1 2418 138 YOGA AND MENOPAUSAL TRANSITION. WITH INCREASED LIFE EXPECTANCY, TODAY, WOMEN SPEND ONE-THIRD OF THEIR LIFE AFTER MENOPAUSE. THUS MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED TOWARDS PERI- AND POST-MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, HOWEVER, IT HAS ITS OWN LIMITATIONS. THE PRESENT NEED IS TO EXPLORE NEW OPTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. YOGIC LIFE STYLE IS A WAY OF LIVING WHICH AIMS TO IMPROVE THE BODY, MIND AND DAY TO DAY LIFE OF INDIVIDUALS. THE MOST COMMONLY PERFORMED YOGA PRACTICES ARE POSTURES (ASANA), CONTROLLED BREATHING (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA). YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE HEALTH AND CONTROL AND CURE DISEASES. THE EXACT MECHANISM AS TO HOW YOGA HELPS IN VARIOUS DISEASE STATES IS NOT KNOWN. THERE COULD BE NEURO-HORMONAL PATHWAYS WITH A SELECTIVE EFFECT IN EACH PATHOLOGICAL SITUATION. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE STUDIES THAT HAVE COMBINED THE MANY ASPECTS OF YOGA INTO A GENERAL YOGA SESSION IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE ITS EFFECTS ON MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY CAN IMPROVE HOT FLUSHES AND NIGHT SWEATS. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT EVEN THE SHORT-TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN DECREASE BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD). STUDIES CONCLUDE THAT OUR AGE OLD THERAPY, YOGA, IS FAIRLY EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS. 2010 2 1218 33 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 3 2429 37 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 4 2923 32 [WHERE AND HOW DOES YOGA WORK? - A SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW]. AS A TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION. IT IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEANS. YOGA HAS BEEN RESEARCHED IN HUNDREDS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE ESPECIALLY FOUND FOR CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS, HYPERTENSION, DEPRESSION AND IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE. WHILE THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA, THE RISK SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW AND COMPARABLE TO OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS. 2017 5 2170 34 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 6 549 22 CONTEXTUALIZING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A REVIEW OF LITERATURE BOTH TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED THERAPY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND TO EXAMINE THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. FINDINGS FROM THE REVIEW INDICATE THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE SHORT-TERM EFFECT ON MULTIPLE DIABETES-RELATED OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND DISCRIMINATION, INFLUENCES THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCLUDING YOGA PRACTICE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THIS INFLUENCE. 2008 7 406 48 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 8 1587 34 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 9 2670 25 YOGA IN PREGNANCY. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE THAT ENCOMPASSES A SYSTEM OF POSTURES (ASANA), DEEP BREATHING (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION. OVER 36 MILLION AMERICANS PRACTICE YOGA OF WHICH THE MAJORITY ARE REPRODUCTIVE-AGED WOMEN. LITERATURE TO SUPPORT THIS PRACTICE IS LIMITED, ALBEIT ON THE RISE. A PRENATAL YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BENEFIT WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, STRESS, LOW BACK PAIN, AND SLEEP DISTURBANCES. A SMALL NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED IN HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES THAT ALSO DEMONSTRATE AN IMPROVEMENT IN OUTCOMES. THE SAFETY OF PERFORMING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PREGNANCY AND FETAL TOLERANCE HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED. 2016 10 2516 19 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 11 2774 43 YOGA RESEARCH REVIEW. THIS PAPER IS A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES, REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS PUBLICATIONS ON YOGA FROM THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE REVIEW INCLUDES DEMOGRAPHICS/PREVALENCE OF YOGA AS A PRACTICE, BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSES OF THE YOGA PUBLICATIONS AND THE USE OF YOGA FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION. MOST OF THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE INVOLVE YOGA EFFECTS ON PSYCHIATRIC AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. THESE INCLUDE PREGNANCY, PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION; STRESS, PTSD, ANXIETY, AND OBESITY; CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS INCLUDING HYPERTENSION; PAIN SYNDROMES INCLUDING ARTHRITIS, HEADACHES AND LOW BACK PAIN; AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING ASTHMA, TYPE II DIABETES AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS; IMMUNE CONDITIONS INCLUDING HIV AND BREAST CANCER; AND AGING PROBLEMS INCLUDING BALANCE, OSTEOPOROSIS AND PARKINSON'S. THE METHODS AND RESULTS OF THOSE STUDIES ARE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED ALONG WITH THEIR LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BASICALLY YOGA HAS BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CONTROL AND WAITLIST CONTROL CONDITIONS, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN TREATMENT COMPARISON GROUPS SUCH AS OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE. MORE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED IN WHICH YOGA IS COMPARED TO ACTIVE EXERCISE GROUPS. HAVING ESTABLISHED THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA MAKES IT ETHICALLY QUESTIONABLE TO ASSIGN PARTICIPANTS TO INACTIVE CONTROL GROUPS. SHORTER SESSIONS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND FOR DAILY PRACTICE. MULTIPLE PHYSICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE SELF-REPORT RESEARCH PROTOCOLS AND POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS NEED TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED. IN THE INTERIM, THE STUDIES REVIEWED HERE HIGHLIGHT THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, A PRACTICE THAT COULD COME TO BE CALLED YOGA THERAPY. 2016 12 836 31 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH CANCER: OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERAPEUTIC YOGA IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER. DATA SOURCES: SEARCH OF MEDLINE DATABASE (1950-2010) USING KEY WORDS YOGA, CANCER, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. STUDY SELECTION: PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER IN NORTH AMERICA. SYNTHESIS: INITIALLY, 4 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDIES WERE ANALYZED, THEN 2 STUDIES WITHOUT CONTROL GROUPS WERE ANALYZED. THREE STUDIES CONDUCTED IN INDIA AND THE NEAR EAST PROVIDED INTERESTING INFORMATION ON METHODOLOGIES. THE INTERVENTIONS INCLUDED YOGA SESSIONS OF VARYING LENGTH AND FREQUENCY. THE PARAMETERS MEASURED ALSO VARIED AMONG STUDIES. SEVERAL SYMPTOMS IMPROVED SUBSTANTIALLY WITH YOGA (HIGHER QUALITY OF SLEEP, DECREASE IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, IMPROVEMENT IN SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING, ETC). IT WOULD APPEAR THAT QUALITY OF LIFE, OR SOME ASPECTS THEREOF, ALSO IMPROVED. CONCLUSION: THE VARIETY OF BENEFITS DERIVED, THE ABSENCE OF SIDE EFFECTS, AND THE COST-BENEFIT RATIO OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA MAKE IT AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE FOR FAMILY PHYSICIANS TO SUGGEST TO THEIR PATIENTS WITH CANCER. CERTAIN METHODOLOGIC SHORTCOMINGS, INCLUDING THE LIMITED SIZE OF THE SAMPLES AND VARYING LEVELS OF ATTENDANCE ON THE PART OF THE SUBJECTS, MIGHT HAVE REDUCED THE STATISTICAL STRENGTH OF THE STUDIES PRESENTED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE MEASUREMENT SCALES USED DID NOT SUIT THIS TYPE OF SITUATION AND PATIENT POPULATION, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT. HOWEVER, FAVOURABLE COMMENTS BY PARTICIPANTS DURING THE STUDIES AND THEIR LEVEL OF APPRECIATION AND WELL-BEING SUGGEST THAT FURTHER RESEARCH IS CALLED FOR TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS. 2012 13 2196 38 THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF YOGA IN MANAGING HYPERTENSION. HYPERTENSION IS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CAUSES OF PREMATURE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. YOGA IS A TRADITIONAL INDIAN PRACTICE THAT HAS BEEN ADAPTED FOR USE IN COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND MAINLY INCLUDES PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING TECHNIQUES, AND MEDITATION. THE IMPACT OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTION FOR HYPERTENSION HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED IN A NUMBER OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS; WITH AN OVERALL EFFECT OF ABOUT 10 MMHG REDUCTION IN SYSTOLIC AND ABOUT 8 MMHG REDUCTION IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. YOGA SEEMS TO BE EFFECTIVE ONLY FOR HYPERTENSION BUT NOT FOR PREHYPERTENSION; AND ONLY AS AN ADJUNCT TO ANTIHYPERTENSIVE PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT BUT NOT AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY. BREATHING AND MEDITATION RATHER THAN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SEEM TO BE THE ACTIVE PART OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS. THESE PRACTICES CAN INCREASE PARASYMPATHIC ACTIVITY AND DECREASE SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, ARGUABLY MAINLY BY INCREASING GABA ACTIVITY; THUS COUNTERACTING EXCESS ACTIVITY OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION. ALTHOUGH YOGA HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS IN SINGLE CASE REPORTS, POPULATION-BASED SURVEYS AS WELL AS CLINICAL TRIALS INDICATE THAT YOGA IS A RELATIVELY SAFE INTERVENTION THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH MORE ADVERSE EVENTS THAN OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR MANAGING HYPERTENSION. GIVEN THE POSSIBLY BETTER RISK/BENEFIT RATIO, IT MAY BE ADVISABLE TO FOCUS ON YOGIC MEDITATION AND/OR BREATHING TECHNIQUES. 2016 14 2369 39 WHAT ARE THE KNOWN EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCES, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN? A NARRATIVE REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THE CURRENT BODY OF LITERATURE WAS REVIEWED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY FOR ITS UNIQUE INTEGRATION OF THE MIND AND BODY. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED MORE INTENSELY IN THE LAST DECADE. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, FEW STUDIES HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMPROVING MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS OR PAIN AND THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BRAIN MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. METHODS: A SEARCH OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE WAS MADE USING KEYWORDS SUCH AS: "YOGA BRAIN MOTOR", "YOGA BRAIN PAIN", "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN" AND "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN MOTOR PERFORMANCE". THE FINDINGS WERE THEN DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN AND THEIR REPORTED MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 61 ARTICLES WERE SELECTED, OUT OF WHICH 29 WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET OUR CRITERIA. A TOTAL OF THIRTY-TWO ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW, WHICH WE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED BY FOCUS: MOTOR PERFORMANCE (N=10), BODY AWARENESS (N=14) AND PAIN (N=8). DISCUSSION: OUR REVIEW SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON LEARNING RATE, SPEED AND ACCURACY OF A MOTOR TASK BY INCREASING ATTENTION AND DECREASING STRESS THROUGH A BETTER CONTROL OF SENSORIMOTOR RHYTHMS. YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO IMPROVE SENSORY AWARENESS AND INTEROCEPTION, REGULATE AUTONOMIC INPUT, INCREASE PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND PROMOTE SELF-REGULATION. YOGA WAS ALSO SHOWN TO REDUCE THE THREAT SIGNAL, INCREASE PAIN TOLERANCE, DECREASE PAIN UNPLEASANTNESS AND DECREASE THE ANXIETY AND DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN. THOSE CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF SPECIFIC BRAIN AREAS SUCH AS THE INSULA, THE AMYGDALA AND THE HIPPOCAMPUS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE STUDIES REVIEWED IN THIS REPORT, WE FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA SEEMS TO FACILITATE MOTOR LEARNING, TO INCREASE BODY AWARENESS AND TO DECREASE PAIN. THESE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF BRAIN ACTIVITY AND STRUCTURE. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO REVEAL ITS PRECISE MECHANISM OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN AND TO VALIDATE ITS WIDER APPLICATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2019 15 1424 30 IMPROVEMENT IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON COGNITION, ATTENUATION OF EMOTIONAL INTENSITY AND STRESS REDUCTION. PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE MAINLY PERFORMED ON EASTERN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS OR UNHEALTHY SUBJECTS UNDERGOING CONCOMITANT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS NEEDED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PER SE, AS WELL AS ITS POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE BENEFITS ON HEALTHY SUBJECTS. WE INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MEMORY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS RELATED TO STRESS, COMPARING YOGA PRACTICE AND CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL EXERCISES IN HEALTHY MEN (PREVIOUSLY YOGA-NAIVE). MEMORY TESTS, SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND STRESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION INVENTORIES WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT OF THE MEMORY PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS. THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN IMPROVE ASPECTS OF COGNITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL STATE ON COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENT PROMOTED BY YOGA PRACTICE CAN BE PROPOSED. 2012 16 2453 32 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 17 2292 24 THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR CHILDREN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. PURPOSE: WE COMPLETED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL OUTCOME MEASURES IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. WE EXPLORED VARIOUS DATABASES AND INCLUDED CASE-CONTROL AND PILOT STUDIES, COHORT AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS THAT EXAMINED YOGA AS AN EXERCISE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN. SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS: USING THE SACKETT LEVELS OF EVIDENCE, THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE LITERATURE ON YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY MIND-BODY MOVEMENT THERAPY. WE ADDRESS THE RESEARCH THROUGH THREE PRACTICE PATTERNS ACCORDING TO THE GUIDE TO PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE AND PROVIDE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOGA INTO CLINICAL PRACTICE. STATEMENT OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: THE EVIDENCE SHOWS PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION THAT MAY BENEFIT CHILDREN THROUGH THE REHABILITATION PROCESS, BUT LARGER CLINICAL TRIALS, INCLUDING SPECIFIC MEASURES OF QUALITY OF LIFE ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE. 2008 18 142 25 A PROTOCOL AND PILOT STUDY FOR MANAGING FIBROMYALGIA WITH YOGA AND MEDITATION. FIBROMYALGIA IS A CHRONIC SYNDROME CHARACTERIZED BY WIDESPREAD PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, STIFFNESS, FATIGUE, HEADACHE, AND MOOD DISORDERS. RECENT RESEARCH HAS RESULTED IN AN IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF FIBROMYALGIA AND ITS POSSIBLE CAUSES. THIS ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE CURRENT RESEARCH, DISCUSSES A STRATEGY FOR USING YOGA AND MEDITATION AS A THERAPY FOR FIBROMYALGIA SUFFERERS, AND PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY 8-WEEK STUDY USING YOGA AND MEDITATION TO HELP MANAGE FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS. THE STUDY OF 11 PARTICIPANTS FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE OVERALL HEALTH STATUS OF THE PARTICIPANTS AND IN SYMPTOMS OF STIFFNESS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO SEEN IN THE REPORTED NUMBER OF DAYS "FELT GOOD" AND NUMBER OF DAYS "MISSED WORK" BECAUSE OF FIBROMYALGIA. NONSIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN MEASURES OF PAIN, FATIGUE, AND HOW ONE FELT IN THE MORNING. EFFECT SIZES WERE MEDIUM TO LARGE FOR MOST TESTED AREAS. THIS STUDY SUPPORTS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH FIBROMYALGIA AND ENCOURAGES FURTHER RESEARCH TO EXPLORE THEIR USE AS STANDARD THERAPIES FOR FIBROMYALGIA. 2011 19 2210 29 THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE: A REVIEW OF COMPARISON STUDIES. OBJECTIVES: EXERCISE IS CONSIDERED AN ACCEPTABLE METHOD FOR IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BELIEF THAT YOGA BENEFITS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH VIA DOWN-REGULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS AND THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PROVIDE A SCHOLARLY REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE REGARDING RESEARCH STUDIES COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE ON A VARIETY OF HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HEALTH CONDITIONS. METHODS: USING PUBMED((R)) AND THE KEY WORD "YOGA," A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE FROM CORE SCIENTIFIC AND NURSING JOURNALS YIELDED 81 STUDIES THAT MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. THESE STUDIES SUBSEQUENTLY WERE CLASSIFIED AS UNCONTROLLED (N = 30), WAIT LIST CONTROLLED (N = 16), OR COMPARISON (N = 35). THE MOST COMMON COMPARISON INTERVENTION (N = 10) INVOLVED EXERCISE. THESE STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW. RESULTS: IN THE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEARED TO BE EQUAL OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN NEARLY EVERY OUTCOME MEASURED EXCEPT THOSE INVOLVING PHYSICAL FITNESS. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDIES COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND EXERCISE SEEM TO INDICATE THAT, IN BOTH HEALTHY AND DISEASED POPULATIONS, YOGA MAY BE AS EFFECTIVE AS OR BETTER THAN EXERCISE AT IMPROVING A VARIETY OF HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOME MEASURES. FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN EXERCISE AND YOGA, PARTICULARLY HOW THE TWO MODALITIES MAY DIFFER IN THEIR EFFECTS ON THE SNS/HPA AXIS. ADDITIONAL STUDIES USING RIGOROUS METHODOLOGIES ARE NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA. 2010 20 1051 34 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