1 1002 109 EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES DURING MEDITATION. CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: MANY STUDIES SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANAS. THERE IS NO STUDY ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS YET. THIS RESEARCH REPLICATED AND EXPANDED OBSERVED IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS) AS A RESULT OF 2-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE. THIRTEEN COLLEGE STUDENTS TAKING PART IN A 4-WEEK COURSE ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS WERE MATCHED WITH 13 STUDENTS TAKING OTHER COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, DEGREE OF HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES IN TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) PRACTICE. METHODS: ALL STUDENTS WERE GIVEN TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND ADDITIONAL QUESTION BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR 4-WEEK COURSE: POMS, MEDITATION DEPTH QUESTIONNAIRE, AND QUESTION ABOUT THE DEGREE OF HAPPINESS. RESULTS: REPEATED MEASURE MANOVA SHOWED THE 4-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HAPPINESS DURING THE DAY AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN (1) SENSE OF PERSONAL SELF, (2) TRANSPERSONAL QUALITIES, AND (3) TRANSPERSONAL SELF DURING THEIR TM PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS AFFECT MORE THAN BODY AND MIND. RATHER THEY INFLUENCE MUCH DEEPER LEVELS OF ONE'S SUBJECTIVITY INCLUDING ONE'S TRANSPERSONAL SELF. 2018 2 2055 22 THE ASSOCIATION OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA WITH HAPPINESS: A CASE-CONTROL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY FROM SINGAPORE. HAPPINESS IS A COMPLEX SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE THAT IS ESSENTIAL TO SOCIETAL PROGRESS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) AND SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS IN SINGAPORE. SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE (N = 733) COMPRISED OF 2 GROUPS: SKY (N = 385) AND NON-SKY (N = 348) PRACTITIONERS. SKY WAS CATEGORIZED INTO NON-, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY PRACTITIONERS AND HAPPINESS WAS CATEGORIZED INTO LOWER, MIDDLE AND HIGHER TERTILE GROUPS. CONFOUNDING VARIABLES INCLUDED AGE, GENDER, ETHNICITY, MARITAL STATUS, EDUCATION LEVEL, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), SMOKING STATUS, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND SELF-REPORTED HEALTH. DAILY SKY PARTICIPATION WAS POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A 2-FOLD HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF BEING HAPPIER IN A MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE TREND ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT AS SKY FREQUENCY INCREASES, THE ODDS OF BEING HAPPIER INCREASES. THESE FINDINGS HELP GENERATE THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC BREATHING MAY PROMOTE HAPPINESS. FURTHER EXPERIMENTAL AND PROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS ARE WARRANTED. 2021 3 894 38 EFFECT OF YOGA-NIDRA ON ADOLESCENTS WELL-BEING: A MIXED METHOD STUDY. CONTEXT: ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING IS A PRIORITY AREA FOR HEALTH-CARE INTERVENTIONS IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY. YOGA-NIDRA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN METHOD OF ENABLING INDIVIDUALS TO ATTAIN A POSITIVE STATE OF DEEP PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION. THE PRACTICE PRODUCES A STATE OF SIMULTANEOUS RELAXATION AND DETACHMENT RESULTING IN INNER AWARENESS AND RELEASE OF STRESS ON ALL PLANES OF ONE'S BEING. AIM: THIS MIXED METHOD STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN ADOLESCENT STUDENTS AGED 13-15 YEARS WITH AN AIM TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF YOGA-NIDRA ON VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-SIX STUDENTS RECEIVED YOGA-NIDRA SESSIONS 30 MIN DAILY FOR 3 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 1 MONTH. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE HAPPINESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING. THESE AND OTHER EXPERIENTIAL DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING COMPRISING OF ENTHUSIASM, ALERTNESS, QUIETUDE, CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND SELF-AWARENESS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONS WERE RECORDED FROM PARTICIPANTS, THEIR TEACHERS, AND PARENTS. RESULTS OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE ANALYZED AND COMPARED. RESULTS: YOGA-NIDRA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE FEELINGS OF HAPPINESS, ENTHUSIASM, QUIETUDE, BEING MORE INSPIRED AND ALERT, ACTIVE, HAVING CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. MIXED METHOD DESIGN OF THE STUDY PROVIDED CROSS-VALIDATION AND CONVERGENCE OF RESULTS OBTAINED FROM QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS. CONCLUSION: YOGA-NIDRA IS BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING. 2018 4 1662 30 NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVES: TO DESCRIBE YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA, AND TO EXPLORE THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE ON THEIR HEALTH. DESIGN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN WITH ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEYS. SETTING: 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED INDIVIDUALS FROM 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS (N=18,160), REPRESENTING 41 STATES; 1087 INDIVIDUALS RESPONDED, WITH 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. OUTCOME MEASURES: FREIBERG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY, MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING), MULTI-FACTOR SCREENER (DIET), PROMIS SLEEP DISTURBANCE, FATIGUE, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: AGE: 19-87 YEARS (M=51.7 +/- 11.7), 84.2% FEMALE, 89.2% WHITE, 87.4% WELL EDUCATED (>/= BACHELOR'S DEGREE). MEAN YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE=11.4 (+/- 7.5). BMI=12.1-49.4 (M=23.1 +/- 3.9). LEVELS OF OBESITY (4.9%), SMOKING (2%), AND FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION (M=6.1 +/- 1.1) WERE FAVORABLE COMPARED TO NATIONAL NORMS. 60% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC/SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION, YET MOST REPORTED VERY GOOD (46.3%) OR EXCELLENT (38.8%) GENERAL HEALTH. DESPITE HIGH LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (24.8%), NEARLY ALL WERE MODERATELY MENTALLY HEALTHY (55.2%) OR FLOURISHING (43.8%). PARTICIPANTS AGREED YOGA IMPROVED: ENERGY (84.5%), HAPPINESS (86.5%), SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (67%), SLEEP (68.5%), AND WEIGHT (57.3%), AND BELIEFS DID NOT DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY ACCORDING TO RACE OR GENDER. THE MORE THEY PRACTICED YOGA, WHETHER IN YEARS OR IN AMOUNT OF CLASS OR HOME PRACTICE, THE HIGHER THEIR ODDS OF BELIEVING YOGA IMPROVED THEIR HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE NOT FREE OF HEALTH CONCERNS, BUT MOST BELIEVE THEIR HEALTH IMPROVED BECAUSE OF YOGA. YOGA MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR A NUMBER OF POPULATIONS INCLUDING ELDERLY WOMEN AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2013 5 1583 35 MEDICAL STUDENTS' STRESS LEVELS AND SENSE OF WELL BEING AFTER SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING PRIOR TO TAKING THEIR EXAMS. METHODS. WE CONDUCTED A PROSPECTIVE CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF FIRST-THROUGH-THIRD-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS AT OUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, MEASURING LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING BEFORE AND AFTER A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES USED FOR EVALUATION INCLUDED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEYS (SAS). THE POSTINTERVENTION SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED ON THE DAY OF THE STUDENTS' WRITTEN EXAMS. RESULTS. A TOTAL OF THIRTEEN WOMEN AND FOURTEEN MEN PARTICIPATED. MEDIAN AGE WAS 28 (24 YRS-32 YRS). 48.1% WERE CAUCASIAN, 7.4% BLACK, 11.1% HISPANIC, 11.1% ASIAN, AND 22.2% OTHER. PAIRED T-TESTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED STRESS (18.44 VERSUS 14.52; P = 0.004) AFTER THE SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FEELINGS OF PEACE, FOCUS, AND ENDURANCE. IMPROVEMENTS IN HAPPINESS, POSITIVITY, PERSONAL SATISFACTION, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE WERE ALSO SEEN. AN IMPROVEMENT IN UNSUBSTANTIATED PARAMETERS SUCH AS PATIENCE AND FATIGUE WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS AND IMPROVING ASPECTS OF PERSONAL WELLBEING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS. 2016 6 1271 18 FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS HEALTH: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND. YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION, BUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH ARE UNDEREXPLORED. PURPOSE. TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, DIET, BMI, SMOKING, ALCOHOL/CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION, SLEEP, FATIGUE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MINDFULNESS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY). METHODS. CROSS-SECTIONAL, ANONYMOUS INTERNET SURVEYS DISTRIBUTED TO 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM 18,160 INDIVIDUALS AT 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS; 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. RESULTS. MEAN AGE 51.7 (+/- 11.7) YEARS; 84.2% FEMALE. FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE FAVORABLY PREDICTED (P < .001): MINDFULNESS, SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, BMI, FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION, VEGETARIAN STATUS, SLEEP, AND FATIGUE. EACH COMPONENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, PHILOSOPHY STUDY) PREDICTED AT LEAST 1 HEALTH OUTCOME (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS. HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA PREDICTED HEALTH BETTER THAN YEARS OF PRACTICE OR CLASS FREQUENCY. DIFFERENT PHYSICAL POSES AND YOGA TECHNIQUES MAY HAVE UNIQUE HEALTH BENEFITS. 2012 7 645 33 DOES YOGA SHAPE BODY, MIND AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND/AIMS: TO ASSESS THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA STUDENTS COMPARED WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ADMINISTERED TO THE TWO GROUPS. RESULTS: FIVE INDICATORS TO MEASURE MENTAL WELLNESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. ON THREE OF THESE FIVE MEASURES, COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MORE MENTAL WELLNESS THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS - IN OTHER WORDS, THE RELATIONSHIP WAS THE INVERSE OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED. COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THEIR LIFE MORE OFTEN THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AS WELL AS MORE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO REPORT BEING TOLERANT OF OTHERS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY APPROVED OF THEIR BEHAVIOR OR BELIEFS. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT HAVING STRONG MORALS AND HEALTHY VALUES AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. WE FOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON MORE THAN HALF OF OUR SPIRIT ITEMS (FIVE OF NINE). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT EXPRESSING THEIR SPIRITUALITY APPROPRIATELY AND IN HEALTHY WAYS, RECOGNIZING THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION FAITH COULD MAKE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE (SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.07 LEVEL), ROUTINELY UNDERTAKING NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAVING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. FURTHER, WE FOUND SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT EXPERIENCING HAPPINESS WITHIN. CONCLUSIONS: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE FOUND ON THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT. FURTHER WORK NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 8 2536 24 YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION IMPROVES BALANCE CONTROL AND PREVENTS FALLS IN SENIORS AGED 65. INTRODUCTION: BODY BALANCE CONTROL REPRESENTS A KEY FACTOR PREVENTING FALLS AND SUBSEQUENT INJURIES IN SENIORS AGED 65+. INTERVENTION BASED ON YOGA EXERCISES SEEM TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING BALANCE. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE IS TO ANALYSE AND COMPARE CHANGES IN STATIC, DYNAMIC, AND TOTAL BALANCE SCORES, CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION AND SOCIAL INDICES AS EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 500 PARTICIPANTS (234 MEN AGED 74.5 SD+/-7.74 AND 266 WOMEN AGED 76.9 SD+/-7.23) WERE ASSESSED USING THE TINETTI BALANCE ASSESSMENT TOOL, THE INBODY 230 BIOIMPEDANCE BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSER, AND THE SF-36 HEALTH SURVEY, APPLIED TO PRE AND POST-TESTING. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (N=262; 122 MALES; 140 FEMALES) UNDERWENT A FOUR-WEEK YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION, 30 MINUTES DAILY, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP (N=238; 112 MALES; 126 FEMALES) UNDERWENT ITS USUAL DAILY PROGRAMME AT SENIOR HOMES OR CENTRES. THE ANOVA MODEL, CONSISTING OF THE GROUP, STAGE, SUBJECT AND GROUP X STAGE INTERACTION FACTORS, WAS USED FOR DATA EVALUATION. RESULTS: INTERVENTION LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATIC, DYNAMIC AND TOTAL BALANCE SCORES IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE RESULTS OF SF-36 SHOWED POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF HEALTH, SUCH AS PROMOTING OF CALMNESS AND HAPPINESS IN MALE SENIORS AND REDUCING FATIGUE, NERVOUSNESS AND DEPRESSION IN FEMALE SENIORS. THE POST-INTERVENTION DECREASE IN BODY FAT PERCENTAGE AND INCREASE IN MUSCLE MASS IN SENIORS IS DISCUSSED. CONCLUSIONS: THE FOUR-WEEK YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION HAD POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE STATIC, DYNAMIC AND TOTAL BALANCE SCORES, BODY COMPOSITION AND SOCIAL STATUS. 2022 9 2721 27 YOGA MEETS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: EXAMINING THE INTEGRATION OF HEDONIC (GRATITUDE) AND EUDAIMONIC (MEANING) WELLBEING IN RELATION TO THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EXISTENCE OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND TWO DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING: MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. BOTH OF THE VARIABLES ARE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CONSTRUCTS; THERE IS THEORETICAL AFFINITY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE RELATED TO OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR PARTICIPANTS AGED 18 YEARS AND ABOVE, WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE RANGING FROM NONE TO OVER SIX YEARS, RESPONDED TO A NUMBER OF SCALES. THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF YEARS DURING WHICH INDIVIDUALS PRACTICED YOGA AT LEAST TWO TIMES A WEEK. PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED TO THE FOLLOWING SCALES: MLQ (MEANING IN LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE) AND GQ-6 (GRATITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE). THIS STUDY HYPOTHESISED THAT THE NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING YOGA WOULD BE POSITIVELY CORRELATED TO THE SCORE OBTAINED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED SCALES. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS REGARDING THE CONTRIBUTION OF YOGA TO BOTH HEDONIC AND EUDAIMONIC HAPPINESS ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 10 1548 27 LAUGHTER YOGA ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE HOMES: A FEASIBILITY STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A LAUGHTER YOGA ACTIVITIES (LY) PROGRAM FOR OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE HOMES (RACHS). METHODS: A 6-WEEK LY PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED AT THREE RACHS WITH TWENTY-EIGHT RESIDENTS. A PRE-POST DESIGN WAS USED TO MEASURE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, HAPPINESS, BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE. RESULTS: POST-SESSION MEAN SCORES FOR POSITIVE MOOD, AND HAPPINESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN PRE-SESSION SCORES IN WEEKS 1, 3 AND 6, AND THE POST-SESSION MEAN NEGATIVE MOOD SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN PRE-SESSION SCORES IN WEEKS 3 AND 6. POST-SESSION READINGS FOR MEAN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN PRE-SESSION READINGS IN WEEKS 1 AND 6. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THE POTENTIAL FOR USING LY TO IMPROVE MOOD AND LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVING IN RACHS. 2017 11 1619 33 MINDFUL2WORK THE NEXT STEPS: EFFECTIVENESS OF A PROGRAM COMBINING PHYSICAL EXERCISE, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS, ADDING A WAIT-LIST PERIOD, MEASUREMENTS UP TO ONE YEAR LATER AND QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS. BACKGROUND: MINDFUL2WORK IS A 6-WEEK PROGRAM COMBINING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATIONS, TARGETING (WORK-RELATED) STRESS COMPLAINTS FROM A BODY-MIND PERSPECTIVE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE COMBINED A TOP-DOWN APPROACH (RESEARCHER-DRIVEN OUTCOME MEASURES) WITH A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH (PERSONAL GOALS AND INTERVIEW DATA) TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS ON 98 EMPLOYEES WITH AT LEAST MODERATE (WORK-RELATED) STRESS. EFFECTS ON PERSONAL GOALS, WELL-BEING (STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, SLEEP, AFFECT, HAPPINESS), FUNCTIONING AT WORK (DROPOUT, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WORKABILITY, WORK SATISFACTION), AND TRAINING-SPECIFIC ASPECTS (MINDFUL AWARENESS, SELF-COMPASSION, EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES) WERE ASSESSED. RESULTS: NEARLY ALL MEASURES SHOWED NO CHANGE DURING THE WAIT-LIST PERIOD, WITH ONLY NEGATIVE AFFECT AND PHYSICAL WORKABILITY SHOWING SMALL STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS. MEDIUM TO LARGE EFFECT SIZE IMPROVEMENTS DIRECTLY AFTER TRAINING AND AT ALL FOLLOW-UPS WERE FOUND ON PRIMARY OUTCOMES STRESS (0.62-1.17), AND RISK FOR DROPOUT FROM WORK (0.55-1.00), AND LARGEST EFFECTS OCCURRED ON PERSONAL GOALS (0.98-1.46). IMPROVEMENTS IN WELL-BEING AND FUNCTIONING AT WORK WERE MEDIUM DIRECTLY AFTER TRAINING, AND AT FOLLOW-UP 1 (SIX WEEKS LATER) AND 2 (SIX MONTHS LATER), AND LARGE AT FOLLOW-UP 3 (ONE YEAR LATER). THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC MEASURES SHOWED SMALL TO MEDIUM EFFECTS AFTER TRAINING AND AT FOLLOW-UP 1. FURTHER, FROM THE INTERVIEWS (N = 9), TWO MAIN CATEGORIES OF EFFECTS EMERGED: WELL-BEING AND ACQUIRED INSIGHTS. CONCLUSION: MINDFUL2WORK SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL AND LONG-LASTING IMPROVEMENTS ACCORDING TO RESEARCHER-DRIVEN MEASURES AS WELL AS PARTICIPANTS' OWN REPORTS. 2020 12 434 27 CANCER PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES WITH AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES OF YOGA: RESULTS FROM FOCUS GROUPS. PURPOSE: YOGA IS A "MIND-BODY" EXERCISE, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSES WITH BREATHING AND MEDITATION, AND MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS. WE AIMED TO EXPLORE CANCER PATIENTS' MOTIVES FOR PRACTICING YOGA, EXPERIENCES OF PRACTICING YOGA, AND PERCEIVED PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 45) FOLLOWING YOGA CLASSES FOR CANCER PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS, OF WHOM 29 PARTICIPATED. THE FOCUS GROUPS (N = 5) WERE AUDIO TAPED WITH PRIOR CONSENT AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. DATA WERE ANALYZED BY TWO CODERS AND INDEPENDENTLY CODED INTO KEY ISSUES AND THEMES. RESULTS: MEAN AGE OF THE PARTICIPANTS WAS 53.8 (SD 10.8) YEARS, OF WHOM 25 WERE WOMEN, AND 18 WERE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. MOTIVES FOR PARTICIPATION IN YOGA WERE RELAXATION, THE WILL TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, THE WISH TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO ONE'S BODY, COPING WITH PSYCHOSOCIAL SYMPTOMS, CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR CANCER REHABILITATION PROCESS, AND COMBING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PROCESSES. MAIN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES OF YOGA MENTIONED BY PATIENTS WERE REGAINING BODY AWARENESS, RAISING ATTENTION TO THE INNER SELF, LEARNING HOW TO RELAX, ENJOYMENT, AND FINDING RECOGNITION AND UNDERSTANDING. INCREASED PHYSICAL FITNESS AND FUNCTION, MENTAL STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE, INCREASED COPING, BEING MORE RELAXED, AND HAPPINESS WERE FREQUENTLY MENTIONED EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANCER PERCEIVED SEVERAL BENEFITS ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES BY PRACTICING YOGA. THEREFORE, YOGA CAN BE A VALUABLE FORM OF SUPPORTIVE CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS. 2013 13 1497 38 INTRADIALYTIC LAUGHTER YOGA THERAPY FOR HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS: A PRE-POST INTERVENTION FEASIBILITY STUDY. BACKGROUND: LAUGHTER YOGA CONSISTS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES AND SIMULATED VIGOROUS LAUGHTER. IT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE IN DIVERSE CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL SETTINGS, BUT HAS NOT YET BEEN TESTED IN A HAEMODIALYSIS SETTING. THE STUDY HAD THREE AIMS: 1) TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING LAUGHTER YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE IN A DIALYSIS SETTING; 2) TO EXPLORE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LAUGHTER YOGA FOR THESE PATIENTS; AND 3) TO ESTIMATE THE SAMPLE SIZE REQUIRED FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: PRE/POST INTERVENTION FEASIBILITY STUDY. EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY AND LAUGHTER YOGA THERAPISTS PROVIDED A FOUR WEEK INTRADIALYTIC PROGRAM (30-MIN INTERVENTION THREE TIMES PER WEEK). PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE PSYCHOLOGICAL ITEMS MEASURED AT THE FIRST AND LAST LAUGHTER YOGA SESSION, INCLUDING: QUALITY OF LIFE; SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING; MOOD; OPTIMISM; CONTROL; SELF-ESTEEM; DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE: BLOOD PRESSURE, INTRADIALYTIC HYPOTENSIVE EPISODES AND LUNG FUNCTION (FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME). DIALYSIS NURSES EXPOSED TO THE INTERVENTION COMPLETED A LAUGHTER YOGA ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS SURVEY (N = 11). DATA WERE ANALYSED USING IBM SPSS STATISTICS V22, INCLUDING DESCRIPTIVE AND INFERENTIAL STATISTICS, AND SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATES WERE CALCULATED USING G*POWER. RESULTS: ONE PARTICIPANT WITHDREW FROM THE STUDY FOR MEDICAL REASONS THAT WERE UNRELATED TO THE STUDY DURING THE FIRST WEEK (94 % RETENTION RATE). THERE WERE NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN HAPPINESS, MOOD, AND OPTIMISM AND A DECREASE IN STRESS. EPISODES OF INTRADIALYTIC HYPOTENSION DECREASED FROM 19 PRE AND 19 DURING LAUGHTER YOGA TO 4 POST LAUGHTER YOGA. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN LUNG FUNCTION OR BLOOD PRESSURE. ALL NURSES AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED THAT LAUGHTER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PATIENTS' MOOD, IT WAS A FEASIBLE INTERVENTION AND THEY WOULD RECOMMEND LAUGHTER YOGA TO THEIR PATIENTS. SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INDICATED THAT A MINIMUM OF 207 PARTICIPANTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT POWER TO DETECT CHANGE IN KEY PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY PROVIDES EVIDENCE THAT LAUGHTER YOGA IS A SAFE, LOW-INTENSITY FORM OF INTRADIALYTIC PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED FOR PATIENTS IN DIALYSIS SETTINGS. LARGER STUDIES ARE REQUIRED, HOWEVER, TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON KEY PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRY - ACTRN12614001130651 . REGISTERED 23 OCTOBER 2014. 2015 14 2278 19 THE ROLES OF SELF-COMPASSION, BODY SURVEILLANCE, AND BODY APPRECIATION IN PREDICTING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: CROSS-SECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND PROSPECTIVE CHANGES WITHIN A YOGA CONTEXT. ENGAGING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR THE IMMEDIATE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES IT BRINGS (E.G., PLEASURE, SATISFACTION) IS CRITICAL FOR LONG-TERM EXERCISE ADHERENCE. INVESTIGATIONS OF HOW FACTORS SUCH AS BODY IMAGE CONTRIBUTE TO INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE NEEDED. THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED BODY SURVEILLANCE AND BODY APPRECIATION AS MEDIATORS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CROSS-SECTIONALLY AND PROSPECTIVELY. ONE SAMPLE OF COLLEGE WOMEN COMPLETED MEASURES OF STUDY VARIABLES AT ONE TIME POINT (SAMPLE 1; N = 269, MAGE = 19.96) AND A SECOND SAMPLE DID SO DURING WEEKS 1, 8, AND 16 WHILE PARTICIPATING IN A 16-WEEK YOGA COURSE (SAMPLE 2; N = 323, MAGE = 20.31). IN SAMPLE 1, LATENT VARIABLE STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING SUPPORTED BODY APPRECIATION AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN SELF-COMPASSION AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. IN SAMPLE 2, LATENT GROWTH CURVE ANALYSES REVEALED THAT CHANGE IN SELF-COMPASSION PREDICTED CHANGES IN BODY SURVEILLANCE AND BODY APPRECIATION IN EXPECTED DIRECTIONS. FURTHER, CHANGE IN BODY APPRECIATION POSITIVELY PREDICTED CHANGE IN INTRINSIC MOTIVATION. TARGETING SELF-COMPASSION AND BODY APPRECIATION MAY HELP SUPPORT WOMEN'S INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 2019 15 1211 33 EXPLORING HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA CHANGE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ACROSS A SINGLE SESSION. OBJECTIVES: YOGA DEMONSTRATES BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN MANY POPULATIONS, YET OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOGA BRINGS ABOUT THESE EFFECTS IS QUITE LIMITED. AMONG THE PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF YOGA ARE INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS) THAT MAY BRING ABOUT SALUTARY EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. FURTHER, YOGA IS A COMPLEX PRACTICE COMPRISING MEDITATION, ACTIVE AND RESTORATIVE POSTURES, AND BREATHWORK; HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT COMPONENTS MAY AFFECT MECHANISMS. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE HOW AN ACUTE SESSION OF YOGA (AND ITS SPECIFIC COMPONENTS) RELATED TO PRE- TO POST- SESSION CHANGES IN PROPOSED MECHANISMS (PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES) AND WHETHER THOSE CHANGES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN EMOTIONS. DESIGN: 144 REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED EMOTIONS (POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT, REVITALIZATION, TRANQUILITY, EXHAUSTION) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER A YOGA SESSION (N=11 SESSIONS, EACH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF YOGA). PERCEIVED PROPERTIES OF EACH YOGA SESSION, EXERCISE EXERTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE YOGA TEACHER WERE ASSESSED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SESSION. RESULTS: PRE-TO POST- YOGA, LEVELS OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS (ENGAGEMENT, TRANQUILITY AND REVITALIZATION) INCREASED WHILE EXHAUSTION DECREASED. FURTHER, ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES INCREASED AND CLOSELY TRACKED IMPROVED EMOTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, ASPECTS OF THE YOGA SESSION CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MECHANISMS) AND EMOTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY INFLUENCE MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. FURTHER, DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. RESULTS CAN INFORM YOGA INTERVENTIONS AIMING TO OPTIMIZE EFFECTS THROUGH SPECIFIC MECHANISMS SUCH AS MINDFULNESS OR SPIRITUALITY. 2020 16 1778 31 PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA'S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL UNITED STATES SURVEY. OBJECTIVES: YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR, YET LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE REGARDING PRACTITIONERS' PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO CHARACTERIZE PERCEPTIONS OF BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CHANGES PRACTITIONERS REPORTED IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DOMAINS. DESIGN: CROSS-SECTIONAL INTERNET-BASED SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 542, INCLUDING 162 TEACHERS) RECRUITED VIA EMAIL AND FLYERS SENT TO YOGA STUDIOS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES (US). PARTICIPANTS RANGED IN AGE FROM 18 TO 85 YEARS (M = 44). MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS RATED THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY EXPERIENCED POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE CHANGE IN PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIMENSIONS AND THEN LISTED UP TO THREE POSITIVE AND THREE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THEIR PRACTICE. RESULTS: BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REPORTED MODERATELY HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE PHYSICAL CHANGES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES, ALTHOUGH TEACHERS GENERALLY REPORTED MORE POSITIVE CHANGES. FEW NEGATIVE CHANGES WERE REPORTED. IN OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES, THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED POSITIVE EFFECTS WERE GENERAL HEALTH AND FITNESS AND RELAXATION. MOST COMMONLY REPORTED NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE INJURIES, SORENESS, EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS/IRRITABILITY, AND EXPENSE. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS GENERALLY PERCEIVE HIGH LEVELS OF POSITIVE CHANGES, BUT SOME ALSO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EFFECTS. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD ASSESS SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF CHANGE ALONGSIDE MORE OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF IMPROVEMENT. 2016 17 784 27 EFFECT OF YOGA BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING. YOGA IS ASSUMING IMPORTANCE IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE TREATMENT OF A NUMBER OF PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS A PROSPECTIVE CONTROLLED STUDY TO EXPLORE THE SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A COMPREHENSIVE BUT BRIEF LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, BASED ON YOGA, ON SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING LEVELS IN NORMAL AND DISEASED SUBJECTS. NORMAL HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND SUBJECTS HAVING HYPERTENSION, CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, DIABETES MELLITUS OR A VARIETY OF OTHER ILLNESSES WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THE OUTCOME MEASURES WERE 'SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING INVENTORY' (SUBI) SCORES, TAKEN ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF THE COURSE. THE INVENTORY CONSISTS OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO ONE'S FEELINGS AND ATTITUDE ABOUT VARIOUS AREAS OF LIFE, SUCH AS HAPPINESS, ACHIEVEMENT AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING SCORES OF THE 77 SUBJECTS WITHIN A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS AS COMPARED TO CONTROLS. THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SHORT LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION AND STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM LEADS TO REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE SUBJECTIVE WELL BEING SCORES OF THE SUBJECTS AND CAN THEREFORE MAKE AN APPRECIABLE CONTRIBUTION TO PRIMARY PREVENTION AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT OF LIFESTYLE DISEASES. 2008 18 415 24 BODY AWARENESS, EATING ATTITUDES, AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS OF WOMEN PRACTICING YOGA. THIS RESEARCH EVALUATED ATTITUDES ABOUT BODY IMAGE AND EATING IN WOMEN PRACTICING POSTURAL YOGA. STUDY 1 DESCRIBED SCORES FROM QUESTIONNAIRES ON VARIABLES RELATED TO BODY AWARENESS, INTUITIVE EATING, SPIRITUALITY, AND REASONS FOR PRACTICING. SCORES WERE FAVORABLE ON ALL MEASURES WITH SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS (P < .01) AMONG ALL MAIN VARIABLES EXCEPT BETWEEN SPIRITUAL READINESS AND INTUITIVE EATING, AND BETWEEN BMI AND BOTH BODY AWARENESS AND SPIRITUAL READINESS. REASONS FOR PRACTICING DID NOT AFFECT SCORES. STUDY 2 EVALUATED INTERVIEWS IN A SUB-SAMPLE. QUALITATIVE DATA REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY SATISFACTION AND DISORDERED EATING DUE IN PART TO YOGA AND ITS ASSOCIATED SPIRITUALITY. 2009 19 2269 26 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH. OBJECTIVE: BOTH YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BENEFICIAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. WITHIN YOGA RESEARCH, HOWEVER, SPIRITUALITY IS STILL A WIDELY NEGLECTED AREA. THE PRESENT SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AIMS TO EXPLORE EMPIRICAL STUDIES, WHICH DO, IN FACT, INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC. THE REVIEW EXAMINES WHETHER AVAILABLE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY AND, IF SO, WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. METHODS: THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOLLOWED THE PRISMA GUIDELINE (PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020155043). EMPIRICAL STUDIES WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, GERMAN, OR HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE WERE SELECTED FROM A DATABASE SEARCH IN GOOGLE SCHOLAR, PSYCINFO, AND SCIENCE DIRECT. A TOTAL OF 30 STUDIES MET THE FINAL INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA PRACTICE SEEMS TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SPIRITUALITY. THIS ASSOCIATION CONCERNS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS, A SEARCH FOR INSIGHT/WISDOM, AN INTEGRATIVE WORLDVIEW, A SENSE OF MEANING AND PEACE, FAITH, HOPE, COMPASSION, AND HAPPINESS WITHIN. TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, REGULAR PRACTICE APPEARS TO BE ESSENTIAL. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SEEM TO HAVE BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL MOTIVES FOR PRACTICING. AT LEAST IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, HOWEVER, PHYSICAL INTENTIONS ARE MORE PREVALENT THAN SPIRITUAL ONES. THE MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS IS ALSO DISCUSSED. DUE TO RISK OF BIAS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE REVIEWED STUDIES, HOWEVER, OUTCOMES MUST BE TAKEN WITH CAUTION. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY. FOR MORE EVIDENCE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE TOPIC IS SUGGESTED. PARTICULARLY, WE PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF HOLISTIC FORMS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND A COMPARISON OF EASTERN AND WESTERN APPROACHES TO YOGA. 2021 20 1780 24 PREDICTORS OF ADHERENCE TO AN IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. CONTEXT: DESPITE THE KNOWN HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, PARTICIPATION RATES IN CANCER SURVIVOR GROUPS REMAIN LOW. RESEARCHERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE MODES OF NONTRADITIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES THAT MAY INCREASE PARTICIPATION AND ADHERENCE RATES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE DETERMINANTS OF YOGA IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. AIM: TO EXAMINE PREDICTORS OF IYENGAR YOGA ADHERENCE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS USING THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: CLASSES WERE HELD EITHER IN CAMPUS RECREATION FACILITIES OR AT THE BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE FITNESS CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN EDMONTON, CANADA. THE STUDY WAS AN EVALUATION OF AN EXISTING YOGA PROGRAM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWENTY-THREE POST ADJUVANT THERAPY BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS PARTICIPATING IN A COMMUNITY-BASED, TWICE WEEKLY, 12 WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE BASELINE MEASURES OF THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR, DEMOGRAPHIC, MEDICAL, HEALTH/FITNESS, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES. ADHERENCE WAS MEASURED BY OBJECTIVE ATTENDANCE TO THE CLASSES. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: WE ANALYZED UNIVARIATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN PREDICTORS AND YOGA ADHERENCE WITH INDEPENDENT T-TESTS. RESULTS: ADHERENCE TO THE IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM WAS 63.9% AND WAS PREDICTED BY STRONGER INTENTION (P<0.001), GREATER SELF-EFFICACY (P=0.003), MORE POSITIVE INSTRUMENTAL ATTITUDE (PS=0.025), HIGHER DISEASE STAGE (P=0.018), YOGA EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST YEAR, (P=0.044), DIAGNOSIS OF A SECOND CANCER (P=0.008), LOWER FATIGUE (P=0.037), AND GREATER HAPPINESS (P=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: ADHERENCE TO IYENGAR YOGA IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS WAS STRONGLY RELATED TO MOTIVATIONAL VARIABLES FROM THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR. RESEARCHERS ATTEMPTING TO IMPROVE YOGA ADHERENCE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS MAY BENEFIT FROM TARGETING THE KEY CONSTRUCTS IN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR. 2012