1 1894 222 RESEARCH TRENDS IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA TO HUMAN HEALTH: A DATA SCIENCE APPROACH. YOGA IS AN INTEGRATIVE MIND-BODY SYSTEM OF WELLBEING DEVELOPED IN INDIA SINCE AT LEAST THREE MILLENNIA. YOGA HAS GAINED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IN RECENT DECADES, PARTLY DRIVEN BY RECENT RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE ABOUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS. IN THIS WORK, WE EXTRACTED RESEARCH TRENDS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HUMAN HEALTH FROM THE US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE'S PUBMED DATABASE (PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PAPERS). WE FOUND THAT YOGA RESEARCH SPANS ALL ORGAN SYSTEMS AND SYSTEM-WIDE ISSUES SUCH AS PAIN AND CANCER. RESEARCH ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM FAR OUTPACES OTHER SYSTEMS, WHICH IS EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE EFFECTS OF BREATHING AND EXERCISE ON STRESS REDUCTION, WHICH HAS BEEN A MAJOR APPLICATION OF YOGA. THE NEXT CLUSTER OF IMPACT CONCERNS THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM AND PAIN (BOTH RELATED TO THE EXERCISE [ASANA] ASPECTS OF YOGA), AS WELL AS CARDIOVASCULAR/ENDOCRINE (ALSO RELATED TO STRESS) AND CANCER. STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH, PAIN, DIABETES, AND CANCER ARE HEALTH ISSUES FOR WHICH A PERMANENT CURE IS NOT AVAILABLE IN A MAJORITY OF CASES IN MODERN MEDICINE, ALTHOUGH ALLEVIATING TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE. THIS HAS PROBABLY FUELED INTEREST IN COMPLEMENTARY APPROACHES SUCH AS YOGA FOR THESE HEALTH ISSUES. RESEARCH TIMELINE SHOWS THAT YOGA-RELATED RESEARCH LARGELY EXPANDED ONLY AFTER THE 2000S. THERE WAS A SPECIFIC UPTICK AFTER 2004. SIMILAR TRENDS ARE SEEN IF WE LOOK AT JUST CLINICAL TRIALS OR RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS (RCTS) OR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. THE PERCENTAGE OF TRIALS (CLINICAL AND RCT) AMONG PUBLISHED LITERATURE IS AROUND 10-15 % THIS IS COMPARABLE TO OTHER FIELDS THAT GAINED TRACTION AROUND 2000S (E.G. NON-INVASIVE BRAIN STIMULATION). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION SHOWS THAT 37% OF ALL YOGA RELATED RESEARCH OUTPUT ORIGINATES IN THE USA, 19% FROM INDIA, 13% FROM EUROPE AND 31% FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD. THEREFORE, THE INTEREST IS WIDESPREAD AND GLOBAL. AT LEAST THE UPTICK IN YOGA-RELATED RESEARCH IN THE US POST-2000S CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A SUBSTANTIAL JUMP IN FUNDING BETWEEN 1998 AND 2005 FROM US NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH'S NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH (NCCIH). WE CAN ONLY SURMISE THAT RESEARCH IN THIS FIELD REACHED A CRITICAL MASS IN LATE-1990S, WHICH INFUSED MORE MONEY INTO THIS FIELD, GENERATING MORE RESEARCH AND CREATING A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP THAT HAS SUSTAINED THE GROWTH SO FAR. WE PROPOSE THAT IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN OR EVEN ACCELERATE FUTURE RESEARCH IN THE AREA, RIGOR AND REPRODUCIBILITY MUST BE ENHANCED IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING MORE RCT AND CLINICAL TRIALS (INCREASING % OF TRIALS TO 20-25% FROM 10-15%). THE FRUITS OF RESEARCH IN THE FIELD HAS TO REACH THE COMMON MAN IN TERMS OF EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO HEALTH ISSUES. WITHOUT THIS, ACCELERATED FUNDING IN DEMOCRACIES SUCH AS INDIA AND THE USA WILL NOT BE REALIZABLE. 2020 2 2408 45 YOGA AND HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE EMERGENCE OF YOGA THERAPY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BEGAN ABOUT 45 YEARS AGO WITH THE EMERGENCE OF YOGA THERAPY ORGANIZATIONS THAT OFFERED BOTH TREATMENT AND TRAINING. THE INTEGRATION OF YOGA INTO THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (NHS) IS GRADUALLY HAPPENING BECAUSE: (A) YOGA RESEARCH SUPPORTS ITS EFFICACY AS A COST-EFFECTIVE, PREVENTIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR A HOST OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES; AND (B) THE ESCALATING ECONOMIC BURDEN OF LONG-TERM CONDITIONS IS OVERWHELMING THE NHS. THE NHS IS ACTIVELY DEVELOPING 'SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFORMATION PLANS' THAT INCLUDE YOGA. CHIEF AMONG THESE IS 'SOCIAL PRESCRIBING,' WHICH EMPOWERS PATIENTS WITH COMPLEX HEALTH NEEDS THROUGH ACTIVITIES GROUPS. THESE ACTIVITIES REDUCE SEDENTARY HABITS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION, WHILE HELPING PATIENTS TO BE MORE SELF-RELIANT. THE NHS HAS ALLOCATED POUND450 MILLION IN FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS FOR ITS OWN STAFF, IN WHICH STAFF YOGA CLASSES WERE EXPRESSLY MENTIONED. THE YOGA COMMUNITY IS MOBILIZING FORCES AND APPLYING FOR FUNDING TO PILOT RELEVANT NHS STAFF YOGA COURSES THAT CAN SUPPORT THE SERVICE IN ACHIEVING ITS VISION. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT INTEGRATING YOGA THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN (LBP) INTO THE NHS WOULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS AS COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CARE EXCELLENCE (NICE) GUIDELINES ON LBP AND SCIATICA INCLUDE YOGA AS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS FOR THESE CONDITIONS. THREE GROUPS OF YOGA TEACHERS, USING DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES, HAVE GAINED TRACTION WITH THE NHS FOR THE APPLICATION OF YOGA THERAPY TO LBP. MANY REGIONAL HOSPITALS IN ENGLAND HAVE YOGA CLASSES. THE NHS CHOICES WEBSITE, WHICH CONVEYS INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC REGARDING TREATMENT OPTIONS, HAS A PAGE DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA. SEVERAL INSTITUTIONS OFFER COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN YOGA THERAPY AND YOGA THERAPY IS RECOGNIZED AS AN OFFICIAL PROFESSION. THE YOGA IN HEALTHCARE ALLIANCE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO HELP INTEGRATE YOGA THERAPY INTO THE NHS. THIS CONSISTS OF PARLIAMENTARIANS, LEADERS IN THE NHS, YOGA RESEARCHERS, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM LEADING YOGA ORGANIZATIONS. 2017 3 1890 44 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY YOGA, MEDITATION AND RELATED PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) APPROACHES HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY. YOGIC COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE MOST WIDELY USED IM APPROACHES AND INCLUDE DIVERSE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA ASANAS, MEDITATION, BREATHING EXERCISES, QI GONG, TAI CHI CHIH, AND VARIOUS OTHERS. STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST THAT THESE YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM AND THEREBY CAN INCREASE WELLNESS AND SUPPORT THE HEALING PROCESS FROM DISEASE. PREVIOUS WORK HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES; HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, HAVE LARGELY BEEN MISSING. THREE RECENT STUDIES STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN CIRCULATING IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE A MEASURABLE EFFECT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. THESE STUDIES ARE REVIEWED HEREIN AND SOME FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. 2013 4 2735 46 YOGA POSE ESTIMATION AND FEEDBACK GENERATION USING DEEP LEARNING. YOGA IS A 5000-YEAR-OLD PRACTICE DEVELOPED IN ANCIENT INDIA BY THE INDUS-SARASVATI CIVILIZATION. THE WORD YOGA MEANS DEEP ASSOCIATION AND UNION OF MIND WITH THE BODY. IT IS USED TO KEEP BOTH MIND AND BODY IN EQUILIBRATION IN ALL FLIP-FLOPS OF LIFE BY MEANS OF ASANA, MEDITATION, AND SEVERAL OTHER TECHNIQUES. NOWADAYS, YOGA HAS GAINED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION DUE TO INCREASED STRESS LEVELS IN THE MODERN LIFESTYLE, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS METHODS OR RESOURCES FOR LEARNING YOGA. YOGA CAN BE PRACTICED IN YOGA CENTERS, THROUGH PERSONAL TUTORS, AND CAN ALSO BE LEARNED ON ONE'S OWN WITH THE HELP OF THE INTERNET, BOOKS, RECORDED CLIPS, ETC. IN FAST-PACED LIFESTYLES, MANY PEOPLE PREFER SELF-LEARNING BECAUSE THE ABOVEMENTIONED RESOURCES MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME. BUT IN SELF-LEARNING, ONE MAY NOT FIND AN INCORRECT POSE. INCORRECT POSTURE CAN BE HARMFUL TO ONE'S HEALTH, RESULTING IN ACUTE PAIN AND LONG-TERM CHRONIC CONCERNS. IN THIS PAPER, DEEP LEARNING-BASED TECHNIQUES ARE DEVELOPED TO DETECT INCORRECT YOGA POSTURE. WITH THIS METHOD, THE USERS CAN SELECT THE DESIRED POSE FOR PRACTICE AND CAN UPLOAD RECORDED VIDEOS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE POSE. THE USER POSE IS SENT TO TRAIN MODELS THAT OUTPUT THE ABNORMAL ANGLES DETECTED BETWEEN THE ACTUAL POSE AND THE USER POSE. WITH THESE OUTPUTS, THE SYSTEM ADVISES THE USER TO IMPROVE THE POSE BY SPECIFYING WHERE THE YOGA POSE IS GOING WRONG. THE PROPOSED METHOD WAS COMPARED TO SEVERAL STATE-OF-THE-ART METHODS, AND IT ACHIEVED OUTSTANDING ACCURACY OF 0.9958 WHILE REQUIRING LESS COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY. 2022 5 2663 29 YOGA IN CARDIAC HEALTH (A REVIEW). THIS REVIEW STUDIES THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE AND POST-MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENT REHABILITATION. YOGA IS AN UNCONVENTIONAL FORM OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE THAT HAS BEEN PRACTISED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT. IT HAS GAINED IMMENSE POPULARITY AS A FORM OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY ALL OVER THE WORLD. ITS POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTHY LIVING HAVE BEEN STUDIED AND MANY INTERESTING REVELATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE MODIFICATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND IN THE REHABILITATION OF THE POST-MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENT ARE AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ASSESS THE PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE SUITABILITY OF INCORPORATING YOGA INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMME. MAJORITY OF THE REHABILITATION WORKERS BELIEVES THAT INCORPORATING NONCONVENTIONAL FORMS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA DEFINITELY WOULD ENHANCE EFFICACY AND ADD VALUE. THIS ARTICLE ATTEMPTS TO STUDY THE HISTORY AND THE SCIENCE OF YOGA AND EVALUATE ITS EFFECTS ON CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. 2004 6 2359 35 VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA: A CASE SERIES. BACKGROUND: THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE IN SKELETAL HEALTH IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED BY BOTH PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS. HOWEVER, THE SAFETY OF PRESCRIBED OR RECREATIONAL EXERCISE IN AT-RISK POPULATIONS REMAINS UNDER-REPORTED AND UNDER-PUBLICIZED. YOGA HAS GAINED WIDESPREAD POPULARITY DUE TO ITS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS. WHEN PRACTICED IN A POPULATION AT INCREASED FRACTURE RISK, HOWEVER, SOME YOGA POSES MAY INCREASE FRACTURE RISK, PARTICULARLY AT THE SPINE, RATHER THAN INCREASING BMD AS NOTED IN RECENT POPULAR PRESS REPORTS. CASE REPORT: NINE SUBJECTS (8 WOMEN) WITH A MEDIAN AGE OF 66 YEARS (RANGE 53-87), DEVELOPED VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE (VCF) ONE MONTH TO SIX YEARS AFTER INITIATING YOGA-ASSOCIATED SPINAL FLEXION EXERCISES (SFE). VCF PRESENTED WITH BACK PAIN AND OCCURRED IN THE THORACICSPINE (N.=6), LUMBAR-SPINE (N.=4) AND CERVICAL-SPINE (N.=1). FOUR PATIENTS HAD OSTEOPOROSIS BY BMD CRITERIA PRIOR TO VCF AND 2 HAD OSTEOPENIA (MEDIAN T-SCORE -2.35; RANGE -3.3 TO +2.0). INTERESTINGLY, ALL PATIENTS HAD THEIR LOWEST T-SCORES AT THE SPINE. THREE PATIENTS HAD A HISTORY OF FRAGILITY FRACTURE PRIOR TO THE INDEX VCF. WHILE ONE PATIENT HAD PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM AND ANOTHER WAS TREATED WITH HIGH DOSE PREDNISONE, NO OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR BONE LOSS INCLUDING MEDICATIONS OR SECONDARY OSTEOPOROSIS CAUSES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE OTHER PATIENTS. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: THIS STUDY IDENTIFIED PATIENTS IN WHOM INCREASED TORSIONAL AND COMPRESSIVE MECHANICAL LOADING PRESSURES OCCURRING DURING YOGA SFE RESULTED IN DE NOVO VCF. DESPITE THE NEED FOR SELECTIVITY IN YOGA POSES IN POPULATIONS AT INCREASED FRACTURE RISK, BOTH SCIENTIFIC AND MEDIA REPORTS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE YOGA AS A BONE PROTECTIVE ACTIVITY. ACCORDINGLY, YOGA IS MISCONCEIVED AS A 'ONESIZE-FITS-ALL' PRESCRIPTION. INSTEAD, THE APPROPRIATE SELECTION OF PATIENTS LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM YOGA MUST BE A CORNERSTONE OF FRACTURE PREVENTION. 2018 7 1418 32 IMPORTANT FACTORS AFFECTING USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND SATISFACTION OF A MOBILE HEALTH APP-A CASE STUDY OF DAILY YOGA APP. IN RECENT YEARS, MOBILE HEALTH (MHEALTH) HAS GAINED POPULARITY. YOGA APPS HELP USERS TO EXERCISE AT HOME AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH. IT IS WORTH DISCUSSING HOW TO GIVE YOGIS A BETTER EXPERIENCE AND HIGHER SATISFACTION TO IMPROVE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO KEEP USING YOGA APPS. IN THIS STUDY, THE DAILY YOGA APP WAS SELECTED AS THE RESEARCH OBJECT TO EXPLORE IMPORTANT FACTORS RELATED TO ITS USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND USER SATISFACTION. THROUGH A LITERATURE REVIEW AND DELPHI METHOD COMPOSED OF EIGHT EXPERTS, THIS STUDY PUT FORWARD THE IMPORTANT CRITERIA FRAMEWORK OF USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN FOR THE DAILY YOGA APP AND THEN, USED THE DEMATEL (DECISION MAKING AND TRIAL EVALUATION LABORATORY)-BASED ANP (ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS) METHOD TO DETERMINE THE FACTORS' IMPORTANCE ORDER AND THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THEM. FINALLY, COMBINED WITH THE RESULTS OF AN IMPORTANCE-PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF 16 REAL USERS, WE DISCUSS THE IMPROVEMENT MEASURES. THE RESEARCH RESULTS SHOW THAT THE YOGA CLASS IS THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN OF THE DAILY YOGA APP, THE TARGET PLAN IS A FACTOR THAT IS IN GREAT NEED OF IMPROVEMENT, AND HAVING AN ATTRACTIVE INTERFACE CAN IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE. THE EVALUATION MODEL OF THE STUDY CAN ACT AS A REFERENCE FOR IMPROVING USER EXPERIENCE WITH THE DAILY YOGA APP, AND CAN ALSO BE WIDELY USED IN THE PROCESS OF USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN, QUESTIONNAIRE PRODUCTION, AND EVALUATION OPTIMIZATION OF MHEALTH APP AND RELATED APPLICATIONS. 2020 8 346 20 ASSESSING FIDELITY OF CORE COMPONENTS IN A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION FOR URBAN YOUTH: APPLYING THE CORE PROCESS. IN THE PAST YEARS, THE NUMBER OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS HAS INCREASED STEADILY. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE INTENDED PROGRAM OUTCOMES, PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE ESSENTIAL AND INDISPENSABLE COMPONENTS THAT DEFINE A PROGRAM'S SUCCESS. THIS CHAPTER DESCRIBES THE COMPLEX PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THE CORE COMPONENTS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM FOR URBAN EARLY ADOLESCENTS THROUGH THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERVENTION. THE AUTHORS ILLUSTRATE THE CORE PROCESS [(C) CONCEPTUALIZE CORE COMPONENTS; (O) OPERATIONALIZE AND MEASURE; (R) RUN ANALYSES AND REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION FINDINGS; AND (E) ENHANCE AND REFINE], BASED ON DATA GAINED FROM A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION STUDY CONDUCTED AS A COMMUNITY-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP IN BALTIMORE CITY. 2014 9 1655 30 MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN YOGA. WHILE YOGA HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED FOR ITS BENEFITS TO MANY HEALTH CONDITIONS, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON THE NATURE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OCCURRING DURING YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE GENERALLY SAFE, HOWEVER, INJURY CAN OCCUR IN NEARLY ANY PART OF THE BODY-ESPECIALLY THE NECK, SHOULDERS, LUMBAR SPINE, HAMSTRINGS, AND KNEES. AS BROAD INTEREST IN YOGA GROWS, SO WILL THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. IN THIS LITERATURE REVIEW, THE PREVALENCE, TYPES OF INJURIES, FORMS OF YOGA RELATED WITH INJURY, SPECIFIC POSES (ASANAS) ASSOCIATED WITH INJURY, AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE DISCUSSED IN ORDER TO FAMILIARIZE PRACTITIONERS WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. 2018 10 2211 33 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 11 2033 35 TEACHING YOGA TO SENIORS: ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND REDUCE RISK IN A UNIQUELY VULNERABLE AGE GROUP. BACKGROUND: SENIORS AGE 65 AND OLDER REPRESENT THE FASTEST-GROWING SECTOR OF THE POPULATION AND, LIKE MANY AMERICANS, ARE INCREASINGLY DRAWN TO YOGA. THIS PRESENTS BOTH AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY AND A SERIOUS CHALLENGE FOR YOGA INSTRUCTORS WHO MUST BE BOTH A RESOURCE AND GUARDIANS OF SAFETY FOR THIS UNIQUELY VULNERABLE GROUP. A TYPICAL CLASS OF SENIORS IS LIKELY TO REPRESENT THE MOST DIVERSE MIX OF ABILITIES OF ANY AGE GROUP. WHILE SOME MAY BE EXCEEDINGLY HEALTHY, MOST FIT THE PROFILE OF THE AVERAGE OLDER ADULT IN AMERICA, 80% OF WHOM HAVE AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION AND 50% OF WHOM HAVE AT LEAST TWO. OBJECTIVES: THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR SENIORS PROGRAM, OFFERED SINCE 2007 AT DUKE INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE TO FILL A CRITICAL NEED TO HELP YOGA INSTRUCTORS WORK SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS COMING TO YOGA CLASSES, AND EXPLORES THREE AREAS THAT POSE THE GREATEST RISK OF COMPROMISE TO OLDER ADULT STUDENTS: SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND OSTEOPOROSIS. TO PROVIDE A SKILLFUL FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING YOGA TO SENIORS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICE THAT INTEGRATE THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM WESTERN MEDICINE WITH YOGIC TEACHINGS. 2010 12 102 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 13 1878 37 REALIZING YOGA'S ALL-ACCESS PASS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE CRITIQUE OF WESTERNIZED YOGA AND INCLUSIVE EMBODIMENT. IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY, THE ANCIENT MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS SURGED IN POPULARITY AMONG WESTERN ENTHUSIASTS FOR ITS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. PARTICULARLY, A GROWING EVIDENCE BASE SUPPORTS YOGA FOR CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND REDUCING RISK FOR DISORDERED EATING. NEVERTHELESS, AMIDST ITS RISE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT YOGA'S DEPARTURE FROM ITS SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS AND INCREASING ASSIMILATION INTO THE APPEARANCE- AND COMMERCIAL-DRIVEN EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, AN EXCLUSIONARY IDENTITY HAS BEEN PERPETUATED IN SHAPING NORMS SURROUNDING WHO CAN AND DOES PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH CONTRADICTS EARLIER EGALITARIAN VISIONS OF A YOGA FOR ALL. THEREFORE, WE ADOPT A SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS IN OFFERING A FOCUSED ANALYSIS OF THE INTERSECTION OF YOGA, EMBODIMENT, AND INCLUSION FOR SELECT MARGINALIZED SOCIAL IDENTITIES TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND IN YOGA SCHOLARSHIP. DATA ARE SYNTHESIZED FROM BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SOURCES AND INTEGRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CONFINED MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF "THE YOGA BODY" AND OTHER PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS MAY UNDERMINE THE PERCEIVED ACCESS TO THE PRACTICE FOR MEMBERS OF DIVERSE GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE WITH INVITING FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS FOSTERING MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AMONG THE VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS INVESTED IN ADVANCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION OF YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT FOR ALL BODIES. 2020 14 1687 22 OSTEOPATHY AND (HATHA) YOGA. DIFFERENCES AND POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN OSTEOPATHY AND YOGA AS REGARDS THEIR HISTORY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION ARE OUTLINED. BOTH SEEK TO PROMOTE HEALING. YOGA SEEKS THE ATTAINMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS; OSTEOPATHY AIMS FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO HEALTH. ONE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IS THE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN YOGA. TEACHER AND STUDENT ALIKE ARE CHALLENGED TO RE-EXAMINE THE ATTITUDES OF MIND THEY HAVE ADOPTED TOWARD THEIR LIVES. OSTEOPATHY GENERALLY INVOLVES A RELATIVELY PASSIVE PATIENT WHILE THE OSTEOPATH IS ACTIVE IN PROVIDING TREATMENT. PRACTICAL EXAMPLES ARE USED TO HIGHLIGHT POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY. THE TEXT INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICALITY AND A DESCRIPTION OF WAYS OF USING IT IN HEALING PROCESSES. FURTHERMORE, PROCESSES OF ATTAINING CONSCIOUSNESS ARE OUTLINED. POSSIBLE REDUCTIONIST MISCONCEPTIONS IN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY ARE ALSO POINTED OUT. FUNDAMENTAL ATTITUDES AND FOCUS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER ARE PRESENTED, TAKING THE CONCEPT OF STILLNESS AS A PARTICULAR EXAMPLE. 2011 15 1510 35 IS THE "YOGA BOD" THE NEW SKINNY?: A COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MAINSTREAM YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE COVERS. AS YOGA HAS GAINED POPULARITY IN WESTERN CULTURE, CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT ITS INCREASED COMMERCIALIZATION AND ASSIMILATION INTO THE PREDOMINANTLY APPEARANCE-FOCUSED EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., RACE/ETHNICITY, BODY SIZE, SHAPE, OBJECTIFYING APPAREL) OF 142 FEMALE MODELS AND THE MEDIA FRAMES OF 567 CAPTIONS (E.G., COMMERCIALISM, BODY COMPETENCE, HEALTH, WEIGHT/PHYSICAL APPEARANCE) FEATURED ON THE COVERS OF THREE WESTERNIZED YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2010-2015. RESULTS INDICATED THAT MOST MODELS WERE WHITE, EMBODYING THE CONTEMPORARY "THIN-AND-LEAN" MEDIA FITNESS AESTHETIC. MODELS WERE ACTIVELY POSED WITH HIGH BODY VISIBILITY; AN APPRECIABLE MINORITY WAS PARTIALLY-CLAD IN SKIN-REVEALING OR FORM-FITTING UPPER-BODY ATTIRE. MEDIA FRAMES CONVEYING COMMERCIALISM AND BODY COMPETENCE WERE EQUALLY PRESENT. THE PATTERN OF EFFECTS TENDED TO REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGAZINE TITLE'S ENDORSEMENT OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURAL VALUES. CLINICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ALONG WITH FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 16 296 39 ALIGNING YOGA WITH ITS EVOLVING ROLE IN HEALTH CARE: COMMENTS ON YOGA PRACTICE, POLICY, RESEARCH. EVIDENCE IS ACCUMULATING THAT SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF CERTAIN DISEASES. AS A RESULT, EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO MEDICALIZE YOGA AND USE IT WITHIN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE AS A THERAPY. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL SHORTCOMINGS IN THE PRACTICE, POLICY, AND RESEARCH OF YOGA THAT UNDERMINE ITS OPTIMAL USE. YOGA AS A MODALITY FUNCTIONS WITHIN A CONTEXT. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO OCCASIONALLY STEP BACK AND EXAMINE THE ENTIRETY OF THE CONTEXT FROM A HIGH VANTAGE TO ASSESS WHETHER THE TACTICAL AND PROGRAMMATIC ENDEAVORS ARE ALIGNED WITH THE STRATEGIC INTENDED PURPOSE. THIS COMMENTARY DISCUSSES A FEW POLICY ISSUES RELEVANT TO SOME KEY STAKEHOLDERS. IT SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPISTS NEED TO CALIBRATE THEIR MODEL OF YOGA BY REDUCING EMPHASIS ON POSTURES AND INCREASING IT ON MEDITATION AND BREATHING EXERCISES WHILE CATERING TO CLIENTS WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS. IT RECOMMENDS THAT YOGA RESEARCH SHOULD BE MORE CRITICAL IN EVALUATING YOGA'S FUNDAMENTAL TENETS AND USE REDUCTIONIST APPROACH TO DO SO. IT PROPOSES THAT AUTONOMOUS REGULATORS SHOULD EXTRICATE INJURY PRONE POSTURES FROM THE BODY OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR REGULATORY PURPOSES, RATHER THAN REGULATE YOGA SUMMARILY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PAYERS SHOULD PAY FOR YOGA. HOWEVER, THEY SHOULD USE PAYMENT MODEL AS IT IS USED FOR VACCINATION, INSTEAD OF PAYING AS IT IS DONE FOR PHYSIOTHERAPY. IT CONCLUDES THAT YOGA CAN HELP, BUT BEFORE IT CAN HELP IT NEEDS HELP ITSELF, AND THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO REFLECT ON THE BIG PICTURE SO THAT THEY CAN COLLABORATE ON THESE IMPROVEMENTS. 2017 17 1284 33 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 18 2420 30 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 19 2882 15 YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. YOGA, PRACTICED WIDELY IN THE EAST, IS NOW POPULAR IN THE WEST AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. THIS ARTICLE BRINGS A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. SELECTED YOGA POSTURES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BENEFIT CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED. IN ADDITION, THE PHILOSOPHY, GENERAL GUIDELINES, AND MEDICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DESCRIBED. 2004 20 1799 19 PRESCRIBING YOGA. MORE THAN 15.8 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES NOW PRACTICE SOME FORM OF YOGA, AND NEARLY HALF OF CURRENT PRACTITIONERS STATED THEY BEGAN YOGA PRACTICE AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH. MORE BROADLY UNDERSTOOD IN A MODERN CONTEXT, YOGA IS A SET OF PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF BODY, BREATH, AND MIND. THIS ARTICLE OUTLINES THE HISTORY OF YOGA AND DESCRIBES SEVERAL FORMS, INCLUDING ASANA-BASED YOGA, WHICH IS BECOMING POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES. RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATED TO USE OF YOGA AS A THERAPY FOR VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE REVIEWED. GUIDELINES FOR FINDING A YOGA TEACHER ARE OFFERED, AS ARE A NUMBER OF BOOK AND INTERNET SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION. 2010