1 1419 143 IMPRISONING YOGA: YOGA PRACTICE MAY INCREASE THE CHARACTER MATURITY OF MALE PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: A SPECIFIC PERSONALITY PROFILE, CHARACTERIZED BY LOW CHARACTER MATURITY (LOW SCORES ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS AND COOPERATIVENESS CHARACTER DIMENSIONS) AND HIGH SCORES ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING TEMPERAMENT DIMENSION OF THE TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER INVENTORY (TCI), HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE PRISON INMATES. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM (E.G., ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR). IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON INMATES' BEHAVIORS COULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE EVENTUAL CHANGES IN THEIR PERSONALITY PROFILE. METHODS: MALE PRISON INMATES (N = 111) IN SWEDEN PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED 10-WEEK LONG YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 57) OR A CONTROL GROUP (FREE OF CHOICE WEEKLY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; N = 54). ALL THE INMATES COMPLETED THE TCI QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD AS PART OF AN ASSESSMENT BATTERY. RESULTS: AFTER THE 10-WEEK-LONG INTERVENTION PERIOD MALE INMATES SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING AND THE HARM AVOIDANCE AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSIONS OF THE TCI. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MEDIUM STRONG INTERACTION EFFECT BETWEEN TIME AND GROUP BELONGING FOR THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSION OF CHARACTER FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: A 10-WEEK-LONG YOGA PRACTICE INTERVENTION AMONG MALE INMATES IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES INCREASED THE INMATES' CHARACTER MATURITY, IMPROVING SUCH ABILITIES AS THEIR CAPABILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, FEEL MORE PURPOSEFUL, AND BEING MORE SELF-ACCEPTANT-FEATURES THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. 2019 2 2574 24 YOGA FOR EVERYONE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF A COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS FACE INCREASED BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE STUDY AIMED TO UNDERSTAND THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY WHO ARE REGULAR PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS TO INFORM FUTURE RESEARCH, INTERVENTION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.METHODS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL QUALITATIVE APPROACH UTILIZED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND CLASS OBSERVATIONS. DATA WAS ANALYZED THROUGH ITERATIVE INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS.RESULTS: SIX PEOPLE OF VARIED MOBILITY LIMITATIONS PARTICIPATED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS REVEALED THEMES ON INFLUENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL FACTORS, A HOLISTIC-FOCUSED CLASS ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS, MENTAL/EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING TO COMMUNITY.CONCLUSION: THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS FOSTERED MULTI-FACETED OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE MOVEMENT IMPAIRMENTS. FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY-CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS, UTILIZING A CLASS STRUCTURE WITH VOLUNTEERS, AND FOSTERING AN ONGOING INCLUSIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ARE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITY. 2022 3 156 32 A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA: A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. PURPOSE: TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES IN A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE CONDUCTED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 13 PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THREE CAREGIVERS WHO HAD COMPLETED LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA, A 6-SESSION, MANUALIZED, GROUP-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCORPORATES BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS.RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN THEMES: EASE OF PARTICIPATION, BELONGING, SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SELF-REGULATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND RESILIENCE. ALL PARTICIPANTS VALUED THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIFACETED STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTENTION CONTROL, AND A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ONGOING USE OF TOOLS (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES) TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS. ABOUT HALF OF PARTICIPANTS SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIPS BUILT DURING LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA AND FELT MORE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY.CONCLUSIONS: LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. IT ALSO FACILITATED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITS, WHICH SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATIONYOGA IS A HOLISTIC THERAPY WITH MANY BENEFITS, YET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POPULATION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVELPARTICIPANTS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SIX STATES EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITSGROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS. 2020 4 191 41 A RANDOMIZED STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF MINDS IN MOTION AND YOGA ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY AND ACADEMIC SKILLS AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS CRITICAL FOR THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN. SPECIFICALLY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN COORDINATION, BALANCE, ATTENTION, AND BEHAVIOR AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. HOWEVER, FOR MANY CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THOSE BELONGING TO MINORITY GROUPS, OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN QUALITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS OUTSIDE SCHOOL SETTINGS ARE LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE WHETHER A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM CALLED MINDS IN MOTION (MIM) THE MAZE BEFORE SCHOOL, AS COMPARED WITH YOGA, MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FRAMEWORK AS A BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO IMPROVE OVERALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 48 CHILDREN ATTENDING AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH LARGE MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MIDWEST WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO MIM-THE MAZE OR YOGA. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY, BEHAVIOR, BALANCE, AND ACADEMIC SKILLS BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. TRAINING CONSISTED OF EITHER YOGA OR MIM-THE MAZE 30 MINUTES PER DAY BEFORE SCHOOL, 5 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: MIM-THE MAZE AND YOGA GROUP STUDENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC SKILLS. CONCLUSIONS: MIM-THE MAZE IS FEASIBLE AND AFFORDABLE BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PROMOTE STUDENTS' CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. 2020 5 1220 31 FACTORS INFLUENCING CHANGES IN TWEEZER DEXTERITY SCORES FOLLOWING YOGA TRAINING. YOGA HAS ALREADY BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR SKILLS, BUT THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE ITS EFFECTS ARE NOT WELL DEFINED. THIS STUDY CORRELATES AGE, GENDER, AND MOTIVATION TO LEARN YOGA WITH THE PERFORMANCE IN A DEXTERITY TASK FOLLOWING YOGA. TWEEZER DEXTERITY WAS RECORDED IN EIGHTY SUBJECTS BELONGING TO FOUR GROUPS. TWO GROUPS WERE GIVEN A MONTH OF YOGA TRAINING. ONE GROUP CONSISTED OF SUBJECTS WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED TO JOIN FOR THE TRAINING AND THE OTHER GROUP WERE DEPUTED FOR THE TRAINING AS PART OF THEIR JOB. THE TWO REMAINING GROUPS DID NOT RECEIVE YOGA TRAINING AND WERE SELECTED TO MATCH THE RESPECTIVE GROUPS RECEIVING YOGA, FOR AGE AND SEX, BUT NOT FOR THEIR MOTIVATION TO LEARN YOGA. THE TEST INVOLVED USING A TWEEZER TO PLACE METAL PINS IN EVENLY SPACED HOLES IN A METAL PLATE WITHIN FOUR MINUTES. FOLLOWING YOGA THE SCORES OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO LEARNT YOGA INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, WHEREAS THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN SCORES OF DEPUTED SUBJECTS AND NON-YOGA GROUPS. FOR REASONS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL, FACTORS SUCH AS AGE AND GENDER DID NOT APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE. HENCE MOTIVATION TO LEARN YOGA APPEARED TO INFLUENCE THE MAGNITUDE OF INCREASE. 1999 6 1391 37 IMPACT OF YOGA AND EXERCISES ON POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME RISK AMONG ADOLESCENT SCHOOLGIRLS IN SOUTH INDIA. BACKGROUND: TO IDENTIFY THE ADOLESCENT SCHOOL GIRLS WITH RISK FOR POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS), ASSESS THEIR RISK STATUS, AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS ON PCOS RISK REDUCTION. METHODS: AN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS BELONGING TO TWO GOVERNMENT RUN SCHOOLS IN TIRUVALLUR DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU STATE, INDIA, FROM 6 JUNE TO 9 DECEMBER 2016. A STANDARD RISK ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADOPTED FOR RISK ASSESSMENT AFTER MAKING FEW MODIFICATIONS (CRONBACH ALPHA 0.86). THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS (YOGA FOR TWO MONTHS AND WALKING EXERCISE FOR TWO MONTHS), WITH NO SUCH INTERVENTION PROVIDED FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. THE IMPACT OF THESE INTERVENTIONS WAS ASSESSED IN TERMS OF RISK MINIMIZATION AND A P VALUE LESS THAN .05 WAS CONSIDERED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 204 (CONTROL-102; EXPERIMENTAL-102) GIRLS WITH STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES WERE STUDIED. DURING THE PRETEST, 85.2% (N = 87) IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 83.3% (N = 85) THE CONTROLS HAD "MODERATE RISK" FOR PCOS. GIRLS WITH "HIGH RISK" LEVEL OF PCOS WERE 14.8% (N = 15) AND 15.7% (N = 17) IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND THE CONTROL GROUP, RESPECTIVELY. IN POSTTEST-1 (AFTER YOGA SESSIONS) RISK ASSESSMENT, 71.6% HAD "MODERATE RISK," 5.9% HAD "HIGH RISK" IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, WHEREAS 87.3% HAD "MODERATE RISK" AND 12.7% HAD "HIGH RISK" IN THE CONTROL GROUP. IN POSTTEST-2 (AFTER EXERCISE SESSIONS) RISK ASSESSMENT, 48% HAD "MODERATE RISK" AND 0% HAD HIGH RISK IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, WHEREAS 88.2% WERE "MODERATE RISK" AND 11.8% WERE "HIGH RISK" IN THE CONTROL GROUP. REPEATED MEASURE ANOVA WITH GREENHOUSE-GEISSER CORRECTION SHOWED MEAN RISK REDUCTION SCORE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN PRETEST AND POST-TEST (33.38 +/- 7.28 VS 22.75 +/- 12.09, RESPECTIVELY MEAN DIFFERENCE IS 10.63: F = 236.12 P < .001), SUGGESTING A POSITIVE CORRELATION WITH THE INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AND EXERCISE WERE BENEFICIAL IN MINIMIZING PCOS RISK, AS REFLECTED IN THE RISK ASSESSMENT SCORE. MORE SUCH INTERVENTIONS, COVERING DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, COULD PROVIDE LARGER HEALTH BENEFITS. 2020 7 743 41 EFFECT OF RESTORATIVE YOGA VS. STRETCHING ON DIURNAL CORTISOL DYNAMICS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH THE METABOLIC SYNDROME: THE PRYSMS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PURPOSE: CHRONIC STIMULATION AND DYSREGULATION OF THE NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEM BY STRESS MAY CAUSE METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES. WE ESTIMATED HOW MUCH CORTISOL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES IMPROVED WITH A RESTORATIVE YOGA (RELAXATION) VERSUS A LOW IMPACT STRETCHING INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH THE METABOLIC SYNDROME. METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A 1-YEAR MULTI-CENTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (6-MONTH INTERVENTION AND 6-MONTH MAINTENANCE PHASE) OF RESTORATIVE YOGA VS. STRETCHING. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED SURVEYS TO ASSESS DEPRESSION, SOCIAL SUPPORT, POSITIVE AFFECT, AND STRESS AT BASELINE, 6 MONTHS AND 12 MONTHS. FOR EACH ASSESSMENT, WE COLLECTED SALIVA AT FOUR POINTS DAILY FOR THREE DAYS AND COLLECTED RESPONSE TO DEXAMETHASONE ON THE FOURTH DAY FOR ANALYSIS OF DIURNAL CORTISOL DYNAMICS. WE ANALYZED OUR DATA USING MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION MODELS, CONTROLLING FOR STUDY SITE, MEDICATIONS (ANTIDEPRESSANTS, HORMONE THERAPY), BODY MASS INDEX, AND BASELINE CORTISOL VALUES. RESULTS: PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE AVAILABLE FOR 171 STUDY PARTICIPANTS AT BASELINE, 140 AT 6 MONTHS, AND 132 AT 1 YEAR. COMPLETE CORTISOL DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 136 OF 171 STUDY PARTICIPANTS (72 IN RESTORATIVE YOGA AND 64 IN STRETCHING) AND WERE ONLY AVAILABLE AT BASELINE AND 6 MONTHS. AT 6 MONTHS, THE STRETCHING GROUP HAD DECREASED CORTISOL AT WAKING AND BEDTIME COMPARED TO THE RESTORATIVE YOGA GROUP. THE PATTERN OF CHANGES IN STRESS MIRRORED THIS IMPROVEMENT, WITH THE STRETCHING GROUP SHOWING REDUCTIONS IN CHRONIC STRESS SEVERITY AND PERSEVERATIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THEIR STRESS. PERCEIVED STRESS DECREASED BY 1.5 POINTS (-0.4; 3.3, P=0.11) AT 6 MONTHS, AND BY 2.0 POINTS (0.1; 3.9, P=0.04) AT 1 YEAR IN THE STRETCHING COMPARED TO RESTORATIVE YOGA GROUPS. POST HOC ANALYSES SUGGEST THAT IN THE STRETCHING GROUP ONLY, PERCEIVED INCREASES IN SOCIAL SUPPORT (PARTICULARLY FEELINGS OF BELONGING), BUT NOT CHANGES IN STRESS WERE RELATED TO IMPROVED CORTISOL DYNAMICS. CONCLUSIONS: WE FOUND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN SALIVARY CORTISOL, CHRONIC STRESS SEVERITY, AND STRESS PERCEPTION IN THE STRETCHING GROUP COMPARED TO THE RESTORATIVE YOGA GROUP. GROUP SUPPORT DURING THE INTERACTIVE STRETCH CLASSES MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THESE CHANGES. 2014 8 2810 36 YOGA TO ENHANCE SELF EFFICACY: AN INTERVENTION FOR AT-RISK YOUTH. OBJECTIVE: YOGA HAS DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVENESS IN IMPROVING SELF-MANAGEMENT IN A VARIETY OF DISEASE STATES HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENT FEMALES IN AN URBAN SCHOOL BASED ENVIRONMENT. THIS PILOT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF YOGA COULD IMPROVE THE SELF-EFFICACY AND BODY CORE TONE IN AT-RISK ADOLESCENT FEMALE PARTICIPANTS. METHOD: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED, WITH DATA COLLECTION AT BASELINE, END OF PROGRAM, AND 1MONTH POST-PROGRAM. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS AGES 11-14 WERE RECRUITED. YOGA WAS PRACTICED TWICE WEEKLY FOR EIGHT WEEKS. SELF-EFFICACY WAS MEASURED USING A STANDARDIZED TOOL, THE SELF-EFFICACY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHILDREN (SEQ-C). IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBILITY AND CORE BODY TONE WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THE RESEARCHERS COLLECTED DATA ON ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENTS USING THE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENT (ACES) SCALE. RESULTS: FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED AND 14 (87%) WERE RETAINED THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT. BASED ON THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, NON-PARAMETRIC TESTS WERE USED (FREIDMAN'S TEST). ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN TOTAL SEQ-C, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SEQ-C SOCIAL SUBSCALE (P=0.028). SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED IN WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (P=0.001) AND IN FLEXIBILITY (P=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANT ATTENDANCE/DOSE DID NOT CORRELATE TO ANY OF THE OUTCOMES, HOWEVER WITH THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS NOTED, IT IS ASSUMED THAT ANY LEVEL OF ATTENDANCE WAS BENEFICIAL. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SOCIAL SUBSCALE OF THE SEQ-C COULD BE THE RESULT OF BELONGING TO A GROUP AND STRENGTHENING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. 2018 9 2262 37 THE PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA OR MEDITATION USERS IN ICELAND: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY. BACKGROUND: USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION HAS INCREASED DECISIVELY IN RECENT YEARS. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE AIM WAS TO FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA AND MEDITATION TO SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND, RELIGIOSITY, HEALTHCARE-RELATED ATTITUDES, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND PHYSICIAN VISITS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY BUILDS ON DATA FROM A NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF ICELANDIC ADULTS, AGED 18-75 (N = 1599; RESPONSE RATE OF 58%). RESULTS: THE OVERALL USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION REACHED 19.3% IN 2015. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 12.5% POINTS OVER A NINE-YEAR PERIOD. THE INCREASE WAS MUCH GREATER FOR WOMEN. YOGA OR MEDITATION USE WAS POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE FEMALE GENDER, YOUNGER AGE, HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION, AND NOT BELONGING TO A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION. IT WAS ALSO POSITIVELY RELATED TO HIGHER ANXIETY, PREVIOUS VISITS TO A PHYSICIAN, AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD CAM SERVICES, BUT IT WAS NEGATIVELY RELATED TO HAVING CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS. CONCLUSION: INCREASED USE OF YOGA OR MEDITATION MAY REFLECT PUBLIC INTEREST IN ICELANDER'S SELF-CARE AND HEALTH PROMOTION. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PREDICTORS AND EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. 2021 10 496 21 COMBINATION OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA THERAPY REDUCES PAIN INTENSITY AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINE HEADACHE. OBJECTIVES: TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFICACY OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MIGRAINE HEADACHE. METHODS: 30 SUBJECTS RECRUITED TO AYURVEDA AND YOGA (AY) GROUP UNDERWENT TRADITIONAL PANCHAKARMA (BIO-PURIFICATORY PROCESS) USING THERAPEUTIC PURGATION FOLLOWED BY YOGA THERAPY, WHILE 30 SUBJECTS OF CONTROL (CT) GROUP CONTINUED ON SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT (NSAID'S) FOR 90 DAYS. BODY CONSTITUTION QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO BOTH GROUPS. THE OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED SYMPTOM CHECK LIST, COMPREHENSIVE HEADACHE RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE AND VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE. RESULTS: FORTY-SIX (76.6%) OUT OF 60 SUBJECTS BELONGING TO BOTH GROUPS HAD PITTA BASED BODY CONSTITUTION. FOLLOWING 90 DAYS OF INTERVENTION THE AY GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN MIGRAINE SYMPTOMS INCLUDING PAIN INTENSITY (P<.001) AND IMPROVEMENT IN HEADACHE RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (P<.001). THE CT GROUP SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE (P>.05). CONCLUSION: TRADITIONAL AYURVEDA ALONG WITH YOGA THERAPY REDUCES SYMPTOMS, INTENSITY OF PAIN AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE IN MIGRAINE PATIENTS. 2018 11 2665 70 YOGA IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, STRESS, ANGER AS WELL AS IN THE INCREASED ABILITY OF BEHAVIORAL CONTROL HAS BEEN SHOWN. THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT FOR PRISON INMATES WHO OFTEN HAVE POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND LOW IMPULSE CONTROL. WHILE IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE PROVED THIS, USING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED SETTINGS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 152 PARTICIPANTS FROM NINE SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 10-WEEK YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 77) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 75). BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS ANSWERED QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING STRESS, AGGRESSION, AFFECTIVE STATES, SLEEP QUALITY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND COMPLETED A COMPUTERIZED TEST MEASURING ATTENTION AND IMPULSIVITY. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND ON 13 OF THE 16 VARIABLES WITHIN THE YOGA GROUP (E.G., LESS PERCEIVED STRESS, BETTER SLEEP QUALITY, AN INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, LESS AGGRESSIVE, AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR) AND ON TWO WITHIN THE CONTROL GROUP. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND LESS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA. THEY ALSO SHOWED IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON THE COMPUTERIZED TEST THAT MEASURES ATTENTION AND IMPULSE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON CONSIDERABLE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM, SUCH AS IMPULSIVITY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. ACCORDINGLY, THE RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE REHABILITATION OF PRISON INMATES. 2017 12 2191 35 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON CHILDREN'S MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PROGRAMS IN CHILDHOOD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS, TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN. AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES ON THE MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS OF 6-8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 16 CHILDREN FROM THE 1(ST) GRADE OF A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, TWICE WEEKLY, WITH 45 MIN EACH SESSION. TO ASSESS CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE, WE USED THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY - SECOND EDITION, THE FLEXIBILITY TEST (SIT AND REACH - EUROFIT, 1988), THE PICTORIAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND CLASSROOM' TEACHER. DATA WERE ANALYZED WITH WILCOXON TEST AND LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS 5%. RESULTS: THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS WELL ACCEPTED BY CHILDREN, CHILDREN ALSO DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE CHANGES IN OVERALL MOTOR ABILITIES SCORES (BALANCE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY). IN ADDITION, THE INTERVIEWS REPORTED CHANGING IN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND THE USE OF THE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM IN CONTEXTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS CONTRIBUTED TO CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT. 2016 13 2672 36 YOGA IN PREMATURE EJACULATION: A COMPARATIVE TRIAL WITH FLUOXETINE. INTRODUCTION: YOGA IS A POPULAR FORM OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT. IT IS PRACTICED BOTH IN DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. USE OF YOGA FOR VARIOUS BODILY AILMENTS IS RECOMMENDED IN ANCIENT AYVURVEDIC (AYUS = LIFE, VEDA = KNOWLEDGE) TEXTS AND IS BEING INCREASINGLY INVESTIGATED SCIENTIFICALLY. MANY PATIENTS AND YOGA PROTAGONISTS CLAIM THAT IT IS USEFUL IN SEXUAL DISORDERS. WE ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF IT WORKS FOR PATIENTS WITH PREMATURE EJACULATION (PE) AND IN COMPARING ITS EFFICACY WITH FLUOXETINE, A KNOWN TREATMENT OPTION FOR PE. AIM: TO KNOW IF YOGA COULD BE TRIED AS A TREATMENT OPTION IN PE AND TO COMPARE IT WITH FLUOXETINE. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 68 PATIENTS (38 YOGA GROUP; 30 FLUOXETINE GROUP) ATTENDING THE OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL WERE ENROLLED IN THE PRESENT STUDY. BOTH SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS WERE ADMINISTERED TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF THE YOGA AND FLUOXETINE IN PE. THREE PATIENTS DROPPED OUT OF THE STUDY CITING THEIR INABILITY TO COPE UP WITH THE YOGA SCHEDULE AS THE REASON. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: INTRAVAGINAL EJACULATORY LATENCIES IN YOGA GROUP AND FLUOXETINE CONTROL GROUPS. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT ALL 38 PATIENTS (25-65.7% = GOOD, 13-34.2% = FAIR) BELONGING TO YOGA AND 25 OUT OF 30 OF THE FLUOXETINE GROUP (82.3%) HAD STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA APPEARS TO BE A FEASIBLE, SAFE, EFFECTIVE AND ACCEPTABLE NONPHARMACOLOGICAL OPTION FOR PE. MORE STUDIES INVOLVING LARGER PATIENTS COULD BE CARRIED OUT TO ESTABLISH ITS UTILITY IN THIS CONDITION. 2007 14 2755 52 YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS OF PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: PSYCHIATRIC ILL-HEALTH IS PREVALENT AMONG PRISON INMATES AND OFTEN HAMPERS THEIR REHABILITATION. REHABILITATION IS CRUCIAL FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISTIC OFFENDING. A FEW STUDIES HAVE PRESENTED EVIDENCE OF THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE WELL-BEING OF PRISON INMATES. THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE PREVIOUS STUDIES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS OF INMATES, AND DESERVES AND REQUIRES FURTHER ATTENTION. AIMS: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFILE, OPERATIONALIZED IN THE FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, OF INMATES. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS (133 MEN; 19 WOMEN) WERE RANDOMLY PLACED IN EITHER OF TWO GROUPS: TO PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY 90-MIN YOGA CLASS (YOGA GROUP) OR A WEEKLY 90-MIN FREE-CHOICE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (CONTROL GROUP). THE STUDY PERIOD LASTED FOR 10 WEEKS. PRIOR TO AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORTED INVENTORIES, INCLUDING THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY (BSI). RESULTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE INMATES' LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED ALL PRIMARY SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, PARANOID IDEATION, AND SOMATIZATION SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS OF THE BSI STAYED SIGNIFICANT EVEN WHEN COMPARING WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS IN PRISON INMATES, WITH SPECIFIC EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SUSPICIOUS AND FEARFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT LOSING AUTONOMY, MEMORY PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS, TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, OBSESSIVE THOUGHT, AND PERCEPTION OF BODILY DYSFUNCTION. 2018 15 1067 40 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON INNER-CITY CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE YOGA'S EFFECTS ON INNER-CITY CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY COMPARED FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT 2 AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN BRONX, NEW YORK. ONE PROGRAM OFFERED YOGA 1 HOUR PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS (YOGA) AND THE OTHER PROGRAM (NON-YOGA) DID NOT. PREINTERVENTION AND POSTINTERVENTION EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING WAS ASSESSED BY HARTER'S GLOBAL SELF-WORTH AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE SUBSCALES, WHICH WERE THE STUDY'S PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED OTHER MEASURES OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ASSESSED BY 2 NEW SCALES: PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL HEALTH AND YOGA TEACHINGS (INCLUDING NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS, POSITIVE BEHAVIORS, AND FOCUSING/RELAXATION SUBSCALES). PREINTERVENTION AND POSTINTERVENTION, PHYSICAL WELLBEING WAS ASSESSED BY MEASURES OF FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE. SUBJECTIVE RATINGS OFYOGA'S EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING WERE EVALUATED BY AN ADDITIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY THE YOGA GROUP ONLY. RESULTS: DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 78% (N=39) AND 86.5% (N=32) OF POTENTIAL YOGA AND NON-YOGA STUDY ENROLLEES. NO DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE FOUND. CONTROLLING FOR PREINTERVENTION WELL-BEING DIFFERENCES USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE, WE FOUND THAT CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP HAD BETTER POSTINTERVENTION NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS SCORES AND BALANCE THAN THE NON-YOGA GROUP (P < .05). THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA REPORTED ENHANCED WELLBEING, AS REFLECTED BY PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN BEHAVIORS DIRECTLY TARGETED BY YOGA (E.G., STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BALANCE). CONCLUSIONS: ALTHOUGH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND IN THE STUDY'S PRIMARY OUTCOMES (GLOBAL SELF-WORTH AND PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING), CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA REPORTED USING FEWER NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS IN RESPONSE TO STRESS AND HAD BETTER BALANCE THAN A COMPARISON GROUP. IMPROVEMENTS IN WELLBEING, SPECIFICALLY IN BEHAVIORS DIRECTLY TARGETED BY YOGA, WERE REPORTED. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST A POSSIBLE ROLE OF YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION AS WELL AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING CHILDREN'S PERCEIVED WELL-BEING. 2009 16 955 38 EFFECTS OF A KUNDALINI YOGA PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. OBJECTIVE: THE YOUR OWN GREATNESS AFFIRMED (YOGA) FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERS YOGA TO URBAN INNER-CITY SCHOOLS WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING PRACTICAL BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT UNDERSERVED CHILDREN AT HIGH RISK OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. A 10-WEEK YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM DELIVERED 1 TO 2 TIMES PER WEEK WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 3 SCHOOLS IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF THE PROGRAM ON STUDENT STRESS, AFFECT, AND RESILIENCE. METHODS: THIRTY CHILDREN WERE ADMINISTERED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE, AND THE RESILIENCE SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM. AFTER THE PROGRAM, INFORMAL QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH SCHOOL TEACHERS, YOGA TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL IMPACT OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. RESULTS: THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT THE YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED STUDENTS STRESS (P < 0.05), POSITIVE AFFECT (P < 0.05), AND RESILIENCE (P < 0.001). THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS INDICATED THAT STUDENTS, SCHOOL TEACHERS, AND YOGA TEACHERS ALL FOUND THE PROGRAM TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR STUDENTS' WELL-BEING. CONCLUSION: TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA FOR YOUTH PROGRAM MAY PROVIDE STUDENTS IN LOW-INCOME URBAN SCHOOLS WITH BEHAVIORAL SKILLS THAT WILL PROTECT AGAINST RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. 2018 17 1884 36 REDUCING STRESS IN SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS THROUGH MINDFUL YOGA. INTRODUCTION: SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN REPORT MUCH STRESS IN THEIR DAILY LIVES, WHICH MAY LEAD TO PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROBLEMS. MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION IS A PROGRAM OF AWARENESS-BASED PRACTICES EFFECTIVE WITH ADULTS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING THROUGH YOGA WITH SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS TO REDUCE PERCEIVED STRESS, ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION, AND EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES. METHOD: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE GIRLS WERE RECRUITED FROM TWO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO INTERVENTION AND WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP MET 1 HOUR A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AND COMPLETED 10 MINUTES OF DAILY HOMEWORK. RESULTS: SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-REGULATION INCREASED IN BOTH GROUPS. THE INTERVENTION GROUP WAS MORE LIKELY TO REPORT GREATER APPRAISAL OF STRESS (P < .01) AND GREATER FREQUENCY OF COPING (P < .05). HOMEWORK ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF THE VARIANCE IN REPORTED STRESS. DISCUSSION: CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING, GREATER AWARENESS OF THE FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH STRESS MAY ENHANCE COPING ABILITIES. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF STRESSORS IN ITSELF INCREASED STRESS, POSSIBLY AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS OR RELATED TO COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, OR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. MINDFULNESS IN CHILDREN MAY DIFFER FROM MINDFULNESS IN ADULTS AND WARRANTS FURTHER INVESTIGATION. 2012 18 210 31 A SLEEP HYGIENE AND YOGA INTERVENTION CONDUCTED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES: PILOT STUDY RESULTS AND LESSONS FOR A FUTURE TRIAL. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: INADEQUATE SLEEP IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND IS OFTEN RELATED TO MALADAPTIVE SLEEP BEHAVIORS AND STRESS. THERE IS SCANT RESEARCH INVESTIGATING THE DELIVERY OF THESE INTERVENTIONS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A SLEEP EDUCATION AND YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND RACIAL/ETHNIC DIVERSE ADULTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE PRESENT QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA FROM A SINGLE-ARM SLEEP EDUCATION AND YOGA PILOT STUDY (N = 17) CONDUCTED IN TWO AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITIES, AND THE MULTI-MODAL PROCESS WE EMPLOYED TO REFINE THE INTERVENTION FOR A FUTURE TRIAL. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE AGE 43.6 YEARS ON AVERAGE (+/-19.3 YEARS) AND 88.2% WERE FEMALE. NEARLY 56% IDENTIFIED AS NON-HISPANIC BLACK AND 19% AS HISPANIC/LATINO. RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT PRE/POST-INTERVENTION IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEP DURATION (5.4 +/- 1.2 H/NIGHT VS 6.9 +/- 1.7 H/NIGHT; P < 0.01), SLEEP-RELATED IMPAIRMENT (-8.15; P < 0.01), SLEEP DISTURBANCE (-5.95; P < 0.01), AND SLEEP HYGIENE BEHAVIORS (-5.50; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY INDICATES INTERVENTION ACCEPTABILITY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEP AND SLEEP HYGIENE. FUTURE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS ARE NEEDED TO ASSESS EFFICACY. 2020 19 12 34 "MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (MY-OT): A FEASIBILITY AND PILOT STUDY". OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND BENEFITS OF THE MERGING YOGA AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (MY-OT) INTERVENTION. DESIGN: THIS IS THE PRIMARY ANALYSIS OF A NON-CONTROLLED PRETEST-POSTTEST PILOT STUDY TO UNDERSTAND THE FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT OF MY-OT ON BALANCE, BALANCE SELF-EFFICACY, AND FALL RISK FACTOR MANAGEMENT IN PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC STROKE. SETTING: UNIVERSITY RESEARCH LABORATORY. PARTICIPANTS: PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC STROKE WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY IF THEY: HAD SUSTAINED A FALL OR HAD FEAR OF FALLING, WERE ABLE TO STAND, AND HAND IMPAIRED BALANCE AND WERE AT RISK FOR FALLS (