1 2380 128 WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP INCORPORATING YOGA AND FACILITATED GROUP DISCUSSION: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. BACKGROUND: THIS PAPER REPORTS ON A SMALL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WHICH EXPLORED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP THAT INCORPORATED YOGA AND FACILITATED DISCUSSION. THE GROUP IS OFFERED THROUGH A COMMUNITY BASED FEMINIST NON-GOVERNMENT WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE IN NORTHERN NSW AUSTRALIA. QUESTION: THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THIS PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THE GROUP. FIFTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL, IN-DEPTH FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS WERE RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN TO ANALYSE THE QUALITATIVE DATA. FINDINGS: SIX THEMES WERE DEVELOPED, ONE WITH 3 SUBTHEMES. ONE THEME WAS LABELLED AS: 'THE PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD JOURNEY' AND INCLUDED 3 SUB-THEMES WHICH WERE LABELLED: 'PREPARATION FOR BIRTH', 'CONNECTING WITH THE BABY' AND 'SHARING BIRTH STORIES.' THE OTHER FIVE THEMES WERE: 'FEMININE NURTURING SAFE SPACE', 'WATCHING AND LEARNING THE MOTHERING', 'BUILDING MENTAL HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND CONNECTIONS', THE "GROUP LIKE A ROCK AND A SEED' AND 'DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTREAM'. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH ADDS TO THE OVERALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA IN PRE AND POSTNATAL CARE. IT DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF SHARING BIRTH STORIES AND THE STRONG CAPACITY WOMEN HAVE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, BRINGING BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT DERIVED FROM GROUP BASED MODELS OF CARE. 2013 2 362 26 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND JOINT PROBLEMS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG 9151 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. YOGA EXERCISES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH JOINT PROBLEMS RECENTLY, INDICATING THAT YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS FOR JOINT HEALTH. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ANALYSE WHETHER REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF JOINT PROBLEMS IN UPPER MIDDLE-AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. WOMEN AGED 62-67 YEARS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WERE QUESTIONED IN 2013 WHETHER THEY EXPERIENCED REGULAR JOINT PAIN OR PROBLEMS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND WHETHER THEY REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA. ASSOCIATIONS OF JOINT PROBLEMS WITH YOGA PRACTICE WERE ANALYSED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. OF 9151 WOMEN, 29.8% REPORTED REGULAR PROBLEMS WITH STIFF OR PAINFUL JOINTS, AND 15.2, 11.9, 18.1 AND 15.9% REPORTED REGULAR PROBLEMS WITH SHOULDERS, HIPS, KNEES AND FEET, RESPECTIVELY, IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. YOGA WAS PRACTICED SOMETIMES BY 10.1% AND OFTEN BY 8.4% OF WOMEN. PRACTICING YOGA WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER OR LOWER LIMB JOINT PROBLEMS. NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND JOINT PROBLEMS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED FOR CONCLUSIVE JUDGEMENT OF BENEFITS AND SAFETY OF YOGA IN RELATION TO JOINT PROBLEMS. 2017 3 1256 22 FELDENKRAIS METHOD, ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE, AND YOGA--BODY AWARENESS THERAPY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. THE THREE DISCIPLINES DESCRIBED ARE PRACTICED BY MANY INDIVIDUALS FOR A MYRIAD OF REASONS. DEPENDING UPON ABILITY AND DEPTH OF STUDY, TEACHERS OF ALL THREE DISCIPLINES MAY HAVE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES WITH WHICH TO ANALYSE, INSTRUCT, AND INTERACT WITH STUDENTS/CLIENTS. IN THE AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE, PERSONS WHO SEEK OUT THESE PRACTICES AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES AND EXPRESSIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OFTEN ARE MOTIVATED TO MAINTAIN OR ESTABLISH AN OPTIMAL STATE OF WELL-BEING AND FUNCTION. PHYSICIANS AND THERAPISTS WHO WORK WITH PERFORMING ARTISTS ARE IN A POSITION TO ENCOURAGE SUCH POSITIVE DIRECTION IN PATIENTS, PROVIDE INFORMATION ON LOCAL RESOURCES, AND CONSIDER THE PRACTICES AS COLLABORATIVE AND ADJUNCTIVE TO MEDICAL CARE. 2006 4 2052 28 THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE AND FALLS AND INJURIES: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. INTRODUCTION: FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURIES IN WOMEN ACROSS ALL AGES. WHILE YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE BALANCE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH INJURIES DUE TO FALLS DURING PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ANALYSE WHETHER REGULAR YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF FALLS AND FALL-RELATED INJURIES IN UPPER MIDDLE-AGED AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. METHODS: WOMEN AGED 59-64 YEARS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH (ALSWH) WERE QUERIED REGARDING FALLS AND FALLS-RELATED INJURIES; AND WHETHER THEY REGULARLY PRACTICED YOGA OR MEDITATION. ASSOCIATIONS OF FALLS AND FALLS-RELATED INJURIES WITH YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE ANALYSED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. RESULTS: OF 10,011 WOMEN, 4413 (44.1%) HAD SLIPPED, TRIPPED OR STUMBLED, 2770 (27.7%) HAD FALLEN TO THE GROUND, 1398 (14.0%) HAD BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT OF FALLING, AND 901 (9.0%) WOMEN HAD SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR A FALL-RELATED INJURY WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS. YOGA OR MEDITATION WAS PRACTICED REGULARLY BY 746 (7.5%) WOMEN. NO ASSOCIATIONS OF FALLS, FALL-RELATED INJURIES AND TREATMENT DUE TO FALLS-RELATED INJURY WITH YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE FOUND. DISCUSSION: NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA OR MEDITATION PRACTICE AND FALLS OR FALL-RELATED INJURIES HAVE BEEN FOUND. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED FOR CONCLUSIVE JUDGEMENT OF BENEFITS AND SAFETY OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN RELATION TO BALANCE, FALLS AND FALL-RELATED INJURIES. 2016 5 1309 20 HEALING AND THE MIND/BODY ARTS: MASSAGE, ACUPUNCTURE, YOGA, T'AI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS. 1. THE HEALTH PRACTITIONER MAY ENCOUNTER CLIENTS WHO ARE FACED WITH PROBLEMS THAT DO NOT SEEM TO RESPOND TO TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE. 2. ONE WAY THAT SOME CHOOSE TO CONFRONT THESE SYSTEMIC COMPLAINTS IS TO EMPLOY SOME OF THE HEALTH TRADITIONS OF OTHER CULTURES AND TO VIEW THE BODY AND MIND AS A BALANCED WHOLE. 3. MASSAGE, ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE, T'AI CHI, AND FELDENKRAIS FOCUS ON THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION TO FACILITATE HEALING THROUGH RELAXATION, PRESSURE POINTS, AND MOVEMENT. 1993 6 2211 30 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 7 1733 19 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 8 238 19 A THERAPY TO LIVE BY: PUBLIC HEALTH, THE SELF AND NATIONALISM IN THE PRACTICE OF A NORTH INDIAN YOGA SOCIETY. IN THIS ARTICLE I FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCEPTS OF SELF AND HEALTH IN MODERN NORTH INDIA. DRAWING ON FIELD RESEARCH IN A POPULAR YOGA SOCIETY, I ARGUE THAT YOGA THERAPY, AS PRACTICED BY THE BHARATIYA YOG SANSTHAN OF DELHI, PROVIDES A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF WHAT CAN BE MEANT BY PUBLIC HEALTH. USING STUDIES THAT CHALLENGE BOTH THE ESSENTIALIST AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL FACTICITY OF THE SELF, I SHOW HOW THE DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IS IMPLICATED IN, AND DERIVED FROM, A COMPLEX SEARCH FOR SELF DEFINITION IN TERMS OF HEALTH; HEALTH WHICH IS CONCEIVED OF AS A PUBLIC REGIMEN THAT SEEKS TO RECONNECT THAT WHICH MODERNITY HAS BROKEN APART: MIND AND BODY. 1997 9 2042 24 THE 'WORLD OF YOGA': THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS ACTIVITY, PARTLY CONSIDERED AS THERAPEUTIC, REVEALS CONTEMPORARY WAYS OF PRODUCING GLOBAL PRACTICES. VIA A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUALS AT YOGA CENTRES IN INDIA AND FRANCE, THE PAPER ANALYSES THIS PHENOMENON USING THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. FURTHERMORE, IT EXAMINES HOW THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE INFLUENCED BY GLOBALISATION. BRINGING TOGETHER THE CONCEPTS OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES, GLOBALISATION AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, THE PAPER ANALYSES THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF YOGIC THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD'S SPACE. CONSTITUTED OF NATURAL PHYSICAL ELEMENTS AND BUILT STRUCTURES, THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE ALSO STRONGLY LINKED TO EMOTIONAL QUALITIES AND INTIMATE FEELINGS EVOKED BY THE PLACE AND RELATED TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERLINES THAT THE EMERGENCE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES DEMANDS A CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH THAT COULD HELP TO EXAMINE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL PHENOMENA ON THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. INDEED, VERY OFTEN, YOGIS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, REFER TO IDEAL PLACES WHERE THEY RARELY GO. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY CREATE AN IMAGINED THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PAPER DESCRIBES. 2007 10 1502 15 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 11 1310 30 HEALING MYTHS, YOGA STYLES AND SOCIAL BODIES: SOCIO-LOGICS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IN THE SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE. DRAWING ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS IN TWO YOGA STUDIOS IN THE HIGHLY SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE, THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE THAT EMERGE AT THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN YOGA STYLES AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF CONSUMPTION. ITS INSIGHTS EMERGE FROM THE COMPARISON OF THREE MODERN YOGA STYLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED FOR WESTERN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CULTURAL CONTEXTS - IYENGAR, BIKRAM AND FORREST - AND WHICH DIFFER IN FORM BUT ALSO IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THEIR EMERGENCE ON THE GLOBAL YOGA MARKET AND THAT OF THEIR RECEPTION IN FRANCE. THESE THREE YOGA STYLES ARE ALSO BRANDED THROUGH CONTRASTING MYTHOLOGIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING, AND THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO EXPLORE HOW A BRAND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE RELATES TO OR RESONATES WITH THE EMBODIED EXPERIENCES OF PRACTITIONERS, AND TO THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR PRACTICES ARE EMBEDDED. THE PAPER CONTRIBUTES A NEW CASE STUDY TO THE GLOBAL YOGA SCHOLARSHIP AND TO A POORLY STUDIED FRENCH YOGA SCENE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT CROSS-EXAMINES THE DISCOURSES THROUGH WHICH A YOGA STYLE IS BRANDED, THE WAY IT IS TRANSMITTED, AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT AND SOCIAL POSITIONING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE IT. COMBINING PERSPECTIVES ON THE BODY, NARRATIVE AND RITUALS, IT IDENTIFIES HOW YOGA HEALING IS CONSTRUED IN RELATION TO GENDER, ETHNICITY AND CLASS AND THE POINTS OF CONSENSUS AND DISSENT THAT EMERGE FROM THE ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN FRENCH SOCIAL BODIES AND EXOGENOUS YOGA STYLES. 2021 12 1985 15 SOME THOUGHTS ON NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF YOGA. YOGA PRESENTS THE CULMINATION OF EFFORTS MADE BY MANKIND TILL NOW CONTROL MIND AND BEHAVIOUR. IT IS LIVING SCIENCE, PRACTICED IN AN ELEMENTARY FASHION BY MANY IN INDIA. WHILE A FEW PERHAPS ARE THERE WHO HAVE ATTAINED MASTERY OF THIS SCIENCE.THE BACKGROUND OF THE DERIVATION AND CONCEPT OF YOGA IN INDIA IS PRESENTED FOLLOWED BY A SIMPLE EXPOSITION OF YOGIC PRACTICES AND SOME POSSIBLE NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC EXPLANATIONS. RESEARCH IN YOGA WILL BE REWARDING AS IT GIVES MEANS OF EXPLORING AND ENLARGING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. 1981 13 1671 29 NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES: A CASE STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. BEGINNING WITH A ROUTINE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRACTITIONER OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AND EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING, MAINTAINING AND PREVENTING THE DISSIPATION OF DIVERSE 'ENERGIES', THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GEOGRAPHICAL HEALTH STUDIES WHICH TAKE SERIOUSLY 'NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'. IT IS EXPLAINED HOW THIS ACCOUNT IS DERIVED FROM IN-DEPTH FIELDWORK TRACING HOW PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FIND TIMES AND SPACES FOR THESE PRACTICES, OFTEN IN THE FACE OF BUSY URBAN LIFESTYLES. ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE 'ENERGY TALK' FEATURING HEAVILY IN HOW PRACTITIONERS DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES TO DERIVE FROM THESE PRACTICES, AND TO CLAIMS MADE ABOUT 'ENERGIES' GENERATED DURING THE TIME-SPACES OF THESE PRACTICES WHICH SEEMINGLY FLOW, USUALLY WITH POSITIVE EFFECTS, INTO OTHER DOMAINS OF THEIR LIVES. THE PAPER THEN DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ENERGY TALK IN THE CONTEXT OF: (A) CRITICALLY REVIEWING CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING 'ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'; (B) IDENTIFYING AN ALERTNESS TO THE LIKES OF 'AFFECTIVE ENERGIES' SURFACING IN RECENT THEORETICALLY-ATTUNED WORKS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (AND COGNATE DISCIPLINES); AND (C) EXPLORING DIFFERING UNDERSTANDINGS OF ENERGY/ENERGIES EXTANT IN GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF HEALTH AND IN STEP WITH THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH MATERIALS PRESENTED ABOUT YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. WHILE ORIENTATED TOWARDS EXPLICITLY GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES, THE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO THE WIDER MEDICAL HUMANITIES. 2015 14 414 23 BODIES IN YOGA: TANGLED DISCOURSES IN CANADIAN STUDIOS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A ONE AND A HALF-YEAR ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY CONDUCTED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES OF THEIR BODIES IN THE CONTEXT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CONCEPTUALISED THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL BODIES IN THIS PRACTICE THROUGH IDEAS OF SYSTEMS, FRAGMENTS, AND MATERIALITY. IT ARGUES THAT PARTICIPANTS' LARGER NARRATIVES ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALTHY BODIES INFORM HOW YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IS EMBEDDED IN DISCOURSES OF BODY WORK WHERE YOGA, HEALTH, AND PARTICULAR NOTIONS OF BODILY-NESS BECOME A PROJECT FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA OF WHAT A BODY IS OR SHOULD BE. 2021 15 2378 22 WHY AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPISTS AND WHY NOW? IAYT HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR YOGA THERAPY AS A HEALING PROFESSION TO GROW AND DEVELOP ITS MISSION TO DELIVER OPTIMAL THERAPEUTICS VIA INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS AND TAILORED GROUP CLASSES. FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE NATIONAL AYURVEDIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (NAMA) HAS BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO CONSIDER THE VALUE AND DEFINITION OF AN AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPIST (AYT) PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION WITHIN THE YOGA THERAPY DISCIPLINE. THE AYT DESIGNATION WOULD COMPLEMENT THE CURRENT STANDARDS FOR YOGA THERAPISTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY IAYT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO DISCUSS (1) WHY THE AYT DESIGNATION IS IMPORTANT; (2) HOW IT SUPPORTS AND EXPANDS ON IAYT'S MISSION; AND (3) WHY NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DEVELOP COMPETENCIES, STANDARDS, AND A SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR AYURVEDIC YOGA THERAPY. 2015 16 1160 19 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF YOGA PHILOSOPHY IN WESTERN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: VALIDATION OF THE YAMA/NIYAMA QUESTIONNAIRE. YOGA IS MAINLY KNOWN FOR ITS POSTURES, WHILE IT HAS A RICH PHILOSOPHICAL/SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND WHICH IS OFTEN NOT WELL KNOWN. PARTICULARLY THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF YOGA, THE YAMAS AND NIYAMAS, ARE OF RELEVANCE FOR WESTERN PRACTITIONERS ALSO. WE THUS INTENDED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE AN INSTRUMENT THAT OPERATIONALIZES THE YAMAS AND NIYAMAS AND PERFORMED A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY AMONG 901 YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY WITH STANDARDIZED INSTRUMENTS. PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF THE 23-ITEM YAMA/NIYAMA QUESTIONNAIRE (YANIQ) POINTED TO 4 FACTORS WITH GOOD INTERNAL CONSISTENCIES (CRONBACH'S ALPHA = 0.86, 0.82, 0.85, AND 0.63). BEST PREDICTORS OF THESE FACTORS WERE CONSCIOUS PRESENCE ("MINDFULNESS") AND INNER CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOGA PRACTICES. THE YANIQ SEEMS TO BE SUITED FOR WESTERN PRACTITIONERS AND COULD BE A USEFUL MEASURE IN FUTURE STUDIES WHICH INTEND TO ANALYZE THE SOCIAL AND HEALTH-RELATED ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. IT CAN BE ASSUMED THAT THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES ARE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS FOR LIFESTYLE AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES. 2021 17 2016 20 SUPPLE BODIES, HEALTHY MINDS: YOGA, PSYCHEDELICS AND AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH. MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH HAS REVOLVED AROUND TREATMENT MODELS. AS INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARSHIP HAS SHOWN, MENTAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, FAR FROM BEING A NEUTRAL PRODUCT DETACHED FROM THE SOCIETY THAT GENERATED IT, WAS SHAPED BY POLITICS, ECONOMICS AND CULTURE. BY DRAWING ON CASE STUDIES OF YOGA, RELIGION AND FITNESS, THIS ARTICLE WILL EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES-SOMETIMES SCIENTIFIC, SOMETIMES SPIRITUAL-HAVE BEEN CONCEIVED, DEBATED AND APPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AND THE PUBLIC. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT WILL INTERROGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, PSYCHEDELICS, SOUTH ASIAN AND EASTERN RELIGION (AS UNDERSTOOD AND PRACTICED IN THE USA) AND MENTAL HEALTH. 2018 18 381 27 BEING ALONE TOGETHER: YOGA, BODYWORK, AND INTIMATE SOCIALITY IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. USING ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA FROM PROVIDENCE COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND, THIS PAPER EXPLORES YOGA AS A BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT IS PART OF EVERYDAY HEALTH AND WELLBEING ROUTINES IN MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. IN THIS CONTEXT, PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THEIR BODYWORK PRACTICES AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES THAT ANSWER HEALTH AND WELLBEING NEEDS, BUT NOTABLY DISCUSS BODYWORK IN TERMS OF THEIR EVERYDAY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. ALONG WITH OTHER BODYWORK ACTIVITIES, YOGA EMERGES AS A SHARED SOCIAL PRACTICE THAT LINKS PARTICIPANTS TO THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN, AND OTHER INTIMATES, FACILITATING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS BY ALLOWING TIME AND SPACE FOR AUTONOMY. BY GIVING ATMOSPHERIC AND SENSORY ATTENTION TO THE ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PAPER FURTHER REVEALS HOW DOMESTIC INTIMACY IS CULTIVATED VIA THE GENERATION OF BODILY HEAT AND POSITIVE ENERGIES AND THAT YOGA MAY TACITLY FACILITATE SUCH ATMOSPHERES. IN THIS WAY, YOGA CAN HELP HOUSEHOLDS MEET AN AMERICAN NEED FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AUTONOMY WHILE STILL FACILITATING A FAR MORE ENDURING HUMAN NEED FOR INTIMATE CONNECTION. ULTIMATELY YOGA IS CHARACTERIZED AS A PRAGMATIC BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT BLENDS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INTIMACY THROUGH SHARED ENERGETIC ENCOUNTERS. 2021 19 2895 10 [DISCUSSION AROUND THE USE OF YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY]. MANY MIND-BODY PRACTICES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INTRODUCED INTO PSYCHIATRIC CARE INCLUDING YOGA. AN EXPERIMENT IN THE FIELD ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF THE ORGANISATION AND APPLICATIONS OF THIS DISCIPLINE, AND ENVISAGES THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF INDICATIONS. 2016 20 2420 24 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