1 2624 165 YOGA FOR SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE): CLINICIAN EXPERIENCES AND QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES FROM STUDENTS AND YOGA INSTRUCTORS LIVING WITH SLE. SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS (SLE) IS AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH WIDESPREAD INFLAMMATION AND TISSUE DAMAGE. IT IS MORE COMMON AND SEVERE AMONG BLACKS, HISPANICS, AND ASIANS; WITH HIGHER INCIDENCE IN WOMEN. WHILE THE GOALS OF MEDICAL TREATMENT ARE TO PREVENT FLARES AND REDUCE ORGAN DAMAGE, UP TO 50% OF PATIENTS PERCEIVE THEIR HEALTH TO BE SUBOPTIMAL WITH UNADDRESSED NEEDS INCLUDING FATIGUE AND PAIN. RECENT SLE TREATMENT GUIDELINES FOCUS ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE. YOGA HAS SHOWN IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND FATIGUE IN VARIOUS DIAGNOSES. WHILE THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA THERAPY MAY HELP OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS, THERE IS ONLY ONE REFERENCE IN THE LITERATURE RELATED TO SLE. METHODS/SETTING: AN ADJUNCT STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE ADAPTING THE YOGA AS SELF CARE FOR ARTHRITIS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES STUDY FOR A BILINGUAL POPULATION LIVING WITH SLE IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. INFORMANTS INCLUDED 7 PATIENTS ENROLLED ONTO THE STUDY, AND 3 YOGA INSTRUCTORS LIVING WITH SLE. QUALITATIVE METHODS INCLUDED JOURNALS AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. RESULTS: ENROLLING PATIENTS CLARIFIED REVISIONS FOR INTAKE QUESTIONNAIRES, AND SYMPTOMS THAT MAY IMPACT CLASS PARTICIPATION. PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED BALANCE, BODY AWARENESS, AND TOLERATED A FASTER-PACED YOGA CLASS WHEN COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE PARENT STUDY. YOGA INSTRUCTORS' RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDED MODIFYING YOGA BASED ON ENERGY LEVELS AND FREQUENT CHANGES IN PHYSICAL ABILITY. CONCLUSION: THIS PAPER SHARES PERSPECTIVES FROM VARIOUS INFORMANTS AND AFFIRMS THE FEASIBILITY OF PROGRESSING TO A LARGER STUDY. IT SUMMARIZES OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TOWARDS CREATING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, AS THERE ARE CURRENTLY NONE IN THE LITERATURE. 2018 2 1776 29 PRACTICE OR PERFORMANCE? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF YOGA-RELATED VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM. REPRESENTATIONS OF YOGA WITHIN MEDIA HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY IDEALISED, DEPICTING TYPICAL PRACTITIONERS AS YOUNG, THIN, AND PHYSICALLY COMPETENT. WHILE PREVIOUS CONTENT ANALYSES OF YOGA HAVE FOCUSED ON STILL IMAGES, SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SUCH AS INSTAGRAM ENCOURAGE THE USE OF VIDEO TO ENHANCE VIEWER ENGAGEMENT. VIDEO MAY CONTAIN FEATURES WHICH REFLECT A MORE NUANCED VIEW OF THE BODY, AND THEREFORE THE CURRENT STUDY ANALYSED 400 WOMEN IN YOGA-RELATED VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM FOR APPEARANCE CHARACTERISTICS, BODY CONCEPTUALISATION, YOGA POSE TYPE, RISK, AND PERCEIVED INTENTION. THE VAST MAJORITY OF WOMEN WERE PERCEIVED TO BE IN THEIR 20S AND THIN OR ATHLETIC. ONLY 13.2 % OF WOMEN SHOWED AVERAGE VISIBLE LEVELS OF BODY FAT, WHILE MORE THAN A THIRD DISPLAYED VISIBLE MUSCULARITY ACROSS MULTIPLE MUSCLE GROUPS. THERE WAS LITTLE PRESENCE OF OBJECTIFICATION WITH THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN IN ACTIVE POSES, THOUGH MORE THAN 60 % OF POSES/SEQUENCES WERE ADVANCED AND POTENTIALLY RISKY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF VIDEOS APPEARED TO BE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEMONSTRATING SKILL RATHER THAN INSTRUCTING THE VIEWER. THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT VIDEOS ON INSTAGRAM PERPETUATE UNREALISTIC APPEARANCE IDEALS IN YOGA AND ALSO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR CONTENT CREATORS TO ENGAGE VIEWERS BY REPRESENTING YOGA AS A HIGHLY PERFORMATIVE, PREDOMINANTLY ADVANCED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2021 3 924 28 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN EATING DISORDERS - A CASE REPORT. EATING DISORDERS ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES AND ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES. THE USE OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT METHOD IN EATING DISORDERS IS CONTROVERSIAL DISCUSSED. THE INTERVIEWEE WAS A 38 YEAR OLD FEMALE PATIENT SUFFERING ON ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND VARIOUS PSYCHOSOMATIC-PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES IN HER MEDICAL HISTORY. THE PATIENT REPORTED THAT YOGA RECOVERED THE SOUL CONTACT WHICH SHE LOST AND SHE HAD LEARNED TO PERCEIVE AND FEEL HERSELF AGAIN. SHE STATED THAT YOGA HELPED HER TO FIND ACCESS TO HER BODY AND ITS NEEDS AND TO COPE WITH HER TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES. SHE ALSO REPORTED THAT ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED IN RELATION TO HER STOMACH IN THE TREATMENT OF HER ANOREXIA. THE CASE REPORT CONFIRMED THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON EATING DISORDERS. RESEARCH SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL'S CO-MORBIDITIES, AS EATING DISORDERS USUALLY OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH CO-MORBIDITIES. 2019 4 144 42 A QUALITATIVE APPROACH EXPLORING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA FOR MINORITIES LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS: 'WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME?' OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA RESEARCH TAILORED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN A MINORITY POPULATION (BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING) WITH ARTHRITIS. YOGA RESEARCH FOR ARTHRITIS OFTEN UNDERREPRESENTS MINORITIES AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR THIS POPULATION HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVESTIGATED. DESIGN: ACCEPTABILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RETENTION, ADHERENCE, JOURNALS, AND SEMI-STRUCTURED EXIT INTERVIEWS FROM TWELVE PARTICIPANTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGOING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. JOURNAL QUOTES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. NVIVO SOFTWARE WAS USED TO ORGANIZE TRANSCRIPTS AND ASSEMBLE THEMES. TWO METHODS OF TRIANGULATION (DATA AND INVESTIGATOR) WERE USED TO OVERCOME POTENTIAL BIAS FROM A SINGLE-PERSPECTIVE INTERPRETATION. EXIT INTERVIEW COMMENTS WERE CONTENT ANALYZED USING A CARD SORT METHOD. THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH A CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING A MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH TEAM, TRANSLATORS, AND BILINGUAL MATERIALS AND CLASSES, TO FACILITATE TRUST AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. SETTING: WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, USA. RESULTS: ON AVERAGE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 10 OF 16 CLASSES, WITH HOME PRACTICE 2-3DAYS A WEEK. ALL WHO COMPLETED WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA THREE-MONTHS LATER. QUALITATIVE NARRATIVE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO FACILITATING FACTORS AND BARRIERS FOR YOGA PRACTICE, SELF-EFFICACY, AND SUPPORT. PARTICIPANT COMMENTS INDICATED THAT OFFERING AN ARTHRITIS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION AND USING A CULTURALLY CONGRUENT RESEARCH DESIGN WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA RESEARCH GROWS, THERE IS A NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND PROMOTE ACCEPTABILITY FOR TYPICALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATIONS. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INFORM THE EXPANSION OF MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH DESIGNED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THOSE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. 2017 5 2773 36 YOGA RESEARCH AND SPIRITUALITY: A CASE STUDY DISCUSSION. THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE THAT YOGA CAN BE BENEFICIAL AS AN ASPECT OF SELF-CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS. HOWEVER, YOGA MAY BE LESS ACCEPTABLE TO THOSE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES, SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, AND RACIAL/ETHNIC IDENTITIES. WHILE IMPLEMENTING A FEASIBILITY/ACCEPTABILITY PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AS SELF-CARE IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES, THE SUBJECT OF SPIRITUALITY SURFACED. THIS COMMENTARY SHARES THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RESEARCHERS AND YOGA TEACHERS COLLABORATING ON THE STUDY AND THE LARGER CONVERSATION THAT ENSUED FOLLOWING THE WITHDRAWAL OF ONE OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS. IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO START A RELEVANT AND NEEDED DIALOGUE AROUND YOGA RESEARCH AS AN INTEGRATIVE HEALTH MODALITY, AND WHY THE UNDERLYING BODY-MIND-SPIRIT APPROACH TO YOGA MAY SOMETIMES SERVE AS A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS SUFFERING FROM ARTHRITIS. 2015 6 1736 26 PHOTO URTICARIA CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO LED EMITTING 633-NM WAVELENGTH DURING HOT YOGA EXERCISE. PHOTO URTICARIA (PU) IS A RARE TYPE OF URTICARIA THAT DEVELOPS AFTER EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT. INDUCING URTICARIAL WHEALS USING LIGHT SOURCES OF PERTINENT WAVELENGTHS CAN HELP MAKE THE DEFINITIVE DIAGNOSIS OF PU. THE ACTION SPECTRA (AS) IN JAPANESE PATIENTS WITH PU COMMONLY FALL WITHIN THE ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION A AND VISIBLE LIGHT RANGE. HEREIN, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE PRESENT THE FIRST CASE OF PU CAUSED BY 633-NM WAVELENGTH WITHIN THE VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM. OUR PATIENT WORKED AS A "HOT YOGA" INSTRUCTOR, WHERE LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES (LEDS) ON THE CEILING WERE USED TO IRRADIATE THE ENTIRE ROOM WITH 633-NM WAVELENGTH OF LIGHT FOR "LIGHT TREATMENT." SHE REPORTED ITCHING AND WHEALS ON THE FACE AND NECK DURING HER "HOT YOGA" SESSIONS. "HOT YOGA" HAS RECENTLY GAINED POPULARITY GLOBALLY. THE "LIGHT TREATMENT" IS BASED ON THE THEORY THAT 633-NM WAVELENGTH LIGHT WITHIN THE VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM REPORTEDLY PREVENTS THE SKIN FROM AGING. WE INDUCED WHEALS WITH ERYTHEMA BY IRRADIATING HER SKIN USING A 633-NM LED AT A DOSE OF 0.008 J/CM(2) /S FOR 1 H. HER CONDITION WAS DIAGNOSED AS PU CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO 633 NM. LIGHT. HER SYMPTOMS HAVE NOT RECURRED SINCE SHE HAS AVOIDED BEING EXPOSED TO THE 633-NM WAVELENGTH OF LED LIGHT. 2021 7 122 62 A PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR ARTHRITIS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. BACKGROUND: WHILE ARTHRITIS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DISABILITY, NON-HISPANIC BLACKS AND HISPANICS EXPERIENCE WORSE ARTHRITIS IMPACT DESPITE HAVING THE SAME OR LOWER PREVALENCE OF ARTHRITIS COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES. PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS WHO EXERCISE REGULARLY HAVE LESS PAIN, MORE ENERGY, AND IMPROVED SLEEP, YET ARTHRITIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR LIMITING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, THAT TEACH STRESS MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY BE WELL SUITED FOR INVESTIGATION IN BOTH OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. YOGA USERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE, FEMALE, AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES THAT EXAMINE YOGA IN MINORITY POPULATIONS; NONE ADDRESS ARTHRITIS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A STUDY PROTOCOL EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PROVIDING YOGA TO AN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. METHODS/DESIGN: IN THIS ONGOING PILOT STUDY, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 MINORITY ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH EITHER OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA CLASSES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT BY ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS, WITH RACIALLY CONCORDANT INSTRUCTORS; ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO STANDARD ARTHRITIS TREATMENT AND SELF-CARE WILL BE ENHANCED. SELF-CARE IS DEFINED AS ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. THIS CONCEPT IS QUANTIFIED THROUGH COLLECTING PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. ADDITIONAL MEASURES COLLECTED DURING THIS STUDY INCLUDE: PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SOCIAL ROLES, AND PAIN; AS WELL AS BASELINE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL DATA. FIELD NOTES, QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA REGARDING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY ARE ALSO COLLECTED. ACCEPTABILITY IS DETERMINED BY RESPONSE/RETENTION RATES, POSITIVE QUALITATIVE DATA, AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THREE MONTHS. DISCUSSION: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS FROM A COMMUNITY CLINIC SERVING MINORITY POPULATIONS. ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDE THOSE THAT INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH (MIND) AND PHYSICAL HEALTH (BODY). FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED OFFERING INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES TO THIS POPULATION. THIS PILOT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO QUANTIFY MEASURES OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY THAT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN EVALUATING FUTURE PLANS FOR EXPANDING THE STUDY OF YOGA IN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01617421. 2013 8 1989 27 SPERM METHYLOME ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS OF PRIMARY MALE INFERTILITY: A PILOT STUDY. A MAJORITY OF THE CASES OF PRIMARY MALE INFERTILITY ARE IDIOPATHIC WITH THE UNDERLYING MOLECULAR MECHANISMS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AS YET UNKNOWN. EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT CAN ALTER THE SPERM EPIGENOME THEREBY IMPACTING MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND DISEASE, AND METHYLOME ALTERATIONS ARE NOW KNOWN TO HAVE FAR-REACHING CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS. HERE, WE REPORT THE RESULTS FROM OUR PILOT STUDY, A FIRST OF ITS KIND ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA ON HUMAN SPERM QUALITY. WE FIND MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN SPERM CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS OF IDIOPATHIC MALE INFERTILITY FOLLOWING A SUPERVISED 21-DAY YOGA REGIMEN. FURTHERMORE, NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING-BASED METHYLOME ANALYSIS REVEALS ALTERATIONS IN THE SPERM EPIGENOME OF THESE PATIENTS. WE FIND THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH DNA METHYLATION CHANGES AT NEARLY 400 GENES, 147 OF WHICH WERE HYPERMETHYLATED WHILE 229 WERE HYPOMETHYLATED. THESE INCLUDED PROMOTERS OF SEVERAL GENES LINKED TO MAINTENANCE OF FERTILITY AND GENOMIC INTEGRITY. THIS NOVEL PIECE OF WORK DRAWS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN POSITIVE LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AND MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. 2020 9 2224 30 THE IMPACT OF THE "YOGIC LIFESTYLE" ON CANCER PROGNOSIS AND SURVIVAL: CAN WE TARGET CANCER STEM CELLS WITH YOGA? CANCER HAS RECENTLY BEEN KNOWN TO ORIGINATE FROM STEM CELL-LIKE CELLS, CALLED CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS). THEIR UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF SELF-DUPLICATION, MULTIPLICATION, AS WELL AS MIGRATION GIVE THE CSC RESISTANCE OVER CONVENTIONAL CANCER THERAPIES. NEWER THERAPIES ARE IN DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE TO TARGET THESE STEM CELL-LIKE POPULATIONS AND BECOME THE VANGUARD OF FUTURE TREATMENTS. SEVERAL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS HAVE BEEN USED IN CANCER MANAGEMENT AS AN ADJUNCT TO CONVENTIONAL THERAPY TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND REDUCE RECURRENCE. YOGA STANDS AS THE THIRD MOST POPULAR OF ALL COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE TREATMENTS CURRENTLY USED IN CANCER PATIENTS TODAY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA MODULATES NEURAL, HORMONAL, AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS AT A CELLULAR LEVEL. THE SCOPE OF THIS COMMENTARY IS TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE ON YOGA AND ITS EFFECT ON CSCS. 2017 10 426 29 CAN YOGA BE USED TO TREAT GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE? YOGA METHODS INCLUDING PRANAYAMA ARE THE BEST WAYS TO PREVENT MANY DISEASES AND THEIR PROGRESSION. EVEN THOUGH, YOGA IS WIDELY PRACTICED, ITS EFFECTS ON CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN STUDIED OR REPORTED. GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GERD) IS ONE OF THEM. GERD IS EXTREMELY COMMON CONDITION REQUIRING FREQUENT CONSUMPTION OF OVER-THE-COUNTER OR PRESCRIBED PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS (PPI). IN SEVERE SYMPTOMS OF GERD AND IN THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE ETIOLOGIES, PPIS ARE INSUFFICIENT TO RELIEVE THE SYMPTOMS OF GASTRIC REFLUX. REGULAR AND PROPER USE OF THE YOGA ALONG WITH PPI CAN CONTROL THE SEVERE SYMPTOMS OF GERD AND CAN AVOID OR DELAY THE NECESSITY OF INVASIVE PROCEDURES. THIS EVIDENCE-BASED CASE REPORT FOCUSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON GERD. OUR CASE REPORT SHOWED THAT REGULAR PRACTICE OF KAPALBHATI AND AGNISAR KRIYA ALONG WITH PPI, PATIENTS WITH HIATAL HERNIA HAD IMPROVEMENT IN SEVERE SYMPTOMS OF GERD, WHICH WERE INITIALLY REFRACTORY TO PPI ALONE. 2013 11 1598 11 MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THE AUTHOR PRESENTS AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY FROM THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES. SHE PROVIDES CLEAR, EASY-TO-FOLLOW STEPS TO BEGIN USING SITTING MEDITATION, WALKING MEDITATION, AND YOGA FOR THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND FOR THE PATIENT. SHE PRESENTS THE MATERIAL FIRST FOR SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CARE AND SECONDARILY FOR CONNECTING TO OTHERS IN HEALING RELATIONSHIPS. 2001 12 1513 29 IS THIS WHAT A FEMALE YOGI LOOKS LIKE? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF YOGA IMAGES ON INSTAGRAM. AS YOGA CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN GLOBAL POPULARITY, IDEALIZED REPRESENTATIONS OF A THIN, ATHLETIC 'YOGA BODY' HAVE ALSO BECOME MORE PROMINENT ACROSS COMMERCIAL MEDIA. TO EXAMINE HOW YOGA IS TYPICALLY REPRESENTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE POSTS OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS ON INSTAGRAM WAS UNDERTAKEN. IMAGES WERE SOURCED USING HASHTAGS #YOGA, #YOGABODY, #YOGAPRACTICE, AND #YOGAWOMAN, AND 200 FEMALES PER HASHTAG WERE THEN CODED ON DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, BODY SHAPE, ACTIVITY, OBJECTIFICATION, AND PRACTICE OF YOGA. RESULTS SHOWED THAT OVER 90 % OF WOMEN IN THE IMAGES WERE CODED AS BEING UNDER 40 YEARS OF AGE WITH THE VAST MAJORITY IN THEIR 20 S. ALMOST THREE-QUARTERS OF WOMEN WERE PERCEIVED TO BE WHITE, 100 % APPEARED ABLE BODIED. MORE THAN 80 % WERE CLASSED AS THIN AND/OR ATHLETIC, WHILE LESS THAN 15 % DISPLAYED AVERAGE LEVELS OF VISIBLE BODY FAT. MORE THAN 50 % OF YOGA POSES WERE ADVANCED WHILE A QUARTER DISPLAYED POTENTIALLY UNSAFE ALIGNMENT. THE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT THE TYPICAL 'YOGA BODY' ON INSTAGRAM WAS PERCEIVED TO CONFORM TO THE YOUNG, THIN/ATHLETIC IDEAL AND THAT OVERALL YOGA IS NOT BEING REPRESENTED AS AN INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL PRACTICE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR WOMEN OF DIVERSE AGES, BODY TYPES, AND ABILITIES. 2021 13 102 24 A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE TO RECOMMENDING YOGA. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACROSS THE GLOBE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. THE INTEREST IN YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE TOOL HAS ALSO GROWN WITHIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THE WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS ALIKE TO CHOOSE THE ONE THAT WILL OFFER THE MOST BENEFIT. THIS GUIDE WAS CREATED TO ASSIST PHYSICIANS IN MAKING INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. WHEN THE MOST SUITABLE STYLE IS SELECTED, YOGA CAN BE AN EXTREMELY USEFUL LIFESTYLE TOOL FOR PATIENTS SEEKING TO IMPROVE FITNESS AND DEVELOP A MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICE. 2018 14 1872 20 RAPID CONVERSION OF A GROUP-BASED YOGA TRIAL FOR DIVERSE OLDER WOMEN TO HOME-BASED TELEHEALTH: LESSONS LEARNED USING ZOOM TO DELIVER MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THIS BRIEF REPORT DESCRIBES THE RAPID CONVERSION OF A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF A HATHA-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE TO A TELEHEALTH VIDEOCONFERENCE PLATFORM DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC. INTERIM RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, BUT ALSO POINT TO POTENTIAL OBSTACLES AND SAFETY CONCERNS ARISING FROM TELEHEALTH-BASED INSTRUCTION. THE INVESTIGATORS PRESENT LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF USING TELEHEALTH PLATFORMS TO DELIVER MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND CONSIDER STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE AND WELL-TOLERATED TELEHEALTH-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS FOR OLDER AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03672461. 2022 15 2447 20 YOGA AND THE BATTLEFIELD OF ETHICS: HIGHLIGHTING AN INFUSION MODEL FOR ETHICS EDUCATION. THIS PAPER ARTICULATES AN INFUSION MODEL OF ETHICS EDUCATION FOR ENGINEERING STUDENTS BY ILLUMINATING THE VALUE OF A RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSE ON YOGA. THIS MODEL IS DISTINGUISHED FROM FOUR OTHER POSSIBLE APPROACHES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN USED TO PREPARE ENGINEERING STUDENTS TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORK PLACE. THE ARTICLE IS NOT CLAIMING THAT THIS APPROACH SHOULD BE USED TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE OTHER APPROACHES, BUT RATHER THAT IT ADDS STRENGTH TO THE OTHER APPROACHES. SPECIFICALLY, THE ARTICLE CLAIMS THAT THE INFUSION MODEL PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO REFLECT UPON THE FOUNDATIONAL ETHICAL POSITIONS EMANATING FROM THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS AND THEREBY PROVIDES THEM WITH A VISTA FROM WHICH THEY CAN NOT ONLY ASK WHAT PROFESSIONAL ETHICAL CODE APPLIES IN A GIVEN SITUATION, BUT ALSO PONDER THE NATURE OF CHARACTER NEEDED TO FOLLOW THAT ETHICAL CODE. 2006 16 433 26 CAN YOGA THERAPY STIMULATE STEM CELL TRAFFICKING FROM BONE MARROW? IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT MESENCHYMAL STROMAL CELLS (MSCS) FROM BONE MARROW ENTER THE PERIPHERAL CIRCULATION INTERMITTENTLY FOR POSSIBLE TISSUE REGENERATION, REPAIR AND TO TAKE CARE OF DAILY WEAR AND TEAR. THIS IS EVIDENT FROM THE DETECTION OF MSCS FROM PERIPHERAL BLOOD. THE FACTORS GOVERNING THIS MIGRATION REMAIN ELUSIVE. THESE MSCS CARRY OUT THE WORK OF POLICING AND ARE SUPPOSED TO REPAIR THE INJURED TISSUES. THUS, THESE CELLS HELP IN MAINTAINING THE TISSUE AND ORGAN HOMEOSTASIS. YOGA AND PRANAYAMA ORIGINATED IN INDIA AND IS NOW BEING PRACTICED ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR POSITIVE HEALTH. SO FAR, THE CHEMICAL STIMULATION OF BONE MARROW HAS BEEN WIDELY USED EMPLOYING INJECTION OF COLONY STIMULATING FACTOR. HOWEVER, THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL FACTORS SUCH AS MECHANICAL STIMULATION AND STRETCHING HAS NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIATED. IT IS CLAIMED THAT PRACTICING YOGA DELAYS SENESCENCE, IMPROVES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF HEART AND LUNG AND YOGA POSTURES MAKE THE BODY ELASTIC. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THE YOGA THERAPY PROMOTES TRAFFICKING OF THE STEM CELLS FROM BONE MARROW FOR POSSIBLE REPAIR AND REGENERATION OF WORN OUT AND DEGENERATING TISSUES. WE COVER IN THIS SHORT REVIEW, MAINLY THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL FACTORS ESPECIALLY THE YOGA THERAPY ON STEM CELLS TRAFFICKING FROM BONE MARROW. 2016 17 2211 30 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 18 1284 27 GOT YOGA?: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF THEMATIC CONTENT AND MODELS' APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES IN ADVERTISEMENTS SPANNING FOUR DECADES OF YOGA JOURNAL. YOGA HAS BECOME AN INCREASINGLY COMMON HEALTH PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS OVER THE PAST DECADE. WITH THIS GROWTH IN POPULARITY, YOGA-RELATED PRINT MEDIA HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR SHIFTING AWAY FROM YOGA'S TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHIES AND PROMOTING A THIN, LEAN IDEAL PHYSIQUE REPRESENTING THE "YOGA BODY." THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO (A) ANALYZE THE PRESENCE AND CONTENT OF ADVERTISEMENTS OVER THE 40-YEAR PUBLICATION HISTORY OF YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE AND (B) EXPLORE FEMALE ADVERTISEMENT MODELS' SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND APPEARANCE-RELATED ATTRIBUTES OVER TIME. RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA JOURNAL NOW CONTAINS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR FOOD, NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS, AND APPAREL AND FEWER ADVERTISEMENTS FOR MEDITATION AND NUTRITIONAL PRACTICES THAN IN ITS EARLY YEARS OF PUBLICATION. MODELS WERE MORE FREQUENTLY RATED AS WHITE AND IN THEIR 20S AND 30S IN RECENT YEARS OF PUBLICATION. TRENDS IN MODEL BODY SIZE MATCHED SHIFTS IN CULTURALLY DOMINANT BODY IDEALS OVER TIME. IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED. 2017 19 2412 34 YOGA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE ARTHRITIS. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE. RA IS A DISEASE OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY, HOWEVER, BOTH GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS APPEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO THIS DISEASE. THE SEVERITY AND PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELEASE OF A HOST OF INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES, CYTOTOXIC AND IMMUNE REGULATORY FACTORS. THE TREATMENTS OF RA ARE PRIMARILY LIMITED TO SYMPTOMATIC ALLEVIATION OF PAIN OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OR TO THE USE OF CYTOTOXIC DRUG TREATMENT IN SEVERE FORMS OF THE DISEASE WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT SIDE EFFECTS. DESPITE LACK OF A CURE, THE DISEASE MAY BE CONTROLLED BY MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. HOLISTIC TREATMENTS SUCH AS YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE AND REDUCE THE PSYCHO-SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PAIN PERCEPTION, DISABILITY QUOTIENT, JOINT FLEXIBILITY, RANGE OF MOTION, POSTURE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, COORDINATION, AND DISEASE ACTIVITY. HERE, WE DISCUSS THE FEATURES OF RA AND ADDRESS HOW YOGA CAN BE USED AS A THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH RA. 2021 20 1149 35 ENHANCEMENT OF CANCER STEM CELL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS THROUGH COMPLEMENTARY YOGA THERAPY: POSSIBLE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS. CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS) ARE STEM-LIKE TUMOR POPULATIONS THAT ARE REPORTED TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS TUMOR GROWTH, MAINTENANCE AND RECURRENCE AFTER THERAPY. HYPOXIA INCREASES CSC FRACTION AND PROMOTES ACQUISITION OF A STEM-CELL-LIKE STATE. CANCER STEM CELLS ARE CRITICALLY DEPENDANT ON THE HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE FACTOR-1 (HIF-1) FOR SURVIVAL, SELF-RENEWAL, TUMOR GROWTH AND MAINTENANCE OF THEIR UNDIFFERENTIATED PHENOTYPE. RECENT RESEARCHES SHOW THAT STAGE OF DIFFERENTIATION OF THE TUMOR CELLS IS PREDICTIVE OF THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO NATURAL KILLER CELL (NK) CELL MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY AND CANCER STEM CELLS ARE SIGNIFICANT TARGETS OF NK CELL CYTOTOXICITY. STUDIES ALSO SHOW THAT REVERSION OF TUMOR CELLS TO A LESS-DIFFERENTIATED PHENOTYPE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY BLOCKING NFKAPPAB. YOGA THERAPY (YOGIC LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS ENCOMPASSING PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING PRACTICES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND MEDITATIONS) IS KNOWN TO MODULATE NEURAL, ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL THROUGH INFLUENCING CELL CYCLE CONTROL, AGING, OXIDATIVE STRESS, APOPTOSIS AND SEVERAL PATHWAYS OF STRESS SIGNALING MOLECULES. YOGA THERAPY HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO ENHANCE NATURAL KILLER CELL ACTIVITY AND MODULATE STRESS AND DNA DAMAGE IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING RADIOTHERAPY. RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT BRIEF DAILY YOGIC MEDITATION MAY REVERSE THE PATTERN OF INCREASED NFKAPPAB-RELATED TRANSCRIPTION OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN LEUKOCYTES. THUS, YOGA THERAPY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE CANCER STEM CELL SURVIVAL, SELF -RENEWAL AND TUMOR GROWTH BY MODIFYING THE TUMOR MICRO-ENVIRONMENT THROUGH VARIOUS MECHANISMS SUCH AS; 1) REDUCING HIF-1 ACTIVITY BY ENHANCED OXYGENATION, 2) PROMOTING NK CELL ACTIVITY DIRECTLY (OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH DOWN REGULATING NFKAPPAB EXPRESSION), THEREBY ENHANCING NK CELL MEDIATED CSC LYSIS, AND 3) BY MINIMIZING THE ABERRANT EXPRESSIONS OR ACTIVITIES OF VARIOUS HORMONES, CYTOKINES, CHEMOKINES AND TUMOR SIGNALING PATHWAYS. YOGA THERAPY MAY HAVE A SYNERGISTIC EFFECT WITH CONVENTIONAL MODALITIES OF TREATMENT IN PREVENTING CANCER PROGRESSION AND RECURRENCES. 2012