1 1319 121 HEART RATE VARIABILITY, FLOW, MOOD AND MENTAL STRESS DURING YOGA PRACTICES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA ARE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AUTONOMIC FLEXIBILITY, SELF-REGULATION AND WELL-BEING, AND INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND PATHOLOGY. YOGA ENHANCES AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY, MITIGATES STRESS AND BENEFITS STRESS-RELATED CLINICAL CONDITIONS, YET THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES DURING YOGA PRACTICES AND STRESSFUL STIMULI HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY EXPLORED. THIS EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXPLORED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HRV, MOOD STATES AND FLOW EXPERIENCES IN REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YP), NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS (NY) AND PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS), DURING MENTAL ARITHMETIC STRESS TEST (MAST) AND VARIOUS YOGA PRACTICES. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THE MAST PLACED A CARDIO-AUTONOMIC BURDEN IN ALL PARTICIPANTS WITH THE YP GROUP SHOWING THE GREATEST REACTIVITY AND THE MOST RAPID RECOVERY, WHILE THE METS GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BLUNTED RECOVERY. THE YP GROUP ALSO REPORTED A HEIGHTENED EXPERIENCE OF FLOW AND POSITIVE MOOD STATES COMPARED TO NY AND METS GROUPS AS WELL AS HAVING A HIGHER VAGAL TONE DURING ALL RESTING CONDITIONS. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE A GREATER HOMEOSTATIC CAPACITY AND AUTONOMIC, METABOLIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESILIENCE. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NOW NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY IMPROVE AUTONOMIC FLEXIBILITY IN NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS. CLINICAL TRIAL NO 'ACTRN 2614001075673'. 2016 2 311 55 AN EXPLORATIVE STUDY OF METABOLIC RESPONSES TO MENTAL STRESS AND YOGA PRACTICES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. BACKGROUND: STRESS PLACES A METABOLIC BURDEN ON HOMEOSTASIS AND IS LINKED TO HEIGHTENED SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, INCREASED ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND PATHOLOGY. THE YOGIC STATE IS A HYPOMETABOLIC STATE THAT CORRESPONDS WITH MIND-BODY COHERENCE AND REDUCED STRESS. THIS STUDY AIMED TO INVESTIGATE METABOLIC RESPONSES TO STRESS AND DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES IN REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YP), NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS (NY) AND METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS (MS). METHODS: YP (N = 16), NY (N = 15) AND MS (N = 15) SUBJECTS UNDERWENT AN EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL THAT COMPRISED OF DIFFERENT 5-MINUTE INTERVENTIONS INCLUDING MENTAL ARITHMETIC STRESS TEST (MAST), ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING (ANB), KAPABHATI BREATHING (KB) AND MEDITATION (MED) INTERSPERSED WITH 5 MINUTES OF QUIET RESTING (NEUTRAL CONDITION (NC)). DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIODS CONTINUOUS BODY WEIGHT ADJUSTED OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2ML/MIN/KG) WAS MEASURED USING OPEN CIRCUIT INDIRECT CALORIMETRY WITH A CANOPY HOOD. RESULTS: THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO REPORT OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (OC) IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING AND AFTER MAST AND THE FIRST TO REPORT BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN DIFFERENT POPULATIONS. THE RESULTS WERE ANALYSED WITH SPSS 16 USING 3X9 MIXED FACTORIAL ANOVAS. THE SINGLE BETWEEN-SUBJECT FACTOR WAS GROUP (YP, NY AND MS), THE SINGLE WITHIN-SUBJECT FACTOR WAS MADE UP OF THE NINE INTERVENTION PHASES (NC1, MAST, NC2, ANB, NC3, KB, NC4, MED, NC5). THE RESULTS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE REGULAR YP GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LESS OC AND GREATER VARIABILITY IN THEIR OC ACROSS ALL PHASES COMPARED TO THE MS GROUP (P = .003) AND NY GROUP (P = .01). ALL GROUPS SIGNIFICANTLY RAISED THEIR OC DURING THE MENTAL ARITHMETIC STRESS, HOWEVER THE MS GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY BLUNTED POST-STRESS RECOVERY WHEREAS THE YP GROUP RAPIDLY RECOVERED BACK TO BASELINE LEVELS WITH POST STRESS RECOVERY BEING GREATER THAN EITHER THE NY GROUP OR MS GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE GREATER METABOLIC VARIABILITY COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS WITH REDUCED OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS DURING RESTING CONDITIONS AND MORE RAPID POST-STRESS RECOVERY. OC IN METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS DISPLAYS SIGNIFICANTLY BLUNTED POST-STRESS RECOVERY DEMONSTRATING REDUCED METABOLIC RESILIENCE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS RANDOMISED TRIALS THAT SUGGEST REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY MITIGATE AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF METABOLIC SYNDROME. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: ACTRN12614001075673; DATE OF REGISTRATION: 07/10/2014. 2014 3 1489 31 INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS IN YOGA. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: BODILY PROCESSES HAVE BEEN INTIMATELY LINKED TO SOCIAL-COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS COMPASSION AND EMPATHY. YET, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW AWARENESS OF BODILY PROCESSES INFLUENCES SOCIAL AWARENESS AND VICE VERSA, ESPECIALLY IN NONOBSERVATIONAL BUT EXPERIENTIAL INVESTIGATIONS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOMETRICALLY REPORTED BODY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS (INCLUDING ALTRUISM, EMPATHY, PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, AND COMPASSION) IN 90 YOGA AND YOGA-/MEDIATION-NAIVE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. IN MODERN POSTURAL YOGA, ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS CLAIM BOTH INCREASED COMPASSION AND INNER FOCUS. METHODS: MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO PREDICT (1) THE LEVEL OF YOGA PRACTICE FROM BODY AWARENESS AND SOCIAL AWARENESS SKILLS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND (2) BODY AWARENESS FROM SOCIAL SKILLS IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: BODY AWARENESS AND COMPASSION WERE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE AND INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. THIS FINDING SUPPORTS PRACTITIONERS' ANECDOTAL CLAIMS BUT ALSO IMPLIES THAT BOTH FUNCTIONS TAP INTO DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF YOGA EXPERTISE. WHEN BODY AWARENESS WAS PREDICTED, ALTRUISM EMERGED AS A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE PREDICTOR IN THE YOGA GROUP (BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP) AS A FUNCTION OF YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THESE RESULTS MIGHT COMPELLINGLY SUGGEST THAT, DESPITE HIGH COMPASSION, HEIGHTENED BODILY SELF-AWARENESS MIGHT INCREASE A SELF-CENTRED PERSPECTIVE AND LIMIT ALTRUISTIC ACTS IN ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS. 2017 4 857 20 EFFECT OF YOGA ON VIGILANCE, SELF RATED SLEEP AND STATE ANXIETY IN BORDER SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL IN INDIA. BACKGROUND: MILITARY OCCUPATIONS REQUIRE HEIGHTENED VIGILANCE WITH RESULTANT SLEEP DISTURBANCES, INCREASED ANXIETY AND REDUCED VIGILANCE. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE YOGA WITH PHYSICAL TRAINING TO REDUCE INSOMNIA, ANXIETY AND INCREASE VIGILANCE IN SECURITY PERSONNEL. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE BORDER SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL (BSF GROUP, MALES; MEAN AGE+/-SD = 30.4+/-7.4 YEARS) WERE COMPARED WITH 112 PERSONNEL OF A PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM (SIS GROUP). THE BSF GROUP RECEIVED YOGA FOR NINE DAYS AND THE SIS GROUP RECEIVED PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR THE SAME PERIOD. ASSESSMENTS WERE AT BASELINE AND AFTER 9 DAYS, WITH THE DIGIT VIGILANCE TEST (DVT), SPIELBERGER'S STAI-S, AND A SLEEP RATING QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: (1) BETWEEN GROUPS: (I) AT BASELINE THE BSF GROUP HAD HIGHER VIGILANCE AND MORE DAYTIME NAPS COMPARED TO THE SIS GROUP AND (II) AFTER NINE DAYS THE SIS GROUP HAD HIGHER STATE ANXIETY COMPARED TO THE BSF GROUP (ANOVA, BONFERRONI ADJUSTED POST-HOC COMPARISONS; SPSS VERSION 24.0) (2) IN POST-PRE INTERVENTION COMPARISONS (I) THE BSF GROUP INCREASED VIGILANCE AND DECREASED STATE ANXIETY AFTER YOGA, WITH IMPROVED SLEEP, WHILE (II) THE SIS GROUP SHOWED INCREASED VIGILANCE AFTER PHYSICAL TRAINING. CONCLUSION: YOGA MAY IMPROVE SLEEP, REDUCE ANXIETY WHILE INCREASING VIGILANCE IN OCCUPATIONS REQUIRING VIGILANCE. 2019 5 1191 24 EVOLUTION FROM FOUR MENTAL STATES TO THE HIGHEST STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS: A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF MEDITATION AS DEFINED IN YOGA TEXTS. THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES A THEORETICAL INTRODUCTION TO STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND REVIEWS NEUROSCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS OF MEDITATION. THE DIFFERENT STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONSIST OF FOUR MENTAL STATES, I.E., CANCALATA (RANDOM THINKING), EKAGRATA (NON-MEDITATIVE FOCUSING), DHARNA (FOCUSED MEDITATION), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AS DEFINED IN YOGA TEXTS. MEDITATION IS A SELF-REGULATED MENTAL PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP RELAXATION AND INCREASED INTERNALIZED ATTENTION. SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS ON MEDITATION REPORTED CHANGES IN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS AND NEUROIMAGING MEASURES. BUT MOST OUTCOMES OF MEDITATION STUDIES SHOWED INCONSISTENT RESULTS, THIS MAY BE DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN MEDITATION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES EVOLVED IN THE LAST 200 YEARS. TRADITIONALLY, THE FEATURES OF MEDITATION INCLUDE THE CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF THOUGHTS, BEHAVIORS, EMOTIONS, AND PERCEPTIONS. GENERALLY, MEDITATION INVOLVES NON-REACTIVE EFFORTLESS MONITORING OF THE CONTENT OF EXPERIENCE FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT. FOCUSED MEDITATION PRACTICE INVOLVES AWARENESS ON A SINGLE OBJECT AND OPEN MONITORING MEDITATION IS A NON-DIRECTIVE MEDITATION INVOLVED ATTENTION IN BREATHING, MANTRA, OR SOUND. THEREFORE, RESULTS OF FEW EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF ADVANCED MEDITATORS OR BEGINNERS REMAIN TENTATIVE. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COMPILE THE MEDITATION-RELATED CHANGES IN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROIMAGING PROCESSES AMONG EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE PRACTITIONERS. 2019 6 2002 23 STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, AND YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY REENTRY FOLLOWING INCARCERATION. THIS FIELD REPORT PROVIDES A RATIONALE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO SUPPORT REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PEOPLE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY FROM JAIL OR PRISON AND DESCRIBES AN AGENCY-BASED EXAMPLE OF YOGA CLASSES OFFERED IN THIS CONTEXT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED INCARCERATION FACE A MULTITUDE OF STRESSORS, WHICH CAN HEIGHTEN THE RISK OF SUBSTANCE USE AND SUPPORT THE NEED TO ADDRESS STRESS REDUCTION AS A PATHWAY TO REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE. ONE PROMISING INTERVENTION IS YOGA, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT STRESS-REDUCTION EFFECTS AMONG SEVERAL POPULATIONS. FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS IN THIS FIELD REPORT'S PRACTICE EXAMPLE REINFORCES THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO DECREASE STRESS AND COMPLEMENT SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT IN SUPPORTING HEALTH DURING THE TRANSITION FROM INCARCERATION TO COMMUNITY RETURN. FURTHER SCHOLARSHIP IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF YOGA IN THIS CONTEXT. 2018 7 2862 33 YOGA-BASED GROUP INTERVENTION FOR IN-PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM DISORDERS-A QUALITATIVE APPROACH. BACKGROUND: YOGA MAY POSE A PROMISING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN THE MULTIMODAL TREATMENT OF IN-PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM DISORDERS (SSD). HOWEVER, TO DATE, NO STUDIES HAVE QUALITATIVELY EXAMINED IN-PATIENTS' WITH SSD EXPERIENCES OF YOGA AS WELL AS THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF ITS LIMITATIONS AND BENEFITS AS A TREATMENT COMPONENT. THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY AIMED TO EXPLORE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES OF YOGA-BASED GROUP INTERVENTION (YOGI) FOR IN-PATIENTS WITH SSD IN GERMANY BY ASKING FOR THEIR SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES. FINDINGS COULD SERVE AS A PRELIMINARY BASIS FOR DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED YOGI MANUAL TAILORED TO THIS PATIENT GROUP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN TOTAL, 25 SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED DIRECTLY AFTER YOGI, FOR WHICH RESPONSES WERE EITHER NOTED DOWN BY HAND OR AUDIO-RECORDED. THE INTERVIEW GUIDE WAS PILOT-TESTED AND CONSISTED OF 14 QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE THE PERSONAL ARTICULATED EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN YOGI FROM IN-PATIENTS WITH SSD. POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, DEPRESSIVE, AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED DURING A DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW AND THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES. THE INTERVIEW DATA WAS TRANSCRIBED, CODED BY TWO INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS, AND ANALYSED USING AN INDUCTIVE THEMATIC APPROACH. THE RESEARCH TEAM COLLABORATIVELY DISCUSSED EMERGING CATEGORIES TO REDUCE REDUNDANCY AND FORM MEANINGFUL THEMES AND SUBTHEMES. RESULTS: THE ANALYSIS REVEALED SEVEN MAIN THEMES. YOGI WAS PERCEIVED AS FEASIBLE AND FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUAL ADAPTATION, CAPTURED BY THE THEME INCLUSIVITY. NEVERTHELESS, PARTICIPANTS ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGES; THUS, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. WHILE PRACTISING TOGETHER, PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED INTERCONNECTEDNESS AND DEVELOPED A MINDFUL STANCE AS THEY ACCEPTED THEIR LIMITATIONS AND ADAPTED EXERCISES WITH SELF-COMPASSION. PATIENTS DESCRIBED THAT FOLLOWING THE FLOW OF THE ASANAS REQUIRED PHYSICAL PERSISTENCE, WHICH ULTIMATELY LED MANY PARTICIPANTS TO EXPERIENCE CONFIDENCE AND RELAXATION. YOGI AFFECTED SYMPTOM REPRESENTATION AS HEIGHTENED AWARENESS LED PARTICIPANTS TO NOTICE IMPEDING AS WELL AS IMPROVED SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: YOGI SHOWED VARIOUS PROMISING EFFECTS ON IN-PATIENTS WITH SSD. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD EXAMINE TO WHAT EXTENT THESE EFFECTS CAN BE SUSTAINED AND HOW THE MINDFUL APPROACH DURING YOGI CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO AREAS OUTSIDE THE YOGA CLASS. FURTHERMORE, A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL COULD INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A MANUALISED YOGI. 2021 8 2515 24 YOGA CLASSES AS AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTING HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND:TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED RATES OF STRESS, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AS A RESULT, COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTERS ARE OFTEN OVERWHELMED BY THE DEMAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY EVALUATED THE POTENTIAL FOR HATHA YOGA CLASSES TO BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTING HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. RESULTS: AFTER 6 WEEKS OF TWICE-WEEKLY, HOUR-LONG YOGA CLASSES, SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN STRESS, ANXIETY, PATHOLOGICAL WORRY, AND RUMINATION WERE REPORTED BY 7 UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGEST THAT HATHA YOGA CLASSES MAY SERVE AS A WIDELY ACCESSIBLE, COST-EFFECTIVE EARLY INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE OFFERED AS A FIRST-LINE RECOMMENDATION TO STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH HEIGHTENED LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. 2022 9 464 16 CHANGES IN VIGILANCE, SELF RATED SLEEP AND STATE ANXIETY IN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN INDIA FOLLOWING YOGA. OBJECTIVES: TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF 9 DAYS OF YOGA ON SELF-RATED SLEEP, STATE ANXIETY AND PERFORMANCE IN A VIGILANCE TEST AMONG BORDER SECURITY FORCE (BSF) PERSONNEL. SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO BSF PERSONNEL TOOK PART IN THE TRIAL. THEY WERE ALL MALES, WITH AN AVERAGE AGE OF 30.9 +/- 7.4 YEARS. ALL OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN GUARDING THE COUNTRY'S BORDER. THEY WERE DEPUTED FOR 9 DAYS RESIDENTIAL TRAINING IN YOGA. BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING THEY WERE ASSESSED FOR SELF-RATED SLEEP, STATE ANXIETY AND VIGILANCE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN BSF PERSONNEL. THE BSF PERSONNEL SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SCORES IN THE VIGILANCE TEST, A DECREASE IN STATE ANXIETY, AND IMPROVED SELF-RATED SLEEP. 2018 10 2760 45 YOGA PRACTITIONERS UNIQUELY ACTIVATE THE SUPERIOR PARIETAL LOBULE AND SUPRAMARGINAL GYRUS DURING EMOTION REGULATION. CHRONIC STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ILLNESS. A HIGH PREVALENCE AND COST OF STRESS-RELATED ILLNESSES NORTH AMERICA WARRANTS INVESTIGATION INTO ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES WHICH MAY HELP REDUCE ADVERSE REACTIONS TO STRESSFUL STIMULI. EMOTION REGULATION IS THE PROCESS OF MONITORING AND ADJUSTING EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI AND STRESSORS. INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ADVERSE RESPONSES TO POTENTIALLY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, POTENTIALLY DUE TO ADAPTIONS IN EMOTION REGULATION. YOGA IS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INVOLVING STRETCHING EXERCISES AND MEDITATION, THAT MAY LESSEN INDIVIDUALS' LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY AND IMPROVE EMOTION REGULATION. HIGH-FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HF-HRV) IS CONSIDERED A MEASURE OF PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) ACTIVITY DURING THE EMOTION REGULATION. MEASURING HRV AND BRAIN ACTIVITY USING FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) OFFERS A USEFUL, NONINVASIVE APPROACH TO EVALUATING "NEUROVISCERAL" COMPONENTS OF EMOTION REGULATION. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YP) EXHIBIT DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF BRAIN ACTIVATION COMPARED TO RECREATIONAL ATHLETES (RA) WITHOUT CURRENT YOGA EXPERIENCE, WHILE VIEWING EMOTIONALLY AROUSING VISUAL STIMULI. OUR SECONDARY AIM WAS TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCES ACROSS GROUPS IN HRV THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION OF THESE STIMULI. ANALYSIS OF FMRI DATA DURING EXPOSURE TO EMOTION-EVOKING (EE) STIMULI REVEALED THAT THE YP GROUP ACTIVATED TWO UNIQUE BRAIN AREAS, NAMELY THE SUPERIOR PARIETAL LOBULE AND THE SUPRAMARGINAL GYRUS. THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENTIONAL AWARENESS AND REDUCED EGOCENTRIC BIAS, PROCESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN EMOTION REGULATION BY OTHERS. THE RA GROUP ACTIVATED THE INFERIOR MIDDLE FRONTAL CORTEX, AN AREA ASSOCIATED WITH COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL DURING EMOTION REGULATION. THE YP GROUP ALSO DEMONSTRATED A TREND TOWARDS A HIGHER RATIO OF LOW- TO HIGH-FREQUENCY HRV COMPARED TO THE RA GROUP. THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUPPORT THE PRESENCE OF EXPERIENCE-DEPENDENT NEUROVISCERAL MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH EMOTION REGULATION. INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REGULATE THEIR NEUROVISCERAL RESPONSES TO POTENTIALLY STRESSFUL EXTERNAL STIMULI IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN RECREATIONAL ATHLETES WHO DO NOT ENGAGE IN YOGA PRACTICE. THE PRESENT STUDY HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE (RA: N = 12; YP: N = 19), WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN INTERPRETING THE RESULTS. 2018 11 1504 24 INVESTIGATION OF YOGA PRANAYAMA AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION AND EMOTION REGULATION. BACKGROUND: COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN MATHEMATICS, HAVE MADE EMOTIONAL STRESS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR PREUNIVERSITY STUDENTS, EMOTIONS LIKE AGGRESSION TOWARD FELLOW STUDENTS AND TEACHERS INCREASE. MINDFULNESS IS A QUALITY THAT REDUCES BOTH EMOTIONAL STRESS AND AGGRESSION, SO INCREASING MINDFULNESS SHOULD BE HELPFUL. AIMS: TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRANAYAMA (YP) AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS (VM) ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND EMOTION REGULATION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 12(TH) GRADERS ATTENDING A PREUNIVERSITY COLLEGE IN CHIKKAMAGALURU, INDIA, OF BOTH GENDERS. EXCLUSION CRITERIA INCLUDED MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. THREE CLASSES WERE ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE INTERVENTIONS, WHICH CONSISTED OF 15 DAYS EACH OF 30 MIN DAILY INSTRUCTION IN YP, GROUP 1, VM, GROUP 2, OR 30 MIN ORDINARY CLASS WORK, GROUP 3, THE CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE USING THE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE, THE NONPHYSICAL AGGRESSION SCALE FROM PITTSBURGH YOUTH STUDY, AND THE EMOTION REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: SPSS 19.0. RESULTS: MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL REGULATION CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE YP GROUP, WHILE MINDFULNESS ALONE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE VM GROUP. NO GROUP CHANGED ON POSITIVE EMOTION REGULATION. CONTROLS APPARENTLY IMPROVED ON AGGRESSION. AN INTERESTING POST HOC CORRELATION ANALYSIS IS ALSO REPORTED, AMONG OTHER THINGS DIRECTLY LINKING INCREASED MINDFULNESS TO DECREASED AGGRESSION. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DECREASING EMOTIONAL PRESSURE ON STUDENTS FACING PREUNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS EXAMINATIONS. INCREASING MINDFULNESS IS CONSIDERED A WAY OF INCREASING EMOTION REGULATION, SO THE FAILURE OF THIS STUDY TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THAT IS OF INTEREST. 2017 12 1668 34 NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EMOTION AND COGNITION: A PILOT STUDY. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INVOLVES ATTENDING TO EMOTIONS WITHOUT COGNITIVE FIXATION OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. OVER TIME, THIS PRACTICE IS HELD TO PROMOTE ALTERATIONS IN TRAIT AFFECTIVITY AND ATTENTIONAL CONTROL WITH RESULTANT EFFECTS ON WELL-BEING AND COGNITION. HOWEVER, RELATIVELY LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING THE NEURAL SUBSTRATES OF MEDITATION EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND COGNITION. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED THE NEUROCOGNITIVE CORRELATES OF EMOTION INTERFERENCE ON COGNITION IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP (CG) UNDERWENT FMRI WHILE PERFORMING AN EVENT-RELATED AFFECTIVE STROOP TASK. THE TASK INCLUDES IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS AND STROOP TRIALS BRACKETED BY NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL DISTRACTORS. DURING IMAGE VIEWING TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED LESS REACTIVITY IN RIGHT DORSOLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (DLPFC) TO NEGATIVE AS COMPARED TO NEUTRAL IMAGES; WHEREAS THE CG HAD THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. A MAIN EFFECT OF VALENCE (NEGATIVE > NEUTRAL) WAS OBSERVED IN LIMBIC REGIONS (E.G., AMYGDALA), OF WHICH THE MAGNITUDE WAS INVERSELY RELATED TO DLPFC ACTIVATION. EXPLORATORY ANALYSES REVEALED THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF AMYGDALA ACTIVATION PREDICTED DECREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT IN THE CG, BUT NOT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS. DURING STROOP TRIALS, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD GREATER ACTIVATION IN VENTROLATERAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX (VLPFC) DURING STROOP TRIALS WHEN NEGATIVE, COMPARED TO NEUTRAL, EMOTIONAL DISTRACTOR WERE PRESENTED; THE CG EXHIBITED THE OPPOSITE PATTERN. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THOUGH YOGA PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT LIMBIC REACTIVITY TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL STIMULI, SUCH REACTIVITY DOES NOT HAVE DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON LATER MOOD STATE. THIS UNCOUPLING OF VIEWING NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL IMAGES AND AFFECT AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE OCCASIONED BY THEIR SELECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF FRONTAL EXECUTIVE-DEPENDENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EMOTIONAL INTERFERENCE DURING COMPETING COGNITIVE DEMANDS AND NOT DURING EMOTIONAL PROCESSING PER SE. 2012 13 1879 36 REASONS, YEARS AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE: EFFECT ON EMOTION RESPONSE REACTIVITY. YOGA PRACTICE, EVEN IN THE SHORT TERM, IS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE WELLBEING AND COUNTERACT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THROUGH MODIFICATION OF EMOTION REACTIVITY. YOGA TEACHES THAT EMOTIONAL RESPONSES MAY BE LESS PRONOUNCED WITH LONGER AND MORE FREQUENT PRACTICE, AND POTENTIALLY WHEN PEOPLE PERFORM YOGA FOR MENTAL RATHER THAN PHYSICAL REASONS. WE TESTED 36 YOGA PRACTITIONERS OF VARYING EXPERIENCE (BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND 11 YEARS OF PRACTICE). WE ASSESSED PARTICIPANTS' SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PERIPHERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS (HEART RATE, SKIN CONDUCTANCE, RESPIRATION) WHEN SEEING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PICTURES. RESULTS WERE ANALYZED AS A FUNCTION OF THE YEARS OF, FREQUENCY OF, AND REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND A HEART RATE INCREASE WITH THE DEGREE PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED YOGA FOR MENTAL REASONS. IN ADDITION, YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY RATE WHEN FACING NEGATIVE PICTURES, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF REDUCED AROUSAL WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE. FINALLY, REGARDING FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, A HIGHER FREQUENCY IN THE LAST MONTH WAS LINKED TO LESS NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS A REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY AMPLITUDE WHEN VIEWING POSITIVE PICTURES. ALTOGETHER, THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT INTENSE SHORT-TERM YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT RELATE TO A (I) DECREASE IN THE INTENSITY OF SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES AND (II) DEEPENED RESPIRATION. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS MIGHT BE SHAPED BY WHAT PARTICIPANTS EXPECT AS PRACTICE BENEFITS. HOWEVER, SEVERAL YEARS OF PRACTICE MIGHT BE NEEDED TO DECREASE RESPIRATORY AROUSAL IN THE FACE OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS, WHICH LIKELY IS A MANIFESTATION OF AN EVOLUTION IN THE EMOTION REGULATION PROCESS. 2018 14 2720 29 YOGA MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS EXHIBIT GREATER GRAY MATTER VOLUME AND FEWER REPORTED COGNITIVE FAILURES: RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY VOXEL-BASED MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS. HATHA YOGA TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANAS), BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION, INVOLVE THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS. IN TURN, YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICES MAY INDUCE THE STATE OF MINDFULNESS, WHICH, WHEN EVOKED RECURRENTLY THROUGH REPEATED PRACTICE, MAY ACCRUE INTO TRAIT OR DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS. PUTATIVELY, THESE CHANGES MAY BE MEDIATED BY EXPERIENCE-DEPENDENT NEUROPLASTIC CHANGES. THOUGH PRIOR STUDIES HAVE IDENTIFIED DIFFERENCES IN GRAY MATTER VOLUME (GMV) BETWEEN LONG-TERM MINDFULNESS PRACTITIONERS AND CONTROLS, NO STUDIES TO DATE HAVE REPORTED ON WHETHER YOGA MEDITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH GMV DIFFERENCES. THE PRESENT STUDY INVESTIGATED GMV DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS (YMP) AND A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP (CG). THE YMP GROUP EXHIBITED GREATER GM VOLUME IN FRONTAL, LIMBIC, TEMPORAL, OCCIPITAL, AND CEREBELLAR REGIONS; WHEREAS THE CG HAD NO GREATER REGIONAL GREATER GMV. IN ADDITION, THE YMP GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER COGNITIVE FAILURES ON THE COGNITIVE FAILURES QUESTIONNAIRE (CFQ), THE MAGNITUDE OF WHICH WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH GMV IN NUMEROUS REGIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE PRIMARY ANALYSIS. LASTLY, GMV WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH THE DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS FROM THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGEST THAT HATHA YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROMOTION OF NEUROPLASTIC CHANGES IN EXECUTIVE BRAIN SYSTEMS, WHICH MAY CONFER THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS THAT ACCRUE WITH REPEATED PRACTICE. 2012 15 314 23 AN IN-SITU INVESTIGATION OF THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON POSITIVE- AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND STATE-ANXIETY IN CONTEXT OF PERCEIVED STRESS. BACKGROUND: BIKRAM YOGA IS A RELATIVELY NEW, BUT AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE. ITS HEALTH BENEFITS WERE DEMONSTRATED ON PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. AIMS: THE CURRENT FIELD STUDY TESTED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON PRACTITIONERS' POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THEIR LINK TO THE SELF-PERCEIVED STRESS, IN BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. METHOD: FIELD STUDY, WITHIN-PARTICIPANTS DESIGN, TESTING PERCEIVED STRESS AND ITS RELATION TO CHANGES IN POSITIVE-/NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY IN 53 HABITUAL BIKRAM YOGA PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE CHANGES EMERGED IN ALL THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES AFTER THE 90-MIN BIKRAM YOGA SESSION. THE DECREASE IN NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. ESTIMATED EFFORT WAS UNRELATED TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHANGES RECORDED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES. HEART RATES AND SELF-REPORT MEASURES INDICATED THAT PHYSICALLY BIKRAM YOGA IS ONLY MILDLY CHALLENGING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATE THAT, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE PHYSICAL EFFORT, BIKRAM YOGA IS A NEW MILD FORM OF EXERCISE THAT REDUCES NEGATIVE-AFFECT AND STATE-ANXIETY, AND THE REDUCTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED STRESS. THEREFORE, BIKRAM YOGA APPEARS TO BE BENEFICIAL FOR ALL PRACTITIONERS, BUT EVEN MORE SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE SUBSTANTIAL STRESS IN THE DAILY LIFE. 2017 16 21 22 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED. 2018 17 154 16 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 18 1919 23 ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION IN THE CONTEXT OF DYSFUNCTIONAL SELF: A HYPOTHETICO-INTEGRATIVE APPROACH. AARON T. BECK DESCRIBES HABITUAL PATTERNS OF SCHEMAS (IE, ORGANIZED PATTERNS OF THOUGHT OR BEHAVIOR) AS VITAL ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL EXPERIENCE, WHEREAS BIASED PROCESSING OF INFORMATION ACCOMPANIES PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL STATES. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHORS PROPOSE A HYPOTHETICO-INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. THIS APPROACH IS BASED ON THE BACKGROUND OF BECK'S MODEL OF THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF THE DYSFUNCTIONAL SELF. THE AUTHORS HAVE FOUND THAT THE PRACTICES COMMON TO MOST FORMS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ARE (1) FOCUSING OF ATTENTION; (2) CREATING A STATE OF RELAXATION; AND (3) DEVELOPING MINDFULNESS THROUGH EFFERENT ATTENUATION, SENSORY ATTENUATION, AND NONANALYTIC ATTENTION. BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF MEDITATION AND YOGA HAVE FOUND A TENDENCY TOWARD USE OF THE RELAXATION RESPONSE, THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE ATTENTIONAL NETWORKS, AND, LIKELY, THE CINGULATECORTEX, PARTICULARLY IN THE PROCESS OF BARE ATTENTION (IE, AWARENESS WITHOUT THOUGHT). THIS HIGHEST LEVEL OF NONJUDGMENTAL AWARENESS MAY HELP IN OBTAINING A BETTER-ADJUSTED RESILIENT SELF. 2014 19 1289 31 GREATER WIDESPREAD FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY OF THE CAUDATE IN OLDER ADULTS WHO PRACTICE KRIPALU YOGA AND VIPASSANA MEDITATION THAN IN CONTROLS. THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES AFFECT BRAIN FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE RESTRICTED THEIR EXPLORATION TO PREDEFINED NETWORKS. FURTHERMORE, SCIENTIFIC COMPARISONS OF DIFFERENT CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITIONS ARE LARGELY LACKING. HERE WE EXPLORED DIFFERENCES IN WHOLE BRAIN RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS, EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS, AND MATCHED CONTROLS. ANALYSES WERE REPEATED IN AN INDEPENDENT SAMPLE OF EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS AND MATCHED CONTROLS. ANALYSES UTILIZING NETWORK-BASED STATISTICS (ZALESKY ET AL., 2010) REVEALED DIFFERENCE COMPONENTS FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS > CONTROLS AND MEDITATORS > CONTROLS IN WHICH THE RIGHT CAUDATE WAS A CENTRAL NODE. FOLLOW UP ANALYSES REVEALED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND MEDITATORS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE CENTRALITY IN THE CAUDATE THAN CONTROLS. THIS GREATER DEGREE CENTRALITY WAS NOT DRIVEN BY SINGLE CONNECTIONS BUT BY GREATER CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE CAUDATE AND NUMEROUS BRAIN REGIONS. FINDINGS OF GREATER CAUDATE CONNECTIVITY IN MEDITATORS THAN IN CONTROLS WAS REPLICATED IN AN INDEPENDENT DATASET. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS HAVE STRONGER FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY WITHIN BASAL GANGLIA CORTICO-THALAMIC FEEDBACK LOOPS THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS. ALTHOUGH WE COULD NOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR ITS MECHANISTIC ROLE, THIS GREATER CONNECTIVITY MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE OFTEN REPORTED EFFECTS OF MEDITATION AND YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL FLEXIBILITY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING. 2015 20 1631 23 MITIGATING THE ANTECEDENTS OF SPORTS-RELATED INJURY THROUGH YOGA. CONTEXT: INJURY RISK AMONG ATHLETES IS AN EPIDEMIC. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL LOADS IMPOSED ON ATHLETES THROUGH PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS AND TRAINING REGIMENS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE ATHLETES' INJURY RISK. AIMS: THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY ASSESSED WHETHER A 10-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION COULD BE IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY AND MITIGATED ANTECEDENTS OF SPORTS INJURY. METHODS: USING A PROSPECTIVE, NONEXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, 31 MALE SOCCER PLAYERS ATTENDING A COLLEGE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ENROLLED IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE RECOVERY-STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ATHLETES (RESTQ-SPORT) WAS COMPLETED AT THREE TIME-POINTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION. THE RESTQ-SPORT SCALES, IDENTIFIED AS STRONGEST PREDICTORS FOR INJURY, WERE HYPOTHESIZED TO BE MITIGATED THROUGH YOGA. RESULTS: TWO STRESS-RELATED SCALES WERE SIGNIFICANT IN THE HYPOTHESIZED DIRECTION: INJURY AND FATIGUE. THE GENERAL RECOVERY SCALE, GENERAL WELL-BEING, WAS SIGNIFICANT AT ONE TIME-POINT, BUT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS HYPOTHESIZED. CONCLUSIONS: POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED AND EXPLANATIONS FOR UNEXPECTED CHANGES ARE EXPLORED, ALONG WITH STUDY LIMITATIONS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATED INTO THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM OF SOCCER PLAYERS AND PROVISIONALLY SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO MITIGATE TWO SIGNIFICANT ANTECEDENTS OF INJURY, NAMELY, PERCEPTION OF PROPENSITY TO SUSTAIN INJURY AND GENERALIZED FATIGUE. 2020