1 2273 160 THE ROLE OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BLADDER PAIN SYNDROME: A SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: BLADDER PAIN SYNDROME (BPS) IS A DEVASTATING UROLOGIC CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY IRRITATIVE BLADDER SYMPTOMS, PELVIC PAIN, AND DYSPAREUNIA. FIRST-LINE TREATMENT INCLUDES DIETARY, SELF-CARE AND BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATIONS. THE ANCIENT PRACTICE OF YOGA IS WELL SUITED TO TREAT BPS, BUT EVIDENCE IS LACKING ON ITS USE. AIMS: TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE ON BPS OUTCOMES AS MEASURED BY SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES FROM BASELINE TO 3 MONTHS AFTER THERAPY. METHODS AND MATERIALS: THIS WAS A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE-ARM STUDY OF 8 PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT 3 MONTHS OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY. THE TREATMENT MODULE WAS PERFORMED 3 TO 4 TIMES WEEKLY AT HOME WITH 1 SESSION PERFORMED WEEKLY IN-OFFICE DURING THE FIRST MONTH TO ENSURE PROPER PERFORMANCE OF POSTURES. PATIENTS COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES (PELVIC PAIN AND URGENCY/FREQUENCY PATIENT SYMPTOM SCALE [PUF], PELVIC FLOOR IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE - SHORT FORM 7 [PFIQ-7], SHORT FORM 36 QUESTIONNAIRE [SF-36], PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX [PSQI]) AT BASELINE AND 3 MONTHS, INCLUDING PATIENT GLOBAL IMPRESSION OF IMPROVEMENT (PGI-I) AT THE 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP VISIT. VOIDING DIARIES WERE ALSO REQUESTED AT BASELINE AND AT THE 3-MONTH ASSESSMENT. RESULTS: THERE WAS A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT REGARDING PATIENTS' RESPONSES TO ALL QUESTIONNAIRES 3 MONTHS AFTER YOGA THERAPY, WITH THE ONLY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS NOTED IN SOCIAL FUNCTION AND PAIN COMPONENTS OF THE SF-36. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES NOTED ON THE VOIDING DIARIES EXCEPT A NON-STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT TREND TOWARD INCREASED VOIDED VOLUMES. PATIENTS RATED THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA THERAPY POSITIVELY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA THERAPY FOR BPS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT FOR IMPROVING BOTHERSOME BLADDER SYMPTOMS, PAIN AND VOIDING. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WILL FOLLOW TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF THIS YOGA MODULE AGAINST A CONTROL GROUP. 2020 2 2407 25 YOGA AND HEALTH. YOGA HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF RESEARCH IN THE PAST FEW DECADES FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES FOR MODERN EPIDEMIC DISEASES LIKE MENTAL STRESS, OBESITY, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, CORONARY HEART DISEASE, AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE. INDIVIDUAL STUDIES REPORT BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS, INDICATING THAT IT CAN BE USED AS NONPHARMACEUTICAL MEASURE OR COMPLEMENT TO DRUG THERAPY FOR TREATMENT OF THESE CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THESE STUDIES HAVE USED ONLY YOGA ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND/ OR SHORT PERIODS OF MEDITATION FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES. GENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT YOGA IS ALSO THE SAME, WHICH IS NOT CORRECT. YOGA IN FACT MEANS UNION OF INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS. IT INVOLVES EIGHT RUNGS OR LIMBS OF YOGA, WHICH INCLUDE YAMA, NIYAMA, ASANA, PRANAYAMA, PRATYAHARA, DHARANA, DHYANA, AND SAMADHI. INTENSE PRACTICE OF THESE LEADS TO SELF-REALIZATION, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY GOAL OF YOGA. AN ANALYTICAL LOOK AT THE RUNGS AND THE GOAL OF YOGA SHOWS THAT IT IS A HOLISTIC WAY OF LIFE LEADING TO A STATE OF COMPLETE PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING AND HARMONY WITH NATURE. THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO PURELY ECONOMIC AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENTAL GOAL OF MODERN CIVILIZATION, WHICH HAS BROUGHT SOCIAL UNREST AND ECOLOGICAL DEVASTATION. 2014 3 2924 19 [YOGA AND MEDITATION: HELPFUL TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS]. CANCER IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST UPSETTING THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A LIFE TIME, IT MANAGES TO TOTALLY DESTROY THE BALANCE OF THOSE AFFECTED. THE PERSON CAN SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND FEAR TO SUCH A POINT THAT THEY SEE THEIR FUTURE WITH TERROR. THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE LATTER OFTEN BEING GIVEN LITTLE CONSIDERATION BY CARERS. SOMETIME TAILORED PSYCHOTHERAPY OR MEDICAL CARE CAN PARTIALLY CONTRIBUTE ONLY TO HELP THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES-CAREGIVER. TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND SOME STRUCTURED MEDITATION, E.G. MINDFULNESS WHICH WORK ON THE "FEELING" OF MIND AND BODY CAN BE OF HELP. THESE TECHNIQUES LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN DISTRESS AND SO ADD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, FUNDAMENTAL IN EACH STAGE OF THE ILLNESS. 2012 4 609 56 DEVELOPMENT OF A MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: A CASE SERIES. BACKGROUND: PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PH) IS A HEMODYNAMIC CONDITION IN WHICH THE PRESSURE IN THE BED OF THE PULMONARY ARTERIES IS ELEVATED. ALTHOUGH MEDICATIONS HAVE IMPROVED BOTH SYMPTOMS AND MORTALITY, PH REMAINS A DEBILITATING AND DEVASTATING DISEASE. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF NONPHARMACOLOGIC APPROACHES, SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATIVE BREATHING, IN TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: GIVEN THE UNIQUE HEMODYNAMIC CONCERNS OF PH PATIENTS, THE RESEARCH TEAM INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSEQUENT INITIATION OF A THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT PLAN THAT USES MODIFIED YOGA AND TO EVALUATE ITS BENEFITS AND SAFETY. DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS A CASE SERIES WITH 3 PH PATIENTS OF VARYING FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES. EACH PATIENT WAS PROVIDED WITH A DVD, ACCESS TO YOUTUBE VIDEO SEGMENTS, AND A DOWNLOAD OF THE YOGA FOR PH APPLICATION. THE PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO DOCUMENT THEIR USE OF THE HOME EXERCISE REGIMEN AND JOURNAL AROUND THEIR SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS. THEY WERE ALSO ADMINISTERED THE HEALTH PROMOTING LIFESTYLE PROFILE II (HPLPII) AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE 8 WK. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE IN A TERTIARY CARE, ACADEMIC HOSPITAL IN A LARGE URBAN SETTING. PARTICIPANTS: IN THIS CASE SERIES, 3 PATIENTS WITH GROUP 1 PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION, WITH VARYING FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES, ARE DESCRIBED. INTERVENTION: THREE DISCREET YOGA PROGRAMS WERE DESIGNED WITH MODIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO PH PATIENTS: CHAIR YOGA, INTERMEDIATE YOGA WITH A CHAIR ASSIST, AND EXPERIENCED YOGA. PATIENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH A VIDEO, YOGA FOR PH, IN THE FORM OF A DVD, A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE, AND A DOWNLOADABLE APPLICATION AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO LOG ACTIVITY AND SUBJECTIVE MARKERS OF WELL-BEING. OUTCOME MEASURES: SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE EFFECTS ON CLINICAL, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES WERE MEASURED. SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH JOURNALING AS WELL AS THE SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE HPLPII. WHEN AVAILABLE, 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD) TESTING AND OXYGEN SATURATION WERE ALSO USED. RESULTS: THE MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM PROVED FEASIBLE, SAFE, AND EFFECTIVE IN THE 3 DESCRIBED CASES. PATIENTS DESCRIBED DECREASES IN ANXIETY AND JOINT PAIN, WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS AS MEASURED BY THE HPLPII. OVERALL MEAN SCORES FOR HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE INCREASED IN EACH PATIENT, THOUGH DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE CANNOT BE MEASURED. NO PATIENT EXPERIENCED AN ADVERSE EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THE MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PH PATIENTS CAN PROVIDE A STANDARDIZED, ACCESSIBLE STARTING POINT FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY, EFFICACY, AND SAFETY OF SUCH A PROGRAM ON A LARGER SCALE. 2015 5 1589 37 MEDITATION & YOGA: IMPACT ON OXIDATIVE DNA DAMAGE & DYSREGULATED SPERM TRANSCRIPTS IN MALE PARTNERS OF COUPLES WITH RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSS. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSS (RPL) IS ONE OF THE DEVASTATING COMPLICATIONS OF PREGNANCY AND CURRENT FOCUS LIES IN ADDRESSING THE MANAGEMENT OF PATERNAL FACTORS. DYSREGULATION IN SELECTIVE TRANSCRIPTS DELIVERED TO OOCYTE AT FERTILIZATION CAN RESULT IN PREGNANCY LOSSES AND ADVERSELY AFFECT EMBRYOGENESIS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) ON SEMINAL OXIDATIVE STRESS (OS), DNA DAMAGE AND SPERMATOZOAL TRANSCRIPT LEVELS. METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS A PART OF A PROSPECTIVE ONGOING EXPLORATORY STUDY AND 30 MALE PARTNERS OF COUPLES WITH RPL WERE INCLUDED FROM AUGUST 2016 TO JUNE 2017. SEMEN SAMPLES WERE OBTAINED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF YBLI (21 DAYS). GENE EXPRESSION ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED BY QUANTITATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION ON SPERMATOZOAL FOXG1, SOX3, OGG1, PARP1, RPS6, RBM9, RPS17 AND RPL29. THE LEVELS OF SEMINAL OS AND SPERM DNA DAMAGE WAS ASSESSED BY MEASURING LEVELS OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) BY CHEMILUMINESCENCE AND DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX (DFI) BY SPERM CHROMATIN STRUCTURE ASSAY. RESULTS: SOX3, OGG1 AND PARP1 WERE OBSERVED TO BE UPREGULATED, WHILE FOXG1, RPS6, RBM9, RPS17 AND RPL29 SHOWED DOWNREGULATION. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ROS LEVELS, AN INCREASE IN SPERM MOTILITY, SPERM COUNT (DONE TWICE) AND A DECREASE IN DFI WAS SEEN AFTER YBLI. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: ADOPTING YBLI MAY HELP IN A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN OXIDATIVE DNA DAMAGE AND NORMALIZATION OF SPERM TRANSCRIPT LEVELS. THIS MAY NOT ONLY IMPROVE PREGNANCY OUTCOMES BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE HEALTH TRAJECTORY OF THE OFFSPRING. 2018 6 2081 38 THE EFFECT OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION AND CONSCIOUSNESS YOGA PROGRAM ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND FATIGUE SEVERITY IN PATIENTS WITH MS. INTRODUCTION: THE CHRONIC NATURE OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS), HAVE CAN LEAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND FATIGUE. THE PRESENT RESEARCH AIMED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION (MBSR) AND CONSCIOUS YOGA PROGRAM ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND FATIGUE SEVERITY AMONG PATIENTS WITH MS. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL WITH INTERVENTION AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE STATISTICAL POPULATION INCLUDED ALL MEMBERS TO MS SOCIETY OF TEHRAN PROVINCE, 24 OF WHOM DIAGNOSED WITH MS WERE SELECTED AS THE SAMPLE BASED ON THE INCLUSION CRITERIA. THE SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED INTO THE TEST GROUP (12 PATIENTS) AND THE CONTROL GROUP (12 PATIENTS). MS QUALITY OF LIFE-54 (MSQOL-54) AND FATIGUE SEVERITY SCALE (FSS) WERE USED FOR DATA COLLECTION. SUBJECTS IN THE TEST GROUP UNDERWENT A MBSR AND CONSCIOUS YOGA PROGRAM IN 8 TWO-HOUR SESSIONS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING THE SPSS VER.13 SOFTWARE. RESULTS: THE STUDY FINDINGS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUBJECTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS IN TERMS OF MEAN SCORE OF SOME SUBSCALES OF QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDING PHYSICAL HEALTH, ROLE LIMITATIONS DUE TO PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS, ENERGY, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, HEALTH DISTRESS, HEALTH PERCEPTION, AND SATISFACTION WITH SEXUAL FUNCTION, OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, AND FATIGUE SEVERITY. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE PROGRAM IS EFFECTIVE IN REDUCTION OF FATIGUE SEVERITY AND IMPROVING SOME SUBSCALES OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN MS PATIENTS. HENCE, THIS SUPPORTIVE METHOD CAN BE USED AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE AND RELIEVING FATIGUE IN MS PATIENTS. 2016 7 1640 33 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020 8 2412 23 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 9 2514 31 YOGA CAN IMPROVE ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OUTCOMES IN COUPLES WITH INFERTILITY. CONTEXT: DEPENDING ON THE CAUSE OF THE INFERTILITY, NONSURGICAL OR SURGICAL TREATMENTS MAY BE USED TO TREAT MEN AND WOMEN WITH INFERTILITY. DESPITE IMPROVED OUTCOMES DUE TO MEDICAL ADVANCES, ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY (ART) FOR COUPLES WITH INFERTILITY IS SOMETIMES UNSUCCESSFUL. SUCCESS MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE PATIENT'S SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSICAL STATUS. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING ASANAS (YOGA POSES), PRANAYAMA (PROPER BREATHING), SHAVASANA, AND MEDITATION-ON MALE AND FEMALE FERTILITY AND ART OUTCOMES. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH TEAM PERFORMED A LITERATURE REVIEW, ELECTRONICALLY SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN JANUARY 1978 AND JANUARY 2016 IN THE PUBMED, SCOPUS, SCIENCEDIRECT, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR DATABASES. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE AT THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER AT THE AVICENNA RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT THE ACADEMIC CENTER FOR EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND RESEARCH (TEHRAN, IRAN). PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE COUPLES WITH INFERTILITY TAKING PART IN 87 REVIEWED STUDIES. INTERVENTION: YOGA WAS THE INTERVENTION. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE OUTCOME MEASURES COMPRISED FERTILITY FACTORS IN MALES AND FEMALES, FERTILITY RATE, AND ART SUCCESS RATE. RESULTS: THE REVIEWED STUDIES SHOWED THAT YOGA CAN PROVIDE STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH INFERTILITY, WITH BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON FERTILITY, HELPING COUPLES GIVE BIRTH. THEY FOUND THAT YOGA ALSO COULD REDUCE PAIN; DECREASE DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS; REDUCE THE RATE OF ASSISTED VAGINAL DELIVERY; AND IMPROVE FETAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA CAN HELP COUPLES OVERCOME INFERTILITY AND INCREASE THE ART SUCCESS RATE BY IMPROVING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES OF BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. 2018 10 1394 39 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 11 1566 17 LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA. ABSTRACT QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS ABOUT PAIN CONDITIONS AND ANALGESIC PHARMACOTHERAPY AND RESPONSES FROM AUTHORS ARE PRESENTED TO HELP EDUCATE PATIENTS AND MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE SELF-ADVOCATES. THE TOPIC ADDRESSED IN THIS ISSUE IS CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO VISIT ONE'S PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR. COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES, INCLUDING YOGA, WILL BE ADDRESSED. 2014 12 2035 22 TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. PAIN IS A PERVASIVE, DEBILITATING DISORDER THAT IS RESISTANT TO LONG-TERM PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS. ALTHOUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES SUCH AS COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY DEMONSTRATE MODERATE EFFICACY, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING DIFFICULTIES FOLLOWING TREATMENT. THERE IS A CURRENT TREND TO ESTABLISH COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN, FOR WHICH YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXCITING POTENTIAL. NEVERTHELESS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE FIELD IS ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE CARE. TELEHEALTH CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE VIDEO CONFERENCING LEADING TO INCREASED ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS LOCATED REMOTELY OR WHO OTHERWISE HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SERVICES, PERHAPS THROUGH ISSUES OF MOBILITY OR PROXIMITY OF ADEQUATE SERVICES. THIS ARTICLE ASSESSES THE CURRENT STATUS AND FEASIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING TELE-YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED. 2018 13 2300 27 THERAPEUTIC YOGA: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS THE MOST COMMON AUTOIMMUNE INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AFFECTING OVER 2.3 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE, THE AGE OF DISEASE ONSET IS TYPICALLY BETWEEN 20 AND 40 YEARS, WITH A HIGHER INCIDENCE IN WOMEN. INDIVIDUALS WITH MS EXPERIENCE A WIDE RANGE OF SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING DECLINING PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS (E.G., FATIGUE, IMBALANCE, SPASTICITY, CHRONIC PAIN, COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT, BLADDER AND BOWEL DYSFUNCTION, VISUAL AND SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS, DEPRESSION, SENSORY DISTURBANCE, AND MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT). TO DATE, BOTH THE CAUSE OF AND CURE FOR MS REMAIN UNKNOWN. IN RECENT YEARS, MORE INDIVIDUALS WITH MS HAVE BEEN PURSUING ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF TREATMENT TO MANAGE SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE, INCLUDING MIND-BODY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA, MEDITATION, BREATHING, AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY BE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF MANAGING SYMPTOMS OF MS. THEREFORE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO SUMMARIZE THE MOST RELEVANT LITERATURE ON EXERCISE AND MIND-BODY MODALITIES TO TREAT MS SYMPTOMS AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE BENEFITS AND POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OF SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MS. THE ARTICLE ALSO DISCUSSES FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH. 2015 14 2275 43 THE ROLE OF YOGA IN WORKING FROM HOME DURING THE COVID-19 GLOBAL LOCKDOWN. BACKGROUND: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BECOME A MAJOR CAUSE OF STRESS AND ANXIETY WORLDWIDE. DUE TO THE GLOBAL LOCKDOWN, WORK, EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESSES AND THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE HAVE BEEN SEVERELY AFFECTED. IT HAS GENERATED STRESS AMONG PEOPLE FROM ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY TO WORKERS WHO HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO CATER TO HEALTHCARE SERVICE OR THOSE CONSTRAINED TO SECURE DAILY ESSENTIAL ITEMS. IT IS WIDELY PERCEIVED THAT ELDERLY OR THOSE AFFECTED BY DIABETES, HYPERTENSION AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES ARE PRONE TO COVID-19. AS PER AN ONGOING SURVEY, THE INITIAL DATA SHOWS THAT THE ABOVE-MENTIONED ANXIETY AND STRESS CAUSE INSOMNIA, AND HAS THE CONSIDERABLE POTENTIAL TO WEAKEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, THE SOLE PROTECTION AGAINST THE VIRUS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE NEED OF YOGA PRACTICE AT WORK PLACES AND AT HOME DURING THE GLOBAL LOCKDOWN DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. METHODS: LITERATURE WAS SEARCHED USING PUBMED AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR FOR COVID-19-RELATED STRESS AND ANXIETY AT WORK AND SOCIETY DUE TO THE WORLDWIDE LOCKDOWN. THE PREDISPOSING COMORBIDITIES, VIRAL MECHANISM OF ACTION AND TREATMENT REGIMEN WERE ALSO SEARCHED. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION STUDIES AND ONLINE PROGRAMS WERE ALSO SEARCHED. RESULTS: AS THE LOCKDOWN CANNOT LAST FOREVER AND WORKPLACES WILL HAVE TO BE FUNCTIONAL SOON, THERE IS AN INCREASED POSSIBILITY OF RECURRENT INFECTION. THEREFORE, YOGA CAN PROVIDE THE NECESSARY TOOL FOR RISK REDUCTION, AMELIORATION OF STRESS AND ANXIETY AND STRENGTHENING OF THE IMMUNE FUNCTION. THE ONLINE PLATFORMS PROVIDE A GOOD MEDIA FOR YOGA TRAINING AT WORK PLACES AND HOMES. CONCLUSION: DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING NORMS, THE AVAILABILITY OF YOGA TRAINERS HAS BECOME RESTRICTED. YOGA PRACTICE IS ACTIVELY SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE REDUCED ANXIETY AND STRESS SO THAT IMPROVED SLEEP MAY POSITIVELY IMPACT IMMUNITY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THERE IS A SPURT IN SOCIAL MEDIA, CATERING TO DAILY ONLINE YOGA SESSIONS WHICH APPARENTLY PROVE USEFUL IN PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE MEANS TO ACHIEVE MENTAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. 2020 15 683 47 EFFECT OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS, DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND PERCEIVED QUALITY OF LIFE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. VARIOUS EXTERNAL STRESSORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES LEAD TO THE PROVOCATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES LIKE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA). THE INAPPROPRIATE IMMUNE RESPONSE FURTHER TRIGGERS THE CASCADE OF INFLAMMATORY CHANGES RESULTING IN PRECIPITATION OF SYMPTOMS AND HAMPERS QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). THE UNDERLYING PSYCHO-SOMATIC COMPONENT OF THE DISEASE REQUIRES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ITS TREATMENT DIMENSION RATHER THAN THE USE OF PHARMACOTHERAPY. THE APPLICABILITY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL IN TODAY'S FAST-PACED LIFE. YOGA, A MIND-BODY TECHNIQUE, ALTERS THE MIND'S CAPACITY TO FACILITATE SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONING AT MULTIPLE ORGAN SYSTEM LEVELS. HENCE, WE CONDUCTED THIS STUDY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF 8 WEEKS OF A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION (YBLI) ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE MARKERS, GENE EXPRESSION PATTERNS, AND QOL IN RA PATIENTS ON ROUTINE MEDICAL THERAPY. A TOTAL OF 66 PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA GROUP OR NON-YOGA GROUP AND WERE ASSESSED FOR A PANEL OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES (IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-ALPHA, AND TGF-BETA), MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS (BDNF, DHEAS, BETA-ENDORPHIN, AND SIRTUIN) AND TRANSCRIPT LEVELS OF VARIOUS GENES (IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, NFKB1, TGF-BETA, AND CTLA4). WE ASSESSED DISEASE ACTIVITY AND QOL USING THE DAS28-ESR AND WHOQOL-BREF QUESTIONNAIRE, RESPECTIVELY. YOGA GROUP OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LEVELS OF MARKERS, WHICH INFLUENCED THE PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS (P < 0.001) WITH AN ESTIMATED EFFECT SIZE FROM SMALL TO MEDIUM RANGE. IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DAS28-ESR (P < 0.001) AND IMPROVEMENT SEEN IN THE PHYSICAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS DOMAINS (P < 0.001) OF QOL, EXCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL (P > 0.05). THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED DOWNREGULATION OF IL-6, TNF-ALPHA, AND CTLA4 AND UPREGULATION OF TGF-BETA. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT A DECREASE IN DISEASE ACTIVITY AFTER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, THE ELEVATION OF MIND-BODY COMMUNICATIVE MARKERS, AND NORMALIZATION OF VARIOUS TRANSCRIPT LEVELS, WHICH IMPROVED QOL. THUS THE ADOPTION OF YBLI IMPROVES CLINICAL OUTCOME IN RA, AND DECREASES SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION BY ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNE AXIS AND NORMALIZATION OF DYSREGULATED TRANSCRIPTS. THUS YBLI MAY BE USED FOR RA PATIENTS AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY. 2020 16 2486 28 YOGA AS AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER. DESPITE TREMENDOUS ADVANCEMENTS IN MEDICINE, THE NUMBER OF ORAL CANCER CASES CONTINUES TO INCREASE, AND THE NEED FOR INTEGRATING ALTERNATE MEDICINE OR ADOPTING AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH HAS BECOME A COMPELLING COST-EFFECTIVE REQUIREMENT FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER INVOLVES SURGERY FOLLOWED BY RADIOTHERAPY WITH OR WITHOUT CHEMOTHERAPY WHICH CAUSES SEVERAL COMPLICATIONS INCLUDING POOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND HIGH CHANCES OF RECURRENCE OF CANCER. ORAL CANCER IS OFTEN LINKED WITH OBESITY WHICH IS MAJOR RISK FACTORS IN OTHER CANCERS. APART FROM OBESITY, ORAL CANCER IS THOUGHT TO HAVE AN INVERSE RELATION WITH NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS PRESUMABLY BECAUSE CELL DEATH DECREASES IN THE FORMER CASE AND INCREASES IN THE LATTER. ANCIENT MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY TESTED AS A TOOL TO SYNERGIZE THE CELLULAR EQUILIBRIUM PERTAINING TO THE TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER. NERVE GROWTH FACTOR (NGF), TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), AND INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) ARE AMONG THE EARLY EXPERIMENTAL CELLULAR BIOMARKERS THAT MAY BE USED TO PROBE THE MODULATION OF ORAL CANCER, OBESITY, AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS. YOGA HAS BEEN REPORTED TO INFLUENCE THESE MOLECULES IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS BUT WHETHER THEIR EXPRESSION CAN BE ALTERED IN PATIENTS OF ORAL CANCER BY YOGA INTERVENTION IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS RESEARCH BEING DISCUSSED IN THIS REVIEW ARTICLE. THEREFORE, THE PRESENT ARTICLE NOT ONLY REVIEWS THE CURRENT STATUS OF RESEARCH STUDIES IN ORAL CANCER, OBESITY, AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS BUT ALSO HOW THESE ARE LINKED TO EACH OTHER AND WHY THE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PUTATIVE NGF PATHWAY, INVOLVING TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6, COULD PROVIDE USEFUL CLUES TO UNDERSTAND THE MOLECULAR EFFECTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY YOGA INTERVENTION IN SUCH PATIENTS. 2018 17 2676 22 YOGA IN RHEUMATIC DISEASES. YOGA IS A POPULAR ACTIVITY WHICH MAY BE WELL SUITED TO SOME INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC RHEUMATIC DISORDERS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN INCREASE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, PROPRIOCEPTION, AND BALANCE, WITH EMPHASIS ON MOVEMENT THROUGH A FULL RANGE OF MOTION TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY. ADDITIONAL BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA INCLUDE BREATHING, RELAXATION, BODY AWARENESS, AND MEDITATION, WHICH CAN REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY AND PROMOTE A SENSE OF CALMNESS, GENERAL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA ALSO ENCOURAGES A MEDITATIVE FOCUS, INCREASED BODY AWARENESS AND MINDFULNESS; SOME EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA MAY HELP REDUCE INFLAMMATORY MEDIATORS INCLUDING C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND INTERLEUKIN-6. YOGA IS BEST LEARNED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS WHO ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL MUSCULOSKELETAL NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL. HERE, WE BRIEFLY REVIEW THE LITERATURE ON YOGA FOR HEALTHY, MUSCULOSKELETAL, AND RHEUMATIC DISEASE POPULATIONS AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISCUSSING WAYS TO BEGIN YOGA WITH PATIENTS. 2013 18 2446 27 YOGA AND TAI CHI: A MIND-BODY APPROACH IN MANAGING RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS IN OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASES. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) IS CHARACTERIZED BY AIRFLOW LIMITATION BECAUSE OF AIRWAY AND/OR ALVEOLAR ABNORMALITIES. SYMPTOMS INCLUDE DYSPNEA, COUGH, CHRONIC SPUTUM PRODUCTION. AS THE THIRD-RANKED CAUSE OF DEATH AS WELL AS DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALYS), IT POSES A SIGNIFICANT BURDEN ON PATIENTS, FAMILIES, HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND SOCIETY. REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS LINKED TO DECREASE IN MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH COPD, BUT IMPLEMENTATION REMAINS CHALLENGING. THERE IS A NEED FOR COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA AND TAI CHI ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL IN PATIENTS WITH COPD AS WELL AS MANY OF THE CO-MORBID CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COPD. RECENT FINDINGS: YOGA AND TAI CHI HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN USUAL CARE IN COPD WITH CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 S (FEV1), AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND TO BE COMPARABLE TO PULMONARY REHABILITATION INTERVENTIONS. SUMMARY: YOGA AND TAI CHI PROVIDE COMMUNITY-BASED OPTIONS FOR PATIENTS WITH COPD TO IMPROVE THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. 2020 19 2807 28 YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH: A WHOLE-SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE ON COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS AND PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES. FOR THE YOGA RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON ITS CURRENT MOMENTUM, IT IS CRITICAL TO CONSIDER CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH THEORY AND INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES. THE CONCEPT OF MODEL VALIDITY MUST BE INCORPORATED IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH SO THAT EXPLANATORY CONSTRUCTS EMPLOYED AND OUTCOME MEASURES CHOSEN REFLECT THE PRINCIPLES OF TRADITIONAL YOGIC SCIENCE. FOCUSING ON EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH WILL ENSURE MAXIMUM GENERALIZABILITY OF STUDY RESULTS AND REFLECT REAL-WORLD THERAPY DELIVERY SETTINGS, THEREBY INCREASING THE RELEVANCE OF OUTCOMES. WHOLE SYSTEMS OF HEALING REQUIRE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES THAT ADDRESS COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MULTI-TARGET THERAPIES WITH MULTIPLE POTENTIAL TREATMENT RESULTS. COMPLEX, DYNAMIC SYSTEMS THEORY PROVIDES THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS NECESSARY TO DESIGN STUDIES, CHOOSE OUTCOMES, AND ANALYZE DATA IN A WAY THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR CHARTING COMPLEX, CYCLICAL, THERAPEUTIC TRAJECTORIES ACROSS TIME. EMPHASIZING PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES IS ALIGNED WITH THE PATENT-ORIENTED AND TAILORED NATURED OF YOGA THERAPY DELIVERY. INCREASING THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH TO ANALYZE THE HARMS AND BENEFITS OF CONTRASTING THERAPIES CAN PROVIDE AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DESIGNING STUDIES THAT CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT PRACTICAL IMPACT. THE CREATION OF PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH NETWORKS WITHIN THE YOGA RESEARCH COMMUNITY WILL INCENTIVIZE LINKS BETWEEN MAINSTREAM CLINICAL RESEARCHERS AND YOGA THERAPY DELIVERY SETTINGS, ULTIMATELY DEVELOPING COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS. YOGA THERAPY CENTERS CAN FACILITATE PATIENT RECRUITMENT FOR STUDIES AND INFORM STANDARDS FOR YOGA RESEARCHERS. COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BETWEEN THE YOGA AND AYURVEDIC RESEARCH COMMUNITIES WILL STREAMLINE EFFORTS, SOLIDIFY EXPERTISE, CROSS-POLLINATE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATION, AND CONSOLIDATE EFFORTS TO SECURE RESEARCH FUNDING AND INCREASE PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF STUDY FINDINGS. 2015 20 1390 37 IMPACT OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA ON SALIVARY PH: AN EXPLORATORY PILOT STUDY. INTRODUCTION: SALIVA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL AS IT IS NON-INVASIVE, EASILY ACCESSIBLE, AND LESS STRESSFUL COMPARED TO BLOOD SAMPLING. SALIVA HAS A VITAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING ORAL HEALTH. IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE SALIVARY PH TO BE NEUTRAL IN THE ORAL CAVITY FOR THE OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING OF ITS COMPONENTS. STRESS HAS AN EFFECT ON SALIVARY PH. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION LIKE SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) ON THE SALIVARY PH. METHODS AND MATERIALS: AN EXPLORATORY PILOT STUDY INVOLVING AN OPEN TRIAL ON 321 HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOVICE TO SKY WAS CONDUCTED. THE SALIVARY PH WAS MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER A SINGLE 90-MIN SESSION OF SKY. RESULTS: THE SALIVARY PH CONTINUED TO BE NEUTRAL AFTER THE INTERVENTION IN THE GROUP THAT HAD INITIAL NEUTRAL PH. THERE WAS A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SHIFT OF PH TOWARDS NEUTRAL IN BOTH THE GROUPS THAT HAD EITHER ACIDIC OR ALKALINE PH INITIALLY. CONCLUSION: MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS LIKE SKY MODULATE THE SALIVARY PH TO BRING IT TO THE RANGE OF OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FUTURE LONG-TERM STUDIES THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITH MEASURES OF ANXIETY AND STRESS ALONG WITH MEASURING OTHER SALIVARY BIOMARKERS. 2021