1 2538 147 YOGA FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD: A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP STUDY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA-THE INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL POSTURES AND MOVEMENT, BREATH EXERCISES, AND MINDFULNESS-MAY SERVE AS A USEFUL ADJUNCTIVE COMPONENT OF TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT TO BUILD SKILLS IN TOLERATING AND MODULATING PHYSIOLOGIC AND AFFECTIVE STATES THAT HAVE BECOME DYSREGULATED BY TRAUMA EXPOSURE. A PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AMONG 60 WOMEN WITH CHRONIC, TREATMENT-RESISTANT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND ASSOCIATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM PROLONGED OR MULTIPLE TRAUMA EXPOSURES. AFTER 10 SESSIONS OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ENGAGEMENT IN NEGATIVE TENSION REDUCTION ACTIVITIES (E.G., SELF-INJURY), AND GREATER REDUCTIONS IN DISSOCIATIVE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL (A SEMINAR IN WOMEN'S HEALTH). THE CURRENT STUDY IS A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS FROM THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YEARS AFTER STUDY COMPLETION TO ASSESS WHETHER THE INITIAL INTERVENTION AND/OR YOGA PRACTICE AFTER TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL CHANGES. FORTY-NINE WOMEN COMPLETED THE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS. HIERARCHICAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER TREATMENT GROUP STATUS IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THE STUDY PREDICTED GREATER CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS AND PTSD DIAGNOSIS. RESULTS: GROUP ASSIGNMENT IN THE ORIGINAL RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF LONGER-TERM OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, FREQUENCY OF CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICTED GREATER DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY, AS WELL AS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF A LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA APPEARS TO BE A USEFUL TREATMENT MODALITY; THE GREATEST LONG-TERM BENEFITS ARE DERIVED FROM MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE. 2016 2 1373 44 IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SELF-EFFICACY, AND MOTIVATION IN WOMEN WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. BACKGROUND: STUDIES USING YOGA HAVE DEMONSTRATED INITIAL EFFICACY FOR TREATING SYMPTOMS ACROSS ANXIETY DISORDERS, INCLUDING POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. OBJECTIVE: UNDERSTANDING HOW INTERVENTIONS INFLUENCE PARTICIPANTS' PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WHAT DETERMINANTS AFFECT CONTINUED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MAINTENANCE OF THE BEHAVIOR MAY BE CRITICAL TO CONTINUED MENTAL HEALTH GAINS AND SYMPTOM REDUCTION. METHODS: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED CHANGE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIOR CHANGE, INCLUDING SELF-EFFICACY AND REGULATORY MOTIVATION, IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SYMPTOMS (N=38). RESULTS: GROWTH CURVE MODELING RESULTS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR SELF-EFFICACY FOR EITHER GROUP, WHEREAS EXTERNAL MOTIVATION DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: INVESTIGATORS OF FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY WANT TO FOCUS ON INCREASING SELF-EFFICACY AND INTERNAL REGULATORY MOTIVATION, SO THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND RESULTANT SYMPTOM RELIEF CAN BE MAINTAINED. 2015 3 905 42 EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EXTENDED YOGA TREATMENT FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE AN EFFECTIVE POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) TREATMENT FOR A VARIETY OF TRAUMA SURVIVORS, INCLUDING FEMALES WITH CHRONIC PTSD. AIM/PURPOSE: THE CURRENT STUDY BUILDS ON EXTANT RESEARCH BY EXAMINING AN EXTENDED TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD. THE STUDY SOUGHT TO OPTIMIZE THE RESULTS OF A TREATMENT PROTOCOL EXAMINED IN A RECENT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH A SHORTER DURATION AND WITHOUT ASSIGNMENT OR MONITORING OF HOME PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE AUTHORS EXAMINED A 20-WEEK TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT IN A NON-RANDOMIZED SINGLE-GROUP TREATMENT FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR WOMEN WITH CHRONIC TREATMENT-RESISTANT PTSD (N = 9). THE AUTHORS EXAMINED PTSD AND DISSOCIATION SYMPTOM REDUCTION OVER SEVERAL ASSESSMENT PERIODS. RESULTS: THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN PTSD AND DISSOCIATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY ABOVE AND BEYOND SIMILAR TREATMENTS OF A SHORTER DURATION. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MORE INTENSIVE TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA TREATMENT CHARACTERIZED BY LONGER DURATION AND INTENTIONAL ASSIGNMENT AND MONITORING OF HOME PRACTICE MAY BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SEVERE AND CHRONIC PTSD. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FOR THE POTENTIALLY MORE SUBSTANTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR A SUBSET OF ADULTS WITH CHRONIC TREATMENT-RESISTANT PTSD ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 4 1193 44 EXAMINING MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN: THE INFLUENCE OF MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, AND EMOTION REGULATION ON PTSD SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED POSSIBLE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) WERE REDUCED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ASSESSMENT CONTROL. METHOD: WE EXAMINED WHETHER CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, MINDFULNESS, AND EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES (EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND REAPPRAISAL) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSTTREATMENT PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR 38 WOMEN WITH DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS FOURTH EDITION FULL OR SUBTHRESHOLD PTSD. RESULTS: HIERARCHICAL LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS REVEALED THAT EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FOR THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE ASSESSMENT CONTROL. PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE CONTROL BUT NOT YOGA GROUP. HOWEVER, INCREASES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR THE YOGA BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND MAY IMPROVE PTSD SYMPTOMS BY INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO REPLICATE AND EXTEND THESE FINDINGS. 2014 5 2640 40 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. OBJECTIVE: RESEARCH INDICATES THAT COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO OVERACTIVATION OF THE STRESS RESPONSE. YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED BENEFITS WHEN PRACTICED BY INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). THIS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SYMPTOMS OF PTSD, AND THE BIOLOGICAL STRESS RESPONSE IN VETERANS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD. METHOD: COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING, SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE MEASURED WITHIN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO BEGINNING AND FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF A 10-WEEK YOGA PROTOCOL. VETERANS WITH PTSD PARTICIPATED IN GENDER-SPECIFIC GROUPS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. PAIRED T TESTS AND CORRELATIONAL ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE QUANTITATIVE DATA. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION SCORES ON MEASURES OF RESPONSE INHIBITION, PTSD, DEPRESSION, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SUBJECTIVE NEUROCOGNITIVE COMPLAINTS. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION CHANGES IN SLEEP AND DEPRESSION, AND BETWEEN CHANGE IN CORTISOL OUTPUT AND A MEASURE OF LIFE SATISFACTION. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (BASELINE TO POSTINTERVENTION) FOR OTHER OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND CORTISOL WERE NOT DETECTED. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY SUPPORT FOR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING (RESPONSE INHIBITION) RELATED TO SYMPTOMS OF PTSD WHILE ALSO IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS AFFIRM THE ROLE OF SLEEP IN MOOD SYMPTOMS AND INDICATE THE NEED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE ROLE OF CORTISOL IN LIFE SATISFACTION. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2020 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2020 6 115 32 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 7 1684 35 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 8 252 29 A YOGA PROGRAM FOR THE SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN VETERANS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF A YOGA PROGRAM AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR IMPROVING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS IN VETERANS WITH MILITARY-RELATED PTSD. VETERANS (N = 12) PARTICIPATED IN A 6 WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION HELD TWICE A WEEK. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PTSD HYPERAROUSAL SYMPTOMS AND OVERALL SLEEP QUALITY AS WELL AS DAYTIME DYSFUNCTION RELATED TO SLEEP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOTAL PTSD, ANGER, OR QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOME SCORES. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THIS YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR IMPROVING HYPERAROUSAL SYMPTOMS OF PTSD INCLUDING SLEEP QUALITY. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM IS ACCEPTABLE, FEASIBLE, AND THAT THERE IS GOOD ADHERENCE IN A VETERAN POPULATION. 2013 9 2754 40 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 2320 47 TREATMENT CREDIBILITY, EXPECTANCY, AND PREFERENCE: PREDICTION OF TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT AND OUTCOME IN A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL OF HATHA YOGA VS. HEALTH EDUCATION AS ADJUNCT TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. BACKGROUND: HATHA YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL FOR ALLEVIATING DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ANALYSIS IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER TREATMENT PROGRAM PREFERENCE, CREDIBILITY, OR EXPECTANCY PREDICT ENGAGEMENT IN DEPRESSION INTERVENTIONS (YOGA OR A CONTROL CLASS) OR DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY OVER TIME. METHODS: THIS IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) OF HATHA YOGA VS. A HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL GROUP FOR TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION. DEPRESSED PARTICIPANTS (N=122) ATTENDED UP TO 20 CLASSES OVER A PERIOD OF 10 WEEKS, AND THEN COMPLETED ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENTS AFTER 3 AND 6 MONTHS. WE ASSESSED TREATMENT PREFERENCE PRIOR TO RANDOMIZATION, AND TREATMENT CREDIBILITY AND EXPECTANCY AFTER PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THEIR FIRST CLASS. TREATMENT "CONCORDANCE" INDICATED THAT TREATMENT PREFERENCE MATCHED ASSIGNED TREATMENT. RESULTS: TREATMENT CREDIBILITY, EXPECTANCY, AND CONCORDANCE WERE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT ENGAGEMENT. TREATMENT EXPECTANCY MODERATED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TREATMENT GROUP AND DEPRESSION. DEPRESSION SEVERITY OVER TIME DIFFERED BY EXPECTANCY LEVEL FOR THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT FOR THE HEALTH EDUCATION GROUP. CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DEPRESSION, PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP WITH AN AVERAGE OR HIGH EXPECTANCY FOR IMPROVEMENT SHOWED LOWER DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS ACROSS THE ACUTE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THAN THOSE WITH A LOW EXPECTANCY FOR IMPROVEMENT. THERE WAS A TREND FOR A SIMILAR PATTERN FOR CREDIBILITY. CONCORDANCE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH TREATMENT OUTCOME. LIMITATIONS: THIS IS A SECONDARY, POST-HOC ANALYSIS AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HYPOTHESIS-GENERATING. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST THAT EXPECTANCY IMPROVES THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS ONLY FOR A INTERVENTION THOUGHT TO ACTIVELY TARGET DEPRESSION (YOGA) AND NOT A CONTROL INTERVENTION. 2018 11 112 38 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 12 113 50 A PILOT STUDY OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN. POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A DEBILITATING CONDITION THAT AFFECTS APPROXIMATELY 10% OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES. ALTHOUGH EFFECTIVE PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS FOR PTSD EXIST, CLIENTS WITH PTSD REPORT ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA. IN PARTICULAR, YOGA MAY DOWNREGULATE THE STRESS RESPONSE AND POSITIVELY IMPACT PTSD AND COMORBID DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS. WE CONDUCTED A PILOT STUDY OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING A 12-SESSION KRIPALU-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ASSESSMENT CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 38 WOMEN WITH CURRENT FULL OR SUBTHRESHOLD PTSD SYMPTOMS. DURING THE INTERVENTION, YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED DECREASES IN REEXPERIENCING AND HYPERAROUSAL SYMPTOMS. THE ASSESSMENT CONTROL GROUP, HOWEVER, SHOWED DECREASES IN REEXPERIENCING AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AS WELL, WHICH MAY BE A RESULT OF THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF SELF-MONITORING ON PTSD AND ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS. BETWEEN-GROUPS EFFECT SIZES WERE SMALL TO MODERATE (0.08-0.31). ALTHOUGH MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED, YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PTSD. PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO THE INTERVENTION, SUGGESTING THAT IT WAS TOLERABLE FOR THIS SAMPLE. FINDINGS UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INVESTIGATING MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY IMPACT MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, GENDER COMPARISONS, AND THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2014 13 2822 43 YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT TO MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. OBJECTIVES: RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERSISTENT DEPRESSION, THE BENEFITS OF WHICH MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING IN A SAMPLE OF PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: WHETHER YOGA INCREASES MINDFULNESS AND WHETHER YOGA ATTENUATES RUMINATION. RUMINATION AND MINDFULNESS BOTH REPRESENT ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT FOR ONSET AND MAINTENANCE OF DEPRESSIVE EPISODES. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED-TEN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED DESPITE ONGOING USE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED INTO AN RCT COMPARING YOGA WITH A HEALTH EDUCATION CLASS. MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND ACROSS 3 TIME POINTS DURING THE TEN-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT, COMPARED TO HEALTH EDUCATION, YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER MEAN LEVELS OF THE OBSERVE FACET OF MINDFULNESS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P =.004, D =0.38), AND THAT YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A FASTER RATE OF INCREASE IN LEVELS OF ACTING WITH AWARENESS OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P= .03, F(2) =0.027). THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO RUMINATION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST A SMALL EFFECT OF YOGA ON COMPONENTS OF MINDFULNESS DURING A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CONTINUED ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INITIAL 10 WEEKS MAY REVEAL CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH MAY ALSO EXAMINE MODERATORS OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION, INCLUDING CLINICAL FACTORS SUCH AS DEPRESSION SEVERITY OR DEPRESSION CHRONICITY, OR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS SUCH AS AGE. 2021 14 1707 36 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 15 2837 39 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 16 1770 42 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014 17 2458 43 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: EFFECTS OF TRAITS AND MOODS ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS BUT WHO ARE ONLY IN PARTIAL REMISSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PRESENT FURTHER DATA ON THE INTERVENTION, FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AFFECTING TREATMENT OUTCOME. TWENTY-SEVEN WOMEN AND 10 MEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY, OF WHOM 17 COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT DATA. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 20 CLASSES LED BY SENIOR IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS, IN THREE COURSES OF 20 YOGA CLASSES EACH. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH UNIPOLAR MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PARTIAL REMISSION. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION, AND PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR MOOD STATES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE SHOWN FOR DEPRESSION, ANGER, ANXIETY, NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS AND LOW FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN THE 17 COMPLETERS. ELEVEN OUT OF THESE COMPLETERS ACHIEVED REMISSION LEVELS POST-INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WHO REMITTED DIFFERED FROM THE NON-REMITTERS AT INTAKE ON SEVERAL TRAITS AND ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES INDICATIVE OF A GREATER CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION. MOODS IMPROVED FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE YOGA CLASSES. YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION; IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. IT PRODUCES MANY BENEFICIAL EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS, AS SUPPORTED BY OBSERVATIONS IN THIS STUDY. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL METHODS ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS THEY PROVIDE OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF THE PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT. THESE OBSERVATIONS MAY HELP GUIDE FURTHER CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS. 2007 18 2235 32 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 19 345 36 ASSESSING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AND GROUP CBT FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. PURPOSE: GIVEN INCREASING RATES OF DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS, THERE IS A CLEAR NEED FOR INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL, WE ASSESSED ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF TWO GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS: YOGA AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT). THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PREPARE FOR A FUTURE FULLY POWERED RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA IS NOT INFERIOR TO AN ESTABLISHED ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT, NAMELY, GROUP CBT. METHODS: WE ENROLLED 42 ADOLESCENTS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 12-WEEK GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION, YOGA OR CBT. WE HAD A PRIORI FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY TARGETS, INCLUDING FOR RECRUITMENT RATE, RETENTION RATE, EXPECTANCY, CREDIBILITY, PROGRAM SATISFACTION, CLASS ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE, AND INSTRUCTOR/LEADER MANUAL ADHERENCE. WE ASSESSED ADVERSE EVENTS, AND WITHIN-SUBJECT CHANGES IN OUTCOMES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, IMPAIRMENT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE) AND POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION). RESULTS: BOTH INTERVENTIONS MET MOST ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY TARGETS. THE ONLY TARGET NOT MET RELATED TO LOW ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS WITHIN EACH STUDY ARM SHOWED DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER TIME AND INCREASED SELF-COMPASSION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE TO ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR THIS GROUP TO ENGAGE IN UNSTRUCTURED HOME PRACTICE. 2022 20 1239 40 FEASIBILITY OF A MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS POSE AN IMPORTANT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. INDIVIDUALS WITH THESE DISORDERS EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT IMPAIRMENT, OFTEN FAIL TO SEEK HELP, AND THEIR ILLNESSES FREQUENTLY DO NOT RESPOND TO TREATMENT. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENTS FOR THESE DISORDERS. MINDFUL YOGA REPRESENTS A PROMISING TREATMENT APPROACH. THIS PILOT STUDY TESTED THE FEASIBILITY OF A 9-WEEK MANUALIZED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. ELEVEN PATIENTS RECEIVING STANDARD TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED TO COMPLETE A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF THE INTERVENTION AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO ASSESS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. EIGHT PATIENTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND RATED THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE INTERVENTION WITH A MEAN SCORE OF 8.8 (RANGE OF 8 TO 9, USING A SCALE OF 1 TO 10). ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS. AMONG THE MECHANISMS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS, THE MOST POTENTIALLY PROMISING EFFECTS FROM THE INTERVENTION WERE FOUND FOR WORRY, FEAR OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, RUMINATION, AND AREAS RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, SUCH AS TRUSTING BODILY EXPERIENCES AND NOT DISTRACTING FROM SENSATIONS OF DISCOMFORT. A 9-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE A FEASIBLE AND ATTRACTIVE TREATMENT WHEN ADDED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL FOR A GROUP OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MOOD DISORDERS. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF MINDFUL YOGA IS RECOMMENDED. 2021