1 1094 130 EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON ACUMERIDIAN ENERGIES: VARIANCE REDUCTION IMPLIES BENEFITS FOR REGULATION. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: THIS PAPER CONCERNS MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA MEDICINE, TRADITIONALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE ENLIVENMENT OF PRANA. OUR STRATEGY WAS TO INVESTIGATE LEVELS OF QI IN ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIANS, SINCE QI IS USUALLY CONSIDERED EQUIVALENT TO PRANA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELECTRODERMAL MEASUREMENTS AT ACUMERIDIAN ENDPOINTS (TSING POINTS) WERE MADE ON 32 HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, PRE AND POST 3 WEEKS YOGA LIFESTYLE PROGRAM USING ACUGRAPH 3 (AN INSTRUMENT IN WIDE USE). A PREVIOUS STUDY FOUND THAT INHERENT ERRORS PREVENT ACUGRAPH FROM PRECISELY EVALUATING QI ENERGIES IN SINGLE MERIDIANS, SO GROUP RESULTS ARE REPORTED: (A) ENERGY LEVELS, (B) ENERGY STABILITY, AND (C) ENERGY BALANCE BETWEEN (I) YIN/YANG MERIDIANS, (II) UPPER AND LOWER, AND (III) LEFT AND RIGHT REGIONS OF THE BODY. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN ALL BUT ENERGY STABILITY, SUPPORTING THE IDEAS THAT YOGA ENLIVENS PRANA, AND THAT BALANCE IN MERIDIANS CONSTITUTES HEALTH. FOR BALANCE VARIABLES, THE STUDY OBSERVED SHIFTS TOWARD NORMAL AT BOTH ENDS OF VARIABLE DISTRIBUTIONS, REDUCING STANDARD DEVIATIONS: POST-INTERVENTION PERCENTAGES OF SUBJECTS WITH VALUES IN THE 'HEALTHY' RANGE INCREASED. CONCLUSION: YOGA IMPROVED REGULATION OF QI LEVELS IN ACUMERIDIAN MERIDIANS AS WELL AS INCREASING THEM. 2013 2 381 22 BEING ALONE TOGETHER: YOGA, BODYWORK, AND INTIMATE SOCIALITY IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. USING ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA FROM PROVIDENCE COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND, THIS PAPER EXPLORES YOGA AS A BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT IS PART OF EVERYDAY HEALTH AND WELLBEING ROUTINES IN MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. IN THIS CONTEXT, PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THEIR BODYWORK PRACTICES AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES THAT ANSWER HEALTH AND WELLBEING NEEDS, BUT NOTABLY DISCUSS BODYWORK IN TERMS OF THEIR EVERYDAY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. ALONG WITH OTHER BODYWORK ACTIVITIES, YOGA EMERGES AS A SHARED SOCIAL PRACTICE THAT LINKS PARTICIPANTS TO THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN, AND OTHER INTIMATES, FACILITATING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS BY ALLOWING TIME AND SPACE FOR AUTONOMY. BY GIVING ATMOSPHERIC AND SENSORY ATTENTION TO THE ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PAPER FURTHER REVEALS HOW DOMESTIC INTIMACY IS CULTIVATED VIA THE GENERATION OF BODILY HEAT AND POSITIVE ENERGIES AND THAT YOGA MAY TACITLY FACILITATE SUCH ATMOSPHERES. IN THIS WAY, YOGA CAN HELP HOUSEHOLDS MEET AN AMERICAN NEED FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AUTONOMY WHILE STILL FACILITATING A FAR MORE ENDURING HUMAN NEED FOR INTIMATE CONNECTION. ULTIMATELY YOGA IS CHARACTERIZED AS A PRAGMATIC BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT BLENDS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INTIMACY THROUGH SHARED ENERGETIC ENCOUNTERS. 2021 3 1671 29 NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES: A CASE STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. BEGINNING WITH A ROUTINE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRACTITIONER OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AND EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING, MAINTAINING AND PREVENTING THE DISSIPATION OF DIVERSE 'ENERGIES', THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GEOGRAPHICAL HEALTH STUDIES WHICH TAKE SERIOUSLY 'NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'. IT IS EXPLAINED HOW THIS ACCOUNT IS DERIVED FROM IN-DEPTH FIELDWORK TRACING HOW PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FIND TIMES AND SPACES FOR THESE PRACTICES, OFTEN IN THE FACE OF BUSY URBAN LIFESTYLES. ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE 'ENERGY TALK' FEATURING HEAVILY IN HOW PRACTITIONERS DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES TO DERIVE FROM THESE PRACTICES, AND TO CLAIMS MADE ABOUT 'ENERGIES' GENERATED DURING THE TIME-SPACES OF THESE PRACTICES WHICH SEEMINGLY FLOW, USUALLY WITH POSITIVE EFFECTS, INTO OTHER DOMAINS OF THEIR LIVES. THE PAPER THEN DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ENERGY TALK IN THE CONTEXT OF: (A) CRITICALLY REVIEWING CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING 'ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'; (B) IDENTIFYING AN ALERTNESS TO THE LIKES OF 'AFFECTIVE ENERGIES' SURFACING IN RECENT THEORETICALLY-ATTUNED WORKS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (AND COGNATE DISCIPLINES); AND (C) EXPLORING DIFFERING UNDERSTANDINGS OF ENERGY/ENERGIES EXTANT IN GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF HEALTH AND IN STEP WITH THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH MATERIALS PRESENTED ABOUT YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. WHILE ORIENTATED TOWARDS EXPLICITLY GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES, THE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO THE WIDER MEDICAL HUMANITIES. 2015 4 432 57 CAN YOGA PRACTICES BENEFIT HEALTH BY IMPROVING ORGANISM REGULATION? EVIDENCE FROM ELECTRODERMAL MEASURES OF ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIANS. OBJECTIVES: TO DOCUMENT AND EXPLAIN YOGA'S EFFECTS ON ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIAN ENERGIES. TO UNDERSTAND MECHANISMS BEHIND YOGA'S EFFICACY BY TESTING LINKS BETWEEN YOGA AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY COMPARED TWO GROUPS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED. NOVICES CONSISTED OF 33 VOLUNTEERS FROM A SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOGA ANUSANDHANA SAMSTHANA (S-VYASA) YOGA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING MODULE AND THE EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS WERE 20 RESIDENT SVYASA STUDENTS. THE INTERVENTION WAS 3 WEEKS OF A YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM, NEW FOR THE NOVICES, BUT THE LIFESTYLE OF THE EXPERIENCED GROUP, WHO WERE THEREFORE ASSESSED ONLY ONCE. NOVICES WERE ASSESSED ON DAY 2 AND 23 OF THEIR PROGRAM AT SVYASA'S YOGA MEDICINE HOSPITAL, MAKING THEIR DATA A PRE-POST, SELF-AS-CONTROL, PROSPECTIVE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE MEAN ACUMERIDIAN ENERGY LEVELS ASSESSED BY ACUGRAPH3 MEASURES OF ELECTRODERMAL RESISTANCE AT ACUPOINTS; ADDITIONALLY, GENDER DIFFERENCES, STANDARD DEVIATIONS (SDS) OF ALL MEASURES, AND COMPARISON OF POST AND EXPERIENCED GROUP DATA. RESULTS: AVERAGED ENERGY LEVELS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN ALL 24 MERIDIANS (MAXIMUM P = 0.032, 4-P < 0.01, AND 19-P < 0.001). FEMALES IMPROVED MORE THAN MALES (P < 0.05), BOTH ENDING AT SIMILAR LEVELS TO EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS, WHOSE SDS WERE LOWER THAN NOVICES ON 19/24 MERIDIANS (MEAN F = 3.715, P = 0.0022), AND 4/5 AVERAGE VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: ACUGRAPH3 ELECTRODERMAL MEASURES CONTAIN SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION, P << 0.00001. YOGA-LIFESTYLE PRACTICE CAN INCREASE AND BALANCE ACUMERIDIAN ENERGIES; LONG-TERM PRACTICE DECREASES GROUP SD'S. THESE THREE SUGGEST REASONS WHY YOGA PRACTICE IMPACTS HEALTH: ONE, INCREASED PRANA LEVELS ARE IMPORTANT; TWO AND THREE, IMPROVED PHYSIOLOGICAL REGULATION IS THE KEY. FURTHER STUDIES RELATING TRADITIONAL INDIAN AND CHINESE MEDICAL SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED. 2014 5 2042 23 THE 'WORLD OF YOGA': THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS ACTIVITY, PARTLY CONSIDERED AS THERAPEUTIC, REVEALS CONTEMPORARY WAYS OF PRODUCING GLOBAL PRACTICES. VIA A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUALS AT YOGA CENTRES IN INDIA AND FRANCE, THE PAPER ANALYSES THIS PHENOMENON USING THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. FURTHERMORE, IT EXAMINES HOW THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE INFLUENCED BY GLOBALISATION. BRINGING TOGETHER THE CONCEPTS OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES, GLOBALISATION AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, THE PAPER ANALYSES THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF YOGIC THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD'S SPACE. CONSTITUTED OF NATURAL PHYSICAL ELEMENTS AND BUILT STRUCTURES, THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE ALSO STRONGLY LINKED TO EMOTIONAL QUALITIES AND INTIMATE FEELINGS EVOKED BY THE PLACE AND RELATED TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERLINES THAT THE EMERGENCE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES DEMANDS A CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH THAT COULD HELP TO EXAMINE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL PHENOMENA ON THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. INDEED, VERY OFTEN, YOGIS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, REFER TO IDEAL PLACES WHERE THEY RARELY GO. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY CREATE AN IMAGINED THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PAPER DESCRIBES. 2007 6 2211 24 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 7 1310 28 HEALING MYTHS, YOGA STYLES AND SOCIAL BODIES: SOCIO-LOGICS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IN THE SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE. DRAWING ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS IN TWO YOGA STUDIOS IN THE HIGHLY SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE, THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE THAT EMERGE AT THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN YOGA STYLES AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF CONSUMPTION. ITS INSIGHTS EMERGE FROM THE COMPARISON OF THREE MODERN YOGA STYLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED FOR WESTERN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CULTURAL CONTEXTS - IYENGAR, BIKRAM AND FORREST - AND WHICH DIFFER IN FORM BUT ALSO IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THEIR EMERGENCE ON THE GLOBAL YOGA MARKET AND THAT OF THEIR RECEPTION IN FRANCE. THESE THREE YOGA STYLES ARE ALSO BRANDED THROUGH CONTRASTING MYTHOLOGIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING, AND THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO EXPLORE HOW A BRAND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE RELATES TO OR RESONATES WITH THE EMBODIED EXPERIENCES OF PRACTITIONERS, AND TO THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR PRACTICES ARE EMBEDDED. THE PAPER CONTRIBUTES A NEW CASE STUDY TO THE GLOBAL YOGA SCHOLARSHIP AND TO A POORLY STUDIED FRENCH YOGA SCENE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT CROSS-EXAMINES THE DISCOURSES THROUGH WHICH A YOGA STYLE IS BRANDED, THE WAY IT IS TRANSMITTED, AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT AND SOCIAL POSITIONING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE IT. COMBINING PERSPECTIVES ON THE BODY, NARRATIVE AND RITUALS, IT IDENTIFIES HOW YOGA HEALING IS CONSTRUED IN RELATION TO GENDER, ETHNICITY AND CLASS AND THE POINTS OF CONSENSUS AND DISSENT THAT EMERGE FROM THE ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN FRENCH SOCIAL BODIES AND EXOGENOUS YOGA STYLES. 2021 8 400 24 BEYOND THE EAST/WEST DICHOTOMY-THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE CONVEYS THE BENEFITS OF AN AYURVEDIC LENS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH. THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC OFFERINGS OF "YOGA COURSES" WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY, WHILE STUDENTS WERE NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF WHAT YOGA HAS TO OFFER AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE, NOR HOW IT GREW UP ALONGSIDE AYURVEDA. STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED. YET, THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA EMERGED. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE COURSE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, "INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS" THAT PROVIDES NONWESTERN WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH. THE FOCUS OF YTP IS TO OFFER COLLEGE STUDENTS AN IN-DEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA, INCORPORATING BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST), AND AN AYURVEDA HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. THIS COURSE IS AN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION, TRANSLATING THE BENEFITS OF AYURVEDIC AND YOGIC LIFESTYLE TO A WESTERN AUDIENCE. 2019 9 414 21 BODIES IN YOGA: TANGLED DISCOURSES IN CANADIAN STUDIOS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A ONE AND A HALF-YEAR ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY CONDUCTED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES OF THEIR BODIES IN THE CONTEXT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CONCEPTUALISED THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL BODIES IN THIS PRACTICE THROUGH IDEAS OF SYSTEMS, FRAGMENTS, AND MATERIALITY. IT ARGUES THAT PARTICIPANTS' LARGER NARRATIVES ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALTHY BODIES INFORM HOW YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IS EMBEDDED IN DISCOURSES OF BODY WORK WHERE YOGA, HEALTH, AND PARTICULAR NOTIONS OF BODILY-NESS BECOME A PROJECT FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA OF WHAT A BODY IS OR SHOULD BE. 2021 10 405 33 BIOENERGY AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR YOGA THERAPY. ELECTRO PHOTONIC IMAGING (EPI) IS BEING RESEARCHED RELATIVE TO ITS APPLICATION FOR YOGA THERAPY. THREE PARAMETERS OF INTEREST IN EPI MEASUREMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: COMMUNICATION ENERGY (C), INTEGRAL OR NORMALIZED AREA (IA), AND ENTROPY (E). IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT C INDICATES THE TOTAL ENERGY OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE ORGAN SYSTEM; IA IS AN INDICATION OF TOTAL AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE ORGAN SYSTEM WHILE ENTROPY IS AN INDICATION OF THE AMOUNT OF COHERENCE OF THE ENERGY. COHERENCE AND ENTROPY ARE INVERSELY RELATED; THIS MEANS LESS THE ENTROPY, MORE THE COHERENCE AND VICE VERSA. ILLUSTRATIVE CASES OF SUCCESSFUL THERAPY WITH YOGA PRACTICES IN A WIDE VARIETY OF ABNORMAL CONDITIONS ARE EXAMINED, AND IN EVERY CASE, ENTROPY IS SHOWN TO DECREASE FOR THE AFFECTED ORGAN SYSTEM WHILE COMMUNICATION ENERGY STAYS WITHIN STABLE RANGE. RELATIVE TO THE ELECTROMAGNETIC (RUBIK) AND LIVING MATRIX (OSCHMAN) MODELS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE REGULATION OF ENERGY, ITS COHERENCE IN THE BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND INTERACTION WITH LIFE PROCESSES PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR MODEL BUILDING AND DESIGN OF HEALTH-PROMOTING PROCEDURES. FURTHER, THIS APPROACH IS EXAMINED RELATIVE TO YOGA THEORY, TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SYSTEMS, AND SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF GENE EXPRESSION AND NEUROPLASTICITY AND A GENERALIZED MODEL THAT WE CALL UNIFIED SYSTEM OF MEDICINE IS PROPOSED. THIS MODEL HAS DIRECT IMPLICATIONS ON METHODS USED TO CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS TO GET ROBUST RESULTS FROM EPI APPLICATION FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES. IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHERING RESEARCH IN YOGA THERAPY USING EPI AND IMPLICATIONS OF EPI AS A TRANSLATIONAL TECHNOLOGY BETWEEN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SYSTEMS AND MODERN MEDICINE IS DISCUSSED. 2018 11 560 28 CREATING INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES: THE CASE OF BODY-POSITIVE YOGA. PURPOSE: WITHIN THE MODERN CULTURAL CLIMATE, THOSE IN LARGER BODIES FACE HIGH LEVELS OF WEIGHT STIGMA, PARTICULARLY IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES, WHICH SERVES AS A STRONG BARRIER TO THEIR PARTICIPATION. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE STRONG LINK BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GENERAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR PARTICIPANTS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. THUS, THE CURRENT RESEARCH EXAMINED STRATEGIES THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INSTRUCTORS USE TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE EXERCISE SPACES FOR ALL BODY SIZES. METHOD: THIS STUDY EMPLOYED A SERIES OF SEMISTRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS (N = 9) WITH INSTRUCTORS OF BODY-INCLUSIVE YOGA CLASSES TO EXPLORE THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FOR THOSE IN LARGER BODIES. RESULTS: EMERGENT THEMES FROM THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGESTED SUPPORT FOR 6 FACTORS FOR CREATING BODY-INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES: AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP, A CULTURE OF INCLUSION, A FOCUS ON HEALTH, INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE, LEADER SOCIAL ACTIVISM, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY REVEALED THAT LEADERS MUST INTENTIONALLY CULTIVATE INCLUSION IN THEIR SPACES TO ENCOURAGE THOSE IN NONCONFORMING BODIES TO PARTICIPATE. THESE FINDINGS HAVE IMPORTANT HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONTEXT AND PROVIDE A BASIC OUTLINE OF PRACTICAL STRATEGIES THAT PRACTITIONERS CAN USE TO FOSTER INCLUSION IN THEIR SPACES. 2017 12 2304 25 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 13 1733 21 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 14 653 16 EATING DISORDERS, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW. YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO EMBODIMENT AND DISORDERED EATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY RECEIVED RESEARCH ATTENTION. NEVERTHELESS, EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOGA AMELIORATES EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND FACILITATES A SHIFT FROM NEGATIVE TOWARDS POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND WELL-BEING BY CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT (I.E., THE ABILITY TO FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY). IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTS OF DISORDERED EATING, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THESE CONSTRUCTS. THE THREE MAJOR EATING DISORDERS AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS ARE DESCRIBED. FURTHER, THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS AND THEORETICAL MODELS OF EMBODIMENT ARE DELINEATED AND THEIR COMMUNAL CORE FEATURES ARE OUTLINED. LASTLY, THE ORIGIN, BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2020 15 2919 15 [THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTING GO IN THE HEALTH FIELD THROUGH YOGA]. A DISCIPLINE FOR BODY AND MIND ORIENTED TOWARDS CALMING AND INNER TRANQUILLITY, YOGA IS COUNTING MORE AND MORE ADEPTS IN OUR HECTIC SOCIETIES. MANY HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS NOW OFFER YOGA CLASSES FOR TEAMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS MANAGE STRESS, RELIEVE PAIN AND BRING ABOUT A SENSE OF WELL-BEING. A NURSE TESTIFIES TO THE BENEFITS OF THIS PRACTICE. 2021 16 1669 20 NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. DURING RECENT DECADES NUMEROUS YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (YBP) HAVE EMERGED IN THE WEST, WITH THEIR AIMS RANGING FROM FITNESS GAINS TO THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. YOGA IS ALSO BEGINNING TO SPARK GROWING INTEREST WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, AND YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEASUREABLE CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL STATES, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. YBP TYPICALLY INVOLVE A COMBINATION OF POSTURES OR MOVEMENT SEQUENCES, CONSCIOUS REGULATION OF THE BREATH, AND VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE ATTENTIONAL FOCUS. HOWEVER, SO FAR LITTLE IF ANY RESEARCH HAS ATTEMPTED TO DECONSTRUCT THE ROLE OF THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENT PARTS IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE EFFECTS OF YBP. A CLEAR OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-BASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, AS WELL AS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TESTABLE HYPOTHESES CAN BE FORMULATED, IS THEREFORE NEEDED. HERE WE PROPOSE SUCH A FRAMEWORK, AND OUTLINE THE BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS HYPOTHESIZED TO BE AT PLAY IN YBP. 2015 17 2420 27 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. BACKGROUND: MANY YOGA TEXTS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS UTILIZED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY MAY NOT COME WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, INSTEAD, THEY SEEM TO SHARE A COMMON ROOT WITH ANCIENT WISDOM. AIMS: THE GOAL OF THIS PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE IS TO CORRELATE MODERN TECHNIQUES USED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY WITH YOGIC PRACTICES, IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE CURRENT ARTICLE PRESENTED A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE YOGIC APPROACH FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER AND CONCEPTS USED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, SUCH AS META-COGNITION, DISIDENTIFICATION, DECONDITIONING AND INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE. CONCLUSIONS: CONTEMPLATIVE RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT MODERN INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY MIGHT NOT COME FROM MODERN CONCEPTS AFTER ALL, BUT SHARE GREAT SIMILARITY WITH ANCIENT YOGIC KNOWLEDGE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM OF BOTH EAST AND WEST. 2016 18 26 23 'A TOOL TO HELP ME THROUGH THE DARKNESS': SUFFERING AND HEALING AMONG TEACHER-PRACTITIONERS OF ASHTANGA YOGA. YOGA IS WIDELY REGARDED AS BENEFICIAL FOR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND AS A SAFE ANCILLARY INTERVENTION FOR MANAGING A RANGE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. EVIDENCE OF INJURY, HARM, AND ABUSE IN YOGA TRADITIONS IS DIFFICULT TO SQUARE WITH THIS EMPHASIS ON HEALING. DRAWING MAINLY FROM ON ONLINE MEMOIRS BY LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF ASHTANGA YOGA, THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUFFERING AND HEALING IN YOGA, SHOWING HOW LONG-TERM ABUSE CAN BE PERPETUATED AND INJURY SUSTAINED IN A SYSTEM WIDELY UNDERSTOOD AND LABELLED BY ITS PRACTITIONERS AS THERAPEUTIC. THE PAPER ARGUES THAT ELEMENTS OF HEALING AND HARM ARE PRESENT IN THE RITUALS OF PRACTICE, THE CONCEPTS THAT SUPPORT IT, AND THE POWER STRUCTURE OF THE ASHTANGA SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM'S ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS TOGETHER WITH A THERAPEUTIC DISCOURSE THAT LINKS SUFFERING TO ITS TRANSCENDENCE ENABLED THE SAME KINDS OF ABUSE AND TRAUMA THAT ASHTANGA YOGA IS PURPORTED TO HEAL. THE ANALYSIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OVERARCHING NARRATIVE OF YOGA AS SAFE AND HEALTHY, AND ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN HEALING AND HARM WITHIN THERAPEUTIC TRADITIONS. 2021 19 398 25 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 20 2570 25 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