1 2055 102 THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA WITH HAPPINESS: A CASE-CONTROL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. HAPPINESS IS A COMPLEX SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO SOCIETAL PROGRESS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) AND SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS IN SINGAPORE. SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 733) COMPRISED OF 2 GROUPS: SKY (N = 385) AND NON-SKY (N = 348) PRACTITIONERS. SKY WAS CATEGORIZED INTO NON-, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY PRACTITIONERS AND HAPPINESS WAS CATEGORIZED INTO LOWER, MIDDLE AND HIGHER TERTILE GROUPS. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES INCLUDED AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, MARITAL STATUS, EDUCATION LEVEL, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), SMOKING STATUS, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND SELF-REPORTED HEALTH. DAILY SKY PARTICIPATION WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A 2-FOLD HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF BEING HAPPIER IN A MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE TREND ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT AS SKY FREQUENCY INCREASES, THE ODDS OF BEING HAPPIER INCREASES. THESE FINDINGS HELP GENERATE THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC BREATHING MAY PROMOTE HAPPINESS. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL AND PROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 2 357 59 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AMONG WORKING ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. OBJECTIVES: THERE IS A PAUCITY OF RESEARCH ON THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGIC BREATHING AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS IN WORKING ADULTS. ALSO, THERE IS VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF YOGIC BREATHING PRACTICE AND ITS BENEFITS. THE AUTHORS INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) FREQUENCY AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF LEADING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND NONPRACTITIONERS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INVESTIGATION ON NON-SKY AND SKY PRACTITIONERS, SKY WAS CATEGORIZED INTO NON-, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY PRACTITIONERS. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES INCLUDED AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, MARITAL STATUS, AND EDUCATION LEVEL. A MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL WAS USED TO COMPARE PRACTICE FREQUENCIES WITH THE ODDS OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. SETTINGS: COMMUNITY CENTERS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, WORKPLACES, AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT SINGAPORE SUBJECTS: OF THE 531 WORKING ADULTS (54.8% FEMALE), 50.1% HAD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE >/= 4 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS). OUTCOME MEASURE: HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE WAS DEFINED AS HAVING >/= 4 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS OUT OF SEVEN (SMOKING, ALCOHOL, DIET, EXERCISE, SLEEP, STRESS, AND WEIGHT). RESULTS: MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICED SKY >/= 4 DAYS/WEEK HAD SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ODDS OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE (ODDS RATIO = 3.62; 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL = 2.10-6.23). THE P FOR TREND ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THAT AS THE FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD OF HAVING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE ALSO INCREASED ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: THE PRACTICE OF YOGIC BREATHING MAY PROMOTE A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE IN WORKING ADULTS. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL AND LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 3 2739 31 YOGA PRACTICE AMONG ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL AND DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS. BACKGROUND: THIS STUDY EXPLORES CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA AND BODY IMAGE, MINDFUL EATING, DISORDERED EATING, AND MUSCLE-ENHANCING BEHAVIORS AMONG A POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE EMERGING ADULTS. METHOD: AN ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF 1,568 EMERGING ADULTS (18-26 YEARS) COMPLETED SURVEYS AS PART OF EAT 2010-2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME). MODELS WERE ADJUSTED FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). RESULTS: PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% (N = 210) OF THE SAMPLE. YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD HIGHER LEVELS OF MINDFUL EATING THAN THOSE NOT PRACTICING YOGA. ALTHOUGH EFFECT SIZES WERE SMALL, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO USE STEROIDS (3.8 VS. 0.7%, P < .001, H = 0.22) OR PROTEIN POWDER/SHAKES (35.1 VS. 25.3%, P < .010, H = 0.21) TO INCREASE THEIR MUSCLE SIZE/TONE. BODY SATISFACTION, UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS, AND BINGE EATING TENDED TO BE SIMILAR AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN BMI AND YOGA IN PREDICTING BODY SATISFACTION WITH A TREND TOWARD A POSITIVE IMPACT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AT HIGHER BMI VALUES. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ALL BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS ACROSS GENDER AND ETHNICITY/RACE WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. DISCUSSION: YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE ETHNIC/RACIAL BACKGROUNDS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN MINDFUL EATING BUT HAVE EQUAL OR ELEVATED LEVELS OF UNHEALTHY BODY IMAGE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS AS COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. FURTHER RESEARCH SHOULD EXPLORE HOW YOGA IS BEST TAUGHT AND PRACTICED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS BENEFICIAL FOR BODY IMAGE AND RELATED BEHAVIORS. 2021 4 2046 27 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 5 2376 26 WHO ENROLLS IN A QUIT SMOKING PROGRAM WITH YOGA THERAPY? OBJECTIVES: YOGA MAY IMPROVE STRESS, AFFECT, AND WEIGHT CONTROL, ALL OF WHICH ARE COMMONLY CITED BARRIERS TO QUITTING SMOKING. HOWEVER, THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE CONCERNS MAY VARY BY SEX, RACE, ETHNICITY, AND AGE. WE EXAMINED SMOKING-RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS ENROLLING IN AN 8-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TESTING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT TO STANDARD SMOKING CESSATION. METHODS: OF 958 CALLERS, 227 WERE ELIGIBLE AND ENROLLED. RESULTS: THE SAMPLE WAS 55% FEMALE, 86% NON-HISPANIC WHITE, WITH A MEAN AGE OF 46 YEARS (SD = 12). MALES SMOKED MORE CIGARETTES/ DAY THAN FEMALES AND HAD LOWER MOTIVATION TO QUIT SMOKING. FEMALES WERE MORE LIKELY TO SMOKE FOR WEIGHT CONTROL, SOCIAL AND MOOD-RELATED REASONS, AND HAD HIGHER EXPECTATIONS FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA. AGE WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF OTHER SMOKERS IN THE HOUSEHOLD, AND SMOKING IN RESPONSE TO NEGATIVE MOODS, AND WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING RATE, AND CONFIDENCE IN QUITTING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT BOTH MALES AND FEMALES WERE INTERESTED IN A PROGRAM OFFERING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. HOWEVER, THERE WERE BOTH SEX AND AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO SMOKING-RELATED VARIABLES THAT MAY SUGGEST A NEED TO ADAPT THE INTERVENTION FOR SUB-POPULATIONS. 2017 6 1445 27 INCREASING TREND OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG U.S. ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017. INTRODUCTION: BENEFITS, RISKS, AND THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF YOGA USE WARRANT ASSESSING YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE AND USERS' PROFILES. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES TRENDS IN YOGA PRACTICE EXCLUSIVELY AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS FROM 2002 TO 2017, COMPARES THE PROFILE OF YOGA USERS, AND IDENTIFIES FACTORS RELATED TO YOGA USE OVER TIME. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A SECONDARY ANALYSIS DONE IN 2019 AND 2020 USING THE NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) 2002, 2007, 2012, AND 2017 DATA. POPULATION WEIGHTS WERE USED TO OBTAIN STATISTICALLY ACCURATE ESTIMATES OF YOGA USE PREVALENCE FOR THE U.S. POPULATION. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS WERE USED TO PROFILE THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA USERS. MULTIVARIABLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO IDENTIFY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA USE IN EACH COHORT DEFINED BY THE NHIS YEAR. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE PREVALENCE NEARLY TRIPLED FROM 5.1% IN 2002 TO 13.7% IN 2017 (WEIGHTED ESTIMATE 10,386,456 AND 32,761,194 AMERICAN ADULTS, RESPECTIVELY). TYPICAL YOGA USERS WERE YOUNG NON-HISPANIC SINGLE WHITE FEMALE ADULTS WITH BACHELOR OR HIGHER EDUCATION AND HEALTH INSURANCE, AND RESIDED IN THE WEST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. YOGA USE PATTERN CHANGE OVER TIME WAS SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO ONLY YOUNGER AGE (P < 0.001) BUT NOT TO OTHER SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC OR HEALTH-RELATED FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS GAINED INCREASING POPULARITY IN THE PAST TWO DECADES AMONG AMERICAN ADULTS, WITH YOUNGER ADULTS BEING THE DRIVING FORCE. YOGA APPEARS TO BE ADOPTED FOR GENERAL WELL-BEING OR PREVENTION MORE THAN FOR SPECIFIC DISEASE TREATMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EVALUATE HOW YOGA CAN BE EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTEGRATED INTO PREVENTIVE MEDICINE STRATEGIES. 2021 7 628 22 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VEGETARIAN AND OMNIVOROUS YOGA PRACTITIONERS-RESULTS OF A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY OF US ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: TO EXAMINE THE PREVALENCE OF VEGETARIANISM AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS, AND TO EXPLORE DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO ALSO USE VEGETARIAN DIET AND THOSE WHO DO NOT. DESIGN AND SETTING: USING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS) (N = 34,525), WEIGHTED FREQUENCIES FOR 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF VEGETARIAN DIET USE AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE ANALYZED. LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO ANALYZE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL PREDICTORS OF VEGETARIAN DIET USE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 1.7 MILLION US YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE USED A VEGETARIAN DIET IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (8.3%), COMPARED TO 2.7 MILLION NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS (1.3%). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO WERE AGED BETWEEN 30 AND 64 YEARS AS COMPARED TO BEING 29 YEARS OR YOUNGER WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE USED A VEGETARIAN DIET IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS; WHILE THOSE BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP (OR = 0.64), OVERWEIGHT (OR = 0.54), SMOKING (OR 0.64) OR HAVING PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE (OR = 0.59) WERE LESS LIKELY. VEGETARIAN DIET PRACTITIONERS MORE OFTEN INCLUDED MEDITATION AS PART OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE AND MORE OFTEN CHOSE YOGA BECAUSE IT HAD A HOLISTIC FOCUS, AND WAS PERCEIVED TO TREAT THE CAUSE AND NOT THE SYMPTOMS OF THEIR HEALTH COMPLAINT. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS FOLLOWING A VEGETARIAN DIET SEEM TO EMBRACE YOGA MORE AS A LIFESTYLE THAN AS A THERAPY. 2018 8 2054 44 THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA FREQUENCY WITH SLEEP QUALITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. PURPOSE: THERE IS A DEARTH OF EVIDENCE FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGIC BREATHING AND SLEEP QUALITY. EVEN LESS IS KNOWN ABOUT PRACTICE FREQUENCY AND BENEFIT. WE INVESTIGATED THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA FREQUENCY WITH SLEEP QUALITY AMONGST ADULT PRACTITIONERS. METHODS: IN A CROSS-SECTIONAL INVESTIGATION ON ADULT PRACTITIONERS OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA IN SINGAPORE, THE PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX (PSQI) WAS USED TO ASSESS SLEEP QUALITY. SLEEP QUALITY WAS EXAMINED ACROSS THREE CATEGORIES OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY (MONTHLY, WEEKLY, DAILY). A MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODEL WAS USED TO DETERMINE ASSOCIATION. RESULTS: OF 385 ADULTS (241 WOMEN), THE MEAN AGE (SD) WAS 42.5 (9.9) YEARS. IN TOTAL, 32% OF THE SAMPLE (N = 124) WAS IDENTIFIED AS HAVING POOR SQ. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR STUDY COVARIATES, INDEPENDENT ANALYSES REVEALED AN INVERSE ASSOCIATION FOR HIGHER FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE AND LOWER ODDS OF POOR SQ (OR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.28-0.94). THE P FOR TREND WAS 0.03. CONCLUSION: THE PRACTICE OF YOGIC BREATHING MAY BENEFIT SLEEP QUALITY. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 9 2370 35 WHAT BRINGS YOUNG ADULTS TO THE YOGA MAT? CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AND PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROJECT EAT-IV SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA AND IDENTIFIES UNIQUE MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG A SAMPLE OF YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THIS STUDY FURTHER DETERMINES HOW YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES ASSOCIATE WITH PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS. SUBJECTS/SETTING: SURVEY DATA WERE DRAWN FROM THE FOURTH WAVE OF A LARGE, POPULATION-BASED STUDY (PROJECT EAT-IV; EATING AND ACTIVITY IN TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS). DESIGN: LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS (LCA) WAS USED TO IDENTIFY MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AMONG PROJECT EAT-IV PARTICIPANTS PRACTICING YOGA (N = 297; MEAN AGE: 30.8-1.7 YEARS; 79.7 % FEMALE). CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN LATENT MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, PHYSICAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS WERE DETERMINED WITH UNADJUSTED AND ADJUSTED (GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, AND BODY MASS INDEX) GENERAL LINEAR MODELS. RESULTS: ACROSS MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES, MOST YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MOTIVATED BY ENHANCED FITNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION/RELAXATION. ADDITIONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA CLUSTERED BY APPEARANCE (DESIRE TO CHANGE BODY APPEARANCE OR WEIGHT) OR MINDFULNESS (DESIRE TO INCREASE PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS) UNDERPINNINGS. THE LCA CHARACTERIZED MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES AS "LOW APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 1; N = 77), "LOW APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 2; N = 48), "HIGH APPEARANCE, LOW MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 3; N = 79), AND "HIGH APPEARANCE, HIGH MINDFULNESS" (CLASS 4; N = 93). HAVING A PROFILE WITH HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 2) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER BODY SATISFACTION IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER CLASSES (P < 0.001). RELATIVE TO CLASS 2, THOSE WITH LOW MINDFULNESS MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 1; CLASS 3) REPORTED LESS TOTAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (P = 0.002) AND THOSE WITH HIGH APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS (CLASS 3; CLASS 4) REPORTED HIGHER COMPULSIVE EXERCISE SCORES (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: IN THIS SAMPLE, HIGH MINDFULNESS AND LOW APPEARANCE MOTIVATIONS FOR YOGA APPEARED OPTIMAL FOR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. CROSS-SECTIONAL FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOUNG ADULT YOGA PRACTITIONERS' MIND-BODY HEALTH MAY BE SUPPORTED BY MOTIVATIONAL UNDERPINNINGS THAT EMPHASIZE YOGA'S INTERNAL (MINDFULNESS) RATHER THAN EXTERNAL (APPEARANCE) BENEFITS. 2022 10 1807 29 PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE: RESULTS OF A U.S. NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY. INTRODUCTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE PREVALENCE, PATTERNS, AND PREDICTORS OF YOGA USE IN THE U.S. GENERAL POPULATION. METHODS: USING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA FROM THE 2012 NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY FAMILY CORE, SAMPLE ADULT CORE, AND ADULT COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE QUESTIONNAIRES (N=34,525), WEIGHTED FREQUENCIES FOR LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE AND PATTERNS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED. USING LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSES, SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PREDICTORS OF LIFETIME YOGA USE WERE ANALYZED. ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED IN 2015. RESULTS: LIFETIME AND 12-MONTH PREVALENCE OF YOGA USE WERE 13.2% AND 8.9%, RESPECTIVELY. COMPARED WITH NONPRACTITIONERS, LIFETIME YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY FEMALE, YOUNGER, NON-HISPANIC WHITE, COLLEGE EDUCATED, HIGHER EARNERS, LIVING IN THE WEST, AND OF BETTER HEALTH STATUS. AMONG THOSE WHO HAD PRACTICED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, 51.2% ATTENDED YOGA CLASSES, 89.9% USED BREATHING EXERCISES, AND 54.9% USED MEDITATION. YOGA WAS PRACTICED FOR GENERAL WELLNESS OR DISEASE PREVENTION (78.4%), TO IMPROVE ENERGY (66.1%), OR TO IMPROVE IMMUNE FUNCTION (49.7%). BACK PAIN (19.7%), STRESS (6.4%), AND ARTHRITIS (6.4%) WERE THE MAIN SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR WHICH PEOPLE PRACTICED YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: ABOUT 31 MILLION U.S. ADULTS HAVE EVER USED YOGA, AND ABOUT 21 MILLION PRACTICED YOGA IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. DISEASE PREVENTION AND BACK PAIN RELIEF WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, SES, AND HEALTH STATUS. 2016 11 1271 22 FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS HEALTH: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND. YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION, BUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH ARE UNDEREXPLORED. PURPOSE. TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, DIET, BMI, SMOKING, ALCOHOL/CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION, SLEEP, FATIGUE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MINDFULNESS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY). METHODS. CROSS-SECTIONAL, ANONYMOUS INTERNET SURVEYS DISTRIBUTED TO 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM 18,160 INDIVIDUALS AT 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS; 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. RESULTS. MEAN AGE 51.7 (+/- 11.7) YEARS; 84.2% FEMALE. FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE FAVORABLY PREDICTED (P < .001): MINDFULNESS, SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, BMI, FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION, VEGETARIAN STATUS, SLEEP, AND FATIGUE. EACH COMPONENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, PHILOSOPHY STUDY) PREDICTED AT LEAST 1 HEALTH OUTCOME (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS. HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA PREDICTED HEALTH BETTER THAN YEARS OF PRACTICE OR CLASS FREQUENCY. DIFFERENT PHYSICAL POSES AND YOGA TECHNIQUES MAY HAVE UNIQUE HEALTH BENEFITS. 2012 12 2749 28 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES. 2020 13 1219 27 EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: SURVEY FINDINGS FROM A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF DIVERSE EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AMONG A DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE STUDY FURTHER EXPLORES WHETHER THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT FROM THE MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA, ENGAGE IN A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN: EAT 2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME) IS A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN WHICH SURVEY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 1568 ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE (81.2% NONWHITE) EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS (MEAN AGE: 22.0 +/- 2.0 YEARS). RESULTS: EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS HIGHLY PREVALENT. FOR EXAMPLE, 43.9% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE (ACE) (E.G., PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, OR SEXUAL ABUSE BEFORE AGE 18), WHEREAS 40.1% REPORTED EXPERIENCING DISCRIMINATION. EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER STRESS LEVELS. PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% OF THE POPULATION, WITH VARIATION ACROSS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. YOUNG ADULTS EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EITHER MORE OR SIMILARLY LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA THAN YOUNG ADULTS NOT REPORTING ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSIONS: THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS POINTS TO A NEED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS. THUS, IT WAS PROMISING TO FIND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS, WHO MAY HAVE GREATER EMOTIONAL BURDENS, PRACTICE YOGA AT EQUAL OR GREATER PROPORTIONS TO THOSE WITHOUT THESE EXPOSURES. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR POPULATIONS LIVING WITH HIGH STRESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP FURTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICING YOGA. 2020 14 365 25 ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA PRACTICE, HEALTH STATUS, AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY-RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: WHILE YOGA CAN IMPROVE HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR, DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES AND PRACTICE COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOGA USE, HEALTH, AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS ACROSS DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES. METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY (N = 1,702; 88.9% FEMALE; 93.3% GERMAN NATIONALITY; MEAN AGE 47.2 +/- 10.8 YEARS; 58.2% YOGA TEACHERS) ASSESSED YOGA PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS, HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR. THE SURVEY WAS DISTRIBUTED IN GERMANY ONLY BUT NOT LIMITED TO GERMAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: ASHTANGA YOGA (15.7%), HATHA YOGA (14.2%), AND SIVANANDA YOGA (22.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY PRACTICED YOGA STYLES; PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED FOR A MEAN OF 12.7 +/- 10.0 YEARS. MOST PARTICIPANTS HAD GOOD TO EXCELLENT (96.1%) OVERALL HEALTH; 87.7% REPORTED IMPROVED HEALTH SINCE STARTING YOGA. CONTROLLING FOR SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL FACTORS, HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES WERE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENCY OF YOGA POSTURES PRACTICE (P < 0.05), HEALTH BEHAVIORS ALSO WITH YOGA PHILOSOPHY STUDY (P < 0.05). THE VARIOUS YOGA STYLES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC HEALTH-RELATED VARIABLES (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY HAVE A GOOD OVERALL HEALTH AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. WHILE HEALTH VARIABLES ARE MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA POSTURES, HEALTH BEHAVIORS ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE STUDY OF YOGA PHILOSOPHY. YOGA INTERVENTIONS TARGETING PREVENTION OR HEALTH PROMOTION SHOULD INCLUDE YOGA PHILOSOPHY TO MODIFY HEALTH BEHAVIORS. THE SPECIFIC YOGA STYLE EMPLOYED MAY ALSO INFLUENCE HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2019 15 1431 31 IMPROVING ACCESS TO YOGA: BARRIERS TO AND MOTIVATORS FOR PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GAINING MOMENTUM AS A POPULAR AND EVIDENCE-BASED, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH CARE AND SELF-CARE PRACTICE. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS ARE NOT PROPORTIONAL TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE GENERAL POPULATION, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO GENDER AND ETHNICITY. SEVERAL ACCESS BARRIERS HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED (EG, TIME, COST, AND ACCESS TO TEACHERS). NO STUDIES HAVE EXPLORED THE BARRIERS TO PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. THEIR PARTICIPATION IN YOGA IS DEEMED IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE FUTURE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO WILL MAKE REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICES. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT PROVIDERS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REFER MORE PATIENTS TO YOGA. OBJECTIVE: TO INCREASE YOGA PRACTICE AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS, AN UNDERSTANDING MUST BE DEVELOPED OF FACTORS THAT INTERFERE WITH OR FACILITATE A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. THE CURRENT STUDY INTENDED TO IDENTIFY SUCH BARRIERS AND MOTIVATORS. DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS A SMALL POPULATION SURVEY. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES, INCLUDING STUDENTS IN 3 OF ITS COLLEGES AND 10 PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. PARTICIPANTS: ALL STUDENTS (N = 1585) IN THE PROGRAMS OF THE 10 HEALTH PROFESSIONS RECEIVED E-MAIL REQUESTS FOR PARTICIPATION. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA SURVEY WAS DEVELOPED FOR PURPOSES OF A LARGER YOGA PERCEPTIONS STUDY AND IMPLEMENTED WITH HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE SOLICITED VIA E-MAIL; THE SURVEY WAS ADMINISTERED ONLINE. THE CURRENT STUDY USED DATA FROM THAT SURVEY. RESULTS: OF THE 498 USABLE, COMPLETED SURVEYS (IE, A RESPONSE RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 30%), 478 WERE RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT STUDY. THE SAMPLE'S DEMOGRAPHICS--78% WOMEN AND 79% WHITE--DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE POPULATION'S DEMOGRAPHICS. THE FINDINGS REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF COMMON BARRIERS THAT WERE RELATED TO (1) TIME; (2) COST; (3) LACK OF PRAGMATIC INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESS TO YOGA CLASSES AND TEACHERS; AND (4) STEREOTYPES RELATED TO FLEXIBILITY, ATHLETICISM, AND TYPICAL YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MOTIVATORS INCLUDED ATHLETICISM, HEALTH PROMOTION, AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AS WELL AS THE SEEKING OF PAIN RELIEF AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. A REFERRAL BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WAS THE LEAST-FREQUENTLY CITED MOTIVATOR. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THAT MAY HELP MOTIVATE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TOWARD A YOGA PRACTICE, BECAUSE HAVING DONE YOGA PERSONALLY MAY BE RELATED TO A WILLINGNESS TO PERCEIVE THE BENEFITS OF AND TO REFER PATIENTS TO YOGA AS A VIABLE INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS. IMPROVED ACCESS CAN BE DEVELOPED IN 3 WAYS: (1) INTEGRATION OF YOGA RESEARCH INTO HEALTH CURRICULA TO ACQUAINT CARE PROVIDERS WITH YOGA'S BENEFITS TO PATIENTS AND CARE GIVERS; (2) HAVE YOGA AVAILABLE AS CLOSE TO THE WORKPLACE AS POSSIBLE TO OBVIATE SOME OF THE LARGER ACCESS BARRIERS; AND (3) SOCIETALLY, PROJECT YOGA AS A HEALING ART AND SCIENCE, NOT SIMPLY AS A WEIGHT LOSS STRATEGY OR ATHLETIC ENDEAVOR. 2015 16 627 25 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN ENROLLING IN SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS USING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. THIS STUDY COMPARES THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MEN AND WOMEN, RESPECTIVELY, PARTICIPATING IN TWO RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDIES WHOSE PRIMARY AIMS WERE TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. PARTICIPANTS WERE AGED 18-65, GENERALLY HEALTHY AND WERE DAILY SMOKERS. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA) AND CHI-SQUARE TESTS EXAMINED GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SMOKING RATE, POTENTIAL TREATMENT MEDIATORS, AND COVARIATES (E.G., SMOKING HISTORY, HEALTH STATUS, WEIGHT CONCERNS, MOOD, AND PRIOR WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS). A TOTAL OF 55 WOMEN AND 38 MEN PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN AT ENROLLMENT INCLUDED: WOMEN REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER WITHDRAWAL (P<0.005), ANXIETY (P=0.032), AND DEPRESSION (P=0.027) SYMPTOMS THAN MEN. MORE WOMEN THAN MEN (91% VS. 66%) REPORTED HAVING BEEN TOLD BY THEIR DOCTOR TO QUIT SMOKING (P=0.003), HAD AN EXISTING SMOKING-RELATED ILLNESS (33% VS. 13%; P=0.032), AND REPORTED SMOKING FOR WEIGHT CONTROL (15% VS. 0%; P=0.014). RESULTS SHOWED GOOD FEASIBILITY FOR RECRUITING BOTH MEN AND WOMEN INTO A STUDY USING YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR SMOKING CESSATION. RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT INTERVENTIONS MAY NEED TO BE TAILORED TO MEET DIFFERENT NEEDS (E.G., ADDRESSING CO-MORBID DEPRESSION) BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. 2016 17 2685 25 YOGA IN THE REAL WORLD: PERCEPTIONS, MOTIVATORS, BARRIERS, AND PATTERNS OF USE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MIND-BODY EXERCISE PRACTICED BY NEARLY 16 MILLION US ADULTS. CLINICAL YOGA RESEARCH HAS YIELDED PROMISING FINDINGS IN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN NON-PATIENT POPULATIONS IS LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO SURVEY A NON-CLINICAL POPULATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOGA USE IN A REAL-WORLD SETTING. METHODS: THIS STUDY USED A PRE-POST TEST DESIGN IN A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF ADULTS REGISTERED FOR A 4-WEEK BEGINNER YOGA PROGRAM WITHIN A NETWORK OF FIVE YOGA STUDIOS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. STUDENTS WERE LINKED VIA E-MAIL TO BASELINE AND ENDPOINT SURVEYS. ANALYSES WERE DESCRIPTIVE. RESULTS: SIX HUNDRED FOUR STUDENTS COMPLETED THE BASELINE SURVEY, AND 290 (48%) COMPLETED THE 4-WEEK ENDPOINT SURVEY. BASELINE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN NATIONAL SURVEYS, WITH RESPONDENTS BEING PRIMARILY FEMALE (86%), WHITE (88%), AND COLLEGE EDUCATED (78%). THE PRIMARY BARRIER TO PRACTICE WAS TIME (55%). RESPONDENTS PERCEIVED YOGA PRIMARILY AS AN EXERCISE ACTIVITY (92%), SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (73%), OR A WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT A HEALTH CONDITION (50%). MAIN REASONS FOR TAKING YOGA WERE GENERAL WELLNESS (81%), PHYSICAL EXERCISE (80%), AND STRESS MANAGEMENT (73%). NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT BELIEVED YOGA WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WITH 28% TAKING YOGA TO ALLEVIATE A HEALTH CONDITION. ON AVERAGE, RESPONDENTS PRACTICED 3 TO 4 HOURS/ WEEK IN AND OUT OF CLASS. CONCLUSIONS: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS WERE CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL SURVEY DATA. DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS PERCEIVED SEVERAL WAYS. INFORMATION ON PRACTICE PATTERNS PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION, WHICH MAY IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS INCORPORATE YOGA INTO DAILY LIFE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT. 2013 18 2310 17 TRANSFORMING TRAUMA: A QUALITATIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF INTEGRATIVE RESTORATION (IREST) YOGA NIDRA ON COMBAT-RELATED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. THIS EIGHT-WEEK STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING WEEKLY CLASSES IN INTEGRATIVE RESTORATION (IREST), A FORM OF MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, TO MILITARY COMBAT VETERANS AT A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH AGENCY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. PARTICIPANTS WERE 16 MALE COMBAT VETERANS (15 VIETNAM WAR AND 1 IRAQ WAR) OF MIXED ETHNICITY, AGED 41 TO 66 YEARS, SUFFERING FROM POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). THE 11 PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE STUDY REPORTED REDUCED RAGE, ANXIETY, AND EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY, AND INCREASED FEELINGS OF RELAXATION, PEACE, SELF-AWARENESS, AND SELF-EFFICACY, DESPITE CHALLENGES WITH MENTAL FOCUS, INTRUSIVE MEMORIES, AND OTHER CONCERNS. ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THEY WOULD HAVE ATTENDED ONGOING IREST CLASSES AT THE AGENCY APPROXIMATELY ONCE PER WEEK. 2011 19 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 (