1 2781 178 YOGA THERAPY AND POLYVAGAL THEORY: THE CONVERGENCE OF TRADITIONAL WISDOM AND CONTEMPORARY NEUROSCIENCE FOR SELF-REGULATION AND RESILIENCE. YOGA THERAPY IS A NEWLY EMERGING, SELF-REGULATING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE (CIH) PRACTICE. IT IS GROWING IN ITS PROFESSIONALIZATION, RECOGNITION AND UTILIZATION WITH A DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO SETTING PRACTICE STANDARDS, EDUCATIONAL AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS, AND PROMOTING RESEARCH TO SUPPORT ITS EFFICACY FOR VARIOUS POPULATIONS AND CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, HETEROGENEITY OF PRACTICE, POOR REPORTING STANDARDS, AND LACK OF A BROADLY ACCEPTED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN YOGA THERAPY LIMITS THE STRUCTURING OF TESTABLE HYPOTHESES AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. CURRENT PROPOSED FRAMEWORKS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES FOCUS ON THE INTEGRATION OF BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS. IN ADDITION, IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT PHENOMENOLOGY AND FIRST PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY CAN PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY IS VIEWED AS A PROCESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING IN THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN, ILLNESS OR DISABILITY. IN THIS ARTICLE WE BUILD ON THESE FRAMEWORKS, AND PROPOSE A MODEL OF YOGA THERAPY THAT CONVERGES WITH POLYVAGAL THEORY (PVT). PVT LINKS THE EVOLUTION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM TO THE EMERGENCE OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND POSITS THAT THE NEURAL PLATFORMS SUPPORTING SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ARE INVOLVED IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, GROWTH AND RESTORATION. THIS EXPLANATORY MODEL WHICH CONNECTS NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL PATTERNS OF AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, IS INCREASINGLY UTILIZED AS A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR, STRESS AND ILLNESS. SPECIFICALLY, WE DESCRIBE HOW PVT CAN BE CONCEPTUALIZED AS A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL COUNTERPART TO THE YOGIC CONCEPT OF THE GUNAS, OR QUALITIES OF NATURE. SIMILAR TO THE NEURAL PLATFORMS DESCRIBED IN PVT, THE GUNAS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FROM WHICH BEHAVIORAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES EMERGE. WE DESCRIBE HOW THESE TWO DIFFERENT YET ANALOGOUS FRAMEWORKS-ONE BASED IN NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND THE OTHER IN AN ANCIENT WISDOM TRADITION-HIGHLIGHT YOGA THERAPY'S PROMOTION OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND RESILIENCE. THIS PARALLEL BETWEEN THE NEURAL PLATFORMS OF PVT AND THE GUNAS OF YOGA IS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING A TRANSLATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY TO ALIGN WITH ITS PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA THERAPY CAN OPERATE AS A DISTINCT PRACTICE RATHER THAN FITTING INTO AN OUTSIDE MODEL FOR ITS UTILIZATION IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CONTEXTS. 2018 2 2304 54 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 3 1772 52 POTENTIAL SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. RESEARCH SUGGESTING THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MYRIAD ASPECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH HAS PROLIFERATED IN RECENT YEARS, YET THERE IS CURRENTLY NO OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK BY WHICH TO UNDERSTAND YOGA'S POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. HERE WE PROVIDE A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND SYSTEMS-BASED NETWORK MODEL OF YOGA THAT FOCUSES ON INTEGRATION OF TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP FORMS OF SELF-REGULATION. WE BEGIN BY CONTEXTUALIZING YOGA IN HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY SETTINGS, AND THEN DETAIL HOW SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY AFFECT COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND AUTONOMIC OUTPUT UNDER STRESS THROUGH AN EMPHASIS ON INTEROCEPTION AND BOTTOM-UP INPUT, RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. THE MODEL DESCRIBES YOGA PRACTICE AS A COMPREHENSIVE SKILLSET OF SYNERGISTIC PROCESS TOOLS THAT FACILITATE BIDIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK AND INTEGRATION BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-LEVEL BRAIN NETWORKS, AND AFFERENT AND RE-AFFERENT INPUT FROM INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSES (SOMATOSENSORY, VISCEROSENSORY, CHEMOSENSORY). FROM A PREDICTIVE CODING PERSPECTIVE WE PROPOSE A SHIFT TO PERCEPTUAL INFERENCE FOR STRESS MODULATION AND OPTIMAL SELF-REGULATION. WE DESCRIBE HOW THE PROCESSES THAT SUB-SERVE SELF-REGULATION BECOME MORE AUTOMATIZED AND EFFICIENT OVER TIME AND PRACTICE, REQUIRING LESS EFFORT TO INITIATE WHEN NECESSARY AND TERMINATE MORE RAPIDLY WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. TO SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED MODEL, WE PRESENT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AFFECTING SELF-REGULATORY PATHWAYS, INTEGRATING EXISTING CONSTRUCTS FROM BEHAVIOR THEORY AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH EMERGING YOGA AND MEDITATION RESEARCH. THIS PAPER IS INTENDED TO GUIDE FUTURE BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF STRESS-MEDIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. 2014 4 2600 31 YOGA FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS: NURSING AND RESEARCH CONSIDERATIONS. OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A LEADING CAUSE OF PAIN AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. CURRENT TREATMENT GUIDELINES RECOMMEND NONPHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA FOR FIRSTLINE TREATMENT OF OA. YOGA IS A PROMISING MIND-BODY PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING PRACTICES, AND MEDITATIVE MENTAL FOCUS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE CURRENT EVIDENCE, AS WELL AS A PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. CURRENT RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR OA IS SCANT BUT PROMISING, SHOWING SOME EVIDENCE OF REDUCED PAIN, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, AND DISABILITY. THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBED HERE PROPOSES MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS (STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY, RELAXATION), REDUCTION OF AUTONOMIC AROUSAL, AND THERAPEUTIC COGNITIVE PATTERNS (DISTRACTION, MINDFULNESS) AS POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT MECHANISMS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE ALSO DESCRIBES CONSIDERATIONS FOR PATIENTS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WHEN EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL USEFULNESS AND SAFETY OF YOGA PROGRAMS: YOGA STYLE, INSTRUCTOR QUALIFICATIONS, AND AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE. 2012 5 2420 29 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. BACKGROUND: MANY YOGA TEXTS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS UTILIZED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY MAY NOT COME WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, INSTEAD, THEY SEEM TO SHARE A COMMON ROOT WITH ANCIENT WISDOM. AIMS: THE GOAL OF THIS PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE IS TO CORRELATE MODERN TECHNIQUES USED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY WITH YOGIC PRACTICES, IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE CURRENT ARTICLE PRESENTED A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE YOGIC APPROACH FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER AND CONCEPTS USED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, SUCH AS META-COGNITION, DISIDENTIFICATION, DECONDITIONING AND INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE. CONCLUSIONS: CONTEMPLATIVE RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT MODERN INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY MIGHT NOT COME FROM MODERN CONCEPTS AFTER ALL, BUT SHARE GREAT SIMILARITY WITH ANCIENT YOGIC KNOWLEDGE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM OF BOTH EAST AND WEST. 2016 6 2448 35 YOGA AND THE EXPERIENCE OF EMBODIMENT: A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE LINKS. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON BODY IMAGE AND EMBODIMENT HAS BEEN A RECENT AREA OF FOCUS IN THE FIELD OF BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS. THIS PAPER COMPRISES A THEORETICAL DISCUSSION OF HOW THE PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN LEAD TO POSITIVE WAYS OF INHABITING THE BODY, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE LENS OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF EMBODIMENT. YOGA MAY ENHANCE THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE OF EMBODIMENT, BY HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON EACH OF ITS FIVE DIMENSIONS: BODY CONNECTION AND COMFORT, AGENCY AND FUNCTIONALITY, ATTUNED SELF-CARE, SUBJECTIVE IMMERSION (RESISTING OBJECTIFICATION), AND EXPERIENCE AND EXPRESSION OF DESIRES. THE ARTICLE THEREFORE DESCRIBES EXAMPLES OF TEACHER-RELATED PRACTICES DURING YOGA THAT CAN ENHANCE EACH OF THESE DIMENSIONS. FURTHER, YOGA TEACHERS CAN CONSIDER THE VARIED PROTECTIVE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS DELINEATED BY THE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF EMBODIMENT TO FACILITATE POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLICITLY INTEGRATE EMBODIMENT THEORY WITH YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AS WELL AS MEASURES THAT ASSESS BOTH POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF CHANGE AND POSITIVE WAYS OF LIVING IN THE BODY. 2020 7 1937 33 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA, NOT ONLY IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER BUT ALSO IN PROMOTING POSITIVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PAPER REVIEWS VARIOUS STUDIES ON THE TREATMENT OF NEUROSIS WITH TECHNIQUES DERIVED FROM YOGA. A FEW LACUNAE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE OUTLINED. IT IS HOPED THAT RESEARCH ALONG THESE LINES WILL DEVELOP A STANDARDIZED METHOD OF YOGA THERAPY WHICH CAN BE UTILIZED AND INTEGRATED WITHIN THE EXISTING METHODS OF TREATMENT OF NEUROTIC DISORDERS. 1994 8 1479 35 INTEGRATING BRAIN SCIENCE INTO HEALTH STUDIES: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE IN CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND YOGA. AS NEUROSCIENCE KNOWLEDGE GROWS IN ITS SCOPE OF SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS SO DOES THE NEED TO EDUCATE A WIDER AUDIENCE ON HOW TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE ITS RESEARCH FINDINGS. EFFORTS AT FINDING TEACHING APPROACHES THAT ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND HIGHLY APPLICABLE TO STUDENT EXPERIENCE ARE THUS ONGOING. THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH COURSE THAT COMBINES THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, SPECIFICALLY YOGA. THE CLASS AIMS TO REACH A DIVERSE MIX OF STUDENTS BY TEACHING APPLICABLE, HEALTH-RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL WHILE DIRECTLY CONNECTING IT TO FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE. OUTCOMES INDICATE SUCCESS ON THESE GOALS: THE COURSE ATTRACTED A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS, INCLUDING NEARLY 50% NON-SCIENCE MAJORS. ON A PRE/POST TEST, STUDENTS SHOWED LARGE INCREASES IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF NEUROSCIENCE. STUDENTS' RATINGS OF THE COURSE OVERALL, OF INCREASES IN POSITIVE FEELINGS ABOUT ITS FIELD, AND OF THEIR PROGRESS ON SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES WERE HIGHLY POSITIVE. FINALLY, STUDENTS IN THEIR WRITTEN WORK APPLIED NEUROSCIENCE COURSE CONTENT TO THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES. SUCH RESULTS INDICATE THAT THIS APPROACH COULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND APPLIED INTEGRATION OF RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH CURRICULUM. 2017 9 1481 36 INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ETHICS OF MOVING FROM THE MIND TO THE MAT. GIVEN THE RISE IN ATTENTION TO CLIENT PREFERENCES IN MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THE SHIFT IN FOCUS TOWARD HEALTH PROMOTION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. YOGA IS AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES. RECENTLY, BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE WORK HAS EMERGED SUPPORTING ITS USE FOR A VARIETY OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A CRITICAL GAP IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING HOW TO MOST OPTIMALLY AND ETHICALLY INTEGRATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES (I.E., YOGA) INTO CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICES. MOREOVER, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHICH CLIENTS ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR RECEIVING SUCH COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS AND WHICH THERAPISTS SHOULD PROVIDE THEM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF YOGA, THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF ITS USE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE PSYCHOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY. 2017 10 398 40 BEYOND SCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS: SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS WITH VINIYOGA MEDITATION. HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES GROUNDED IN ANCIENT WISDOM, BUT OFTEN HAVE LIMITED DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PRACTICES. MEDITATION PARTICIPANT SELF-REPORTS PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF THREE VINIYOGA MEDITATIONS AND HOW AND WHY THOSE MEDITATIONS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES. EACH OF THE MEDITATIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS HAD A UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND USED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE OCEAN AS A MEDITATION OBJECT. YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA ANATOMY MODELS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM ARE USED TO HELP EXPLAIN PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATED PERSONAL BENEFITS AND INSIGHTS. FOUR ASPECTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THEM IN MEDITATION ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH TANGIBLE EXAMPLES: (1) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GENERALLY IN SOMEONE'S LIFE; (2) THE STATE OF THEIR SYSTEM (MIND, BODY, BREATH) AROUND THE TIME OF THE MEDITATION; (3) REACTIONS TO THE MEDITATION STEPS AND INSTRUCTIONS; AND (4) THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECT OF MEDITATION. SUMMARIES OF THE PRACTICES, AND WHY AND FOR WHOM EACH MEDITATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN VINIYOGA AND YOGA THERAPY. 2019 11 2711 31 YOGA KERNELS: A PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL FOR DEVELOPING AND DISSEMINATING EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA PRACTICES. MANY PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO YOGA FOR ITS POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS. WITH ITS RISING POPULARITY, YOGA COULD BECOME A WIDELY USED PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION, BUT ITS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON FINDING EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA PRACTICES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE FOR A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. COMPLEXITY AND VARIABILITY CREATE BARRIERS TO THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICES. IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE STUDY, ADOPTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF THERAPEUTIC PRACTICES USED IN THE CONTEXT OF PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, WE INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT OF "YOGA KERNELS," DEFINED AS DISCRETE, EVIDENCE-BASED YOGA PRACTICES THAT ARE AMENABLE TO SCIENTIFIC STUDY AND CAN BE EFFECTIVELY DISSEMINATED AS A PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION. YOGA IS REVIEWED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF A PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION USING THE REACH EFFECTIVENESS ADOPTION IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE (RE-AIM) MODEL. THIS MODEL IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF GENERALIZABLE, EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS. IN RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES TO THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICES, WE PROPOSE THAT A POTENTIALLY FRUITFUL DIRECTION FOR YOGA RESEARCH IS MOVING AWAY FROM STUDYING YOGA CLASSES TO STUDYING SPECIFIC YOGA PRACTICES THAT ARE SIMPLER AND EASIER FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO USE. YOGA KERNELS COULD BE A UNIFYING CONCEPT TO IDENTIFY THERAPEUTIC USES OF YOGA AND HELP PEOPLE ADOPT AND MAINTAIN THESE PRACTICES AS PART OF A SYSTEMATIC PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGY. 2019 12 2882 19 YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. YOGA, PRACTICED WIDELY IN THE EAST, IS NOW POPULAR IN THE WEST AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. THIS ARTICLE BRINGS A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. SELECTED YOGA POSTURES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BENEFIT CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED. IN ADDITION, THE PHILOSOPHY, GENERAL GUIDELINES, AND MEDICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DESCRIBED. 2004 13 2375 32 WHITE PAPER: YOGA THERAPY AND PAIN-HOW YOGA THERAPY SERVES IN COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT, AND HOW IT CAN DO MORE. THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE ROLE OF YOGA THERAPY IN COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT (CIPM). THE PAIN CRISIS IS DESCRIBED, AND HOW YOGA THERAPISTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SOLUTION IS EXPLAINED. YOGA THERAPY CAN BE AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY UNDERTAKING THAT WILL BE REQUIRED TO IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOMES AND ALTER THE TRAJECTORY OF THE GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS CONSTITUTED BY AN EPIDEMIC OF POORLY UNDERSTOOD AND INADEQUATELY ADDRESSED PAIN. ADDITIONAL CONTEXT AND EVIDENCE ARE PRESENTED TO DOCUMENT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE LIVING WITH PAIN. THE WHITE PAPER CONCLUDES BY LISTING RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROVIDERS, CONSUMERS, PAYERS, AND LEGISLATORS, WHO TOGETHER CAN ADDRESS SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO CIPM, AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR ENABLING THE YOGA THERAPY PROFESSION TO MORE FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THESE SOLUTIONS. 2020 14 242 36 A WELLBEING SKILL: MOVING ATTENTIVELY IN HOSPITAL YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS SOMETIMES INTERPRETED AS MEDICAL THERAPY AND THE EVIDENCE FROM BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INDICATES THAT IT CAN BE USEFUL IN A BROAD RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS. YOGA, HOWEVER, CAN ALSO BE PURSUED AS A PROCESS-ORIENTED CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE. THIS ARTICLE DRAWS ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION-BASED RESEARCH WITH YOGA PRACTITIONERS AT TWO HOSPITALS, ONE IN PONDICHERRY, INDIA, AND ONE IN FUKUI, JAPAN. IT EXPLORES HOW PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES AT THESE HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS ARE INVITED TO MOVE WITHOUT ANTICIPATING AN OUTCOME AND TO CULTIVATE ATTITUDES SUCH AS CONTENTMENT AND NON-VIOLENCE. TAKING CUES FROM RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS' APPROACHES TO YOGA AS A SKILL AND FROM ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF SKILL, YOGA IS CONSIDERED HERE AS A CAPACITY OF MOVING WITH AWARENESS. A SKILL-BASED APPROACH ALLOWS PRACTITIONERS TO TRY OUT YOGIC TECHNIQUES ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL ABILITIES AND NEEDS. THE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT, IN THE CONTEXTS DISCUSSED, YOGA PRACTITIONERS PURSUE WELLBEING NOT AS AN INDIVIDUAL THERAPEUTIC GOAL BUT AS MUTUAL EXPLORATIVE LEARNING. 2021 15 1278 21 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES THE CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE SPECIAL ISSUE, YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OR WORK, WE OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCHERS FOR POPULATION-BASED, QUALITATIVE, AND PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH. 2020 16 2413 21 YOGA AND ITS INTEGRATION IN MODERN EDUCATION. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA WITH THE MODERN EDUCATION, WHICH WILL HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN POTENTIALITIES. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT HAS TO BE ALLOTTED FOR TEACHING YOGA AND THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA TO BE INTRODUCED AT VARIOUS STAGES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE ALSO TRACED HERE. 1987 17 1338 35 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? EMBODIED COGNITION AND EMOTION HIGHLIGHT THE INFLUENCE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR ACTIVITY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION - AN ASSOCIATION THAT IS GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIATING VARIABLES IS, HOWEVER, LIMITED. GIVEN THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT ENCOURAGES SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, STRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY. THIS EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE PARALLELS POPULAR INTEREST IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND EMPHASIZES THE INFLUENCE OF BODY POSITION ON THINKING AS WELL AS EMOTION. THOSE INFLUENCES TAKE ON ADDED MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY AND THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF CHALLENGE AND THREAT. INVESTIGATIONS OF EMBODIED COGNITION SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE STRESS BY AFFECTING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPRAISE STRESSORS. THE COMBINATION OF BODY POSITION AND COMMON COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFECT, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SELF AND FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE. FINDINGS REGARDING EMBODIED EMOTION MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS AND COMMON YOGA PRACTICES. CONSIDERING YOGA AND STRESS FROM AN EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN THE STRESS PROCESS, LEADING TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES STRESS BY DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, INDIRECTLY BY INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF THAT SYSTEM, OR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THOSE QUESTIONS, IN TURN, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING INVESTIGATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, BODY POSITION, MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY DURING YOGA, AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THOSE VARIABLES. 2019 18 2554 42 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: RESEARCH REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH POTENTIALS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH STRESS AND REGULATE THEMSELVES. YOGA PROVIDES TRAINING OF MIND AND BODY TO BRING EMOTIONAL BALANCE. WE ARGUE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SUCH TOOLS TO LISTEN INWARD TO THEIR BODIES, FEELINGS, AND IDEAS. YOGA MAY ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING IN SOUND WAYS, TO STRENGTHEN THEMSELVES, AND BE CONTRIBUTING SOCIAL BEINGS. FIRST, WE ADDRESS HOW CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN TODAY'S WORLD FACE NUMEROUS EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTANT STIMULATION THROUGH THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. ONE REASON WHY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IS THAT GLOBALIZATION EXPOSES THE YOUTH ALL OVER THE WORLD TO VARIOUS NEW DEMANDS, STANDARDS, AND OPTIONS. THERE IS ALSO INCREASED PRESSURE TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, PARTLY DUE TO INCREASED COMPETITION BUT ALSO A DIVERSE RANGE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES THAN IN THE PAST. OUR ARGUMENT ALSO PARTIALLY RESTS ON THE FACT THAT MODERN SOCIETY OFFERS PLENTY OF DISTRACTIONS AND UNWELCOME ATTRACTIONS, ESPECIALLY LINKED TO NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES. THE DOMINANT PRESENCE OF MULTIMEDIA DEVICES AND THE TIME SPENT ON THEM BY CHILDREN ARE CLEAR INDICATORS OF THE SHIFT IN LIFESTYLES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR NEW GENERATION. WHILE THESE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, AND ENTERTAINMENT, THEY ALSO RESULT IN CONSTANT COMPETITION FOR YOUNGSTER'S ATTENTION. A MAIN CONCEPT IN OUR ARTICLE IS THAT YOGA MAY HELP CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS AND THUS, CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO BALANCE IN LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND MENTAL HEALTH. WE PRESENT RESEARCH LITERATURE SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IMPROVES CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. SIMILARLY, YOGA IN SCHOOLS HELPS STUDENTS IMPROVE RESILIENCE, MOOD, AND SELF-REGULATION SKILLS PERTAINING TO EMOTIONS AND STRESS. 2014 19 1890 35 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY YOGA, MEDITATION AND RELATED PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) APPROACHES HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY. YOGIC COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE MOST WIDELY USED IM APPROACHES AND INCLUDE DIVERSE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA ASANAS, MEDITATION, BREATHING EXERCISES, QI GONG, TAI CHI CHIH, AND VARIOUS OTHERS. STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST THAT THESE YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM AND THEREBY CAN INCREASE WELLNESS AND SUPPORT THE HEALING PROCESS FROM DISEASE. PREVIOUS WORK HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES; HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, HAVE LARGELY BEEN MISSING. THREE RECENT STUDIES STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN CIRCULATING IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE A MEASURABLE EFFECT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. THESE STUDIES ARE REVIEWED HEREIN AND SOME FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. 2013 20 65 44 A CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBING MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOGA PRACTICE MAY SUPPORT POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS INDICES OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN CORRELATIONAL AND INTERVENTION STUDIES. YET, SYSTEMATIC, THEORETICALLY-GROUNDED MODELS DETAILING SPECIFIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA SUPPORTS POSITIVE EMBODIMENT ARE LACKING. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PRESENT A CONCEPTUAL MODEL THAT DESCRIBES MECHANISMS (I.E., MEDIATORS AND MODERATORS) THAT CAN BE USED TO GUIDE RESEARCH TO HELP ANSWER HOW, FOR WHOM, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS YOGA PRACTICE MAY PROMOTE POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. BASED ON EXISTING THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS, THIS MODEL SUGGESTS THAT (A) YOGA PRACTICE MAY CULTIVATE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES DURING YOGA (E.G., STATE MINDFULNESS), (B) THESE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY BUILD STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES THAT GENERALIZE BEYOND THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., TRAIT MINDFULNESS), AND (C) THESE STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY THEN PROMOTE EMBODYING PRACTICES (E.G., MINDFUL SELF-CARE). THIS MEDIATIONAL CHAIN IS LIKELY MODERATED BY THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS, PRESENCE OF MIRRORS, DIVERSITY OF BODIES REPRESENTED) AND YOGA PRACTITIONERS' SOCIAL IDENTITIES (E.G., BODY SIZE, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS), SOCIAL AND PERSONAL HISTORIES (E.G., EXPERIENCES WITH WEIGHT STIGMA AND TRAUMA), AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MOTIVES (E.G., BODY COMPARISON, APPEARANCE-FOCUSED MOTIVES TO PRACTICE YOGA). USING THE STRUCTURE OF THIS CONCEPTUAL MODEL, WE OFFER RESEARCHERS IDEAS FOR TESTABLE MODELS AND STUDY DESIGNS THAT CAN SUPPORT THEM. 2020