1 373 117 AYURVEDA AND YOGA IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. AYURVEDA IS DERIVED FROM 2 SANSKRIT WORDS, NAMELY, "AYUS" AND "VEDA," MEANING LIFE AND KNOWLEDGE, RESPECTIVELY. IT LITERALLY MEANS SCIENCE OF LIFE. AYURVEDA, OF WHICH YOGA IS AN INTEGRAL PART, IS WIDELY PRACTICED IN INDIA AND IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE AND A HOLISTIC SYSTEM, THE FOCUS OF WHICH IS ON THE BODY, MIND, AND CONSCIOUSNESS. THE AYURVEDIC TREATMENT CONSISTS OF THE USE HERBAL PREPARATIONS, DIET, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND OTHER PRACTICES. BASED ON THE REVIEW OF AVAILABLE STUDIES, THE EVIDENCE IS NOT CONVINCING THAT ANY AYURVEDIC HERBAL TREATMENT IS EFFECTIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE OR HYPERTENSION. HOWEVER, THE USE OF CERTAIN SPICES AND HERBS SUCH AS GARLIC AND TURMERIC IN AN OVERALL HEALTHY DIET IS APPROPRIATE. MANY HERBS USED BY AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONERS SHOW PROMISE AND COULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR LARGER RANDOMIZED TRIALS. YOGA, AN INTEGRAL PART OF AYURVEDA, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL TO PATIENTS WITH HEART DISEASE AND HYPERTENSION. YOGA REDUCES ANXIETY, PROMOTES WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE. ITS SAFETY PROFILE IS EXCELLENT. ITS USE AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIMEN UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION IS APPROPRIATE AND COULD BE WORTH CONSIDERING. 2005 2 1951 20 SCIENCE OF THE MIND: ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS AND MODERN STUDIES. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS GAINING IN POPULARITY WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PRACTICES. RECENT RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE ANCIENT TEXTS ARE OFTEN CONCURRENT WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXPECTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND THOSE USED IN THE ORIGINAL TEXTS. VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING PRACTICES FORM A BRIDGE BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHANGES. THE VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING HAS DISTINCT EFFECTS ON METABOLISM, THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS, AND MENTAL STATE. THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MENTAL STATE ARE EVEN CLEARER. 2013 3 1481 30 INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ETHICS OF MOVING FROM THE MIND TO THE MAT. GIVEN THE RISE IN ATTENTION TO CLIENT PREFERENCES IN MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THE SHIFT IN FOCUS TOWARD HEALTH PROMOTION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. YOGA IS AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES. RECENTLY, BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE WORK HAS EMERGED SUPPORTING ITS USE FOR A VARIETY OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A CRITICAL GAP IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING HOW TO MOST OPTIMALLY AND ETHICALLY INTEGRATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES (I.E., YOGA) INTO CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICES. MOREOVER, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHICH CLIENTS ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR RECEIVING SUCH COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS AND WHICH THERAPISTS SHOULD PROVIDE THEM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF YOGA, THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF ITS USE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE PSYCHOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY. 2017 4 1926 31 ROLE OF YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS: EXPECTATIONS, BENEFITS, AND RISKS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANCER POSES SEVERE PSYCHOLOGIC DISTRESS THAT IMPACTS FUNCTIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE. WHILE CANCER DIRECTED TREATMENTS ARE DIRECTED PURELY AGAINST TUMOR KILLING, INTERVENTIONS THAT REDUCE TREATMENT RELATED DISTRESS AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE ARE THE NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MIND BODY INTERVENTION THAT IS GAINING POPULARITY AMONG CANCER PATIENTS. METHOD: SEVERAL RESEARCH STUDIES IN THE LAST TWO DECADES UNRAVEL THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN TERMS OF IMPROVED MOOD STATES, SYMPTOM REDUCTION, STRESS REDUCTION AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE APART FROM IMPROVING HOST FACTORS THAT ARE KNOWN TO AFFECT SURVIVAL IN CANCER PATIENTS. HOWEVER, SEVERAL METAANALYSIS AND REVIEWS SHOW EQUIVOCAL BENEFITS FOR YOGA. IN THIS REVIEW, WE WILL STUDY THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN CANCER PATIENTS WITH RESPECT TO EXPECTATIONS, BENEFITS AND RISKS AND ANALYSE THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND TAILORING YOGA INTERVENTIONS IN CANCER PATIENTS. RESULTS: THE STUDIES ON YOGA SHOW HETEROGENEITY WITH VARIED TYPES OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, DURATION, EXPOSURE, PRACTICES AND INDICATIONS. IT ALSO ELUCIDATES THE SITUATIONAL CONTEXT FOR REAPING BENEFITS AND CAUTIONS AGAINST ITS USE IN SEVERAL OTHERS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL REVIEWS AND BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS OF YOGA; MOST OF THEM HAVE NOT ENLARGED THE SCOPE OF THEIR REVIEW TO COVER THE BASIC PRINCIPLES BEHIND USE OF THESE PRACTICES IN CANCER PATIENTS. CONCLUSION: THIS REVIEW OFFERS INSIGHT INTO THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS. 2017 5 1936 26 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS) ARE A GROUP OF DISORDERS OF THE HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS. CVDS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE. THOUGH YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN CVD PATIENTS, THERE IS A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW REPORTING ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. THUS, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE. AN AGGREGATE OF 603 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM INCEPTION WERE SCREENED AND 85 ARTICLES THAT ARE APPLICABLE WERE REPORTED. THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PLAY A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, DIFFERENT TYPES AND DURATIONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MECHANISMS BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS. THUS, FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS OF THE IMPACTS OF YOGA. 2020 6 565 37 CURRENT STATUS OF YOGA IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. YOGA (DERIVED FROM 'YUJ' WHICH MEANS TO YOKE TOGETHER OR UNITE) HAS BEEN USED FOR MILLENNIA AS A TOOL FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF UNITING THE INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE UNIVERSAL. THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA, ALTHOUGH SEEN AS NECESSARY IN THE PATH TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL, THEY WERE NOT CONSIDERED AS THE ENDPOINT FOR A PRACTITIONER. SAGE PATANJALI, WHO CODIFIED THE PRACTICES INTO AN EIGHT-LIMBED MODEL (ASHTANGA YOGA) IN THE PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE TARGET OF YOGA IS PRIMARILY THE MIND. HOWEVER, IN THE MODERN WORLD, YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BECOME IMMENSELY POPULAR AS AIDS TO IMPROVE HEALTH. YOGA-BASED PRACTICES ARE BEING EXTENSIVELY USED AS THERAPEUTIC INGREDIENTS, ALONE OR AS ADJUNCTS TO OTHER THERAPIES IN A VARIETY OF DISORDERS, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL. THERE IS NOW STRONG EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE BENEFICIAL IN SEVERAL LIFESTYLE DISORDERS. RECENT RESEARCH HAS ALSO SHOWN SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS IN MENTAL DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PSYCHOSIS. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES THE PLACE OF YOGA AS ONE OF THE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES IN THE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MENTAL DISORDERS, AND THE CHALLENGES INHERENT TO RESEARCH IN THIS AREA. 2016 7 2882 17 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 8 2466 28 YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS HISTORICALLY A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED CLINICALLY AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS ON THE BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL LITERATURE INVOLVING RESEARCH ON THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF YOGA HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN PUBLICATION FREQUENCY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING USE OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. TYPES OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS HAVE INCLUDED PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL (E.G. DEPRESSION, ANXIETY), CARDIOVASCULAR (E.G. HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE), RESPIRATORY (E.G. ASTHMA), DIABETES AND A VARIETY OF OTHERS. A MAJORITY OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED BY INDIAN INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLISHED IN INDIAN JOURNALS, PARTICULARLY YOGA SPECIALTY JOURNALS, ALTHOUGH RECENT TRENDS INDICATE INCREASING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INVESTIGATORS IN THE U.S. AND ENGLAND. YOGA THERAPY IS A RELATIVELY NOVEL AND EMERGING CLINICAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE BROAD CATEGORY OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE, WHOSE GROWTH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BURGEONING POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE WEST AND THE INCREASING WORLDWIDE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2004 9 93 32 A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. THIS PAPER REVIEWS THE PHILOSOPHICAL ORIGINS, CURRENT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, AND CLINICAL PROMISE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. HISTORICALLY, THERE ARE EIGHT ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT, TOGETHER, COMPRISE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR LIVING A MEANINGFUL, PURPOSEFUL, MORAL AND SELF-DISCIPLINED LIFE. TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING POSTURES AND MEDITATION, DIRECT ATTENTION TOWARD ONE'S HEALTH, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF ONE'S NATURE. MINDFULNESS DERIVES FROM ANCIENT BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICES, SUCH AS GENTLE HATHA YOGA AND MINDFUL BREATHING, ARE INCREASINGLY INTEGRATED INTO SECULAR HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. CURRENT THEORETICAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE SKILLS, INSIGHTS, AND SELF-AWARENESS LEARNED THROUGH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICE CAN TARGET MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL PROCESSES IMPLICATED IN ADDICTION AND RELAPSE. A SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBER OF WELL-DESIGNED CLINICAL TRIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY STUDIES ON SMOKING, ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE, AND ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT THE CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND HYPOTHESIZED MECHANISMS OF ACTION UNDERLYING MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR TREATING ADDICTION. BECAUSE VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE SPECIFIC ROLE OF YOGA IN TREATING OR PREVENTING ADDICTION, WE PROPOSE A CONCEPTUAL MODEL TO INFORM FUTURE STUDIES ON OUTCOMES AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS ALSO NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPES OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS WORK BEST FOR WHAT TYPES OF ADDICTION, WHAT TYPES OF PATIENTS, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS. OVERALL, CURRENT FINDINGS INCREASINGLY SUPPORT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS PROMISING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. 2013 10 2502 36 YOGA AS THERAPY IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. YOGA AS THERAPY WITH PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR MANY CENTURIES IN INDIA, AND ONLY RECENTLY HAS BECOME UTILIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE YOGA SYSTEM EVOLVED AS A 'SYSTEM OF LIBERATION' TO ALLOW MAN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN HIS EGO-SELF AND PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, AND AS SUCH, ITS MEDICAL BENEFITS ARE REALLY 'SIDE-EFFECTS'. INTEGRAL YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER, WITH WHICH MANY OTHER SELF-REGULATORY SOMATOPSYCHIC APPROACHES HAVE MUCH IN COMMON, CONSISTS OF A HOLISTIC TECHNOLOGY WHICH FUNCTIONS TO RESTORE OPTIMAL HOMEOSTATIS BY A VARIETY OF SPECIAL TECHNIQUES NOT FOUND IN OTHER APPROACHES. CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PATIENTS INDICATE THAT THEIR DISTORTED SOMATOPSYCHIC FUNCTIONING NECESSITATES THEIR PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE THERAPY. A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE INDICATES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS PROVEN MOST EFFECTIVE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PSYCHOSOMATIC AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA CAN BE PARTIALLY UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY. 1979 11 1799 21 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 12 2126 27 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW. IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IS QUITE HIGH-9% IN THE GENERAL POPULATION-WITH WOMEN, YOUNG ADULTS, AND SENIORS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE. IN RECENT YEARS, INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) FOR RELIEF FROM DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. ONE FORM OF CAM, YOGA, HAS BEEN GROWING IN POPULARITY; THIS RISE IN POPULARITY HAS, IN PART, BEEN DRIVEN BY INTEREST IN HOW THIS PRACTICE, WITH ITS MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION ASPECTS, MAY DECREASE DEPRESSION. THIS CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW EXAMINES SIX RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION; SPECIFICALLY, THIS REVIEW FOCUSES ON YOGA STYLES IN WHICH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSES, CALLED ASANAS, IS THE CORE COMPONENT. ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE PROMISING, THE STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS; IDENTIFICATION OF THESE LIMITATIONS CAN INFORM FUTURE STUDIES. 2014 13 2445 26 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 14 102 23 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 15 1636 25 MODERN POSTURAL YOGA AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTING TOOL: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN GAINING POPULARITY AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, BUT RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IS STILL IN ITS BEGINNINGS. THE AIM OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF MODERN POSTURAL YOGA (STRONG FOCUS ON PHYSICAL POSTURES) ON POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH (PMH) INDICATORS IN CLINICAL AND NONCLINICAL POPULATIONS. THE MOST COMMON PMH INDICATORS WERE MINDFULNESS, AFFECT, RESILIENCE AND WELL-BEING, FOLLOWED BY SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, SELF-COMPASSION, EMPATHY AND OTHERS. DIVERSE RESULTS WERE FOUND ACROSS THE 14 STUDIES ANALYSED, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON OUTCOME VARIABLES, TO NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS, BOTH IN RELATION TO BASELINE LEVELS AND IN RELATION TO CONTROL GROUPS. NONETHELESS, MOST STUDIES OBSERVED AMELIORATIONS IN PMH INDICATORS DUE TO YOGA PRACTICE. GIVEN THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS POSE SERIOUS METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNS, MORE RESEARCH AND BETTER EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS ARE NEEDED TO PROPERLY ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PMH INDICATORS. 2018 16 2706 35 YOGA INTO CANCER CARE: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH. TO COPE WITH CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS AND TOXICITIES, PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM). CONSEQUENTLY, INTEGRATIVE ONCOLOGY, WHICH COMBINES CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES AND EVIDENCE-BASED CAM PRACTICES, IS AN EMERGING DISCIPLINE IN CANCER CARE. THE USE OF YOGA AS A CAM IS PROVING TO BE BENEFICIAL AND INCREASINGLY GAINING POPULARITY. AN ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH (PUBMED), THROUGH DECEMBER 15, 2016, REVEALED 138 RELEVANT CLINICAL TRIALS (SINGLE-ARMED, NONRANDOMIZED, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS) ON THE USE OF YOGA IN CANCER PATIENTS. A TOTAL OF 10,660 CANCER PATIENTS FROM 20 COUNTRIES WERE RECRUITED IN THESE STUDIES. REGARDLESS OF SOME METHODOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES, MOST OF THE STUDIES REPORTED THAT YOGA IMPROVED THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND MARKERS OF IMMUNITY OF THE PATIENTS, PROVIDING A STRONG SUPPORT FOR YOGA'S INTEGRATION INTO CONVENTIONAL CANCER CARE. THIS REVIEW ARTICLE PRESENTS THE PUBLISHED CLINICAL RESEARCH ON THE PREVALENCE OF YOGA'S USE IN CANCER PATIENTS SO THAT ONCOLOGISTS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PATIENTS ARE AWARE OF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE USE OF THIS RELATIVELY SAFE MODALITY IN CANCER CARE. 2018 17 204 23 A REVIEW OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR FOUR LEADING RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. YOGA, A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. YET HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE YOGA FOR ITS ABILITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW PUBLISHED STUDIES USING YOGA PROGRAMS AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON COMMON RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES (OVERWEIGHT, HYPERTENSION, HIGH GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL). A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH YIELDED 32 ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND APRIL 2007. THE STUDIES FOUND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BODY WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES EXAMINED LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOT ENOUGH STUDIES INCLUDED DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES AND ITS RELATED COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2007 18 601 48 DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A NEED-BASED INTEGRATED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CANCER PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. CONTEXT AND AIM: COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES (CAM) ARE GAINING POPULARITY AMONGST PATIENTS AS ADD ON TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. YOGA STANDS THIRD AMONGST ALL CAM THAT IS BEING USED BY CANCER PATIENTS TODAY. DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF YOGA USE DIFFERENT SETS OF PRACTICES, WITH SOME USING A MORE PHYSICAL APPROACH AND MANY USING MEDITATION AND/OR BREATHING. ALL THESE MODULES ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT. THIS PAPER IS AN ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE NEED BASED INTEGRATIVE YOGA MODULE FOR CANCER PATIENTS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF TREATMENT AND FOLLOW UP. IN THIS PAPER, THE HOLISTIC MODULES OF THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY FOR CANCER (IAYTC) HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BASED ON THE PATIENT NEEDS, AS PER THE OBSERVATIONS BY THE CLINICIANS AND THE CAREGIVERS. AUTHORS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SYSTEMATICALLY CREATE HOLISTIC MODULES OF IAYTC FOR VARIOUS STAGES OF THE DISEASE AND TREATMENT. THESE MODULES HAVE BEEN USED IN RANDOMIZED TRIALS TO EVALUATE ITS EFFICACY AND HAVE SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS ADD-ON TO CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF CANCER. THUS, THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT WAS TO PRESENT THE THEORETICAL BASIS AND VALIDATE THE NEED BASED HOLISTIC YOGA MODULES FOR CANCER PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LITERATURE FROM TRADITIONAL TEXTS INCLUDING VEDAS, AYURVEDA, UPANISHADS, BHAGAVAT GITA, YOGA VASISHTHA ETC. AND THEIR COMMENTARIES WERE LOOKED INTO FOR REFERENCES OF CANCER AND THERAPEUTIC DIRECTIVES. PRESENT DAY SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE WAS ALSO EXPLORED WITH REGARDS TO DEFINING CANCER, ITS ETIOPATHOLOGY AND ITS MANAGEMENT. RESULTS OF STUDIES DONE USING CAM THERAPIES WERE ALSO LOOKED AT, FOR SALIENT FINDINGS. FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSIONS (FGD) AMONGST RESEARCHERS, EXPERIENCED GURUS, AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CANCER PRACTICE WERE CARRIED OUT WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF DETERMINING NEEDS OF THE PATIENT AND YOGA PRACTICES THAT COULD PROVE EFFICIENT. A LIST OF NEEDS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES (SURGERY, CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION THERAPY) WAS LISTED AND YOGA MODULES WERE DEVELOPED ACCORDINGLY. CONSIDERING THE NEEDS, EXPECTED SIDE EFFECTS, THE ENERGY LEVELS AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES OF THE PARTICIPANTS, EIGHT MODULES EVOLVED. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF THE SIX STEPS FOR DEVELOPING THE VALIDATED MODULE ARE REPORTED. STEP 1: LITERATURE REVIEW FROM TRADITIONAL YOGA AND AYURVEDA TEXTS ON ETIOPATHOGENESIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CANCER (ARBUDA), AND THE RECENT LITERATURE ON CANCER STEM CELLS AND IMMUNOLOGY OF CANCER. STEP 2: FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND DELIBERATIONS TO COMPILE THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS BASED ON THE EXPECTED SIDE EFFECTS, ENERGY LEVELS AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF THE PATIENT AS OBSERVED BY THE CAREGIVERS AND THE CLINICIANS. STEP 3: CONTENT VALIDATION THROUGH CONSENSUS BY THE EXPERTS FOR THE EIGHT MODULES OF IAYTC THAT COULD BE USED AS COMPLIMENTARY TO CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT OF CANCER AT DIFFERENT STAGES DURING AND AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS WAS CREATED. STEP 4: FIELD TESTING FOR SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE MODULES THROUGH PILOT STUDIES. STEP 5: COMPILATION OF THE RESULTS OF EFFICACY TRIALS THROUGH RCTS AND STEP 6: A REVIEW OF OUR STUDIES ON MECHANISMS TO OFFER EVIDENCE FOR ACTION OF IAYTC ON PSYCHO-NEURO-IMMUNOLOGICAL PATHWAYS IN CANCER. CONCLUSION: THE EVIDENCE FROM THE TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND RECENT SCIENTIFIC STUDIES VALIDATES EIGHT MODULES OF INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA THERAPY FOR CANCER THAT CAN BE USED SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY AS COMPLIMENTARY DURING ALL CONVENTIONAL CANCER THERAPIES. 2012 19 1890 29 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 20 1911 30 ROLE OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - A NARRATIVE REVIEW. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS POSED AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN TERMS OF LIMITED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND PROVEN MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE INFECTION. THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON EITHER THE PATHOGEN OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. HOWEVER, EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE HOST IMMUNITY ARE IMPORTANT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DOWNREGULATE THE POTENCY OF THE INFECTIOUS AGENT. WHILE A VACCINE CAN INDUCE SPECIFIC IMMUNITY IN THE HOST, NON-SPECIFIC WAYS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HOST IMMUNITY ARE NEEDED AS WELL. THIS SCENARIO HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN THERAPIES SUCH AS AYURVEDA AND YOGA. THIS REVIEW AIMS AT COLLATING AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON AYURVEDA, YOGA, AND COVID-19. FURTHER, IT DRAWS INFERENCES FROM RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON IMMUNITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPECTIVELY TO APPROXIMATE ITS PROBABLE ROLE IN PROPHYLAXIS AND AS AN ADD-ON MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. 2022