1 2417 128 YOGA AND MEDITATION, AN ESSENTIAL TOOL TO ALLEVIATE STRESS AND ENHANCE IMMUNITY TO EMERGING INFECTIONS: A PERSPECTIVE ON THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON STUDENTS. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CAUSED BY THE SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS-2 (SARS-COV-2) HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED THE GLOBAL HEALTHCARE AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS ALSO CREATED AN EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PANDEMIC AMONG PEOPLE OF ALL AGES IRRESPECTIVE OF ECONOMIC STATUS AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF PROLONGED LOCKDOWNS, ONE OF THE MOST SEVERELY AFFECTED AGE GROUPS GLOBALLY IS THE YOUNG ADULTS' GROUP, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS. UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR, RESTRICTED OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, AND UNUSUAL DAILY ROUTINES DURING LOCKDOWNS LED TO HIGHER INCIDENCES OF STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION AMONG STUDENTS WORLDWIDE. IN THIS REVIEW, WE SUMMARISE THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECT OF LOCKDOWNS ON STUDENTS AND DISCUSS POSSIBLE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON VARIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND IMMUNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, WHICH CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCE THE GENERAL WELLBEING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS. PERSPECTIVES SHARED IN THE REVIEW WILL ALSO BRING AWARENESS ON HOW YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD BOOST STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE AND ASSIST THEM IN MAINTAINING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING DURING STRESSFUL CONDITIONS SUCH AS FUTURE EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS WITH NOVEL INFECTIONS. THIS INFORMATION COULD HELP CREATE BETTER EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUMS AND HEALTHY ROUTINES FOR STUDENTS. 2022 2 2555 40 YOGA FOR CHILDREN IN THE NEW NORMAL - EXPERIENCE SHARING. OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE'S MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES SUCH AS WEARING A MASK, USING SANITIZER, MEASURES ALSO NEED TO BE TAKEN TO PREVENT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS DUE TO THIS UNEXPECTED CRISIS SITUATION. PRACTICING YOGA IS ONE OF THE SIMPLE, SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO COMBAT STRESS AND PREVENT ANXIETY AMONG CHILDREN. METHODS: THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCES ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IS DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA IN NURTURING THE MENTAL WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN. RESULTS: SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED STUDIES AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OBJECTIVELY CONCLUDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION. IN ADDITION TO MENTAL HEALTH, YOGA WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND BOOST IMMUNITY AMONG CHILDREN WHICH WILL ALSO HELP IN REDUCING THE INFECTION RATE IN CHILDREN. CONCLUSIONS: AS A WAY FORWARD, AUTHORS STRONGLY RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING YOGA AS A CURRICULUM AT SCALE TO COVER THE VAST VULNERABLE POPULATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE THE FUTURE OF THE NATION. 2021 3 1604 28 MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - THE CASE FOR YOGA IN SCHOOLS. BACKGROUND: MENTAL WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IS DETERIORATING. POOR MENTAL WELLBEING CAN BE RELATED TO UNMANAGED STRESS. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ARE WIDESPREAD AND RESULT IN YOUNG PEOPLE HAVING STRESSFUL LIVES. STRESS HAS MANY MANIFESTATIONS, AND COPING WITH IT CAN LEAD TO RISKY HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOURS. MAIN BODY: A SAFE, SCIENTIFICALLY-SUPPORTED, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SET OF STRESS-REDUCTION SKILLS IS PROVIDED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. AT PRESENT, YOGA IS AVAILABLE PRIVATELY, NOT PUBLICLY. AFTER APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED AND EVALUATED INTERVENTIONS, THE PUBLIC PROVISION OF YOGA COULD BE INTEGRATED WITHIN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, THEREBY REDUCING THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AND OFFERING A PREVENTATIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. SHORT CONCLUSION: WE SUGGEST THAT THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF AN INVESTMENT IN A CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WOULD DO MUCH TO REDUCE STRESS BOTH NOW FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 2018 4 1587 23 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 5 1218 25 EXPLORING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND ITS ABILITY TO INCREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO ASSESS THE FINDINGS OF SELECTED ARTICLES REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AND TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. AS PARTICIPATION RATES IN MIND-BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS SUCH AS YOGA CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE NATURE OF YOGA AND THE EVIDENCE OF ITS MANY THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS. THUS, THIS MANUSCRIPT PROVIDES INFORMATION REGARDING THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AS IT HAS BEEN STUDIED IN VARIOUS POPULATIONS CONCERNING A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT AILMENTS AND CONDITIONS. THERAPEUTIC YOGA IS DEFINED AS THE APPLICATION OF YOGA POSTURES AND PRACTICE TO THE TREATMENT OF HEALTH CONDITIONS AND INVOLVES INSTRUCTION IN YOGIC PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS TO PREVENT REDUCE OR ALLEVIATE STRUCTURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL PAIN, SUFFERING OR LIMITATIONS. RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY SHOW THAT YOGIC PRACTICES ENHANCE MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND BODY FLEXIBILITY, PROMOTE AND IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, PROMOTE RECOVERY FROM AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTION, REDUCE STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND CHRONIC PAIN, IMPROVE SLEEP PATTERNS, AND ENHANCE OVERALL WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2011 6 2600 19 YOGA FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS: NURSING AND RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS. OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A LEADING CAUSE OF PAIN AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. CURRENT TREATMENT GUIDELINES RECOMMEND NONPHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA FOR FIRSTLINE TREATMENT OF OA. YOGA IS A PROMISING MIND-BODY PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING PRACTICES, AND MEDITATIVE MENTAL FOCUS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE CURRENT EVIDENCE, AS WELL AS A PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. CURRENT RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR OA IS SCANT BUT PROMISING, SHOWING SOME EVIDENCE OF REDUCED PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND DISABILITY. THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBED HERE PROPOSES MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS (STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY, RELAXATION), REDUCTION OF AUTONOMIC AROUSAL, AND THERAPEUTIC COGNITIVE PATTERNS (DISTRACTION, MINDFULNESS) AS POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT MECHANISMS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE ALSO DESCRIBES CONSIDERATIONS FOR PATIENTS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WHEN EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL USEFULNESS AND SAFETY OF YOGA PROGRAMS: YOGA STYLE, INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS, AND AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2012 7 100 35 A PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE STRATEGY FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019. THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) INFECTION CAUSED BY SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-CORONAVIRUS 2 HAS LED TO PROFOUND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IN PARTICULAR, INDIVIDUALS WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OF HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES AND THE ELDERLY ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SUCCUMB TO THIS INFECTION. THE CURRENT COVID-19 EMERGENCY CALLS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AGAINST THIS VIRUS-MEDIATED DISEASE. THERE IS A PLETHORA OF EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE ADD-ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. THERE ARE SOME STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS WELL BUT VERY FEW FOR ACUTE CONDITIONS AND ALMOST NONE FOR THE RAPIDLY SPREADING INFECTIONS RESULTING IN PANDEMICS. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES ON YOGA IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, WE HAVE FORMULATED VERY SIMPLE DOABLE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULES IN THE FORM OF VIDEOS TO BE PRACTICED FOR PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE BY CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND THE ELDERLY. 2020 8 406 27 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 9 1338 26 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? EMBODIED COGNITION AND EMOTION HIGHLIGHT THE INFLUENCE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR ACTIVITY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION - AN ASSOCIATION THAT IS GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIATING VARIABLES IS, HOWEVER, LIMITED. GIVEN THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT ENCOURAGES SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, STRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY. THIS EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE PARALLELS POPULAR INTEREST IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND EMPHASIZES THE INFLUENCE OF BODY POSITION ON THINKING AS WELL AS EMOTION. THOSE INFLUENCES TAKE ON ADDED MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY AND THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF CHALLENGE AND THREAT. INVESTIGATIONS OF EMBODIED COGNITION SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE STRESS BY AFFECTING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPRAISE STRESSORS. THE COMBINATION OF BODY POSITION AND COMMON COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFECT, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SELF AND FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE. FINDINGS REGARDING EMBODIED EMOTION MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS AND COMMON YOGA PRACTICES. CONSIDERING YOGA AND STRESS FROM AN EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN THE STRESS PROCESS, LEADING TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES STRESS BY DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, INDIRECTLY BY INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF THAT SYSTEM, OR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THOSE QUESTIONS, IN TURN, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING INVESTIGATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, BODY POSITION, MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY DURING YOGA, AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THOSE VARIABLES. 2019 10 2908 13 [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 11 1767 31 POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IMPLICATIONS FOR WORKING WOMEN. BACKGROUND: PREGNANCY IS A VULNERABLE PERIOD OF GROWTH AND ENRICHMENT ALONG WITH MANY PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGES. THESE CHANGES CAN LEAD TO COMPLICATIONS IF COMPOUNDED BY EXTERNAL STRESS AND ANXIETY. COVID-19 HAS EMERGED AS A CHIEF STRESSOR AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION AND IS A SERIOUS THREAT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS, SUCH AS YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, BOTH AT HOME AND AT WORK. THESE CAN BE ADOPTED DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE AND COMPILE LITERATURE THAT HAS REPORTED THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON PREGNANCY AT THE WORKPLACE AND ANALYZES BOTH THE RESTRICTIONS AS WELL AS ADVANTAGES OF ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN COMPARISON TO PHYSICAL EXERCISES. METHODOLOGY: A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING PUBMED AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. THE KEYWORDS USED FOR THE SEARCH INCLUDE "YOGA", "WORK", "COMPLICATIONS", "PHYSICAL EXERCISE", "DRUGS" AND "COVID" INDIFFERENT PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS WITH "PREGNANCY". WE COMPILED THE LITERATURE WITH RESPECT TO PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA FOR PREVENTING THESE COMPLICATIONS. RESULTS: WE NOTED THAT PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT BECAUSE OF A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, RESTRICTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GROWING STRESS. IN SUCH SITUATIONS, A HOME OR WORKPLACE YOGA PROTOCOL CAN COMBINE BOTH EXERCISE AND MINDFULNESS-BASED ALLEVIATION OF ANXIETY FOR BOTH WORKING AND NON-WORKING WOMEN. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR COMBATING STRESS AND ANXIETY BESIDES BOOSTING IMMUNITY IN PREGNANT WORKING WOMEN CONFRONTED WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2020 12 2265 23 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE AND GUIDELINES. YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY APPROACH TO HEALTH MAINTENANCE AND PROMOTION FOR OLDER ADULTS AND HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO SUPPORT MANY DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING, FROM EVERYDAY STRESS TO ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND COPING WITH HEALTH CHALLENGES. YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN CONSCIOUSLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY INTEGRATED INTO AN INDIVIDUAL'S OVERALL SELF-CARE AND MEDICAL CARE PROGRAM, THROUGH DELIBERATE AND OPEN DIALOGUE AMONG PATIENTS, HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, AND YOGA PROFESSIONALS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO (1) BRIEFLY REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR OLDER ADULTS; (2) OUTLINE PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR OLDER ADULT YOGA, INCLUDING KEY POSTURES; AND (3) PROVIDE SOME BASIC PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR BOTH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS REFERRING PATIENTS TO YOGA AND YOGA TEACHERS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH OLDER ADULTS. 2011 13 203 19 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 14 1588 28 MEDICAL YOGA: ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD-A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS. THE PREVALENCE OF STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS HAS GROWN IN RECENT YEARS. MANY OF THESE PATIENTS SEEK HELP IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. YOGA CAN REDUCE STRESS AND THUS COMPLEMENTS PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY IN MEDICAL PRACTICE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF YOGA TREATMENT IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING OR, SPECIFICALLY, THE EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WHEN SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS. THUS, THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF PARTICIPATING IN MEDICAL YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING. THIS STUDY HAS A DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL DESIGN AND TOOK PLACE AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN SWEDEN DURING 2011. FIVE WOMEN AND ONE MAN (43-51 YEARS) PARTICIPATED. THEY WERE RECRUITED FROM THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N=18) IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, IN WHICH THEY HAD PARTICIPATED IN A MEDICAL YOGA GROUP IN ADDITION TO STANDARD CARE FOR 12 WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY MEANS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, AND A PHENOMENOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED. THE ESSENTIAL MEANING OF THE MEDICAL YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS THAT THE MEDICAL YOGA WAS NOT AN ENDPOINT OF RECOVERY BUT THE START OF A PROCESS TOWARDS AN INCREASED SENSE OF WHOLENESS. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A WAY OF ALLEVIATING SUFFERING, AND IT PROVIDED THE PARTICIPANTS WITH A TOOL FOR DEALING WITH THEIR STRESS AND CURRENT SITUATION ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL. IT LED TO GREATER SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-ESTEEM, WHICH IN TURN HAD AN IMPLICIT IMPACT ON THEIR LIFEWORLD. IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL TERMS, THIS CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD, ENCOMPASSING A PERCEPTION OF DEEPENED IDENTITY. FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE, DUE TO USING THE BODY IN A NEW WAY (YOGA), THE PARTICIPANTS HAD LEARNT TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, WHICH ENRICHED AND RECAST THEIR PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES. 2014 15 2453 23 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A GUIDE FOR CLINICIANS. YOGA IS BEING USED BY A GROWING NUMBER OF YOUTH AND ADULTS AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH AND FITNESS. THERE IS ALSO A PROGRESSIVE TREND TOWARD USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE SPECIFIC PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. TO PROVIDE CLINICIANS WITH THERAPEUTICALLY USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT YOGA, THE EVIDENCE EVALUATING YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS IS REVIEWED AND SUMMARIZED. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY IS PRESENTED ALONG WITH YOGA RESOURCES AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR CLINICAL PRACTITIONERS TO USE WITH THEIR PATIENTS. THE MAJORITY OF AVAILABLE STUDIES WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS SUGGEST BENEFITS TO USING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION AND SHOW VERY FEW ADVERSE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS MUST BE INTERPRETED AS PRELIMINARY FINDINGS BECAUSE MANY OF THE STUDIES HAVE METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS THAT PREVENT STRONG CONCLUSIONS FROM BEING DRAWN. YOGA APPEARS PROMISING AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS. FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO APPLY IT MOST EFFECTIVELY AND MORE COORDINATED RESEARCH EFFORTS ARE NEEDED. 2010 16 1712 26 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 17 2429 29 YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE - A REVIEW AND COMPARISON. YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL WITH ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS ONE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS. THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA WHICH ARE VERY COMMONLY APPLIED FOR HEALTH BENEFITS ARE ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (REGULATED BREATHING) AND MEDITATION. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANAS, YOGA RESEMBLES MORE OF A PHYSICAL EXERCISE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS ANOTHER KIND OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS ARTICLE AIMS AT EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN TERMS OF CONCEPTS, POSSIBLE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS. A NARRATIVE REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE FOR YOGA, ALONG WITH SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON YOGA AND EXERCISE INCLUDING HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARATIVE TRIALS WITH HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS DISEASE CONDITIONS. PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE SEVERAL SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE EQUAL AND/OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN MOST OUTCOME MEASURES. EMPHASIS ON BREATH REGULATION, MINDFULNESS DURING PRACTICE, AND IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO MAINTENANCE OF POSTURES ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOGA PRACTICES FROM PHYSICAL EXERCISES. 2016 18 1696 12 PAIN MANAGEMENT AND YOGA. THE USE OF YOGA AND YOGA RELATED TECHNIQUES IN PAIN MANAGEMENT IS REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. SELF-AWARENESS, RELAXATION, APPROACHES WHICH USE RESPIRATION, INCREASED SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE, CHANGED CONTEXT OF PAIN, INCREASED CONTROL, LIFE STYLE IMPROVEMENTS, GROUP AND SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVED BENEFICIAL. THE USE OF YOGA IN PAIN MANAGEMENT HAS ITS TRANSPERSONAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DIMENSIONS. INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE OF SUFFERING PEOPLE MAY BE PROTECTED IN THIS WAY. 1991 19 102 23 A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE TO RECOMMENDING YOGA. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACROSS THE GLOBE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. THE INTEREST IN YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE TOOL HAS ALSO GROWN WITHIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THE WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS ALIKE TO CHOOSE THE ONE THAT WILL OFFER THE MOST BENEFIT. THIS GUIDE WAS CREATED TO ASSIST PHYSICIANS IN MAKING INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. WHEN THE MOST SUITABLE STYLE IS SELECTED, YOGA CAN BE AN EXTREMELY USEFUL LIFESTYLE TOOL FOR PATIENTS SEEKING TO IMPROVE FITNESS AND DEVELOP A MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICE. 2018 20 2753 37 YOGA PRACTICE IS BENEFICIAL FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ENDURANCE UNDER RESTRICTIONS AND STRESS IMPOSED BY LOCKDOWN DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC. UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) AND RESULTING LOCKDOWN CAUSED WIDESPREAD PANIC, STRESS, AND ANXIETY. YOGA IS A KNOWN PRACTICE THAT REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY AND MAY ENHANCE IMMUNITY. THIS STUDY AIMED TO (1) INVESTIGATE THAT INCLUDING YOGA IN DAILY ROUTINE IS BENEFICIAL FOR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND (2) TO EVALUATE LIFESTYLE OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS THAT MAY BE INSTRUMENTAL IN COPING WITH STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH LOCKDOWN. THIS IS A PAN-INDIA CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY STUDY, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE LOCKDOWN. A SELF-RATED SCALE, COVID HEALTH ASSESSMENT SCALE (CHAS), WAS DESIGNED BY 11 EXPERTS IN 3 DELPHI ROUNDS (CONTENT VALID RATIO = 0.85) TO EVALUATE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, AND COPING SKILLS OF THE INDIVIDUALS. THE SURVEY WAS MADE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY USING GOOGLE FORMS AND COLLECTED 23,760 CHAS RESPONSES. THERE WERE 23,290 VALID RESPONSES (98%). AFTER THE STUDY'S INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA OF YOGIC PRACTICES, THE RESPONDENTS WERE CATEGORIZED INTO THE YOGA (N = 9,840) AND NON-YOGA (N = 3,377) GROUPS, WHO ACTIVELY PRACTICED YOGA DURING THE LOCKDOWN IN INDIA. THE STATISTICAL ANALYSES WERE PERFORMED RUNNING LOGISTIC AND MULTINOMIAL REGRESSION AND CALCULATING ODDS RATIO ESTIMATION USING R SOFTWARE VERSION 4.0.0. THE NON-YOGA GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO USE SUBSTANCES AND UNHEALTHY FOOD AND LESS LIKELY TO HAVE GOOD QUALITY SLEEP. YOGA PRACTITIONERS REPORTED GOOD PHYSICAL ABILITY AND ENDURANCE. YOGA GROUP ALSO SHOWED LESS ANXIETY, STRESS, FEAR, AND HAVING BETTER COPING STRATEGIES THAN THE NON-YOGA GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP DISPLAYED STRIKING AND SUPERIOR ABILITY TO COPE WITH STRESS AND ANXIETY ASSOCIATED WITH LOCKDOWN AND COVID-19. IN THE YOGA GROUP, PARTICIPANTS PERFORMING MEDITATION REPORTEDLY HAD RELATIVELY BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA MAY LEAD TO RISK REDUCTION OF COVID-19 BY DECREASING STRESS AND IMPROVING IMMUNITY IF SPECIFIC YOGA PROTOCOLS ARE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE. 2021