1 2724 44 YOGA NEUROPATHY. A SNOOZER. SCIATIC NERVE COMPRESSION VERY RARELY OCCURS BILATERALLY. THE AUTHORS PRESENT A WOMAN WITH PROFOUND LOWER EXTREMITY WEAKNESS AND SENSORY ABNORMALITY AFTER FALLING ASLEEP IN THE HEAD-TO-KNEES YOGA POSITION (ALSO CALLED "PASCHIMOTTANASANA"). CLINICAL AND ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL AND A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE IS PRESENTED. 2005 2 1775 15 PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY CAUSE DAMAGE OF BOTH SCIATIC NERVES: A CASE REPORT. SCIATIC NERVE TRAUMATIC DAMAGE VERY RARELY OCCURS BILATERALLY. WE DESCRIBE THE CASE OF A 67-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO REPORTED A BILATERAL TRAUMATIC LESION OF THE SCIATIC NERVE DURING PRACTICE OF YOGA. NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES SHOWED A BILATERAL SCIATIC NERVE NEUROPATHY, MOSTLY AFFECTING THE PERONEAL COMPONENT. LUMBAR PLEXUS MRI DOCUMENTED REGULAR ANATOMICAL FEATURES OF THE MAIN PRINCIPAL NERVE ROOTS WITH BILATERAL T2 SIGNAL ALTERATION OF ROOTS L4, L5 AND S1 THAT EXTENDED INTO THE SCIATIC NERVES SHOWING BOTH INCREASE IN SIZE, PROBABLY RELATED TO CHRONIC INJURY OF NERVES, AND AN ALTERATION IN DIFFUSION SIGNAL THAT SUGGESTED A RECENT ACUTE OVERLAPPED PROCESS. 2013 3 2779 9 YOGA TECHNIQUES AS A MEANS OF CORE STABILITY TRAINING. CORE STABILITY IN GENERAL INVOLVES THE MUSCULAR CONTROL REQUIRED AROUND THE LUMBAR SPINE TO MAINTAIN FUNCTIONAL STABILITY. STABILITY AND MOVEMENT ARE CRITICALLY DEPENDENT ON THE COORDINATION OF ALL THE MUSCLES SURROUNDING THE LUMBAR SPINE. THIS PAPER AIMS TO SHOW THAT AN AGE-OLD YOGA PRACTICE, CALLED UDDHYANA BHANDA AND NOULI, IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CORE STABILITY. 2009 4 2895 6 [DISCUSSION AROUND THE USE OF YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY]. MANY MIND-BODY PRACTICES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED INTO PSYCHIATRIC CARE INCLUDING YOGA. AN EXPERIMENT IN THE FIELD ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF THE ORGANISATION AND APPLICATIONS OF THIS DISCIPLINE, AND ENVISAGES THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF INDICATIONS. 2016 5 2921 9 [USE OF YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY]. THE AUTHOR GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPLICATION OF YOGA IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG RELATED PROBLEMS, IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE, SEXUOLOGY, TREATMENT OF NEUROSES, IN GERONTOPSYCHIATRY ETC. THE PROBLEM WHEN USING YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY IS ACTIVE COOPERATION; SYSTEMIC INTERACTIONS MUST BE FORESEEN, IT IS IMPORTANT TO WARN AGAINST COMPETITIVENESS AND SPECIFIC INDICATIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS OF DIFFERENT YOGA EXERCISES MUST BE RESPECTED. YOGA IS ALSO A SUITABLE ELEMENT OF PREVENTION OF PROFESSIONAL STRESS IN THE HEALTH SERVICES. 1994 6 2887 13 YOGA: CAN IT BE INTEGRATED WITH TREATMENT OF NEUROPATHIC PAIN? BACKGROUND: NEUROPATHIC PAIN (NP) IS A DEBILITATING CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT FROM SPINAL CORD INJURY (SCI). NEARLY 75% OF ALL SCI RESULTS IN NP AFFECTING 17,000 NEW INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES EVERY YEAR, AND AN ESTIMATED 7-10% OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IT IS CAUSED BY DAMAGED OR DYSFUNCTIONAL NERVE FIBERS SENDING ABERRANT SIGNALS TO PAIN CENTERS IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CAUSING SEVERE PAIN THAT AFFECTS DAILY LIFE AND ROUTINE. THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING NP ARE NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD, MAKING TREATMENT DIFFICULT. IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC MOLECULAR PATHWAYS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN PAIN SYNDROMES AND FINDING EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS HAS BECOME A MAJOR PRIORITY IN CURRENT SCI RESEARCH. YOGA HAS THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL IN TREATING SUBJECTS SUFFERING CHRONICALLY WITH SCI INDUCED NP, CHRONIC BACK AND ASSOCIATED PAINS IF NECESSARY EXPERIMENTAL DATA IS GENERATED. SUMMARY: THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE IMPLICATIONS OF VARIOUS MECHANISTIC APPROACHES OF YOGA WHICH CAN BE TESTED BY NEW STUDY DESIGNS AROUND VARIOUS NOCICEPTIVE MOLECULES INCLUDING MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES (MMPS), CATION-DEPENDENT CHLORIDE TRANSPORTER (NKCC1) ETC IN SCI INDUCED NP PATIENTS. KEY MESSAGES: THUS, YOGIC PRACTICES COULD BE USED IN MANAGING SCI INDUCED NP PAIN BY REGULATING THE ACTION OF VARIOUS MECHANISMS AND ITS ASSOCIATED MOLECULES. MODERN PRESCRIPTIVE TREATMENT STRATEGIES COMBINED WITH ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES LIKE YOGA SHOULD BE USED IN REHABILITATION CENTERS AND CLINICS IN ORDER TO AMELIORATE CHRONIC NP. WE RECOMMEND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF CAREFUL YOGA PRACTICE AS PART OF AN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE APPROACH FOR NP ASSOCIATED WITH SCI. 2019 7 2296 9 THERAPEUTIC PROCESSES IN A YOGA ASHRAM. ALTHOUGH COMMUNAL AND NEW RELIGIOUS GROUPS ARE SAID TO PROVIDE QUASI-THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCES FOR RELATIVELY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR SOCIETY, THERE IS LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS OCCURS. THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE LIFESTYLE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF A YOGA ASHRAM AND DESCRIBES HOW THEY FACILITATE PROCESSES WHERE RESIDENTS LEARN TO RELEASE AND PREVENT STRESS IN THEIR LIVES. 1985 8 2911 12 [PSEUDOARTHROSIS OF THE FIRST RIB IN A PATIENT WHO PRACTICES YOGA. A CASE REPORT]. INTRODUCTION: PSEUDOARTHROSIS OF THE FIRST RIB IS A RARE CONDITION THAT MAY OCCUR IN ATHLETES AS A RESULT OF REPETITIVE ACTIVITIES, MAINLY OVERHEAD. THE USUAL CLINICAL PRESENTATION IS PAIN IN THE NECK OR THE IPSILATERAL SHOULDER. CASE REPORT: THIS IS THE CASE OF A 19-YEAR-OLD FEMALE PATIENT WHO HAD SUDDEN PAIN OF THE BASE OF THE NECK WHILE DOING YOGA. PSEUDOARTHROSIS OF THE FIRST RIB WAS DIAGNOSED WITH X-RAYS AND CAT SCAN. TREATMENT CONSISTED OF A REHABILITATION AND PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL DESPITE THE PERSISTENCE OF THE PSEUDOARTHROSIS. DISCUSSION: CASES OF FIRST RIB FRACTURES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN ATHLETES PRACTICING MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES; HOWEVER, PSEUDOARTHROSIS CASES ARE RARE SINCE MOST OF THEM PROGRESS TO BONE HEALING. THIS IS THE FIRST REPORTED CASE OF A FRACTURE OR PSEUDOARTHROSIS IN A PATIENT PRACTICING YOGA. AS IN MOST REPORTED CASES, CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT WAS SUCCESSFUL. CONCLUSION: FRACTURES AND PSEUDOARTHROSIS OF THE FIRST RIB ARE RARE IN ATHLETES AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF ATHLETES PRESENTING WITH SHOULDER AND NECK PAIN. CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT IS SUCCESSFUL IN MOST CASES. 2009 9 2248 10 THE ISLAMIC PRAYER (SALAH/NAMAAZ) AND YOGA TOGETHERNESS IN MENTAL HEALTH. RELIGION AND ITS PRACTICES HAVE BEEN DULY IMPLICATED IN TREATING NOT ONLY PROBLEMS RELATED TO MEDICAL HEALTH, RATHER, INTERVENING AND PREVENTING SUCH PROBLEMS AS WELL. IN THE PRESENT ARTICLE, THE AUTHORS HAVE REVIEWED SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ISLAMIC PRAYERS (SALAH/NAMAAZ) IN HEALTHCARE IN GENERAL AND MENTAL HEALTH IN PARTICULAR. THE NATURE, PROCEDURES, PRACTICES AND THE BENEFITS OF SALAH HAVE BEEN COMPREHENSIVELY DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. IN ADDITION, AN ATTEMPT TO COMBINE YOGA AND ITS PRACTICES WITH SALAH HAS BEEN MADE FOR INTERVENING AND PREVENTING THE PROBLEMS OF MENTAL HEALTH AS AN EXPEDITIOUS TOOL. IN UPSHOT, THE CLINICIANS IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED TO INCORPORATE THESE TWO VIEWPOINTS IN THEIR INTERVENTION PROGRAM, AT LEAST, FOR THE MUSLIM PATIENTS FOR A MORE DESIRABLE OUTCOME. 2013 10 238 7 A THERAPY TO LIVE BY: PUBLIC HEALTH, THE SELF AND NATIONALISM IN THE PRACTICE OF A NORTH INDIAN YOGA SOCIETY. IN THIS ARTICLE I FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCEPTS OF SELF AND HEALTH IN MODERN NORTH INDIA. DRAWING ON FIELD RESEARCH IN A POPULAR YOGA SOCIETY, I ARGUE THAT YOGA THERAPY, AS PRACTICED BY THE BHARATIYA YOG SANSTHAN OF DELHI, PROVIDES A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF WHAT CAN BE MEANT BY PUBLIC HEALTH. USING STUDIES THAT CHALLENGE BOTH THE ESSENTIALIST AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL FACTICITY OF THE SELF, I SHOW HOW THE DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IS IMPLICATED IN, AND DERIVED FROM, A COMPLEX SEARCH FOR SELF DEFINITION IN TERMS OF HEALTH; HEALTH WHICH IS CONCEIVED OF AS A PUBLIC REGIMEN THAT SEEKS TO RECONNECT THAT WHICH MODERNITY HAS BROKEN APART: MIND AND BODY. 1997 11 2239 9 THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH LITERACY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS. EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE (EIP) UTILIZES THE THREE COMPONENTS OF EXPERT OPINION, RESEARCH EVIDENCE, AND CLIENT VALUES. IT IS A RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPETENCY FOR INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN DIVERSE FIELDS, SUCH AS ACUPUNCTURE AND MASSAGE THERAPY. RESEARCH LITERACY (RL) IS A NECESSARY PRE-REQUISITE TO EIP. MANY YOGA THERAPISTS HAVE LIMITED TRAINING IN THESE SKILLS, WHICH NEGATIVELY IMPACTS INTER-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PROPOSE INCLUSION OF RL AND EIP IN THE TRAINING OF YOGA THERAPISTS. BENEFITS FOR CLIENT CARE, COLLABORATIVE CARE, AND THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 12 367 11 ASTHMA: THE YOGA PERSPECTIVE. PART II: YOGA THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF ASTHMA. THE INTEGRAL YOGA APPROACH TO ASTHMA (AND OTHER PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS) IS BRIEFLY OUTLINED AS MEETING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AN OPTIMAL, HOLISTIC, SOMATOPSYCHIC THERAPY (AS OUTLINED IN PART I), INCLUDING CORRECTION OF DISTORTED POSTURE AND FAULTY BREATHING HABITS, TEACHING A SYSTEM OF GENERAL MUSCLE RELAXATION, TECHNIQUES FOR THE RELEASE OF SUPPRESSED EMOTION AND FOR REDUCING ANXIETY AND SELF-CONSCIOUS AWARENESS, AS WELL AS SPECIAL METHODS FOR THE EXPECTORATION OF MUCUS. YOGA PRACTICES ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL AND THE AVAILABLE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON YOGA PRACTICE, AS WELL AS CLINICAL-THERAPEUTIC STUDIES ON YOGA AS ASTHMATIC THERAPY, ARE REVIEWED. IT CAN THEREFORE BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA THERAPY IS MOST EFFECTIVE WITH ASTHMA. 1982 13 2909 11 [PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA. PARAMOUNT EMPIRICAL EFFICACY]. THIS ARTICLE IS DEVOTED TO THE ANALYSIS OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA BASED ON THE OVERVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE METHODOLOGY OF THESE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCIPLINES AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC AND HEALTH-GIVING EFFICACY. BASED ON THE COMBINATION OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL CATEGORIES AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CONCEPT OF THE FIVE PRIMARY ELEMENTS, THE AUTHORS ILLUSTRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEMIC APPROACH BY WHICH ANCIENT PHYSICIANS RELATED MAN TO NATURE IN ORDER TO DERIVE THE ADAPTATION PRINCIPLE REALIZED THROUGH HUMAN ACTIVITIES. TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ASPECTS OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE CONSIDERED. IN THE TRADITIONAL CONTEXT, THE PERFORMANCE OF EXERCISES AS ASSIGNED BY TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA IS CONSIDERED AS THE PURPOSEFUL REALIZATION OF THE ENERGY OF CONSCIENCE FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE MODERN CONTEXT AS THE REALIZATION OF A NOVEL FORM OF PSYCHIC CREATIVE CAPACITY TO THE SAME EFFECT BASED ON FRUITFUL BRAINWORK. 2011 14 2396 7 YOGA AND CHEMOREFLEX RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA AND HYPERCAPNIA. WE TESTED WHETHER CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, AND WHETHER THIS IS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF A SLOW BREATHING RATE OBTAINED DURING YOGA OR AS A GENERAL CONSEQUENCE OF YOGA. WE FOUND THAT SLOW BREATHING RATE PER SE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY, BUT LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A GENERALISED REDUCTION IN CHEMOREFLEX. 2000 15 2913 10 [RELATION BETWEEN YOGA AND PSYCHOTHERAPY]. WESTERN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND YOGA OVERLAP INSOFAR AS BOTH SYSTEMS ARE BASED UPON RELIGIOUS AND MYTHOLOGICAL FACTS, AND--ON THE LEVEL OF PSYCHOTHERAPEUTICAL PRAXIS--ON THE TECHNICS OF HYPNOSIS, AUTO- AND HETEROSUGGESTIONS AND/OR MEDITATION. IT IS 50 YEARS AGO THAT THE WEST CONSIDERED THE PSYCHOTHERAPEUTICAL EFFECTS OF THEAYOGA-SYSTEMS, FIRST OF ALL OF HATHA- YOGA. EVEN TODAY A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION BY MEANS OF PROPER COMPARISON OF THE TWO STRUCTURES IS MISSING. IN PRESENT-DAY INDIA YOGA FULFILLS PSYCHOHYGIENICAL FUNCTIONS WITHOUT BEING A PSYCHOTHERAPY IN OUR SENSE. THERE ARE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES OF MAGIC IN USE, WHICH REPLACE THE EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL-PSYCHOTHERAPEUTICAL METHODS IN THE WEST. THE ACCEPTANCE OF MEDITATION COULD ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IF THE METAPHYSICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT WOULD BE INTEGRATED AT THE SAME TIME. THE TRADITIONAL FUNCTION OF YOGA GUARANTEES ITS CONTINUITY EVEN IN THE MODERN INDUSTRIALIZED SOCIETY OF INDIA. NEITHER THE THEORETICAL NOR THE PRATICAL FUNDAMENTS ALLOW A DIRECT TRANSFER AT PRESENT. 1980 16 1214 11 EXPLORING THE BENEFIT OF YOGA PROGRAMS IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A PERSPECTIVE ON THE VALUE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THE AUTHORS EXPLORE THIS TOPIC THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH TWO FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA PROGRAMMING WHILE INCARCERATED AND WHO WENT ON TO BECOME YOGA INSTRUCTORS THEMSELVES. ALSO EXAMINED ARE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, FOR THOSE WORKING WITHIN CARCERAL SETTINGS, AND ON CARCERAL ENVIRONMENTS GENERALLY. WE SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING YOGA PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISCUSS POLICY IMPLICATIONS. THE STORIES OF BOTH INTERVIEWEES REFLECT THE VALUE AND POTENTIAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING WITHIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SETTINGS AND SUGGEST THE NEED FOR SUSTAINED PROGRAMMING AND ONGOING EMPIRICAL EVALUATION. 2020 17 1475 6 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA. YOGA IS A SCIENCE OF HOLISTIC LIVING AND NOT MERELY A SET OF ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA. IT IS A PSYCHO PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL SCIENCE, WHICH AIMS AT THE HARMONIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY, MIND AND SOUL. YOGA IS THE CONSCIOUS ART OF SELF-DISCOVERY. IT IS A PROCESS BY WHICH ANIMAL MAN ASCENDS THROUGH THE STAGES FROM NORMAL MAN TO SUPER MAN AND THEN THE DIVINE MAN. IT IS AN EXPANSION OF THE NARROW CONSTRICTED EGOISTIC PERSONALITY TO AN ALL-PERVASIVE ETERNAL AND BLISSFUL STATE OF REALITY. YOGA IS AN ALL ROUND DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY AT PHYSICAL, MENTAL INTELLECTUAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL LEVEL. 2000 18 1887 11 REFLECTIONS ON CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN VOICE THERAPY WITH MTD. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE APPLICATION OF MODIFIED YOGA TECHNIQUES, AS AN ADJUNCT TO VOICE THERAPY, BY A SPEECH PATHOLOGIST WHO IS ALSO A YOGA TEACHER. YOGA PRACTICES, WITH EFFECTS THAT MAY BE SHORT-TERM, ARE NOT CONSIDERED A SUBSTITUTE FOR COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED SOMATIC RETRAINING SYSTEMS (SUCH AS THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE OR FELDENKRAIS ATM). HOWEVER, WHEN YOGA IS CONDUCTED EMPHASIZING KINAESTHETIC AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE AWARENESS, THE CLIENT MAY ACHIEVE AN 'AWARENESS STATE' THAT FACILITATES THE LEARNING OF VOCAL REMEDIATION TECHNIQUES (FOR EXAMPLE, BY MORE EASILY 'TUNING IN' TO THE SUBTLE SENSATIONS OF SUPRALARYNGEAL DECONSTRICTION). CORE YOGA ELEMENTS AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS ARE IDENTIFIED. THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS AND CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE TREATMENT OF MUSCLE TENSION DYSPHONIA (MTD) ARE EXPLORED. 2012 19 2393 10 YOGA AND BONE HEALTH. OSTEOPOROSIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS GLOBALLY. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO PREVENT AND REVERSE BONE LOSS. YOGA MAY RESULT IN BETTER BALANCE, IMPROVED POSTURE, AND GREATER RANGE OF MOTION, STRENGTH, AND COORDINATION, ALL FACTORS THAT ALSO MITIGATE THE RISK OF FALLS AND FRACTURES. A 12-MINUTE, 12-POSE YOGA REGIMEN IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. ONCE LEARNED, THE ONGOING USE OF YOGA IS SAFE, WITHOUT COST, AND MAY BE DONE LIFELONG. 2021 20 1734 9 PERSPECTIVES ON YOGA INPUTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN. CHRONIC PAIN IS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. AT THE PHYSICAL LEVEL ITSELF, BEYOND THE NOCICEPTIVE PATHWAY, THERE IS HYPER AROUSAL STATE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH NEGATIVELY INFLUENCES TENSION COMPONENT OF THE MUSCLES, PATTERNS OF BREATHING, ENERGY LEVELS AND MINDSET, ALL OF WHICH EXACERBATE THE DISTRESS AND AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY. BEGINNING WITH THE PHYSICAL BODY, YOGA EVENTUALLY INFLUENCES ALL ASPECTS OF THE PERSON: VITAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL. IT OFFERS VARIOUS LEVELS AND APPROACHES TO RELAX, ENERGIZE, REMODEL AND STRENGTHEN BODY AND PSYCHE. THE ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA HARMONIZE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND INITIATE A "RELAXATION RESPONSE" IN THE NEURO ENDOCRINAL SYSTEM. THIS CONSISTS OF DECREASED METABOLISM, QUIETER BREATHING, STABLE BLOOD PRESSURE, REDUCED MUSCLE TENSION, LOWER HEART RATE AND SLOW BRAIN WAVE PATTERN. AS THE NEURAL DISCHARGE PATTERN GETS MODULATED, HYPER AROUSAL OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE STATIC LOAD ON POSTURAL MUSCLE COME DOWN. THE FUNCTION OF VISCERA IMPROVES WITH THE SENSE OF RELAXATION AND SLEEP GETS DEEPER AND SUSTAINED; FATIGUE DIMINISHES. SEVERAL SUBTLE LEVEL NOTIONAL CORRECTIONS CAN HAPPEN IN CASE THE SUBJECT MEDITATES AND THAT CHANGES THE CONTEXT OF THE DISEASE, PAIN AND THE MEANING OF LIFE. MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA, ALONG WITH RELAXING ASANAS, CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC PAIN, REDUCE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION EFFECTIVELY AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE PERCEIVED. 2010