1 2796 88 YOGA THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD): A CASE SERIES FROM INDIA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OCD MAY HELP ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PARTIAL RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS SPARSE, WHICH LED US TO EXPLORE IT THROUGH THIS CASE SERIES. IN THIS CASE SERIES WE HAVE DESCRIBED THE BENEFITS OF 1 MONTH OF YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OCD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON STABLE DOSES OF MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE. PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CORE SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION/COMPULSIONS AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE DONE. THE ASSESSMENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS AND HAM-D SCORES AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA. YOGA THERAPY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OCD. 2021 2 580 31 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. SOME YOGA-BASED PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL FOR PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE AUTHORS COULD NOT FIND A VALIDATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE AVAILABLE FOR OCD. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO FORMULATE A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR OCD. A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE. THE MODULE WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR CONTENT VALIDATION. THE EXPERTS RATED THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 = EXTREMELY USEFUL). THE FINAL VERSION OF THE MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON PATIENTS WITH OCD (N = 17) FOR BOTH FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS. EIGHTY-EIGHT PER CENT (22 OUT OF 25) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATIONS IN THE MODULE AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS ALONG WITH PATIENTS' INPUTS AND AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE. THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS OF OCD ON TOTAL YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (YBOCS) SCORE (P = 0.001). A GENERIC YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OCD WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND FOUND FEASIBLE TO PRACTICE IN PATIENTS. A DECREASE IN THE SYMPTOM SCORES WAS ALSO FOUND FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE OF 2 WEEKS. FURTHER CLINICAL VALIDATION IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY. 2016 3 1705 40 PATIENT PERSPECTIVES: KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES FOR PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY AND AS POTENTIAL THERAPIES FOR CANCER. THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. SOME WERE DISCOVERED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND OTHERS ARE SUPPOSEDLY BENEFICIAL FOR TREATING CANCERS. TO DATE, 2 CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED FOR TREATING OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE FIRST WAS AN OPEN UNCONTROLLED TRIAL AND THE SECOND A SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) COMPARING A KY PROTOCOL AGAINST THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION (RRMM) TECHNIQUES COMBINED. BOTH TRIALS SHOWED EFFICACY ON ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES USING THE KY PROTOCOL; HOWEVER, THE RCT SHOWED NO EFFICACY ON ANY SCALE WITH THE RRMM CONTROL GROUP. THE KY PROTOCOL EMPLOYED AN OCD-SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUE COMBINED WITH OTHER TECHNIQUES THAT ARE INDIVIDUALLY SPECIFIC FOR ANXIETY, LOW ENERGY, FEAR, ANGER, MEETING MENTAL CHALLENGES, AND TURNING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS. IN ADDITION TO OCD SYMPTOMS, OTHER SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. ELEMENTS OF THE KY PROTOCOL OTHER THAN THE OCD-SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE ALSO MAY HAVE APPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY PATIENTS AND ARE DESCRIBED HERE. TWO DEPRESSION-SPECIFIC KY TECHNIQUES ARE DESCRIBED THAT ALSO HELP COMBAT MENTAL FATIGUE AND LOW ENERGY. A 7-PART PROTOCOL IS DESCRIBED THAT WOULD BE USED IN KY PRACTICE TO AFFECT THE FULL SPECTRUM OF EMOTIONS AND DISTRESS THAT COMPLICATE A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE KY TECHNIQUES THAT PRACTITIONERS HAVE USED IN TREATING CANCER. THESE TECHNIQUES HAVE NOT YET BEEN SUBJECTED TO FORMAL CLINICAL TRIALS BUT ARE DESCRIBED HERE AS POTENTIAL ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES. A CASE HISTORY DEMONSTRATING RAPID ONSET OF ACUTE RELIEF OF INTENSE FEAR IN A TERMINAL BREAST CANCER PATIENT USING A KY TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC FOR FEAR IS PRESENTED. A SECOND CASE HISTORY IS REPORTED FOR A SURVIVING MALE DIAGNOSED IN 1988 WITH TERMINAL PROSTATE CANCER WHO HAS USED KY THERAPY LONG TERM AS PART OF A SELF-DIRECTED INTEGRATIVE CARE APPROACH. 2005 4 644 27 DOES YOGA HAVE A ROLE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA MANAGEMENT? PURPOSE OF REVIEW: TO REVIEW THE EFFICACY OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN IMPROVING SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT FINDINGS: QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE WITH ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (POOLED MEAN EFFECT SIZE 0.8, 0.6, AND 0.4, RESPECTIVELY). YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE A SMALL EFFECT ON IMPROVING POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. LESS EXPLORED AREAS INCLUDE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA ITSELF AS WELL AS ITS EFFECTS ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC-INDUCED COMPLICATIONS. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MAY BE MEDIATED BY NEUROHORMONAL MECHANISMS AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN BRAIN ACTIVITY. ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EXPLORE EFFICACY IN MULTICENTRIC TRIALS AS WELL AS POSSIBLE NEUROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS. 2020 5 2798 37 YOGA THERAPY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN PHARMACOTHERAPY, TREATMENT REMAINS SUB-OPTIMAL, WITH MANY PATIENTS HAVING PERSISTING DEFICITS, ESPECIALLY IN COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN PSYCHOSIS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. TO REVIEW A) THE EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA B) STUDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS AREA, C) THE BARRIERS FOR REACHING YOGA TO PATIENTS, AND D) FUTURE DIRECTIONS, AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO AS WELL AS GREY LITERATURE WAS DONE. RESEARCH REPORTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, PARTICULARLY IN IMPROVING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SOCIAL COGNITION. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THIS EFFECT REMAIN UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT HORMONES LIKE OXYTOCIN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHANGES IN SOCIAL COGNITION. 2012 6 1732 33 PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISORDERS. HOWEVER, DATA RELATED TO PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA SERVICES AND THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA BY PATIENTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS LACKING. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS FEEDBACK OF THE PATIENTS WHO ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS AT A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY USING A SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTER FOR YOGA, AT THE END OF THEIR YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED AND ONE PATIENTS' DATA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. MOST OF THE PATIENTS WERE REFERRED BY THE DOCTORS. THE YOGA MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED, FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION. ON AN AVERAGE, PATIENTS ATTENDED 13 SESSIONS. MOST OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1-2 WEEKS AND HAD MISSED LESS THAN 2 SESSIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS REPORTED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPED THEM. SPEARMAN CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA AND VARIABLES AFFECTING QUALITY OF YOGA SERVICES AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED. OVERALL HEALTH AND SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ALSO POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. A MINORITY OF PATIENTS REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE DID NOT LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION. CONCLUSION: IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR MENTAL DISORDERS WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE YOGA UNDER SUPERVISION AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS. 2021 7 2927 30 [YOGA FOR MENTAL DISORDERS]. BACKGROUND: THE DEMAND FOR COMPLEMENTARY CLINICALLY EFFICACIOUS, SAFE, PATIENT ACCEPTABLE, AND COST-EFFECTIVE FORMS OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL ILLNESS IS GROWING. YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SOMATIC AND MENTAL HEALTH FACTORS; THEREFORE, YOGA HAS PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC CAPABILITIES TO IMPROVE MENTAL DYSFUNCTION. OBJECTIVE: IN THIS OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE, THE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SELECTED MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS SUMMARIZED. RESULTS: THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE BASE FOR YOGA EXISTS IN REDUCING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS BUT ITS USE IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS IS LESS CLEAR. THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) IS ENCOURAGING, BUT NOT DEFINITIVE DUE TO ONLY A FEW RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AND METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. CONCLUSION: THERE IS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT MEDITATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE HELPFUL FOR DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND PTSD; HOWEVER, THERE MAY ALSO BE THE RISK OF ENGAGING IN EXTREME YOGA PRACTICES. THE VALUE OF INTEGRATING YOGA INTO A TREATMENT PLAN FOR PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN MOTIVATE AND HELP PATIENTS EVALUATE WHETHER A GIVEN YOGA CLASS IS HELPFUL AND SAFE FOR THEM. METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AND THE UNCLEAR RISK-BENEFIT RATIO PRECLUDE DEFINITIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT. 2018 8 320 28 AN INTRODUCTION TO KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF KUNDALINI YOGA INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES AND MANY WERE DISCOVERED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING THE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AS WE KNOW THEM TODAY. ONE SUCH TECHNIQUE WAS FOUND TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), THE FOURTH MOST COMMON PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER, AND THE TENTH MOST DISABLING DISORDER WORLDWIDE. TWO PUBLISHED CLINICAL TRIALS ARE DESCRIBED HERE FOR TREATING OCD USING A SPECIFIC KUNDALINI YOGA PROTOCOL. THIS OCD PROTOCOL ALSO INCLUDES TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USEFUL FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, AS WELL AS A TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC FOR LEARNING TO MANAGE FEAR, ONE FOR TRANQUILIZING AN ANGRY MIND, ONE FOR MEETING MENTAL CHALLENGES, AND ONE FOR TURNING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS. PART OF THAT PROTOCOL IS INCLUDED HERE AND PUBLISHED IN DETAIL ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF OTHER DISORDER-SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE INCLUDED HERE TO HELP BRING THESE TOOLS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THESE TECHNIQUES ARE SPECIFIC FOR PHOBIAS, ADDICTIVE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, DYSLEXIA, GRIEF, INSOMNIA AND OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS. 2004 9 2541 26 YOGA FOR ANXIETY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE. BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 2004, A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT OF THE RESEARCH EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. EIGHT STUDIES WERE REVIEWED. THEY REPORTED POSITIVE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY METHODOLOGICAL INADEQUACIES. OWING TO THE DIVERSITY OF CONDITIONS TREATED AND POOR QUALITY OF MOST OF THE STUDIES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN TREATING ANXIETY OR ANXIETY DISORDERS IN GENERAL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ENCOURAGING RESULTS, PARTICULARLY WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. FURTHER WELL CONDUCTED RESEARCH IS NECESSARY WHICH MAY BE MOST PRODUCTIVE IF FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2005 10 2688 33 YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENT USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS, HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. DESPITE RESEARCH INTEREST, THERE ARE FEW RECENT REVIEWS OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS. METHOD: THE PUBMED, MEDLINE AND PSYCINFO DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR LITERATURE PUBLISHED UP TO JULY 2008, RELATING TO YOGA AND DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. RESULTS: THE PAUCITY OF REPORTED STUDIES AND SEVERAL METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS LIMIT DATA INTERPRETATION. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE COMPARABLE TO MEDICATION AND THE COMBINATION SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION ALONE. THERE IS REASONABLE EVIDENCE FOR ITS USE AS SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY OR AUGMENTATION TO MEDICATION IN MILD TO MODERATE MAJOR DEPRESSION AND DYSTHYMIA, WITH EARLY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT IN MORE SEVERE DEPRESSION. IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION FOR A SUBGROUP OF PATIENTS, BUT ITS BENEFITS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL LARGELY UNKNOWN. SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY IS INDICATED IN PERFORMANCE OR TEST ANXIETY, BUT ONLY PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR TO NO TREATMENT AND PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION FOR BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND MAY BENEFIT MOOD AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ILLNESS. IT SHOWS GOOD SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY IN SHORT-TERM TREATMENT. CONCLUSION: REASONABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE IS STILL PRELIMINARY IN ANXIETY DISORDERS. GIVEN ITS PATIENT APPEAL AND THE PROMISING FINDINGS THUS FAR, FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED. 2009 11 1770 32 POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: SUSTAINED MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS WITH A PILOT YOGA INTERVENTION. DESPITE PHARMACOLOGIC AND PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC ADVANCES OVER THE PAST DECADES, MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) EXPERIENCE RECURRENT DEPRESSIVE EPISODES AND PERSISTENT DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE TREATMENT WITH THE USUAL CARE. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY THERAPEUTIC MODALITY THAT HAS RECEIVED ATTENTION IN BOTH THE LAY AND RESEARCH LITERATURE AS A POSSIBLE ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RECENT FINDINGS ABOUT THE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LIMITED BECAUSE FEW STUDIES HAVE USED STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND NONE OF THEM HAVE INVOLVED LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP BEYOND A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH MDD USING STANDARDIZED OUTCOME MEASURES AND A LONG FOLLOW-UP PERIOD (1YEAR AFTER THE INTERVENTION). THE KEY FINDING IS THAT PREVIOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAS LONG-TERM POSITIVE EFFECTS, AS REVEALED IN BOTH QUALITATIVE REPORTS OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND IN THE QUANTITATIVE DATA ABOUT DEPRESSION AND RUMINATION SCORES OVER TIME. ALTHOUGH GENERALIZABILITY OF THE STUDY FINDINGS IS LIMITED BECAUSE OF A VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AT THE 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT, THE TRENDS IN THE DATA SUGGEST THAT EXPOSURE TO YOGA MAY CONVEY A SUSTAINED POSITIVE EFFECT ON DEPRESSION, RUMINATIONS, STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES WITH YOGA PRACTICE, SIMPLE EXPOSURE TO A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT ANY INTERVENTION, PHARMACOLOGIC OR NON-PHARMACOLOGIC, FOR DEPRESSION CONVEYS SUCH SUSTAINED EFFECTS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MDD, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE TREATMENT IS DISCONTINUED. 2014 12 2170 26 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 13 2436 32 YOGA AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF BIOMARKER EVIDENCE. TRADITIONALLY, YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MEANS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES OR SO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL AS A MONO-THERAPY IN MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AS AN ADJUVANT IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY DISORDERS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. FURTHERMORE, SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA IN THESE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. GIVEN THAT NO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER HAS STRONG AND ESTABLISHED BIOMARKERS, IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CERTAIN IMPORTANT BIOMARKERS FOLLOWING REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. IN THIS BRIEF REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL, NEURO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-IMAGING RELATED BIO-MARKERS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. ALTHOUGH FINDINGS AND TRENDS ARE PROMISING, MUCH MORE RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021 14 2485 26 YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT FOR NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW. YOGA IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE AS AN ANCILLARY MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW STUDIES EVALUATING ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN NEUROLOGICAL AND MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS. THE AUTHORS REVIEWED THE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THESE DISORDERS. ONLY RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONLY STUDY OF YOGA FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER, WHICH WAS OBSERVATIONAL. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED IF YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION. OF SEVEN RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, SIX FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. OF 13 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, 10 FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH ENCOURAGING, INDICATE THAT ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CRITICALLY DEFINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR BOTH NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. 2012 15 1920 38 ROLE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS ITS ORIGIN FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES. IT IS AN INTEGRATION OF MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. BESIDES, MINDFULNESS EMPHASIZES FOCUSED AWARENESS AND ACCEPTING THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES WITHOUT BEING JUDGEMENTAL. THESE TECHNIQUES OFFER A TRENDING NEW DIMENSION OF TREATMENT IN VARIOUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. AIMS: WE AIMED TO REVIEW THE STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS A TREATMENT MODALITY IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMIS). SMI INCLUDES SCHIZOPHRENIA, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), AND BIPOLAR DISORDER (BD). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A LITERATURE SEARCH USING PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WITH THE SEARCH TERMS "YOGA," "MEDITATION," "BREATHING EXERCISES," "MINDFULNESS," "SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS," "DEPRESSIVE DISORDER," AND "BIPOLAR DISORDER" FOR THE LAST 10-YEAR PERIOD. WE ALSO INCLUDED RELEVANT ARTICLES FROM THE CROSS-REFERENCES. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA ARE THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED FORMS OF YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. THESE STUDIES FOUND A REDUCTION IN GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY RATINGS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITION AND FUNCTIONING. SOME STUDIES ALSO FOUND MODEST BENEFITS IN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. MINDFULNESS HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY TRIED, BUT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN BENEFITS IN IMPROVING PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, IMPROVING LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING, AND AFFECT REGULATION. IN MDD, BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT IN REDUCING THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. THERE IS VERY SPARSE DATA WITH RESPECT TO BD. CONCLUSION: BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE USEFUL AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE TREATMENT OF SMI. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, ANXIETY, COGNITION, AND FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. SIMILARLY, BOTH THE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUVANT IN MDD. HOWEVER, MORE RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED AND LARGER TRIALS MAY BE NECESSARY, SPECIFICALLY FOR BD. 2019 16 2923 22 [WHERE AND HOW DOES YOGA WORK? - A SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW]. AS A TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION. IT IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEANS. YOGA HAS BEEN RESEARCHED IN HUNDREDS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE ESPECIALLY FOUND FOR CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS, HYPERTENSION, DEPRESSION AND IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE. WHILE THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA, THE RISK SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW AND COMPARABLE TO OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS. 2017 17 1543 19 KUNDALINI YOGA FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: AN EXPLORATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF KUNDALINI YOGA IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD) COMPARED TO A COMMON TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION USING COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES. A SECONDARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL TREATMENT MECHANISMS. FEMALES AGED 24 TO 75 YEARS WITH GAD ( N = 49) RECEIVED EITHER AN 8-WEEK KUNDALINI YOGA INTERVENTION ( N = 34) OR AN 8-WEEK TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION ( N = 15). THE YOGA CONDITION RESULTED IN LOWER LEVELS OF ANXIETY RELATIVE TO THE TREATMENT-AS-USUAL CONDITION. FURTHERMORE, CHANGES IN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS MEDIATED TREATMENT OUTCOME FOR KUNDALINI YOGA. KUNDALINI YOGA MAY SHOW PROMISE AS A TREATMENT FOR GAD, AND THIS TREATMENT MIGHT CONVEY ITS EFFECT ON SYMPTOM SEVERITY BY REDUCING SOMATIC SYMPTOMS. 2018 18 2458 37 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION: EFFECTS OF TRAITS AND MOODS ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT OF DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS BUT WHO ARE ONLY IN PARTIAL REMISSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PRESENT FURTHER DATA ON THE INTERVENTION, FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AFFECTING TREATMENT OUTCOME. TWENTY-SEVEN WOMEN AND 10 MEN WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY, OF WHOM 17 COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION AND PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT DATA. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 20 CLASSES LED BY SENIOR IYENGAR YOGA TEACHERS, IN THREE COURSES OF 20 YOGA CLASSES EACH. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH UNIPOLAR MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PARTIAL REMISSION. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION, AND PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR MOOD STATES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CLASS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS WERE SHOWN FOR DEPRESSION, ANGER, ANXIETY, NEUROTIC SYMPTOMS AND LOW FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN THE 17 COMPLETERS. ELEVEN OUT OF THESE COMPLETERS ACHIEVED REMISSION LEVELS POST-INTERVENTION. PARTICIPANTS WHO REMITTED DIFFERED FROM THE NON-REMITTERS AT INTAKE ON SEVERAL TRAITS AND ON PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES INDICATIVE OF A GREATER CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION. MOODS IMPROVED FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE YOGA CLASSES. YOGA APPEARS TO BE A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION; IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT. IT PRODUCES MANY BENEFICIAL EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS, AS SUPPORTED BY OBSERVATIONS IN THIS STUDY. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL METHODS ARE ESPECIALLY USEFUL AS THEY PROVIDE OBJECTIVE MARKERS OF THE PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT. THESE OBSERVATIONS MAY HELP GUIDE FURTHER CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA IN DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AND FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS. 2007 19 2881 33 YOGA: A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITH THERAPEUTIC VALUE IN PSYCHIATRY. UNLABELLED: YOGA IS ONE OF THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES DERIVED FROM THE ORTHODOX SCHOOL OF HINDU PHILOSOPHY. THE PRACTICES WERE CODIFIED BY PATANJALI UNDER THE TITLE OF ASHTANGA YOGA. ALTHOUGH YOGA WAS TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS A PRACTICE MEANT FOR ACHIEVING SELF-REALIZATION, IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. CONCLUSIONS: THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, ALONG WITH NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS WHICH MAY UNDERLIE THESE CHANGES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR THEIR PATIENTS, EITHER AS COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS TO MODERN TREATMENTS OR AS SOLE TREATMENT IN SOME DISORDERS. 2012 20 1918 30 ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AS COMPLIMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIME FOR STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: UTILIZATION OF BRAIN WAVES ACTIVITY AS NOVEL TOOL. DURING RECENT DECADES, STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHE, AND MIGRAINE HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR STRONGHOLD IN THE LIVES OF A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS GLOBAL PHENOMENON, INTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT LEADING TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF DRUGS LIKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANXIOLYTICS, AND ANALGESICS WHICH ALTHOUGH HELP IN COMBATING THE SYMPTOMS OF SUCH DISORDERS BUT ALSO CREATE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUCH CLINICAL PRACTICES, VARIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DIFFERENT NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ROLE OF ALTERED BRAIN WAVES IN THIS CONTEXT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND NEEDS TO BE PURSUED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THUS, THE CURRENT STUDY PROVIDES A REVIEW FOCUSED ON DESCRIBING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS EXPLORING BRAIN WAVES AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THESE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR SUCH DISORDERS. 2020