1 2693 72 YOGA INCREASES THE VOLUME OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS. CONTEXT: THE NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE CORTICAL STRUCTURES IN THE ELDERLY IS AS YET UNKNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEVEN HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS RECEIVED YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ADD-ON LIFE-STYLE PRACTICE. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCANS WERE OBTAINED BEFORE AND 6 MONTHS LATER. VOXEL-BASED-MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSES COMPARED THE BRAINS BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA. RESULTS: YOGA GROUP WAS FOUND TO HAVE INCREASES IN HIPPOCAMPAL, BUT NOT IN OCCIPITAL GRAY MATTER. CONCLUSION: YOGA HAS POTENTIAL TO REDUCE NEURO-SENESCENCE. SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND ABSENCE OF THE CONTROL GROUP PREVENT GENERALIZATION OF THE FINDINGS LIMITING ITS TRANSLATIONAL VALUE.	2013	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
2 1972 24 SHORT-TERM SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION TRAINING MODULATES BRAIN STRUCTURE AND SPONTANEOUS ACTIVITY IN THE EXECUTIVE CONTROL NETWORK. INTRODUCTION: WHILE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN NEURAL CHANGES IN LONG-TERM MEDITATORS, THEY MIGHT BE CONFOUNDED BY SELF-SELECTION AND POTENTIAL BASELINE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEDITATORS AND NON MEDITATORS. PROSPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION IN NAIVE SUBJECTS ARE MORE CONCLUSIVE WITH RESPECT TO CAUSAL INFERENCES, BUT RELATED EVIDENCE IS SO FAR LIMITED. METHODS: HERE, WE ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF A 4-WEEK SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION TRAINING ON GRAY MATTER DENSITY AND SPONTANEOUS RESTING-STATE BRAIN ACTIVITY IN A GROUP OF 12 MEDITATION-NAIVE HEALTHY ADULTS. RESULTS: COMPARED WITH 30 CONTROL SUBJECTS, THE PARTICIPANTS TO MEDITATION TRAINING SHOWED INCREASED GRAY MATTER DENSITY AND CHANGES IN THE COHERENCE OF INTRINSIC BRAIN ACTIVITY IN TWO ADJACENT REGIONS OF THE RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS ENCOMPASSING THE ANTERIOR COMPONENT OF THE EXECUTIVE CONTROL NETWORK. BOTH THESE MEASURES CORRELATED WITH SELF-REPORTED WELL-BEING SCORES IN THE MEDITATION GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF A BRIEF MEDITATION TRAINING ON BRAIN REGIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENTION, SELF-CONTROL, AND SELF-AWARENESS MAY REFLECT THE ENGAGEMENT OF COGNITIVE CONTROL SKILLS IN SEARCHING FOR A STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE, A DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. THE MANIFOLD IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS INVOLVE BOTH MANAGERIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SETTINGS CONCERNED WITH WELL-BEING AND EMOTIONAL STATE IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
3 1098 21 EFFECTS OF YOGA RESPIRATORY PRACTICE (BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA) ON ANXIETY, AFFECT, AND BRAIN FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY AND ACTIVITY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PRANAYAMA REFERS TO A SET OF YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES. RECENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MEASURES OF CLINICAL STRESS AND ANXIETY. THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE IMPACT OF A BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA TRAINING PROGRAM ON EMOTION PROCESSING, ANXIETY, AND AFFECT. WE USED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGN WITH THIRTY HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 4 WEEKS OF PRANAYAMA PRACTICES. TWO FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) PROTOCOLS WERE USED BOTH AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION: AN EMOTION TASK AS WELL AS A RESTING-STATE ACQUISITION. OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PRANAYAMA SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED STATES OF ANXIETY AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMA ALSO MODULATED THE ACTIVITY OF BRAIN REGIONS INVOLVED IN EMOTIONAL PROCESSING, PARTICULARLY THE AMYGDALA, ANTERIOR CINGULATE, ANTERIOR INSULA, AND PREFRONTAL CORTEX. RESTING-STATE FUNCTIONAL MRI (FMRI) SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY INVOLVING THE ANTERIOR INSULA AND LATERAL PORTIONS OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX. CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT CHANGES IN CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE VENTROLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND THE RIGHT ANTERIOR INSULA WERE ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN ANXIETY. ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THESE ANALYSES WERE PRELIMINARY AND EXPLORATORY, IT PROVIDES THE FIRST EVIDENCE THAT 4 WEEKS OF B. PRANAYAMA SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND THAT THESE CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODULATION OF ACTIVITY AND CONNECTIVITY IN BRAIN AREAS INVOLVED IN EMOTION PROCESSING, ATTENTION, AND AWARENESS. THE STUDY WAS REGISTERED AT HTTPS://WWW.ENSAIOSCLINICOS.GOV.BR/RG/RBR-2GV5C2/(RBR-2GV5C2).	2020	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
4 1288 22 GREATER CORTICAL THICKNESS IN ELDERLY FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS-A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. YOGA, A MIND-BODY ACTIVITY THAT REQUIRES ATTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT, HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS RELATED TO AWARENESS, ATTENTION, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND MEMORY. NORMAL AGING, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN CHANGES, BUT THESE GENERALLY INVOLVE DECREASED COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. THE AIM OF THIS CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS TO COMPARE BRAIN CORTICAL THICKNESS (CT) IN ELDERLY YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND A GROUP OF AGE-MATCHED HEALTHY NON-PRACTITIONERS. WE TESTED 21 OLDER WOMEN WHO HAD PRACTICED HATHA YOGA FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS AND 21 WOMEN NAIVE TO YOGA, MEDITATION OR ANY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS WHO WERE MATCHED TO THE FIRST GROUP IN AGE, YEARS OF FORMAL EDUCATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL. A T1-WEIGHTED MPRAGE SEQUENCE WAS ACQUIRED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER CT IN A LEFT PREFRONTAL LOBE CLUSTER, WHICH INCLUDED PORTIONS OF THE LATERAL MIDDLE FRONTAL GYRUS, ANTERIOR SUPERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS AND DORSAL SUPERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS. WE FOUND GREATER CT IN THE LEFT PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF HEALTHY ELDERLY WOMEN WHO TRAINED YOGA FOR A MINIMUM OF 8 YEARS COMPARED WITH WOMEN IN THE CONTROL GROUP.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
5  760 19 EFFECT OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES ON P300 AMPLITUDE AND LATENCY. THE COGNITIVE ABILITY WHICH WAS PERCEIVED AS A CONSTANT TRAIT, IS NOW UNDERSTOOD TO BE UPGRADED BY ADAPTIVE AND EXTENDED TRAINING. YOGA PRACTICES ARE KNOWN TO SHARPEN THE INTELLECT AND ENHANCE CONCENTRATION. IN THE INITIAL PERIOD OF PRACTICING YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE/SUPPORTING TOOL TO MEDICAL LINE OF TREATMENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE ABILITY USING OBJECTIVE METHOD, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH EVIDENCES. HENCE, AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF REGULAR PRACTICE OF SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA ON AUDITORY EVENT RELATED POTENTIAL (P300) BY RECORDING AND COMPARING PEAK LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS WITH GROUP I AND GROUP II PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA FOR MORE THAN 36 MONTHS AND LESS THAN 36 MONTHS RESPECTIVELY. GROUP III WERE NON-PRACTITIONERS WITH NO PRIOR PRACTICE OF ANY FORM OF YOGA. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS IN EACH GROUP WITH A TOTAL OF 60 PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN 40 TO 65 YEARS OF AGE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE STUDY. RESULTS REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FOR MEAN LATENCY AND AMPLITUDE BETWEEN THREE GROUPS. FINDINGS OF THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGEST THAT SUDARSANKRIYA YOGA PRACTICES SLOWS DOWN THE PROCESS OF AGING EFFECT OR MAINTAINS ON COGNITIVE ABILITY IN ADULTS.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
6  629 30 DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CONTROLS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED A VARIETY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS. ALTHOUGH YOGA PRACTICE HAS SHOWN TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED THE UNDERLYING NEUROLOGICAL CORRELATES. OBJECTIVE: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCES IN GRAY MATTER VOLUME OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS, THALAMUS AND CAUDATE NUCLEUS AND BRAIN ACTIVATION DURING THE STERNBERG WORKING MEMORY TASK. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS WERE 13 EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS (MEAN AGE = 35.8), DEFINED AS HAVING MORE THAN 3 YEARS OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE, AND 13 AGE- AND SEX-MATCHED CONTROLS (MEAN AGE = 35.7). ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A 6-MIN WALK TEST TO ASSESS FITNESS, PSYCHOSOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRES; AND UNDERWENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO ASSESS GRAY MATTER VOLUME AND BRAIN ACTIVATION. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO GROUP DIFFERENCES ON DEMOGRAPHIC MEASURES OF INCOME, EDUCATION AND ON ESTIMATED VO2MAX OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS. GRAY MATTER VOLUME DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN THE LEFT HIPPOCAMPUS, SHOWING GREATER VOLUME IN EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO CONTROLS (P = 0.017). THE FUNCTIONAL MRI RESULTS REVEALED LESS ACTIVATION IN THE DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO CONTROLS DURING THE ENCODING PHASE OF THE STERNBERG TASK (P < 0.05). REACTION TIME AND ACCURACY ON THE TASK DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: OUR RESULTS SUGGEST AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN REGULAR LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE AND DIFFERENTIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF SPECIFIC BRAIN REGIONS INVOLVED IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, SPECIFICALLY WORKING MEMORY, WHICH HAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN TO IMPROVE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. FUTURE STUDIES NEED TO EXAMINE INTERVENTION EFFECTS OF YOGA AND EXPLORE ITS POTENTIAL TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE COGNITIVE HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN THROUGH LONGITUDINAL AND INTERVENTION STUDIES.	2018	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
7 1051 20 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
8 1424 21 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
9  678 19 EFFECT OF A YOGA PRACTICE SESSION AND A YOGA THEORY SESSION ON STATE ANXIETY. YOGA TECHNIQUES PRACTICED FOR VARYING DURATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY. IN THIS STUDY, THERE WERE 300 NAIVE-TO-YOGA PERSONS OF BOTH SEXES WHO WERE ATTENDING A YOGA THERAPY CENTER IN NORTH INDIA FOR STRESS RELIEF AS DAY VISITORS AND WERE NOT RESIDING AT THE CENTER. THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS, YOGA PRACTICE AND YOGA THEORY, AND THEIR STATE ANXIETY WAS ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER A 2-HR. YOGA SESSION. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN SCORES ON STATE ANXIETY WAS FOUND IN THE YOGA PRACTICE GROUP (14.7% DECREASE), AS WELL AS IN THE YOGA THEORY GROUP (3.4% DECREASE). THE DIFFERENCE IN SCORES FOLLOWING THE SESSIONS WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HENCE, YOGA PRACTICE AS WELL AS LEARNING ABOUT THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA APPEAR TO REDUCE STATE ANXIETY, WITH A GREATER REDUCTION FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE.	2009	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
10 2085 24 THE EFFECT OF LONG TERM COMBINED YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE OF HEALTHY ADULTS. BACKGROUND: DIFFERENT PROCEDURES PRACTICED IN YOGA HAVE STIMULATORY OR INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE WHEN STUDIED ACUTELY. IN DAILY LIFE HOWEVER, THESE PROCEDURES ARE USUALLY PRACTICED IN COMBINATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE NET CHANGE IN THE BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) OF INDIVIDUALS ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN A COMBINATION OF YOGA PRACTICES (ASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES, MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA OR BREATHING EXERCISES) FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS, AT A RESIDENTIAL YOGA EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTER AT BANGALORE. METHODS: THE MEASURED BMR OF INDIVIDUALS PRACTICING YOGA THROUGH A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF CONTROL SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA BUT LED SIMILAR LIFESTYLES. RESULTS: THE BMR OF THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT OF THE NON-YOGA GROUP, AND WAS LOWER BY ABOUT 13 % WHEN ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT (P < 0.001). THIS DIFFERENCE PERSISTED WHEN THE GROUPS WERE STRATIFIED BY GENDER; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENCE IN BMR ADJUSTED FOR BODY WEIGHT WAS GREATER IN WOMEN THAN MEN (ABOUT 8 AND 18% RESPECTIVELY). IN ADDITION, THE MEAN BMR OF THE YOGA GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEIR PREDICTED VALUES, WHILE THE MEAN BMR OF NON-YOGA GROUP WAS COMPARABLE WITH THEIR PREDICTED VALUES DERIVED FROM 1985 WHO/FAO/UNU PREDICTIVE EQUATIONS. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BMR, PROBABLY LINKED TO REDUCED AROUSAL, WITH THE LONG TERM PRACTICE OF YOGA USING A COMBINATION OF STIMULATORY AND INHIBITORY YOGIC PRACTICES.	2006	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
11 2736 20 YOGA POSES INCREASE SUBJECTIVE ENERGY AND STATE SELF-ESTEEM IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES'. RESEARCH ON BENEFICIAL CONSEQUENCES OF YOGA FOCUSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGIC BREATHING AND MEDITATION. LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PERFORMING YOGA POSTURES. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND SELF-ESTEEM. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSTURES WERE COMPARED TO THE EFFECTS OF 'POWER POSES,' WHICH ARGUABLY INCREASE THE SENSE OF POWER AND SELF-CONFIDENCE DUE TO THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE (CARNEY ET AL., 2010). THE STUDY TESTED THE NOVEL PREDICTION THAT YOGA POSES, WHICH ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH INTERPERSONAL DOMINANCE BUT INCREASE BODILY ENERGY, WOULD INCREASE THE SUBJECTIVE FEELING OF ENERGY AND THEREFORE INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM COMPARED TO 'HIGH POWER' AND 'LOW POWER' POSES. A TWO FACTORIAL, BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED EITHER TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH OPEN FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 19), TWO STANDING YOGA POSES WITH COVERED FRONT OF THE BODY (N = 22), TWO EXPANSIVE, HIGH POWER POSES (N = 21), OR TWO CONSTRICTIVE, LOW POWER POSES (N = 20) FOR 1-MIN EACH. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT YOGA POSES IN COMPARISON TO 'POWER POSES' INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM. THIS EFFECT WAS MEDIATED BY AN INCREASED SUBJECTIVE SENSE OF ENERGY AND WAS OBSERVED WHEN BASELINE TRAIT SELF-ESTEEM WAS CONTROLLED FOR. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF PERFORMING OPEN, EXPANSIVE BODY POSTURES MAY BE DRIVEN BY PROCESSES OTHER THAN THE POSES' ASSOCIATION WITH INTERPERSONAL POWER AND DOMINANCE. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE CAN OCCUR AFTER PERFORMING YOGA POSES FOR ONLY 2 MIN.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
12 1304 22 HATHA YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED IN OLDER ADULTS: RESULTS FROM AN 8-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE IS WELL DOCUMENTED ACROSS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION, INCLUDING ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED, AND LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTING COGNITIVE DECLINE AND MAINTAINING OR EVEN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED AMONG OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 118; MEAN AGE, 62 +/- 5.59) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA GROUP OR A STRETCHING CONTROL GROUP AND COMPLETED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS-ATTENTION NETWORK TASK, TRAIL MAKING TEST PARTS A AND B, AND PATTERN COMPARISON TEST-AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER REACTION TIMES FOR THE YOGA GROUP ON THE ATTENTION NETWORK TASK'S NEUTRAL, CONGRUENT, AND INCONGRUENT CONDITIONS (P </= 0.04). THE YOGA INTERVENTION ALSO IMPROVED PARTICIPANTS' VISUOSPATIAL AND PERCEPTUAL PROCESSING ON THE TRAIL MAKING TEST PART B (P = 0.002) AND PATTERN COMPARISON (P < 0.001) TESTS. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES POSTURES, BREATHING, AND MEDITATIVE EXERCISES LEAD TO IMPROVED ATTENTIONAL AND INFORMATION PROCESSING ABILITIES. ALTHOUGH THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS REMAIN LARGELY SPECULATIVE, MORE SYSTEMATIC TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE EXTENT OF COGNITIVE BENEFITS AND THEIR NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS.	2017	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
13 2449 15 YOGA AND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ATTENTIONAL LOAD AND EMOTION INTERFERENCE. THIS STUDY COMPARED 45 YOGA PRACTITIONERS (M AGE = 29.7 YR., SD = 6.4) AND 45 MATCHED CONTROLS (M AGE = 29.3 YR., SD = 6.2) ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A BEHAVIORAL TASK THAT ASSESSED NEGATIVE EMOTION INTERFERENCE DURING A HIGH- AND A LOW-ATTENTIONAL DEMAND CONDITION, AS WELL AS ON STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES. OUTCOMES WERE ALSO COMPARED BETWEEN BEGINNER AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS. FOR THE BEHAVIORAL TASK, THE FINAL SAMPLE COMPRISED 36 YOGA AND 38 CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THE YOGA GROUP PRESENTED LOWER EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE HIGH ATTENTIONAL CONDITION, COMPARED TO THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION; RATED EMOTIONAL IMAGES AS LESS UNPLEASANT, COMPARED TO CONTROLS; AND REPORTED LOWER STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES RELATIVE TO CONTROLS. ALSO, EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION WAS LOWER AMONG ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS AND STATE ANXIETY WAS LOWER AMONG PRACTITIONERS ATTENDING MORE THAN TWO WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES. THE RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA MAY HELP IMPROVE SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS AND LOWER ANXIETY. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED IN LONGITUDINAL STUDIES.	2015	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
14 1964 15 SEPARATING THE "LIMBS" OF YOGA: LIMITED EFFECTS ON STRESS AND MOOD. THOUGH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THEIR MOOD, IT IS UNCLEAR WHICH ASPECT OF YOGA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE EFFECTS. TO INVESTIGATE RELEVANT ASPECTS, OR "LIMBS" OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOVICES IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ENGAGED IN A SINGLE YOGA MANIPULATION (I.E., POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, OR LISTENING TO A LECTURE ABOUT YOGA) FOR 20 MIN BEFORE EXPERIENCING A MILD STRESSOR. PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, MOOD, AND ANXIETY LEVEL WERE ASSESSED, BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE YOGA MANIPULATION AND AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. THE 20-MIN YOGA MANIPULATION DID NOT DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECT ANY OF THE MEASURES, INCLUDING PARTICIPANTS' STRESS RESPONSE AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF A YOGA PRACTICE.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
15  208 26 A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES: COMPARISON OF DAILY PRACTICE AND NONDAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF A YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM LEARNT DURING A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY US AS A STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. SUBJECTS: NINETY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. DESIGN: CASE-CONTROL STUDY. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION, THE SUBJECTS WERE ASSIGNED TO A DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CASE: N=43) AND A NONCONSECUTIVE DAILY PRACTICE GROUP (CONTROL: N=47) ACCORDING TO THEIR DAILY PRACTICE LEVEL OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM. INTERVENTIONS: THE SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN A STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM BASED ON AN INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY SESSION. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND COUNSELING ABOUT STRESS MANAGEMENT AND YOGA THEORIES, AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, RELAXATION, AND COGNITIVE STRUCTURE BASED ON INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER THE PROGRAM USING THE SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTRESS FOR MIND AND BODY AND THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOOD SCALE. THE GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE 28 (GHQ28) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE MENTAL HEALTH STATE BEFORE THE INTERVENTION AND AT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR LEVELS OF CALMNESS, COMFORT, AND CHEERFULNESS (P<0.001) AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN COGNITIVE MIND AND BODY STRESS (P<0.001) AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM. A COMPARISON OF THE TOTAL SCORES ON THE GHQ28 USING A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN TERMS OF BOTH INTERACTION (P=0.047) AND THE MAIN EFFECT (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: THE PRESENT RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT A SINGLE SESSION OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING STRESS AND THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WAS PROMOTED BY THE DAILY PRACTICE OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM.	2015	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
16  886 21 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON THE TINNITUS INDUCED DISTRESS. THE STUDY ADDRESSED THE EFFICACY OF 12 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING IN TREATING 25 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC TINNITUS. TEN OF THE PATIENTS UNDERWENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. A CONTROL GROUP COMPRISED 13 PEOPLE REPORTING CHRONIC TINNITUS. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED WITH THE TINNITUS FUNCTIONAL INDEX. AFTER THE 12-WEEK YOGA COURSE, THE AREAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE BENEFITED MOST WERE THE SENSE OF CONTROL OF TINNITUS, SLEEP, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND INTRUSIVENESS. THE MRI STUDIES INDICATED THAT CONNECTIONS IN THE WHITE MATTER OF THE MOTOR CORTEX APPEARED TO BE STRONGER AS A RESULT OF TRAINING. YOGA TRAINING HAS GOOD POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE DAILY FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC TINNITUS AND CAN BE CONSIDERED A PROMISING SUPPORTING METHOD FOR TINNITUS TREATMENT.	2019	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
17  690 20 EFFECT OF COMBINED YOGA AND TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION INTERVENTION ON WORKING MEMORY AND MINDFULNESS. TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION, A NON-INVASIVE NEUROSTIMULATION TECHNIQUE FOR MODULATING CORTICAL EXCITABILITY, AND YOGA HAVE BOTH RESPECTIVELY BEEN SHOWN TO POSITIVELY AFFECT COGNITION. WHILE PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT COMBINED TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION AND MEDITATION MAY HAVE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS ON MOOD AND COGNITION, THIS WAS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXPLORE THE COMBINATION OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION AND YOGA. TWENTY-TWO HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS WITH A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WERE RANDOMIZED TO RECEIVE EITHER ACTIVE TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION (ANODAL LEFT, CATHODAL RIGHT DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX) FOLLOWED BY YOGA INTERVENTION OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION FOLLOWED BY YOGA INTERVENTION A DOUBLE-BLIND, CROSS-OVER DESIGN OVER TWO SEPARATE INTERVENTION DAYS. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE, MEASURED WITH THE N-BACK TASK AND MINDFULNESS STATE, MEASURED WITH THE TORONTO MINDFULNESS SCALE, AND WERE CONDUCTED OFFLINE, WITH PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BOTH DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION. ACTIVE TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON WORKING MEMORY OR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT PLACEBO EFFECT, WITH BETTER PERFORMANCE ON DAY 1 OF THE INTERVENTION, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ACTIVE OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTIVE VERSUS SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION CONCERNING WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE AND MINDFULNESS, WHICH MAY BE ACCOUNTED BY THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE INTERVENTION, THE FACT THAT YOGA AND TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT STIMULATION CONCERNING WERE NOT CONDUCTED SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND THE SPECIFIC SITE OF STIMULATION.	2021	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
18 1512 20 IS THERE MORE TO YOGA THAN EXERCISE? CONTEXT: YOGA IS INCREASING IN POPULARITY, WITH AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION PRACTITIONERS IN THE UNITED STATES, YET THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPIRICAL DATA ADDRESSING THE HOLISTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF AN EXERCISE-BASED YOGA PRACTICE TO THAT OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE (ONE WITH AN ETHICAL/SPIRITUAL COMPONENT). DESIGN: STUDENTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, OR STRESS AND WHO AGREED TO PARTICIPATE WERE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: INTEGRATED YOGA, YOGA AS EXERCISE, CONTROL. PARTICIPANTS: A TOTAL OF 81 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 18 YEARS AND OLDER AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, HOPE, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL. RESULTS: OVER TIME, PARTICIPANTS IN BOTH THE INTEGRATED AND EXERCISE YOGA GROUPS EXPERIENCED DECREASED DEPRESSION AND STRESS, AN INCREASED SENSE OF HOPEFULNESS, AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, ONLY THE INTEGRATED YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED DECREASED ANXIETY-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DECREASED SALIVARY CORTISOL FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, PRACTICED IN A MORE INTEGRATED FORM, IE, WITH AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENT, MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OVER YOGA PRACTICED AS AN EXERCISE REGIMEN.	2011	
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
19 2369 27 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	
                                                                                                                                                                                    
20  427 22 CAN YOGA BOOST ACCESS TO THE BODILY AND EMOTIONAL SELF? CHANGES IN HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND IN AFFECTIVE EVALUATION BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA EXERCISE WITH AND WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS OF CONTROLLED BREATHING AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS IN YOUNG HEALTHY WOMEN. EXERCISE IS INDISPENSABLE FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. YOGA EXERCISE CAN HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING AND ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY MAKING IT AN IDEAL INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS AND RESILIENCE TO PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRESSORS. EMOTIONS TRIGGER ESPECIALLY STRONG BODILY AND AFFECTIVE-COGNITIVE RESPONSES BECAUSE OF THEIR SOCIAL RELEVANCE FOR THE SELF AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE OF MOBILIZING THE ORGANISM FOR ACTION. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES WHETHER CHANGES IN EMOTION PROCESSING RELATED TO SELF-OTHER REFERENTIAL PROCESSING AND CHANGES IN CARDIAC AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY, REFLECTED BY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), OCCUR IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALREADY A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA EXERCISE WHEN YOGA POSTURES ARE PRACTICED WITH OR WITHOUT BREATHING- AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS INSTRUCTIONS. WOMEN, ALL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (N = 34, FINAL SAMPLE: N = 30, N = 25 NAIVE TO YOGA PRACTICE) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS WHO PERFORMED THE SAME YOGA EXERCISES WITH OR WITHOUT CONTROLLED BREATHING AND MINDFULNESS INSTRUCTIONS. EMOTIONAL, SELF-OTHER REFERENTIAL PROCESSING, AWARENESS OF BODILY SIGNALS AND HRV INDICATORS WERE INVESTIGATED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISE USING STANDARDIZED EXPERIMENTAL TASKS, STANDARDIZED QUESTIONNAIRES, AND MOBILE RECORDING DEVICES. EXERCISING FOR 30 MINUTES CHANGED CARDIAC ACTIVITY SIGNIFICANTLY. HRV MEASURES SHOWED ADAPTABILITY OF CARDIAC ACTIVITY DURING THE EXERCISE AS WELL AS DURING THE AFFECTIVE TASK POST- TO PRE-EXERCISE. EXERCISING WITH BREATHING INSTRUCTIONS AND MINDFUL BODY AWARENESS HAD NO SUPERIOR EFFECTS ON CARDIAC, PARTICULARLY PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, COMPARED TO PRACTICING THE SAME MOVEMENTS WITHOUT SUCH EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS. SELF-REFERENTIAL PROCESSING DID NOT CHANGE; HOWEVER, PARTICIPANTS WERE FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE IN THEIR AFFECTIVE JUDGMENTS OF EMOTIONAL STIMULI [REGARDLESS OF THEIR REFERENCE (SELF/OTHER)], AND SHOWED BETTER AWARENESS OF BODILY SIGNALS AFTER COMPARED TO BEFORE THE EXERCISE SESSION. THE RESULTS SUPPORT IMMEDIATE, ADAPTIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON CARDIAC AND AFFECTIVE-COGNITIVE PROCESSING IN AN ALL-FEMALE HEALTHY SAMPLE. THEREFORE, YOGA EXERCISE COULD BE RECOMMENDED AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR BOOSTING CARDIAC AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE IN THIS TARGET GROUP.	2021