1 1219 136 EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA: SURVEY FINDINGS FROM A POPULATION-BASED STUDY OF DIVERSE EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH STRESS LEVELS AMONG A DIVERSE POPULATION-BASED SAMPLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE. THE STUDY FURTHER EXPLORES WHETHER THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT FROM THE MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA, ENGAGE IN A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. DESIGN: EAT 2018 (EATING AND ACTIVITY OVER TIME) IS A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN WHICH SURVEY DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM 1568 ETHNICALLY/RACIALLY DIVERSE (81.2% NONWHITE) EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS (MEAN AGE: 22.0 +/- 2.0 YEARS). RESULTS: EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS HIGHLY PREVALENT. FOR EXAMPLE, 43.9% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE (ACE) (E.G., PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, OR SEXUAL ABUSE BEFORE AGE 18), WHEREAS 40.1% REPORTED EXPERIENCING DISCRIMINATION. EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER STRESS LEVELS. PRACTICING YOGA AT LEAST 30 MIN/WEEK WAS REPORTED BY 12.7% OF THE POPULATION, WITH VARIATION ACROSS SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. YOUNG ADULTS EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EITHER MORE OR SIMILARLY LIKELY TO PRACTICE YOGA THAN YOUNG ADULTS NOT REPORTING ADVERSE EVENTS. CONCLUSIONS: THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF EXPOSURE TO ADVERSE EVENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS POINTS TO A NEED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS. THUS, IT WAS PROMISING TO FIND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPOSED TO ADVERSE EVENTS, WHO MAY HAVE GREATER EMOTIONAL BURDENS, PRACTICE YOGA AT EQUAL OR GREATER PROPORTIONS TO THOSE WITHOUT THESE EXPOSURES. GIVEN THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR POPULATIONS LIVING WITH HIGH STRESS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP FURTHER OUTREACH EFFORTS AND PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, AND AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICING YOGA. 2020 2 2385 34 YOGA ADHERENCE IN OLDER WOMEN SIX MONTHS POST-OSTEOARTHRITIS INTERVENTION. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) IS A HIGHLY PREVALENT CONDITION WORLDWIDE. YOGA IS POTENTIALLY A SAFE AND FEASIBLE OPTION FOR MANAGING OA; HOWEVER, THE EXTENT OF LONG-TERM YOGA ADHERENCE IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE YOGA ADHERENCE 6 MONTHS AFTER PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN OA INTERVENTION PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY EMPLOYED A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN USING SURVEY, INTERVIEW, AND VIDEO RECORDINGS TO COLLECT BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA. A TOTAL OF 31 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AND RETURNED THE SURVEY, AND 10 VIDEOTAPED THEIR YOGA PRACTICE FOR 1 WEEK AND PARTICIPATED IN A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. RESULTS: A MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS (N=19, 61%) REPORTED THAT THEY WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA 6 MONTHS AFTER THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED PRACTICING 21 TO 30 MINUTES OF YOGA PER DAY (32%) 3 TO 4 DAYS PER WEEK (47%). "FEELING GOOD OR FEELING BETTER AFTER YOGA PRACTICE" (50%) AND "SET ASIDE A TIME" (31%) WERE THE MOST COMMON MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR YOGA ADHERENCE. DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS (42%), HAVING PAIN (25%), AND BEING TOO BUSY (25%) WERE THE MAJOR BARRIERS. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT PARTICIPANTS: (1) USED MINDFUL YOGA MOVEMENT, (2) INCORPORATED OTHER FORMS OF EXERCISE AND RESOURCES DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND (3) CREATED PERSONALIZED YOGA PROGRAMS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS OA PAIN, INCREASED PHYSICAL ENDURANCE, AND MORE RELAXATION. CONCLUSION: MANY PARTICIPANTS ADHERED TO YOGA PRACTICE 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION ALTHOUGH NOT AT THE FREQUENCY AND SEQUENCE AS PRESCRIBED. FEELING BETTER AFTER PRACTICE MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS, BUT OTHER FACTORS REMAINED KEY BARRIERS. 2015 3 664 29 EFFECT OF 90-MIN BIKRAM YOGA ON BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AMONG PRACTITIONERS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. BACKGROUND: IN OUR MODERN SOCIETY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE. BIKRAM YOGA IS A LOW IMPACT; MODERATE EXERCISE AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF MOTIVATION AND ADHERENCE TO THE PRACTICE IS UNKNOWN. THIS STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ON BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF COMPETENCE (THE SENSE OF SKILL MASTERY), AUTONOMY (VOLITIONALLY PERFORMING A TASK), AND RELATEDNESS (A CONNECTION WITH OTHERS) AS POSTULATED IN SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY FOR MOTIVATION. METHODS: THE SAMPLE INCLUDED BIKRAM YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES (N = 126) AVERAGED BETWEEN THE AGE GROUP OF 35 AND 64, PREDOMINATELY FEMALE, AND HIGHLY EDUCATED. RESPONSES TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED SATISFACTION IN EXERCISE SCALE WERE ANALYZED USING MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF FREQUENCY OF YOGA ATTENDANCE ON THE SATISFACTION OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS (I.E., COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS); (P = 0.025); SPECIFICALLY, YOGA PRACTITIONERS WHO ATTENDED FOUR OR MORE CLASSES PER WEEK HAD HIGHER SATISFACTION LEVELS OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEED FOR COMPETENCE (P = 0.013) AND RELATEDNESS (P = 0.034). A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT OF THE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE ON THE SATISFACTION OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS (I.E., COMPETENCE, AUTONOMY, AND RELATEDNESS) (P = 0.014) FOUND IN EXPERIENCED BIKRAM YOGA PRACTITIONERS, SPECIFICALLY FOR COMPETENCE (P = 0.013) AND RELATEDNESS (P = 0.023) COMPARED TO NOVICE COUNTERPARTS. CONCLUSION: THE STUDY PROVIDES SOME EVIDENCE OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S MOTIVATION FOR A 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE AND POSSIBLE ADHERENCE. FUTURE INVESTIGATION OF BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ADOPTING SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY APPEARS WORTHWHILE. 2020 4 1646 34 MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING A YOGA PRACTICE: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING WHY PEOPLE ADOPT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OR HOW THEIR REASONS FOR PRACTICE CHANGE WITH CONTINUED PRACTICE. FURTHERMORE, WHETHER THOSE WHO PRACTICE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA HAVE DIFFERENT MOTIVES REMAINS UNKNOWN. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF 1,702 YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY, ASKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND MOTIVES FOR INITIATING AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: THE MOST COMMON PRIMARY REASONS FOR STARTING YOGA WERE RELAXATION (26.6%) AND PREVENTION (25.5%), WHICH WERE ALSO THE MOST COMMON SECONDARY REASONS. NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE (55.3%) REPORTED A DIFFERENT PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING THAN FOR ADOPTING YOGA PRACTICE. PREVENTION (38.4%) AND SPIRITUALITY (26.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED PRIMARY REASONS FOR MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE PRACTICING LONGER THAN 5 YEARS AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE REPORTED A DIFFERENT CURRENT PRIMARY REASON FOR YOGA PRACTICE THAN THAT FOR WHICH THEY STARTED PRACTICING. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON YOGA'S APPEAL TO NOVICES AND REGULAR PRACTITIONERS, WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR MAKING YOGA APPEALING TO BEGINNERS AS WELL AS PROMOTING THE PRACTICE AS A LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR. 2019 5 2639 39 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW-BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC BACK PAIN AFFECTS A LARGE PROPORTION OF BOTH THE GENERAL POPULATION AND OF MILITARY VETERANS. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS THERAPIES EXIST FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, THEY CAN BE COSTLY AND TEND TO HAVE LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDITIONAL TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES IS IMPORTANT. THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) PATIENTS. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN WERE REFERRED BY THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A YOGA PROGRAM AS PART OF CLINICAL CARE. BEFORE STARTING YOGA, A VA PHYSICIAN TRAINED IN YOGA EVALUATED EACH PATIENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE SAFELY. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH STUDY CONSISTED OF COMPLETING A SHORT BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE BASELINE SCORES TO THOSE AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP FOR THE SINGLE GROUP, PRE-POST DESIGN. CORRELATIONS WERE USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER OUTCOMES. RESULTS: BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 33 PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE VA PATIENTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 55 YEARS. THEY WERE 21% FEMALE, 70% WHITE, 52% MARRIED, 68% COLLEGE GRADUATES, AND 44% WERE RETIRED. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND THE SHORT FORM-12 MENTAL HEALTH SCALE. THE NUMBER OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED AND THE FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS APPEARED HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND MODERATELY SATISFIED WITH THE EASE OF PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN MAY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF VETERANS. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS OF A PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN MAKE CONCLUSIONS TENTATIVE. A LARGER RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE YOGA PROGRAM IS PLANNED. 2008 6 122 43 A PILOT STUDY OF YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR ARTHRITIS IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. BACKGROUND: WHILE ARTHRITIS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DISABILITY, NON-HISPANIC BLACKS AND HISPANICS EXPERIENCE WORSE ARTHRITIS IMPACT DESPITE HAVING THE SAME OR LOWER PREVALENCE OF ARTHRITIS COMPARED TO NON-HISPANIC WHITES. PEOPLE WITH ARTHRITIS WHO EXERCISE REGULARLY HAVE LESS PAIN, MORE ENERGY, AND IMPROVED SLEEP, YET ARTHRITIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR LIMITING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, THAT TEACH STRESS MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MAY BE WELL SUITED FOR INVESTIGATION IN BOTH OSTEOARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. YOGA USERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE, FEMALE, AND COLLEGE EDUCATED. THERE ARE FEW STUDIES THAT EXAMINE YOGA IN MINORITY POPULATIONS; NONE ADDRESS ARTHRITIS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS A STUDY PROTOCOL EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PROVIDING YOGA TO AN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. METHODS/DESIGN: IN THIS ONGOING PILOT STUDY, A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 20 MINORITY ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH EITHER OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM OF YOGA CLASSES. IT IS BELIEVED THAT BY ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES DESIGNED FOR PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS, WITH RACIALLY CONCORDANT INSTRUCTORS; ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TO STANDARD ARTHRITIS TREATMENT AND SELF-CARE WILL BE ENHANCED. SELF-CARE IS DEFINED AS ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. THIS CONCEPT IS QUANTIFIED THROUGH COLLECTING PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOME MEASURES RELATED TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, HEALTH RESPONSIBILITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT. ADDITIONAL MEASURES COLLECTED DURING THIS STUDY INCLUDE: PHYSICAL FUNCTION, ANXIETY/DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SOCIAL ROLES, AND PAIN; AS WELL AS BASELINE DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL DATA. FIELD NOTES, QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA REGARDING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY ARE ALSO COLLECTED. ACCEPTABILITY IS DETERMINED BY RESPONSE/RETENTION RATES, POSITIVE QUALITATIVE DATA, AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THREE MONTHS. DISCUSSION: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN RECRUITING AND RETAINING PARTICIPANTS FROM A COMMUNITY CLINIC SERVING MINORITY POPULATIONS. ADOPTING BEHAVIORS THAT IMPROVE WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE INCLUDE THOSE THAT INTEGRATE MENTAL HEALTH (MIND) AND PHYSICAL HEALTH (BODY). FEW STUDIES HAVE EXAMINED OFFERING INTEGRATIVE MODALITIES TO THIS POPULATION. THIS PILOT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO QUANTIFY MEASURES OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY THAT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN EVALUATING FUTURE PLANS FOR EXPANDING THE STUDY OF YOGA IN URBAN, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01617421. 2013 7 1313 47 HEALTH-RELATED BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA CLASSES AMONG PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE HEALTHY, IN POOR HEALTH, OR WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. BACKGROUND: OUR PREVIOUS STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT 42% OF YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS IN JAPAN HAD CHRONIC DISEASES REQUIRING MEDICATION. THIS RAISES THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THOSE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WOULD BENEFIT FROM PRACTICING YOGA OR IF THEY ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR SPECIFIC ADVERSE EVENTS COMPARED TO HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING THE SAME INSTRUCTION. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS, 328 ADULTS WHO STARTED PRACTICING YOGA FOR THE FIRST TIME WERE ASKED TO COMPLETE THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS), PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS), AND MEDICAL OUTCOMES STUDY SHORT FORM 8, STANDARD VERSION (SF-8) AND TO RECORD ANY ADVERSE EVENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YOGA CLASS AND AGAIN THREE MONTHS LATER. THE PARTICIPANTS CONSISTED OF THREE GROUPS: A HEALTHY (H) GROUP (N = 70), A POOR HEALTH (PH) GROUP (N = 117), AND A CHRONIC DISEASE (CD) GROUP (N = 141). THE DEGREE OF SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS WAS ALSO COMPARED BETWEEN THE PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION PERIOD IN THE PH AND CD GROUPS. RESULTS: TYPICALLY, YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD ONCE A WEEK FOR 60-90 MIN. THE PROGRAMS INCLUDED ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS, MEDITATION, ISOMETRIC YOGA, AND SUKSHMA VYAYAMA. IN THE PH AND CD GROUPS, THE POMS TENSION-ANXIETY AND FATIGUE SCORES DECREASED AND THE VIGOR SCORE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE FIRST CLASS. FURTHERMORE, PSS SCORES DECREASED AND THE SF-8 SCORES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY THREE MONTHS LATER. THE DEGREE OF SUBJECTIVE SYMPTOMS SUCH AS EASY FATIGABILITY, SHOULDER STIFFNESS, AND INSOMNIA ALSO DECREASED OVER THREE MONTHS. INDIVIDUALS IN THESE GROUPS EXPERIENCED MORE FREQUENT ADVERSE EVENTS THAN THOSE IN THE H GROUP. THE PH AND CD GROUPS ALSO EXPERIENCED A GREATER VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING PSYCHOLOGICAL ONES, NOT REPORTED BY THE H GROUP. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE NOT SO SERIOUS THAT PARTICIPANTS STOPPED PRACTICING YOGA DURING THE CLASS. ABOUT 60% OF ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH PARTICIPATING IN YOGA CLASSES. CONCLUSIONS: IF YOGA CLASSES ARE CONDUCTED WITH ATTENTION TO POSSIBLE ADVERSE EVENTS, YOGA PRACTICE IN A YOGA STUDIO MAY HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS FOR PEOPLE WITH FUNCTIONAL SOMATIC SYMPTOMS AND CHRONIC DISEASES, AS WELL AS HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS. THESE BENEFITS INCLUDE REDUCTIONS IN PERCEIVED STRESS AND UNCOMFORTABLE SYMPTOMS AS WELL AS IMPROVED MOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2021 8 1812 40 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. BACKGROUND: TRAUMA IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE, OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER YOGA PRACTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A TRAUMA HISTORY AND MAY IMPROVE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. THUS, WE CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES. METHODS: TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASSES WERE LED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELD IN THREE SECTORS THAT WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ANONYMOUS SURVEY USING A RETROSPECTIVE PRE-POST DESIGN. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT CAPTURED REASONS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: STUDENTS WERE MOTIVATED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES BY EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. STUDENTS REPORTED PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING AND GREATER USE OF SELF-REGULATION SKILLS AFTER STARTING YOGA. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL BY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OR RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE VALUE OF OFFERING TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING WARRANT FORMAL STUDY. 2021 9 1723 35 PERCEPTIONS OF HATHA YOGA AMONGST PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED IN A TRIAL OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. OBJECTIVES: TO UNDERSTAND DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS' EXPERIENCES IN A 10-WEEK HATHA YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER 10 WEEKS OF HATHA YOGA CLASSES OR A HEALTH EDUCATION CONTROL GROUP. THIS REPORT INCLUDES RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS IN YOGA CLASSES. AT THE START OF CLASSES, AVERAGE DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY LEVEL WAS MODERATE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA CLASSES, WE ASKED PARTICIPANTS (N=50) TO PROVIDE WRITTEN RESPONSES TO OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY LIKED ABOUT CLASSES, WHAT THEY DID NOT LIKE OR DID NOT FIND HELPFUL, AND WHAT THEY LEARNED. WE ANALYZED QUALITATIVE DATA USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: ELEMENTS OF YOGA CLASSES THAT MAY INCREASE ACCEPTABILITY FOR DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS INCLUDE HAVING INSTRUCTORS WHO PROMOTE A NON-COMPETITIVE AND NON-JUDGMENTAL ATMOSPHERE, WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND ABLE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION, AND WHO ARE KIND AND WARM. INCLUDING DEPRESSION-RELATED THEMES IN CLASSES, TEACHING MINDFULNESS, TEACHING BREATHING EXERCISES, AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR TRANSLATING CLASS INTO HOME PRACTICE MAY HELP TO MAKE YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR TARGETING DEPRESSION. PARTICIPANTS' COMMENTS REINFORCED THE IMPORTANCE OF ASPECTS OF MINDFULNESS, SUCH AS ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF ONE'S SELF AND ONE'S EXPERIENCE, AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION. OTHER POTENTIAL MECHANISMS INCLUDE USE OF BREATHING PRACTICES IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT UNDERLIE THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF YOGIC BREATHING. THE MOST SERIOUS CONCERN HIGHLIGHTED BY A FEW PARTICIPANTS WAS THE CONCERN THAT THE YOGA CLASSES WERE TOO DIFFICULT GIVEN THEIR PHYSICAL ABILITIES. 2017 10 2920 22 [THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA IMMERSION, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS]. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT YEARS POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA (AS A KIND OF SPIRITUAL EXERCISE) IN REGARDS TO SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CAN BE FOUND AS WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE LITERATURE. METHOD: BASED ON A CONSTRUCT-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH A NEWLY DEVELOPED SCALE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF YOGA INVOLVEMENT (IMMERSION) WAS VALIDATED ON A SAMPLE OF 233 NON-CLINICAL SUBJECTS (210 FEMALES) BY MEANS OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND WELL ESTABLISHED PSYCHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS. FURTHERMORE, THE GROUP OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS COMPARED WITH A CONTROL GROUP CONSISTING OF 93 GYMNASTICS PRACTITIONERS (83 WOMEN) WITH RESPECT TO THESE PARAMETERS. RESULTS: THE AMOUNT OF YOGA IMMERSION (YI) CAN BE RELIABLY ASSESSED BY MEANS OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL YI-SCALE (10 ITEMS) AND SHOWS TO BE STRONGLY CORRELATED WITH MINDFULNESS (R = .56; P < .01), INNER CORRESPONDENCE (R = .61; P < .01) AND RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING (R = .68; P < .01). FURTHERMORE HIGHLY YOGA-IMMERSIVE PRACTITIONERS EXHIBITED A SIGNIFICANT HIGHER AMOUNT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING (P < .01) COMPARED TO MARGINALLY/MODERATELY YOGA-IMMERSIVE AND GYMNASTICS PRACTITIONERS. THE YOGA-GROUP ALSO SHOWED A LOWER AMOUNT OF PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS (E.G. DEPRESSION; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: THE GLOBALLY POSTULATED POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA-PRACTICING AND MENTAL HEALTH COULD BE CONFIRMED; THEREBY THE IMPACT OF YI CAN BE ASSUMED AS CENTRAL. FURTHER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL RESEARCH FOCUSING ON THE HEALTH/DISEASE-RELATED ASPECTS OF YI MIGHT BE CONDUCTED ESPECIALLY IN CLINICAL GROUPS. 2015 11 1243 47 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA, AEROBIC AND STRETCHING-TONING EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STAYFIT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG CLINICAL POPULATIONS AND OLDER ADULTS WHO USE THIS PRACTICE TO MANAGE AGE AND CHRONIC DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH YOGA CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS, PILOT STUDIES THAT EXAMINE ITS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, ARE LIMITED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE TARGET POPULATION IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGER SCALE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY DATA FROM A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) CONDUCTED WITH ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS N = 78 (MEAN AGE: 55 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, OR STRETCHING-TONING CONTROL GROUP WITH GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES HELD FOR 150 MIN/WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. HEREIN WE REPORT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, ATTRITION AND ADVERSE EVENTS, AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK AND SATISFACTION DATA. RESULTS: OF THE 233 ADULTS SCREENED, 109 WERE ELIGIBLE AND 78 RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THE THREE INTERVENTION ARMS. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH FOR ALL GROUPS (75.5-89.5%) AND 17 PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS HIGH (4.8 OR HIGHER OUT OF 5) AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. ONE COHORT (N = 15) OF THE INTERVENTION TRANSITIONED TO REMOTE INTERVENTION DELIVERY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FEASIBILITY DATA FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED THAT SYNCHRONIZED GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES VIA ZOOM WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR WERE ACCEPTABLE AND ENJOYABLE. PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK REGARDING MOST AND LEAST HELPFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE. THE FEASIBILITY PARAMETERS FROM THIS TRIAL CAN AID RESEARCHERS IN ESTIMATING RECRUITMENT RATES FOR DESIRED SAMPLE SIZES TO SUCCESSFULLY RANDOMIZE AND RETAIN CANCER SURVIVORS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA-BASED EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. THE FINDINGS ALSO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO CLINICIANS WHO CAN RECOMMEND UP TO 150 MIN OF A COMBINATION OF EXERCISES-AEROBIC, YOGA, OR STRETCHING-TONING TO THEIR CANCER PATIENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP. 2021 12 1732 33 PERSPECTIVE OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE DISORDERS. HOWEVER, DATA RELATED TO PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA SERVICES AND THE BENEFITS AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA BY PATIENTS WITH MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IS LACKING. AIM: THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS FEEDBACK OF THE PATIENTS WHO ATTENDED YOGA SESSIONS AT A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS WAS A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY USING A SPECIFIC QUESTIONNAIRE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PATIENTS REFERRED TO THE NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTER FOR YOGA, AT THE END OF THEIR YOGA TRAINING. RESULTS: TWO HUNDRED AND ONE PATIENTS' DATA WERE INCLUDED IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY. MOST OF THE PATIENTS WERE REFERRED BY THE DOCTORS. THE YOGA MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED, FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION. ON AN AVERAGE, PATIENTS ATTENDED 13 SESSIONS. MOST OF THEM PRACTICED YOGA FOR 1-2 WEEKS AND HAD MISSED LESS THAN 2 SESSIONS. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PATIENTS REPORTED THAT PRACTICING YOGA HELPED THEM. SPEARMAN CORRELATION ANALYSIS REVEALED POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA AND VARIABLES AFFECTING QUALITY OF YOGA SERVICES AT THE CENTER, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED. OVERALL HEALTH AND SLEEP IMPROVEMENT ALSO POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH IMPROVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO YOGA. A MINORITY OF PATIENTS REPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS, ALTHOUGH THESE DID NOT LEAD TO DISCONTINUATION. CONCLUSION: IN THIS RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF PATIENTS REFERRED TO A YOGA CENTER IN A TERTIARY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH MAJOR MENTAL DISORDERS WERE ABLE TO PRACTICE YOGA UNDER SUPERVISION AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS WITH MINIMAL ADVERSE EFFECTS. 2021 13 1946 20 SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE VERSUS IN-PERSON YOGA DURING COVID-19. INTRODUCTION: DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, YOGA CLASSES TRANSITIONED TO ONLINE DELIVERY. THIS REPORT COMPARES THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO ONLINE AND IN-PERSON YOGA AND DETERMINE THE PREFERRED FORMAT. A SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE HOW WELL EACH FORMAT WAS PERCEIVED TO PRODUCE COMMON BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: IN-PERSON YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, PHYSICAL SATISFACTION, AND FEELING ENERGIZED. ONLINE YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR CONVENIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, AND AFFORDABILITY (INITIAL N = 156; FOLLOW-UP N = 55). CONCLUSION: ONLINE YOGA WAS ACCEPTABLE AND PERCEIVED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH AND MOOD. 2021 14 2763 28 YOGA PROGRAM FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE: QUALITATIVE STUDY TO EXPLORE REASONS FOR NON-PARTICIPATION IN A FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IN INDIA. BACKGROUND: YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). WE DEVELOPED A YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE AND CONDUCTED A FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) IN INDIA. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE WHY POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE STUDY, USING SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, WAS CONDUCTED AT A YOGA CENTER IN NEW DELHI, INDIA. FOURTEEN PEOPLE (10 WOMEN AND FOUR MEN) WHO DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT WERE INTERVIEWED, AND 13 OF THEM COMPLETED THE NON-PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH CAPTURED THEIR SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS, DIETS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND REASONS FOR DECLINING. RESULTS: THREE TYPES OF BARRIERS WERE IDENTIFIED AND EXPLORED WHICH PREVENTED PARTICIPATION IN THE FEASIBILITY RCT: (1) PERSONAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS LACK OF TIME, PERCEIVED SUFFICIENCY OF KNOWLEDGE, PREFERENCES ABOUT SELF-MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH, AND TRUST IN OTHER TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES; (2) CONTEXTUAL BARRIERS, SUCH AS SOCIAL INFLUENCES AND LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT PREVENTIVE CARE; AND (3) STUDY-RELATED BARRIERS, SUCH AS LACK OF STUDY INFORMATION, POOR ACCESSIBILITY TO THE YOGA SITE, AND LACK OF TRUST IN THE STUDY METHODS AND INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: WE IDENTIFIED AND EXPLORED PERSONAL, CONTEXTUAL, AND STUDY-RELATED BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN A FEASIBILITY RCT IN INDIA. THE FINDINGS WILL HELP TO ADDRESS RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES IN FUTURE YOGA AND OTHER RCTS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:WWW.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, IDENTIFIER: CTRI/2019/05/018893. 2021 15 1495 26 INTERVENTION PROTOCOL FOR INVESTIGATING YOGA IMPLEMENTED DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. OBJECTIVE: FATIGUE AND OTHER TREATMENT-RELATED SYMPTOMS ARE CRITICAL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH COLORECTAL CANCER DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. YOGA IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING THESE THERAPEUTIC TARGETS AND HAS BEEN PRIMARILY INVESTIGATED IN THE GROUP-CLASS FORMAT, WHICH IS LESS FEASIBLE FOR CANCER PATIENTS WITH HIGH SYMPTOM BURDEN TO ATTEND. THUS, WE DEVELOPED A PROTOCOL FOR IMPLEMENTING YOGA INDIVIDUALLY IN THE CLINIC AMONG PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. METHODS: WE FOLLOWED RECOMMENDED DOMAINS FOR DEVELOPING A YOGA PROTOCOL TO BE USED IN AN EFFICACY TRIAL. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE CONSIDERATION TO THE STYLE, DELIVERY, COMPONENTS OF THE INTERVENTION, DOSE, SPECIFIC CLASS SEQUENCES, FACILITATION OF HOME PRACTICE, MEASUREMENT OF INTERVENTION FIDELITY, SELECTION OF INSTRUCTORS, AND DEALING WITH MODIFICATIONS. THE INTERVENTION PROTOCOL WAS DEVELOPED BY AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM. PROTOCOL: YOGA SKILLS TRAINING (YST) CONSISTS OF FOUR 30-MINUTE IN-PERSON SESSIONS AND WAS IMPLEMENTED WHILE IN THE CHAIR DURING CHEMOTHERAPY INFUSIONS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER WITH RECOMMENDED DAILY HOME PRACTICE FOR EIGHT WEEKS. THERAPEUTIC GOALS OF THE YST ARE TO REDUCE FATIGUE, CIRCADIAN DISRUPTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. ELEMENTS OF THE YST ARE AWARENESS MEDITATION, GENTLE SEATED MOVEMENT, BREATHING PRACTICE, AND RELAXATION MEDITATION. ATTENTION, COMFORT, AND EASE ARE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED. CONCLUSION: THIS DESCRIPTION OF A PROTOCOL FOR INTEGRATING YOGA WITH CONVENTIONAL CANCER TREATMENT WILL INFORM FUTURE STUDY DESIGNS AND CLINICAL PRACTICE. THE DESIGN OF THE YST IS NOVEL BECAUSE IT IMPLEMENTS YOGA-MOST COMMONLY STUDIED WHEN TAUGHT TO GROUPS OUTSIDE OF THE CLINICAL SETTING- INDIVIDUALLY DURING CLINICAL CARE. 2016 16 2515 28 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 17 2158 19 THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO SELF-EVALUATION ON SKILL ACQUISITION WITH YOGA POSTURES. THIS STUDY EVALUATED THE USE OF VIDEO SELF-EVALUATION AND VIDEO FEEDBACK TO INCREASE THE ACCURACY OF YOGA POSES. THE INTERVENTIONS WERE ASSESSED IN A MULTIPLE BASELINE DESIGN ACROSS BEHAVIORS WITH 2 ADULTS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT VIDEO SELF-EVALUATION INCREASED THE ACCURACY OF ALL POSES, AND VIDEO FEEDBACK FURTHER INCREASED THE ACCURACY OF 1 POSE FOR 1 PARTICIPANT. 2015 18 2749 44 YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF MOTIVATION, HEALTH BENEFITS AND BEHAVIOURS. OBJECTIVES: DESPITE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA AND EVIDENCE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE IN THE UK. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO PRACTISE YOGA, REASONS FOR INITIATING AND MAINTAINING PRACTICE, AND PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE ANONYMOUS SURVEY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH UK-BASED YOGA ORGANISATIONS, STUDIOS AND EVENTS, THROUGH EMAIL INVITES AND FLYERS. 2434 YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED THE SURVEY, INCLUDING 903 YOGA TEACHERS: 87% WERE WOMEN, 91% WHITE AND 71% DEGREE EDUCATED; MEAN AGE WAS 48.7 YEARS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PERCEIVED IMPACT OF YOGA ON HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INJURIES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND MEASURES OF HEALTH, LIFESTYLE, STRESS AND WELL-BEING. RESULTS: IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL POPULATION NORMS, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WELL-BEING BUT ALSO HIGHER ANXIETY; LOWER PERCEIVED STRESS, BODY MASS INDEX AND INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, AND HIGHER RATES OF POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. 47% REPORTED CHANGING THEIR MOTIVATIONS TO PRACTISE YOGA, WITH GENERAL WELLNESS AND FITNESS KEY TO INITIAL UPTAKE, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AND SPIRITUALITY IMPORTANT TO CURRENT PRACTICE. 16% OF PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STARTING YOGA TO MANAGE A PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION. RESPONDENTS REPORTED THE VALUE OF YOGA FOR A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH CONDITIONS, MOST NOTABLY FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. 20.7% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE YOGA-RELATED INJURY OVER THEIR LIFETIME. CONTROLLING FOR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ACCOUNTED FOR SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE IN HEALTH-RELATED REGRESSION MODELS (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THIS FIRST DETAILED UK SURVEY WERE CONSISTENT WITH SURVEYS IN OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. YOGA WAS PERCEIVED TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WAS LINKED TO POSITIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA'S ROLE IN SELF-CARE COULD INFORM HEALTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY COUNTRIES. 2020 19 1240 29 FEASIBILITY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SYMPTOMS BUT HAVE RARELY BEEN TESTED IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED DISEASE. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR MBC AND THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TESTING THE INTERVENTION. METHODS: SIXTY-THREE WOMEN WITH MBC WERE RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP COMPARISON CONDITION. BOTH INTERVENTIONS INVOLVED EIGHT WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS QUANTIFIED USING RATES OF ACCRUAL, ATTRITION, AND SESSION ATTENDANCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT MEASURE. PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS, AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, POST-INTERVENTION, AND 3 AND 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: WE MET GOALS FOR ACCRUAL AND RETENTION, WITH 50% OF ELIGIBLE PATIENTS ENROLLED AND 87% OF RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING POST-INTERVENTION SURVEYS. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 90% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP ATTENDED >/= 4 SESSIONS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 65% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP INDICATED THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE INTERVENTION. FOLLOWING TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION HAD MODEST IMPROVEMENTS IN SOME OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, OVERALL SYMPTOM LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONTENT WAS HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE TO PATIENTS WITH MBC, BUT THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING AN INTERVENTION INVOLVING EIGHT GROUP-BASED IN-PERSON SESSIONS. ALTERNATIVE MODES OF DELIVERY MAY BE NECESSARY TO REACH PATIENTS MOST IN NEED OF INTERVENTION. 2019 20 1684 20 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010