1 9 147 "I'M MORE IN BALANCE": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BODY PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. DESIGN: THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS. SETTING: THE INTERVENTIONS AND INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE IN A REFERRAL CENTER'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. SUBJECTS: EIGHTEEN (18) PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FROM A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90 MINUTES OF IYENGAR YOGA ONCE A WEEK FOR 9 WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A DRAWING OF THEIR NECK AND SHOULDER REGIONS TO REFLECT THEIR SUBJECTIVE BODY PERCEPTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR YOGA PROGRAM. SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO EXPLORE THEIR BODY PERCEPTION, EMOTIONAL STATUS, EVERYDAY LIFE AND COPING SKILLS, AS WELL AS ANY PERCEIVED CHANGES IN THESE DIMENSIONS POSTPARTICIPATION. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP ANALYZED THE STUDY DATA USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CHANGE ON FIVE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL. PHYSICALLY, MOST PARTICIPANTS CITED RENEWED BODY AWARENESS, BOTH DURING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. SUCH CHANGE WAS ECHOED IN THEIR POSTPARTICIPATION BODY DRAWINGS. COGNITIVELY, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED INCREASED PERCEIVED CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH. EMOTIONALLY, THEY NOTED GREATER ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR PAIN AND LIFE BURDENS. BEHAVIORALLY, THEY DESCRIBED ENHANCED USE OF ACTIVE COPING STRATEGIES. FINALLY, SOCIALLY, THEY REPORTED RENEWED PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVE LIFE. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS LINKED YOGA TO CHANGE ON ALL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, ATTRIBUTING REDUCED PAIN LEVELS, INCREASED COPING ABILITY, BETTER PAIN ACCEPTANCE AND INCREASED CONTROL TO IT. BODY AWARENESS APPEARED A KEY MECHANISM IN THESE CHANGES. 2013 2 1219 36 EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: SURVEY FINDINGS FROM A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF DIVERSE EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AMONG A DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE STUDY FURTHER EXPLORES WHETHER THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT FROM THE MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA, ENGAGE IN A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN: EAT 2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME) IS A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN WHICH SURVEY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 1568 ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE (81.2% NONWHITE) EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS (MEAN AGE: 22.0 +/- 2.0 YEARS). RESULTS: EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS HIGHLY PREVALENT. FOR EXAMPLE, 43.9% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE (ACE) (E.G., PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, OR SEXUAL ABUSE BEFORE AGE 18), WHEREAS 40.1% REPORTED EXPERIENCING DISCRIMINATION. EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER STRESS LEVELS. PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% OF THE POPULATION, WITH VARIATION ACROSS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. YOUNG ADULTS EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EITHER MORE OR SIMILARLY LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA THAN YOUNG ADULTS NOT REPORTING ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSIONS: THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS POINTS TO A NEED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS. THUS, IT WAS PROMISING TO FIND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS, WHO MAY HAVE GREATER EMOTIONAL BURDENS, PRACTICE YOGA AT EQUAL OR GREATER PROPORTIONS TO THOSE WITHOUT THESE EXPOSURES. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR POPULATIONS LIVING WITH HIGH STRESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP FURTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICING YOGA. 2020 3 774 29 EFFECT OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY ON DISEASE ACTIVITY AND SYMPTOM BURDENS IN A PATIENT WITH ACTIVE ULCERATIVE COLITIS: A CASE REPORT. OBJECTIVES: ULCERATIVE COLITIS (UC) IS A CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE THAT AFFECTS THE LARGE BOWEL. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO FIND THE EFFECT OF YOGA AND NATUROPATHY (YN) IN A PATIENT WITH ACTIVE MODERATE PANCOLITIS. CASE PRESENTATION: AN 18-YEAR OLD UNMARRIED FEMALE DIAGNOSED WITH UC IN 2017. PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS BEGAN WITH ABDOMINAL PAIN, NAUSEA, VOMITING AND DIARRHEA WITH/WITHOUT BLOOD STAINS MORE THAN SEVEN TIMES A DAY, DAILY. THE SYMPTOMS REDUCED AFTER TAKING REGULAR CONVENTIONAL MEDICATION FOR A PERIOD OF ONE-YEAR. HOWEVER, IN FEBRUARY-2019, THE PATIENT VISITED OUR HOSPITAL WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND RECEIVED 21-DAYS OF YN TREATMENTS. RESULTS SHOWED A BETTER REDUCTION IN THE ABDOMINAL PAIN, DISEASE ACTIVITY, STRESS AND DEPRESSION AND A BETTER IMPROVEMENT IN HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS, QUALITY OF SLEEP, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WITH NO ADVERSE EFFECTS. CONCLUSIONS: YN COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF UC. HOWEVER, FURTHER STUDIES ARE REQUIRED TO WARRANT THIS EFFECT. 2021 4 8 42 "I'M 100% FOR IT! I'M A CONVERT!": WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF A YOGA PROGRAMME DURING TREATMENT FOR GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER; AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF TAKING PART IN A YOGA INTERVENTION WHILE UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER. DESIGN: SIXTEEN WOMEN (AGE RANGE 31-79 YEARS; MEAN AGE 60) PARTICIPATED IN FOCUS GROUPS BASED ON A SEMI-STRUCTURED QUESTION SCHEDULE. RESULTING DISCUSSIONS WERE AUDIO-RECORDED, TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND ANALYSED USING INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (IPA). SETTING: ROYAL DERBY HOSPITAL, UK. INTERVENTIONS: PATIENTS TOOK PART IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF HATHA YOGA, WHERE THEY PARTICIPATED IN A ONE HOUR LONG CLASS PER WEEK. RESULTS: THREE THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA: APPLYING BREATHING TECHNIQUES, ENGAGING IN THE PHYSICALITY OF YOGA AND FINDING A COMMUNITY. THE FIRST THEME WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO THE PATIENTS AS THEY NOTED THE BREADTH AND APPLICABILITY OF THE TECHNIQUES IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. THE LATTER TWO THEMES REFLECT PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED TOPICS IN THE CANCER AND YOGA LITERATURE AND ARE CONTEXTUALISED HERE WITHIN THE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF CANCER TREATMENT. CONCLUSIONS: THE WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF THE PROGRAMME WERE GENERALLY POSITIVE, PROVIDING A PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN VIEW OF THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA INTERVENTION. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WOMEN'S PRIOR EXPECTATIONS AND LIVED EXPERIENCES IS DISCUSSED. 2015 5 2739 32 YOGA PRACTICE AMONG ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL AND DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY EXPLORES CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA AND BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL EATING, DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS AMONG A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS. METHOD: AN ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF 1,568 EMERGING ADULTS (18-26 YEARS) COMPLETED SURVEYS AS PART OF EAT 2010-2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME). MODELS WERE ADJUSTED FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). RESULTS: PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% (N = 210) OF THE SAMPLE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF MINDFUL EATING THAN THOSE NOT PRACTICING YOGA. ALTHOUGH EFFECT SIZES WERE SMALL, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO USE STEROIDS (3.8 VS. 0.7%, P < .001, H = 0.22) OR PROTEIN POWDER/SHAKES (35.1 VS. 25.3%, P < .010, H = 0.21) TO INCREASE THEIR MUSCLE SIZE/TONE. BODY SATISFACTION, UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS, AND BINGE EATING TENDED TO BE SIMILAR AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN BMI AND YOGA IN PREDICTING BODY SATISFACTION WITH A TREND TOWARD A POSITIVE IMPACT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AT HIGHER BMI VALUES. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ALL BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ACROSS GENDER AND ETHNICITY/RACE WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. DISCUSSION: YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE ETHNIC/RACIAL BACKGROUNDS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN MINDFUL EATING BUT HAVE EQUAL OR ELEVATED LEVELS OF UNHEALTHY BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS AS COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE HOW YOGA IS BEST TAUGHT AND PRACTICED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL FOR BODY IMAGE AND RELATED BEHAVIORS. 2021 6 20 48 "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS IN A YOGA TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS TAKING PART IN A YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED FROM A RANDOMIZED YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVIEWS DISCUSSED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LOW BACK PAIN AND EMOTIONS; OTHER PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE INTERVENTION; AND FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED, CODED USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE, AND ANALYZED WITH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODS. SETTING: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS A MEANS OF PAIN RELIEF AND ATTRIBUTED IMPROVED MOOD, GREATER ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS, AND ENHANCED RELAXATION TO YOGA. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS FELT EMPOWERED TO SELF-MANAGE THEIR PAIN. SOME FOUND YOGA TO BE HELPFUL IN BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND ACCEPTING OF THEIR PAIN. TRUST IN THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS A COMMONLY CITED FACILITATOR FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE. LACK OF TIME, MOTIVATION, AND FEAR OF INJURY WERE REPORTED BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAVORABLY IMPACT HEALTH IN A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION. 2016 7 17 35 "THE PAIN LEFT, I WAS OFF AND RUNNING": A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF GROUP ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC PAIN IN A LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION. INTRODUCTION: CHRONIC PAIN AND THE CURRENT OPIOID EPIDEMIC ARE PRESSING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IN LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. NONPHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES THAT ARE SAFE, EFFECTIVE, AND ACCEPTABLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS MAY PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCE OF STUDY PARTICIPANTS WHO RECEIVED COMBINED ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA THERAPY (YT) TO TREAT CHRONIC PAIN DELIVERED IN A PRIMARY CARE SETTING. METHODS: THE GROUP ACUPUNCTURE WITH YOGA THERAPY FOR CHRONIC NECK, LOW BACK, AND OSTEOARTHRITIC PAIN TRIAL (GAPYOGA) ASSESSED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP ACUPUNCTURE (GA) COMBINED WITH YT IN A LOW-INCOME, RACIAL, AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION. INDIVIDUAL IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A SUBSET OF PATIENTS IN THE TRIAL. NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE INTERVIEWED FOR QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. USING THE IMMERSION AND CRYSTALLIZATION METHOD, TRANSCRIBED INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED FOR THEMES MEANINGFULLY REPRESENTING PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: THE COMBINED GA AND YT RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT PAIN RELIEF AND TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING EXPERIENCES. THREE THEMES EMERGED FROM PARTICIPANT NARRATIVES: (1) TRANSFORMATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SELF IN THE HEALING PROCESS THROUGH PAIN RELIEF, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND SELF-EFFICACY; (2) THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND YOGA PROVIDERS; AND (3) FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FELLOW PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUP. DISCUSSION: IN THIS STUDY OF A LOW-INCOME AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION, THE COMBINATION OF ACUPUNCTURE AND YT WAS FOUND TO ALLEVIATE PAIN, IMPROVE FUNCTION, PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN SELF-CARE PRACTICES IN A TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING PROCESS-RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS. 2022 8 144 42 A QUALITATIVE APPROACH EXPLORING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA FOR MINORITIES LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS: 'WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME?' OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA RESEARCH TAILORED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN A MINORITY POPULATION (BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING) WITH ARTHRITIS. YOGA RESEARCH FOR ARTHRITIS OFTEN UNDERREPRESENTS MINORITIES AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR THIS POPULATION HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVESTIGATED. DESIGN: ACCEPTABILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RETENTION, ADHERENCE, JOURNALS, AND SEMI-STRUCTURED EXIT INTERVIEWS FROM TWELVE PARTICIPANTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGOING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. JOURNAL QUOTES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. NVIVO SOFTWARE WAS USED TO ORGANIZE TRANSCRIPTS AND ASSEMBLE THEMES. TWO METHODS OF TRIANGULATION (DATA AND INVESTIGATOR) WERE USED TO OVERCOME POTENTIAL BIAS FROM A SINGLE-PERSPECTIVE INTERPRETATION. EXIT INTERVIEW COMMENTS WERE CONTENT ANALYZED USING A CARD SORT METHOD. THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH A CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING A MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH TEAM, TRANSLATORS, AND BILINGUAL MATERIALS AND CLASSES, TO FACILITATE TRUST AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. SETTING: WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, USA. RESULTS: ON AVERAGE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 10 OF 16 CLASSES, WITH HOME PRACTICE 2-3DAYS A WEEK. ALL WHO COMPLETED WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA THREE-MONTHS LATER. QUALITATIVE NARRATIVE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO FACILITATING FACTORS AND BARRIERS FOR YOGA PRACTICE, SELF-EFFICACY, AND SUPPORT. PARTICIPANT COMMENTS INDICATED THAT OFFERING AN ARTHRITIS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION AND USING A CULTURALLY CONGRUENT RESEARCH DESIGN WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA RESEARCH GROWS, THERE IS A NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND PROMOTE ACCEPTABILITY FOR TYPICALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATIONS. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INFORM THE EXPANSION OF MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH DESIGNED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THOSE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. 2017 9 2563 46 YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR PAIN WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A WEEKLY YOGA PROGRAM. METHODS: A CONSECUTIVE CONVENIENCE SAMPLE WAS RECRUITED FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN CENTRE. SEVEN ADULT PATIENTS (SIX WOMEN), AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM, INCLUDING WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS AND AT-HOME PRACTICE. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS EXPLORED THE EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICING YOGA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARTICIPANT'S PAIN EXPERIENCE. AN INDUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INTERVIEWS EXPLORED EMERGENT THEMES FROM PARTICIPANTS' DESCRIPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: ANALYSES IDENTIFIED THREE THEMES: RENEWED AWARENESS OF THE BODY; TRANSFORMED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BODY IN PAIN; AND ACCEPTANCE. DISCUSSION: PARTICIPANTS' DATA SUGGESTED THAT THEY REFRAMED WHAT IT MEANT TO LIVE WITH CHRONIC PAIN. SOME PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT THE SENSORY ASPECTS OF PAIN DID NOT CHANGE BUT THAT PAIN BECAME LESS BOTHERSOME. THEY WERE BETTER ABLE TO CONTROL THE DEGREE TO WHICH PAIN INTERFERED WITH THEIR DAILY LIFE. OTHER PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS FREQUENT OR LESS INTENSE PAIN EPISODES BECAUSE THEY COULD RECOGNIZE BODY SIGNALS AND ADJUST THEMSELVES TO ALLEVIATE PAINFUL SENSATIONS. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PATIENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM YOGA MAY DO SO IN PART BECAUSE YOGA ENABLES CHANGES IN COGNITIONS AND BEHAVIOURS TOWARDS PAIN. 2011 10 2838 38 YOGA'S POTENTIAL FOR PROMOTING HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY. BACKGROUND: A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY HAVE BENEFITS FOR YOUNG ADULT HEALTH, HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO GUIDE YOGA INTERVENTIONS TARGETING WEIGHT-RELATED HEALTH. THE PRESENT STUDY EXPLORED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARTICIPATION IN YOGA, HEALTHY EATING BEHAVIORS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. METHODS: THE PRESENT MIXED-METHODS STUDY USED DATA COLLECTED AS PART OF WAVE 4 OF PROJECT EAT (EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS), A POPULATION-BASED COHORT STUDY IN MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. YOUNG ADULTS (N = 1820) COMPLETED THE PROJECT EAT SURVEY AND A FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE, AND A SUBSET WHO REPORTED PRACTICING YOGA ADDITIONALLY PARTICIPATED IN SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS (N = 46). ANALYSES OF SURVEY DATA WERE USED TO EXAMINE CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN THE FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE, DIETARY BEHAVIORS (SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (FV), SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES (SSBS) AND SNACK FOODS AND FREQUENCY OF FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION), AND MODERATE-TO-VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (MVPA). THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF INTERVIEW DISCUSSIONS FURTHER EXPLORED YOGA'S PERCEIVED INFLUENCE ON EATING AND ACTIVITY BEHAVIORS AMONG INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MORE SERVINGS OF FV, FEWER SERVINGS OF SSBS AND SNACK FOODS, LESS FREQUENT FAST FOOD CONSUMPTION, AND MORE HOURS OF MVPA. INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT YOGA SUPPORTED HEALTHY EATING THROUGH MOTIVATION TO EAT HEALTHFULLY, GREATER MINDFULNESS, MANAGEMENT OF EMOTIONAL EATING, MORE HEALTHY FOOD CRAVINGS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE YOGA COMMUNITY. YOGA SUPPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THROUGH ACTIVITY AS PART OF YOGA PRACTICE, MOTIVATION TO DO OTHER FORMS OF ACTIVITY, INCREASED CAPACITY TO BE ACTIVE, AND BY COMPLEMENTING AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. CONCLUSIONS: YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS REPORTED HEALTHIER EATING BEHAVIORS AND HIGHER LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS. YOGA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUNG ADULT HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTHY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. 2018 11 1349 39 IF WE OFFER, WILL THEY COME: PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA AMONG HISPANICS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS UNDERUTILIZED BY THE HISPANICS. THIS STUDY EXAMINED PERCEPTIONS OF BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA AMONG HISPANIC ADULTS, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT MAY INCREASE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PRACTICE. SETTING: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A COMMUNITY CENTER SERVING LOW-INCOME HISPANICS. DESIGN: SELF-ADMINISTERED CROSS-SECTIONAL QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA WERE CONDUCTED IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. FISHER'S EXACT TEST WAS USED TO EXAMINE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA BY GENDER, AGE, AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS (AGES 18-85, 65 % WOMEN, N = 121) REPORTED SEVERAL BENEFITS TO YOGA. HISPANIC WOMEN, INDIVIDUALS 65 Y OR OLDER, AND THOSE WITH PRIOR EXPERIENCE, PERCEIVED MORE BENEFITS. BARRIERS TO YOGA ALSO DIFFERED BY DEMOGRAPHICS. MEN REPORTED THAT TIME AND THE PERCEPTION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO UNREALISTIC PRETZEL-LIKE POSES AS DETERRENTS TO YOGA PRACTICE; YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS PERCEIVED YOGA TO BE BORING, AND THOSE WITH NO EXPERIENCE PERCEIVED LACK OF FLEXIBILITY AND FEELING LIKE AN OUTSIDER IN CLASS, AS BARRIERS TO YOGA. THE MOST COMMON BARRIER, ACROSS SUBGROUPS, WAS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING WILLING TO ATTEND YOGA CLASSES IF OFFERED AT A LOW COST. CONCLUSION: PERCEIVED BARRIERS RELATED TO YOGA REFLECT A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA AND WHAT IT ENTAILS AND THE COST OF CLASSES. DESPITE THESE BARRIERS, HISPANIC ADULTS FROM A LOW-INCOME POPULATION SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO ATTEND YOGA CLASSES IF OFFERED AT A LOW COST. UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THESE BARRIERS CAN HELP RESEARCHERS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IMPROVE DIVERSITY IN YOGA CLASSES AND RESEARCH. 2021 12 152 40 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVE: YOGA MAY IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND REDUCE DISEASE SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW PATIENTS WITH RA ARE PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE COMMUNITY YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE FOR ADULTS WITH RA. DESIGN: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SEMI-STRUCTURED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO ANALYZE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 17 ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGIST-DIAGNOSED RA WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN YOGA WITHIN THE PAST YEAR WERE ASKED ABOUT THE DECISION TO START, CONTINUE, AND STOP YOGA; THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF YOGA; COMPONENTS OF YOGA SESSIONS; AND GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT YOGA AS IT RELATES TO RA. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH EIGHT DIFFERENT STYLES OF YOGA WERE PRACTICED, COMMONALITIES IN YOGA CLASS COMPONENTS (SUCH AS STRETCHING, STRENGTHENING, DEEP BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND POSITIVE MESSAGING FROM THE INSTRUCTOR) REVEAL EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED TYPES OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH RA. THREE MAIN THEMES EMERGED, EACH WITH MULTIPLE SUBTHEMES: (1) MOTIVATORS (PHYSICAL FITNESS, INFLUENCE OF OTHERS, REDUCED PRICE), (2) BARRIERS (COST, SYMPTOM BURDEN, CLASS DIFFICULTY), AND (3) BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE (MIND-BODY, A TOOL FOR COPING, PRIDE/ACHIEVEMENT, SOCIAL, AND "YOGA MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE"). CONCLUSION: IN THIS STUDY, PATIENTS WITH RA DESCRIBED HOW YOGA PRACTICE HELPED IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR DISEASE. YOGA PRACTICE, A DYNAMIC EXERCISE, ENCOMPASSING MANY DIFFERENT STYLES, CAN PROVIDE MANY BENEFITS FOR ADULTS WITH RA; HOWEVER, YOGA MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERY ADULT WITH RA. 2017 13 1525 24 IYENGAR YOGA AND THE USE OF PROPS FOR PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN: A CASE STUDY. IYENGAR YOGA USES POSTURES AND PROPS TO SUPPORT THE BODY SO THAT PRACTITIONERS CAN ENGAGE IN POSES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE MORE DIFFICULT. THIS TYPE OF YOGA MAY BE USEFUL IN TREATING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO HAVE CHRONIC PAIN AND DISABILITY. IN THIS CASE STUDY, THE AUTHORS DISCUSS A 14-Y-OLD GIRL WHO HAD TWO SURGERIES FOR GASTRO-ESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GERD) AND WHO HAD CONTINUED CHEST AND ABDOMINAL PAIN, AS WELL AS VOMITING, DIFFICULTY EATING, WEIGHT LOSS, AND ANXIETY. HAVING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED FUNCTIONING, SHE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL, SLEEP, SOCIALIZE, OR EAT, AND SHE HAD BECOME WHEELCHAIR-BOUND. DESPITE EVALUATIONS AND TREATMENTS BY SPECIALISTS OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, HER SYMPTOMS HAD NOT IMPROVED. THIS CASE HISTORY DESCRIBES HOW THE AUTHORS USED A 4-MO TREATMENT OF IYENGAR YOGA TO HELP THE ADOLESCENT RESUME ACTIVITIES AND RE-ENGAGE WITH HER ENVIRONMENT. THE AUTHORS INTEND THIS REPORT TO STIMULATE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF THIS FORM OF TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN. 2013 14 1155 35 ENHANCING YOGA PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA AMONG PREDOMINANTLY RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY, LOW-INCOME ADULTS. YOGA IS UNDERUTILIZED AMONG RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS. TO ENHANCE PARTICIPATION AMONG THESE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS AND TO INFORM A FUTURE CLINICAL TRIAL, WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE FORMATIVE INVESTIGATION, INFORMED BY THE SOCIAL CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE, TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA THAT COULD IMPACT STUDY PARTICIPATION. WE RECRUITED TWENTY-FOUR RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE ADULTS, WITH AND WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE, FROM A LOW-INCOME, URBAN HOUSING COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW OR FOCUS GROUP. A THEMATIC DATA ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS EMPLOYED. BARRIERS TO YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA LACKS PHYSICALITY AND WEIGHT LOSS BENEFITS, FEAR OF INJURY, LACK OF ABILITY/SELF-EFFICACY TO PERFORM THE PRACTICES, PREFERENCE FOR OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES. FACILITATORS OF YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED A QUALITY YOGA INSTRUCTOR WHO PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION, BEGINNER LEVEL CLASSES, AND PROMOTIONAL MESSAGING THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, SUCH AS STRESS REDUCTION. 2017 15 154 23 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 16 2625 34 YOGA FOR TEENS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: RESULTS FROM A MIXED-METHODS PILOT STUDY. IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS) IS A COMMON CONDITION ASSOCIATED WITH RECURRENT ABDOMINAL PAIN AND ALTERED BOWEL HABITS. IT IS PARTICULARLY PERNICIOUS TO YOUTH, WHO MAY WITHDRAW FROM LIFE TASKS DUE TO PAIN, DIARRHEA, AND/OR FEAR OF SYMPTOMS. EMOTIONAL STRESS EXACERBATES IBS SYMPTOMS, AND MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS MAY BE BENEFICIAL. IN THIS MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF 18 TEENS AGED 14 TO 17 YEARS UNDERTAKING A 6-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION, WE AIMED TO IDENTIFY TREATMENT RESPONDERS AND TO EXPLORE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RESPONDERS AND NONRESPONDERS ON A RANGE OF QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES AND QUALITATIVE THEMES RELATED TO YOGA IMPACT, GOODNESS OF FIT, AND BARRIERS TO TREATMENT. HALF OF THE TEENS RESPONDED SUCCESSFULLY TO YOGA, DEFINED AS A CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL REDUCTION IN ABDOMINAL PAIN. RESPONDERS DIFFERED FROM NONRESPONDERS ON POSTINTERVENTION QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING REDUCED ABDOMINAL PAIN, IMPROVED SLEEP, AND INCREASED VISCERAL SENSITIVITY. QUALITATIVE OUTCOMES REVEALED THAT RESPONDERS REPORTED GENERALIZED BENEFITS EARLY IN TREATMENT AND THAT THEIR PARENTS WERE SUPPORTIVE AND COMMITTED TO THE INTERVENTION. RESPONDERS AND NONRESPONDERS ALIKE NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF HOME PRACTICE TO ACHIEVE MAXIMAL, SUSTAINED BENEFITS. THIS STUDY REVEALS THE NEED FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY SENSITIVE YOGA PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF YOGA FOR ALL PATIENTS. 2018 17 2034 40 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 18 11 42 "MAYBE BLACK GIRLS DO YOGA": A FOCUS GROUP STUDY WITH PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN (AA) WOMEN'S USE OF MIND-BODY THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS, AND FACTORS THAT IMPACT THEIR EXPERIENCES, OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS. DESIGN: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW AA WOMEN PERCEIVE MIND-BODY THERAPIES AND HOW TO BEST BRING THESE INTERVENTIONS INTO THEIR COMMUNITY. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIOTAPED AND TRANSCRIBED. SETTING: THE URBAN MIDWEST. OUTCOME MEASURES: IN ADDITION TO QUALITATIVE OUTCOMES, DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES INCLUDED THE PERCEIVED STRESSOR SCALE, BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA SCALE, AND DETERMINANTS OF MEDITATION PRACTICE INVENTORY (DOMPI). RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO, PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME (75% REPORTED INCOME <$50,000) AND SINGLE (82%) WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN THREE AGE STRATIFIED FOCUS GROUPS (18-34 YEARS, 35-65 YEARS, 66 YEARS AND OLDER). PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGED LIFE STRESS AND SHARED COMMON COPING MECHANISMS. THEY RECOGNIZED THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD BE BENEFICIAL AND DISCUSSED BARRIERS TO PRACTICE (INCLUDING PERSONAL AND STRUCTURAL). YOUNGER WOMEN REPORTED MORE TIME CONSTRAINTS AS BARRIERS, MIDDLE AGED WOMEN HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA, AND OLDER WOMEN IDENTIFIED THE SPIRITUAL COMPONENT TO YOGA/MINDFULNESS AS POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING WITH CURRENT COPING STRATEGIES. PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED WAYS TO SHARE MIND-BODY THERAPIES WITHIN THE AA COMMUNITY ALONG WITH SOLUTIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT. CONCLUSIONS: AA WOMEN ACKNOWLEDGED STRESS IN THEIR LIVES AND RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL COPING MEASURES. ALTHOUGH WOMEN REPORTED INTEREST IN YOGA/MINDFULNESS THEY IDENTIFIED BARRIERS, INCLUDING LIMITED ACCESS TO CONVENIENT CLASSES, AND OFFERED SUGGESTIONS FOR BRINGING YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. 2018 19 1778 39 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 20 5 35 "I JUST FIND IT EASIER TO LET GO OF ANGER": REFLECTIONS ON THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA INFLUENCES HOW YOUNG PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE WE DISCUSS HOW YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCED A SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION. WE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO HOW YOGA PROVIDES A SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THEIR EMOTIONS. WE BASE OUR DISCUSSION ON QUALITATIVE DATA FROM YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORWAY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROJECT "HIPPOCAMPUS: PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH YOGA." THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS ARE BASED ON EXPERIENCES DESCRIBED BY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND IN DIARIES OR LOGS. OUR DATA INCLUDE NINE INTERVIEWS PERFORMED IN THE SPRING OF 2019 WITH YOUNG PEOPLE OF NORWEGIAN AND REFUGEE BACKGROUND IN THEIR LATE TEENS AND EARLY TWENTIES. THERE WERE ALSO 133 LOGS NOTED BY THE STUDENTS EXPOSED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION. IN THE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOGA AND EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT, IMPROVED SLEEP HABITS, AND REGULATION. THEY ALSO REPORT IMPROVED ABILITY TO REGULATE AND COPE WITH STRESS. YOGA SEEMED ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR REFUGEE TRAUMA. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON THE UTTERANCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT EMOTIONS, AS THOSE WERE QUITE DOMINANT IN OUR DATA, ESPECIALLY IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED INSTANCES OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION, BUT ALSO OF EMOTIONAL PROCESSES AND CHANGES OF EMOTIONS, ALL OF WHICH WERE RELATED TO THESE YOUNG STUDENTS PRACTICING YOGA. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON EMOTIONS ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE. 2021