1 2749 168 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES. 2020 2 2685 52 YOGA IN THE REAL WORLD: PERCEPTIONS, MOTIVATORS, BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF USE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PRACTICED BY NEARLY 16 MILLION US ADULTS. CLINICAL YOGA RESEARCH HAS YIELDED PROMISING FINDINGS IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN NON-PATIENT POPULATIONS IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SURVEY A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA USE IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING. METHODS: THIS STUDY USED A PRE-POST TEST DESIGN IN A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS REGISTERED FOR A 4-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN A NETWORK OF FIVE YOGA STUDIOS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. STUDENTS WERE LINKED VIA E-MAIL TO BASELINE AND ENDPOINT SURVEYS. ANALYSES WERE DESCRIPTIVE. RESULTS: SIX HUNDRED FOUR STUDENTS COMPLETED THE BASELINE SURVEY, AND 290 (48%) COMPLETED THE 4-WEEK ENDPOINT SURVEY. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, WITH RESPONDENTS BEING PRIMARILY FEMALE (86%), WHITE (88%), AND COLLEGE EDUCATED (78%). THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRACTICE WAS TIME (55%). RESPONDENTS PERCEIVED YOGA PRIMARILY AS AN EXERCISE ACTIVITY (92%), SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (73%), OR A WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT A HEALTH CONDITION (50%). MAIN REASONS FOR TAKING YOGA WERE GENERAL WELLNESS (81%), PHYSICAL EXERCISE (80%), AND STRESS MANAGEMENT (73%). NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BELIEVED YOGA WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WITH 28% TAKING YOGA TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH CONDITION. ON AVERAGE, RESPONDENTS PRACTICED 3 TO 4 HOURS/ WEEK IN AND OUT OF CLASS. CONCLUSIONS: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WERE CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL SURVEY DATA. DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS PERCEIVED SEVERAL WAYS. INFORMATION ON PRACTICE PATTERNS PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION, WHICH MAY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS INCORPORATE YOGA INTO DAILY LIFE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT. 2013 3 563 45 CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND ELEMENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: MIND-BODY PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED FOR THEIR GENERALLY POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HOW A PERSON PRACTICES YOGA AND THE PERSON'S HRQOL IS NOT KNOWN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY VIA EMAIL. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS, HRQOL, AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. ANALYSES OF DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDERS EVALUATED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (USE OF YOGA TOOLS, LENGTH OF PRACTICE, LOCATION, METHOD, ETC.) AND THE 10-ITEM PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SCALE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENTS. RESULTS: MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION MODELS DEMONSTRATED HIGHER MENTAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE, HIGHER INCOME, AND THE METHOD OF PRACTICING IN A COMMUNITY GROUP CLASS (VERSUS ONE-ON-ONE). HIGHER PHYSICAL HEALTH SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH LENGTH OF LIFETIME PRACTICE, TEACHER STATUS, KRISHNAMACHARYA YOGA STYLE, AND PRACTICING IN A YOGA SCHOOL/STUDIO (VERSUS AT HOME). CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATION PRACTICE IN YOGA IS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH. LENGTH OF LIFETIME YOGA PRACTICE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUGGESTING YOGA HAS A POTENTIAL CUMULATIVE BENEFIT OVER TIME. DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND METHODS OF PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARYING EFFECTS ON HEALTH OUTCOMES. COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ON THE VARIATIONS IN YOGA PRACTICE ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER CHARACTERIZE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. 2017 4 1778 46 PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA'S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL UNITED STATES SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR, YET LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE REGARDING PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHANGES PRACTITIONERS REPORTED IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DOMAINS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INTERNET-BASED SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 542, INCLUDING 162 TEACHERS) RECRUITED VIA EMAIL AND FLYERS SENT TO YOGA STUDIOS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (US). PARTICIPANTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 18 TO 85 YEARS (M = 44). MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS RATED THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY EXPERIENCED POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CHANGE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS AND THEN LISTED UP TO THREE POSITIVE AND THREE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. RESULTS: BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REPORTED MODERATELY HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE PHYSICAL CHANGES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES, ALTHOUGH TEACHERS GENERALLY REPORTED MORE POSITIVE CHANGES. FEW NEGATIVE CHANGES WERE REPORTED. IN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES, THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS WERE GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS AND RELAXATION. MOST COMMONLY REPORTED NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE INJURIES, SORENESS, EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS/IRRITABILITY, AND EXPENSE. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY PERCEIVE HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE CHANGES, BUT SOME ALSO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EFFECTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ASSESS SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF CHANGE ALONGSIDE MORE OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF IMPROVEMENT. 2016 5 1025 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANA PRACTICE APPROACH ON TYPES OF BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. CONTEXT: MODERN SCIENCE AND THE CLASSIC TEXT ON HATHA YOGA, HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA, REPORT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND RELATIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. WHILE ALL HAVE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO PRACTICE, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER SPECIFIC PRACTICE APPROACHES IMPACT THE BENEFITS EXPERIENCED BY PRACTITIONERS. AIMS: OUR AIM WAS TO RELATE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, THE CONTEXT OF PRACTICE APPROACHES (TIME OF DAY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, ETC.), AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPORTING PARTICULAR BENEFITS OF YOGA. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ACROSS LEVELS AND STYLES OF PRACTICE. DATA WERE COMPILED FROM A LARGE VOLUNTARY CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 2620) REGARDING RESPONDENTS' METHODS OF PRACTICE, YOGA EXPERIENCE LEVELS, AND BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY APPROACHES TO YOGA PRACTICE THAT POSITIVELY PREDICTED PARTICULAR BENEFITS. RESULTS: FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT A TEACHER, WAS A POSITIVE PREDICTOR OF REPORTING NEARLY ALL BENEFITS OF YOGA, WITH AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF EXPERIENCING MOST BENEFITS WHEN THE PRACTITIONER DID YOGA FIVE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. OTHER ASPECTS OF PRACTICE APPROACH, EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE PRACTITIONER, AND THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE TEACHER, HAD LESS EFFECT ON THE BENEFITS REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTICE FREQUENCY OF AT LEAST 5 DAYS PER WEEK WILL PROVIDE PRACTITIONERS WITH THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES OF BENEFITS. OTHER PRACTICE APPROACHES CAN VARY MORE WIDELY WITHOUT HAVING A MARKED IMPACT ON MOST BENEFITS EXPERIENCED. 2019 6 472 42 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND WAY OF LIFE THAT IS BEING USED AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS SEVERAL HEALTH BENEFITS, SUCH AS MANAGING MANY NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, AND IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IS GROWING IN THE UK, BUT IT IS MOSTLY UNREGULATED WITH LITTLE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT YOGA PROVIDERS AND THEIR SESSIONS AND ATTENDEES. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE WHO IS PROVIDING YOGA; WHAT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE, WHERE, AND AT WHAT COST; AND WHO ATTENDS THESE SESSIONS IN THE UK AND WHETHER YOGA PROVIDERS WERE AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THEIR SESSIONS. A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY WAS UNDERTAKEN AMONG YOGA PROVIDERS IN THE UK. THEY WERE APPROACHED THROUGH FOUR MAJOR UK YOGA ASSOCIATIONS. IN TOTAL, 407 YOGA PROVIDERS PARTICIPATED. MOST PROVIDERS WERE AGED 45-64 YEARS (69%), FEMALE (93%), AND WHITE (93%). THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS DELIVERED PER WEEK WAS FOUR AND TWO, RESPECTIVELY. THE MOST COMMON STYLES WERE HATHA (28%), IYENGAR (26%), AND VINYASA (15%). SESSIONS HAD A VARYING EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT YOGIC PRACTICES, BUT 59% OF PROVIDERS ALLOCATED MOST TIME TO YOGIC POSES (ASANA), 18% TO BREATHING PRACTICES (PRANAYAMA), AND 12% TO MEDITATION (DHYANA) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. MOST (73%) REPORTED THAT THEIR ATTENDEES DISCLOSED THEIR HEALTH CONDITIONS TO THEM, MOST COMMONLY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES (41%), HYPERTENSION (25%), AND HEART DISEASES (9%). THIS STUDY SHOWED THAT YOGA SESSIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE UK, OFTEN PROVIDED AND PRACTICED BY WOMEN, AND CONCENTRATE ON YOGIC POSES. SESSIONS CONCENTRATE ON THE ASANA AND TEND NOT TO INCLUDE MANY OF THE MORE HOLISTIC ASPECTS OF YOGA THAT ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES. YOGA PROVIDERS ARE OFTEN AWARE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS BUT MAY BENEFIT FROM TRAINING TO DELIVER SESSIONS SUITABLE FOR SPECIFIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2022 7 470 35 CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY. YOGA IS A GLOBALLY POPULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE USED FOR HEALTH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CHARACTERIZE YOGA PRACTICE AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE SENT INVITATIONS VIA EMAIL TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE SURVEY. YOGA CHARACTERISTICS AND OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS WERE COLLECTED. DATA FROM 309 CONSENTING RESPONDENTS WERE ANALYZED FOR PATTERNS IN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS (YOGA TECHNIQUES, LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, AND YOGA TYPE). ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE AND YOGA PRACTICE FREQUENCY WERE COMPUTED. THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS WERE THEN ANALYZED AS PREDICTORS OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY IN A REGRESSION MODEL: LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, TEACHER STATUS, YOGA TYPE, AND TECHNIQUES. MOST RESPONDENTS REPORTED USE OF ALL THREE YOGA TECHNIQUES (MOVEMENTS, BREATHING, AND MEDITATION) AND PRACTICED AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 +/- 1.9 DAYS A WEEK. KEY CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS LOCATION OF PRACTICE, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND FREQUENCY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED BY TEACHER STATUS AND BY YOGA TYPE (VINIYOGA PRACTITIONERS VS. OTHER YOGA STYLES). IN OUR REGRESSION MODEL, BEING A YOGA TEACHER, BEING TAUGHT A ONE-ON-ONE YOGA PRACTICE BY SOMEONE ELSE, AND REGULAR USE OF MOVEMENT WERE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PRACTICE FREQUENCY. OUR ANALYSES PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOGA FACTORS SUCH AS TEACHER STATUS, METHOD OF INSTRUCTION, AND USE OF TOOLS RELATE TO PRACTICE FREQUENCY. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY MAY ALLOW FOR THE IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA FOR HEALTH. 2018 8 1628 36 MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION MEASURES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA PARTICIPANTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND ASSESS THEIR LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION, STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND WELLBEING AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION. METHODS: A WEB-BASED SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED TO SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOGA TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2014 TO FEBRUARY 2015. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES WITH MONTHS OF PRACTICE. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WITH TWO OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK AND MINDFULNESS HIGHER IN THOSE WITH A REGULAR MEDITATION PRACTICE. DISCUSSION: KEY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT CLASS FREQUENCY, PRACTICE EXPERIENCE AND MEDITATION PRACTICE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS IN DESIGNING A YOGA INTERVENTION EXAMINING MINDFULNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. 2018 9 2377 36 WHO PRACTICES YOGA? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH-RELATED, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD, YET BECAUSE MOST YOGA RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED AS CLINICAL TRIALS OR EXPERIMENTS, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS AND CORRELATES OF PEOPLE WHO INDEPENDENTLY CHOOSE TO PRACTICE YOGA. WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THIS ISSUE, IDENTIFYING 55 STUDIES AND CATEGORIZING CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE INTO SOCIODEMOGRAPHICS, PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. YOGA USE IS GREATEST AMONG WOMEN AND THOSE WITH HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND APPEARS FAVORABLY RELATED TO PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS SUCH AS COPING AND MINDFULNESS. YOGA PRACTICE OFTEN RELATES TO BETTER SUBJECTIVE HEALTH AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS BUT ALSO WITH MORE DISTRESS AND PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT. HOWEVER, EVIDENCE IS SPARSE AND METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS PRECLUDE DRAWING CAUSAL INFERENCES. NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE STUDIES HAVE MINIMALLY ASSESSED YOGA WHILE STUDIES WITH STRONG ASSESSMENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (E.G., TYPE, DOSE) ARE GENERALLY CONDUCTED WITH CONVENIENCE SAMPLES. ALMOST ALL STUDIES REVIEWED ARE CROSS-SECTIONAL AND FEW CONTROL FOR POTENTIAL CONFOUNDING VARIABLES. WE PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CORRELATES OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2015 10 2661 55 YOGA IN AUSTRALIA: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE WELL DOCUMENTED, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA OR ELSEWHERE, WHETHER AS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, A FORM OF THERAPY, A SPIRITUAL PATH OR A LIFESTYLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TO INVESTIGATE THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN AUSTRALIA, A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING A COMPREHENSIVE WEB-BASED QUESTIONNAIRE. RESPONDENTS WERE SELF-SELECTING TO PARTICIPATE. A TOTAL OF 3,892 RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. SIXTY OVERSEAS RESPONDENTS AND 1265 YOGA TEACHERS (TO BE REPORTED SEPARATELY) WERE EXCLUDED, LEAVING 2,567 YOGA PRACTITIONER RESPONDENTS. RESULTS: THE TYPICAL YOGA SURVEY RESPONDENT WAS A 41-YEAR-OLD, TERTIARY EDUCATED, EMPLOYED, HEALTH-CONSCIOUS FEMALE (85% WOMEN). ASANA (POSTURES) AND VINYASA (SEQUENCES OF POSTURES) REPRESENTED 61% OF THE TIME SPENT PRACTICING, WITH THE OTHER 39% DEVOTED TO THE GENTLER PRACTICES OF RELAXATION, PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), MEDITATION AND INSTRUCTION. RESPONDENTS COMMONLY STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS BUT OFTEN CONTINUED PRACTICING FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT. ONE IN FIVE RESPONDENTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR A SPECIFIC HEALTH OR MEDICAL REASON WHICH WAS SEEN TO BE IMPROVED BY YOGA PRACTICE. OF THESE, MORE PEOPLE USED YOGA FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND ANXIETY THAN BACK, NECK OR SHOULDER PROBLEMS, SUGGESTING THAT MENTAL HEALTH MAY BE THE PRIMARY HEALTH-RELATED MOTIVATION FOR PRACTICING YOGA. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES WERE SEEN TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN RESPONDENTS WITH MORE YEARS OF PRACTICE. YOGA-RELATED INJURIES OCCURRING UNDER SUPERVISION IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS WERE LOW AT 2.4% OF RESPONDENTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTICE WAS SEEN TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HEALTH ISSUES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO EXERT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EFFECT INCLUDING VEGETARIANISM, NON-SMOKING, REDUCED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, INCREASED EXERCISE AND REDUCED STRESS WITH RESULTING COST BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY. 2012 11 2385 40 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 12 1718 42 PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, WELL-BEING, AND COVID 19 RESPONSE IN ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPARED TO MATCHED CONTROLS: A RESEARCH PROTOCOL. OBJECTIVES: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT STRESSOR WORLDWIDE AND REPORTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, DEPRESSION, SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES, AND OVERALL DECREASED WELLBEING ARE INCREASING. YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS TO COMPARE ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO CONTROLS ON PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, WELLBEING, AND PROTECTION AND RECOVERY FROM COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN. IN THIS PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ARE BEING COMPARED BETWEEN SEASONED YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH TWO CONTROLS WHO ARE AGE (+/-3 YEARS), GENDER MATCHED, AND LIVING IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ASKED TO COMPLETE A SERIES OF WEB-BASED SURVEYS AT BASELINE, SIX WEEKS, AND 12 WEEKS. THESE SURVEYS INCLUDE VALIDATED SCALES AND OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS ON COVID-19 INFECTION AND MEDICAL HISTORY. THE VALIDATED QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESS STRESS, MOOD STATES, RESILIENCE, AND OVERALL WELLBEING. QUESTIONNAIRES, WEEKLY ACTIVITY DIARIES, AND MEDICAL HISTORY, WILL BE COLLECTED USING REDCAP. RESULTS: WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT ROUTINE YOGA PRACTICE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WILL REDUCE STRESS, ENHANCE WELL-BEING, AND PROVIDE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS AGAINST COVID-19. CONCLUSION: WITH THE GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AND INCREASED INTEREST IN ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGIC PRACTICES, THIS STUDY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE ABOUT THE SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2021 13 1646 47 MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING A YOGA PRACTICE: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING WHY PEOPLE ADOPT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OR HOW THEIR REASONS FOR PRACTICE CHANGE WITH CONTINUED PRACTICE. FURTHERMORE, WHETHER THOSE WHO PRACTICE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA HAVE DIFFERENT MOTIVES REMAINS UNKNOWN. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF 1,702 YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY, ASKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND MOTIVES FOR INITIATING AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: THE MOST COMMON PRIMARY REASONS FOR STARTING YOGA WERE RELAXATION (26.6%) AND PREVENTION (25.5%), WHICH WERE ALSO THE MOST COMMON SECONDARY REASONS. NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE (55.3%) REPORTED A DIFFERENT PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING THAN FOR ADOPTING YOGA PRACTICE. PREVENTION (38.4%) AND SPIRITUALITY (26.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED PRIMARY REASONS FOR MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE PRACTICING LONGER THAN 5 YEARS AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE REPORTED A DIFFERENT CURRENT PRIMARY REASON FOR YOGA PRACTICE THAN THAT FOR WHICH THEY STARTED PRACTICING. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON YOGA'S APPEAL TO NOVICES AND REGULAR PRACTITIONERS, WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR MAKING YOGA APPEALING TO BEGINNERS AS WELL AS PROMOTING THE PRACTICE AS A LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR. 2019 14 393 34 BENEFITS, BARRIERS AND DETERMINANTS OF PRACTICING YOGA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY FROM KATHMANDU, NEPAL. BACKGROUND: IT HAS BEEN WIDELY BELIEVED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPS TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUALS' MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE PRACTICING YOGA IS NOT ENCOURAGING. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE DETERMINANTS, MOTIVATIONS, BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS BASED ON A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 875 INDIVIDUALS IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2019 IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL. THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED USING A SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE, AND THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE COLLECTED DATA WAS DONE USING SPSSV20. RESULTS: WE FIND THAT FEMALES, OLDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO HEALTH EDUCATION AND INTERNET, ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIAL ORGANIZATION, AND RECEIVING YOGA-RELATED TRAINING ARE MORE LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA. MAJOR REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA INCLUDE IMPROVEMENT IN BODY FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE, A DECREASE IN THE LEVEL OF STRESS, IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE, BODY WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN IMMUNITY POWER. CONCLUSION: GIVEN THAT MOST RESPONDENTS HAVE BEEN BENEFITED FROM PRACTICING YOGA, WE RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO INCORPORATE YOGA INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINE. 2021 15 1812 37 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. BACKGROUND: TRAUMA IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE, OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER YOGA PRACTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A TRAUMA HISTORY AND MAY IMPROVE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. THUS, WE CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES. METHODS: TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASSES WERE LED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELD IN THREE SECTORS THAT WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ANONYMOUS SURVEY USING A RETROSPECTIVE PRE-POST DESIGN. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT CAPTURED REASONS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: STUDENTS WERE MOTIVATED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES BY EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. STUDENTS REPORTED PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING AND GREATER USE OF SELF-REGULATION SKILLS AFTER STARTING YOGA. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL BY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OR RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE VALUE OF OFFERING TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING WARRANT FORMAL STUDY. 2021 16 1711 29 PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AFTER STROKE: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST YOGA CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO HEALTH AND WELLBEING AFTER STROKE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AMONG ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-SIX COMMUNITY DWELLING ADULTS (14 FEMALE, 12 MALE) WHO WERE AT LEAST 6-MONTHS POST-STROKE PARTICIPATED IN FOUR FOCUS GROUPS HELD AT LOCAL STROKE RECOVERY MEETINGS. DATA WAS RECORDED AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED THEMATICALLY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IDENTIFIED WHOLE BODY BENEFITS, THE RETURN OF CONNECTION AND FEELING HEALTH IN MIND AS THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF YOGA. PERCEIVED BARRIERS INCLUDED PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, COGNITIVE CHALLENGES, ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS, AND FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. CONCLUSION: STROKE SURVIVORS PERCEIVE YOGA PRACTICE PROVIDES BENEFITS IN 'CONNECTEDNESS'. FUTURE INTERVENTIONS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, FOCUS ON THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION ASPECTS OF YOGA, AND MODIFYING ACTIVITIES TO SAFELY ACCOMMODATE THE PHYSICAL ABILITIES OF THE PARTICIPANTS. 2019 17 645 38 DOES YOGA SHAPE BODY, MIND AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND/AIMS: TO ASSESS THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA STUDENTS COMPARED WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ADMINISTERED TO THE TWO GROUPS. RESULTS: FIVE INDICATORS TO MEASURE MENTAL WELLNESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. ON THREE OF THESE FIVE MEASURES, COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MORE MENTAL WELLNESS THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS - IN OTHER WORDS, THE RELATIONSHIP WAS THE INVERSE OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED. COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THEIR LIFE MORE OFTEN THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AS WELL AS MORE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO REPORT BEING TOLERANT OF OTHERS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY APPROVED OF THEIR BEHAVIOR OR BELIEFS. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT HAVING STRONG MORALS AND HEALTHY VALUES AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. WE FOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON MORE THAN HALF OF OUR SPIRIT ITEMS (FIVE OF NINE). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT EXPRESSING THEIR SPIRITUALITY APPROPRIATELY AND IN HEALTHY WAYS, RECOGNIZING THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION FAITH COULD MAKE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE (SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.07 LEVEL), ROUTINELY UNDERTAKING NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAVING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. FURTHER, WE FOUND SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT EXPERIENCING HAPPINESS WITHIN. CONCLUSIONS: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE FOUND ON THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT. FURTHER WORK NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 18 1219 44 EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: SURVEY FINDINGS FROM A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF DIVERSE EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AMONG A DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE STUDY FURTHER EXPLORES WHETHER THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT FROM THE MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA, ENGAGE IN A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN: EAT 2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME) IS A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN WHICH SURVEY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 1568 ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE (81.2% NONWHITE) EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS (MEAN AGE: 22.0 +/- 2.0 YEARS). RESULTS: EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS HIGHLY PREVALENT. FOR EXAMPLE, 43.9% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE (ACE) (E.G., PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, OR SEXUAL ABUSE BEFORE AGE 18), WHEREAS 40.1% REPORTED EXPERIENCING DISCRIMINATION. EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER STRESS LEVELS. PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% OF THE POPULATION, WITH VARIATION ACROSS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. YOUNG ADULTS EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EITHER MORE OR SIMILARLY LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA THAN YOUNG ADULTS NOT REPORTING ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSIONS: THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS POINTS TO A NEED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS. THUS, IT WAS PROMISING TO FIND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS, WHO MAY HAVE GREATER EMOTIONAL BURDENS, PRACTICE YOGA AT EQUAL OR GREATER PROPORTIONS TO THOSE WITHOUT THESE EXPOSURES. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR POPULATIONS LIVING WITH HIGH STRESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP FURTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICING YOGA. 2020 19 1946 25 SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE VERSUS IN-PERSON YOGA DURING COVID-19. INTRODUCTION: DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, YOGA CLASSES TRANSITIONED TO ONLINE DELIVERY. THIS REPORT COMPARES THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO ONLINE AND IN-PERSON YOGA AND DETERMINE THE PREFERRED FORMAT. A SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE HOW WELL EACH FORMAT WAS PERCEIVED TO PRODUCE COMMON BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: IN-PERSON YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, PHYSICAL SATISFACTION, AND FEELING ENERGIZED. ONLINE YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR CONVENIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, AND AFFORDABILITY (INITIAL N = 156; FOLLOW-UP N = 55). CONCLUSION: ONLINE YOGA WAS ACCEPTABLE AND PERCEIVED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH AND MOOD. 2021 20 4 31 "I COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS": ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES REFLECT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA PRACTICE. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA AS SHARED BY ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES AND TO EXAMINE THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME. METHODS: IN THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY, 13 ADULTS WITH OR AT RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES DESCRIBED THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA AND THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS OCCURRED 16 TO 20 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED CLINICAL TRIAL. RESULTS: THEMES OF READINESS FOR CONTINUING YOGA, ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT FOR YOGA, AND INTEGRATING YOGA EMERGED THROUGH DATA ANALYSIS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA IS APPEALING TO SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES, BUT MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE OVER TIME IS A CHALLENGE. DIABETES EDUCATORS MAY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MAINTENANCE BY DISCUSSING SPECIFIC STRATEGIES WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESS INTEREST IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2010