1 2454 121 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. METABOLIC SYNDROME (MS) IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SEDENTARY AND STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE AND AFFECTS UNDERACTIVE PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE A LOW-IMPACT MIND-BODY STRESS-RELIEVING EXERCISE, AND RESEARCHERS ARE INCREASING THEIR FOCUS ON THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MANAGING METABOLIC DISORDERS. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA INTERVENTION, IN TERMS OF ITS TYPE, DURATION AND FREQUENCY ON VARIOUS MS RISK FACTORS. THE PRESENT REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS SUCH AS GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS MARKERS, LIPID PROFILE, ADIPOCYTOKINES AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS, AND DISCUSSES THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION. MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WERE SEARCHED FROM THEIR INCEPTION UP TO DECEMBER 2019, USING THE KEYWORDS "METABOLIC SYNDROME," "DIABETES," "CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES," "OBESITY" AND "YOGA." THE LITERATURE SUMMARIZED IN THIS REVIEW HAVE SHOWN MIXED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MS RISK FACTORS AND DO NOT PROVIDE ROBUST EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY. MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND WELL-DESIGNED TRIALS THAT HAVE A HIGHER STANDARD OF METHODOLOGY AND EVALUATE YOGA'S LONG-TERM IMPACTS ON MS ARE NEEDED. UNDERSTANDING YOGA'S BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON VARIOUS METABOLIC PATHWAYS IS ALSO NEEDED. 2021 2 1927 39 ROLE OF YOGA IN CARDIAC DISEASE AND REHABILITATION. PURPOSE: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CONTINUES TO BE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AROUND THE WORLD. YOGA, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA), HAS GAINED INCREASING RECOGNITION AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE. IN THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW, WE INTENDED TO REVIEW THE EMERGING EVIDENCE ASSESSING THE PHYSIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS A COMPONENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION. METHODS: WE SEARCHED PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES FOR LITERATURE RELATED TO CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF YOGA FROM INCEPTION UP UNTIL 2017. RESULTS: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, STRESS, THE CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS A USEFUL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT ALGORITHMS. ALTHOUGH MANY INVESTIGATORS HAVE REPORTED THE CLINICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY, EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THESE CONCLUSIONS IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED, THEREBY EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR LARGE, WELL-DESIGNED RANDOMIZED TRIALS THAT MINIMIZE BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS. 2019 3 1294 27 GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR RANDOMIZED TRIALS. LITTLE GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS IN DEVELOPING TREATMENT PROTOCOLS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR HEALTH CONCERNS. BECAUSE YOGA IS A COMPLEX MULTIFACTORIAL MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE HISTORICALLY DEVELOPED FOR NONMEDICAL PURPOSES, NUMEROUS DECISIONS MUST BE MADE IN ORDER TO THOUGHTFULLY DEVELOP SUCH PROTOCOLS. IN THIS PAPER, A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS PROPOSED TO ASSIST RESEARCHERS IN SELECTING AN INTERVENTION THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE CONDITION UNDER CONSIDERATION AND EXPLICITLY DEVELOPED. RESEARCHERS NEED TO CONSIDER THE TYPE OR "STYLE" OF YOGA, THE COMPONENTS TO INCLUDE (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES, POSTURES) AS WELL AS THE SPECIFIC PROTOCOL FOR EACH COMPONENT, THE DOSE TO BE DELIVERED (FREQUENCY, DURATION OF PRACTICE, AND THE TOTAL DURATION OF PRACTICE), AND ISSUES RELATED TO SELECTION OF INSTRUCTORS AND MONITORING THE FIDELITY TO THE INTERVENTION. EACH OF THESE DOMAINS AND THE KEY ISSUES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOLS IS DISCUSSED. FINALLY, SOME AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH RELATED TO PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT ARE RECOMMENDED. 2012 4 1518 34 IS YOGA CONSIDERED EXERCISE WITHIN SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS? A SCOPING REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR CHOICE OF EXERCISE FOR THE WESTERN POPULATION, WITH PEOPLE ENGAGING IN YOGA FOR A RANGE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING REASONS. THE AIM OF THIS SCOPING REVIEW IS TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA IS CONSIDERED AN EXERCISE MODALITY WITHIN RELEVANT LEADING JOURNALS, AS EVIDENCED BY ITS CONSIDERATION IN SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (SRS) OF EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES. METHODS: DESIGN: SCOPING REVIEW. DATA SOURCES: THREE LEADING SOURCES (SPORTS MEDICINE, BRITISH JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE AND COCHRANE COLLABORATION) WERE SEARCHED. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: THE TEN MOST RECENTLY PUBLISHED SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES FROM EACH JOURNAL WERE INCLUDED (N = 30) THAT MET THESE CRITERIA: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW STUDYING HUMANS PARTICIPATING IN GENERAL EXERCISE AND MEASURING A HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOME. EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS WITH ANY SPECIFIC QUALIFYING TERMS (E.G. AQUATIC, STRENGTH, AEROBIC) WERE EXCLUDED. RESULTS: THE ARTICLES RETRIEVED WERE PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2019, AND COLLECTIVELY INCLUDED 991 INTERVENTIONS. SEVEN REVIEWS EXPLICITLY STATED THAT YOGA WAS TO BE INCLUDED/EXCLUDED WHILE TWENTY-THREE STUDIES MADE NO MENTION OF HOW YOGA WAS BEING CONSIDERED IN THE METHODOLOGY. FIVE STUDIES INCLUDED YOGA IN THE SEARCH STRATEGY, IMPLYING ITS INCLUSION. POST-HOC ANALYSES FOUND THAT THE DEFINITIONS OF EXERCISE IN GENERAL WERE ALSO VARIABLE. EXERCISE DEFINITION SPECIFICITY WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH WHETHER OR NOT YOGA WAS ASSESSED FOR INCLUSION. CONCLUSIONS: SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTIONS FOR HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES DO NOT CONSISTENTLY MAKE CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT THEY INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE YOGA AS A FORM OF EXERCISE. 2021 5 2578 35 YOGA FOR HEALTH CARE IN KOREA: A PROTOCOL FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF CLINICAL TRIALS. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AIMS TO EVALUATE THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY USING AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH AND INVESTIGATES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND THE MERIDIAN ENERGIES BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE CLINICAL STUDIES IN KOREA. SIXTEEN ELECTRONIC DATABASES WILL BE SEARCHED FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE STUDY UNTIL JANUARY 2016. ALL CLINICAL EVIDENCES THAT EVALUATE ANY TYPE OF YOGA AND ANY TYPE OF CONTROL IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ANY TYPE OF CONDITION WILL BE ELIGIBLE. THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY WILL BE ASSESSED USING THE COCHRANE RISK OF BIAS TOOL FOR RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS AND THE NEWCASTLE-OTTAWA SCALE FOR NONRANDOMIZED STUDIES. TWO AUTHORS WILL INDEPENDENTLY ASSESS EACH STUDY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND THE RISK OF BIAS, AND THEN THEY WILL EXTRACT THE DATA. WITH ITS EXTENSIVE, UNBIASED SEARCH OF THE KOREAN LITERATURE FROM VARIOUS DATABASES WITHOUT ANY LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS, THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WILL BE USEFUL FOR BOTH PRACTITIONERS IN THE FIELD OF YOGA RESEARCH AS WELL AS FOR PATIENTS. 2016 6 2445 27 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 7 1280 30 GENERIC YOGA MODULES FOR CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS-NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE IN HEALTHCARE. HOWEVER, META-ANALYSES OF VARIOUS YOGA TRIALS SUGGEST THAT COMPARISONS OF TRIALS ARE EITHER NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTIONS. ALSO, IN VIEW OF EMERGING EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFICITY AND VALIDITY OF VARIOUS YOGA COMPONENTS BEING USED IN DIFFERENT TRIALS. EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION WILL BE FRUITFUL ONLY IF A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO DEVELOP YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS AILMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A "GENERIC YOGA" CONCEPT FOR DESIGNING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES, WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC GROWTH OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AND WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMS WITHIN A BIOMEDICAL FRAMEWORK. THIS GENERIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA WILL ESSENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT-VALIDATION PROCESS OF UNCOPYRIGHTED YOGA PROGRAMS; THEIR COMPONENTS, BENEFITS, AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS; AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEED-BASED MODIFICATIONS. 2021 8 2466 26 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS HISTORICALLY A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED CLINICALLY AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON THE BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL LITERATURE INVOLVING RESEARCH ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN PUBLICATION FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING USE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. TYPES OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE INCLUDED PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL (E.G. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), CARDIOVASCULAR (E.G. HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE), RESPIRATORY (E.G. ASTHMA), DIABETES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS. A MAJORITY OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY INDIAN INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLISHED IN INDIAN JOURNALS, PARTICULARLY YOGA SPECIALTY JOURNALS, ALTHOUGH RECENT TRENDS INDICATE INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INVESTIGATORS IN THE U.S. AND ENGLAND. YOGA THERAPY IS A RELATIVELY NOVEL AND EMERGING CLINICAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE BROAD CATEGORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, WHOSE GROWTH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BURGEONING POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE WEST AND THE INCREASING WORLDWIDE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2004 9 2923 26 [WHERE AND HOW DOES YOGA WORK? - A SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW]. AS A TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATION. IT IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A PREVENTIVE OR THERAPEUTIC MEANS. YOGA HAS BEEN RESEARCHED IN HUNDREDS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. POSITIVE EFFECTS ARE ESPECIALLY FOUND FOR CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS, HYPERTENSION, DEPRESSION AND IN SUPPORTIVE CANCER CARE. WHILE THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA, THE RISK SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY LOW AND COMPARABLE TO OTHER FORMS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA CAN THUS BE CONSIDERED AS A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS. 2017 10 1185 39 EVIDENCE BASE OF YOGA STUDIES ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCLUDING CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE CONTRIBUTE TO APPROXIMATELY 50% OF GLOBAL MORTALITY. PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT ALONE MAY NOT BE A PANACEA FOR SUCH DISEASES SINCE IT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS. HENCE, STRATEGIES SUCH AS YOGA INVOLVING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT ARE WIDELY SOUGHT BY THE PATIENT POPULATION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AN ELECTRONIC SEARCH OF PUBMED AS A STANDARD BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE WAS PERFORMED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2015 USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR." STUDIES WITH YOGA AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE AND PARAMETERS RELATED TO CARDIAC HEALTH AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WERE INCLUDED AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE APPLIED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 149 PUBLICATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED WHICH MET THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ANALYSIS. OF THE TOTAL PUBLICATIONS, 44% WERE CLINICAL TRIALS OF WHICH 19% WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WHICH MAY BE CATEGORIZED AS HIGH-QUALITY ONES. AN UPWARD TREND IN THE OVERALL RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS EVIDENT. MAJOR WORK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY RESEARCHERS OF THE UNITED STATES (38%) AND INDIA (29%). CONCLUSION: THE SURVEY INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" HEALTH HAS INCREASED RAPIDLY IN THE LATE YEARS. ANALYSIS COMPRISING THE NATION/STATE HELPS DEFINE ITS STATUS WITH REGARD TO ITS COUNTERPARTS AND HELPS UNDERSTAND SCIENCE PRIORITIES AND DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND QUALITY CONTROL. THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER HIGH-QUALITY STUDIES IN THE FIELD OF "YOGA" AND "CARDIOVASCULAR" DISEASES TO VALIDATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH PARAMETERS. 2019 11 62 39 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS (INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS) OF YOGA FOR NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. WOMEN UNDERGO DISTINCT PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AND STRESS DURING PREGNANCY THAT ARE ACCOMPANIED BY VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEMANDS. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY THAT IS COMMONLY USED BY PREGNANT WOMEN AND RECOMMENDED BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. THUS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW ITS EVIDENCE BASED EFFECTS, INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM ALL TYPES OF RESEARCH. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE FROM INCEPTION TO 23 SEPTEMBER 2017 WAS PERFORMED USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA FOR PREGNANCY". IN TOTAL, 137 ARTICLES PUBLISHED SINCE 1979 WERE AVAILABLE. OF THE 137 ARTICLES, 53 ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED FOR THE REVIEW. THIS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN IMPROVING BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING IN PREGNANT WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY (NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK), CHILDBIRTH, AND POST-PARTUM. HOWEVER, TYPES, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICES VARIED AMONG THE STUDIES AND THE EXACT MECHANISMS BEHIND THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LESS UNDERSTOOD AND NEED TO BE EXPLORED. 2019 12 495 30 COMBATING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC THROUGH YOGA: RECOMMENDATION FROM AN OVERVIEW. GLOBALLY, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IS BEING AFFECTED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GIVEN THE FACT THAT NUMEROUS SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS ALREADY EXIST ON YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH, IT BECOMES VITAL TO UNDERTAKE AN OVERVIEW ON THE SAME. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE OVERVIEW WAS TO SUMMARISE THE EVIDENCE FROM DIFFERENT SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF DISTINCT YOGA INTERVENTIONS USED TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOMMEND YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE SAME. THE PROTOCOL WAS REGISTERED ON PROSPERO (CRD42020185221). MEDLINE VIA PUBMED, COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR WERE SEARCHED FOR RELEVANT LITERATURE. SEARCH TERMS USED WERE "YOGA PRACTICE, MENTAL HEALTH AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW". REVIEWS FROM EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE TILL MAY 2020, INCLUDING THOSE EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF ANY SINGLE OR COMBINATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH REPORTED ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND ADULTS WERE SELECTED. THE ASSESSMENT OF MULTIPLE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (AMSTAR) TOOL WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE OF THE INCLUDED REVIEWS. OUT OF THE 90 REVIEWS FOUND, EIGHT UNIQUE REVIEWS WERE SELECTED FOR THE OVERVIEW. OVERALL, 243 STUDIES WERE ANALYZED, WITH AN OVERLAP OF ONLY 6 STUDIES ACROSS THE REVIEWS. OUT OF 8 REVIEWS, ONLY 2 WERE OF HIGH QUALITY AND THE REST WERE OF MODERATE QUALITY. OWING TO HETEROGENEITY OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES, ONLY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS WAS POSSIBLE. THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW INDICATE MODERATE TO POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS. PRACTICING YOGA (PHYSICAL POSTURES, BHRAMARY PRANAYAM, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, SAHAJ YOGA AND LAUGHTER THERAPY) CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 13 2130 34 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO PREVENT DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2: A PROTOCOL FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS BECOMING A LEADING PROBLEM WORLDWIDE. EMERGING REPORTS REVEAL ALARMING EVIDENCE OF INCREASING PREVALENCE OF T2DM THAT HAS REACHED PANDEMIC LEVELS. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENCE, THERE ARE LIMITED RELIABLE DATA RESOURCES AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE A PREDIABETIC OR HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING T2DM. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO CONDUCT A FULL-SCALE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE PREDIABETES OR HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING T2DM. METHODS: THE ARTICLES ENROLLED IN THE STUDY WILL BE RETRIEVED FROM THE ONLINE DATABASES BETWEEN 2002 AND THE DATE THE SEARCHES ARE EXECUTED. THE SEARCHES WILL BE REPEATED JUST BEFORE THE FINAL ANALYSES AND FURTHER RELEVANT STUDIES FOR INCLUSION. WE WILL CONDUCT A BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCH IN DATABASES: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EBSCO, AND INDMED USING KEYWORDS INCLUDING PREDIABETES STATE, HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, AND YOGA. A DEFINED SEARCH STRATEGY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH SELECTION CRITERIA TO OBTAIN FULL-TEXT ARTICLES OF RELEVANT STUDIES. THIS STUDY PROTOCOL WAS PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS FOR PROTOCOLS 2015 GUIDELINES. THERE WILL BE NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE BASED ON PUBLISHED STUDIES AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ANONYMIZED DATA WITHOUT DIRECTLY INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS AND THEREFORE REQUIRES NEITHER FORMAL HUMAN ETHICAL REVIEW NOR APPROVAL BY A HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE. WE PUBLISHED AN OUTLINE OF THE PROTOCOL IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTER OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (PROSPERO) IN 2018. WE PLAN TO DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS THROUGH PUBLICATION IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL AND PRESENTATION AT RELEVANT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. IN ADDITION, WE BELIEVE THE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WE WILL PREPARE POLICYMAKER SUMMARY USING A VALIDATED FORMAT, DISSEMINATE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD 42018106657. 2019 14 94 36 A NARRATIVE REVIEW ON ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTOR, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD AS WELL AS IN INDIA THAT GREATLY AFFECTS THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR AND ECONOMY. USE OF DRUGS HAS ITS OWN DRAWBACKS AND IN RECENT DAYS THE USE OF NON-MEDICAL MEASURES WERE REPORTED NOT ONLY TO MANAGE T2DM, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT ITS COMPLICATIONS. THROUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS REVIEW ARTICLES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RISK PROFILES, MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN T2DM SEPARATELY, THERE IS A LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMBINATION WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM COMPLICATIONS. HENCE, WE PERFORMED A NARRATIVE REVIEW IN MEDLINE/PUBMED USING KEYWORD "YOGA AND DIABETES". ALL THE RELEVANT ARTICLES PUBLISHED TILL 08TH NOVEMBER 2016 WERE INCLUDED. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA PLAYS A VITAL ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTORS, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE T2DM. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED USING STANDARD RESEARCH DESIGNS AND VARIABLES TO FIND OUT THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS OF EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DETAIL. 2017 15 233 25 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF YOGA FOR STATE ANXIETY: CONSIDERATIONS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY. BACKGROUND: STATE ANXIETY CAN RESULT FROM A VARIETY OF LIFE SITUATIONS. THIS TYPE OF ANXIETY CAN DISRUPT OCCUPATIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE, THEREBY AFFECTING REHABILITATION AND RECOVERY. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS NEED TO ADDRESS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND-BODY-SPIRIT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT IN MEANINGFUL OCCUPATIONS. YOGA, WHEN USED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THERAPY, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS STATE ANXIETY. PURPOSE: THE AIM WAS TO SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEW THE EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT APPROACH FOR STATE ANXIETY. METHODS: SIX ELECTRONIC DATABASES, THE AUTHORS' OWN FILES, AND THE REFERENCES OF INCLUDED STUDIES FROM 1990 TO JULY 2011 WERE SEARCHED. FINDINGS: A TOTAL OF 25 UNIQUE STUDIES REPRESENTED BY 26 PUBLICATIONS MADE UP THE SAMPLE: TWO SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS; 16 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND SEVEN PROSPECTIVE, CONTROLLED, NON-RANDOMIZED STUDIES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA CAN BE A VIABLE THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR REDUCING STATE ANXIETY IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. IMPLICATIONS: IN MAKING THE DETERMINATION TO RECOMMEND YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS SHOULD CONSIDER THE CLIENT'S CIRCUMSTANCES AND VALUES AS WELL AS THE TYPE AND INTENSITY OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. 2013 16 204 27 A REVIEW OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR FOUR LEADING RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. YOGA, A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. YET HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE YOGA FOR ITS ABILITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW PUBLISHED STUDIES USING YOGA PROGRAMS AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON COMMON RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES (OVERWEIGHT, HYPERTENSION, HIGH GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL). A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH YIELDED 32 ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND APRIL 2007. THE STUDIES FOUND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BODY WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES EXAMINED LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOT ENOUGH STUDIES INCLUDED DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES AND ITS RELATED COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2007 17 2057 32 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE AND CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE, INTEGRATED RESEARCH INITIATIVE. TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2DM) IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HOLDS PROMISE FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT. THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT AND ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AGENDA AND A COLLABORATIVE WORK GROUP TO TEST IT. WE PRESENT A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL RISE IN T2DM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AND COSTS, REVIEW THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT, OUTLINE LIMITATIONS IN THE LITERATURE, DISCUSS POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON T2DM, AND SUGGEST HOW A COLLABORATIVE, MULTINATIONAL EFFORT BY YOGA THERAPIST AND RESEARCH COMMUNITIES MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH AND INFORM CLINICAL PRACTICE. YOGA PROTOCOLS THAT SERVE T2DM PATIENTS AND A RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR CREATING AN EVIDENCE BASE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT ARE CLEARLY NEEDED. 2013 18 2269 33 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH. OBJECTIVE: BOTH YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BENEFICIAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. WITHIN YOGA RESEARCH, HOWEVER, SPIRITUALITY IS STILL A WIDELY NEGLECTED AREA. THE PRESENT SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AIMS TO EXPLORE EMPIRICAL STUDIES, WHICH DO, IN FACT, INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC. THE REVIEW EXAMINES WHETHER AVAILABLE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY AND, IF SO, WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. METHODS: THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOLLOWED THE PRISMA GUIDELINE (PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020155043). EMPIRICAL STUDIES WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, GERMAN, OR HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE WERE SELECTED FROM A DATABASE SEARCH IN GOOGLE SCHOLAR, PSYCINFO, AND SCIENCE DIRECT. A TOTAL OF 30 STUDIES MET THE FINAL INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA PRACTICE SEEMS TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SPIRITUALITY. THIS ASSOCIATION CONCERNS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS, A SEARCH FOR INSIGHT/WISDOM, AN INTEGRATIVE WORLDVIEW, A SENSE OF MEANING AND PEACE, FAITH, HOPE, COMPASSION, AND HAPPINESS WITHIN. TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, REGULAR PRACTICE APPEARS TO BE ESSENTIAL. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SEEM TO HAVE BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL MOTIVES FOR PRACTICING. AT LEAST IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, HOWEVER, PHYSICAL INTENTIONS ARE MORE PREVALENT THAN SPIRITUAL ONES. THE MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS IS ALSO DISCUSSED. DUE TO RISK OF BIAS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE REVIEWED STUDIES, HOWEVER, OUTCOMES MUST BE TAKEN WITH CAUTION. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY. FOR MORE EVIDENCE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE TOPIC IS SUGGESTED. PARTICULARLY, WE PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF HOLISTIC FORMS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND A COMPARISON OF EASTERN AND WESTERN APPROACHES TO YOGA. 2021 19 2632 31 YOGA FOR TRAUMA AND RELATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: A META-REVIEW WITH CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS HAVE EXPRESSED GROWING INTEREST IN THE BENEFITS OF YOGA TO HELP INDIVIDUALS COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). DESPITE THE GROWING POPULARITY AND STRONG APPEAL OF YOGA, PROVIDERS MUST BE MINDFUL OF THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN TREATING TRAUMA EFFECTS AS WELL AS TRAUMA-RELATED MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES. THEREFORE, OUR RESEARCH TEAM SOUGHT TO ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS: (A) WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMA EFFECTS, INCLUDING ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND PTSD AND (B) WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL AND SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING YOGA WITH TRAUMA-EXPOSED INDIVIDUALS? OUR INITIAL SCANS IDENTIFIED A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF RESEARCH, INCLUDING REVIEWS. RATHER THAN REPLICATE EARLIER EFFORTS, WE UNDERTOOK A SYSTEMATIC META-REVIEW OF 13 LITERATURE REVIEWS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDED A META-ANALYSIS. WE DETERMINED THE 13 REVIEWS EXAMINED 185 DISTINCT STUDIES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT THE EVIDENCE REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AS WELL AS THE MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS AND ILLNESSES OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA IS ENCOURAGING BUT PRELIMINARY. OVERALL, THE BODY OF RESEARCH IS LACKING IN RIGOR AS WELL AS SPECIFICITY REGARDING TRAUMA. REVIEW RESULTS ALSO ONLY ALLOW FOR THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT. FURTHER, THE REVIEWS HAD CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR METHODS AND LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, THE RESULTS YIELDED FINDINGS CONCERNING HOW CLINICIANS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN USE YOGA IN THEIR OWN PRACTICES, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR BUILDING AN EVIDENCE BASE IN THIS AREA. 2018 20 2805 23 YOGA THERAPY IN THE GERMAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. AN ESTIMATED 15.7 MILLION GERMANS ARE CURRENTLY PRACTICING YOGA OR ARE AT LEAST INTERESTED IN STARTING TO PRACTICE, AND THEY OFTEN PERCEIVE YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. FROM A HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PERSPECTIVE, THE SITUATION IS LESS CLEAR. HERE, YOGA IS ONLY RECOGNIZED AS A RECREATIONAL OR PREVENTIVE ACTIVITY. WHEN YOGA TEACHERS FULFILL SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, THEIR PREVENTIVE YOGA CLASSES ARE COVERED BY THE STATUTORY HEALTH INSURANCES. ONLY THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS IN MEDICINE OR PSYCHOTHERAPY, HOWEVER, CAN INDEPENDENTLY USE AND PROMOTE "YOGA THERAPY." THE GENERAL PERCEPTION OF YOGA IN GERMANY AS A PREVENTIVE PRACTICE IS REFLECTED IN THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF YOGA PROVIDERS. MOST PROVIDERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE YOGA TEACHERS RATHER THAN YOGA THERAPISTS AND ARE ORGANIZED MAINLY IN YOGA TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS. DESPITE THE UNCERTAIN LEGAL FRAMEWORK, YOGA IS NOW CONSIDERED IN A NUMBER OF MEDICAL GUIDELINES; IN A NUMBER OF HOSPITALS, YOGA IS PART OF MULTIMODAL INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMS AND IS DELIVERED BY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS OR MEMBERS OF OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONS. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF YOGA THERAPY CLINICAL TRIALS ARE CONDUCTED IN GERMANY, AND EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO ESTABLISH YOGA THERAPY AS AN ACCEPTED ADJUNCT TREATMENT APPROACH FOR SELECTED MEDICAL CONDITIONS WITHIN THE GERMAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. 2018