1 2067 182 THE CONSCIOUSNESS STATE OF TRADITIONAL NIDRA YOGA/MODERN YOGA NIDRA: PHENOMENOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND PRELIMINARY INSIGHTS FROM AN EEG STUDY. NIDRA YOGA IS AN ANCIENT YOGIC PRACTICE CAPABLE OF INDUCING ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP RELAXATION, STRONG CONCENTRATION, ACUTE SELF-AWARENESS, AND JOY. IN MODERN CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE LANGUAGE, IT IS KNOWN BY THE NAME YOGA NIDRA, AND FEW STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED ITS PHENOMENOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS. SIX HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (FOUR FEMALES AGED 31-74) PERFORMED 12 YOGA NIDRA SESSIONS GUIDED BY AN EXPERT DURING A 6-DAY RETREAT. EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF 10 MINUTES IN A RESTING STATE (BASELINE) FOLLOWED BY 2 HOURS OF YOGA NIDRA. PSYCHOMETRIC DATA REGARDING DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCES (CLINICIAN ADMINISTERED DISSOCIATIVE STATES SCALE) AND THE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (PHENOMENOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS INVENTORY) WERE COLLECTED AFTER BASELINE AND YOGA NIDRA, WHILE HIGH-DENSITY EEG WAS RECORDED DURING THE ENTIRE SESSION. DURING NIDRA SESSIONS, NO SLEEP HALLMARKS (I.E., K-COMPLEXES AND SLEEP SPINDLES) WERE DETECTED BY THE EEG IN ANY SUBJECT. PSYCHOMETRIC DATA WE RE ANALYZED USING A WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST CORRECTED WITH THE FALSE DISCOVERY RATE APPROACH FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS. COMPARED TO BASELINE, YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE WAS RELATED TO: (1) INCREASED DISSOCIATIVE EFFECTS (P = 0.022); (2) PERCEPTION OF BEING IN AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (P = 0.026); (3) ALTERATIONS IN PERCEIVED BODY IMAGE (P = 0.022); (4) INCREASED "MEANINGFULNESS" ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXPERIENCE (P = 0.026); (5) REDUCED RATIONAL THINKING (P = 0.029); AND (6) REDUCED VOLITIONAL THOUGHT CONTROL (P = 0.026). FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE IS DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO DESCRIPTIVE EEG POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY ANALYSIS, WHICH WAS PERFORMED IN ONE SUBJECT BECAUSE OF SEVERE EEG ARTIFACTS IN THE OTHER RECORDINGS; THAT SUBJECT SHOWED, COMPARED TO BASELINE: (1) EARLY INCREASE OF ALPHA AND BETA POWER, FOLLOWED BY A PROGRESSIVE WIDESPREAD REDUCTION; (2) WIDESPREAD EARLY INCREASE OF THETA POWER, FOLLOWED BY A PROGRESSIVE REDUCTION; AND (3) WIDESPREAD INCREASE OF GAMMA POWER IN THE LATEST STAGES. THE PRESENT PRELIMINARY RESULTS ENRICH THE KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA NIDRA, ELUCIDATING ITS PHENOMENOLOGY AND SUGGESTING SOME PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES THAT FUTURE STUDIES MAY ADDRESS. 2021 2 2039 42 TESTING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION: DESIGN AND METHODS OF THE BREATHEASY TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: SMOKERS TRYING TO QUIT ENCOUNTER MANY CHALLENGES INCLUDING NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND CONCERN REGARDING WEIGHT GAIN. THESE PHENOMENA MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SUCCESSFULLY QUIT SMOKING. STUDIES IN NON-SMOKING POPULATIONS SHOW THAT YOGA REDUCES STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL. BY INCREASING MINDFULNESS WE ANTICIPATE THAT YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE SMOKERS' ABILITY TO COPE WITH THE NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH QUITTING. YOGA MAY ALSO IMPROVE COGNITIVE DELIBERATION WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CHOICES AND AVOID SMOKING IN TEMPTING SITUATIONS. METHODS/DESIGN: THE BREATHEASY STUDY IS A RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF IYENGAR YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY TO COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE GIVEN AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES, AND ARE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER TWICE WEEKLY YOGA (YOGA) OR TWICE-WEEKLY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLASSES WHICH SERVE AS A CONTROL FOR CONTACT AND PARTICIPANT BURDEN (CTL). ASSESSMENTS ARE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, 8 WEEKS, 3, 6, AND 12 MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME IS PROLONGED ABSTINENCE USING AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT APPROACH. MULTIPLE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDITS USING BLIND DATA COLLECTION ARE EMPLOYED TO ENSURE TREATMENT FIDELITY AND RELIABILITY OF STUDY RESULTS. TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN CTL, WE WILL EXAMINE THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION (I.E., MEDIATORS) UNDERLYING INTERVENTION EFFICACY. WE WILL EXAMINE THE MAINTENANCE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING STATUS AT EACH FOLLOW-UP. FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WILL BE USED TO ENRICH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOGA PRACTICE AND SMOKING ABSTINENCE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE A STRINGENT TEST OF THE RELATIVE EFFICACY OF YOGA COMPARED TO A CONDITION THAT CONTROLS FOR CONTACT TIME AND ATTENTION. THE USE OF MIXED METHODOLOGY ALSO PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO VALIDATE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOGA AND HELPS TO EXPLORE NEW THEMES FOR FUTURE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA RESEARCH. 2014 3 2902 28 [FROM YOGA TO PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: A HERMENEUTIC STUDY ON THE ETHICAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI]. THE SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO INTERPRET ETHICAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE YOGA TRADITION AND DISCUSS THEM WITH A VIEW TO POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE (PHC). A THEORETICAL-HERMENEUTIC STUDY WAS CONDUCTED, IN WHICH CONCEPTS CONTAINED IN THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI WERE INTERPRETED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MENTAL HEALTH. IT WAS REVEALED THAT THE VALUES FOUND IN THE TEXTS CAN ENRICH THE EXISTING PRACTICES OF YOGA FOR PHC USERS (WHO SUFFER FROM AFFLICTIONS INHERENT TO LIFE) BY PROVIDING IDEAS AND GUIDELINES THAT PROMOTE A SENSE OF LIBERATION FROM SUFFERING. SUCH VALUES AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DISCUSSIONS IN PHC AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE, SUCH AS THE REDUCTION OF IATROGENIC DISORDERS AND UNNECESSARY MEDICATION (QUATERNARY PREVENTION). IT CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RELATIVIZATION OF BIOMEDICAL POWER, STIMULATION OF EMPATHY AND PARTICIPATION OF USERS IN CARE, WITH THEIR SUBJECTIVE REPOSITIONING, MULTIPLYING AUTONOMOUS WAYS OF MANAGING SUFFERING AND BUILDING NETWORKS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT. THE CONCLUSION DRAWN WAS THAT THE VALUES OF THE YOGA SUTRAS MAY BE PRESENT IN VARIOUS DOMAINS OF PHC, WHICH MIGHT PROVIDE A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT 'THE PRACTICE OF YOGA' MEANS. 2021 4 2304 27 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 5 16 34 "SMOKING DOES NOT GO WITH YOGA:" A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL PERCEPTIONS DURING YOGA AND SMOKING CESSATION. INTRODUCTION: SMOKING CESSATION IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS, CIGARETTE CRAVING, INCREASED NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND INCREASED EXPERIENCE OF STRESS. BECAUSE YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE AID TO SMOKING CESSATION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE WOMEN'S PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPERIENCES OF VINYASA YOGA AS PART OF A SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM. METHODS: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED POST-INTERVENTION WITH WOMEN (N = 20) WHO PARTICIPATED IN A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. THE 8-WEEK VINYASA YOGA INTERVENTION INCLUDED TWICE WEEKLY 60-MINUTE CLASSES THAT INVOLVED BREATHING EXERCISES, POSTURES (ASANAS), AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. FOCUS GROUPS WERE AUDIO RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA, BREATHING, AND BODILY SENSATIONS INCLUDING CIGARETTE CRAVING. RESULTS: FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED VINYASA YOGA AS PHYSICALLY CHALLENGING. MOST REPORTED DELIBERATE USE OF YOGIC BREATHING TO COPE WITH CIGARETTE CRAVING AND STRESS. OTHER PERCEIVED EFFECTS INCLUDED RELAXATION AND AN INCREASED SENSE OF BODY AWARENESS AND WELLBEING. CONCLUSIONS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS POSITIVE AND POTENTIALLY HELPFUL FOR QUITTING SMOKING. YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2016 6 2046 41 THE ACUTE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT. INTRODUCTION: DESPITE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF SMOKING, SMOKERS HAVE DIFFICULTY QUITTING, SUGGESTING A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES TO HELP THEM QUIT. A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ACUTELY REDUCED CRAVING AMONG NICOTINE-DEPRIVED SMOKERS NOT ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT, YET IT IS UNKNOWN IF IT REDUCES CRAVING AMONG THOSE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THEIR SMOKING. THUS, THIS STUDY TESTED THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION FOR ACUTELY REDUCING CRAVING AMONG SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. METHODS: DATA PRESENTED ARE PART OF A LARGER DISSERTATION PROJECT. PARTICIPANTS WERE 55 COMMUNITY-RECRUITED SMOKERS (62% MALE) MOTIVATED TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING RANDOMIZED TO ONE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA (N = 25) OR WELLNESS CONTROL (IE, READING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT HEALTHY LIFESTYLE; N = 30) ON THEIR INTERVENTION DAY (IE, THE DAY ON WHICH THEY BEGAN TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING). PARTICIPANTS RATED, "I HAVE A DESIRE FOR A CIGARETTE RIGHT NOW," ON A 7-POINT LIKERT SCALE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: AFTER STATISTICALLY CONTROLLING FOR CO IN BREATH, PARTICIPANT TYPE, AGE, GENDER, RACE, AND ETHNICITY, A SIGNIFICANT TIME X CONDITION INTERACTION WAS FOUND, F(1, 47) = 4.72, P = .035, ETAP2 = .09, SUGGESTING CRAVING DECREASED AT A GREATER RATE IN THE HATHA YOGA CONDITION RELATIVE TO THE WELLNESS CONDITION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION TOOL FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IMPLICATIONS: THIS IS THE FIRST KNOWN STUDY TO TEST THE IMPACT OF A SINGLE-SESSION HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CRAVING AMONG ADULT SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO REDUCE OR QUIT SMOKING. WE FOUND THAT 30 MINUTES OF HATHA YOGA PRODUCED A GREATER REDUCTION IN CRAVING COMPARED TO A 30-MINUTE WELLNESS CONTROL CONDITION. THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS EVIDENT EVEN AFTER STATISTICALLY ACCOUNTING FOR OTHER IMPORTANT VARIABLES (EG, GENDER). RESULTS OF THIS STUDY ADD TO A GROWING BODY OF LITERATURE DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL CLINICAL UTILITY OF HATHA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. 2020 7 2457 32 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION: RATIONALE, STUDY DESIGN AND PARTICIPANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE QUITTING-IN-BALANCE STUDY. BACKGROUND: TOBACCO SMOKING REMAINS THE LEADING PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICAN WOMEN. EXERCISE HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS AN AID TO SMOKING CESSATION BECAUSE IT REDUCES WEIGHT GAIN AND WEIGHT CONCERNS, IMPROVES AFFECT, AND REDUCES NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AND CIGARETTE CRAVING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL, AND REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT. YOGA PRACTICE ALSO INCLUDES REGULATION OF BREATHING AND FOCUSED ATTENTION, BOTH OF WHICH MAY ENHANCE STRESS REDUCTION AND IMPROVE MOOD AND WELL-BEING AND MAY IMPROVE CESSATION OUTCOMES. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS PILOT EFFICACY STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EXAMINE THE RATES OF CESSATION AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A NOVEL, 8-WEEK YOGA PLUS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION VERSUS A WELLNESS PROGRAM PLUS THE SAME CBT SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDE 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT END OF TREATMENT, 3 AND 6 MONTHS FOLLOW UP AND POTENTIAL MEDIATING VARIABLES (E.G., CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING SMOKING, SELF-EFFICACY). OTHER ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, SPIRITUALITY, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY AND PERCEIVED HEALTH (SF-36). DISCUSSION: INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS ARE NEEDED THAT ADDRESS BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL SMOKING CESSATION AMONG MEN AND WOMEN. THE DESIGN CHOSEN FOR THIS STUDY WILL ALLOW US TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL MEDIATORS OF INTERVENTION EFFICACY SO THAT WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM(S) BY WHICH YOGA MAY ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SMOKING CESSATION. IF SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE, YOGA CAN OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL EXERCISE FOR REDUCING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY SMOKING CESSATION AND PREDICT RELAPSE TO SMOKING AMONG RECENT QUITTERS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS NCT00492310. 2010 8 2455 32 YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION: RESULTS FROM BREATHEASY, A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL AS AN AID FOR SMOKING CESSATION. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND NEGATIVE MOOD AND MAY AID WEIGHT CONTROL, ALL OF WHICH HAVE PROVEN TO BE BARRIERS TO QUITTING SMOKING. THIS STUDY IS THE FIRST RIGOROUS, RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKERS ATTEMPTING TO QUIT. METHODS: ADULT SMOKERS (N = 227; 55.5% WOMEN) WERE RANDOMIZED TO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL SMOKING CESSATION AND EITHER TWICE-WEEKLY IYENGAR YOGA OR GENERAL WELLNESS CLASSES (CONTROL). ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED COTININE-VERIFIED 7-DAY POINT PREVALENCE ABSTINENCE AT WEEK 8, 3-MONTH, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. RESULTS: AT BASELINE, PARTICIPANTS' MEAN AGE WAS 46.2 (SD = 12.0) YEARS AND SMOKING RATE WAS 17.3 (SD = 7.6) CIGARETTES/DAY. LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTED MODELS OF ABSTINENCE OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT GROUP EFFECTS FAVORING YOGA. YOGA PARTICIPANTS HAD 37% GREATER ODDS OF ACHIEVING ABSTINENCE THAN WELLNESS PARTICIPANTS AT THE END OF TREATMENT (EOT). LOWER BASELINE SMOKING RATES (