEX (ODI) AND BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY (BDI) QUESTIONNAIRES. GUIDING QUESTIONS WERE USED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS TO ASCERTAIN HOW YOGA PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE INSTRUCTOR, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THEIR LIFE. ANALYSIS: TO ACCOUNT FOR DROP OUTS, THE DATA WERE DIVIDED INTO BETTER OR NOT CATEGORIES, AND ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARE TO EXAMINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS. QUALITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED THROUGH FREQUENCY OF POSITIVE RESPONSES. RESULTS: POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT TRENDS IN THE FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT SCORES SHOWED IMPROVED BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY AND DECREASED DISABILITY AND DEPRESSION FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT THIS PILOT WAS NOT POWERED TO REACH STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS INCLUDED A HIGH DROPOUT RATE IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND LARGE BASELINE DIFFERENCES IN THE SECONDARY MEASURES. IN ADDITION, ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THE FOLLOWING FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES (1) GROUP INTERVENTION MOTIVATED THE PARTICIPANTS AND (2) YOGA FOSTERED RELAXATION AND NEW AWARENESS/LEARNING. CONCLUSION: A MODIFIED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MAY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WITH CLB, BUT A LARGER STUDY IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. ALSO, THE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND DISABILITY COULD BE CONSIDERED AS IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR FURTHER STUDY. ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME MEASURES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. THIS PILOT STUDY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR MORE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF YOGA FOR THIS POPULATION. 2004 16 2695 28 YOGA INFLUENCES RECOVERY DURING INPATIENT REHABILITATION: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND ASSESS WHETHER PATIENTS CHOSE TO ENGAGE IN YOGA THERAPY IN ADDITION TO OTHER DAILY THERAPIES, TO DESCRIBE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF HOW YOGA THERAPY INFLUENCED RECOVERY, AND TO ASSESS AND DESCRIBE PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS WAS A SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY, ADDING YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION. YOGA THERAPY WAS OFFERED AS GROUP YOGA OR INDIVIDUAL YOGA TWICE A WEEK. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WERE COMPLETED VIA TELEPHONE POST-DISCHARGE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 55 OF THE 77 (71%) PEOPLE CONTACTED ABOUT THE STUDY ENGAGED IN YOGA THERAPY IN THE INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING FOR THIS STUDY AND 31 (56%) OF THESE COMPLETED THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. QUALITATIVE DATA SUPPORT THAT PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THAT YOGA THERAPY IMPROVED BREATHING, RELAXATION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH THEY OFTEN INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE INCREASED FLEXIBILITY OR FREQUENCY OF YOGA. ALMOST ALL PARTICIPANTS (97%) SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM TO OTHERS IN INPATIENT REHABILITATION. CONCLUSION: WE WERE ABLE TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF HAVING THE YOGA THERAPY IN THEIR REHABILITATION STAY. 2015 17 1732 28 PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISORDERS. HOWEVER, DATA RELATED TO PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA SERVICES AND THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA BY PATIENTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS LACKING. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS FEEDBACK OF THE PATIENTS WHO ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS AT A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY USING A SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTER FOR YOGA, AT THE END OF THEIR YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED AND ONE PATIENTS' DATA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. MOST OF THE PATIENTS WERE REFERRED BY THE DOCTORS. THE YOGA MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED, FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION. ON AN AVERAGE, PATIENTS ATTENDED 13 SESSIONS. MOST OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1-2 WEEKS AND HAD MISSED LESS THAN 2 SESSIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS REPORTED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPED THEM. SPEARMAN CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA AND VARIABLES AFFECTING QUALITY OF YOGA SERVICES AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED. OVERALL HEALTH AND SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ALSO POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. A MINORITY OF PATIENTS REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE DID NOT LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION. CONCLUSION: IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR MENTAL DISORDERS WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE YOGA UNDER SUPERVISION AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS. 2021 18 2235 23 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 19 1884 22 REDUCING STRESS IN SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS THROUGH MINDFUL YOGA. INTRODUCTION: SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN REPORT MUCH STRESS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS A PROGRAM OF AWARENESS-BASED PRACTICES EFFECTIVE WITH ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING THROUGH YOGA WITH SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS, ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION, AND EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES. METHOD: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP MET 1 HOUR A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AND COMPLETED 10 MINUTES OF DAILY HOMEWORK. RESULTS: SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REGULATION INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO REPORT GREATER APPRAISAL OF STRESS (P < .01) AND GREATER FREQUENCY OF COPING (P < .05). HOMEWORK ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTED STRESS. DISCUSSION: CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS MAY ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF STRESSORS IN ITSELF INCREASED STRESS, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS OR RELATED TO COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN MAY DIFFER FROM MINDFULNESS IN ADULTS AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2012 20 13 34 "MORE THAN I EXPECTED": PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH PARTICIPANTS FROM TRIALS EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CURRENT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A POPULATION OF OLDER, PREDOMINANTLY OVERWEIGHT ADULTS PARTICIPATING IN A GENTLE 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: THIS STUDY USED A CONSTRUCTIVIST-INTERPRETIVE APPROACH TO NATURALISTIC INQUIRY. SETTING: A TOTAL OF 42 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR THE CURRENT QUALITATIVE STUDY. INTERVENTION: THE 8-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM INCLUDED TWO 90-MIN YOGA CLASSES AND FIVE 30-MIN HOME SESSIONS PER WEEK. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED WEEKLY LOGS AND AN EXIT QUESTIONNAIRE AT THE END OF THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: QUALITATIVE DATA FROM WEEKLY LOGS AND EXIT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPILED AND CONVENTIONAL CONTENT ANALYSIS PERFORMED WITH THE USE OF ATLAS.TI TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS. RESULTS: FOUR BROAD THEMES EMERGED FROM CONTENT ANALYSIS: PRACTICING YOGA IMPROVED OVERALL PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND CAPACITY (FOR 83% OF PARTICIPANTS); PRACTICING YOGA REDUCED STRESS/ANXIETY AND ENHANCED CALMNESS (83% OF PARTICIPANTS); PRACTICING YOGA ENRICHED THE QUALITY OF SLEEP (21% OF PARTICIPANTS); AND PRACTICING YOGA SUPPORTED EFFORTS TOWARD DIETARY IMPROVEMENTS (14% OF PARTICIPANTS). CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY HAVE ANCILLARY BENEFITS IN TERMS OF IMPROVED PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ENHANCED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL STATE, ENRICHED SLEEP QUALITY, AND IMPROVED LIFESTYLE CHOICES, AND MAY BE USEFUL AS A HEALTH PROMOTION STRATEGY IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASE. 2013