1 2674 137 YOGA IN PRINT MEDIA: MISSING THE HEART OF THE PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: POPULAR MEDIA TYPICALLY PORTRAY YOGA AS AN EXERCISE OR POSTURE PRACTICE DESPITE THE REALITY THAT YOGA COMPRISED EIGHT PRACTICES (CALLED LIMBS) INCLUDING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR, CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE CHOICES, POSTURES, BREATHING, INTROSPECTION, CONCENTRATION, MEDITATION, AND WHOLENESS. AIM: THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF YOGA PRACTICE AS REPRESENTED IN ARTICLES IN THE POPULAR YOGA MAGAZINE, YOGA JOURNAL. IT EXPLORED THE DEGREE TO WHICH ARTICLES REFERENCED EACH OF THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA AND OTHER CONTENTS (E.G., FITNESS, SPIRITUALITY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIX CODERS WERE TRAINED TO RELIABLY AND INDEPENDENTLY REVIEW 702 ARTICLES IN 33 YOGA JOURNAL ISSUES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2014, CODING FOR THE LIMBS OF YOGA AND OTHER CONTENTS. RESULTS: BREATHING AND POSTURES WERE MOST FREQUENTLY REFERENCED, WHICH WERE COVERED IN 48.7% AND 40.1% OF ARTICLES. INTERNAL PRACTICES WERE COVERED IN 36.5% OF ARTICLES WITH INTROSPECTION BEING THE MOST AND CONCENTRATION THE LEAST COMMONLY REFERRED TO INTERNAL PRACTICES. ETHICAL AND LIFESTYLE PRACTICES WERE LEAST FREQUENTLY COVERED (5.2% AND 6.8%). SINCE 2007, COVERAGE OF POSTURES STEADILY INCREASED, WHEREAS CONTENTS RELATED TO THE OTHER LIMBS STEADILY DECREASED. THE MOST FREQUENT OTHER CONTENTS RELATED TO FITNESS (31.7%), SPIRITUALITY (20.8), AND RELATIONSHIPS (18.7%) COVERAGE OF THESE DID NOT CHANGE ACROSS TIME. CONCLUSIONS: REPRESENTATION OF YOGA IN ARTICLES CONTAINED IN THE MOST POPULAR YOGA MAGAZINE IS HEAVILY BIASED IN FAVOR OF PHYSICAL PRACTICES. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED ABOUT HOW TO SHIFT MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF YOGA TO MAKE THE HEART OF THE PRACTICE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD EXPERIENCE HEALTH BENEFITS BUT CURRENTLY FEEL EXCLUDED FROM THE PRACTICE. 2017 2 2709 40 YOGA IS FOR EVERY (ABLE) BODY: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF DISABILITY THEMES WITHIN MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA. YOGA IS INCREASINGLY BEING RECOMMENDED AS A HEALTH SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR PEOPLE WITH A RANGE OF DISABILITIES. MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR LIMITED REPRESENTATION OF RACIAL/ETHNIC, GENDER, AGE, AND BODY SIZE DIVERSITY WITHIN THEIR PUBLICATIONS; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW THESE MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDE VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF OR TEXTUAL INFORMATION RELEVANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (PWDS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO UNDERSTAND IF AND HOW MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA VISUALLY REPRESENT AND INCLUDE INFORMATION FOR PWDS. WE CONDUCTED A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE "YOGAPEDIA" SECTION OF EACH YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN 2015 AND 2016 (N = 17). TWO INDEPENDENT CODERS RATED ALL OF THE IMAGES AND TEXT IN THESE SECTIONS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A THEMATIC APPROACH INFORMED BY A PROMINENT THEORETICAL MODEL OF DISABLEMENT. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMAGES CONTAINED NO REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY. IN CONTRAST, MAGAZINE TEXT INCLUDED AN ABUNDANCE OF REFERENCES TO DISABILITY; HOWEVER, THESE MENTIONS PREDOMINATELY ALIGNED WITH CONSTRUCTS FOUND EARLY IN THE DISABLEMENT PROCESS AND STRONGLY FOCUSED ON PHYSICAL AND MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. THESE FINDINGS EXPAND UPON PREVIOUS RESEARCH EXAMINING THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS WITHIN YOGA MEDIA AND ILLUMINATE A PAUCITY OF RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN AND MAY BENEFIT FROM YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 3 1510 30 IS THE "YOGA BOD" THE NEW SKINNY?: A COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MAINSTREAM YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE COVERS. AS YOGA HAS GAINED POPULARITY IN WESTERN CULTURE, CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT ITS INCREASED COMMERCIALIZATION AND ASSIMILATION INTO THE PREDOMINANTLY APPEARANCE-FOCUSED EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., RACE/ETHNICITY, BODY SIZE, SHAPE, OBJECTIFYING APPAREL) OF 142 FEMALE MODELS AND THE MEDIA FRAMES OF 567 CAPTIONS (E.G., COMMERCIALISM, BODY COMPETENCE, HEALTH, WEIGHT/PHYSICAL APPEARANCE) FEATURED ON THE COVERS OF THREE WESTERNIZED YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2010-2015. RESULTS INDICATED THAT MOST MODELS WERE WHITE, EMBODYING THE CONTEMPORARY "THIN-AND-LEAN" MEDIA FITNESS AESTHETIC. MODELS WERE ACTIVELY POSED WITH HIGH BODY VISIBILITY; AN APPRECIABLE MINORITY WAS PARTIALLY-CLAD IN SKIN-REVEALING OR FORM-FITTING UPPER-BODY ATTIRE. MEDIA FRAMES CONVEYING COMMERCIALISM AND BODY COMPETENCE WERE EQUALLY PRESENT. THE PATTERN OF EFFECTS TENDED TO REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGAZINE TITLE'S ENDORSEMENT OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURAL VALUES. CLINICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ALONG WITH FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 4 1284 30 GOT YOGA?: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF THEMATIC CONTENT AND MODELS' APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES IN ADVERTISEMENTS SPANNING FOUR DECADES OF YOGA JOURNAL. YOGA HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY COMMON HEALTH PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS OVER THE PAST DECADE. WITH THIS GROWTH IN POPULARITY, YOGA-RELATED PRINT MEDIA HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR SHIFTING AWAY FROM YOGA'S TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHIES AND PROMOTING A THIN, LEAN IDEAL PHYSIQUE REPRESENTING THE "YOGA BODY." THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO (A) ANALYZE THE PRESENCE AND CONTENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS OVER THE 40-YEAR PUBLICATION HISTORY OF YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE AND (B) EXPLORE FEMALE ADVERTISEMENT MODELS' SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES OVER TIME. RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA JOURNAL NOW CONTAINS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR FOOD, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, AND APPAREL AND FEWER ADVERTISEMENTS FOR MEDITATION AND NUTRITIONAL PRACTICES THAN IN ITS EARLY YEARS OF PUBLICATION. MODELS WERE MORE FREQUENTLY RATED AS WHITE AND IN THEIR 20S AND 30S IN RECENT YEARS OF PUBLICATION. TRENDS IN MODEL BODY SIZE MATCHED SHIFTS IN CULTURALLY DOMINANT BODY IDEALS OVER TIME. IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED. 2017 5 434 30 CANCER PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES OF YOGA: RESULTS FROM FOCUS GROUPS. PURPOSE: YOGA IS A "MIND-BODY" EXERCISE, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSES WITH BREATHING AND MEDITATION, AND MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS. WE AIMED TO EXPLORE CANCER PATIENTS' MOTIVES FOR PRACTICING YOGA, EXPERIENCES OF PRACTICING YOGA, AND PERCEIVED PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 45) FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES FOR CANCER PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS, OF WHOM 29 PARTICIPATED. THE FOCUS GROUPS (N = 5) WERE AUDIO TAPED WITH PRIOR CONSENT AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY TWO CODERS AND INDEPENDENTLY CODED INTO KEY ISSUES AND THEMES. RESULTS: MEAN AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 53.8 (SD 10.8) YEARS, OF WHOM 25 WERE WOMEN, AND 18 WERE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATION IN YOGA WERE RELAXATION, THE WILL TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, THE WISH TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO ONE'S BODY, COPING WITH PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS, CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR CANCER REHABILITATION PROCESS, AND COMBING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PROCESSES. MAIN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES OF YOGA MENTIONED BY PATIENTS WERE REGAINING BODY AWARENESS, RAISING ATTENTION TO THE INNER SELF, LEARNING HOW TO RELAX, ENJOYMENT, AND FINDING RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING. INCREASED PHYSICAL FITNESS AND FUNCTION, MENTAL STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE, INCREASED COPING, BEING MORE RELAXED, AND HAPPINESS WERE FREQUENTLY MENTIONED EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANCER PERCEIVED SEVERAL BENEFITS ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES BY PRACTICING YOGA. THEREFORE, YOGA CAN BE A VALUABLE FORM OF SUPPORTIVE CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS. 2013 6 1878 28 REALIZING YOGA'S ALL-ACCESS PASS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE CRITIQUE OF WESTERNIZED YOGA AND INCLUSIVE EMBODIMENT. IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY, THE ANCIENT MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS SURGED IN POPULARITY AMONG WESTERN ENTHUSIASTS FOR ITS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. PARTICULARLY, A GROWING EVIDENCE BASE SUPPORTS YOGA FOR CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND REDUCING RISK FOR DISORDERED EATING. NEVERTHELESS, AMIDST ITS RISE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT YOGA'S DEPARTURE FROM ITS SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS AND INCREASING ASSIMILATION INTO THE APPEARANCE- AND COMMERCIAL-DRIVEN EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, AN EXCLUSIONARY IDENTITY HAS BEEN PERPETUATED IN SHAPING NORMS SURROUNDING WHO CAN AND DOES PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH CONTRADICTS EARLIER EGALITARIAN VISIONS OF A YOGA FOR ALL. THEREFORE, WE ADOPT A SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS IN OFFERING A FOCUSED ANALYSIS OF THE INTERSECTION OF YOGA, EMBODIMENT, AND INCLUSION FOR SELECT MARGINALIZED SOCIAL IDENTITIES TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND IN YOGA SCHOLARSHIP. DATA ARE SYNTHESIZED FROM BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SOURCES AND INTEGRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CONFINED MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF "THE YOGA BODY" AND OTHER PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS MAY UNDERMINE THE PERCEIVED ACCESS TO THE PRACTICE FOR MEMBERS OF DIVERSE GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE WITH INVITING FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS FOSTERING MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AMONG THE VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS INVESTED IN ADVANCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION OF YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT FOR ALL BODIES. 2020 7 2346 27 USING REALIST EVALUATION TO UNDERSTAND PROCESS OUTCOMES IN A COVID-19-IMPACTED YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL: A WORKED EXAMPLE. REALIST EVALUATION OFFERS A VALUABLE WAY TO UNDERSTAND HOW INTERVENTIONS FUNCTION AND THUS HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED AND LOCALLY ADAPTED. CONSEQUENTLY, REALIST EVALUATION IS INCREASINGLY CONDUCTED IN PARALLEL WITH INTERVENTION TRIALS. IT COMPRISES A CLEAR PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION AND VIEW OF CAUSALITY, PRAGMATIC MIXED DATA COLLECTION METHODS, AND A THEORY-DRIVEN APPROACH IN WHICH HYPOTHESISED PROGRAM THEORIES ARE TESTED AND REFINED. HOWEVER, DETAILED METHODS FOR DATA ANALYSIS ARE SELDOM WELL-DESCRIBED IN REALIST STUDIES AND NO CLEAR METHOD FOR ANALYSING AND PRESENTING REALIST EVALUATION DATA HAS YET EMERGED. IN THIS METHODOLOGICAL PAPER WE USE THE WORKED EXAMPLE OF OUR REALIST PROCESS EVALUATION OF THE SAGE YOGA TRIAL TO ILLUSTRATE AN APPLIED PROCESS OF DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS. WE SHOW HOW WE DREW ON OTHER REALIST STUDIES FOR IDEAS, PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF SIX KEY TASKS INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING A REALIST PROCESS EVALUATION (INCLUDING CODING DATA AND STRUCTURING RESULTS) AND DESCRIBE STRATEGIES THAT DID NOT WORK AND OUR RATIONALE FOR REJECTING THEM. THIS DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE DECISIONS AND METHODS THAT WORKED FOR US IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL AND INFORMED POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR RESEARCHERS CONDUCTING A REALIST EVALUATION. 2021 8 1776 21 PRACTICE OR PERFORMANCE? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF YOGA-RELATED VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM. REPRESENTATIONS OF YOGA WITHIN MEDIA HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY IDEALISED, DEPICTING TYPICAL PRACTITIONERS AS YOUNG, THIN, AND PHYSICALLY COMPETENT. WHILE PREVIOUS CONTENT ANALYSES OF YOGA HAVE FOCUSED ON STILL IMAGES, SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SUCH AS INSTAGRAM ENCOURAGE THE USE OF VIDEO TO ENHANCE VIEWER ENGAGEMENT. VIDEO MAY CONTAIN FEATURES WHICH REFLECT A MORE NUANCED VIEW OF THE BODY, AND THEREFORE THE CURRENT STUDY ANALYSED 400 WOMEN IN YOGA-RELATED VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM FOR APPEARANCE CHARACTERISTICS, BODY CONCEPTUALISATION, YOGA POSE TYPE, RISK, AND PERCEIVED INTENTION. THE VAST MAJORITY OF WOMEN WERE PERCEIVED TO BE IN THEIR 20S AND THIN OR ATHLETIC. ONLY 13.2 % OF WOMEN SHOWED AVERAGE VISIBLE LEVELS OF BODY FAT, WHILE MORE THAN A THIRD DISPLAYED VISIBLE MUSCULARITY ACROSS MULTIPLE MUSCLE GROUPS. THERE WAS LITTLE PRESENCE OF OBJECTIFICATION WITH THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN IN ACTIVE POSES, THOUGH MORE THAN 60 % OF POSES/SEQUENCES WERE ADVANCED AND POTENTIALLY RISKY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF VIDEOS APPEARED TO BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEMONSTRATING SKILL RATHER THAN INSTRUCTING THE VIEWER. THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM PERPETUATE UNREALISTIC APPEARANCE IDEALS IN YOGA AND ALSO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR CONTENT CREATORS TO ENGAGE VIEWERS BY REPRESENTING YOGA AS A HIGHLY PERFORMATIVE, PREDOMINANTLY ADVANCED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2021 9 474 23 CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT THROUGH YOGA IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCES OF PRACTICING YOGA AND ITS ROLE WITHIN PROCESSES OF HEALING FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH COMPLEX TRAUMA HISTORIES. USING A HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHOD, DATA WERE ANALYZED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 39 WOMEN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE CORE MEANING OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCE OF HEALING THROUGH YOGA IS CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS OCCURRING ON A CONTINUUM WHEREBY WOMEN EXPERIENCED IMPROVED CONNECTIONS WITH AND SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES, EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS, AND A GREATER SENSE OF WELL-BEING, CALMNESS, AND WHOLENESS IN THEIR BODIES AND MINDS. A NUMBER OF INTERCONNECTED ESSENTIAL THEMES RELATED TO THIS CORE MEANING WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED, ILLUMINATING PROCESSES THAT SUPPORTED CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT AND CAPABILITIES THAT WERE ENABLED BY BEING MORE PEACEFULLY EMBODIED. ADDITIONAL THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED HIGHLIGHTING FACTORS THAT FACILITATED OR IMPEDED PARTICIPANTS' ENGAGEMENT WITH YOGA AND THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HEALING THROUGH YOGA. 2015 10 21 22 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED. 2018 11 647 25 DOWNWARD DOG BECOMES FIT BODY, INC.: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF 40 YEARS OF FEMALE COVER IMAGES OF YOGA JOURNAL. THE PRESENT ANALYSIS INVESTIGATED TEMPORAL TRENDS IN PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ATTRIBUTES AND ATTIRE WORN BY FEMALE COVER MODELS OF YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE BETWEEN THE YEARS 1975-2015. COVERS FEATURING A SINGLE FEMALE MODEL (N=168) WERE CODED FOR: POSE ACTIVITY, AMOUNT OF BODY VISIBILITY, PERCEIVED BODY SIZE, BODY SHAPE, BREAST SIZE, SKIN EXPOSURE, AND REVEALING OR FORM-FITTING ATTIRE. WHEN COLLAPSED ACROSS ALL DECADES, THE MAJORITY OF COVER MODELS WAS ACTIVELY POSED WITH HIGH BODY VISIBILITY, RATED AS AT MOST LOW NORMAL WEIGHT, POSSESSED EITHER A "THIN/LEAN" OR "SKINNY/BONEY" BODY SHAPE, AND WERE "FLAT-CHESTED" OR "SMALL-BREASTED". GREATER BODY VISIBILITY, POSE ACTIVITY, THINNESS/LEANNESS, SKIN EXPOSURE, AND FORM-FITTING ATTIRE WERE FEATURED ON MORE RECENT YEARS' COVERS. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE FEMALE "YOGA BODY" CONFORMS TO THE CONTEMPORARY THIN- AND-TONED MEDIA FITNESS IDEAL, PARTICULARLY RECENTLY, WHICH MAY PROMOTE OBJECTIFIED BODY COMPETENCE, AN UNHEALTHY DRIVE FOR LEANNESS, AND DISSUADE HIGHER WEIGHT WOMEN FROM CONSIDERING YOGA PRACTICE. 2017 12 2304 27 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 13 561 20 CREATING SPACE THROUGH AFRICA YOGA PROJECT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS EXAMINED TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES OF THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT (AYP), A MENTORING-ORIENTED YOGA PROGRAM FOR FOSTERING RESILIENCE AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IMPACTED BY POVERTY AND TRAUMA. INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED WITH AYP TEACHERS WERE CODED USING QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS. THEMES DEMONSTRATED THAT AYP BENEFITED PARTICIPANTS BY CREATING S.P.A.C.E. (SAFETY AND STABILITY, PERSONAL GROWTH, ACTION, CULTURAL DIVERSITY, AND EMPOWERMENT). THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATED WAYS IN WHICH THIS PROGRAM FOSTERED INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT. IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR PROVIDING YOGA AS A LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE HEALTH, ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DIVERSE SETTINGS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. 2016 14 1513 25 IS THIS WHAT A FEMALE YOGI LOOKS LIKE? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF YOGA IMAGES ON INSTAGRAM. AS YOGA CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN GLOBAL POPULARITY, IDEALIZED REPRESENTATIONS OF A THIN, ATHLETIC 'YOGA BODY' HAVE ALSO BECOME MORE PROMINENT ACROSS COMMERCIAL MEDIA. TO EXAMINE HOW YOGA IS TYPICALLY REPRESENTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE POSTS OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS ON INSTAGRAM WAS UNDERTAKEN. IMAGES WERE SOURCED USING HASHTAGS #YOGA, #YOGABODY, #YOGAPRACTICE, AND #YOGAWOMAN, AND 200 FEMALES PER HASHTAG WERE THEN CODED ON DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, BODY SHAPE, ACTIVITY, OBJECTIFICATION, AND PRACTICE OF YOGA. RESULTS SHOWED THAT OVER 90 % OF WOMEN IN THE IMAGES WERE CODED AS BEING UNDER 40 YEARS OF AGE WITH THE VAST MAJORITY IN THEIR 20 S. ALMOST THREE-QUARTERS OF WOMEN WERE PERCEIVED TO BE WHITE, 100 % APPEARED ABLE BODIED. MORE THAN 80 % WERE CLASSED AS THIN AND/OR ATHLETIC, WHILE LESS THAN 15 % DISPLAYED AVERAGE LEVELS OF VISIBLE BODY FAT. MORE THAN 50 % OF YOGA POSES WERE ADVANCED WHILE A QUARTER DISPLAYED POTENTIALLY UNSAFE ALIGNMENT. THE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE TYPICAL 'YOGA BODY' ON INSTAGRAM WAS PERCEIVED TO CONFORM TO THE YOUNG, THIN/ATHLETIC IDEAL AND THAT OVERALL YOGA IS NOT BEING REPRESENTED AS AN INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL PRACTICE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR WOMEN OF DIVERSE AGES, BODY TYPES, AND ABILITIES. 2021 15 3 23 "I AM A NICE PERSON WHEN I DO YOGA!!!" A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA AFFECTS RELATIONSHIPS. PURPOSE: TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOGA PRACTICE AFFECTS ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. DESIGN: QUALITATIVE. METHOD: CONTENT ANALYSIS WAS USED TO QUALITATIVELY ANALYZE WRITTEN COMMENTS (N = 171) MADE REGARDING YOGA IMPROVING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN A LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 1,067). FINDINGS: FOUR THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED: YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, INCREASES SOCIAL INTERACTION, PROVIDES COPING MECHANISMS TO WEATHER RELATIONSHIP LOSSES AND DIFFICULTIES, AND LEADS TO SPIRITUAL TRANSCENDENCE. PRACTITIONERS BELIEVED THAT THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IMPROVED BECAUSE THEIR ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE HAD CHANGED, MAKING THEM MORE PATIENT, KIND, MINDFUL, AND SELF-AWARE. THEY EXPRESSED AN ASPECT OF COMMUNITY THAT WAS BOTH PRACTICAL (THEY MET NEW FRIENDS) AND SPIRITUAL (THEY FELT THEY BELONGED). THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD BETTER WEATHER DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS DIVORCE AND DEATH. A NUMBER DISCUSSED FEELING A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND THAT THEIR PRACTICE CONTRIBUTED TO A GREATER GOOD. CONCLUSIONS: THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ASPECT OF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL TO ONE'S SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH. YOGA COULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR POPULATIONS AT RISK FOR SOCIAL ISOLATION, SUCH AS THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY, BEREAVED, AND DEPRESSED, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS UNDERGOING INTERPERSONAL CRISES. 2014 16 65 21 A CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBING MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOGA PRACTICE MAY SUPPORT POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS INDICES OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN CORRELATIONAL AND INTERVENTION STUDIES. YET, SYSTEMATIC, THEORETICALLY-GROUNDED MODELS DETAILING SPECIFIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA SUPPORTS POSITIVE EMBODIMENT ARE LACKING. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PRESENT A CONCEPTUAL MODEL THAT DESCRIBES MECHANISMS (I.E., MEDIATORS AND MODERATORS) THAT CAN BE USED TO GUIDE RESEARCH TO HELP ANSWER HOW, FOR WHOM, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS YOGA PRACTICE MAY PROMOTE POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. BASED ON EXISTING THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS, THIS MODEL SUGGESTS THAT (A) YOGA PRACTICE MAY CULTIVATE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES DURING YOGA (E.G., STATE MINDFULNESS), (B) THESE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY BUILD STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES THAT GENERALIZE BEYOND THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., TRAIT MINDFULNESS), AND (C) THESE STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY THEN PROMOTE EMBODYING PRACTICES (E.G., MINDFUL SELF-CARE). THIS MEDIATIONAL CHAIN IS LIKELY MODERATED BY THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS, PRESENCE OF MIRRORS, DIVERSITY OF BODIES REPRESENTED) AND YOGA PRACTITIONERS' SOCIAL IDENTITIES (E.G., BODY SIZE, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS), SOCIAL AND PERSONAL HISTORIES (E.G., EXPERIENCES WITH WEIGHT STIGMA AND TRAUMA), AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MOTIVES (E.G., BODY COMPARISON, APPEARANCE-FOCUSED MOTIVES TO PRACTICE YOGA). USING THE STRUCTURE OF THIS CONCEPTUAL MODEL, WE OFFER RESEARCHERS IDEAS FOR TESTABLE MODELS AND STUDY DESIGNS THAT CAN SUPPORT THEM. 2020 17 102 23 A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE TO RECOMMENDING YOGA. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACROSS THE GLOBE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. THE INTEREST IN YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE TOOL HAS ALSO GROWN WITHIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THE WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS ALIKE TO CHOOSE THE ONE THAT WILL OFFER THE MOST BENEFIT. THIS GUIDE WAS CREATED TO ASSIST PHYSICIANS IN MAKING INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. WHEN THE MOST SUITABLE STYLE IS SELECTED, YOGA CAN BE AN EXTREMELY USEFUL LIFESTYLE TOOL FOR PATIENTS SEEKING TO IMPROVE FITNESS AND DEVELOP A MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICE. 2018 18 2211 25 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 19 1310 31 HEALING MYTHS, YOGA STYLES AND SOCIAL BODIES: SOCIO-LOGICS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IN THE SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE. DRAWING ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS IN TWO YOGA STUDIOS IN THE HIGHLY SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE, THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE THAT EMERGE AT THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN YOGA STYLES AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF CONSUMPTION. ITS INSIGHTS EMERGE FROM THE COMPARISON OF THREE MODERN YOGA STYLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED FOR WESTERN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CULTURAL CONTEXTS - IYENGAR, BIKRAM AND FORREST - AND WHICH DIFFER IN FORM BUT ALSO IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THEIR EMERGENCE ON THE GLOBAL YOGA MARKET AND THAT OF THEIR RECEPTION IN FRANCE. THESE THREE YOGA STYLES ARE ALSO BRANDED THROUGH CONTRASTING MYTHOLOGIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING, AND THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO EXPLORE HOW A BRAND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE RELATES TO OR RESONATES WITH THE EMBODIED EXPERIENCES OF PRACTITIONERS, AND TO THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR PRACTICES ARE EMBEDDED. THE PAPER CONTRIBUTES A NEW CASE STUDY TO THE GLOBAL YOGA SCHOLARSHIP AND TO A POORLY STUDIED FRENCH YOGA SCENE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT CROSS-EXAMINES THE DISCOURSES THROUGH WHICH A YOGA STYLE IS BRANDED, THE WAY IT IS TRANSMITTED, AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT AND SOCIAL POSITIONING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE IT. COMBINING PERSPECTIVES ON THE BODY, NARRATIVE AND RITUALS, IT IDENTIFIES HOW YOGA HEALING IS CONSTRUED IN RELATION TO GENDER, ETHNICITY AND CLASS AND THE POINTS OF CONSENSUS AND DISSENT THAT EMERGE FROM THE ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN FRENCH SOCIAL BODIES AND EXOGENOUS YOGA STYLES. 2021 20 491 18 CO-DESIGNING A NEW YOGA-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE: A FORMATIVE EVALUATION. MOVEMENT-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS (MBI) ARE COMPLEX, MULTI-COMPONENT INTERVENTIONS FOR WHICH THE DESIGN PROCESS IS RARELY REPORTED. FOR PEOPLE WITH STROKE, EMERGING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS BENEFITS, BUT MAINSTREAM PROGRAMS ARE GENERALLY UNSUITABLE. WE AIMED TO DESCRIBE THE PROCESSES INVOLVED AND TO CONDUCT A FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI DESIGNED FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE. WE USED THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS FRAMEWORK AND PRINCIPLES OF CO-DESIGN. WE PURPOSEFULLY APPROACHED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS TO ESTABLISH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING THE INTERVENTION. MEMBERS COLLABORATED AND ITERATIVELY REVIEWED THE DESIGN AND CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM, FORMATTED INTO A TRAINING MANUAL. FOUR EXTERNAL YOGA TEACHERS INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWED THE PROGRAM. FORMATIVE EVALUATION INCLUDED REVIEW OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES AND DOCUMENTATION (E.G., FORMAL MEETING MINUTES, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, RESEARCHER OBSERVATIONS). THE DATA WERE SYNTHESIZED USING INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. THREE BROAD THEMES EMERGED: (A) MBI CONTENT AND TERMINOLOGY; (B) MANUAL DESIGN AND READABILITY; AND (C) BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO DELIVER THE INTERVENTION. VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AND FEEDBACK ON ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS GUIDED FINALIZING THE PROGRAM. THE DESIGN PHASE OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI WAS STRENGTHENED BY INTERDISCIPLINARY, CONSUMER CONTRIBUTIONS AND PEER REVIEW. THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION IS READY FOR TESTING AMONG SURVIVORS OF STROKE. 2021