1 2202 143 THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE (EPYQ): PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES. YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE HETEROGENEOUS AND VARY ALONG MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS. THESE DIMENSIONS MAY AFFECT MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN DIFFERENT WAYS OR THROUGH DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEALTH DO NOT ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE OR QUANTIFY THE COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVENTIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED. THIS LACK OF DETAIL PREVENTS RESEARCHERS FROM MAKING COMPARISONS ACROSS STUDIES AND LIMITS OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIVE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, WE DEVELOPED THE ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF YOGA QUESTIONNAIRE (EPYQ), WHICH ALLOWS RESEARCHERS TO OBJECTIVELY CHARACTERIZE THEIR INTERVENTIONS. WE PRESENT HERE THE RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY DATA FROM THE FINAL PHASES OF THIS MEASURE-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. ANALYSES IDENTIFIED FOURTEEN KEY DIMENSIONS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS MEASURED BY THE EPYQ: ACCEPTANCE/COMPASSION, BANDHAS, BODY AWARENESS, BREATHWORK, INSTRUCTOR MENTION OF HEALTH BENEFITS, INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION, MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL AWARENESS, PHYSICALITY, ACTIVE POSTURES, RESTORATIVE POSTURES, SOCIAL ASPECTS, SPIRITUALITY, AND YOGA PHILOSOPHY. THE EPYQ DEMONSTRATED GOOD RELIABILITY, AS ASSESSED BY INTERNAL CONSISTENCY AND TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY ANALYSIS, AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE EPYQ IS A VALID MEASURE OF MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF YOGA. THE MEASURE IS READY FOR USE BY CLINICIANS AND RESEARCHERS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT, CURRENTLY, TRAINED OBJECTIVE RATERS SHOULD SCORE INTERVENTIONS TO AVOID REFERENCE FRAME ERRORS AND POTENTIAL RATING BIAS, BUT ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES MAY BE DEVELOPED. THE EPYQ WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO LINK SPECIFIC YOGA DIMENSIONS TO IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH OUTCOMES AND OPTIMIZE THE DESIGN OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR SPECIFIC CONDITIONS. 2018 2 9 37 "I'M MORE IN BALANCE": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF YOGA ON BODY PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NECK PAIN. DESIGN: THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED USING SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS. SETTING: THE INTERVENTIONS AND INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE IN A REFERRAL CENTER'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENT. SUBJECTS: EIGHTEEN (18) PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN WERE RECRUITED FROM A LARGER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC NECK PAIN. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 90 MINUTES OF IYENGAR YOGA ONCE A WEEK FOR 9 WEEKS. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A DRAWING OF THEIR NECK AND SHOULDER REGIONS TO REFLECT THEIR SUBJECTIVE BODY PERCEPTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR YOGA PROGRAM. SEMISTANDARDIZED INTERVIEWS WERE USED TO EXPLORE THEIR BODY PERCEPTION, EMOTIONAL STATUS, EVERYDAY LIFE AND COPING SKILLS, AS WELL AS ANY PERCEIVED CHANGES IN THESE DIMENSIONS POSTPARTICIPATION. AN INTERDISCIPLINARY GROUP ANALYZED THE STUDY DATA USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED CHANGE ON FIVE DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: PHYSICAL, COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL. PHYSICALLY, MOST PARTICIPANTS CITED RENEWED BODY AWARENESS, BOTH DURING THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. SUCH CHANGE WAS ECHOED IN THEIR POSTPARTICIPATION BODY DRAWINGS. COGNITIVELY, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED INCREASED PERCEIVED CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH. EMOTIONALLY, THEY NOTED GREATER ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR PAIN AND LIFE BURDENS. BEHAVIORALLY, THEY DESCRIBED ENHANCED USE OF ACTIVE COPING STRATEGIES. FINALLY, SOCIALLY, THEY REPORTED RENEWED PARTICIPATION IN AN ACTIVE LIFE. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS LINKED YOGA TO CHANGE ON ALL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE, ATTRIBUTING REDUCED PAIN LEVELS, INCREASED COPING ABILITY, BETTER PAIN ACCEPTANCE AND INCREASED CONTROL TO IT. BODY AWARENESS APPEARED A KEY MECHANISM IN THESE CHANGES. 2013 3 1419 27 IMPRISONING YOGA: YOGA PRACTICE MAY INCREASE THE CHARACTER MATURITY OF MALE PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: A SPECIFIC PERSONALITY PROFILE, CHARACTERIZED BY LOW CHARACTER MATURITY (LOW SCORES ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS AND COOPERATIVENESS CHARACTER DIMENSIONS) AND HIGH SCORES ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING TEMPERAMENT DIMENSION OF THE TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER INVENTORY (TCI), HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE PRISON INMATES. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM (E.G., ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR). IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON INMATES' BEHAVIORS COULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE EVENTUAL CHANGES IN THEIR PERSONALITY PROFILE. METHODS: MALE PRISON INMATES (N = 111) IN SWEDEN PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED 10-WEEK LONG YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 57) OR A CONTROL GROUP (FREE OF CHOICE WEEKLY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; N = 54). ALL THE INMATES COMPLETED THE TCI QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD AS PART OF AN ASSESSMENT BATTERY. RESULTS: AFTER THE 10-WEEK-LONG INTERVENTION PERIOD MALE INMATES SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING AND THE HARM AVOIDANCE AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSIONS OF THE TCI. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MEDIUM STRONG INTERACTION EFFECT BETWEEN TIME AND GROUP BELONGING FOR THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSION OF CHARACTER FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: A 10-WEEK-LONG YOGA PRACTICE INTERVENTION AMONG MALE INMATES IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES INCREASED THE INMATES' CHARACTER MATURITY, IMPROVING SUCH ABILITIES AS THEIR CAPABILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, FEEL MORE PURPOSEFUL, AND BEING MORE SELF-ACCEPTANT-FEATURES THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. 2019 4 894 27 EFFECT OF YOGA-NIDRA ON ADOLESCENTS WELL-BEING: A MIXED METHOD STUDY. CONTEXT: ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING IS A PRIORITY AREA FOR HEALTH-CARE INTERVENTIONS IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY. YOGA-NIDRA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN METHOD OF ENABLING INDIVIDUALS TO ATTAIN A POSITIVE STATE OF DEEP PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION. THE PRACTICE PRODUCES A STATE OF SIMULTANEOUS RELAXATION AND DETACHMENT RESULTING IN INNER AWARENESS AND RELEASE OF STRESS ON ALL PLANES OF ONE'S BEING. AIM: THIS MIXED METHOD STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN ADOLESCENT STUDENTS AGED 13-15 YEARS WITH AN AIM TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF YOGA-NIDRA ON VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-SIX STUDENTS RECEIVED YOGA-NIDRA SESSIONS 30 MIN DAILY FOR 3 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 1 MONTH. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE HAPPINESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING. THESE AND OTHER EXPERIENTIAL DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING COMPRISING OF ENTHUSIASM, ALERTNESS, QUIETUDE, CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND SELF-AWARENESS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONS WERE RECORDED FROM PARTICIPANTS, THEIR TEACHERS, AND PARENTS. RESULTS OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE ANALYZED AND COMPARED. RESULTS: YOGA-NIDRA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE FEELINGS OF HAPPINESS, ENTHUSIASM, QUIETUDE, BEING MORE INSPIRED AND ALERT, ACTIVE, HAVING CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. MIXED METHOD DESIGN OF THE STUDY PROVIDED CROSS-VALIDATION AND CONVERGENCE OF RESULTS OBTAINED FROM QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS. CONCLUSION: YOGA-NIDRA IS BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING. 2018 5 1778 28 PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA'S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL UNITED STATES SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR, YET LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE REGARDING PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHANGES PRACTITIONERS REPORTED IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DOMAINS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INTERNET-BASED SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 542, INCLUDING 162 TEACHERS) RECRUITED VIA EMAIL AND FLYERS SENT TO YOGA STUDIOS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (US). PARTICIPANTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 18 TO 85 YEARS (M = 44). MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS RATED THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY EXPERIENCED POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CHANGE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS AND THEN LISTED UP TO THREE POSITIVE AND THREE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. RESULTS: BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REPORTED MODERATELY HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE PHYSICAL CHANGES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES, ALTHOUGH TEACHERS GENERALLY REPORTED MORE POSITIVE CHANGES. FEW NEGATIVE CHANGES WERE REPORTED. IN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES, THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS WERE GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS AND RELAXATION. MOST COMMONLY REPORTED NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE INJURIES, SORENESS, EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS/IRRITABILITY, AND EXPENSE. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY PERCEIVE HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE CHANGES, BUT SOME ALSO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EFFECTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ASSESS SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF CHANGE ALONGSIDE MORE OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF IMPROVEMENT. 2016 6 2755 25 YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS OF PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: PSYCHIATRIC ILL-HEALTH IS PREVALENT AMONG PRISON INMATES AND OFTEN HAMPERS THEIR REHABILITATION. REHABILITATION IS CRUCIAL FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISTIC OFFENDING. A FEW STUDIES HAVE PRESENTED EVIDENCE OF THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE WELL-BEING OF PRISON INMATES. THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE PREVIOUS STUDIES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS OF INMATES, AND DESERVES AND REQUIRES FURTHER ATTENTION. AIMS: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFILE, OPERATIONALIZED IN THE FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, OF INMATES. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS (133 MEN; 19 WOMEN) WERE RANDOMLY PLACED IN EITHER OF TWO GROUPS: TO PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY 90-MIN YOGA CLASS (YOGA GROUP) OR A WEEKLY 90-MIN FREE-CHOICE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (CONTROL GROUP). THE STUDY PERIOD LASTED FOR 10 WEEKS. PRIOR TO AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORTED INVENTORIES, INCLUDING THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY (BSI). RESULTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE INMATES' LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED ALL PRIMARY SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, PARANOID IDEATION, AND SOMATIZATION SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS OF THE BSI STAYED SIGNIFICANT EVEN WHEN COMPARING WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS IN PRISON INMATES, WITH SPECIFIC EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SUSPICIOUS AND FEARFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT LOSING AUTONOMY, MEMORY PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS, TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, OBSESSIVE THOUGHT, AND PERCEPTION OF BODILY DYSFUNCTION. 2018 7 2665 28 YOGA IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, STRESS, ANGER AS WELL AS IN THE INCREASED ABILITY OF BEHAVIORAL CONTROL HAS BEEN SHOWN. THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT FOR PRISON INMATES WHO OFTEN HAVE POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND LOW IMPULSE CONTROL. WHILE IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE PROVED THIS, USING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED SETTINGS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 152 PARTICIPANTS FROM NINE SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 10-WEEK YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 77) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 75). BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS ANSWERED QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING STRESS, AGGRESSION, AFFECTIVE STATES, SLEEP QUALITY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND COMPLETED A COMPUTERIZED TEST MEASURING ATTENTION AND IMPULSIVITY. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND ON 13 OF THE 16 VARIABLES WITHIN THE YOGA GROUP (E.G., LESS PERCEIVED STRESS, BETTER SLEEP QUALITY, AN INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, LESS AGGRESSIVE, AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR) AND ON TWO WITHIN THE CONTROL GROUP. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND LESS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA. THEY ALSO SHOWED IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON THE COMPUTERIZED TEST THAT MEASURES ATTENTION AND IMPULSE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON CONSIDERABLE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM, SUCH AS IMPULSIVITY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. ACCORDINGLY, THE RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE REHABILITATION OF PRISON INMATES. 2017 8 2001 33 STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: TO ADDRESS THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HATHA YOGA'S POTENTIAL STRESS-REDUCTION BENEFITS, WE COMPARED INFLAMMATORY AND ENDOCRINE RESPONSES OF NOVICE AND EXPERT YOGA PRACTITIONERS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A RESTORATIVE HATHA YOGA SESSION, AS WELL AS IN TWO CONTROL CONDITIONS. STRESSORS BEFORE EACH OF THE THREE CONDITIONS PROVIDED DATA ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOGA SPEEDED AN INDIVIDUAL'S PHYSIOLOGICAL RECOVERY. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 50 HEALTHY WOMEN (MEAN AGE, 41.32 YEARS; RANGE, 30-65 YEARS), 25 NOVICES AND 25 EXPERTS, WERE EXPOSED TO EACH OF THE CONDITIONS (YOGA, MOVEMENT CONTROL, AND PASSIVE-VIDEO CONTROL) DURING THREE SEPARATE VISITS. RESULTS: THE YOGA SESSION BOOSTED PARTICIPANTS' POSITIVE AFFECT COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL CONDITIONS, BUT NO OVERALL DIFFERENCES IN INFLAMMATORY OR ENDOCRINE RESPONSES WERE UNIQUE TO THE YOGA SESSION. IMPORTANTLY, EVEN THOUGH NOVICES AND EXPERTS DID NOT DIFFER ON KEY DIMENSIONS, INCLUDING AGE, ABDOMINAL ADIPOSITY, AND CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, NOVICES' SERUM INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6 LEVELS WERE 41% HIGHER THAN THOSE OF EXPERTS ACROSS SESSIONS, AND THE ODDS OF A NOVICE HAVING DETECTABLE C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) WERE 4.75 TIMES AS HIGH AS THAT OF AN EXPERT. DIFFERENCES IN STRESS RESPONSES BETWEEN EXPERTS AND NOVICES PROVIDED ONE PLAUSIBLE MECHANISM FOR THEIR DIVERGENT SERUM IL-6 DATA; EXPERTS PRODUCED LESS LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-STIMULATED IL-6 IN RESPONSE TO THE STRESSOR THAN NOVICES, AND IL-6 PROMOTES CRP PRODUCTION. CONCLUSION: THE ABILITY TO MINIMIZE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES TO STRESSFUL ENCOUNTERS INFLUENCES THE BURDEN THAT STRESSORS PLACE ON AN INDIVIDUAL. IF YOGA DAMPENS OR LIMITS STRESS-RELATED CHANGES, THEN REGULAR PRACTICE COULD HAVE SUBSTANTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS. 2010 9 1211 48 EXPLORING HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA CHANGE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ACROSS A SINGLE SESSION. OBJECTIVES: YOGA DEMONSTRATES BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN MANY POPULATIONS, YET OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOGA BRINGS ABOUT THESE EFFECTS IS QUITE LIMITED. AMONG THE PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF YOGA ARE INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS) THAT MAY BRING ABOUT SALUTARY EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. FURTHER, YOGA IS A COMPLEX PRACTICE COMPRISING MEDITATION, ACTIVE AND RESTORATIVE POSTURES, AND BREATHWORK; HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT COMPONENTS MAY AFFECT MECHANISMS. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE HOW AN ACUTE SESSION OF YOGA (AND ITS SPECIFIC COMPONENTS) RELATED TO PRE- TO POST- SESSION CHANGES IN PROPOSED MECHANISMS (PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES) AND WHETHER THOSE CHANGES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN EMOTIONS. DESIGN: 144 REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED EMOTIONS (POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT, REVITALIZATION, TRANQUILITY, EXHAUSTION) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER A YOGA SESSION (N=11 SESSIONS, EACH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF YOGA). PERCEIVED PROPERTIES OF EACH YOGA SESSION, EXERCISE EXERTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE YOGA TEACHER WERE ASSESSED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SESSION. RESULTS: PRE-TO POST- YOGA, LEVELS OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS (ENGAGEMENT, TRANQUILITY AND REVITALIZATION) INCREASED WHILE EXHAUSTION DECREASED. FURTHER, ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES INCREASED AND CLOSELY TRACKED IMPROVED EMOTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, ASPECTS OF THE YOGA SESSION CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MECHANISMS) AND EMOTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY INFLUENCE MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. FURTHER, DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. RESULTS CAN INFORM YOGA INTERVENTIONS AIMING TO OPTIMIZE EFFECTS THROUGH SPECIFIC MECHANISMS SUCH AS MINDFULNESS OR SPIRITUALITY. 2020 10 1711 25 PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AFTER STROKE: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. BACKGROUND: AND PURPOSE: THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST YOGA CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO HEALTH AND WELLBEING AFTER STROKE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION AMONG ADULTS WITH CHRONIC STROKE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-SIX COMMUNITY DWELLING ADULTS (14 FEMALE, 12 MALE) WHO WERE AT LEAST 6-MONTHS POST-STROKE PARTICIPATED IN FOUR FOCUS GROUPS HELD AT LOCAL STROKE RECOVERY MEETINGS. DATA WAS RECORDED AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED THEMATICALLY. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IDENTIFIED WHOLE BODY BENEFITS, THE RETURN OF CONNECTION AND FEELING HEALTH IN MIND AS THE PRIMARY BENEFITS OF YOGA. PERCEIVED BARRIERS INCLUDED PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, COGNITIVE CHALLENGES, ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS, AND FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS. CONCLUSION: STROKE SURVIVORS PERCEIVE YOGA PRACTICE PROVIDES BENEFITS IN 'CONNECTEDNESS'. FUTURE INTERVENTIONS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING, FOCUS ON THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION ASPECTS OF YOGA, AND MODIFYING ACTIVITIES TO SAFELY ACCOMMODATE THE PHYSICAL ABILITIES OF THE PARTICIPANTS. 2019 11 129 42 A POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA IMPACTS ON HUMAN GLOBAL FUNCTIONING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. INTRODUCTION:RESEARCH IS INCREASINGLY DEMONSTRATING A RANGE OF BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA, SUCH AS IMPROVED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, AND SELF-CARE. MECHANISMS OF ACTION ARE LESS WELL UNDERSTOOD, BUT MAY INCLUDE BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT BENEFITS AND MECHANISMS OF YOGA PRACTICE, USING QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTED FROM A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF YOGA USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. METHODS: THE MIXED METHODS, CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY COLLECTED DATA ON YOGA USE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM 2434 U.K. YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE QUALITATIVE SURVEY ELEMENT USED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO GAIN "REAL LIFE" DATA REGARDING PRACTICE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS. DATA WERE ANALYZED THEMATICALLY AND DEDUCTIVELY. A PRACTICE-BASED MODEL DESCRIBING YOGA PRACTICE, MECHANISMS, AND BENEFITS, BASED ON THE KHALSA LOGIC MODEL OF YOGA, WAS DEVELOPED TO EXPLAIN THE DATA. FINDINGS: FINDINGS HIGHLIGHTED THAT A DIVERSE RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICES AND NONSPECIFIC CONTEXTUAL FACTORS RELATED TO PRACTICING YOGA, NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA WAS BENEFITTING PEOPLE. THESE PRACTICES ENCOMPASSED BOTH MODERN AND TRADITIONAL CONCEPTIONS OF YOGA AS A DEEPER LIFESTYLE PRACTICE. KEY MECHANISMS FOR CHANGE INCLUDED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, STRESS REGULATION, RESILIENCE, EQUANIMITY, MIND-BODY AWARENESS, AND SPIRITUAL/PERSONAL GROWTH. THESE MECHANISMS RESULTED IN DIVERSE IMPROVEMENTS IN GLOBAL HEALTH FUNCTIONING, PARTICULARLY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: THE KHALSA MODEL PROVIDED A USEFUL BASE UPON WHICH TO GUIDE THE NEW POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL, TO UNDERSTAND PARTICIPANTS' "REAL LIFE" EXPERIENCES OF YOGA, HOW YOGA IS HELPING PEOPLE AND WHY. IT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRACTITIONERS, TEACHERS, AND THOSE DELIVERING YOGA INTERVENTIONS AS TO THE RANGE OF SKILLS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. IN ADDITION, FINDINGS INDICATE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, BY HIGHLIGHTING KEY YOGA MECHANISMS THAT RESEARCHERS MAY CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON IN FUTURE STUDIES. 2021 12 1606 23 MENTAL WELLBEING, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PERCEPTION OF CHRONIC ILLNESS IN YOGA-EXPERIENCED COMPARED WITH YOGA-NAIVE PATIENTS. BACKGROUND PERCEPTION OF CHRONIC ILLNESS AND A POSITIVE OUTLOOK IMPROVE RECOVERY, AND YOGA CAN IMPROVE WELLBEING. THIS STUDY AIMED TO COMPARE PERCEPTION, MENTAL WELLBEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOGA-EXPERIENCED COMPARED WITH YOGA-NAIVE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN THE YOGA-EXPERIENCED GROUP HAD ANY CORRELATION WITH THE PERCEPTION OF ILLNESS, MENTAL WELLBEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. MATERIAL AND METHODS A CROSS-SECTIONAL COMPARATIVE STUDY RECRUITED 419 PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASE. YOGA-EXPERIENCED PATIENTS (N=150) (MEAN AGE, 41.9+/-13.6 YEARS) AND YOGA-NAIVE PATIENTS (N=269) (MEAN AGE, 41.2+/-12.6 YEARS) WERE ASSESSED FOR THE PERCEPTION OF THEIR ILLNESS, MENTAL WELLBEING, AND QUALITY OF LIFE USING THE WARWICK-EDINBURGH MENTAL WELLBEING SCALE (WEMWBS) AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL-BREF) SELF-REPORTING QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS THE YOGA-EXPERIENCED GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED MENTAL WELLBEING, PERSONAL CONTROL AS A DIMENSION OF THEIR PERCEPTION OF ILLNESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF LIFE COMPARED WITH THE YOGA-NAIVE GROUP (ALL, P<0.05), WHEN COMPARISONS WERE MADE USING THE MANN-WHITNEY U TEST. THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTISED IN MONTHS WAS POSITIVELY-CORRELATED WITH MENTAL WELLBEING AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. THERE WAS A NEGATIVE CORRELATION WITH THE PERCEPTION OF ILLNESS SUGGESTING THAT THE ILLNESS WAS PERCEIVED TO BE LESS SEVERE (ALL, P<0.05) WHEN CORRELATIONS WERE MADE USING SPEARMAN'S RANK CORRELATION COEFFICIENT. CONCLUSIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS, YOGA IMPROVED MENTAL WELLBEING, ASPECTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE, AND RESULTED IN A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF ILLNESS. 2019 13 2249 28 THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA PARTICIPATION IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. CONTEXT: THE MULTIFACTORIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE LITERATURE, WITH THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA THERAPY INTO HEALTHCARE BEING AN EMERGING FIELD. IN GENERAL, YOGA THERAPY PROGRAMS ARE UTILIZED IN THE COMMUNITY AS AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER THERAPY. AT PRESENT, LIMITED REHABILITATION UNITS ROUTINELY INCORPORATE INTEGRATIVE THERAPY OPTIONS WITHIN A HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLORE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT-REPORTED BENEFITS OF YOGA IN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION SETTING. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: THIRTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED TO THE STUDY AFTER VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN A YOGA CLASS WITHIN AN INPATIENT BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION UNIT OF A MAJOR METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL. YOGA SESSIONS WERE HELD WEEKLY FOR 60 MIN AND CONSISTED OF A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA STYLE. THIS WAS A MIXED-METHODS, QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL ONE-GROUP PRETEST-POSTTEST STUDY. METHODOLOGY: QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED TO MEASURE PERCEPTIONS OF RELAXATION AND WELL-BEING BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA CLASSES, ALONG WITH THE SATISFACTION OF THE CLASS. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE UTILIZED TO COLLECT QUALITATIVE DATA OF EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PARTICIPATION. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED FOR QUALITATIVE DATA. QUANTITATIVE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING NONPARAMETRIC STATISTICAL METHODS, AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE ALSO PROVIDED. RESULTS: THE BENEFITS DESCRIBED BY PARTICIPANTS ARE REPORTED IN THIS PAPER. THESE INCLUDE IMPROVED RELAXATION, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, BEING PRESENT, AND SELF-AWARENESS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE PERSONAL BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM REGULAR YOGA PARTICIPATION WITHIN AN INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING. 2020 14 2281 37 THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A FOCUS GROUP APPROACH. OBJECTIVES: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE VIEWS OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) REGARDING THE SUITABILITY OF YOGA AS A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RA. METHODS: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS WITH RA WERE RECRUITED FROM OUTPATIENT CLINICS AT A REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN NEW ZEALAND AND DIVIDED INTO FOUR FOCUS GROUPS. HETEROGENEITY BETWEEN GROUPS IN TERMS OF AGE, GENDER, DURATION OF RA AND FUNCTIONAL ABILITY PROVIDED OPINIONS FROM A CROSS-SECTION OF RA PATIENTS. TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYSED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, WITH FOUR THEMES PREDOMINATING. RESULTS: FIRSTLY, PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED THEIR EXPERIENCE OF SYMPTOMS RELATED TO THEIR RA IN THREE INDEPENDENT BUT LINKED CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. SECONDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, MEDICALIZED AND FAILING TO ADDRESS THEIR WIDER HEALTH CONCERNS. THIRDLY, PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED YOGA AS A SAFE, ADAPTABLE THERAPY THAT MAY ALLOW SELF-MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RA. HOWEVER, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THAT FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS MAY INHIBIT ABILITY TO PRACTISE THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOGA. FOURTHLY, REQUIREMENTS FOR A YOGA INTERVENTION THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH RA WERE PRESENTED BY PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH RA PERCEIVE A DISPARITY BETWEEN THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH RA AND THEIR CURRENT MEDICAL MANAGEMENT. YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS A POTENTIAL THERAPY TO ADDRESS THIS DISPARITY. BASED ON OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY PARTICIPANTS, FUTURE RESEARCH REGARDING A YOGA INTERVENTION AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR MANAGING RA SHOULD MEET PATIENTS' VIEWS ON FEASIBILITY AND TEST OUTCOME MEASURES REFLECTING THE DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING. 2011 15 1428 24 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A 3-DAY YOGA-BASED RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. RISE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). FORTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND POST AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. OF THOSE, 33 PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. PAIRED SAMPLES T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: COMPARED TO BASELINE, AT POST, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, POSITIVE AFFECT, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, TOTAL WORK ENGAGEMENT, VIGOR, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AS WELL AS EXHAUSTION AND PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY WHICH ARE DIMENSIONS OF BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < .01). AT THE FOLLOW-UP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MAINTAINED FOR MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, VIGOR, AND EXHAUSTION (ALL P VALUES < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT (ALL P VALUES < .05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED RISE PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT ATTENDING RISE WAS FEASIBLE, THEY COULD CONTINUE USING RISE PRACTICES LONG-TERM, SHARED THEM WITH WORK COLLEAGUES, AND REPORTED THAT RISE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THEIR DAILY LIVES AND WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. WITH THESE PROMISING RESULTS, ADDITIONAL CONTROLLED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED. 2019 16 1696 15 PAIN MANAGEMENT AND YOGA. THE USE OF YOGA AND YOGA RELATED TECHNIQUES IN PAIN MANAGEMENT IS REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. SELF-AWARENESS, RELAXATION, APPROACHES WHICH USE RESPIRATION, INCREASED SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE, CHANGED CONTEXT OF PAIN, INCREASED CONTROL, LIFE STYLE IMPROVEMENTS, GROUP AND SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVED BENEFICIAL. THE USE OF YOGA IN PAIN MANAGEMENT HAS ITS TRANSPERSONAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL DIMENSIONS. INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE OF SUFFERING PEOPLE MAY BE PROTECTED IN THIS WAY. 1991 17 1367 19 IMPACT OF A MINDFULNESS-BASED, WORKPLACE GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION ON BURNOUT, SELF-CARE, AND COMPASSION IN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER A WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION COULD HELP MANAGE BURNOUT AND IMPROVE WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 43 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS PARTICIPATED IN 8-WEEK SUPERVISED WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA ACTIVITIES. THE AUTHORS USED A SINGLE-SAMPLE, PRE-POST DESIGN. AT TWO POINTS IN TIME (BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION), PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SET OF ONLINE MEASURES ASSESSING BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. THE AUTHORS USED LINEAR MIXED MODEL ANALYSIS TO ASSESS CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. AT POSTINTERVENTION, THEY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SCORES ON PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, PERCEIVED RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. PARTICIPANTS HAD A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE CONVENIENT AND LOW-COST APPROACH TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. 2020 18 1715 30 PERCEIVED MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA TARGETING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. INTRODUCTION: THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE YOGA TEACHERS' AND YOGA THERAPISTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE WAYS YOGA IS APPLIED TO TREAT SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND IDENTIFY THE DEFINING FEATURES, MAIN COMPONENTS, AND MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE. METHODS: A QUALITATIVE DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. SIX YOGA TEACHERS WHO HAD SPECIFIC TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING THERAPEUTIC YOGA OR PRACTICING 'YOGA THERAPY' TOOK PART IN ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEWS DURING WHICH THEY GAVE ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HELPING PEOPLE COPE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS THROUGH YOGA. PARTICIPANTS' INTERVIEWS WERE TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND WERE ANALYSED USING AN INTEGRATIVE INDUCTIVE-DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS: FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED IN RELATION TO THE BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA: AWARENESS, CHOICE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TAILORING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUPPORT PREVIOUS RESEARCH WHICH SUGGESTS THAT INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION, AND MAY HELP TO FORM A THEORETICAL RATIONALE FOR THE FUTURE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WITH YOGA. 2020 19 1721 33 PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF MEDIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION-AN INTERVIEW STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WE INVESTIGATED THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA FORM, MEDIYOGA, WHICH IS EVOLVED FROM KUNDALINIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (PAF). DESIGN AND SETTING: AN INDUCTIVE EXPLORATORY DESIGN WAS CHOSEN WITH INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH 12 PARTICIPANTS (7 MEN AND 5 WOMEN, AVERAGE AGE 63.5) AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, SWEDEN. INFORMED CONSENT WAS OBTAINED FROM ALL PARTICIPANTS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS WITH AN INDUCTIVE METHOD AND A MANIFEST APPROACH. RESULTS: THREE CATEGORIES WERE FOUND IN THE ANALYSIS. IN THE CATEGORY "A TIME FOR A SENSE OF EXISTENCE AND PRESENCE", THE PATIENTS DESCRIBED AN INCREASED THOUGHTFULNESS AND EXPERIENCES OF GAINING ACCESS TO AN INNER SELF. THE CATEGORY "A WAY OF GAINING WELL-BEING AND INCREASED CONSCIOUSNESS" DESCRIBES PATIENTS` FEELINGS OF RELAXATION AND FEELING OF COMFORT, WITH COMPONENTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. FURTHERMORE, "ACCESS TO A TOOL TO GAIN WILLPOWER AND RELIEVE SYMPTOMS" DESCRIBES THE PERCEPTIONS FROM PATIENTS TO OBTAINED ACCESS TO A TOOL FOR HANDLING THE EMOTIONS, SUCH AS FEAR AND ANXIETY, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS THAT THEY COULD STRUGGLING WITH BETWEEN, AND DURING, THEIR EPISODES OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED BY THE YOGA GROUP, DURING THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH PAF DESCRIBED MEDIYOGA AS AN ACCESSIBLE TOOL TO MANAGE EMOTIONS AND SYMPTOMS RELATED TO EPISODES OF AF. MEDIYOGA MAY ALSO ASSIST IN ENHANCING BODY AWARENESS, WHEREBY PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENTS ARE INTEGRATED. MEDIYOGA MAY STRENGTHEN SELF-MANAGEMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAF. 2018 20 2259 31 THE PRACTICABILITY AND RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS, STAFF, AND YOGA TEACHERS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION TO BE DEVELOPED FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. TWO FOCUS GROUPS WERE HELD WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS (N = 8), TWO FOCUS GROUPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH STAFF (N = 13) FROM A METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SETTING, AND FIVE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH YOGA TEACHERS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF A RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICE FEATURES TO BE TESTED AS A NEWLY DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THEMES. FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING CONSUMER THEMES: MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS AND PARTICIPANTS IS IMPORTANT, CREATING A SAFE SPACE AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. STAFF THEMES INCLUDED MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS IS IMPORTANT, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. YOGA TEACHER THEMES INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF THE YOGA TEACHER, AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WERE CONSISTENTLY EMPHASIZED BY CONSUMERS AND STAFF. TEACHERS FOCUSED LESS ON SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH MAY BE REFLECTIVE OF A BROADER KNOWLEDGE GAP. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PRE-INFORMATION, REGULAR AND CONSISTENT PRACTICE, MODIFICATIONS, BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS AND GUIDED PRACTICE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FEATURES, WERE CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA RESEARCH. FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. 2020