1 93 148 A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. THIS PAPER REVIEWS THE PHILOSOPHICAL ORIGINS, CURRENT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, AND CLINICAL PROMISE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. HISTORICALLY, THERE ARE EIGHT ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT, TOGETHER, COMPRISE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR LIVING A MEANINGFUL, PURPOSEFUL, MORAL AND SELF-DISCIPLINED LIFE. TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING POSTURES AND MEDITATION, DIRECT ATTENTION TOWARD ONE'S HEALTH, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF ONE'S NATURE. MINDFULNESS DERIVES FROM ANCIENT BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICES, SUCH AS GENTLE HATHA YOGA AND MINDFUL BREATHING, ARE INCREASINGLY INTEGRATED INTO SECULAR HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. CURRENT THEORETICAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE SKILLS, INSIGHTS, AND SELF-AWARENESS LEARNED THROUGH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICE CAN TARGET MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL PROCESSES IMPLICATED IN ADDICTION AND RELAPSE. A SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBER OF WELL-DESIGNED CLINICAL TRIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY STUDIES ON SMOKING, ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE, AND ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT THE CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND HYPOTHESIZED MECHANISMS OF ACTION UNDERLYING MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR TREATING ADDICTION. BECAUSE VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE SPECIFIC ROLE OF YOGA IN TREATING OR PREVENTING ADDICTION, WE PROPOSE A CONCEPTUAL MODEL TO INFORM FUTURE STUDIES ON OUTCOMES AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS ALSO NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPES OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS WORK BEST FOR WHAT TYPES OF ADDICTION, WHAT TYPES OF PATIENTS, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS. OVERALL, CURRENT FINDINGS INCREASINGLY SUPPORT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS PROMISING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. 2013 2 320 29 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 3 1168 25 EVALUATION OF A RESIDENTIAL KUNDALINI YOGA LIFESTYLE PILOT PROGRAM FOR ADDICTION IN INDIA. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SUBSTANCE ABUSE INTERVENTIONS INCORPORATING MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL APPROACHES ARE BELIEVED TO PROVIDE THEIR BENEFIT THROUGH MODULATION OF BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PYSCHOSOCIAL FACTORS. A 90-DAY RESIDENTIAL GROUP PILOT TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE THAT INCORPORATED A COMPREHENSIVE ARRAY OF YOGA, MEDITATION, SPIRITUAL AND MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES WAS CONDUCTED IN AMRITSAR, INDIA. SUBJECTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS ON A NUMBER OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDING THE BEHAVIOR AND SYMPTOM IDENTIFICATION SCALE AND THE QUALITY OF RECOVERY INDEX. APPLICATION OF COMPREHENSIVE SPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS MAY PROVE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PARTICULARLY IN POPULATIONS RECEPTIVE TO SUCH APPROACHES. 2008 4 2910 20 [PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE VALUE OF YOGA IN CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES]. YOGA AND OTHER BODY-MIND TECHNIQUES ENJOY AN INCREASING POPULARITY IN MANY FIELDS OF HEALTH MAINTAINING PRACTICES, IN PREVENTION OF SOME ILLNESSES AND IN CURATIVE MEDICINE IN SPITE OF OUR INCOMPLETE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ITS APPLICABILITY AND EFFECTS. THERE ARE LARGE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE VARIOUS YOGA-SCHOOLS AND THE HETEROGENEITY OF INDICATIONS ETC. IN THIS ARTICLE A BUCKET OF RECENT INFORMATION IS OFFERED FOR THE INQUIRERS ON THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF YOGA (DIET, MIND-EXERCISES, ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS) FOR DECREASING CARDIO-METABOLIC RISK FACTORS, STABILIZING MENTAL HEALTH, AND ITS ADDICTIVE USE IN CURATIVE MEDICINE. FEW ADVERSE SIDE-EFFECTS MAY OCCUR ONLY IN THE CASE OF MISAPPLICATION. ITS ADVANTAGES ARE LOW COSTS, AVAILABILITY FOR BROAD POPULATION, AND VERY FEW CONTRAINDICATIONS. DISADVANTAGES INCLUDE DIFFERENCES IN THE ABILITY OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND IN YOGA PRACTICES. 2016 5 2420 26 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 2908 23 [PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTIVE DISEASES]. PREVENTION OF ADDICTIVE DISEASES SHOULD BE COMPLEX AND SYSTEMATIC AND IT SHOULD INCLUDE TRAINING OF SOCIAL SKILLS, DECISION-MAKING SKILLS, FAMILY INTERVENTION, ETC. SIMILARLY, EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IS USUALLY LONG-TERM, SYSTEMATIC AND COMPLEX. PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA CAN BE USEFUL COMPONENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMMES. ON THE OTHER HAND, COMPETITIVE PROFESSIONAL SPORT RATHER INCREASES THE NUMBER OF RISK FACTORS FOR SUBSTANCE-RELATED PROBLEMS. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE USE OF YOGA IN SUBSTANCE DEPENDENT PATIENTS AND PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLES ARE MENTIONED. ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF YOGA IS THE INTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND RELAXATION. 2005 7 2302 25 THINKING THROUGH THE BODY: THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS. YOGA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN VIEWED AS A DISCIPLINE THAT INCREASES SELF-AWARENESS THROUGH BODY BASED PRACTICES, MEDITATION, SELF-STUDY, AND THE READING OF PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS. IN THE 21ST CENTURY THE MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES OF YOGA HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS. IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS, THIS ARTICLE JUXTAPOSES HOW MINDFULNESS BASED YOGA IS REGARDED IN THREE DISCIPLINES: SOCIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE, AND THE "SPIRITUAL TEXTS" OF YOGA. 2011 8 2304 33 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 9 2621 37 YOGA FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER IN WOMEN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS (SUD). ADDITIONALLY, WOMEN WITH SUD REQUIRE DIFFERENT TREATMENT APPROACHES THAN MEN. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA, SPECIFICALLY FOR WOMEN, AS PART OF TREATMENT FOR SUD. NINE ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FROM INCEPTION TO JANUARY 2020. RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCT) THAT EVALUATED ANY TYPE OF YOGA, INCLUDING YOGA AS A COMPONENT OF MINDFULNESS-BASED TREATMENT, AGAINST ANY TYPE OF CONTROL IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ANY TYPE OF ADDICTION WERE ELIGIBLE. USING THE PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES (PRISMA) CHECKLIST AND STATEMENT, METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY WAS APPRAISED USING PHYSIOTHERAPY EVIDENCE DATABASE (PE DRO) CRITERIA. TEN RC TS (EIGHT MIXED-GENDER AND TWO FEMALE-FOCUSED) MET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. MOST OF THESE RCTS WERE SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED, WITH VARIOUS METHODOLOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL FLAWS AND DEFICITS. THE TYPES OF ADDICTIONS INCLUDED IN THESE STUDIES WERE ALCOHOL, DRUG, AND NICOTINE ADDICTION. MOST RCTS SUGGESTED THAT VARIOUS TYPES OF YOGA, PRIMARILY HATHA YOGA AND ITS COMPONENTS, LED TO FAVORABLE OR EQUIVALENT RESULTS FOR SUD AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONTROL OR TREATMENT-AS-USUAL INTERVENTIONS. THERE ARE LIMITED RESULTS ON THE IMPACT OF YOGA FOR SUD SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON WOMEN AND THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. ALTHOUGH THE RESULTS OF MIXED-GENDER ARTICLES ARE ENCOURAGING, LARGE RCTS WITH GENDER-SPECIFIC SUBANALYSES ARE REQUIRED TO BETTER DETERMINE THE BENEFITS SPECIFIC TO WOMEN INCORPORATING YOGA FOR SUD. 2021 10 653 22 EATING DISORDERS, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW. YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO EMBODIMENT AND DISORDERED EATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY RECEIVED RESEARCH ATTENTION. NEVERTHELESS, EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOGA AMELIORATES EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND FACILITATES A SHIFT FROM NEGATIVE TOWARDS POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND WELL-BEING BY CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT (I.E., THE ABILITY TO FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY). IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTS OF DISORDERED EATING, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THESE CONSTRUCTS. THE THREE MAJOR EATING DISORDERS AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS ARE DESCRIBED. FURTHER, THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS AND THEORETICAL MODELS OF EMBODIMENT ARE DELINEATED AND THEIR COMMUNAL CORE FEATURES ARE OUTLINED. LASTLY, THE ORIGIN, BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2020 11 1502 20 INVEST IN YOURSELF. YOGA AS A SELF-CARE STRATEGY. A WIDENING RECOGNITION OF THE MIND-BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTION IN WESTERN MEDICINE HAS RESULTED IN A GROWING INTEREST IN ANCIENT HEALTH PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA. AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES ENTER MAINSTREAM MEDICAL SETTINGS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE MODALITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVISE PATIENTS EFFECTIVELY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND DETAILS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2000 12 2445 29 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 13 2781 47 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 14 2804 36 YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT SITUATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN TODAY. TRADITIONAL YOGA IN JAPAN SUFFERED A SERIOUS SETBACK IN 1995 WITH A NERVE GAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE TOKYO SUBWAY, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT BY A CULT THAT RECRUITED MEMBERS THROUGH YOGA CLASSES. BUT WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULARITY WITH MODERN FORMS OF YOGA SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, ASHTANGA YOGA AND HOT YOGA IN THE WEST, THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN JAPAN TODAY IS FORGETTING ITS AVERSION TO YOGA AND CONSIDERS IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD HEALTH. IN 2012, THE JAPAN YOGA THERAPY SOCIETY (JYTS) CONDUCTED A STUDY ON ADVERSE EVENTS IN YOGA CLASSES THROUGHOUT JAPAN WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KYUSHU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LABOUR AND WELFARE. THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES HAVE SOME FORM OF CHRONIC ILLNESS, WITH 42.3% RECEIVING OUTPATIENT CARE. THIS SURVEY WAS THE BEGINNING OF GROWING INTEREST FROM BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITIES IN YOGA THERAPY. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE INTRODUCES SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN JAPAN. 2017 15 1575 38 MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA THROUGH YOGA: A REVIEW. THERE ARE MANY AND VARIED TYPES OF TRAUMA. THE EXTENT TO WHICH TRAUMA INFLUENCES THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF TRAUMA, AS WELL AS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S COPING CAPABILITIES. OFTEN TRAUMA IS FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD. AS THE PHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES FOR THESE CONDITIONS OFTEN HAVE UNDESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECTS, NONPHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES ARE THOUGHT OF AS A POSSIBLE ADD-ON TREATMENT. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MIND-BODY INTERVENTION. THIS PAPER COVERS ELEVEN STUDIES INDEXED IN PUBMED, IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA WERE MANAGED THROUGH YOGA INCLUDING MEDITATION. THE AIM WAS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF YOGA IN MANAGING TRAUMA-RELATED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PTSD AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO NATURAL CALAMITIES, WAR, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, AND INCARCERATION IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. AN ATTEMPT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING BENEFITS SEEN. AS MOST OF THESE STUDIES WERE NOT DONE ON PERSONS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA THAT HAD PRACTICED YOGA, THIS IS A DEFINITE AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 16 1878 25 REALIZING YOGA'S ALL-ACCESS PASS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE CRITIQUE OF WESTERNIZED YOGA AND INCLUSIVE EMBODIMENT. IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY, THE ANCIENT MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS SURGED IN POPULARITY AMONG WESTERN ENTHUSIASTS FOR ITS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. PARTICULARLY, A GROWING EVIDENCE BASE SUPPORTS YOGA FOR CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND REDUCING RISK FOR DISORDERED EATING. NEVERTHELESS, AMIDST ITS RISE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT YOGA'S DEPARTURE FROM ITS SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS AND INCREASING ASSIMILATION INTO THE APPEARANCE- AND COMMERCIAL-DRIVEN EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, AN EXCLUSIONARY IDENTITY HAS BEEN PERPETUATED IN SHAPING NORMS SURROUNDING WHO CAN AND DOES PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH CONTRADICTS EARLIER EGALITARIAN VISIONS OF A YOGA FOR ALL. THEREFORE, WE ADOPT A SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS IN OFFERING A FOCUSED ANALYSIS OF THE INTERSECTION OF YOGA, EMBODIMENT, AND INCLUSION FOR SELECT MARGINALIZED SOCIAL IDENTITIES TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND IN YOGA SCHOLARSHIP. DATA ARE SYNTHESIZED FROM BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SOURCES AND INTEGRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CONFINED MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF "THE YOGA BODY" AND OTHER PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS MAY UNDERMINE THE PERCEIVED ACCESS TO THE PRACTICE FOR MEMBERS OF DIVERSE GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE WITH INVITING FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS FOSTERING MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AMONG THE VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS INVESTED IN ADVANCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION OF YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT FOR ALL BODIES. 2020 17 571 23 DEFINING YOGA-NIDRA: TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. THE TERM YOGA-NIDRA HAS BEEN USED IN MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO REFER TO RELAXATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT REPRESENT THE INTENTION OR PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGANIDRA DISCUSSED IN THE TRADITIONAL YOGA LITERATURE. WE PROPOSE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-NIDRA THAT IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICALLY TESTABLE HYPOTHESES REGARDING ITS OUTCOMES AND EFFECTS. TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA-NIDRA AND CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF ITS PRACTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND STUDIES EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA-NIDRA ARE EXAMINED. PROPOSED HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH USING THIS OPERATIONAL DEFINITION ARE PROVIDED. 2013 18 334 20 APPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY: WHAT WE KNOW. YOGA HAS BEEN IN USE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN THE EAST AS A HEALING MODALITY. WESTERN PRACTITIONERS ARE NOW STARTING TO RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA-BASED TREATMENTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLORE THE EVIDENCE-BASE OF YOGA-BASED TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY WITH THE PURPOSE OF FURTHERING THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA INTO CONVENTIONAL WESTERN MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT PLANS. 2018 19 26 33 'A TOOL TO HELP ME THROUGH THE DARKNESS': SUFFERING AND HEALING AMONG TEACHER-PRACTITIONERS OF ASHTANGA YOGA. YOGA IS WIDELY REGARDED AS BENEFICIAL FOR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND AS A SAFE ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR MANAGING A RANGE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. EVIDENCE OF INJURY, HARM, AND ABUSE IN YOGA TRADITIONS IS DIFFICULT TO SQUARE WITH THIS EMPHASIS ON HEALING. DRAWING MAINLY FROM ON ONLINE MEMOIRS BY LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF ASHTANGA YOGA, THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUFFERING AND HEALING IN YOGA, SHOWING HOW LONG-TERM ABUSE CAN BE PERPETUATED AND INJURY SUSTAINED IN A SYSTEM WIDELY UNDERSTOOD AND LABELLED BY ITS PRACTITIONERS AS THERAPEUTIC. THE PAPER ARGUES THAT ELEMENTS OF HEALING AND HARM ARE PRESENT IN THE RITUALS OF PRACTICE, THE CONCEPTS THAT SUPPORT IT, AND THE POWER STRUCTURE OF THE ASHTANGA SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM'S ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS TOGETHER WITH A THERAPEUTIC DISCOURSE THAT LINKS SUFFERING TO ITS TRANSCENDENCE ENABLED THE SAME KINDS OF ABUSE AND TRAUMA THAT ASHTANGA YOGA IS PURPORTED TO HEAL. THE ANALYSIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OVERARCHING NARRATIVE OF YOGA AS SAFE AND HEALTHY, AND ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HEALING AND HARM WITHIN THERAPEUTIC TRADITIONS. 2021 20 2373 33 WHAT IS OUR "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY"? REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL WORK'S ORIENTATION IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLORE HOW THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE COULD PROVIDE A COMPLEMENTARY LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY CAN BE ANALYZED AND EVALUATED BY ENGAGING IN KNOWLEDGE-CREATION PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT PRIORITIZE THE "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY" DESCRIBED BY PHILOSOPHER LORRAINE CODE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, BY SEEKING TO STRATEGICALLY INCLUDE OFTEN-SUBJUGATED TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE AND BY FOCUSING ON REDISTRIBUTING EPISTEMIC POWER TO AGENTS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM EPISTEMIC PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH, THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE, WITH ITS STRONG COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO FILLING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. WE BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE IN RELATION TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. WE NEXT OFFER A RESERVED CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DOMINANT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT CURRENTLY INFORMS YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE. THIS ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS THE SOCIAL PARAMETERS THAT MAY BE RENDERED INVISIBLE OR LEFT ASIDE WHEN ADOPTING A POSITIVIST EPISTEMOLOGICAL LENS AND JUSTIFIES HOW THE CONCEPTUAL APPARATUS OF EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY SERVES AS A POTENTIAL PLATFORM FOR RETHINKING SOCIAL WORK'S POSITION AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE MOBILIZE THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION TO ILLUSTRATE HOW STRIVING FOR EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDES AN ENTRY POINT FOR ADDRESSING THE MULTILEVEL, COMPLEX SOCIAL PROCESSES EMBEDDED IN YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE AND RESEARCH WHILE AIMING TO CAPTURE THE MANY VOICES-AND HENCE THE VARIOUS TRUTHS-IMPLICATED IN A DEMOCRATIC, REFLEXIVE, AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH PROCESS. 2020