1 2297 66 THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF YOGA IN NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. YOGA IS CONSIDERED A WIDELY-USED APPROACH FOR HEALTH CONSERVATION AND CAN BE ADOPTED AS A TREATMENT MODALITY FOR A PLETHORA OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HENCE, WE REVIEWED RELEVANT ARTICLES ENTAILING VARIOUS NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS AND GATHERED DATA ON HOW YOGA EXERTS POSITIVE IMPACTS ON PATIENTS WITH A DIVERSE RANGE OF DISORDERS, INCLUDING ITS MODULATORY EFFECTS ON BRAIN BIOELECTRICAL ACTIVITIES, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY. THE ROLE OF YOGA PRACTICE AS AN ELEMENT OF THE TREATMENT OF SEVERAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL DISEASES WAS EVALUATED BASED ON THESE FINDINGS. 2021 2 2710 20 YOGA IS FOUND HAZARDOUS TO THE MENISCUS FOR CHINESE WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR IN THE FEMALE SOCIETY WHILE THE CONCOMITANT SPORTS INJURY IS SELDOM MENTIONED. MANY CLINICIANS HAVE NOTED THAT YOGA MAY RESULT IN KNEE PROBLEMS, WHICH THOUGH REQUIRES MORE RESEARCHES TO CORROBORATE. THIS INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED TO ASCERTAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND MENISCUS INJURY AS WELL AS THE EXTENT OF IMPAIRMENT ACCORDING TO VARIANT YOGA PRACTICE PERIODS. METHODS: TOTALLY 819 WOMEN AGED 20-49 YEARS WHO PRACTICED YOGA OR OTHER POPULAR SPORTS INCLUDING BADMINTON, JOGGING, CLIMBING HILLS, ETC FOR AT LEAST ONE HOUR PER DAY WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS RESEARCH. THESE SUBJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A QUESTIONNAIRE AND RECEIVE RELEVANT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION. MAGNETIC RESONANCE (MR) SCAN OF THE KNEE WAS RECOMMENDED FOR THE SUSPICIOUS SUBJECTS FOR ULTIMATE DIAGNOSIS. THE SUBJECT WITH ABNORMAL MENISCUS MR SIGNALS WAS DEFINED AS A CASE AND MATCHED WITH TWO CONTROLS IN TERMS OF AGE AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI). ALTOGETHER THERE WERE 273 CASES AND 546 CONTROLS. THE NESTED CASE-CONTROL MODEL WAS ADOPTED TO ASSESS THE RISK OF MENISCUS INJURY BETWEEN VARIANT EXPOSURES IN PRACTICING YOGA AND SEVERAL OTHER POPULAR SPORTS. MOREOVER, THE 181 YOGA SUBJECTS WERE SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS ACCORDING TO DIFFERENT EXERCISE DURATIONS, FOLLOWED BY FURTHER ANALYSIS WITH THE VARIABLES OF AGE, BMI AND LYSHOLM SCORE. RESULTS: YOGA WAS FOUND ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER RISK (P EQUAL TO 0.008, OR EQUAL TO 1.621) OF MENISCUS INJURY COMPARED WITH BADMINTON, JOGGING AND CLIMBING HILLS. THE THREE YOGA SUBGROUPS SHOWED STATISTICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH OTHER IN TERMS OF LYSHOLM SCORE (P EQUAL TO 0.027) AND BMI (P EQUAL TO 0.003). THE SUBJECTS WITH LONGER-TERM YOGA PRACTICE HAD LIGHTER WEIGHT BUT LOWER LYSHOLM SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PERHAPS EXERTS DESTRUCTIVE IMPACT ON THE MENISCUS FOR CHINESE WOMEN, YET IT NEEDS FURTHER VERIFICATIONS. FURTHERMORE, THE FEMALE YOGA PLAYERS WITH LONGER EXERCISE DURATION ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO MENISCUS INJURY THOUGH THEY CAN BECOME LEANER. 2012 3 225 25 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN BODY-ORIENTED YOGA IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. INTRODUCTION: DESPITE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF BODY-ORIENTED YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT FOR MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), THE SPECIFIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA LEADS TO THERAPEUTIC CHANGES REMAIN UNCLEAR. BY MEANS OF A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, WE EVALUATE HOW THE FIELD IS PROGRESSING IN ITS EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN YOGA FOR MDD. METHODS: TO IDENTIFY RELEVANT STUDIES, A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED. RESULTS: THE SEARCH PRODUCED 441 ARTICLES, OF WHICH 5 WERE INCLUDED, THAT EMPIRICALLY EXAMINED 2 PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (MINDFULNESS, RUMINATION) AND 3 BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (VAGAL CONTROL, HEART RATE VARIABILITY [HRV], BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR [BDNF], CORTISOL). 2 STUDIES FOUND THAT DECREASED RUMINATION AND 1 STUDY THAT INCREASED MINDFULNESS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON TREATMENT OUTCOME. IN ADDITION, PRELIMINARY STUDIES SUGGEST THAT ALTERATIONS IN CORTISOL, BDNF, AND HRV MAY PLAY A ROLE IN HOW YOGA EXERTS ITS CLINICAL EFFECT. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT BODY-ORIENTED YOGA COULD WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE THEORETICALLY PREDICTED MECHANISMS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE RIGOROUS DESIGNS THAT CAN ASSESS GREATER LEVELS OF CAUSAL SPECIFICITY. 2018 4 226 22 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 5 1639 20 MODULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN STRESS BY YOGA. STRESS IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN TODAY'S FASTPACED LIFE THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE OUR HEALTH IF LEFT UNCHECKED. IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY THAT THE ROLE OF STRESS IN EVERY AILMENT FROM THE COMMON COLD TO AIDS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS HAVE BEEN STUDIED. STRESS INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE PRESUMABLY THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS, HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS, AND THE SYMPATHETIC-ADRENAL-MEDULLARY SYSTEM. VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROPEPTIDES, HORMONES, AND CYTOKINES MEDIATE THESE COMPLEX BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSES RESULT IN ALTERATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF IMMUNE CELLS AND CYTOKINE DYSREGULATION. VARIOUS STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS MEDITATION, YOGA, HYPNOSIS, AND MUSCLE RELAXATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS IN CANCERS AND HIV INFECTION. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND EXAMINE HOW RELAXATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD REGULATE THE CYTOKINE LEVELS AND HENCE, THE IMMUNE RESPONSES DURING STRESS. 2008 6 2886 25 YOGA: BALANCING THE EXCITATION-INHIBITION EQUILIBRIUM IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES ARE CENTRAL TO MOST PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. A DISEQUILIBRIUM WITHIN THE CORTICAL EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTER SYSTEMS UNDERLIES THESE DEFICITS. GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) AND GLUTAMATE ARE THE MOST ABUNDANT EXCITATORY AND INHIBITORY NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE BRAIN THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EQUILIBRIUM. SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY THERAPIES USED IN TREATING PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, REGULATE THIS GABA-GLUTAMATE BALANCE. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED AS AN ADJUVANT TREATMENT ACROSS A BROAD RANGE OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND IS SHOWN TO HAVE SHORT-TERM THERAPEUTIC GAINS. EMERGING EVIDENCE FROM RECENT CLINICAL IN VIVO EXPERIMENTS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IMPROVES GABA-MEDIATED CORTICAL-INHIBITORY TONE AND ENHANCES PERIPHERAL OXYTOCIN LEVELS. THIS IS LIKELY TO HAVE A MORE CONTROLLED DOWNSTREAM RESPONSE OF THE HYPOTHALAMO-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF REDUCED CORTISOL RELEASE AND HENCE A BLUNTED SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE TO STRESS. ANIMAL AND EARLY FETAL DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES SUGGEST AN INTER-DEPENDENT ROLE OF OXYTOCIN AND GABA IN REGULATING SOCIAL BEHAVIORS. IN KEEPING WITH THESE OBSERVATIONS, WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED NEUROBIOLOGICAL MODEL TO STUDY THE MECHANISMS OF THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS WITH YOGA. APART FROM PROVIDING A NEUROSCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR APPLYING A TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF PRACTICE IN THE CLINICAL SETTING, THIS MODEL CAN BE USED AS A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING YOGA MECHANISMS IN FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS. 2019 7 1502 16 INVEST IN YOURSELF. YOGA AS A SELF-CARE STRATEGY. A WIDENING RECOGNITION OF THE MIND-BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTION IN WESTERN MEDICINE HAS RESULTED IN A GROWING INTEREST IN ANCIENT HEALTH PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA. AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES ENTER MAINSTREAM MEDICAL SETTINGS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE MODALITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVISE PATIENTS EFFECTIVELY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND DETAILS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2000 8 82 30 A MECHANISTIC MODEL FOR YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC MODALITY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN TECHNIQUE OF HEALTHY LIVING. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE CORROBORATED YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS, INCLUDING A FAVORABLE INFLUENCE ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTION AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS REVEALED THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT YOGA CAN PLAY IN ERADICATING STRESS. THIS HAS LAID TO THE FOUNDATION FOR A SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ATTRIBUTED TO STRESS, PARTICULARLY AT THE MOLECULAR AND GENETIC LEVELS. THIS PRIMARILY HAS HELPED UNDERSTAND THE EPIGENETIC AND GENETIC MECHANISM AT PLAY TO INDUCE AND ALLEVIATE STRESS, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO EMOTIONAL ABERRATIONS. AS RESEARCH HAS INDICATED, NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE TRANSLATED INTO VASCULAR INFLAMMATION APPROPRIATELY ACCENTUATED BY A SYMPATHETIC PREDOMINANT AUTONOMIC FUNCTION. THIS CASCADE IS BOLSTERED BY MULTIPLE FACTORS, INCLUDING ACTIVATION OF "STRESSOR" GENES AND ELABORATING HORMONES, INCLUDING STEROIDS WITH SOMETIMES NOCUOUS CONSEQUENCES, PARTICULARLY WHEN CHRONIC. YOGA HAS BEEN CATEGORICALLY FOUND TO HAVE INHIBITED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE BANEFUL EFFECTS OF STRESS. IN FACT, IT ALSO CHANGES THE NEURONAL CIRCUITS THAT POTENTIATE SUCH A PLETHORA OF PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES. THIS, IN TURN, HAS ACCENTUATED YOGA'S RELEVANCE AS A POWERFUL PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION IN NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCD). NCDS, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS, ARE ESSENTIALLY INFLAMMATORY DISEASES THAT PERPETUATE INFLAMMATION IN DIFFERENT BEDS LIKE VASCULAR OR JOINT SPACES. THE PRECISE MECHANISM BY WHICH YOGA INDUCES SUCH BENEFICIAL CHANGES IS YET TO BE DELINEATED. HOWEVER, A CORNUCOPIA OF POINTERS INDICATES THAT NEURAL, ENDOCRINE, IMMUNOLOGICAL, CELLULAR, GENETIC, AND EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE AT PLAY. THIS ARTICLE ATTEMPTS TO COBBLE TOGETHER NEWFANGLED RESEARCH TO DELINEATE A MEDICAL MODEL FOR THIS 5000-YEAR-OLD PRACTICE FROM INDIA. THIS IS IMPERATIVE, AS A MECHANISTIC MODEL OF THIS ANCIENT-BUT-COMPLEX SYSTEM WOULD ENABLE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF ITS MECHANISM AND REVEAL ITS YET-UNDISCOVERED POSITIVE HEALTH EFFECTS. 2021 9 2420 16 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 10 1590 15 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 11 653 13 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 12 2302 16 THINKING THROUGH THE BODY: THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS. YOGA HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN VIEWED AS A DISCIPLINE THAT INCREASES SELF-AWARENESS THROUGH BODY BASED PRACTICES, MEDITATION, SELF-STUDY, AND THE READING OF PHILOSOPHICAL TEXTS. IN THE 21ST CENTURY THE MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES OF YOGA HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS. IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS THERAPY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH EATING DISORDERS, THIS ARTICLE JUXTAPOSES HOW MINDFULNESS BASED YOGA IS REGARDED IN THREE DISCIPLINES: SOCIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE, AND THE "SPIRITUAL TEXTS" OF YOGA. 2011 13 2608 16 YOGA FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: FROM FAD TO EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION? THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR YOGA'S NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN PEOPLE WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. POSTULATED MECHANISMS OF ACTION INCLUDE: (A) MODULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL (HPA) AXIS; (B) ENHANCEMENT OF GABAERGIC NEUROTRANSMISSION; (C) AUTONOMIC MODULATION; AND (D) NEUROENDOCRINOLOGICAL EFFECTS. YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS APPEARS PROMISING AND MERITS FURTHER ATTENTION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH. 2020 14 2239 16 THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH LITERACY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS. EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE (EIP) UTILIZES THE THREE COMPONENTS OF EXPERT OPINION, RESEARCH EVIDENCE, AND CLIENT VALUES. IT IS A RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPETENCY FOR INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN DIVERSE FIELDS, SUCH AS ACUPUNCTURE AND MASSAGE THERAPY. RESEARCH LITERACY (RL) IS A NECESSARY PRE-REQUISITE TO EIP. MANY YOGA THERAPISTS HAVE LIMITED TRAINING IN THESE SKILLS, WHICH NEGATIVELY IMPACTS INTER-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PROPOSE INCLUSION OF RL AND EIP IN THE TRAINING OF YOGA THERAPISTS. BENEFITS FOR CLIENT CARE, COLLABORATIVE CARE, AND THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 15 571 15 DEFINING YOGA-NIDRA: TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. THE TERM YOGA-NIDRA HAS BEEN USED IN MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO REFER TO RELAXATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT REPRESENT THE INTENTION OR PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGANIDRA DISCUSSED IN THE TRADITIONAL YOGA LITERATURE. WE PROPOSE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-NIDRA THAT IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICALLY TESTABLE HYPOTHESES REGARDING ITS OUTCOMES AND EFFECTS. TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA-NIDRA AND CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF ITS PRACTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND STUDIES EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA-NIDRA ARE EXAMINED. PROPOSED HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH USING THIS OPERATIONAL DEFINITION ARE PROVIDED. 2013 16 2445 18 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 17 1985 13 SOME THOUGHTS ON NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF YOGA. YOGA PRESENTS THE CULMINATION OF EFFORTS MADE BY MANKIND TILL NOW CONTROL MIND AND BEHAVIOUR. IT IS LIVING SCIENCE, PRACTICED IN AN ELEMENTARY FASHION BY MANY IN INDIA. WHILE A FEW PERHAPS ARE THERE WHO HAVE ATTAINED MASTERY OF THIS SCIENCE.THE BACKGROUND OF THE DERIVATION AND CONCEPT OF YOGA IN INDIA IS PRESENTED FOLLOWED BY A SIMPLE EXPOSITION OF YOGIC PRACTICES AND SOME POSSIBLE NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC EXPLANATIONS. RESEARCH IN YOGA WILL BE REWARDING AS IT GIVES MEANS OF EXPLORING AND ENLARGING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. 1981 18 2724 9 YOGA NEUROPATHY. A SNOOZER. SCIATIC NERVE COMPRESSION VERY RARELY OCCURS BILATERALLY. THE AUTHORS PRESENT A WOMAN WITH PROFOUND LOWER EXTREMITY WEAKNESS AND SENSORY ABNORMALITY AFTER FALLING ASLEEP IN THE HEAD-TO-KNEES YOGA POSITION (ALSO CALLED "PASCHIMOTTANASANA"). CLINICAL AND ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL AND A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE IS PRESENTED. 2005 19 1595 20 MEDITATION AND YOGA-ASSISTED ALTERATION OF DIETARY BEHAVIOR AS A USEFUL STRATEGY FOR LIMITING ZOONOTIC PANDEMICS: A NOVEL INSIGHT. VEGETARIAN DIETS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PERSONAL AND PLANETARY HEALTH AND ARE LIKELY TO CURB ZOONOTIC INFECTION TRANSMISSION. WE PROPOSE THAT MINIMIZING MEAT CONSUMPTION SHOULD BECOME AN ESSENTIAL DIETARY SHIFT IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA. TO DATE, HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING SUITABLE METHODS THAT COULD CATALYZE THIS CHANGE ON A GLOBAL SCALE. MEDITATION AND YOGA ARE PRACTICAL AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT PSYCHOMODULATORY STRATEGIES THAT CAN NATURALLY TRIGGER VEGETARIANISM AND RELATED EATING BEHAVIORS, LOWERING OUR RELIANCE ON ANIMAL MEAT. DECREASING DEPENDENCE ON ANIMAL MEAT REDUCES THE NEED FOR ANIMAL MARKETS AND MAY SUBSTANTIALLY MINIMIZE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SPILLOVER (PASSAGE OF VIRUSES FROM ANIMAL RESERVOIRS INTO HUMAN POPULATIONS). GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE STRATEGIES, IN OUR OPINION, CAN ADD TO SPIRITUAL WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND COOPERATIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR, THUS REDUCING THE ENCROACHMENT OF WILD-LIFE RESERVES AND ANIMAL EXPLOITATION. THE APPLICATION OF THESE ANCIENT INDIAN APPROACHES REPRESENTS A NOVEL AND FOCUSED STRATEGY TOWARD CURBING ZOONOTIC PANDEMICS. KEYWORDS: CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-19, MEAT-EATING, MEDITATION, PANDEMICS, VIRAL SPILLOVER, YOGA. 2020 20 2373 22 WHAT IS OUR "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY"? REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL WORK'S ORIENTATION IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLORE HOW THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE COULD PROVIDE A COMPLEMENTARY LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY CAN BE ANALYZED AND EVALUATED BY ENGAGING IN KNOWLEDGE-CREATION PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT PRIORITIZE THE "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY" DESCRIBED BY PHILOSOPHER LORRAINE CODE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, BY SEEKING TO STRATEGICALLY INCLUDE OFTEN-SUBJUGATED TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE AND BY FOCUSING ON REDISTRIBUTING EPISTEMIC POWER TO AGENTS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM EPISTEMIC PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH, THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE, WITH ITS STRONG COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO FILLING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. WE BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE IN RELATION TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. WE NEXT OFFER A RESERVED CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DOMINANT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT CURRENTLY INFORMS YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE. THIS ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS THE SOCIAL PARAMETERS THAT MAY BE RENDERED INVISIBLE OR LEFT ASIDE WHEN ADOPTING A POSITIVIST EPISTEMOLOGICAL LENS AND JUSTIFIES HOW THE CONCEPTUAL APPARATUS OF EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY SERVES AS A POTENTIAL PLATFORM FOR RETHINKING SOCIAL WORK'S POSITION AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE MOBILIZE THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION TO ILLUSTRATE HOW STRIVING FOR EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDES AN ENTRY POINT FOR ADDRESSING THE MULTILEVEL, COMPLEX SOCIAL PROCESSES EMBEDDED IN YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE AND RESEARCH WHILE AIMING TO CAPTURE THE MANY VOICES-AND HENCE THE VARIOUS TRUTHS-IMPLICATED IN A DEMOCRATIC, REFLEXIVE, AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH PROCESS. 2020