1 1979 113 SLEEP DISORDER, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS SEEN IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER CHILDREN AND YOGA AS THERAPY: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A COMPLEX NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WITH DEFICIENCIES IN MANY DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES DURING THE INFANTILE CHILDHOOD. RECENT RESEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THAT APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, THE ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS DISTURBED SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THEIR DAYTIME BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS. LOTS OF PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT, LACK OF SLEEP AMONG THE CHILDREN HAVE RESULTED IN HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE FAMILY MEMBERS PARTICULARLY AMONG THE IMMEDIATE CARETAKERS WHICH ARE IN MOST CASES THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD. EARLY BEHAVIOUR INTERVENTION IS A NORM FOR ASD CHILDREN WHICH MAINLY AFFECT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL. THROUGH THIS PAPER, AN EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO STUDY THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY YOGA IN ORDER TO MITIGATE SUCH PROBLEMS. YOGA IS A NON-INVASIVE AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPY THAT BRINGS CHANGE IN BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL OF AN INDIVIDUAL. HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE CARETAKERS OF THESE CHILDREN COULD MAKE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS ETC. PARENTAL BASED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY. 2016 2 2191 27 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 3 1126 50 EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP, GASTROINTESTINAL AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. INTRODUCTION: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A NEURO DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WHICH APPEARS AT EARLY CHILDHOOD AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 36 MONTHS. APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) PROBLEMS. MAJOR BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN ARE LACK OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION, LESS ATTENTION SPAN, REPETITIVE AND RESTRICTIVE BEHAVIOUR, LACK OF EYE TO EYE CONTACT, AGGRESSIVE AND SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOURS, SENSORY INTEGRATION PROBLEMS, MOTOR PROBLEMS, DEFICIENCY IN ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ETC. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION WILL BRINGS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FIND OUT EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP PROBLEMS, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN EXPLORATORY STUDY WITH PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST CONTROL DESIGN. THREE SETS OF QUESTIONNAIRES HAVING 61 QUESTIONS DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE BASED ON THREE PROBLEMATIC AREAS OF ASD CHILDREN AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND WERE ADMINISTERED TO PARENTS BY TEACHERS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF RESEARCHER AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS GIVEN YOGA INTERVENTION FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS AND CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED WITH SCHOOL CURRICULUM. RESULTS: BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS INTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE SEEN POST YOGA INTERVENTION IN THREE AREAS OF PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANCE VALUE OF 0.001 IN THE RESULT. CONCLUSION: STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE CONDUCTED FOR A LARGE GROUP OF ASD CHILDREN WITH PARENT'S INVOLVEMENT. YOGA CAN BE USED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS OF ASD CHILDREN. 2017 4 2423 27 YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS FOR PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. EARLY CHILDHOOD AND THE PRE-SCHOOL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT CONSTITUTE A DYNAMIC PERIOD FOR ACQUISITION OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES. YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES (YMP) HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY USED IN SCHOOLS FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, BUT LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR UTILITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW USING PRISMA GUIDELINES WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF YMP ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL FUNCTION AMONG PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN (3-5 YEARS). THE REVIEW RESULTED IN IDENTIFICATION OF 1115 RECORDS, OF WHICH 80 FULL TEXT ARTICLES WERE SCREENED, WITH FINAL INCLUSION OF 16 STUDIES. INCLUDED STUDIES EVALUATED THE EFFECT OF YMP ON SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING, AND IDENTIFIED THE POTENTIAL FOR YMP TO IMPROVE REGULATORY SKILLS SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL SELF-REGULATION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. AMONG STUDIES REVIEWED, 13 REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN THESE DOMAINS, BUT QUALITY APPRAISAL INDICATED SIGNIFICANT VARIABILITY IN RISK OF BIAS ACROSS STUDIES, AND HETEROGENEITY OF OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS HINDERED COMPARISON. PROGRAMS APPEARED TO PRODUCE BETTER RESULTS WHEN IMPLEMENTED FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS AND AMONG CHILDREN WHO HAD LOWER BASELINE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING. YMP CONSTITUTE A PROMISING STRATEGY FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS, BUT ADDITIONAL RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO EXPAND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW AND WHY THESE PROGRAMS ARE EFFECTIVE. 2021 5 331 34 APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY TO INCREASE IMITATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND/AIM: CHILDREN WITH AUTISM EXHIBIT SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS IN IMITATION SKILLS, WHICH IMPEDE THE ACQUISITION OF MORE COMPLEX BEHAVIOR AND SOCIALIZATION. IMITATION IS OFTEN TARGETED EARLY IN INTERVENTION PLANS AND CONTINUES TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE CHILD'S TREATMENT. THE USE OF INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS RARELY REPORTED AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH THERAPIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED IAYT AS A TREATMENT METHOD WITH CHILDREN WITH ASD TO INCREASE IMITATIVE SKILLS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARENTS AND SIX CHILDREN WITH ASD PARTICIPATED IN A 10-MONTH PROGRAM OF 5-WEEKLY SESSIONS AND REGULAR PRACTICE AT HOME. PRE, MID AND POST TREATMENT ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED OBSERVERS AND PARENT RATINGS OF CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS IN TASKS RELATED TO IMITATION SKILLS SUCH AS GROSS MOTOR ACTIONS, VOCALIZATION, COMPLEX IMITATION, ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS AND IMITATING BREATHING EXERCISES. RESULTS: IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS ESPECIALLY POINTING TO BODY, POSTURAL AND ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS. PARENTS REPORTED CHANGE IN THE PLAY PATTERN OF THESE CHILDREN WITH TOYS, PEERS AND OBJECTS AT HOME. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT IAYT MAY OFFER BENEFITS AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO INCREASE IMITATION, COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SOCIAL-COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH ASD. IN ADDITION, CHILDREN EXHIBITED INCREASED SKILLS IN EYE CONTACT, SITTING TOLERANCE, NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND RECEPTIVE SKILLS TO VERBAL COMMANDS RELATED TO SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP. 2010 6 853 26 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND THE FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS. YOGA AS A MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTION IS INCREASINGLY CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE THE MOTOR SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEIR MOTOR SKILLS. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF GROUP YOGA PROGRAM ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. FORTY-THREE CHILDREN WITH ASD FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 23) AND CONTROL (N = 20) GROUP. A STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM OF 45 MIN FOR 12 WEEKS WAS DELIVERED BY TRAINED YOGA TEACHERS WHO ALSO TRACKED THEIR DAILY RESPONSES. THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY. SECOND EDITION WAS USED TO ASSESS BOTH THE GROUPS PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA APPEARS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE GROSS MOTOR RATHER THAN FINE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND IS FEASIBLE TO BE DELIVERED AS GROUP INTERVENTION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. 2022 7 1632 37 MIYOGA: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT PROGRAMME BASED ON HATHA YOGA PRINCIPLES FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY: A STUDY PROTOCOL. INTRODUCTION: CEREBRAL PALSY (CP) IS THE MOST COMMON CHILDHOOD PHYSICAL DISABILITY, WITH LIFE-LONG IMPACTS FOR 1.77 IN 1000 CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH CP IS PRIMARILY A PHYSICAL DISABILITY, CHILDREN WITH CP HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF EXPERIENCING COGNITIVE DIFFICULTIES, PARTICULARLY ATTENTION AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTION DEFICITS. IMPAIRMENT IN COGNITIVE ABILITIES CAN LEAD TO SUBSEQUENT IMPAIRMENT IN INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONING, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THIS PAPER REPORTS THE PROTOCOL OF A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A NOVEL FAMILY-CENTRED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION BASED ON MINDFULNESS AND HATHA YOGA PRINCIPLES (MIYOGA). MIYOGA AIMS TO ENHANCE CHILD AND PARENT OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WITH CP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: THE AIM IS TO RECRUIT 36 CHILD-PARENT DYADS (CHILDREN AGED 6-16 YEARS; BILATERAL OR UNILATERAL CP; GROSS MOTOR FUNCTION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM I-III), WHO WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO TWO GROUPS: MIYOGA ANDWAITLISTT CONTROL. THE MIYOGA PROGRAMME WILL BE FACILITATED IN A GROUP FORMAT FOR 8 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS WILL BE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, PRIOR TO MIYOGA, FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF MIYOGA, AND AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (RETENTION). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WILL BE THE CHILD'S SUSTAINED ATTENTIONAL ABILITY AS MEASURED BY THE CONNER'S CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE TEST II. OTHER OUTCOMES OF INTEREST FOR CHILDREN WITH CP CONSISTS OF ATTENTIONAL CONTROL, PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, BEHAVIOURAL AND WELL-BEING. FOR PARENTS, THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST ARE MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY AND WELL-BEING. DATA WILL BE ANALYSED USING GENERAL LINEAR MODELS, SPECIFICALLY ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: FULL ETHICAL APPROVAL FOR THIS STUDY HAS BEEN OBTAINED BY THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH QUEENSLAND HOSPITAL AND HEALTH SERVICE RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE (HREC/12/QRCH/120) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND (2012000993). IF MIYOGA IS PROVEN EFFECTIVE, ITS DISSEMINATION WOULD ASSIST CHILDREN WITH CP AND COMPLEMENT THEIR ONGOING THERAPY BY IMPROVING THE ABILITY OF THE CHILD TO PAY ATTENTION AT SCHOOL AND IN THERAPY, AND ALLEVIATING ENVIRONMENTALSTRESSORSS FOR BOTH THE CHILD AND HIS/HER PARENTS. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12613000729729; PRE-RESULTS.HTTP://WWW.ANZCTR.ORG.AU/ACTRN12613000729729.ASPX DATE OF TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED ON 2 JULY 2013-PRESENT (ONGOING). FINDINGS TO DATE: RECRUITMENT IS COMPLETE. DATA ARE STILL BEING COLLECTED AT PRESENT. WE AIM TO COMPLETE DATA COLLECTION BY FEBRUARY 2017. 2017 8 2312 22 TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS. RESEARCH ON POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND CHRONIC CHILDHOOD ABUSE HAS REVEALED THAT TRADITIONAL TRAUMA TREATMENTS OFTEN FAIL TO FULLY ADDRESS THE COMPLICATED SYMPTOM PRESENTATION, INCLUDING THE SOMATIC COMPLAINTS, LOSS OF AWARENESS OF ONE'S EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT, AND OVERALL LACK OF INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE SELF AND THE BODY. THE MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTION OF HATHA YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT, AND FOCUSES ON PERSONAL GROWTH IN ADDITION TO SYMPTOM REDUCTION. THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORED THE EXPERIENCES OF THIRTY-ONE ADULT WOMEN WITH PTSD RELATED TO CHRONIC CHILDHOOD TRAUMA WHO PARTICIPATED IN A 10-WEEK TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA CLASS, SPECIFICALLY EXAMINING PERCEIVED CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS AND PERSONAL GROWTH. FIVE THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED THAT REFLECT PARTICIPANTS' FEELINGS OF GRATITUDE AND COMPASSION, RELATEDNESS, ACCEPTANCE, CENTEREDNESS, AND EMPOWERMENT. RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND CLINICAL WORK ARE PRESENTED. 2017 9 1604 27 MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - THE CASE FOR YOGA IN SCHOOLS. BACKGROUND: MENTAL WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IS DETERIORATING. POOR MENTAL WELLBEING CAN BE RELATED TO UNMANAGED STRESS. ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ARE WIDESPREAD AND RESULT IN YOUNG PEOPLE HAVING STRESSFUL LIVES. STRESS HAS MANY MANIFESTATIONS, AND COPING WITH IT CAN LEAD TO RISKY HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOURS. MAIN BODY: A SAFE, SCIENTIFICALLY-SUPPORTED, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SET OF STRESS-REDUCTION SKILLS IS PROVIDED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. AT PRESENT, YOGA IS AVAILABLE PRIVATELY, NOT PUBLICLY. AFTER APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED AND EVALUATED INTERVENTIONS, THE PUBLIC PROVISION OF YOGA COULD BE INTEGRATED WITHIN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, THEREBY REDUCING THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION AND OFFERING A PREVENTATIVE STRATEGY TO PROMOTE POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. SHORT CONCLUSION: WE SUGGEST THAT THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF AN INVESTMENT IN A CURRICULUM-EMBEDDED SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WOULD DO MUCH TO REDUCE STRESS BOTH NOW FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 2018 10 562 24 CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD), INCLUDING POOR GROSS AND FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE, POOR BALANCE, AND INCOORDINATION. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. OBJECTIVE: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION USING CREATIVE YOGA ON THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD WERE EVALUATED. DESIGN: THIS STUDY HAD A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED BETWEEN 5 AND 13 YEARS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST-DELIVERED YOGA OR ACADEMIC INTERVENTION. CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MOTOR MEASURE, THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PERFORMANCE-2ND EDITION (BOT-2). THE IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN USING FAMILIAR TRAINING-SPECIFIC ACTIONS (IE, POSES FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BUILDING ACTIONS FOR THE ACADEMIC GROUP) WERE ALSO ASSESSED. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED GROSS MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND DISPLAYED FEWER IMITATION/PRAXIS ERRORS WHEN COPYING TRAINING-SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. IN CONTRAST, CHILDREN IN THE ACADEMIC GROUP IMPROVED THEIR FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND PERFORMED FEWER IMITATION ERRORS WHILE COMPLETING THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC BUILDING ACTIONS. LIMITATIONS: THE STUDY LIMITATIONS INCLUDE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND LACK OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE PROMISING TOOLS FOR ENHANCING THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2019 11 1893 26 RELAXATION RESPONSE-BASED YOGA IMPROVES FUNCTIONING IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE TO DEVELOP AND OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A NOVEL MOVEMENT-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE APPROACH FOR CHILDREN WITH AN AUTISM-SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). DESIGN: A WITHIN-SUBJECT ANALYSIS COMPARING PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON TWO STANDARD MEASURES OF CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WAS USED. SETTINGS AND LOCATION: THE INTERVENTION AND DATA ANALYSIS OCCURRED AT A TERTIARY CARE, MEDICAL SCHOOL TEACHING HOSPITAL. SUBJECTS: TWENTY-FOUR (24) CHILDREN AGED 3-16 YEARS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF AN ASD COMPRISED THE STUDY GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK MULTIMODAL YOGA, DANCE, AND MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM BASED ON THE RELAXATION RESPONSE (RR) WAS DEVELOPED AND EXAMINED. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE STUDY OUTCOME WAS MEASURED USING THE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN, SECOND EDITION (BASC-2) AND THE ABERRANT BEHAVIORAL CHECKLIST (ABC). RESULTS: ROBUST CHANGES WERE FOUND ON THE BASC-2, PRIMARILY FOR 5-12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON THE ATYPICALITY SCALE OF THE BASC-2, WHICH MEASURES SOME OF THE CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: A MOVEMENT-BASED, MODIFIED RR PROGRAM, INVOLVING YOGA AND DANCE, SHOWED EFFICACY IN TREATING BEHAVIORAL AND SOME CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, PARTICULARLY FOR LATENCY-AGE CHILDREN. 2011 12 2878 22 YOGA-TEACHING PROTOCOL ADAPTED FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. CONTEXT: CHILDHOOD VISUAL DEFICIENCY IMPAIRS CHILDREN'S NEURO-PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT, CONSIDERABLY AFFECTING PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH. YOGA'S MULTIFACETED APPROACH MAY HELP CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (VI) TO COPE WITH THEIR CHALLENGES. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP A SPECIAL PROTOCOL FOR TEACHING YOGA TO CHILDREN WITH VI, AND TO EVALUATE THEIR PREFERRED METHOD OF LEARNING. METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AT RAMANA MAHARISHI ACADEMY FOR THE BLIND, BENGALURU, SOUTH INDIA. FORTY-ONE STUDENTS VOLUNTEERED TO LEARN YOGA PRACTICES, AND CLASSES WERE HELD WEEKLY 5 DAYS, 1 HR PER SESSION FOR 16 WEEKS. THE STUDY INTRODUCED A NEW METHOD USING A SEQUENCE OF FIVE TEACHING STEPS: VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS, TACTILE MODELING, STEP-BY-STEP TEACHING, LEARNING IN A GROUP, AND PHYSICAL GUIDANCE. A QUESTIONNAIRE CONCERNING THE PREFERRED STEPS OF LEARNING WAS THEN GIVEN TO EACH STUDENT, AND VERBAL ANSWERS WERE OBTAINED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 33 (OUT OF 41), AGED 11.97 +/- 1.94, 15 GIRLS AND 18 BOYS RESPONDED. TWENTY-SIX (78.79%) CHOSE PHYSICAL GUIDANCE AS THEIR MOST FAVORED LEARNING MODE. CONCLUSIONS: SPECIALLY DESIGNED PROTOCOL MAY PAVE THE WAY TO IMPART YOGA IN AN EXCITING AND COMFORTABLE WAY TO CHILDREN WITH VI. MORE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS NEW YOGA PROTOCOL IN SIMILAR SETTINGS. 2016 13 946 22 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEKS YOGA INTERVENTION ON MOTOR AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN. SINCE EARLY CHILDHOOD IS REGARDED AS AN IMPORTANT PERIOD OF MOTOR AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON MOTOR ABILITES AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAS MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF A 12 WEEKS' YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON MOTOR AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN. PRESCHOOL CHILDREN (N = 45; AGE 5-6 YEARS) ATTENDING REGULAR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS WERE NON-RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 23; 30 MIN SESSIONS THREE TIMES PER WEEK) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 22; NO ADDITIONAL ORGANIZED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM). EXERCISE TRAINING FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP INCLUDED YOGA PROGRAM. MOTOR ABILITIES (BOT-2 SUBTESTS: FINE MOTOR INTEGRATION, MANUAL DEXTERITY, BALANCE AND BILATERAL COORDINATION), AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES (SCHOOL MATURITY TEST SUBTESTS: VISUAL MEMORY, STACKING CUBES AND CODES) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD IN BOTH GROUPS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA. PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP IMPROVED FINE MOTOR INTEGRATION (P = 0.022), FINE MOTOR SKILLS IN GENERAL (0.029), BILATERAL COORDINATION (0.000), BALANCE (0.000), AND BODY COORDINATION (0.000). PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE PRESCHOOL YOGA INTERVENTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THEIR MOTOR ABILITIES, BUT NOT THEIR COGNITIVE ABILITIES. 2021 14 478 24 CLINICAL CASE REPORT: YOGA FOR FATIGUE IN FIVE YOUNG ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. PURPOSE: CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE (CRF) IS A DISTRESSING CONSEQUENCE OF CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT. CRF IMPACTS MANY YOUNG ADULT (YA) SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, COMPROMISING WORK, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES. NO SATISFACTORY TREATMENT EXISTS. THIS PILOT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK TWICE/WEEK IYENGAR YOGA (IY) INTERVENTION FOR TREATING PERSISTENT FATIGUE IN YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. METHODS: USING A SINGLE-ARM MIXED-METHODS DESIGN, ADULT CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 39 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A SURVIVORSHIP CLINIC AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION. QUANTITATIVE: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS FATIGUE AS MEASURED BY THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-FATIGUE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, MULTIDIMENSIONAL FATIGUE, MOOD, AND SLEEP. WEEKLY SELF-REPORT MONITORING DATA WERE COLLECTED. QUALITATIVE: PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED A POST-INTERVENTION INTERVIEW, MAJOR THEMES EVALUATED. RESULTS: FIVE PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED INTO THE STUDY AND FOUR COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ATTENDANCE WAS 92% AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EVENTS. BASELINE MOBILITY WAS HIGHLY VARIED, WITH ONE YA HAVING HAD A HEMIPELVECTOMY. QUANTITATIVE DATA REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FATIGUE, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, SOMATIZATION, AND GENERAL AND EMOTIONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA. QUALITATIVE DATA CROSS VALIDATED, CLARIFIED, AND EXPANDED UPON THE QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF IY INTERVENTION IS SAFE FOR YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, EVEN FOR THOSE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. PRELIMINARY EFFICACY WAS DEMONSTRATED FOR THE PRIMARY OUTCOME OF FATIGUE. QUALITATIVE DATA ELUCIDATED ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS WORK-RELATED SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND A SENSE OF CALM AND RELAXATION. 2017 15 1394 30 IMPACT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH RETINOBLASTOMA. BACKGROUND: CHILDHOOD CANCERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A PSYCHOLOGICAL BURDEN TO THE PARENTS AND HENCE, DECLINE THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF 12-WEEKS YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED WITH RETINOBLASTOMA. METHOD: SINGLE ARM PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL TRIAL CONDUCTED FROM OCTOBER 2015 TO OCTOBER 2017 AT THE LABORATORY FOR MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS, DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. A PRE-TESTED 12-WEEKS YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION INCLUDED ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), DHYANA (MEDITATION), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, LECTURES AND FILMS ON YOGA, INTERACTIVE SESSIONS AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE WAS ADMINISTERED TO THE PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: 12-WEEKS OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMME LEADS TO A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE PARENTS OF RETINOBLASTOMA PATIENTS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL THE DOMAINS (PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND ENVIRONMENT) OF WHOQOL-BREF FROM BASELINE (DAY 0) TO 12-WEEKS OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION. YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ALSO LED TO A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE LEVELS OF BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR, DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE, SIRTUIN 1 AND DECREASED THE CORTISOL AND IL-6 LEVELS. CONCLUSION: YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION REDUCED THE SEVERITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND RESULTED IN IMPROVEMENT IN OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND UPREGULATION IN LEVELS OF SYSTEMIC BIOMARKERS OF NEUROPLASTICITY. YBLI MAY SERVE AS A BENEFICIAL THERAPY AND MAY ALSO ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM FOR BETTER STRESS MANAGEMENT TO DEVELOP BETTER COPING STRATEGIES IN THE PARENTS OF RETINOBLASTOMA PATIENTS. 2019 16 1908 34 REVIEW: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS FOR YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: REVIEW OF THE CURRENT EVIDENCE. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAMS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS A SUPPLEMENTAL INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). INCREASING NUMBERS OF CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND SCHOOLS ARE PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH AN ENTHUSIASM THAT FAR EXCEEDS THE RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THEIR EFFICACY. THERAPIES THAT ARE SAFE BUT NOT EFFECTIVE MAY NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE HARM. NEVERTHELESS, THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF LIMITED TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES MAY RESULT IN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. THE NEED FOR CLEARLY DEFINED, EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPIES FOR YOUTH WITH ASD IS ESSENTIAL. METHOD: ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PEER-REVIEWED INTERVENTION RESEARCH STUDIES USING THE KEY WORDS AUTISTIC OR AUTISM IN COMBINATION WITH YOGA, MINDFULNESS, OR MEDITATION. EIGHT STUDIES MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS CRITICAL REVIEW OF EIGHT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH STUDIES THAT IMPLEMENTED YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH ASD. ALTHOUGH FEW STUDIES REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN CORE SYMPTOMS OF ASD, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE FEASIBLE AND MAY IMPROVE A VARIETY OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION AND IMITATIVE BEHAVIORS; INCREASED TOLERANCE OF SITTING AND OF ADULT PROXIMITY; SELF-CONTROL; QUALITY OF LIFE; AND SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL COGNITION, PREOCCUPATIONS, AND SOCIAL MOTIVATION. REDUCTIONS IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS, IRRITABILITY, LETHARGY, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, AND NONCOMPLIANCE WERE ALSO REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ASD IS INCONCLUSIVE. THE CURRENT BODY OF RESEARCH HAS SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, NO FIDELITY MEASURES, AND NO CONTROL GROUPS. EACH OF THE EIGHT STUDIES, HOWEVER, REPORTED SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL METRICS. THESE EARLY RESULTS ARE PROMISING AND SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT SUPPORT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2019 17 1205 20 EXPERIENCES OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN MIYOGA, AN EMBODIED MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM FOR CEREBRAL PALSY: A MIXED METHOD STUDY. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM (MIYOGA) WAS DEVELOPED AND TRIALLED WITH CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND THEIR PARENTS. THIS MIXED-METHOD STUDY EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCES OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN MIYOGA, TO ASSESS ITS ACCEPTABILITY, FEASIBILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OF THE FORTY-TWO CHILD-PARENT DYADS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE MIYOGA RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL, 19 CHILDREN AND 22 PARENTS WERE INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY IN A SEMI-STRUCTURED WAY ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES OF MIYOGA. PARTICIPANTS RATED THEIR MOOD ON A 5-POINT SCALE BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION AND COMPLETED SHORT QUESTIONNAIRES AT THE END OF EACH SESSION. RESULTS: CHILDREN AND PARENTS REPORTED IMPROVED MOOD AFTER EACH MIYOGA SESSION. PARENTS REPORTED BEING MORE AWARE OF THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND POSSIBLY BECAME MORE AWARE OF THEIR DAY-TO-DAY MINDLESSNESS. CONCLUSION: MIYOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED CHILDREN AND PARENTS' MOOD. PARENTS REPORTED GAINS IN AWARENESS AS WELL AS CHALLENGES OF ADHERING TO THE HOME PRACTICE. 2019 18 1127 28 EFFICACY OF THE GET READY TO LEARN YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS USE SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS, BUT THESE INTERVENTIONS TYPICALLY LACK MANUALIZATION AND EVIDENCE FROM WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES. USING AN EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GET READY TO LEARN (GRTL) CLASSROOM YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). THE INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED THE MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM DAILY FOR 16 WK, AND THE CONTROL GROUP ENGAGED IN THEIR STANDARD MORNING ROUTINE. WE ASSESSED CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS WITH STANDARDIZED MEASURES AND BEHAVIOR CODING BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. WE COMPLETED A BETWEEN-GROUPS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN GAIN SCORES ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. STUDENTS IN THE GRTL PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES (P < .05) IN TEACHER RATINGS OF MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR, AS MEASURED WITH THE ABERRANT BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT USE OF DAILY CLASSROOMWIDE YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON KEY CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS AMONG CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2012 19 148 24 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 20 1569 26 MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND YOGA. NOW-A-DAYS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROBLEMS ALONG WITH INFERTILITY IN MALE IS VERY OFTEN OBSERVED. VARIOUS ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT COMMON PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD THE COST OF SUCH PROCEDURES. VARIOUS AYURVEDIC AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES, ALONG WITH REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE ARE PROVEN TO BE NOT ONLY EFFECTIVE TO ENHANCE THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN MEN TO PRODUCE A SUCCESSFUL PREGNANCY, BUT ALSO TO REGULATE SEXUAL DESIRE IN MEN WHO PRACTICE CELIBACY. YOGA IS REPORTED TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY, IMPROVE AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS BY TRIGGERING NEUROHORMONAL MECHANISMS BY THE SUPPRESSION OF SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, AND EVEN, TODAY, SEVERAL REPORTS SUGGESTED REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE FROM CHILDHOOD IS BENEFICIAL FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. IN THIS REGARD THE PRESENT REVIEW IS AIMED TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO HAVE A BETTER REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND TO PREVENT INFERTILITY. 2013