1 2595 108 YOGA FOR MILITARY SERVICE PERSONNEL WITH PTSD: A SINGLE ARM STUDY. THIS STUDY EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS, RESILIENCE, AND MINDFULNESS IN MILITARY PERSONNEL. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING THE YOGA INTERVENTION WERE 12 CURRENT OR FORMER MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO MET THE DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL FOR MENTAL DISORDERS-FOURTH EDITION-TEXT REVISION (DSM-IV-TR) DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR PTSD. RESULTS WERE ALSO BENCHMARKED AGAINST OTHER MILITARY INTERVENTION STUDIES OF PTSD USING THE CLINICIAN ADMINISTERED PTSD SCALE (CAPS; BLAKE ET AL., 2000) AS AN OUTCOME MEASURE. RESULTS OF WITHIN-SUBJECT ANALYSES SUPPORTED THE STUDY'S PRIMARY HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA WOULD REDUCE PTSD SYMPTOMS (D = 0.768; T = 2.822; P = .009) BUT DID NOT SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE MINDFULNESS (D = 0.392; T = -0.9500; P = .181) AND RESILIENCE (D = 0.270; T = -1.220; P = .124) IN THIS POPULATION. BENCHMARKING RESULTS INDICATED THAT, AS COMPARED WITH THE AGGREGATED TREATMENT BENCHMARK (D = 1.074) OBTAINED FROM PUBLISHED CLINICAL TRIALS, THE CURRENT STUDY'S TREATMENT EFFECT (D = 0.768) WAS VISIBLY LOWER, AND COMPARED WITH THE WAITLIST CONTROL BENCHMARK (D = 0.156), THE TREATMENT EFFECT IN THE CURRENT STUDY WAS VISIBLY HIGHER. 2015 2 1629 20 MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: WE EXPLORED THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA (MBY) FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION BY EXAMINING OCCUPATION-BASED AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. METHOD: IN THIS CASE SERIES DESIGN STUDY, 6 YOUTHS AGES 13-17 YR WITH CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS FOR >4 WK PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WK MBY INTERVENTION, 1X/WK FOR 45 MIN. PARTICIPATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (24 HR) WERE COLLECTED BEFORE, AFTER, AND 3 MO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. HEART RATE VARIABILITY WAS ALSO MEASURED DURING EACH SESSION. RESULTS: TRENDS OF INCREASED SELF-EFFICACY IN ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL DOMAINS WERE FOUND AFTER MBY AND MAINTAINED AT 3-MO FOLLOW-UP. TRENDS OF INCREASING HEART RATE VARIABILITY WERE ALSO FOUND PRE- TO POSTINTERVENTION AND WITHIN THE EIGHT MBY SESSIONS. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY RESULTS REVEAL POSITIVE TRENDS AFTER A NOVEL, SAFE INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH PERSISTENT CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS AND THE VALUE OF EXPLORING BOTH OCCUPATION-BASED AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES. FUTURE RESEARCH WITH A LARGER SAMPLE AND CONTROL GROUP IS WARRANTED. 2019 3 918 21 EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION. BACKGROUND THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAM COMBINING CHAKRAYOGA AND MEDITATION ON THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF PEOPLE. METHODS NINETY-SEVEN SUBJECTS (32-83 YEARS OLD) WHO HAD FREE FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCES IN MEDITATION PROGRAMS OR CHAKRAYOGA TRAINING COURSES WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (EXP) (45 SUBJECTS; 13 MALE SUBJECTS AND 32 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 60.67 YEARS, SD=11.09 YEARS) OR THE CONTROL GROUP (CONT) OF REMAINING SUBJECTS (52 SUBJECTS; 14 MALE SUBJECTS AND 38 FEMALE SUBJECTS; AVERAGE AGE OF 61.58 YEARS, SD=9.70 YEARS). SUBJECTS IN THE EXP PARTICIPATED IN THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM FOR TWICE A WEEK FOR 2 H DURING 6 WEEKS IN EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF 1 H OF CHAKRAYOGA AND 1 H OF MEDITATION. THE MEASUREMENTS IN THIS STUDY INCLUDED THE MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE, MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST, DIFFICULTY IN EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND OBJECTIVE OF LIFE AND SENSE OF CONTROL. RESULTS RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE EXP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RELIEF OF MINDFULNESS, STRESS RESPONSE, SUBJECTIVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND MEDICAL SYMPTOM CHECKLIST THAN THOSE IN THE CONT. CONCLUSIONS THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THE CHAKRAYOGA MEDITATION PROGRAM CAN HELP RELIEVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE-RELATED FACTORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. 2019 4 1432 21 IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH IN FRONTLINE MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS: YOGA-BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT VERSUS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE NEED FOR BRIEF, LOW-COST, EASILY DISSEMINABLE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES IS HIGH. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. WE DEVELOPED TWO STUDIES TO COMPARE THE IMPACTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (CBSM) AND YOGA BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT (YBSM) INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. STUDY 1 OFFERED AN 8-WEEK YBSM INTERVENTION TO 37 MENTAL HEALTHCARE PARTICIPANTS AND COLLECTED HEALTH DATA PRE AND POST. STUDY 2 OFFERED YBSM AND CBSM CLASSES TO 40 RANDOMLY ASSIGNED MENTAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND COLLECTED MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH DATA AT FOUR TIME POINTS. IN STUDY 1, USING T-TESTS, THE YBSM INTERVENTION AFFECTED A NUMBER OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING INDICES PRE TO POST. IN STUDY 2, USING LINEAR MIXED MODELING, BOTH YBSM AND CBSM GROUPS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P <.05) IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE, HEART RATE, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, RELAXATION AND AWARENESS, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE, COMPASSION SATISFACTION, BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, AND STRESS LEVELS. THERE WAS A GROUP BY TIME EFFECT FOR COPING CONFIDENCE (CBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.05, F = 4.34), PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (YBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.05, F = 3.47), OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH (YBSM INCREASED MORE, P<.10, F =5.32), AND SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS (YBSM DECREASED MORE, P<.10, F = 4.89). YBSM AND CBSM APPEAR TO BE USEFUL FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS' MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. YBSM DEMONSTRATES SOME BENEFIT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE EXTREMELY WELL-STUDIED AND EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED CBSM, INCLUDING INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH, AND DECREASED SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS BENEFITS. 2017 5 240 35 A WEB-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, AND YOGA INTERVENTION FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: SINGLE-ARM EXPERIMENTAL CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS A DEBILITATING, UNDERTREATED CONDITION. THE WEB-BASED DELIVERY OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY SUPPLEMENTED WITH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION AND YOGA IS A VIABLE TREATMENT THAT EMPHASIZES SELF-DIRECTED DAILY PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY AIMS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A WEB-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY, MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA (CBT-MY) PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR DAILY USE. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED AN 8-WEEK, SINGLE-ARM, EXPERIMENTAL, REGISTERED CLINICAL TRIAL ON ADULTS REPORTING PTSD SYMPTOMS (N=22; AGED 18-35 YEARS). EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVED WEB-BASED CBT-MY CONTENT AND AN HOUR OF WEB-BASED COUNSELING EACH WEEK. PRE-POST OUTCOMES INCLUDED SELF-REPORTED PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, CHRONIC PAIN, AND MINDFULNESS. PRE-POST PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL OUTCOMES INCLUDED PEAK PUPIL DILATION (PPD) AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). HRV AND PPD WERE ALSO COMPARED WITH CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM A NON-PTSD COMPARISON GROUP WITHOUT A HISTORY OF CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSES AND CBT-MY EXPOSURE (N=46). RESULTS: PRE-POST INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PTSD SEVERITY (D=1.60), DEPRESSION (D=0.83), ANXIETY (D=0.99), AND MINDFULNESS (D=0.88). LINEAR MULTILEVEL MIXED MODELS DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT PRE-POST REDUCTION IN PPD (B=-0.06; SE=0.01; P<.001; D=0.90) BUT NO SIGNIFICANT PRE-POST CHANGE IN HRV (P=.87). OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS SPENT AN AVERAGE OF 11.53 (SD 22.76) MIN/DAY ON SELF-DIRECTED MINDFULNESS PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: WEB-BASED CBT-MY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM REDUCTIONS AND SIGNIFICANT PPD CHANGES, SUGGESTING HEALTHIER AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONING. FUTURE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER EXAMINE THE GAINS APPARENT IN THIS SINGLE-ARM STUDY. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT03684473; HTTPS://CLINICALTRIALS.GOV/CT2/SHOW/NCT03684473. 2022 6 2890 26 YOGA: POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER. YOGA HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO MODULATE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM ACTIVITY, DECREASING ANXIETY AND STRESS, AND IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE. THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SOUGHT TO EXAMINE THE USE OF YOGIC TECHNIQUES ON PERSONS WHO STUTTER GIVEN THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL/ANXIETY AND STUTTERING THAT CURRENT MULTIFACTORIAL MODELS OF STUTTERING PROPOSE. FOUR PARTICIPANTS (M = 52 YR, SD = 10; 2 FEMALE, 2 MALE), RECRUITED FROM LOCAL STUTTERING SUPPORT GROUPS IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE. STUTTERING SEVERITY, ANXIETY, AND EXPERIENCES REGARDING STUTTERING AND COMMUNICATION WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, POST INTERVENTION, AND AT 4 MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. THE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED GROUP YOGA SESSIONS AND ENGAGED IN HOME PRACTICE. DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS OUTCOME MEASURES, WITH THE MOST IMPROVEMENT RELATED TO ANXIETY. PARTICIPANTS ALSO REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION AS PER QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESPONSES TO THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PERSONS WHO STUTTER AND WARRANTS FURTHER STUDY USING AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. 2016 7 2167 26 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN HELPING CANCER PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS MANAGE THE STRESS OF A NATURAL DISASTER: A BRIEF REPORT ON HURRICANE HARVEY. BACKGROUND: THIS SMALL QUALITATIVE STUDY REPORTS ON THE EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A DYADIC YOGA PILOT TRIAL WHILE UNDERGOING CANCER TREATMENT IN THE MIDST OF HURRICANE HARVEY. OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO DETERMINE IF PARTICIPANTS IMPLEMENTED COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM TO COPE WITH THE STRESSORS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE HARVEY AND IF THEY PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM THE YOGA PRACTICES. METHODS: WE ADMINISTERED BRIEF SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS TO THE DYADS PARTICIPATING IN A DYADIC YOGA PILOT TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS (N = 5 DYADS) WERE ASKED TO DISCUSS THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH HURRICANE HARVEY, INCLUDING FACTORS THAT HELPED THEM COPE WITH THE EVENT WHILE RECEIVING TREATMENT. RESULT: PATIENTS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 55.6 YEARS, WERE MOSTLY NON-HISPANIC WHITE, MALE, AND HAD ADVANCE STAGE HEAD AND NECK CANCER. CAREGIVERS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 58 YEARS AND WERE MAINLY NON-HISPANIC WHITE AND FEMALE. ANALYSES OF THE INTERVIEWS REVEALED 2 OVERARCHING THEMES: (1) THE STORM'S NEGATIVE IMPACT AND (2) THE USE OF YOGA TO COPE WITH THE HURRICANE-RELATED STRESSORS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENT-CAREGIVER DYADS EXPERIENCED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS DURING THE STORM AND/OR ITS AFTERMATH. DYADS USED YOGA TECHNIQUES TO COPE WITH THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS. YOGA SERVED AS A MEANS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AS DYADS EITHER PARTICIPATED IN THESE ACTIVITIES TOGETHER OR WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. 2019 8 1657 24 MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND INTEREST IN MEDITATION AND YOGA IN HOME HEALTH AIDES: EVIDENCE FROM THE HOME HEALTH OCCUPATIONS MUSCULOSKELETAL EXAMINATIONS (HHOME) STUDY. HOME HEALTHCARE AIDES (HHAS) ARE A GROWING U.S. WORKFORCE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO WORKPLACE STRESSORS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN. IN THE PRESENT STUDY WE: 1) EXAMINE THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN TO LIFE SATISFACTION AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION; AND 2) CHARACTERIZE INTEREST IN MEDITATION AND YOGA IN A SAMPLE OF HHAS. A NONPROBABILISTIC SAMPLE OF HHAS EMPLOYED AT HOME HEALTHCARE AGENCIES IN FLORIDA, MASSACHUSETTS, AND OREGON (N = 285 TOTAL) COMPLETED A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE WITH STANDARD SURVEY MEASURES ON MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN LOCATION, DURATION, AND SEVERITY; LIFE SATISFACTION; EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION; AND INTEREST IN MEDITATION TECHNIQUES AND YOGA. AMONG HHAS RESPONDING, 48.4% REPORTED PAIN IN THE LAST 7 DAYS AND 46.6% REPORTED PAIN IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS. HOME HEALTHCARE AIDES WHO REPORTED CURRENT PAIN AND CHRONIC PAIN HAD A SIGNIFICANT (P < .05) DECREASE IN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCORE AND A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION SCORE. THE MAJORITY OF HHAS REPORTED AN INTEREST IN LEARNING ABOUT THE BENEFITS (65.6%) AND PRACTICE (66.4%) OF MEDITATION AND A WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA CLASS (59.2%) OR STRESS MANAGEMENT MEETING (59.1%). THE HHAS REPORTED BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN THAT WAS CORRELATED WITH LOWER LIFE SATISFACTION AND GREATER EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. MORE EFFORTS ARE NEEDED TO REDUCE THE SOURCES OF INJURY AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. 2018 9 2115 22 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIA. THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY HAEMOPHILIA LEAD TO IMPAIRMENTS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIA. THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIA IN SHIRAZ, IRAN. THIS SEMI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH PRE- AND POST-TEST DESIGN WAS PERFORMED ON 27 BOYS BETWEEN 8 AND 16 YEARS OLD WHO SUFFERED FROM HAEMOPHILIA. THE PATIENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS. THE NUMBER OF BLEEDINGS, ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL, AND REFERRALS TO THE CLINIC WAS EVALUATED. THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND USING THE PATIENTS' RECORDS IN THE HAEMOPHILIA CENTER. BESIDES, THE QUALITY OF LIFE WAS ASSESSED THROUGH THE HAEMO-QOL QUESTIONNAIRE. THEN, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS PERFORMED FOR 14 WEEKS AND THE DATA WERE COLLECTED IN THREE STAGES. THE COLLECTED DATA WERE ENTERED INTO THE SPSS STATISTICAL SOFTWARE, VERSION 18 AND WERE ANALYZED USING NON-PARAMETRIC FRIEDMAN TEST. AFTER THE INTERVENTION, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN THE MEAN SCORES OF QUALITY OF LIFE DIMENSIONS AND THE NUMBER OF BLEEDINGS, SCHOOL ABSENCES, AND REFERRALS TO THE HAEMOPHILIA CLINIC (P<0.001). THUS, YOGA MAY IMPROVE THE HAEMOPHILIA CHILDREN'S AND ADOLESCENTS' PERCEPTION OF QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT THE RISK OF INJURY. THIS INTERVENTION ALSO SEEMED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF BLEEDINGS, REFERRALS TO THE HAEMOPHILIA CLINIC, AND ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL. 2015 10 1019 27 EFFECTS OF WEEKLY ONE-HOUR HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE AND STRESS LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS: AN EIGHT-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA THERAPY ON RESILIENCE, BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) LEVELS, AND SALIVARY ALPHA AMYLASE (SAA) ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: SINGLE-BLINDED, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY IN WHICH OUTPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OR RELATED PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS (ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF DISEASES, 10TH REVISION) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA OR A CONTROL GROUP. SETTING: NOVEMBER 2012-APRIL 2013 AT YAMANASHI PREFECTURAL KITA HOSPITAL, JAPAN. INTERVENTIONS: IN THE YOGA GROUP, PATIENTS RECEIVED WEEKLY 1-HOUR HATHA YOGA SESSIONS, IN ADDITION TO REGULAR TREATMENT, FOR 8 WEEKS. THOSE IN THE CONTROL GROUP UNDERWENT REGULAR TREATMENT, WHICH INCLUDED A DAYCARE REHABILITATION PROGRAM. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED THE 25-ITEM RESILIENCE SCALE (RS), POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYNDROME SCALE (PANSS), PLASMA AND SALIVARY BDNF LEVEL, AND SAA ACTIVITY. RESULTS: FIFTY PATIENTS PARTICIPATED (25 IN EACH GROUP; MEAN AGE+/-STANDARD DEVIATION, 50.9+/-11.3 YEARS; MEAN DURATION OF ILLNESS, 25.0+/-10.3 YEARS; MEAN TOTAL PANSS SCORE, 78.2+/-17.3). NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN CHANGES IN ANY VARIABLE FROM BASELINE TO WEEK 8 WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS (CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP VERSUS THE CONTROL GROUP: RS SCORE, -1.6+/-19.9 VERSUS 0.3+/-17.2; PANSS SCORE, 0.5+/-12.0 VERSUS 5.0+/-15.6; PLASMA BDNF, 41.6+/-377.0 PG/DL VERSUS 73.4+/-346.0 PG/DL; SAA, -26.2+/-72.6 KU/L VERSUS -13.8+/-68.0 KU/L, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSIONS: ADJUNCT YOGA THERAPY SHOWED NO POSITIVE CHANGES IN RESILIENCE LEVEL OR STRESS MARKERS. DURATION AND INTENSITY OF YOGA SESSIONS AND THE FOCUS ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS MAY EXPLAIN THE NEGATIVE OBSERVATIONS IN LIGHT OF PAST POSITIVE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA THERAPY. 2014 11 2771 20 YOGA REDUCES SYMPTOMS OF DISTRESS IN TSUNAMI SURVIVORS IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. A MONTH AFTER THE DECEMBER 2004 TSUNAMI THE EFFECT OF A 1 WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED ON SELF RATED FEAR, ANXIETY, SADNESS AND DISTURBED SLEEP IN 47 SURVIVORS IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. POLYGRAPH RECORDINGS OF THE HEART RATE, BREATH RATE AND SKIN RESISTANCE WERE ALSO MADE. AMONG THE 47 PEOPLE, 31 WERE SETTLERS FROM THE MAINLAND (I.E. INDIA, ML GROUP) AND 16 WERE ENDOGENOUS PEOPLE (EP GROUP). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN SELF RATED FEAR, ANXIETY, SADNESS AND DISTURBED SLEEP IN BOTH GROUPS, AND IN THE HEART AND BREATH RATE IN THE ML GROUP, AND IN THE BREATH RATE ALONE IN THE EP GROUP, FOLLOWING YOGA (P < 0.05, T-TEST). THIS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE USEFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS FOLLOWING A NATURAL DISASTER IN PEOPLE WITH WIDELY DIFFERING SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS. 2007 12 934 28 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM ON THE SEVERITY OF AUTISM. THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM (YTP) ON THE SEVERITY OF AUTISM IN CHILDREN WITH HIGH FUNCTION AUTISM (HFA). TWENTY-NINE CHILDREN AGED 7 TO 15 (MEAN = 11.22, SD = 2.91) YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED AN 8-WEEK (24-SESSION) YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM (YTP). PARENTS OR CAREGIVERS OF PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AUTISM TREATMENT EVALUATION CHECKLIST (ATEC) AT BASELINE AND THE END OF THE INTERVENTION. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS WITH REGARDS TO ALL ATEC SUB-SCORES EXCEPT ATEC I (SPEECH/LANGUAGE/COMMUNICATION). THIS STUDY PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM AND IDENTIFIES SPECIFIC PROCEDURAL ENHANCEMENTS TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. 2017 13 712 25 EFFECT OF INTEGRATED YOGA ON ANTI-PSYCHOTIC INDUCED SIDE EFFECTS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA. BACKGROUND TWENTY ONE (12 FEMALES) SUBJECTS, DIAGNOSED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA BY A PSYCHIATRIST USING ICD-10, IN THE AGES 52.87 + 9.5YEARS AND SUFFERING SINCE 24.0 +/- 3.05YEARS WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY FROM A SCHIZOPHRENIA REHABILITATION CENTER IN BENGALURU. METHODS ALL SUBJECTS WERE TAKING ANTI-PSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS AND WERE IN STABLE STATE FOR MORE THAN A MONTH. PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATIONS WERE KEPT CONSTANT DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE AT THREE POINTS OF TIME: (1) BASELINE, (2) AFTER ONE MONTH OF USUAL ROUTINE (PRE) AND (3) AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF VALIDATED INTEGRATED YOGA (IY) INTERVENTION (POST). VALIDATED 1H YOGA MODULE (CONSISTING OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND CHANTINGS) WAS PRACTICED FOR 5MONTHS, FIVE SESSIONS PER WEEK. ANTIPSYCHOTIC-INDUCED SIDE EFFECTS WERE ASSESSED USING SIMPSON ANGUS SCALE (SAS) AND UDVALG FOR KLINISKE UNDERSOGELSER (UKU) SIDE EFFECT RATING SCALE. COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS (USING TRAIL MAKING TEST A AND B), CLINICAL SYMPTOMS AND ANTHROPOMETRY WERE ASSESSED AS SECONDARY VARIABLES. COMPARISONS BETWEEN "PRE" AND "POST" DATA WAS DONE USING PAIRED SAMPLES T-TESTS AFTER SUBTRACTING BASELINE SCORES FROM THEM RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS AT THE END OF FIVE MONTHS, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DRUG-INDUCED PARKINSONIAN SYMPTOMS (SAS SCORE; P=0.001) AND 38 ITEMS OF UKU SCALE WAS OBSERVED ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSING SPEED, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS. NO SIDE EFFECTS OF YOGA WERE REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS THE PRESENT STUDY PROVIDES PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR USEFULNESS OF INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION IN MANAGING ANTI-PSYCHOTIC-INDUCED SIDE EFFECTS. 2018 14 1009 26 EFFECTS OF MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. CONTEXT: YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) DEMONSTRATES IMPAIRMENT IN THE ABILITY TO SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY RELATE TO OTHERS THAT CAN LIMIT PARTICIPATION IN GROUPS, INTERACTION WITH PEERS, AND BUILDING SUCCESSFUL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A NOVEL MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA PROGRAM ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH ASD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: FIVE MALES WITH ASD ATTENDED 1 H YOGA SESSIONS, TWICE A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS. MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA COMPRISED 26 CIRCULAR PARTNER/GROUP POSES, COLOR AND TRACING SHEETS, RHYTHMIC CHANTING, YOGA CARDS, AND GAMES. TREATMENT AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR ASD SOCIAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT (TSSA) SCORES WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. THE MODIFIED FACIAL MOOD SCALE (MFMS) WAS USED TO OBSERVE MOOD CHANGES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA CLASS. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON TSSA AND MFMS SCORES TO COMPARE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFERENCES POST THE 4-WEEK CAMP. NARRATIVE FIELD NOTES WERE DOCUMENTED AFTER EACH OF THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST WAS FOUND IN OVERALL TSSA (T(4) = -5.744, P = 0.005) AND ON RESPONDENT TO INITIATION (T(4) = -3.726, P = 0.020), INITIATING INTERACTION (T(4) = -8.5, P = 0.039), AND AFFECTIVE UNDERSTANDING AND PERSPECTIVE TAKING SUBSCALES (T(4) = -5.171 P = 0.007). YOUTH'S MFMS SCORES INCREASED FROM 80% TO 100% AT THE END OF EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS DEMONSTRATING A PLEASANT OR POSITIVE MOOD. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE NARRATIVE NOTES IDENTIFIED THREE KEY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA EXPERIENCE: (A) ENHANCED MOOD AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION, (B) INCREASED EMPATHY TOWARD OTHERS, AND (C) IMPROVED TEAMWORK SKILLS. CONCLUSION: THIS MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA TRAINING HAS IMPLICATION FOR DEVELOPING POSITIVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH ASD. 2018 15 2918 25 [THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA EXERCISES ON STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN MASTECTOMIZED WOMEN]. THIS ARTICLE SEEKS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS IN MASTECTOMIZED WOMEN. IT ALSO INVESTIGATES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE LEVELS WITH THE FOLLOWING VARIABLES: AGE; MARITAL STATUS; RELIGION; INSTRUCTION; PROFESSION; SMOKE ADDICTION; ELITISM; STAGING OF THE DISEASE; AND TREATMENT PHASE. THIS INVOLVED CONTROLLED RANDOM CLINICAL TRIAL SAMPLING OF 45 MASTECTOMIZED WOMEN TREATED AT THE ILZA BIANCO OUTPATIENT SERVICE OF SANTA RITA DE CASSIA HOSPITAL IN THE BRAZILIAN STATE OF ESPIRITO SANTO FROM MARCH TO NOVEMBER 2010. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN 6 INDIVIDUALLY-APPLIED SESSIONS WITH INCENTIVE FOR ONGOING HOME PRACTICE AND WAS RE-EVALUATED AFTER THE PERIOD, WHEREAS THE CONTROL GROUP WAS RE-EVALUATED AFTER A PROPORTIONAL PERIOD. FOR THE STUDY OF THE VARIABLES, THE INTERVIEW AND RECORDING ON A FORM TECHNIQUE WAS USED, ALONG WITH THE ANXIETY TRAIT AND STATE TEST, AND THE STRESS SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS TEST. FOR STATISTICAL TREATMENT, THE STATISTICAL PACK FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES WAS USED. THE DATA ARE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AND HAVE SHOWN THAT HATHA YOGA EXERCISES DECREASE STRESS AND ANXIETY IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. NO CONNECTION BETWEEN CONFOUNDING VARIABLES AND ANXIETY AND STRESS LEVELS WAS FOUND. 2013 16 2341 35 USE OF YOGA IN OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER TREATMENT: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: INDIVIDUALS WITH RESTRICTIVE EATING DISORDERS PRESENT WITH CO-MORBID PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND MANY ATTEMPT TO CONTROL SYMPTOMS USING STRENUOUS EXERCISES THAT INCREASE CALORIC EXPENDITURE. YOGA OFFERS A SAFE AVENUE FOR THE ENGAGEMENT IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHILE PROVIDING AN OUTLET FOR DISEASE-ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS. THIS STUDY SOUGHT TO EXAMINE USE OF YOGA PRACTICE IN AN OUTPATIENT SETTING AND ITS IMPACT ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS. METHODS: TWENTY ADOLESCENT GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM AN URBAN EATING DISORDERS CLINIC WHO PARTICIPATED IN WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES AT A LOCAL STUDIO, IN ADDITION TO STANDARD MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE. YOGA INSTRUCTORS UNDERWENT TRAINING REGARDING THIS PATIENT POPULATION. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES FOCUSED ON ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS, AND FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF 6 AND 12 CLASSES. RESULTS: IN PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE STUDY, A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE WAS SEEN, INCLUDING: SPIELBERGER STATE ANXIETY MEAN SCORES DECREASED AFTER THE COMPLETION OF 7-12 YOGA CLASSES [47 (95%CI 42-52) TO 42 (95%CI 37-47), ADJ. P = 0.0316]; AS DID THE ANOREXIA NERVOSA SCALE [10 (95% CI 7-12) VS. 6 (95%CI 4-8), ADJ. P = .0004], SCORES ON BECK DEPRESSION SCALES [18 (95%CI 15-22) TO 10 (95%CI 6-14), ADJ. P = .0001], AND WEIGHT AND SHAPE CONCERN SCORES [16 (95%CI 12-20) TO 12 (95%CI 8-16), ADJ. P =0.0120] AND [31 (95%CI 25-37) TO 20 (95%CI 13-27), ADJ. P = 0.0034], RESPECTIVELY. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN BODY MASS INDEX WERE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE TRIAL. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE COMBINED WITH OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER TREATMENT WERE SHOWN TO DECREASE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE WITHOUT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING WEIGHT. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST YOGA TO BE A PROMISING ADJUNCT TREATMENT STRATEGY, ALONG WITH STANDARD MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE. HOWEVER, WHETHER YOGA SHOULD BE ENDORSED AS A STANDARD COMPONENT OF OUTPATIENT EATING DISORDER TREATMENT MERITS FURTHER STUDY. 2016 17 1648 27 MOVING OUT OF YOUR MIND AND INTO YOUR BODY: YOGA BUFFERS THE EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT ON PTSD SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY LINKED TO POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOGA MAY BUFFER THE EFFECTS. THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED THE FREQUENCY OF COLLEGE STUDENT'S YOGA PRACTICE OVER THE PAST YEAR AS A MODERATOR OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT AND PTSD SYMPTOMS IN THE PAST 30 DAYS. PARTICIPANTS: A SAMPLE OF 177 COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM A SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS COMPETED AN ONLINE SURVEY IN EXCHANGE FOR EXTRA CREDIT OR ENTRY INTO A GIFT CARD RAFFLE. RESULTS: MODERATION ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT A MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE BUFFERED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALTREATMENT AND PTSD SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: CLINICIANS WORKING WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH A HISTORY OF MALTREATMENT ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE REFERRALS TO YOGA CLASSES. UNIVERSITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADOPT TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA PROGRAMS. 2022 18 2748 22 YOGA PRACTICE IN ENGLAND 1997-2008: PREVALENCE, TEMPORAL TRENDS, AND CORRELATES OF PARTICIPATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A HOLISTIC PRACTICE THAT MAY OFFER SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS. NO STUDY HAS EXAMINED THE PREVALENCE, TEMPORAL TRENDS, OR CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE AT THE POPULATION LEVEL IN A EUROPEAN COUNTRY AND VERY FEW SUCH STUDIES EXIST WORLDWIDE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE PREVALENCE, TRENDS AND CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE IN ENGLAND BETWEEN 1997 AND 2008. FINDINGS: ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED IN EARLY 2013 USING HEALTH SURVEY FOR ENGLAND DATA. INDEPENDENT COHORTS, REPRESENTATIVE OF ADULTS LIVING IN ENGLAND, WERE SURVEYED IN ANNUAL CYCLES IN 1997-1999, 2003-2004, AND 2006/2008. PREVALENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE (DEFINED AS ANY PRACTICE IN THE PAST FOUR WEEKS) WAS DETERMINED AT EACH TIME POINT AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO EXAMINE TEMPORAL TRENDS (USING 1997-1999 AS REFERENCE TIME POINT) AND THE CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS 0.46% (95% CI: 0.39%-0.52%) IN 1997-1999, 0.94% (0.83%-1.06%) IN 2003-2004, AND 1.11% (0.95%-1.28%) IN 2006/2008. YOGA PARTICIPANTS IN ENGLAND WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE OLDER, FEMALE, DEGREE EDUCATED, OF NON-MANUAL SOCIAL CLASS, LOWER BMI, BETTER SELF-RATED GENERAL HEALTH, INACTIVE OCCUPATION, AND HIGHER MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. ADJUSTED FOR AGE, SEX, SOCIAL CLASS, AND LONG STANDING ILLNESSES, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASING TREND OF YOGA PRACTICE FROM 1997 TO 2008 (2003/04 OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.59-2.34; 2006/08 OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.77-2.71). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE HAS INCREASED IN POPULARITY, THOUGH THE ABSOLUTE RATES ARE STILL RELATIVELY LOW. FUTURE POPULATION STUDIES SHOULD MORE COMPREHENSIVELY EXAMINE THE CONTEXTS, SETTINGS, STYLES, CORRELATES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2014 19 1292 28 GROUP YOGA EFFECTS ON CANCER PATIENT AND CAREGIVER SYMPTOM DISTRESS: ASSESSMENT OF SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS AT A COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER. BACKGROUND: COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH. WE EXPLORED THE EFFECTS OF GROUP-BASED YOGA CLASSES OFFERED THROUGH AN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE CENTER AT A COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER. METHODS: PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS HAD ACCESS TO TWO YOGA GROUP CLASSES: A LOWER INTENSITY (YLOW) OR HIGHER INTENSITY (YHIGH) CLASS. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE EDMONTON SYMPTOM ASSESSMENT SYSTEM (ESAS; SCALE 0-10, 10 MOST SEVERE) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE CLASS. ESAS SUBSCALES ANALYZED INCLUDED GLOBAL (GDS; SCORE 0-90), PHYSICAL (PHS; 0-60), AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS (PSS; 0-20). DATA WERE ANALYZED EXAMINING PRE-YOGA AND POST-YOGA SYMPTOM SCORES USING PAIRED T-TESTS AND BETWEEN TYPES OF CLASSES USING ANOVAS. RESULTS: FROM JULY 18, 2016, TO AUGUST 8, 2017, 282 UNIQUE PARTICIPANTS (205 PATIENTS, 77 CAREGIVERS; 85% FEMALE; AGES 20-79 YEARS) ATTENDED ONE OR MORE YOGA GROUPS (MEAN 2.3). FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS, WE OBSERVED CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION/IMPROVEMENT IN GDS, PHS, AND PSS SCORES AND IN SYMPTOMS (ESAS DECREASE >/=1; MEANS) OF ANXIETY, FATIGUE, WELL-BEING, DEPRESSION, APPETITE, DROWSINESS, AND SLEEP. CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOR BOTH PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS WAS OBSERVED FOR ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, WELL-BEING, AND ALL ESAS SUBSCALES. COMPARING YOGA GROUPS, YLOW CONTRIBUTED TO GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEP VERSUS YHIGH (-1.33 VS -0.50, P = .054). IMPROVEMENT IN FATIGUE FOR YLOW WAS THE GREATEST MEAN CHANGE (YLOW -2.12). CONCLUSION: A SINGLE YOGA GROUP CLASS RESULTED IN CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT OF MULTIPLE SELF-REPORTED SYMPTOMS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA CLASS CONTENT, INTENSITY, AND DURATION CAN AFFECT OUTCOMES. 2018 20 956 26 EFFECTS OF A PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME ON THE DISCOMFORTS OF PREGNANCY AND MATERNAL CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY IN TAIWAN. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE A YOGA PROGRAMME PROVIDED TO PRIMIGRAVIDAS IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY WITH THE AIM OF DECREASING THE DISCOMFORTS ASSOCIATED WITH PREGNANCY AND INCREASING CHILDBIRTH SELF-EFFICACY. DESIGN: NON-RANDOMISED CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. SETTING: A HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN TAIWAN. PARTICIPANTS: THE TARGET POPULATION WAS PRIMIGRAVIDAS AT 26-28 WEEKS OF GESTATION (NO HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES) WHO HAD NOT ENGAGED IN REGULAR EXERCISE OR YOGA FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR. THE STUDY INCLUDED 88 INDIVIDUALS; 43 IN THE CONTROL GROUP AND 45 IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME. INTERVENTION: THE DURATION OF THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME WAS 12-14 WEEKS, WITH AT LEAST THREE SESSIONS PER WEEK. EACH WORKOUT LASTED FOR 30 MINUTES. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: WOMEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE PRENATAL YOGA PROGRAMME REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER PREGNANCY DISCOMFORTS THAN THE CONTROL GROUP (38.28 VS 43.26, Z=-2.58, P=0.01) AT 38-40 WEEKS OF GESTATION. THE SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA PROGRAMME EXHIBITED HIGHER OUTCOME AND SELF-EFFICACY EXPECTANCIES DURING THE ACTIVE STAGE OF LABOUR (104.13 VS 83.53, T=3.24, P=0.002; 99.26 VS 77.70, T=3.99, P