1 1489 112 INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS IN YOGA. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: BODILY PROCESSES HAVE BEEN INTIMATELY LINKED TO SOCIAL-COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS COMPASSION AND EMPATHY. YET, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW AWARENESS OF BODILY PROCESSES INFLUENCES SOCIAL AWARENESS AND VICE VERSA, ESPECIALLY IN NONOBSERVATIONAL BUT EXPERIENTIAL INVESTIGATIONS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOMETRICALLY REPORTED BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS (INCLUDING ALTRUISM, EMPATHY, PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, AND COMPASSION) IN 90 YOGA AND YOGA-/MEDIATION-NAIVE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. IN MODERN POSTURAL YOGA, ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS CLAIM BOTH INCREASED COMPASSION AND INNER FOCUS. METHODS: MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO PREDICT (1) THE LEVEL OF YOGA PRACTICE FROM BODY AWARENESS AND SOCIAL AWARENESS SKILLS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND (2) BODY AWARENESS FROM SOCIAL SKILLS IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: BODY AWARENESS AND COMPASSION WERE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE AND INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. THIS FINDING SUPPORTS PRACTITIONERS' ANECDOTAL CLAIMS BUT ALSO IMPLIES THAT BOTH FUNCTIONS TAP INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. WHEN BODY AWARENESS WAS PREDICTED, ALTRUISM EMERGED AS A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE PREDICTOR IN THE YOGA GROUP (BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP) AS A FUNCTION OF YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS MIGHT COMPELLINGLY SUGGEST THAT, DESPITE HIGH COMPASSION, HEIGHTENED BODILY SELF-AWARENESS MIGHT INCREASE A SELF-CENTRED PERSPECTIVE AND LIMIT ALTRUISTIC ACTS IN ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2017 2 742 31 EFFECT OF RESIDENTIAL YOGA CAMP ON PSYCHOSOCIAL FITNESS OF ADOLESCENTS. BACKGROUND: ADOLESCENCE IS A KEY PHASE OF SOCIALIZATION, WHERE IMPROVED PSYCHOSOCIAL FITNESS HELPS TO PROMOTE SOCIOECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY IN SOCIETIES. PSYCHOSOCIAL FITNESS ALSO HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, OVERALL HEALTH, AND QUALITY OF LIFE, THROUGHOUT LIFE. THE PRESENT STUDY EVALUATES THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOSOCIAL FITNESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SINGLE GROUP, PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTIONAL STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN THREE INDEPENDENT COHORTS (BATCHES 1, 2, AND 3), HAVING SAMPLE SIZE OF 148, 167, AND 195 RESPECTIVELY. A 7-DAY INTEGRATED YOGA INTERVENTION WAS GIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING. PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED SOCIAL COMPETENCE, EMPATHY, ALTRUISM, PARENT RELATIONSHIP, AND PEER FRIENDSHIP. DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM THE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR PARENTS USING RESPECTIVE VERSIONS OF THE SCALES. WHILE PRE- AND POST-DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM ALL THE ADOLESCENT PARTICIPANTS, PRE- AND POST-DATA FROM PARENTS WERE COLLECTED FOR 340 AND 43 PARENTS ONLY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ANALYSES WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM AND CHECK THE CONSISTENCY OF THESE EFFECTS. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT CHANGES (P < 0.05) WERE SEEN IN SOCIAL COMPETENCE, EMPATHY, AND ALTRUISM IN BATCHES 2 AND 3, WHEREAS CHANGES IN BATCH 1 SHOWED NONSIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS. ANALYSES OF THE PARENTAL DATA INDICATED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PARENT RELATIONSHIP (P = 0.035) AND ALSO NONSIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL OTHER OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA INTERVENTION MIGHT HELP IN IMPROVING PSYCHOSOCIAL FITNESS IN ADOLESCENTS. IT ALSO HELPED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ADMINISTERING YOGA WAS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A RESIDENTIAL SETTING. 2019 3 1615 18 MIND-BODY PRACTICES AND THE SELF: YOGA AND MEDITATION DO NOT QUIET THE EGO BUT INSTEAD BOOST SELF-ENHANCEMENT. MIND-BODY PRACTICES ENJOY IMMENSE PUBLIC AND SCIENTIFIC INTEREST. YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE HIGHLY POPULAR. PURPORTEDLY, THEY FOSTER WELL-BEING BY CURTAILING SELF-ENHANCEMENT BIAS. HOWEVER, THIS "EGO-QUIETING" EFFECT CONTRADICTS AN APPARENT PSYCHOLOGICAL UNIVERSAL, THE SELF-CENTRALITY PRINCIPLE. ACCORDING TO THIS PRINCIPLE, PRACTICING ANY SKILL RENDERS THAT SKILL SELF-CENTRAL, AND SELF-CENTRALITY BREEDS SELF-ENHANCEMENT BIAS. WE EXAMINED THOSE OPPOSING PREDICTIONS IN THE FIRST TESTS OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES' SELF-ENHANCEMENT EFFECTS. IN EXPERIMENT 1, WE FOLLOWED 93 YOGA STUDENTS OVER 15 WEEKS, ASSESSING SELF-CENTRALITY AND SELF-ENHANCEMENT BIAS AFTER YOGA PRACTICE (YOGA CONDITION, N = 246) AND WITHOUT PRACTICE (CONTROL CONDITION, N = 231). IN EXPERIMENT 2, WE FOLLOWED 162 MEDITATORS OVER 4 WEEKS (MEDITATION CONDITION: N = 246; CONTROL CONDITION: N = 245). SELF-ENHANCEMENT BIAS WAS HIGHER IN THE YOGA (EXPERIMENT 1) AND MEDITATION (EXPERIMENT 2) CONDITIONS, AND THOSE EFFECTS WERE MEDIATED BY GREATER SELF-CENTRALITY. ADDITIONALLY, GREATER SELF-ENHANCEMENT BIAS MEDIATED MIND-BODY PRACTICES' WELL-BEING BENEFITS. EVIDENTLY, NEITHER YOGA NOR MEDITATION FULLY QUIET THE EGO; TO THE CONTRARY, THEY BOOST SELF-ENHANCEMENT. 2018 4 21 31 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED. 2018 5 1949 26 SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION INCREASES ADOLESCENT RESILIENCE: A PILOT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: YOUTH OFTEN EXPERIENCE STRESSORS LEADING TO NEGATIVE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES. ENHANCING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ATTRIBUTES IS IMPORTANT TO FOSTER RESILIENCY TO FACE THESE CHALLENGES. YOGA MAY ENHANCE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY AMONG YOUTH. HOWEVER, RESEARCH REPLICATING SUCH RESULTS IN SCHOOL-SETTINGS IS LIMITED. THIS RESEARCH DETAILS AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF THE KRIPALU YOGA IN THE SCHOOLS (KYIS) INTERVENTION INTEGRATED INTO A PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS AMONG A RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION. METHOD: MIDDLE SCHOOL SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS (N = 23 STUDENTS; 52% FEMALE; MEAN AGE = 12.1 YEARS) WERE EITHER ENROLLED IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASS THAT INCLUDED KYIS (N = 9), OR WERE ENROLLED IN ART AND MUSIC (CONTROL CONDITION; N = 14). TO EVALUATE EFFECTS ON STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOUR WERE ADMINISTERED PRE- AND POST-DELIVERY OF THE CURRICULUM. RESULTS: STUDENTS RECEIVING THE INTERVENTION INCREASED IN SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE OVER TIME RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL CONDITION. ALTHOUGH PROMISING, RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION, AS STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED THE YOGA INTERVENTION SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE THAN STUDENTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT PRE-INTERVENTION MEASUREMENT TIME POINT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY IMPROVE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE AMONG YOUTH AND FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE THE UTILITY OF YOGA CURRICULA IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. 2020 6 331 33 APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY TO INCREASE IMITATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND/AIM: CHILDREN WITH AUTISM EXHIBIT SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS IN IMITATION SKILLS, WHICH IMPEDE THE ACQUISITION OF MORE COMPLEX BEHAVIOR AND SOCIALIZATION. IMITATION IS OFTEN TARGETED EARLY IN INTERVENTION PLANS AND CONTINUES TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE CHILD'S TREATMENT. THE USE OF INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS RARELY REPORTED AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH THERAPIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED IAYT AS A TREATMENT METHOD WITH CHILDREN WITH ASD TO INCREASE IMITATIVE SKILLS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARENTS AND SIX CHILDREN WITH ASD PARTICIPATED IN A 10-MONTH PROGRAM OF 5-WEEKLY SESSIONS AND REGULAR PRACTICE AT HOME. PRE, MID AND POST TREATMENT ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED OBSERVERS AND PARENT RATINGS OF CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS IN TASKS RELATED TO IMITATION SKILLS SUCH AS GROSS MOTOR ACTIONS, VOCALIZATION, COMPLEX IMITATION, ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS AND IMITATING BREATHING EXERCISES. RESULTS: IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS ESPECIALLY POINTING TO BODY, POSTURAL AND ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS. PARENTS REPORTED CHANGE IN THE PLAY PATTERN OF THESE CHILDREN WITH TOYS, PEERS AND OBJECTS AT HOME. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT IAYT MAY OFFER BENEFITS AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO INCREASE IMITATION, COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SOCIAL-COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH ASD. IN ADDITION, CHILDREN EXHIBITED INCREASED SKILLS IN EYE CONTACT, SITTING TOLERANCE, NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND RECEPTIVE SKILLS TO VERBAL COMMANDS RELATED TO SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP. 2010 7 2423 28 YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS FOR PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. EARLY CHILDHOOD AND THE PRE-SCHOOL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT CONSTITUTE A DYNAMIC PERIOD FOR ACQUISITION OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES (YMP) HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY USED IN SCHOOLS FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, BUT LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR UTILITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW USING PRISMA GUIDELINES WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF YMP ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL FUNCTION AMONG PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (3-5 YEARS). THE REVIEW RESULTED IN IDENTIFICATION OF 1115 RECORDS, OF WHICH 80 FULL TEXT ARTICLES WERE SCREENED, WITH FINAL INCLUSION OF 16 STUDIES. INCLUDED STUDIES EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF YMP ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING, AND IDENTIFIED THE POTENTIAL FOR YMP TO IMPROVE REGULATORY SKILLS SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL SELF-REGULATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. AMONG STUDIES REVIEWED, 13 REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THESE DOMAINS, BUT QUALITY APPRAISAL INDICATED SIGNIFICANT VARIABILITY IN RISK OF BIAS ACROSS STUDIES, AND HETEROGENEITY OF OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS HINDERED COMPARISON. PROGRAMS APPEARED TO PRODUCE BETTER RESULTS WHEN IMPLEMENTED FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS AND AMONG CHILDREN WHO HAD LOWER BASELINE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. YMP CONSTITUTE A PROMISING STRATEGY FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS, BUT ADDITIONAL RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO EXPAND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW AND WHY THESE PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE. 2021 8 1946 14 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 9 2047 25 THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT AND WELL-BEING: A CONCEPT MAP OF STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS. BACKGROUND: CONCEPT MAPPING METHODOLOGY WAS USED TO EXPLORE THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF PRACTICING YOGA WITH THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT (AYP)-AN ORGANISATION CREATED TO INCREASE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA CLASSES THROUGHOUT KENYA. AYP'S MISSION FIT WITH THEORETICAL MODELS OF WELL-BEING IS DISCUSSED. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND INITIAL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SUGGESTED THE AYP MEANINGFULLY IMPACTED ADULT STUDENTS. METHODS: OF THE HUNDREDS OF AYP'S ADULT STUDENTS, 56 AND 82 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN PHASES I AND II, RESPECTIVELY. PHASE I BRAINSTORMING RESULTED IN 94 STUDENT-GENERATED STATEMENTS ABOUT THEIR PERCEIVED CHANGE. PHASE II PARTICIPANTS SORTED AND RATED STATEMENTS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE. MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING AND HIERARCHICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF SORT DATA WAS UTILISED TO MAP AND GROUP STATEMENTS INTO CLUSTERS. RESULTS: BASED ON STATISTICAL AND INTERPRETIVE CRITERIA, A FIVE-CLUSTER SOLUTION WITH THE FOLLOWING CONCEPTS WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE BEST MODEL OF STUDENTS' CHANGE: PERSONAL GROWTH; INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS (LOWEST IMPORTANCE); PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS; EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY; AND IMPROVED SELF-CONCEPT (HIGHEST IMPORTANCE). CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, STUDENTS REPORTED POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF THE AYP. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO QUANTIFY STUDENTS' CHANGE, AND TO COMPARE THE AYP OUTCOMES TO THOSE OF OTHER PROGRAMS AIMED AT POVERTY-RELATED STRESS REDUCTION AND WELL-BEING. 2018 10 154 19 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE HOW YOGA IMPACTS BODY-RELATED THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES, WELL-BEING, AND SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS IN A SAMPLE OF MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO REGULARLY ENGAGE IN YOGA IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 22 WOMEN; 10 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS BEGINNERS OR NOVICES AND 12 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA. INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS GUIDED THE DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION. FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED AROUND THE TOPICS OF: SUPPORTIVE YOGA ENVIRONMENT, MINDFULNESS, SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS, AND BODY-RELATED PERCEPTIONS. RESULTS HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT CAN SUPPORT POSITIVE BODY-RELATED EXPERIENCES IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN. 2021 11 2034 31 TEENS' PERSPECTIVES ON YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR STRESS AND DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND ADOLESCENTS' EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES TOWARD YOGA, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSED ADOLESCENTS. DESIGN: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM THREE FOCUS GROUPS AND EIGHT INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS, FOR A TOTAL OF 22 TEEN PARTICIPANTS. SETTING: OUTPATIENT SETTING IN A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE U.S. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: TEENS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR OWN AND THEIR PEERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD, AND EXPERIENCES WITH, HATHA YOGA; REACTIONS TO A STUDY-CREATED YOGA VIDEO; AND OPINIONS ON CLASS LOGISTICS. RESULTS: TEENS HAD BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD, AND EXPERIENCES WITH, HATHA YOGA. THEY COMMENTED ON "WHO DOES YOGA;" MANY RESPONSES SUGGESTED A LIMITED GROUP (E.G., MOMS; PEOPLE WITH MONEY AND TIME). PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT YOGA COULD BE POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR DEPRESSED OR STRESSED TEENS. SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE BEING IN A YOGA CLASS WAS A MAJOR CONCERN. OVERALL, TEENS REACTED FAVORABLY TO THE STUDY-CREATED YOGA VIDEO. TEENS HAD VARIED OPINIONS ABOUT CLASS LOGISTICS INCLUDING CLASS DURATION AND SIZE. TEENS CITED BARRIERS TO CLASS, SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO HOME YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: KEY POINTS FOR DEVELOPING A YOGA CLASS THAT MIGHT BE APPEALING TO DEPRESSED OR STRESSED TEENS INCLUDE: CREATING A CLASS WITH VARIETY THAT TEENS WILL FIND INTERESTING; TAKING CONCRETE STEPS TO DECREASE TEEN SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS; INCORPORATING MESSAGES RELEVANT FOR TEENS AND CONSISTENT WITH YOGA PHILOSOPHY; AND ACTIVELY COUNTERING STEREOTYPES ABOUT WHO PRACTICES YOGA. LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY INCLUDE THE LACK OF DATA FROM MALE TEENS. 2021 12 2068 38 THE DAILY INFLUENCES OF YOGA ON RELATIONAL OUTCOMES OFF OF THE MAT. BACKGROUND: DESPITE THE WIDE ARRAY OF HEALTH BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN EVIDENCED WITH YOGA, A CLEAR GAP EXISTS EXAMINING HOW YOGA IMPACTS CONNECTIONS WITH ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. AIMS: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT STUDY WERE TWOFOLD: (1) TO DESCRIBE THE DAY-TO-DAY (IN)VARIABILITY IN DAILY YOGA PRACTICE AND RELATIONAL OUTCOMES AND (2) TO EXAMINE THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. METHODS: COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 104, AGE RANGE: 18-76 YEARS) WITH A YOGA PRACTICE OF AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK WERE RECRUITED FOR A 21-DAY DAILY DIARY STUDY. PRACTITIONERS WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE DAILY INTERNET SURVEYS AT THE END OF THE DAY WHICH INCLUDED QUESTIONS WITH RESPECT TO ONE'S YOGA PRACTICE AND RELATIONAL DOMAINS (I.E., MINDFULNESS, [SELF-]COMPASSION, AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS). RESULTS: MULTILEVEL ANALYSES REVEALED YOGA AND RELATIONAL OUTCOMES TO BE DYNAMIC PHENOMENA, INDICATED BY SUBSTANTIAL VARIATION (INTRACLASS CORRELATIONS = 0.34-0.48) AT THE WITHIN-PERSON LEVEL. ON DAYS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL PRACTICED MORE YOGA THAN THEIR USUAL, GREATER MINDFULNESS (B = 2.93, STANDARD ERROR [SE] = 0.39, P < 0.05) AND SELF-COMPASSION (B = 1.45, SE = 0.46, P < 0.05) WERE ALSO REPORTED. 1-1-1 MULTILEVEL MEDIATION MODELS DEMONSTRATED THAT YOGA HAS AN INDIRECT EFFECT ON BOTH COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS THROUGH INCREASES IN MINDFULNESS AT THE WITHIN- AND BETWEEN-PERSON LEVELS. IN MODELS TESTING SELF-COMPASSION AS THE MEDIATOR, THE INDIRECT EFFECT OF DAILY YOGA PRACTICE ON COMPASSION WAS SIGNIFICANT, ALTHOUGH LIMITED TO THE WITHIN-PERSON LEVEL. CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A ROUTINE YOGA PRACTICE COULD POSITIVELY IMPACT HOW A PRACTITIONER RELATES TO THEIRSELVES AND TO OTHERS, BOTH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, AND WITH ACCUMULATED PRACTICE. 2019 13 145 28 A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SKILLS USE IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM. PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMS HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY USED QUALITATIVE DATA TO INVESTIGATE PROGRAM CONTENT AND SKILLS THAT STUDENTS REMEMBERED AND APPLIED IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. DATA WERE GATHERED FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION DELIVERED AT THREE URBAN SCHOOLS BY A COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WITH NINE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AND HELD SIX FOCUS GROUPS WITH 22 FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES TWO PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT SKILLS DID STUDENTS LEARN, RETAIN, AND UTILIZE OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM? AND (2) WHAT CHANGES DID CLASSROOM TEACHERS EXPECT AND OBSERVE AMONG PROGRAM RECIPIENTS? FOUR MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO SKILL LEARNING AND APPLICATION EMERGED AS FOLLOWS: (1) YOUTHS RETAINED AND UTILIZED PROGRAM SKILLS INVOLVING BREATH WORK AND POSES; (2) KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HEALTH BENEFITS OF THESE TECHNIQUES PROMOTED SELF-UTILIZATION AND SHARING OF SKILLS; (3) YOUTHS DEVELOPED KEENER EMOTIONAL APPRAISAL THAT, COUPLED WITH NEW AND IMPROVED EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS, HELPED DE-ESCALATE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, PROMOTE CALM, AND REDUCE STRESS; AND (4) YOUTHS AND TEACHERS REPORTED REALISTIC AND OPTIMISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE IMPACT OF ACQUIRED PROGRAM SKILLS. WE DISCUSS IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR GUIDING FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. 2016 14 634 31 DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS OF REAL AND IDEAL YOGA TEACHERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. OBJECTIVES: ALTHOUGH MORE INDIVIDUALS ARE ADOPTING YOGA INTO THEIR LIVES, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED PRACTITIONERS' EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF THEIR YOGA INSTRUCTOR'S BEHAVIOR. DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN REAL AND IDEAL BEHAVIORS OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS MAY LEAD TO UNSATISFACTORY EXPERIENCES AND DECREASE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOGA PRACTICE. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS' REAL AND IDEAL PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR YOGA TEACHER'S BEHAVIOR AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISCREPANT BELIEFS AND STUDENTS' SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY,AND STRESS. METHODS: THE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE (PYTQ), A RECENTLY DEVELOPED SURVEY OF STUDENT ATTITUDES REGARDING YOGA TEACHERS' BEHAVIOR, WAS ADMINISTERED INA NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF YOGA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. GREATER DISCREPANCY BETWEEN REAL AND IDEA YOGA TEACHER BEHAVIOR WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTITIONERS' SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS. RESULTS: PEARSON CORRELATIONS CORRECTED FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS REVEALED THAT YOGA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THEIR TEACHER'S BEHAVIORS. SIGNIFICANT DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN REAL AND IDEAL TEACHER BEHAVIOR WERE FOUND FOR BOTH GROUPS. HIGHER DISCREPANCY SCORES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY BUT NOT DEPRESSION FOR STUDENTS, BUT NOT FOR TEACHERS. CONCLUSIONS: THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXPECTANCIES AND REAL YOGA TEACHER BEHAVIORS AND THEIR LINKS TO STUDENT EMOTIONAL ADJUSTMENT.MORE RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS WARRANTED. 2013 15 1679 26 ON AND OFF THE MAT: YOGA EXPERIENCES OF MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS. THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES POTENTIAL DIFFERENCES IN YOGA PRACTICE BETWEEN MIDDLE-AND OLDER-AGED ADULTS. A HEALTH BELIEF - LIFE COURSE MODEL FRAMES THIS RESEARCH, AND A MIXED-METHODS ANALYTIC STRATEGY IS EMPLOYED TO EXAMINE LIFE COURSE PATHWAYS INTO YOGA AND MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTICE, AS WELL AS PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND HEALTH BENEFITS. FOR THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 452 PARTICIPANTS WAS COLLECTED USING AN ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE. FOR THE QUALITATIVE ANALYSES, FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A SUB-SET OF 20 PARTICIPANTS. UNIQUE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE AGE GROUPS (BOTH CURRENT AGE AND AGE WHEN STARTED YOGA) AS WELL AS BY GENDER WERE FOUND FOR SELECTED PATHWAYS, REASONS/MOTIVATIONS, AND BARRIERS TO ENGAGE IN YOGA AS WELL AS FOR PERCEIVED HEALTH BENEFITS. IN ADDITION, RESULTS UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATIONAL CUES AND SOCIAL LINKAGES THAT AFFECT HOW INDIVIDUALS ADOPT AND EXPERIENCE YOGA. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS THAT TARGET OLDER ADULTS ARE DISCUSSED. 2016 16 703 26 EFFECT OF INTEGRAL YOGA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND HEALTH VARIABLES AND THEIR CORRELATIONS. OBJECTIVE: CERTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND HEALTH VARIABLES ARE COMMONLY MEASURED IN INDIA. THIS STUDY EVALUATES THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRAL YOGA PRACTICES ON THESE VARIABLES AND ALSO THE CONSISTENCY OF CORRELATIONS OBSERVED BETWEEN THEM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY WAS A PRE-POST INTERVENTION STUDY. THE VARIABLES WERE MEASURED AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF A ONE-MONTH YOGA COURSE. THERE WAS NO CONTROL GROUP.THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOGA ANUSANDHANA SAMSTHANA (S-VYASA) UNIVERSITY, IN ITS RURAL CAMPUS SOUTH OF BANGALORE. BASED ON HEALTH CRITERIA, 108 SUBJECTS WERE SELECTED OUT OF 198 VOLUNTEERS TO FORM THE EXPERIMENTAL YOGA GROUP. AGES RANGED FROM 17 TO 63 YEARS. THE YOGASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, MEDITATION, CHANTING AND LECTURES WERE THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA INTERVENTION. THE VARIABLES MEASURED WERE SUSTAINED ATTENTION, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - EQ, GENERAL HEALTH - GHQ, GUNA PERSONALITY - SATTVA, RAJAS AND TAMAS. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT PRE-POST CHANGES WERE FOUND IN ALL VARIABLES. SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING PAIRS: THE TWO SUSTAINED ATTENTION VARIABLES; EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND GENERAL HEALTH; GHQ AND TAMAS; SATTVA AND TAMAS; AND RAJAS AND TAMAS. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY SHOWS THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN ALL VARIABLES (P< 0.001) EXCEPT IN SATTVA. IT ALSO CONFIRMS THAT EQ AND GENERAL HEALTH VARIABLES CORRELATE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH EACH OTHER AND NEGATIVELY WITH TAMAS. EQ AND TAMAS FORM POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PREDICTORS OF HEALTH RESPECTIVELY. SATTVA CORRELATES POSITIVELY WITH EQ SUGGESTING THAT A SATTVIC PERSONALITY INDICATES BETTER SELF-CONTROL. THIS SUGGESTS THAT, BY IMPROVING GUNA PERSONALITY, LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE MAY STABILIZE EQ. 2011 17 664 27 EFFECT OF 90-MIN BIKRAM YOGA ON BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AMONG PRACTITIONERS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. BACKGROUND: IN OUR MODERN SOCIETY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE. BIKRAM YOGA IS A LOW IMPACT; MODERATE EXERCISE AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF MOTIVATION AND ADHERENCE TO THE PRACTICE IS UNKNOWN. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ON BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF COMPETENCE (THE SENSE OF SKILL MASTERY), AUTONOMY (VOLITIONALLY PERFORMING A TASK), AND RELATEDNESS (A CONNECTION WITH OTHERS) AS POSTULATED IN SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY FOR MOTIVATION. METHODS: THE SAMPLE INCLUDED BIKRAM YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES (N = 126) AVERAGED BETWEEN THE AGE GROUP OF 35 AND 64, PREDOMINATELY FEMALE, AND HIGHLY EDUCATED. RESPONSES TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED SATISFACTION IN EXERCISE SCALE WERE ANALYZED USING MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF FREQUENCY OF YOGA ATTENDANCE ON THE SATISFACTION OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS (I.E., COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS); (P = 0.025); SPECIFICALLY, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO ATTENDED FOUR OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK HAD HIGHER SATISFACTION LEVELS OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED FOR COMPETENCE (P = 0.013) AND RELATEDNESS (P = 0.034). A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF THE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE ON THE SATISFACTION OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS (I.E., COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS) (P = 0.014) FOUND IN EXPERIENCED BIKRAM YOGA PRACTITIONERS, SPECIFICALLY FOR COMPETENCE (P = 0.013) AND RELATEDNESS (P = 0.023) COMPARED TO NOVICE COUNTERPARTS. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY PROVIDES SOME EVIDENCE OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S MOTIVATION FOR A 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE AND POSSIBLE ADHERENCE. FUTURE INVESTIGATION OF BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ADOPTING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY APPEARS WORTHWHILE. 2020 18 1778 31 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 19 1668 35 NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EMOTION AND COGNITION: A PILOT STUDY. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INVOLVES ATTENDING TO EMOTIONS WITHOUT COGNITIVE FIXATION OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. OVER TIME, THIS PRACTICE IS HELD TO PROMOTE ALTERATIONS IN TRAIT AFFECTIVITY AND ATTENTIONAL CONTROL WITH RESULTANT EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING AND COGNITION. HOWEVER, RELATIVELY LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING THE NEURAL SUBSTRATES OF MEDITATION EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND COGNITION. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF EMOTION INTERFERENCE ON COGNITION IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP (CG) UNDERWENT FMRI WHILE PERFORMING AN EVENT-RELATED AFFECTIVE STROOP TASK. THE TASK INCLUDES IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS AND STROOP TRIALS BRACKETED BY NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL DISTRACTORS. DURING IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED LESS REACTIVITY IN RIGHT DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (DLPFC) TO NEGATIVE AS COMPARED TO NEUTRAL IMAGES; WHEREAS THE CG HAD THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. A MAIN EFFECT OF VALENCE (NEGATIVE > NEUTRAL) WAS OBSERVED IN LIMBIC REGIONS (E.G., AMYGDALA), OF WHICH THE MAGNITUDE WAS INVERSELY RELATED TO DLPFC ACTIVATION. EXPLORATORY ANALYSES REVEALED THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF AMYGDALA ACTIVATION PREDICTED DECREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT IN THE CG, BUT NOT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. DURING STROOP TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD GREATER ACTIVATION IN VENTROLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (VLPFC) DURING STROOP TRIALS WHEN NEGATIVE, COMPARED TO NEUTRAL, EMOTIONAL DISTRACTOR WERE PRESENTED; THE CG EXHIBITED THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THOUGH YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT LIMBIC REACTIVITY TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL STIMULI, SUCH REACTIVITY DOES NOT HAVE DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON LATER MOOD STATE. THIS UNCOUPLING OF VIEWING NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL IMAGES AND AFFECT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE OCCASIONED BY THEIR SELECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF FRONTAL EXECUTIVE-DEPENDENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EMOTIONAL INTERFERENCE DURING COMPETING COGNITIVE DEMANDS AND NOT DURING EMOTIONAL PROCESSING PER SE. 2012 20 951 23 EFFECTS OF A CLASSROOM-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON CORTISOL AND BEHAVIOR IN SECOND- AND THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS: A PILOT STUDY. THIS UNCONTROLLED PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF A CLASSROOM-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION ON CORTISOL CONCENTRATIONS AND PERCEIVED BEHAVIOR IN CHILDREN. A 10-WEEK YOGA 4 CLASSROOMS INTERVENTION WAS IMPLEMENTED IN ONE SECOND-GRADE AND ONE THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOM. STUDENTS' SALIVARY CORTISOL RESPONSES WERE ASSESSED AT 3 TIME POINTS. CLASSROOM TEACHERS ALSO DOCUMENTED THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERVENTION ON STUDENTS' COGNITIVE, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS. SECOND, BUT NOT THIRD, GRADERS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN BASELINE CORTISOL FROM BEFORE TO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. SECOND AND THIRD GRADERS BOTH SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CORTISOL FROM BEFORE TO AFTER A COGNITIVE TASK, BUT NEITHER GRADE SHOWED ADDITIONAL DECREASES FROM BEFORE TO AFTER A SINGLE YOGA CLASS. THE SECOND-GRADE TEACHER PERCEIVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SEVERAL ASPECTS HIS/HER STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR. THE THIRD-GRADE TEACHER PERCEIVED SOME, BUT FEWER, IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS/HER STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT AND BEHAVIOR. 2015