1 2140 120 THE EFFECTS OF FAST AND SLOW YOGA BREATHING ON CEREBRAL AND CENTRAL HEMODYNAMICS. BACKGROUND: YOGA BREATHING HAS SHOWN TO IMPOSE SIGNIFICANT CARDIOVASCULAR AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE: THE MECHANISM (S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE HEALTH BENEFITS REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE DIFFERENCES IN CEREBRAL AND CENTRAL HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSES FOLLOWING FAST BREATHING (FB) AND SLOW BREATHING (SB) PROTOCOLS COMPARED TO BREATHING AWARENESS (BA) AS A CONTROL. METHODS: TWENTY HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS (10 MALES AND 10 FEMALES) VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE PART IN THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS WERE BETWEEN AGES 18-55 YEARS (GROUP MEAN: 24 +/- 5 YEARS), WITH A HEIGHT OF 168.7 +/- 9.8 CM AND A WEIGHT OF 70.16 +/- 10.9 KG. A FAMILIARIZATION TRIAL INCLUDING FB AND SB PROTOCOLS WERE PERFORMED BY EACH PARTICIPANT AT LEAST 24 H BEFORE THE TESTING DAY. THE BREATHING PROTOCOLS WERE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE 6 BREATH/MIN FOR SB AND ~ 120 BREATHS/MIN FOR FB. RESULTS: FB RESULTED IN AN INCREASE IN BOTH RIGHT PREFRONTAL CORTEX (RPFC) AND LEFT PREFRONTAL CORTEX (LPFC) HEMOGLOBIN DIFFERENCE (HBDIFF) (BRAIN OXYGENATION) COMPARED TO BA (P < 0.05). FB RESULTED IN AN INCREASED HBDIFF IN LPFC COMPARED TO RPFC SB (P < 0.05). FB RESULTED IN AN INCREASED HBDIFF IN LPFC COMPARED TO SB (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: FB MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE YOGA BREATHING TECHNIQUE FOR ELICITING CEREBRAL BRAIN OXYGENATION INDICATED BY INCREASED HBDIFF. THESE RESULTS MAY BE APPLICABLE TO BOTH HEALTHY AND CLINICAL POPULATIONS. 2020 2 611 31 DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA MODULE TARGETING CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH FOR PATIENTS WITH POST-MYOCARDIAL LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION IN INDIA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS KNOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEED-BASED YOGA PROGRAM WHICH IS SUITABLE TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE CARDIAC REHABILITATION OF POST-MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENTS WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT OF THE NEED OF THE PATIENTS, LITERATURE REVIEW, AND EXPERT OPINION, A YOGA MODULE WAS DEVELOPED USING THE QUALITATIVE METHOD OF INQUIRY. THE PROGRAM INCLUDED WARM-UP EXERCISES, YOGIC ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION AND COUNSELING SESSIONS. A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE ELICITING COMMENTS ON THE CONTENTS WAS GIVEN INDEPENDENTLY TO TEN EXPERTS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH AND YOGA FOR VALIDATION. THE FINAL MODULE WAS DERIVED AFTER INCORPORATING THE SUGGESTIONS OF THE EXPERTS. RESULTS: USING THE RATERS' EXPERTISE IN CARDIOLOGY AND YOGA PRACTICE, THE PRACTICES WHICH CONSTITUTE THE MODULE WERE OPTIMIZED. MAJORITY OF THE EXPERTS (RATERS) AGREED WITH THE DURATION OF 1 H TRAINING FOR 1MONTH UNDER SUPERVISION AS ADEQUATE FOR SUBSEQUENT PRACTICE AT HOME. THERE WAS A 0.786 INTER-RATER RELIABILITY ESTIMATED USING THE INTERCLASS COEFFICIENT (ICC) AND 0.789 INTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF THE QUESTIONS, MEASURED USING CRONBACH'S ALPHA. BOTH VALUES INDICATE "GOOD" RELIABILITY AND CONSISTENCY OF THE YOGA MODULE. CONCLUSION: THE DEVELOPED YOGA MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. FUTURE RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS WILL BE NECESSARY TO VALIDATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS MODULE AND IF THE MODULE DEMONSTRATES TO BE EFFECTIVE BY CLINICAL STUDIES, IT MAY ADD A THERAPEUTIC OPTION IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE FOLLOWING MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, WHICH CAN BE APPLIED IN THE HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITY LEVEL. 2019 3 263 35 ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO A SESSION OF BIKRAM YOGA: A PILOT UNCONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MAIN CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS SUCH AS HEART RATE (HR), BLOOD PRESSURE, AND MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (MOC) ARE TIGHTLY REGULATED BY A MULTIFACTORIAL, NONLINEAR CONTROL SYSTEM. INCREASED HR BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY AN INCREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. POSTURAL CHANGES HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE BARORECEPTORS, AND STRETCHING EXERCISES AND ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS MODULATE MUSCLE MECHANORECEPTORS ELICITING INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE. HOWEVER, A HOT ENVIRONMENT INCREASES THE CORE TEMPERATURE INDUCING VASODILATION AND PLASMA VOLUME CHANGES THAT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO A DROP IN BLOOD PRESSURE. DURING THE PRACTICE OF BIKRAM YOGA, ALL THESE FACTORS CONVERGE AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE RESULTING CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND MOC. METHODS: SIXTEEN APPARENTLY HEALTHY FEMALE VOLUNTEERS, REGULAR PRACTITIONERS OF BIKRAM YOGA, WERE EVALUATED DURING A 90 MIN SESSION. SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP) WERE MEASURED IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH POSTURE AND HR WAS MEASURED CONTINUOUSLY DURING THE PRACTICE. RESULTS: HR AND ESTIMATED MOC INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER BASELINE DURING THE EXERCISE (+62.3% AND +63.6%, RESPECTIVELY). HR MEAN VALUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE BIKRAM YOGA SESSION WAS 126.6 +/- 14.3 BPM REACHING A MAXIMUM OF 168.1 +/- 20.2 BPM. SBP WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OVER BASELINE AT ANY TIME DURING THE PRACTICE WITH A MEAN VALUE OF 117.0 +/- 10.1 MMHG AND DBP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED OVER BASELINE MOST OF THE TIME (-10.1%, MEAN 71.2 +/- 7.3 MMHG) WITH PARTICULAR DECLINE TOWARD THE END OF THE PRACTICE DURING THE FLOOR POSTURES. CONCLUSIONS: DBP DURING THE PRACTICE OF BIKRAM YOGA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT PREVIOUSLY REPORTED FOR NONHEATED HATHA YOGA FOR NORMOTENSIVE SUBJECTS. FURTHER STUDIES EVALUATING THE SAME GROUP AT BOTH CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED TO BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHANGES IN HR, SBP, DBP, AND MOC. 2019 4 1335 25 HOW DOES YOGA PRACTICE AND THERAPY YIELD PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS? A REVIEW AND MODEL OF TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES. INTEREST IN YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS, WITH LITERATURE INVESTIGATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A VARIETY OF PRESENTATIONS AND SETTINGS. THE THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THIS BENEFIT HAS PREVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES INVOLVED IN YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER INTEREST HAS TURNED TO THE POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS ELICITING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. THE CURRENT PAPER BUILDS ON PREVIOUS THEORY AND ARGUES THAT YOGA PRACTICE TARGETS TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES; MECHANISMS THAT FEATURE COMMONLY ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF PRESENTATIONS, THUS REDUCING DISTRESS AND INCREASING WELLBEING ACROSS CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS. FEATURES OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO THESE TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES AND THE FEATURES OF MODERN TALKING THERAPIES. A NEW MODEL IS PROPOSED POSITING SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE CORRELATE WITH SPECIFIC TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES TO ELICIT PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE AND ARGUES THAT THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH CHANGE OCCURS ARE DIRECTLY COMPARED WITH THE CHANGES OBSERVED IN TALKING THERAPIES. THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSIONING OF HOLISTIC APPROACHES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED. 2022 5 595 24 DEVELOPMENT AND FEASIBILITY OF NEED-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF IN-PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN INDIA. CONTEXT AND AIM: YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA PROGRAM AIMED TO REDUCE BURDEN AND IMPROVE COPING OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF INPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN INDIA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT OF CAREGIVER NEEDS, LITERATURE REVIEW, AND EXPERT OPINION, A TEN-DAY GROUP YOGA PROGRAM WAS INITIALLY DEVELOPED USING THE QUALITATIVE INDUCTIVE METHOD OF INQUIRY. EACH DAY'S PROGRAM INCLUDED WARM-UP EXERCISES, YOGIC ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND SATSANG. A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE ELICITING COMMENTS ON EACH DAY'S CONTENTS WAS GIVEN INDEPENDENTLY TO TEN EXPERIENCED YOGA PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH FOR VALIDATION. THE FINAL VERSION OF THE PROGRAM WAS PILOT-TESTED ON A GROUP OF SIX CAREGIVERS OF IN-PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA ADMITTED AT NIMHANS, BANGALORE. RESULTS: ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE PROGRAM WOULD HELP REDUCE THE BURDEN OF CAREGIVERS, SIX OF THE TEN EXPERTS (60%) GAVE A RANK OF FOUR OF FIVE (VERY MUCH USEFUL). BASED ON COMMENTS OF THE EXPERTS, SEVERAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE PROGRAM. IN THE PILOT-TESTING STAGE, MORE THAN 60% OF THE CAREGIVERS ASSIGNED A SCORE OF FOUR AND ABOVE (ON A FIVE-POINT LIKERT SCALE, FIVE BEING EXTREMELY USEFUL) FOR THE OVERALL PROGRAM, HANDOUTS DISTRIBUTED, AND PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAINER. QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK OF THE CAREGIVERS FURTHER ENDORSED THE FEASIBILITY AND USEFULNESS OF THE PROGRAM. CONCLUSION: THE DEVELOPED YOGA PROGRAM WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO CAREGIVERS OF IN-PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. 2012 6 2663 19 YOGA IN CARDIAC HEALTH (A REVIEW). THIS REVIEW STUDIES THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE AND POST-MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENT REHABILITATION. YOGA IS AN UNCONVENTIONAL FORM OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE THAT HAS BEEN PRACTISED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT. IT HAS GAINED IMMENSE POPULARITY AS A FORM OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY ALL OVER THE WORLD. ITS POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTHY LIVING HAVE BEEN STUDIED AND MANY INTERESTING REVELATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE MODIFICATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND IN THE REHABILITATION OF THE POST-MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENT ARE AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASSESS THE PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE SUITABILITY OF INCORPORATING YOGA INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMME. MAJORITY OF THE REHABILITATION WORKERS BELIEVES THAT INCORPORATING NONCONVENTIONAL FORMS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA DEFINITELY WOULD ENHANCE EFFICACY AND ADD VALUE. THIS ARTICLE ATTEMPTS TO STUDY THE HISTORY AND THE SCIENCE OF YOGA AND EVALUATE ITS EFFECTS ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. 2004 7 2570 20 YOGA FOR DERMATOLOGIC CONDITIONS. AS BOTH A DERMATOLOGY RESIDENT AND YOGA INSTRUCTOR, I FIND THE POTENTIAL CORRELATION BETWEEN THE 2 DISCIPLINES TO BE INTERESTING AND A GROWING TOPIC OF ATTENTION IN THE MEDIA TODAY. WITH THE RISING TREND OF PRACTICING YOGA, WHICH ENCOMPASSES PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, AND MEDITATION OR MINDFULNESS, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT PATIENTS WILL INQUIRE ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN MANAGING DERMATOLOGIC PROBLEMS. IN THIS COLUMN, I WILL DISCUSS THE DERMATOLOGIC MANIFESTATIONS OF STRESS AS WELL AS THE KNOWN HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA AS DESCRIBED IN THE LITERATURE SO THAT RESIDENTS MAY OFFER AN OBJECTIVE OPINION ABOUT YOGA IN RESPONSE TO PATIENT INQUIRIES. 2015 8 581 28 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. CONTEXT: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. MODULES OF YOGA USED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER'S EXPERIENCE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTRE FOR YOGA (NICY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. THE YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N = 10) GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. IN TOTAL, 87% (13 OF 15 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATION IN THE REMAINDER AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE. ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2016 9 889 14 EFFECT OF YOGA-BASED AND FORCED UNINOSTRIL BREATHING ON THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. SOME REPORTS HAVE DESCRIBED THE EFFECTS OF FORCED UNINOSTRIL BREATHING ON AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY AS SEX-SPECIFIC, WHILE OTHER REPORTS DESCRIBED SELECTIVE EFFECTS OF BREATHING THROUGH A SPECIFIC NOSTRIL ON THE TWO DIVISIONS OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, IRRESPECTIVE OF SEX. THERE ARE ALSO YOGA BREATHING TECHNIQUES WHICH INVOLVE VOLUNTARY UNINOSTRIL BREATHING. THESE TECHNIQUES ALSO INFLUENCED THE AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY BASED ON THE PATENT NOSTRIL RATHER THAN SEX. THESE DESCRIPTIONS WERE IN LINE WITH EXPERIENTIAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE ANCIENT SAGES DESCRIBED IN CLASSICAL YOGA TEXTS. THIS PAPER SUMMARIZES THESE PERSPECTIVES ON UNINOSTRIL BREATHING. 2003 10 614 23 DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA-BASED CARDIAC REHABILITATION (YOGA-CARE) PROGRAMME FOR SECONDARY PREVENTION OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. CARDIAC REHABILITATION (CR) AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE. IT IS UNAVAILABLE IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN INDIA DUE TO LIMITED RESOURCES. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO DEVELOP A SCALABLE MODEL OF CR FOR INDIA BASED ON YOGA, WHICH COULD ALSO APPEAL TO SOME GROUPS WITH LOW UPTAKE OF CR (E.G., ETHNIC MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND OLDER PEOPLE) GLOBALLY. THE INTERVENTION WAS DEVELOPED USING A STRUCTURED PROCESS. A LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONSULTATIONS WITH YOGA EXPERTS, CR EXPERTS, AND POSTMYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO SYSTEMATICALLY IDENTIFY AND SHORTLIST APPROPRIATE YOGA EXERCISES AND POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, MEDITATION AND RELAXATION PRACTICES, AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES, WHICH WERE INCORPORATED INTO A CONVENTIONAL CR FRAMEWORK. THE DRAFT INTERVENTION WAS FURTHER REFINED BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM AN INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND AN EXTERNAL PANEL OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS, BEFORE BEING PILOTED WITH YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION. A FOUR-PHASE YOGA-BASED CR (YOGA-CARE) PROGRAMME WAS DEVELOPED FOR DELIVERY BY A SINGLE YOGA INSTRUCTOR WITH BASIC TRAINING. THE PROGRAMME CONSISTS OF A TOTAL OF 13 INSTRUCTOR-LED SESSIONS (2 INDIVIDUAL AND 11 GROUP) OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD. GROUP SESSIONS INCLUDE GUIDED PRACTICE OF YOGA EXERCISES AND POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, AND MEDITATION AND RELAXATION PRACTICES, AND SUPPORT FOR THE LIFESTYLE CHANGE AND COPING THROUGH A MODERATED DISCUSSION. PATIENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-PRACTICE DAILY AT HOME AND CONTINUE LONG-TERM WITH THE HELP OF A BOOKLET AND DIGITAL VIDEO DISC (DVD). FAMILY MEMBERS/CARERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN THROUGHOUT. IN CONCLUSION, A NOVEL YOGA-BASED CR PROGRAMME HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, WHICH PROMISES TO PROVIDE A SCALABLE CR SOLUTION FOR INDIA AND AN ALTERNATIVE CHOICE FOR CR GLOBALLY. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED IN A LARGE MULTICENTRE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL ACROSS INDIA. 2019 11 2304 21 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 12 582 25 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR OBESITY WITH METABOLIC COMORBIDITIES. OBJECTIVES: OBESITY IS A CONDITION OF INCREASED ADIPOSE TISSUE IN THE BODY, WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS COMORBIDITIES LIKE DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, ARTHRITIS, BACK PAIN, AND MANY OTHERS. YOGA MODULES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND VALIDATED FOR OBESITY; HOWEVER, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY SPECIFIC MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME, A CONDITION WHICH INCLUDES OBESITY, DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 AND/OR HYPERTENSION TOGETHER. KEEPING THIS IN VIEW, OUR STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. WE DERIVED THE YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE MODULE, FROM THESE YOGA TEXTS AND RESEARCH EVIDENCE WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE. THE YOGA MODULE WAS SENT TO 40 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO EXPERTS GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS. OF THESE EXPERTS, 73% WERE MALES, AND 27% WERE FEMALES. YOGA THERAPY PRACTICES WITH CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) >0.08 WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL MODULE. IN TOTAL, 86% (31 OF 36 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE.ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2020 13 2371 18 WHAT HAS NEUROIMAGING TAUGHT US ON THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF YOGA? A REVIEW. YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR WORLDWIDE, WITH SEVERAL IMPLICATED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS. HERE WE PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE AND CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH GENERATED FROM THE EXISTING NEUROIMAGING LITERATURE IN STUDIES OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. WE REVIEWED 34 INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED NEUROIMAGING STUDIES OF YOGA USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI), POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET), OR SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (SPECT): 11 MORPHOLOGICAL AND 26 FUNCTIONAL STUDIES, INCLUDING THREE STUDIES THAT WERE CLASSIFIED AS BOTH MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL. CONSISTENT FINDINGS INCLUDE INCREASED GRAY MATTER VOLUME IN THE INSULA AND HIPPOCAMPUS, INCREASED ACTIVATION OF PREFRONTAL CORTICAL REGIONS, AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES MAINLY WITHIN THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK. THERE IS QUITE SOME VARIABILITY IN THE NEUROIMAGING FINDINGS THAT PARTIALLY REFLECTS DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES AND APPROACHES, AS WELL AS SAMPLE SIZE LIMITATIONS. DIRECT COMPARATOR GROUPS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE SCARCELY USED SO FAR. FINALLY, HYPOTHESES ON THE UNDERLYING NEUROBIOLOGY DERIVED FROM THE IMAGING FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN THE LIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA. 2020 14 1817 16 PROPOSED IDENTIFICATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AND THEORETICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGASANAS. YOGA IN THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FORM IS NOW ACCEPTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, BY THE RESEARCHERS AS WELL AS BY THE GENERAL POPULATION. YOGASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES ARE ONE OF THE MAIN FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICAL YOGA. MECHANISMS OF MEDIATION AND PRANAYAMA HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHOR IS FOR THE FIRST TIME PROPOSING PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF YOGASANA I.E. (A) STRETCH (B) CONTRACTION (C). NEUROMUSCULAR COORDINATION (D) SENSE REDUCTION (E) SPINE BRAIN ACTIVATION. IN SUPPORT OF THIS PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AUTHOR HAS PROPOSED FIVE HYPOTHETICAL THEORIES I.E. (I) STRETCH RELAXATION AWARENESS (II) CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (III) BALLASTIC CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (IV) SENSORY MOTOR FUNCTION AWARENESS AND (V) VITAL ENERGY FLOW AWARENESS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS OF YOGASANA PRACTICE AND TO EXPLAIN ITS BENEFITS. 2021 15 603 21 DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS. BACKGROUND: OBESITY IS A GROWING GLOBAL EPIDEMIC AND CAUSE OF NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. YOGA IS ONE OF THE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS WHICH IS ONE OF THE CAUSES OF OBESITY. NOWADAYS, CHILDREN IN ADOLESCENT AGE ARE MORE PRONE TO GET OBESE DUE TO LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAKING THEM MORE SEDENTARY. AIM: TO IDENTIFY THE DESIGN AND VALIDATION OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY MODULE (IAYTM) FOR OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: FIRST PHASE - IAYTM FOR OBESITY WAS DESIGNED BASED ON THE LITERATURE REVIEW OF CLASSICAL TEXTS AND RECENTLY PUBLISHED RESEARCH ARTICLES. SECOND PHASE - DESIGNED IAYTM WAS VALIDATED BY 16 SUBJECT MATTER (YOGA) EXPERTS. CONTENT-VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) WAS ANALYZED USING LAWSHE'S FORMULA. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICES WERE DESIGNED FOR INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS. YOGA PRACTICES WITH CVR >/=0.5 AND WHICH WERE VALIDATED BY 16 YOGA EXPERTS AND APPROVED IN FACULTY GROUP DISCUSSION WERE INCLUDED IN FINAL INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE. CONCLUSION: THE YOGA PRACTICES WERE DESIGNED AND VALIDATED FOR IAYTM FOR OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS. 2018 16 1212 26 EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING YOGA AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING CARDIOLOGY AND NEUROLOGY CLINICS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN NORTHERN INDIA. BACKGROUND THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, PARTICULARLY YOGA IS INCREASING IN NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDS). WE ASSESSED THE OVERALL AWARENESS REGARDING YOGA AMONG PATIENTS AND THEIR OPINION ABOUT IT AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR NCDS. METHODS WE INCLUDED 384 PATIENTS ATTENDING THE CARDIOLOGY AND NEUROLOGY CLINICS AT A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN NORTHERN INDIA. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF YOGA AS A THERAPY. RESULTS NINETY PER CENT OF PATIENTS WERE AWARE OF YOGA, MAINLY THROUGH PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. OF THE SURVEYED PATIENTS, 22% PRACTISED YOGA. LACK OF TIME AND KNOWLEDGE WERE CITED AS THE MAIN REASONS FOR NON-PRACTICE AMONG THE NON-PRACTISING PATIENTS (88%), OF WHICH 82% BELIEVED THAT YOGA COULD BE PRACTISED ALONG WITH MODERN MEDICINE. IN ADDITION, 61% WERE READY TO ACCEPT TREATMENT IF OFFERED AT THE SURVEYED TERTIARY CARE CENTRE. CONCLUSIONS ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOGA APPEARS TO BE PRESENT IN CONTRAST TO THE LOW PRACTICE AMONG THE PATIENT POPULATION SURVEYED. IF IMPLEMENTED IN AN INTEGRATED FASHION, THE PATIENTS WERE WILLING TO ACCEPT YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR THEIR CARDIAC AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-AN ENCOURAGING SIGN GIVEN THE BURDEN OF NCDS IN INDIA. 2022 17 544 29 CONTENT VALIDITY OF AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR PRACTICE DURING REMISSION IN RELAPSING-REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PATIENTS. BACKGROUND: SOME INVESTIGATIONS POINT TO THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA IN ALLEVIATING THE MOTOR AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTIONS IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) PATIENTS BY USING VARYING COMBINATIONS OF PHYSICAL, BREATHING, AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES OF YOGA. THERE IS A NEED FOR A VALIDATED YOGA MODULE WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT CAN BE USED AS A STANDARDIZED PROTOCOL BY RESEARCHERS AND THERAPISTS. PURPOSE: TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE AN INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE FOR PRACTICE IN RELAPSING-REMITTING MS PATIENTS TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. METHODS: WE DID A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOGA MODULE. WE FORMED AN EXPERT GROUP WITH 24 EXPERTS AND A NEUROLOGIST AND USED TWO ROUNDS OF INTERACTIVE DELPHI METHOD TO COMBINE THEIR OPINION TO OBTAIN CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE MODULE THROUGH ONLINE STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE PREPARED FOR THE PURPOSE ON A GOOGLE FORM. WE INCORPORATED ALL SUGGESTIONS OBTAINED BY THE EXPERTS. THE FINAL MODULE (60 MIN PER SESSION, TWICE A DAY, FIVE DAYS PER WEEK) INCLUDED WARM-UP EXERCISES, CUSTOMIZED ASANAS, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, AND OM MEDITATION. ADVICE ON YOGIC DIET AND DISCUSSION USING YOGIC CONCEPTS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT ALSO FORM A PART OF THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO YOGA LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION. RESULTS: ANALYSIS DIVULGED THAT 30 OUT OF 39 PRACTICES EXHIBITED A CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO VALUE GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 0.42. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY HAS SHOWN GOOD CONTENT VALIDITY OF THE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULE. FUTURE CLINICAL STUDIES ARE BEING PLANNED TO RULE THE FEASIBILITY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS MODULE. 2021 18 398 16 BEYOND SCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS: SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS WITH VINIYOGA MEDITATION. HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES GROUNDED IN ANCIENT WISDOM, BUT OFTEN HAVE LIMITED DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PRACTICES. MEDITATION PARTICIPANT SELF-REPORTS PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF THREE VINIYOGA MEDITATIONS AND HOW AND WHY THOSE MEDITATIONS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES. EACH OF THE MEDITATIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS HAD A UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND USED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE OCEAN AS A MEDITATION OBJECT. YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA ANATOMY MODELS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM ARE USED TO HELP EXPLAIN PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATED PERSONAL BENEFITS AND INSIGHTS. FOUR ASPECTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THEM IN MEDITATION ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH TANGIBLE EXAMPLES: (1) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GENERALLY IN SOMEONE'S LIFE; (2) THE STATE OF THEIR SYSTEM (MIND, BODY, BREATH) AROUND THE TIME OF THE MEDITATION; (3) REACTIONS TO THE MEDITATION STEPS AND INSTRUCTIONS; AND (4) THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECT OF MEDITATION. SUMMARIES OF THE PRACTICES, AND WHY AND FOR WHOM EACH MEDITATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN VINIYOGA AND YOGA THERAPY. 2019 19 578 28 DESIGN AND VALIDATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIONERS. BACKGROUND: EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS ARE INHERENTLY STRESSFUL AND ARE CHARACTERIZED BY A VARIETY OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ISOLATION, CONFINEMENT, SOCIAL TENSIONS, MINIMAL POSSIBILITY OF MEDICAL EVACUATION, BOREDOM, MONOTONY, AND DANGER. PREVIOUS RESEARCH STUDIES RECOMMEND ADAPTATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT TO MAINTAIN OPTIMAL FUNCTION AND REMAIN HEALTHY. DIFFERENT INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN TRIED IN THE PAST FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF STRESS. YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR COPING WITH STRESS AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE, SLEEP AND IMMUNE STATUS. OBJECTIVE: THE CURRENT ARTICLE DESCRIBES PREPARATION OF A YOGA MODULE FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF STRESSORS IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION OF ANTARCTICA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON THE TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. THE YOGA MODULE WAS SENT FOR VALIDATION TO FORTY EXPERTS OF WHICH THIRTY RESPONDED. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N = 30) GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF THE YOGA MODULE. IN TOTAL 29 OUT OF 30 PRACTICES WERE RETAINED. THE AVERAGE CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO AND INTRA CLASS CORRELATION OF THE ENTIRE MODULE WAS 0.89 & 0.78 RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA MODULE FOR COPING AND FACILITATING ADAPTATION IN ANTARCTICA WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED. THIS MODULE WAS USED IN THE 35TH INDIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA, AND EXPERIMENTS ARE UNDERWAY TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFICACY AND UTILITY OF YOGA ON PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, SLEEP, SERUM BIOMARKERS AND GENE EXPRESSION. FURTHER OUTCOMES SHALL PROVIDE THE EFFICACY AND UTILITY OF THIS MODULE IN ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENTS. 2020 20 1934 15 ROLE OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE STATE OF THE MIND AND THAT OF THE BODY ARE INTIMATELY RELATED. IF THE MIND IS RELAXED, THE MUSCLES IN THE BODY WILL ALSO BE RELAXED. STRESS PRODUCES A STATE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TENSION. YOGA, DEVELOPED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, IS RECOGNIZED AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE. IN YOGA, PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BLOOD CIRCULATION AND OXYGEN UPTAKE AS WELL AS HORMONE FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE RELAXATION INDUCED BY MEDITATION HELPS TO STABILIZE THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH A TENDENCY TOWARDS PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE. PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS WHICH FOLLOW, HELP YOGA PRACTITIONERS BECOME MORE RESILIENT TO STRESSFUL CONDITIONS AND REDUCE A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS FOR VARIOUS DISEASES, ESPECIALLY CARDIO-RESPIRATORY DISEASES. 2004