1 1598 41 MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THE AUTHOR PRESENTS AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY FROM THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES. SHE PROVIDES CLEAR, EASY-TO-FOLLOW STEPS TO BEGIN USING SITTING MEDITATION, WALKING MEDITATION, AND YOGA FOR THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND FOR THE PATIENT. SHE PRESENTS THE MATERIAL FIRST FOR SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CARE AND SECONDARILY FOR CONNECTING TO OTHERS IN HEALING RELATIONSHIPS. 2001 2 911 13 EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATIVE RESTORATION (IREST) YOGA NIDRA ON MINDFULNESS, SLEEP, AND PAIN IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS. THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATIVE RESTORATION (IREST) YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION ON MINDFULNESS, SLEEP, AND PAIN IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS. AS HEALTH CARE WORKERS PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO PATIENTS, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR WORKERS TO EXPERIENCE BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXHAUSTION. ONE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES IS MINDFULNESS TRAINING. IREST YOGA NIDRA IS A COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH THERAPY THAT INCREASES MINDFULNESS. A PRE-/POSTINTERVENITON DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY DESIGN WAS USED. BEFORE AND AFTER EXPERIENCING IREST MEDITATION, PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A 51-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTING OF DEMOGRAPHICS PLUS 3 VALIDATED INSTRUMENTS: THE FIVE-FACET MINDFULNESS QUESTIONNAIRE (FFMQ), THE EPWORTH SLEEPINESS SCALE (ESS), AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE/VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (DOD/VA) PAIN SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS (PSQ). A TOTAL OF 15 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BOTH QUESTIONNAIRES. POSTINTERVENTION FFMQ SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN PREINTERVENTION (Z = -3.294, P = .001). THE HIGHEST SUBSCALE SCORES WERE "ACTING WITH AWARENESS" AND "NONJUDGING OF INNER EXPERIENCE." THERE WAS A NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN ESS SCORES AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A STRONG NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE MEAN ESS IMPROVEMENT SCORE AND THE NUMBER OF WEEKS ATTENDED (RS = -0.705, P = .003). THERE WAS A NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE MEAN PAIN BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP SCORES. THIS STUDY SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MINDFULNESS OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS FOLLOWING A GUIDED 8-WEEK IREST YOGA NIDRA PROGRAM. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY MAY PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT INTO HELPING HEALTH CARE WORKERS DEAL WITH THE DEMANDS OF THEIR PROFESSION IN A POSITIVE MANNER, THUS LEADING TO AN IMPROVED WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. 2018 3 2067 12 THE CONSCIOUSNESS STATE OF TRADITIONAL NIDRA YOGA/MODERN YOGA NIDRA: PHENOMENOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND PRELIMINARY INSIGHTS FROM AN EEG STUDY. NIDRA YOGA IS AN ANCIENT YOGIC PRACTICE CAPABLE OF INDUCING ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CHARACTERIZED BY DEEP RELAXATION, STRONG CONCENTRATION, ACUTE SELF-AWARENESS, AND JOY. IN MODERN CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE LANGUAGE, IT IS KNOWN BY THE NAME YOGA NIDRA, AND FEW STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED ITS PHENOMENOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS. SIX HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS (FOUR FEMALES AGED 31-74) PERFORMED 12 YOGA NIDRA SESSIONS GUIDED BY AN EXPERT DURING A 6-DAY RETREAT. EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF 10 MINUTES IN A RESTING STATE (BASELINE) FOLLOWED BY 2 HOURS OF YOGA NIDRA. PSYCHOMETRIC DATA REGARDING DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCES (CLINICIAN ADMINISTERED DISSOCIATIVE STATES SCALE) AND THE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (PHENOMENOLOGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS INVENTORY) WERE COLLECTED AFTER BASELINE AND YOGA NIDRA, WHILE HIGH-DENSITY EEG WAS RECORDED DURING THE ENTIRE SESSION. DURING NIDRA SESSIONS, NO SLEEP HALLMARKS (I.E., K-COMPLEXES AND SLEEP SPINDLES) WERE DETECTED BY THE EEG IN ANY SUBJECT. PSYCHOMETRIC DATA WE RE ANALYZED USING A WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TEST CORRECTED WITH THE FALSE DISCOVERY RATE APPROACH FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS. COMPARED TO BASELINE, YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE WAS RELATED TO: (1) INCREASED DISSOCIATIVE EFFECTS (P = 0.022); (2) PERCEPTION OF BEING IN AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS (P = 0.026); (3) ALTERATIONS IN PERCEIVED BODY IMAGE (P = 0.022); (4) INCREASED "MEANINGFULNESS" ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXPERIENCE (P = 0.026); (5) REDUCED RATIONAL THINKING (P = 0.029); AND (6) REDUCED VOLITIONAL THOUGHT CONTROL (P = 0.026). FIRST-PERSON EXPERIENCE IS DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO DESCRIPTIVE EEG POWER SPECTRAL DENSITY ANALYSIS, WHICH WAS PERFORMED IN ONE SUBJECT BECAUSE OF SEVERE EEG ARTIFACTS IN THE OTHER RECORDINGS; THAT SUBJECT SHOWED, COMPARED TO BASELINE: (1) EARLY INCREASE OF ALPHA AND BETA POWER, FOLLOWED BY A PROGRESSIVE WIDESPREAD REDUCTION; (2) WIDESPREAD EARLY INCREASE OF THETA POWER, FOLLOWED BY A PROGRESSIVE REDUCTION; AND (3) WIDESPREAD INCREASE OF GAMMA POWER IN THE LATEST STAGES. THE PRESENT PRELIMINARY RESULTS ENRICH THE KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA NIDRA, ELUCIDATING ITS PHENOMENOLOGY AND SUGGESTING SOME PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES THAT FUTURE STUDIES MAY ADDRESS. 2021 4 2505 10 YOGA ASANAS AS AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WHEN TEACHING MUSCULOSKELETAL ANATOMY OF THE LOWER LIMB. PHYSICAL MOVEMENT AS A CONDUIT FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WITHIN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT OF ANATOMY IS A STRATEGY CURRENTLY USED IN UNIVERSITY DANCE EDUCATION. THIS SAME APPROACH CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER MOVEMENT-BASED PRACTICES, FOR EXAMPLE, YOGA. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO PILOT A NOVEL TEACHING CURRICULUM TO YOGA PRACTITIONERS, BASED ON BRUNER'S THEORY OF INSTRUCTION, WHICH INCORPORATED THE FOUR ADAPTIVE MODES OF KOLB'S THEORY OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE SECONDARY PURPOSE WAS TO ASSESS THE APPLICABILITY OF ANATOMICAL KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE PARTICIPANTS' YOGA PRACTICE. FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM APPROPRIATE FOR A SPECTRUM OF ACADEMIC BACKGROUNDS, PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED TO ATTEND A 2-HOUR LEARNING SESSION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY AT QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA. THE LEARNING SESSION GUIDED PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE BONES AND MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LIMB PERTAINING TO FIVE SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. BASED ON PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK, THE SESSIONS WERE POSITIVELY RECEIVED AND CONSISTENT. IN ADDITION, LEARNING SESSION PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO APPLY THE ANATOMICAL INFORMATION THEY WERE TAUGHT TO THEIR YOGA PRACTICE 1-MONTH LATER. BRUNER AND KOLB'S INDEPENDENT THEORIES ON CURRICULUM DESIGN AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING PRACTICE WERE SUCCESSFULLY INCORPORATED TO CREATE A 2-HOUR LEARNING SESSION. THE POTENTIAL USE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING TO COMPLIMENT AND/OR ENHANCE TRADITIONAL DIDACTIC TEACHING IN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT OF ANATOMY SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED. 2012 5 2849 15 YOGA, MEDITATION, AND IMAGERY: CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. HATHA YOGA AND MEDITATION AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES FOR PROMOTING AND MAINTAINING WELLNESS OFFER AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AT WORK. HATHA YOGA CREATES BALANCE, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY, BY USING POSTURES, OR ASANAS, COMBINED WITH BREATHING TECHNIQUES, OR PRANAYAMA. MEDITATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WORK BEING DONE BY THE POSTURES AND BREATHING, THEY OPEN THE DOOR TO SELF-ACTUALIZATION TO CREATE THE PERFECT UNION OF THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. THIS REPORT DISCUSSES THE DEFINITIONS OF HATHA YOGA, MEDITATION, AND IMAGERY AND THEIR CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. THREE CASE STUDIES FROM PRIVATE PRACTICE ARE PRESENTED. 1998 6 154 9 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE HOW YOGA IMPACTS BODY-RELATED THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES, WELL-BEING, AND SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS IN A SAMPLE OF MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO REGULARLY ENGAGE IN YOGA IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 22 WOMEN; 10 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS BEGINNERS OR NOVICES AND 12 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA. INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS GUIDED THE DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION. FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED AROUND THE TOPICS OF: SUPPORTIVE YOGA ENVIRONMENT, MINDFULNESS, SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS, AND BODY-RELATED PERCEPTIONS. RESULTS HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT CAN SUPPORT POSITIVE BODY-RELATED EXPERIENCES IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN. 2021 7 155 13 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING YOGA IN VETERANS WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OF YOGA HAVE REPORTED REDUCED POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS IN VETERANS, BUT LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW AND WHY VETERANS ARE ATTRACTED TO AND STICK WITH A YOGA PRACTICE. GUIDED BY THE HEALTH BELIEF MODEL, THIS STUDY EXAMINED VETERANS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE BENEFITS, BARRIERS, AND MOTIVATIONS TO CONTINUE PRACTICING TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINE INDIVIDUALS, FIVE OF WHOM COMPLETED A 6-WEEK TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED FOR VETERANS AND FOUR WHO DID NOT COMPLETE THE INTERVENTION. TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR THEMES. THE BENEFITS IDENTIFIED BY VETERANS WERE FINDING MENTAL STILLNESS, BODY AWARENESS, AND SOCIAL CONNECTION. THE BARRIERS WERE PERCEPTIONS THAT YOGA IS SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR MEN, AND PHYSICALLY UNCHALLENGING. UNDERSTANDING THESE BENEFITS AND BARRIERS CAN HELP TO MAKE YOGA MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS. FOR EXAMPLE, MEDICAL PERSONNEL CAN REFER SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS TO YOGA NOT ONLY FOR PTSD SYMPTOMS, BUT ALSO TO ADDRESS BACK PAIN AND TO REDUCE ISOLATION. ACCESS TO MALE YOGA INSTRUCTORS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE THEMSELVES SERVICE MEMBERS OR VETERANS, COULD BE EXPANDED, AND CLASSES COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ROUTINES REQUIRED OF ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS CAN FEATURE MALE SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS WITH CAPTIONS RELATED TO YOGA AS A WAY TO INCREASE RESILIENCY, SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL MISSION READINESS. FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN HELP THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IMPLEMENT YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT OR ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS. 2018 8 2259 13 THE PRACTICABILITY AND RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS, STAFF, AND YOGA TEACHERS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION TO BE DEVELOPED FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. TWO FOCUS GROUPS WERE HELD WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS (N = 8), TWO FOCUS GROUPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH STAFF (N = 13) FROM A METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SETTING, AND FIVE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH YOGA TEACHERS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF A RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICE FEATURES TO BE TESTED AS A NEWLY DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THEMES. FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING CONSUMER THEMES: MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS AND PARTICIPANTS IS IMPORTANT, CREATING A SAFE SPACE AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. STAFF THEMES INCLUDED MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS IS IMPORTANT, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. YOGA TEACHER THEMES INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF THE YOGA TEACHER, AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WERE CONSISTENTLY EMPHASIZED BY CONSUMERS AND STAFF. TEACHERS FOCUSED LESS ON SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH MAY BE REFLECTIVE OF A BROADER KNOWLEDGE GAP. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PRE-INFORMATION, REGULAR AND CONSISTENT PRACTICE, MODIFICATIONS, BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS AND GUIDED PRACTICE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FEATURES, WERE CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA RESEARCH. FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. 2020 9 148 12 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IDENTIFYING FACTORS RELEVANT FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING MANNER. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO KEY STAKEHOLDERS CRITICAL FOR IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS - STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM TEACHERS - MERIT ATTENTION IN THIS CONTEXT AND HAVE RARELY BEEN EXPLORED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. THIS STUDY REPORTS QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS OF A 16-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM IN THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVING LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES. FOUR THEMES RELATED TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS EMERGED: PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS, PROGRAM BUY-IN, IMPLEMENTER COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, AND INSTRUCTOR QUALITIES. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMING IMPLEMENTATION, ADAPTATION, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMMING IN URBAN SETTINGS. 2017 10 2795 13 YOGA THERAPY FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS: QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF YOGA STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS. OBJECTIVE: MILLIONS OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS LIVE WITH CHRONIC MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT OFTEN DO NOT RESPOND WELL TO PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENTS. SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND LACK OF TREATMENT RESPONSE HAVE LED TO WIDESPREAD EFFORTS TO STUDY AND PROMOTE NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENTS FOR MANY CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR MIND-BODY INTERVENTION THAT HAS GROWING RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ITS EFFICACY AND SAFETY. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE ATTITUDES, PERSPECTIVES, AND PREFERENCES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS TOWARD YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC MODALITY, THUS PROVIDING NEEDED INFORMATION FOR DESIGNING AND PROMOTING YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 24 INDIVIDUALS WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE AND CURRENT OR PAST MILITARY SERVICE AND 12 INSTRUCTORS WHO HAVE TAUGHT YOGA FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL AND/OR VETERANS. A SEMI-STRUCTURED SET OF QUESTIONS GUIDED INTERVIEWS WITH EACH PARTICIPANT. RESULTS: FIVE THEMES EMERGED FROM THE INTERVIEWS: (1) MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM YOGA PRACTICE; (2) PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS EXPERIENCED FROM YOGA PRACTICE; (3) IMPORTANT YOGA ELEMENTS AND CONDITIONS THAT SUPPORT EFFECTIVE PRACTICE; (4) FACILITATORS FOR ENGAGING MILITARY IN YOGA PRACTICE; AND (5) CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE FOR MILITARY. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS CONSISTENT REPORTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE, ONGOING STIGMA RESULTING IN THE NEED FOR COMBATTING AND DEMYSTIFYING YOGA AND OTHER COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH (CIH) PRACTICES, THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGNING INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES OF THIS POPULATION, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFORTS BY MILITARY LEADERSHIP TO BRING CIH TO MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS. RIGOROUS RESEARCH ADDRESSING THESE FINDINGS, ALONG WITH FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR TREATING VARIOUS CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED. 2018 11 1145 10 ELEMENTARY STUDENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IN SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FROM ELEMENTARY YOUTH AND TEACHERS? CONTEXT: A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED CURRICULUM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 15 SCHOOLS. THE CURRICULUM WAS TAUGHT TO STUDENTS DURING A PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR DANCE CLASS BY INSTRUCTORS WHO WERE WITHIN EACH SCHOOL AND RECEIVED TRAINING ON THE CURRICULUM. SAMPLE SELECTION: VOLUNTEER FOCUS GROUP ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED FOR ONE YEAR AND TEACHERS WHO DID NOT IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM WERE QUALITATIVELY INTERVIEWED, BY THREE TRAINED UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. DATA COLLECTION: NINE FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THREE DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITH 3RD AND 5TH GRADE STUDENTS. THREE FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH TEACHERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL WHICH RECEIVED THE PROGRAM, EXCLUDING INSTRUCTORS. ANALYSIS: FOCUS GROUP DATA WERE CODED AND A THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED AMONG THE 40 STUDENTS AND 23 TEACHERS. INTERPRETATION AND MAIN RESULTS: TEACHERS HAD VARYING DEGREES OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATION EMERGED AS A CRITICAL THEME FOR BUY-IN AS COMMUNICATION REPRESENTS THE UNDERPINNINGS OF CREATING AND RETAINING STAKEHOLDERS. MOST STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN FOCUS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, FLEXIBILITY, BREATHING, AND SCHOOL WORK. A COMMON THEME TO DESCRIBE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM EMERGED WITH THE IDEA OF "INCREASED FOCUS". CONCEPTUALLY, IT MAY BE THAT INCREASING MINDFULNESS INCREASES "FOCUS" THUS INCREASING POSITIVE OUTCOMES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND IF "FOCUS" MAY SERVE AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2020 12 2310 10 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 13 145 9 A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SKILLS USE IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM. PREVIOUS STUDIES ON SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMS HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY USED QUALITATIVE DATA TO INVESTIGATE PROGRAM CONTENT AND SKILLS THAT STUDENTS REMEMBERED AND APPLIED IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. DATA WERE GATHERED FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION DELIVERED AT THREE URBAN SCHOOLS BY A COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS WITH NINE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM AND HELD SIX FOCUS GROUPS WITH 22 FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY ADDRESSES TWO PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS: (1) WHAT SKILLS DID STUDENTS LEARN, RETAIN, AND UTILIZE OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM? AND (2) WHAT CHANGES DID CLASSROOM TEACHERS EXPECT AND OBSERVE AMONG PROGRAM RECIPIENTS? FOUR MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO SKILL LEARNING AND APPLICATION EMERGED AS FOLLOWS: (1) YOUTHS RETAINED AND UTILIZED PROGRAM SKILLS INVOLVING BREATH WORK AND POSES; (2) KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HEALTH BENEFITS OF THESE TECHNIQUES PROMOTED SELF-UTILIZATION AND SHARING OF SKILLS; (3) YOUTHS DEVELOPED KEENER EMOTIONAL APPRAISAL THAT, COUPLED WITH NEW AND IMPROVED EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS, HELPED DE-ESCALATE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, PROMOTE CALM, AND REDUCE STRESS; AND (4) YOUTHS AND TEACHERS REPORTED REALISTIC AND OPTIMISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE IMPACT OF ACQUIRED PROGRAM SKILLS. WE DISCUSS IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR GUIDING FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. 2016 14 1842 13 QUALITATIVE EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PROGRAM FOR MEN LIVING WITH PROSTATE CANCER: SURVIVOR PERSPECTIVES. PURPOSE: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) PROGRAMS FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MANY ASPECTS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. TRANSLATING THIS RESEARCH INTO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY-BASED SETTINGS IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE ACCESS TO PROGRAMS FOR SURVIVORS. THIS STUDY EXAMINES PATIENT PERSPECTIVES IN THE COMMUNITY-BASED TRUENTH LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT (TRUENTH LM) PROGRAM IN CALGARY, CANADA. METHODS: ELEVEN MEN FROM PROGRAMS AT CIVIC WELLNESS CENTERS PARTICIPATED IN 2 SMALL SEMISTRUCTURED FOCUS GROUPS (N = 5 AND 6) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY. MOTIVATION FOR PROGRAM INITIATION AND ADHERENCE, BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, AND INDIVIDUAL SATISFACTION AND FEEDBACK ON PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT WERE DISCUSSED. AUDIO RECORDINGS WERE TRANSCRIBED AND ANALYZED USING THEMATIC METHODOLOGY GUIDED BY A PRAGMATIC PHILOSOPHY ON THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: THEMES IDENTIFIED INCLUDED PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING (PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL), FACILITATORS FOR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PA PROGRAM (PROGRAM DESIGN, INITIAL FREE ACCESS, TAILORED TO PROSTATE CANCER SPECIFIC NEEDS, PSYCHOSOCIAL ENVIRONMENT), AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY (EXERCISE AS A PART OF STANDARD CARE, COST STRUCTURE, HOME-BASED OPTIONS). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO PATIENT PERSPECTIVES ON EFFECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF PROSTATE CANCER AND EXERCISE PROGRAMS. TRUENTH LM HAS IMPLEMENTED FINDINGS, AND ENSURING NEEDS (BENEFITS AND BARRIERS) ARE ADDRESSED FOR PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS WHEN ENTERING COMMUNITY-BASED PA PROGRAMS. 2019 15 1146 12 EMPOWERING A COMMUNITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT: EVALUATION OF A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS IN CUSTODY. THE CURRENT STUDY EVALUATED A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF BRINGING YOGA PSYCHOLOGY (AS AN INTEGRATED EIGHT-LIMBED SYSTEM) TO ADULTS IN CUSTODY (AIC), WHO WERE TRAINED TO BECOME YOGA TEACHERS WHO WILL IN TURN TEACH OTHER AICS. THE STUDY USED QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE MEASURES TO ASSESS THE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE OVERALL PRISON ENVIRONMENT. THE STUDY INCLUDED ASSESSMENTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH 12 AICS AND NINE YOGA TEACHER VOLUNTEERS, AS WELL AS KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS WITH TWO CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND FIVE ADMINISTRATORS WHO WORK WITHIN OR DIRECTLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM. QUANTITATIVE RESULTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ALL KEY OUTCOME VARIABLES (SELF-COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, UNDERSTANDING OF YOGA PHILOSOPHY, AND TEACHING SKILLS) FROM PRETEST TO PROGRAM COMPLETION AND FROM COMPLETION TO 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. ADDITIONALLY, AIC YOGA TEACHERS BECAME MORE SIMILAR ON ALL OUTCOME MEASURES TO THE VOLUNTEER TEACHERS FROM PRETEST TO PROGRAM COMPLETION AND FROM COMPLETION TO FOLLOW-UP. QUALITATIVE METHODS (USED FOR 31 KEY INFORMANT AND FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS) REVEALED THEMES THAT ILLUMINATED POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE PRISON COMMUNITY REGARDING PARTICIPANTS' PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, ATTITUDES AND VALUES, BEHAVIORS, RELATIONSHIPS, YOGA PHILOSOPHY IN PRISON, CULTURE, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PROVIDED TO SUPPORT SUSTAINING THE CURRENT PROGRAM AND TO HELP WITH THE CREATION OF NEW PROGRAMS TO INFUSE YOGA PHILOSOPHY INTO CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENTS. 2019 16 1285 9 GRADUATED GUIDANCE DELIVERED BY PARENTS TO TEACH YOGA TO CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS. WE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF A PARENT-IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTION TO TEACH YOGA POSES TO 3 CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS. GRADUATED GUIDANCE, PROVIDED BY THE PARTICIPANTS' MOTHERS, WAS INTRODUCED IN A MULTIPLE BASELINE DESIGN ACROSS THE PARTICIPANTS. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF INTERVENTION, IMITATION OF THE RESPONSE CHAINS INCREASED OVER BASELINE FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. GENERALIZATION TO NOVEL AND LIVE MODELS OCCURRED FOR 2 PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF USING BEHAVIOR-ANALYTIC PROCEDURES TO TEACH PHYSICAL FITNESS ACTIVITIES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. 2016 17 1844 12 QUALITATIVE IMPRESSIONS OF A YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE FOR INSOMNIA: AN EXPLORATORY MIXED-METHODS DESIGN. INTRODUCTION: INSOMNIA AFFECTS UP TO HALF OF THE U.S. POPULATION, AND DUE TO LIMITATIONS OF CURRENT TREATMENTS, THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN MIND-BODY PRACTICES TO REDUCE INSOMNIA. TO UNDERSTAND HOW A GUIDED MEDITATION PRACTICE, YOGA NIDRA, MAY AFFECT RELAXATION AND ALIGN WITH CURRENT DESCRIPTIONS OF NONPHARMACEUTICAL PRACTICES THAT COULD IMPROVE SLEEP, QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS WERE USED TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE OF A SINGLE YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE, ADMINISTERED IN A GROUP SETTING. METHODS: CURRENT INSOMNIA (INSOMNIA SEVERITY INDEX), SLEEP PRACTICES, AND MOOD (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE [PANAS]) WERE MEASURED AT INTAKE. AFTER 30 MIN OF YOGA NIDRA PRACTICE, THE PANAS WAS READMINISTERED. IN A FOCUS GROUP THAT FOLLOWED, PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSED THEIR EXPERIENCE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE PRACTICE AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF REPEATING IT. SIX GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED. ALL INTERESTED ADULTS WERE WELCOME TO JOIN. RESULTS: IN THE FINAL SAMPLE OF 33 INDIVIDUALS (79% FEMALE), 80% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED INSOMNIA AT INTAKE AND 45% REPORTED A REGULAR MIND-BODY PRACTICE, SUPPORTING THE PREVALENCE OF INSOMNIA IN THE SOCIETY AS WELL AS THE INTEREST IN MIND-BODY PRACTICES. AFTER THE YOGA NIDRA INTERVENTION, MEAN NEGATIVE AFFECT DECREASED 5.6 +/- 4.5 POINTS, A 31% DECREASE FROM BASELINE, AND POSITIVE AFFECT DECREASED 3.5 +/- 9.7 POINTS, A 13% DECREASE. THREE MAJOR THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED FROM FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS: RESPONSE TO THE PRACTICE (RELAXATION, PERCEIVED SLEEP, AND SENSE WITHDRAWAL); FACTORS THAT AFFECT ENGAGEMENT (DELIVERY METHOD AND INTRAPERSONAL FACTORS); AND POTENTIAL AS A CLINICAL INTERVENTION (FOR CONDITIONS INCLUDING SLEEP, ANXIETY, AND PAIN). CONCLUSION: YOGA NIDRA APPEARED TOLERABLE WITHIN THE SAMPLE, AND DESCRIPTIONS SUGGEST IT MAY BE USEFUL FOR ENHANCING RELAXATION, FACILITATING SLEEP, EASING ANXIETY, AND REDUCING PAIN. RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY WILL INFORM THE DESIGN OF FUTURE STUDIES OF YOGA NIDRA FOR INSOMNIA AND RELATED CONDITIONS. 2021 18 491 11 CO-DESIGNING A NEW YOGA-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE: A FORMATIVE EVALUATION. MOVEMENT-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS (MBI) ARE COMPLEX, MULTI-COMPONENT INTERVENTIONS FOR WHICH THE DESIGN PROCESS IS RARELY REPORTED. FOR PEOPLE WITH STROKE, EMERGING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS BENEFITS, BUT MAINSTREAM PROGRAMS ARE GENERALLY UNSUITABLE. WE AIMED TO DESCRIBE THE PROCESSES INVOLVED AND TO CONDUCT A FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI DESIGNED FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE. WE USED THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS FRAMEWORK AND PRINCIPLES OF CO-DESIGN. WE PURPOSEFULLY APPROACHED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS TO ESTABLISH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING THE INTERVENTION. MEMBERS COLLABORATED AND ITERATIVELY REVIEWED THE DESIGN AND CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM, FORMATTED INTO A TRAINING MANUAL. FOUR EXTERNAL YOGA TEACHERS INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWED THE PROGRAM. FORMATIVE EVALUATION INCLUDED REVIEW OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES AND DOCUMENTATION (E.G., FORMAL MEETING MINUTES, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, RESEARCHER OBSERVATIONS). THE DATA WERE SYNTHESIZED USING INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. THREE BROAD THEMES EMERGED: (A) MBI CONTENT AND TERMINOLOGY; (B) MANUAL DESIGN AND READABILITY; AND (C) BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO DELIVER THE INTERVENTION. VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AND FEEDBACK ON ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS GUIDED FINALIZING THE PROGRAM. THE DESIGN PHASE OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI WAS STRENGTHENED BY INTERDISCIPLINARY, CONSUMER CONTRIBUTIONS AND PEER REVIEW. THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION IS READY FOR TESTING AMONG SURVIVORS OF STROKE. 2021 19 1474 7 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. A SPECIALLY DESIGNED INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS OVER A PERIOD OF TWO ACADEMIC YEARS. DESPITE LOW NUMBERS (SIX IN EACH ARM), CONSISTENCY AND MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS MAKE THE FINDINGS SIGNIFICANT. PARENTAL PARTICIPATION, ALLOWING FIRM GUIDANCE TO BE GIVEN TO EACH CHILD, RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMITATION AND OTHER SKILLS, AND IN BEHAVIOR AT HOME AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT GUIDED IMITATION OF THERAPIST BODY POSITIONS STIMULATED MIRROR NEURON ACTIVATION, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SENSE OF SELF. 2010 20 10 12 "MAKING IT OKAY": PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH-STRESS ENVIRONMENTS CONSTRUCT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF A YOGA-BASED RETREAT DESIGNED TO BUILD RESILIENCE. PURPOSE: WHILE THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR RESILIENCE BUILDING PROGRAMMES, TO DATE RESEARCH HAS NOT EXPLORED HOW PROFESSIONALS CONSTRUCT UNDERSTANDING OF PROGRAMME IMPACT. RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT), A 5-DAY YOGA-BASED RETREAT PROGRAMME, HAS BEEN LINKED WITH POSITIVE WELLNESS OUTCOMES. THIS QUALITATIVE INQUIRY EXPLORES PARTICIPANTS' REFLECTION AND EXPERIENCE 3 MONTHS AFTER PROGRAMME COMPLETION. METHODS: THROUGH A GROUNDED CONSTRUCTIVIST LENS, IN-DEPTH SEMI-STRUCTURED PHONE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 17 ADULT PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH-STRESS WORK ENVIRONMENTS WHO ATTENDED RISE. INITIAL HAND-CODING INFORMED CODEBOOK DEVELOPMENT FOR SYSTEMATIC CODING USING DIRECTED CONTENT ANALYSIS USING SENSITIZING STRUCTURING. RESULTS: TWO INTEGRATED PERCEPTIONS WOVEN THROUGH FIVE THEMES. PERSISTENT THREADS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND SENSE OF PERMISSION PROVIDED STRUCTURE FOR THEMES FOUND. FIVE INTERRELATED THEMES RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND WORKPLACE DYNAMICS WERE (1) USE OF ACQUIRED BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS AND PRACTICES; (2) LIVED MINDFULNESS; (3) RESILIENCE TO STRESS AND EMOTION REGULATION (4) SELF-CARE AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND (5) SHARING WITH OTHERS. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INTERPRETATION OF PREVIOUSLY REPORTED PROGRAMME EFFICACY BY CONTEXTUALIZING PERCEIVED BENEFITS WITHIN PARTICIPANTS' CONSTRUCTED UNDERSTANDING OF CHANGE. SPECIFICALLY, ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND EXPERIENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS HAVE SUGGESTED IMPLICATIONS FOR RESILIENCE BUILDING PROGRAMMES.ABBREVIATIONS: RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT). 2022