1 1624 91 MINDFULNESS AND REHABILITATION: TEACHING YOGA AND MEDITATION TO YOUNG MEN IN AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION PROGRAM. THIS STUDY USED PARTICIPANT/OBSERVATION AND OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEWS TO UNDERSTAND HOW MALE PARTICIPANTS (AGE 18-24 YEARS) BENEFITED FROM YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING WITHIN AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION (ATI) PROGRAM. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE MALE PARTICIPANTS (AGE 18-24 YEARS) BENEFITED FROM THE INTERVENTION THROUGH REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTION REGULATION. SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMBODIED PRACTICE FOR ASSISTING THEM IN MANAGING ANGER AND IMPULSE CONTROL. THE YOUNG MEN'S NARRATIVES SUGGEST THAT MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO REHABILITATIVE OUTCOMES WITHIN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATIONS SETTINGS, PROVIDING COMPLEMENTARY BENEFIT TO EXISTING ATI PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY FOR CLIENTS AMENABLE TO MINDFULNESS TRAINING. WITH MANY JURISDICTIONS EXPANDING REHABILITATION-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOULD CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN HAVE FOR FOSTERING DESISTANCE AND REDUCING RECIDIVISM AMONG JUSTICE SYSTEM-INVOLVED POPULATIONS. 2017 2 2707 25 YOGA IS AS GOOD AS STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS OUTCOMES: RESULTS FROM A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: DESPITE YOGA'S POPULARITY, FEW CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE EMPLOYED RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY TO SYSTEMATICALLY EXPLORE ITS FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS COMPARED WITH MORE ESTABLISHED FORMS OF EXERCISE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA WITH THE CONVENTIONAL STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS. METHODS: SEDENTARY HEALTHY ADULTS (N = 118; M AGE = 62.0) PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WEEK (THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 1 HOUR) RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, WHICH CONSISTED OF A HATHA YOGA GROUP (N = 61) AND A STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISE GROUP (N = 57). STANDARDIZED FUNCTIONAL FITNESS TESTS ASSESSING BALANCE, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND MOBILITY WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: A REPEATED MEASURES MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT TIME EFFECT FOR MEASURES OF BALANCE [F(3,18) = 4.88, P < .01, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .45], STRENGTH [F(2,19) = 15.37, P < .001, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .62], FLEXIBILITY [F(4,17) = 8.86, P < .001, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .68], AND MOBILITY [F(2,19) = 8.54, P < .002, PARTIAL ETA(2) = .47]. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MEASURES OF BALANCE (LEFT-RIGHT LEG AND FOUR SQUARE STEP); STRENGTH (CHAIR STANDS AND ARM CURLS); FLEXIBILITY (BACK SCRATCH AND SIT-AND-REACH); AND MOBILITY (GAIT SPEED AND 8-FEET UP AND GO), WITH PARTIAL ETA(2) RANGING FROM .05 TO .47. CONCLUSIONS: THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS JUST AS EFFECTIVE AS STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL FITNESS. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO EXAMINE FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN COMPARISON WITH STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING EXERCISES IN SEDENTARY, HEALTHY, COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS. THESE FINDINGS HAVE CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS AS YOGA IS A MORE AMENABLE FORM OF EXERCISE THAN STRENGTHENING EXERCISES AS IT REQUIRES MINIMAL EQUIPMENT AND CAN BE ADAPTED FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LOWER LEVELS OF FUNCTIONING OR DISABILITIES. 2016 3 2711 24 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 4 1533 14 IYENGAR YOGA VERSUS ENHANCED USUAL CARE ON BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH PREHYPERTENSION TO STAGE I HYPERTENSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE PREVALENCE OF PREHYPERTENSION AND STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION CONTINUES TO INCREASE DESPITE BEING AMENABLE TO NON-PHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS. IYENGAR YOGA (IY) HAS BEEN PURPORTED TO REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) THOUGH EVIDENCE FROM RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS LACKING. WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF 12 WEEKS OF IY VERSUS ENHANCED USUAL CARE (EUC) (BASED ON INDIVIDUAL DIETARY ADJUSTMENT) ON 24-H AMBULATORY BP IN YOGA-NAIVE ADULTS WITH UNTREATED PREHYPERTENSION OR STAGE 1 HYPERTENSION. IN TOTAL, 26 AND 31 SUBJECTS IN THE IY AND EUC ARMS, RESPECTIVELY, COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES IN BP BETWEEN THE GROUPS AT 6 AND 12 WEEKS. IN THE EUC GROUP, 24-H SYSTOLIC BP (SBP), DIASTOLIC BP (DBP) AND MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE (MAP) SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED BY 5, 3 AND 3 MMHG, RESPECTIVELY, FROM BASELINE AT 6 WEEKS (P < .05), BUT WERE NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT AT 12 WEEKS. IN THE IY GROUP, 24 H SBP WAS REDUCED BY 6 MMHG AT 12 WEEKS COMPARED TO BASELINE (P = .05). 24 H DBP (P < .01) AND MAP (P < .05) DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY EACH BY 5 MMHG. NO DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN CATECHOLAMINE OR CORTISOL METABOLISM TO EXPLAIN THE DECREASE IN BP IN THE IY GROUP AT 12 WEEKS. TWELVE WEEKS OF IY PRODUCES CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN 24 H SBP AND DBP. LARGER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO ESTABLISH THE LONG TERM EFFICACY, ACCEPTABILITY, UTILITY AND POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF IY TO CONTROL BP. 2011 5 2138 21 THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER ADULTS. BACKGROUND: FEW SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED MOVEMENT-BASED EMBODIED CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA AND THEIR EFFECTS ON COGNITION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION MEASURES OF TASK SWITCHING AND WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY. METHODS: COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS (N = 118; MEAN AGE = 62.0) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF TWO GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION OR A STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING CONTROL. BOTH GROUPS PARTICIPATED IN HOUR-LONG EXERCISE CLASSES 3X/WEEK OVER THE 8-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ESTABLISHED TESTS OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION INCLUDING THE TASK SWITCHING PARADIGM, N-BACK AND RUNNING MEMORY SPAN AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCES SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER REACTION TIMES ON THE MIXED AND REPEAT TASK SWITCHING TRIALS (PARTIAL ETA(2) = .04, P < .05) FOR THE HATHA YOGA GROUP. HIGHER ACCURACY WAS RECORDED ON THE SINGLE TRIALS (PARTIAL ETA(2) = .05, P < .05), THE 2-BACK CONDITION OF THE N-BACK (PARTIAL ETA(2) = .08, P < .001), AND PARTIAL RECALL SCORES (PARTIAL ETA(2) = .06, P < .01) OF RUNNING SPAN TASK. CONCLUSIONS: FOLLOWING 8 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE, PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION MEASURES OF WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY AND EFFICIENCY OF MENTAL SET SHIFTING AND FLEXIBILITY COMPARED WITH THEIR STRETCHING-STRENGTHENING COUNTERPARTS. ALTHOUGH THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED, THESE RESULTS DEMAND LARGER SYSTEMATIC TRIALS TO THOROUGHLY EXAMINE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AS WELL AS ACROSS OTHER DOMAINS OF COGNITION, AND ITS POTENTIAL TO MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE AGING PROCESS. 2014 6 338 17 ARE PEOPLE WHO DO YOGA ANY BETTER AT A MOTOR IMAGERY TASK THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT? BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A POPULAR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY IN WESTERN SOCIETY AND THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF LITERATURE SUGGESTING THAT YOGA MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR PEOPLE WITH A CHRONIC PAIN DISORDER. DESPITE CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE RESULTS IN THE LITERATURE, THE MECHANISMS OF EFFECT ARE UNCLEAR. ON THE GROUNDS THAT CHRONIC PAIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH DISRUPTIONS OF BRAIN-GROUNDED MAPS OF THE BODY, A POSSIBLE MECHANISM OF YOGA IS TO REFINE THESE BRAIN-GROUNDED MAPS. A LEFT/RIGHT BODY PART JUDGEMENT TASK IS AN ESTABLISHED WAY OF INTERROGATING THESE BRAIN-GROUNDED MAPS OF THE BODY. OBJECTIVE: TO DETERMINE IF PEOPLE WHO DO REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE PERFORM BETTER AT A LEFT/RIGHT JUDGEMENT TASK THAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT. METHODS: PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED, CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA WERE USED. USING A CASE-CONTROL DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS WHO REPORTED TAKING PART IN REGULAR YOGA WERE SELECTED AGAINST AGE, GENDER, NECK PAIN AND ARM PAIN-MATCHED CONTROLS. PARTICIPANTS VIEWED 40 PHOTOGRAPHS OF A MODEL WITH THEIR HEAD TURNED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, AND WERE ASKED TO JUDGE THE DIRECTION OF NECK ROTATION. THEY THEN COMPLETED A LEFT/RIGHT-HAND JUDGEMENT TASK. RESULTS: OF THE 1737 PARTICIPANTS, 86 OF THEM REPORTED REGULARLY TAKING PART IN YOGA. FROM THE REMAINING PARTICIPANTS, 86 MATCHED CONTROLS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM ALL MATCHED CONTROLS. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS (YOGA AND NO YOGA) FOR EITHER RESPONSE TIME (P=0.109) OR ACCURACY (P=0.964). THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TASKS; PEOPLE WERE FASTER (P<0.001) AND MORE ACCURATE (P=0.001) AT MAKING LEFT/RIGHT NECK ROTATION JUDGEMENTS THAN THEY WERE AT MAKING LEFT/RIGHT-HAND JUDGEMENTS, REGARDLESS OF GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: PEOPLE WHO DO REGULAR YOGA PERFORM NO DIFFERENTLY IN A LEFT/RIGHT JUDGEMENT TASK THAN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT. 2015 7 431 31 CAN YOGA OVERCOME CRIMINALITY? THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON RECIDIVISM IN ISRAELI PRISONS. IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED INTO INFORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF THE ISRAEL PRISON SERVICE (IPS), GIVEN RISE TO INNOVATIVE CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES SUCH AS POSITIVE CRIMINOLOGY THAT EMPHASIZE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFENDERS' STRENGTHS BY FACILITATING REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION PROCESSES. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND RECIDIVISM AMONG RELEASED PRISONERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA PROGRAMS DURING THEIR INCARCERATION IN COMPARISON WITH A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP OF THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN YOGA PROGRAMS OVER A FOLLOW-UP PERIOD OF 5 YEARS. TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM, PROPENSITY-SCORE MATCHING WAS USED TO COMPILE THE COMPARISON GROUP FROM AMONG ALL CONVICTED PRISONERS WHO WERE RELEASED FROM THE ISRAELI PRISONS. STUDY RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA MAY IMPACT RECIDIVISM, SUPPORTED BY A FINDING OF LOWER RECIDIVISM RATES AMONG RELEASED PRISONERS WHO HAD PRACTICED YOGA DURING THEIR INCARCERATION, COMPARED WITH THE MATCHED CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, FURTHER STUDY IS NEEDED INCLUDING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS). IN LIGHT OF THESE POSITIVE RESULTS, WE RECOMMEND POLICY MAKERS CONSIDER INTRODUCING ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA IN PRISONS, IN RECOGNITION OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE REHABILITATION PROCESS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL STRENGTHS. 2021 8 1214 22 EXPLORING THE BENEFIT OF YOGA PROGRAMS IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A PERSPECTIVE ON THE VALUE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THE AUTHORS EXPLORE THIS TOPIC THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH TWO FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA PROGRAMMING WHILE INCARCERATED AND WHO WENT ON TO BECOME YOGA INSTRUCTORS THEMSELVES. ALSO EXAMINED ARE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, FOR THOSE WORKING WITHIN CARCERAL SETTINGS, AND ON CARCERAL ENVIRONMENTS GENERALLY. WE SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING YOGA PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISCUSS POLICY IMPLICATIONS. THE STORIES OF BOTH INTERVIEWEES REFLECT THE VALUE AND POTENTIAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING WITHIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SETTINGS AND SUGGEST THE NEED FOR SUSTAINED PROGRAMMING AND ONGOING EMPIRICAL EVALUATION. 2020 9 139 17 A PROCESS EVALUATION OF THE ART OF YOGA PROJECT MENTOR PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED TEENAGE GIRLS. RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE FROM CUSTODY IS A DIFFICULT PROCESS TO NAVIGATE, AND THERE ARE SCANT RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO JUVENILE FEMALE OFFENDERS, IN PARTICULAR. COMPREHENSIVE WRAPAROUND AFTERCARE AND MENTOR SERVICES ARE A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY REENTRY, AND THE WELL-ESTABLISHED UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF JUVENILE GIRLS MAKE IT NECESSARY TO CREATE PROGRAMS CATERED SPECIFICALLY TO THEM. THE PRESENT STUDY EMPLOYED A CASE STUDY DESIGN TO DESCRIBE AND EVALUATE THE ART OF YOGA PROJECT'S MENTOR PROGRAM. EIGHT GIRLS AND THEIR MENTORS WERE FOLLOWED FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS AFTER THE GIRLS' RELEASE FROM CUSTODY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS SUGGEST THAT THE PROGRAM WAS VALUABLE FOR THE GIRLS WHO PARTICIPATED. 2014 10 346 21 ASSESSING FIDELITY OF CORE COMPONENTS IN A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URBAN YOUTH: APPLYING THE CORE PROCESS. IN THE PAST YEARS, THE NUMBER OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED STEADILY. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE INTENDED PROGRAM OUTCOMES, PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE ESSENTIAL AND INDISPENSABLE COMPONENTS THAT DEFINE A PROGRAM'S SUCCESS. THIS CHAPTER DESCRIBES THE COMPLEX PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THE CORE COMPONENTS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM FOR URBAN EARLY ADOLESCENTS THROUGH THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVENTION. THE AUTHORS ILLUSTRATE THE CORE PROCESS [(C) CONCEPTUALIZE CORE COMPONENTS; (O) OPERATIONALIZE AND MEASURE; (R) RUN ANALYSES AND REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION FINDINGS; AND (E) ENHANCE AND REFINE], BASED ON DATA GAINED FROM A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION STUDY CONDUCTED AS A COMMUNITY-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP IN BALTIMORE CITY. 2014 11 26 21 '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 12 2314 29 TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TRAINING IN KENYA: A QUALITATIVE PILOT STUDY ON FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE CURRENT STUDY PRESENTS A PILOT QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE COLLABORATION OF TWO YOGA SERVICE AGENCIES IN IMPLEMENTING A TRAUMA-INFORMED MINDFULNESS-BASED TEACHING CURRICULUM IN KENYA, AFRICA. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED AS SUCCESSFUL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO MANAGING THE IMPACTS OF STRESS TRAUMA. THIS STUDY EXPLORES THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF MINDFULNESS PROGRAMMING FOR YOGA TEACHERS IN THE NAIROBI REGION OF KENYA. GROUNDED THEORY IS USED TO EXPLORE SURVEY RESULTS. OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATE PROMISE FOR BOTH ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY. CURRICULUM TOOLS WERE VIEWED AS EFFECTIVE, AND PARTICIPANTS INDICATED INTENTION TO BOTH UTILIZE AND SHARE TOOLS. REFLECTIONS ON PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPACTS ARE ADDRESSED, AS ARE POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR IMPROVED PROGRAM TRANSLATION. FINDINGS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR FUTURE COLLABORATIONS, AND ALSO SUGGEST BEST PRACTICES CONSIDERATIONS FOR GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION OF EMBODIED MINDFULNESS PROGRAMMING. 2018 13 2002 25 STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, AND YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY REENTRY FOLLOWING INCARCERATION. THIS FIELD REPORT PROVIDES A RATIONALE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO SUPPORT REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PEOPLE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY FROM JAIL OR PRISON AND DESCRIBES AN AGENCY-BASED EXAMPLE OF YOGA CLASSES OFFERED IN THIS CONTEXT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED INCARCERATION FACE A MULTITUDE OF STRESSORS, WHICH CAN HEIGHTEN THE RISK OF SUBSTANCE USE AND SUPPORT THE NEED TO ADDRESS STRESS REDUCTION AS A PATHWAY TO REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE. ONE PROMISING INTERVENTION IS YOGA, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT STRESS-REDUCTION EFFECTS AMONG SEVERAL POPULATIONS. FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS IN THIS FIELD REPORT'S PRACTICE EXAMPLE REINFORCES THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO DECREASE STRESS AND COMPLEMENT SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT IN SUPPORTING HEALTH DURING THE TRANSITION FROM INCARCERATION TO COMMUNITY RETURN. FURTHER SCHOLARSHIP IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF YOGA IN THIS CONTEXT. 2018 14 224 20 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LITERATURE: ALTERNATIVE OFFENDER REHABILITATION-PRISON YOGA, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION. FOR YEARS, JAILS AND PRISONS HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO LOWER THEIR HEALTH CARE COSTS. IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE VIOLENCE BEHIND WALLS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM RATES POSTRELEASE. RECENTLY, CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH HAS SHINED LIGHT ON THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE REHABILITATION TO HELP INMATES COPE WITH PRISON LIFE, IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL HEALTH, AND REHABILITATE. SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES INCLUDE YOGA, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE IMPACT OF THESE TECHNIQUES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, HIGHLIGHTS THE MAJOR FINDINGS, AND IDENTIFIES THE GAPS NEEDED TO BE FILLED BY FUTURE RESEARCHERS. 2020 15 2403 20 YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. MIDDLE ADOLESCENTS (15-17 YEARS OLD) ARE PRONE TO INCREASED RISK TAKING AND EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY. EMOTION DYSREGULATION CONTRIBUTES TO A VARIETY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DIFFICULTIES IN THIS POPULATION. A DISCIPLINE SUCH AS YOGA OFFERED DURING SCHOOL MAY INCREASE EMOTION REGULATION, BUT RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS LACKING. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE EMOTION REGULATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS COMPARED TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE). IN ADDITION, THE POTENTIAL MEDIATING EFFECTS OF MINDFUL ATTENTION, SELF-COMPASSION, AND BODY AWARENESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION WERE EXAMINED. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 16-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 19) OR REGULAR PE (N = 18). PRE-POST DATA ANALYSES REVEALED THAT EMOTION REGULATION INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE PE GROUP (F (1,32) = 7.50, P = .01, AND ETA(2) = .19). NO SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP WAS DISCOVERED BETWEEN THE CHANGES IN EMOTION REGULATION AND THE PROPOSED MEDIATING VARIABLES. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA INCREASES EMOTION REGULATION CAPACITIES OF MIDDLE ADOLESCENTS AND PROVIDES BENEFITS BEYOND THAT OF PE ALONE. 2015 16 148 22 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IDENTIFYING FACTORS RELEVANT FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING MANNER. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO KEY STAKEHOLDERS CRITICAL FOR IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS - STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM TEACHERS - MERIT ATTENTION IN THIS CONTEXT AND HAVE RARELY BEEN EXPLORED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. THIS STUDY REPORTS QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS OF A 16-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM IN THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVING LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES. FOUR THEMES RELATED TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS EMERGED: PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS, PROGRAM BUY-IN, IMPLEMENTER COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, AND INSTRUCTOR QUALITIES. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMING IMPLEMENTATION, ADAPTATION, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMMING IN URBAN SETTINGS. 2017 17 18 24 "THE PROGRAM AFFECTS ME 'CAUSE IT GIVES AWAY STRESS": URBAN STUDENTS' QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS AND A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. CONTEXT: SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA STUDIES GENERALLY MEASURE STRESS-RELATED OUTCOMES USING QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: HOW DO YOUTH DEFINE STRESS AND IN WHAT WAYS, IF ANY, WAS A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION HELPFUL TO YOUTH DURING STRESS EXPERIENCES? DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: TO EXPLORE YOUTHS' OWN PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS, STRESSORS IN YOUTHS' LIVES, AND PERCEIVED CHANGES IN RESPONSES TO STRESS POST-INTERVENTION, WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH 22 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS: USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, THE FOLLOWING THREE THEMES EMERGED: (1) YOUTH CONFLATED STRESS WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; (2) PEER AND FAMILY CONFLICTS WERE COMMON STRESSORS; AND (3) YOUTH REPORTED IMPROVED IMPULSE CONTROL AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. STUDY FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR REFINING INTERVENTION CONTENT (E.G., DISCUSSIONS OF STRESS), AS WELL AS INFORMING THE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF QUANTITATIVE MEASURES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON STRESS AND STRESS RESPONSES IN URBAN YOUTH. 2016 18 1733 17 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 19 126 30 A PILOT STUDY TO ADAPT A TRAUMA-INFORMED, MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO ADAPT AND PILOT A TRAUMA-INFORMED, MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA (TIMBY) INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON ENHANCING SELF-REGULATION AMONG YOUTH IN THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IN THIS ARTICLE WE (1) DESCRIBE THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE SYSTEMATICALLY ADAPTED AN EVIDENCE-BASED PROTOCOL SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS POPULATION, (2) DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF AND RATIONALE FOR THOSE ADAPTATIONS, (3) PRESENT SOME PRELIMINARY QUALITATIVE FINDINGS BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH YOUTH PARTICIPANTS, AND (4) BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE HOW THE ADAPTED PROTOCOL WILL BE EVALUATED IN THE SUBSEQUENT FEASIBILITY TRIAL. THE ITERATIVE DRAFTING AND REVISION PROCESS INVOLVED MODIFICATIONS TO A WELL-ESTABLISHED, PROTOCOLIZED TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM AND WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE PROJECT ADVISORY BOARD AND T H ROUGH FORMAL INTERVIEWS WITH INTERVENTION STAFF. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH YOUTH PARTICIPANTS CONCERNING INTERVENTION IMPACT, CREDIBILITY, AND SATISFACTION. SEVERAL NEEDED MODIFICATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED SO THAT THE INTERVENTION WOULD BE CONTEXTUALLY APPROPRIATE FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH. THIRTY YOUTH WERE ENROLLED IN THE PILOT STUDY: 77% WE RE NON - HISPANIC BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 18% WERE NON-HISPANIC WHITE, AND 5% WERE HISPANIC WHITE. THE AVERAGE AGE WAS 16.45 YEARS (RANGE 14-20). THE YOUTH CONSISTENTLY REPORTED SATISFACTION WITH THE SESSIONS AND POSITIVE BELIEFS ABOUT HOW THE SESSIONS WERE HELPING THEM WITH A RANGE OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL/ EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES. ADAPTATIONS TO THE PROTOCOL IN THE PRESENT STUDY HIGHLIGHT HOW MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT IS BOTH DEVELOPMENTALLY SUITABLE FOR YOUTH AND APPROPRIATE IN A JUSTICE SETTING. A FEASIBILITY STUDY USING THIS REVISED TIMBY PROTOCOL IS UNDERWAY AT FOUR GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE FACILITIES TO FORMALLY IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE PRESENT STUDY AND A FUTURE, LARGER-SCALE TRIAL. 2021 20 1669 19 NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. DURING RECENT DECADES NUMEROUS YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (YBP) HAVE EMERGED IN THE WEST, WITH THEIR AIMS RANGING FROM FITNESS GAINS TO THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. YOGA IS ALSO BEGINNING TO SPARK GROWING INTEREST WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, AND YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEASUREABLE CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL STATES, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. YBP TYPICALLY INVOLVE A COMBINATION OF POSTURES OR MOVEMENT SEQUENCES, CONSCIOUS REGULATION OF THE BREATH, AND VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE ATTENTIONAL FOCUS. HOWEVER, SO FAR LITTLE IF ANY RESEARCH HAS ATTEMPTED TO DECONSTRUCT THE ROLE OF THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENT PARTS IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE EFFECTS OF YBP. A CLEAR OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-BASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, AS WELL AS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TESTABLE HYPOTHESES CAN BE FORMULATED, IS THEREFORE NEEDED. HERE WE PROPOSE SUCH A FRAMEWORK, AND OUTLINE THE BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS HYPOTHESIZED TO BE AT PLAY IN YBP. 2015