1 331 130 APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY TO INCREASE IMITATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND/AIM: CHILDREN WITH AUTISM EXHIBIT SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS IN IMITATION SKILLS, WHICH IMPEDE THE ACQUISITION OF MORE COMPLEX BEHAVIOR AND SOCIALIZATION. IMITATION IS OFTEN TARGETED EARLY IN INTERVENTION PLANS AND CONTINUES TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE CHILD'S TREATMENT. THE USE OF INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS RARELY REPORTED AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH THERAPIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED IAYT AS A TREATMENT METHOD WITH CHILDREN WITH ASD TO INCREASE IMITATIVE SKILLS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARENTS AND SIX CHILDREN WITH ASD PARTICIPATED IN A 10-MONTH PROGRAM OF 5-WEEKLY SESSIONS AND REGULAR PRACTICE AT HOME. PRE, MID AND POST TREATMENT ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED OBSERVERS AND PARENT RATINGS OF CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS IN TASKS RELATED TO IMITATION SKILLS SUCH AS GROSS MOTOR ACTIONS, VOCALIZATION, COMPLEX IMITATION, ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS AND IMITATING BREATHING EXERCISES. RESULTS: IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS ESPECIALLY POINTING TO BODY, POSTURAL AND ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS. PARENTS REPORTED CHANGE IN THE PLAY PATTERN OF THESE CHILDREN WITH TOYS, PEERS AND OBJECTS AT HOME. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT IAYT MAY OFFER BENEFITS AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO INCREASE IMITATION, COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SOCIAL-COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH ASD. IN ADDITION, CHILDREN EXHIBITED INCREASED SKILLS IN EYE CONTACT, SITTING TOLERANCE, NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND RECEPTIVE SKILLS TO VERBAL COMMANDS RELATED TO SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP. 2010 2 562 32 CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD), INCLUDING POOR GROSS AND FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE, POOR BALANCE, AND INCOORDINATION. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. OBJECTIVE: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION USING CREATIVE YOGA ON THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD WERE EVALUATED. DESIGN: THIS STUDY HAD A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED BETWEEN 5 AND 13 YEARS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST-DELIVERED YOGA OR ACADEMIC INTERVENTION. CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MOTOR MEASURE, THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PERFORMANCE-2ND EDITION (BOT-2). THE IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN USING FAMILIAR TRAINING-SPECIFIC ACTIONS (IE, POSES FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BUILDING ACTIONS FOR THE ACADEMIC GROUP) WERE ALSO ASSESSED. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED GROSS MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND DISPLAYED FEWER IMITATION/PRAXIS ERRORS WHEN COPYING TRAINING-SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. IN CONTRAST, CHILDREN IN THE ACADEMIC GROUP IMPROVED THEIR FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND PERFORMED FEWER IMITATION ERRORS WHILE COMPLETING THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC BUILDING ACTIONS. LIMITATIONS: THE STUDY LIMITATIONS INCLUDE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND LACK OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE PROMISING TOOLS FOR ENHANCING THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2019 3 1474 27 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. A SPECIALLY DESIGNED INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS OVER A PERIOD OF TWO ACADEMIC YEARS. DESPITE LOW NUMBERS (SIX IN EACH ARM), CONSISTENCY AND MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS MAKE THE FINDINGS SIGNIFICANT. PARENTAL PARTICIPATION, ALLOWING FIRM GUIDANCE TO BE GIVEN TO EACH CHILD, RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMITATION AND OTHER SKILLS, AND IN BEHAVIOR AT HOME AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT GUIDED IMITATION OF THERAPIST BODY POSITIONS STIMULATED MIRROR NEURON ACTIVATION, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SENSE OF SELF. 2010 4 422 29 BRIDGING THE SCHISM OF SCHIZOPHRENIA THROUGH YOGA-REVIEW OF PUTATIVE MECHANISMS. SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS EXPERIENCE A 'DISCONNECT' AT MULTIPLE LEVELS-NEURONAL NETWORKS, MENTAL PROCESSES, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THE RESULTANT POOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY ARE RELATED TO THE PERSISTENT COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, WHICH ARE RATHER RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS. YOGA HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT EFFECTS OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS MAY DRIVE THIS BENEFIT. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE FROM NEUROSCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE NEUROPLASTICITY-HARNESSING EFFECTS OF YOGA TO BRIDGE THE SCHIZOPHRENIA CONNECTOPATHY. IN AN OVERARCHING MODEL TO STUDY PUTATIVE NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, IT IS PROPOSED THAT (A) VARIOUS STYLES OF MEDITATION MAY HELP IN STRENGTHENING THE LATERAL AND MEDIAL PREFRONTAL BRAIN NETWORKS, THUS IMPROVING NEUROCOGNITION AND MENTALIZING ABILITIES, AND (B) LEARNING AND PERFORMING CO-ORDINATED PHYSICAL POSTURES WITH A TEACHER FACILITATES IMITATION AND THE PROCESS OF BEING IMITATED, WHICH CAN IMPROVE SOCIAL COGNITION AND EMPATHY THROUGH REINFORCEMENT OF THE PREMOTOR AND PARIETAL MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM. OXYTOCIN MAY PLAY A ROLE IN MEDIATING THESE PROCESSES, LEADING TO BETTER SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES. CLINICAL AND HEURISTIC IMPLICATIONS OF THIS MODEL ARE FURTHER DISCUSSED. 2016 5 2738 26 YOGA POSTURE RECOGNITION AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION WITH WEARABLE SENSORS BASED ON TWO-STAGE CLASSIFIER AND PRIOR BAYESIAN NETWORK. CURRENTLY, WITH THE SATISFACTION OF PEOPLE'S MATERIAL LIFE, SPORTS, LIKE YOGA AND TAI CHI, HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES IN PEOPLE'S DAILY LIFE. FOR MOST YOGA AMATEURS, THEY COULD ONLY LEARN YOGA BY SELF-STUDY, LIKE MECHANICALLY IMITATING FROM YOGA VIDEO. THEY COULD NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY PERFORMED STANDARDLY WITHOUT FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE. IN THIS PAPER, WE PROPOSED A FULL-BODY POSTURE MODELING AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION METHOD TO RECOGNIZE AND EVALUATE YOGA POSTURES TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE LEARNER. BACK PROPAGATION ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK (BP-ANN) WAS ADOPTED AS THE FIRST CLASSIFIER TO DIVIDE YOGA POSTURES INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND FUZZY C-MEANS (FCM) WAS UTILIZED AS THE SECOND CLASSIFIER TO CLASSIFY THE POSTURES IN A CATEGORY. THE POSTURE DATA ON EACH BODY PART WAS REGARDED AS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL GAUSSIAN VARIABLE TO BUILD A BAYESIAN NETWORK. THE CONDITIONAL PROBABILITY OF THE GAUSSIAN VARIABLE CORRESPONDING TO EACH BODY PART RELATIVE TO THE GAUSSIAN VARIABLE CORRESPONDING TO THE CONNECTED BODY PART WAS USED AS CRITERION TO QUANTITATIVELY EVALUATE THE STANDARD DEGREE OF BODY PARTS. THE ANGULAR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NONSTANDARD PARTS AND THE STANDARD MODEL COULD BE CALCULATED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE WITH AN EASILY-ACCEPTED LANGUAGE, SUCH AS "LIFT UP YOUR LEFT ARM", "STRAIGHTEN YOUR RIGHT FOREARM". TO EVALUATE OUR METHOD, A WEARABLE DEVICE WITH 11 INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNITS (IMUS) FIXED ONTO THE BODY WAS DESIGNED TO MEASURE YOGA POSTURE DATA WITH QUATERNION FORMAT, AND THE POSTURE DATABASE WITH A TOTAL OF 211,643 DATA FRAMES AND 1831 POSTURE INSTANCES WAS COLLECTED FROM 11 SUBJECTS. BOTH THE POSTURE RECOGNITION TEST AND EVALUATION TEST WERE CONDUCTED. IN THE RECOGNITION TEST, 30% DATA WAS RANDOMLY PICKED FROM THE DATABASE TO TRAIN BP-ANN AND FCM CLASSIFIERS, AND THE RECOGNITION ACCURACY OF THE REMAINING 70% DATA WAS 95.39%, WHICH IS HIGHLY COMPETITIVE WITH PREVIOUS POSTURE RECOGNITION APPROACHES. IN THE EVALUATION TEST, 30% DATA WERE PICKED RANDOMLY FROM SUBJECT THREE, SUBJECT FOUR, AND SUBJECT SIX, TO TRAIN THE BAYESIAN NETWORK. THE PROBABILITIES OF NONSTANDARD PARTS WERE ALMOST ALL SMALLER THAN 0.3, WHILE THE PROBABILITIES OF STANDARD PARTS WERE ALMOST ALL GREATER THAN 0.5, AND THUS THE NONSTANDARD PARTS OF BODY POSTURE COULD BE EFFECTIVELY SEPARATED AND PICKED FOR GUIDANCE. WE ALSO TESTED SEPARATELY THE TRAINERS' YOGA POSTURE PERFORMANCE IN THE CONDITION OF WITHOUT AND WITH GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY OUR PROPOSED METHOD. THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT WITH GUIDANCE, THE JOINT ANGLE ERRORS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. 2019 6 1285 17 GRADUATED GUIDANCE DELIVERED BY PARENTS TO TEACH YOGA TO CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS. WE EVALUATED THE EFFECTS OF A PARENT-IMPLEMENTED INTERVENTION TO TEACH YOGA POSES TO 3 CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS. GRADUATED GUIDANCE, PROVIDED BY THE PARTICIPANTS' MOTHERS, WAS INTRODUCED IN A MULTIPLE BASELINE DESIGN ACROSS THE PARTICIPANTS. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF INTERVENTION, IMITATION OF THE RESPONSE CHAINS INCREASED OVER BASELINE FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS. GENERALIZATION TO NOVEL AND LIVE MODELS OCCURRED FOR 2 PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF USING BEHAVIOR-ANALYTIC PROCEDURES TO TEACH PHYSICAL FITNESS ACTIVITIES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. 2016 7 1908 43 REVIEW: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS FOR YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: REVIEW OF THE CURRENT EVIDENCE. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAMS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS A SUPPLEMENTAL INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). INCREASING NUMBERS OF CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND SCHOOLS ARE PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH AN ENTHUSIASM THAT FAR EXCEEDS THE RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THEIR EFFICACY. THERAPIES THAT ARE SAFE BUT NOT EFFECTIVE MAY NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE HARM. NEVERTHELESS, THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF LIMITED TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES MAY RESULT IN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. THE NEED FOR CLEARLY DEFINED, EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPIES FOR YOUTH WITH ASD IS ESSENTIAL. METHOD: ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PEER-REVIEWED INTERVENTION RESEARCH STUDIES USING THE KEY WORDS AUTISTIC OR AUTISM IN COMBINATION WITH YOGA, MINDFULNESS, OR MEDITATION. EIGHT STUDIES MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS CRITICAL REVIEW OF EIGHT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH STUDIES THAT IMPLEMENTED YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH ASD. ALTHOUGH FEW STUDIES REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN CORE SYMPTOMS OF ASD, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE FEASIBLE AND MAY IMPROVE A VARIETY OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION AND IMITATIVE BEHAVIORS; INCREASED TOLERANCE OF SITTING AND OF ADULT PROXIMITY; SELF-CONTROL; QUALITY OF LIFE; AND SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL COGNITION, PREOCCUPATIONS, AND SOCIAL MOTIVATION. REDUCTIONS IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS, IRRITABILITY, LETHARGY, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, AND NONCOMPLIANCE WERE ALSO REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ASD IS INCONCLUSIVE. THE CURRENT BODY OF RESEARCH HAS SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, NO FIDELITY MEASURES, AND NO CONTROL GROUPS. EACH OF THE EIGHT STUDIES, HOWEVER, REPORTED SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL METRICS. THESE EARLY RESULTS ARE PROMISING AND SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT SUPPORT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2019 8 2714 25 YOGA LESSONS FOR CONSCIOUSNESS RESEARCH: A PARALIMBIC NETWORK BALANCING BRAIN RESOURCE ALLOCATION. CONSCIOUSNESS HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN SHAPING FLEXIBLE LEARNING AND AS SUCH IS THOUGHT TO CONFER AN EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE. ATTENTION AND AWARENESS ARE THE PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT UNDERLYING PROCESSES, YET THEIR PRECISE RELATIONSHIP IS PRESENTLY UNCLEAR. BOTH OF THESE PROCESSES MUST, HOWEVER, SERVE THE EVOLUTIONARY IMPERATIVES OF SURVIVAL AND PROCREATION. THEY ARE THUS INTIMATELY BOUND BY REWARD AND EMOTION TO HELP TO PRIORITIZE EFFICIENT BRAIN RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN ORDER TO PREDICT AND OPTIMIZE BEHAVIOR. HERE WE SHOW HOW THIS PROCESS IS SERVED BY A PARALIMBIC NETWORK CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF REGIONS LOCATED ON THE MIDLINE OF THE HUMAN BRAIN. USING MANY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES, EXPERIMENTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THIS NETWORK IS EFFECTIVE AND SPECIFIC FOR SELF-AWARENESS AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE SENSE OF UNITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS BY ACTING AS A COMMON NEURAL PATH FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCES. INTERESTINGLY, HEMODYNAMIC ACTIVITY IN THE NETWORK DECREASES WITH FOCUSING ON EXTERNAL STIMULI, WHICH HAS LED TO THE IDEA OF A DEFAULT MODE NETWORK. THIS NETWORK IS ONE OF MANY NETWORKS THAT WAX AND VANE AS RESOURCES ARE ALLOCATED TO ACCOMMODATE THE DIFFERENT CYCLICAL NEEDS OF THE ORGANISM PRIMARILY RELATED TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PLEASURES AFFORDED BY EVOLUTION: FOOD, SEX, AND CONSPECIFICS. HERE WE HYPOTHESIZE, HOWEVER, THAT THE PARALIMBIC NETWORK SERVES A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BALANCING AND REGULATING BRAIN RESOURCE ALLOCATION, AND DISCUSS HOW IT CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS A LINK BETWEEN CURRENT THEORIES OF SO-CALLED "DEFAULT MODE," "RESTING STATE NETWORKS," AND "GLOBAL WORKSPACE." WE SHOW HOW MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS OF SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-CONTROL CAN ARISE FROM PROBLEMS IN THE PARALIMBIC NETWORK AS DEMONSTRATED HERE BY THE EXAMPLE OF ASPERGER SYNDROME. WE CONCLUDE THAT ATTENTION, AWARENESS, AND EMOTION ARE INTEGRATED BY A PARALIMBIC NETWORK THAT HELPS TO EFFICIENTLY ALLOCATE BRAIN RESOURCES TO OPTIMIZE BEHAVIOR AND HELP SURVIVAL. 2011 9 381 21 BEING ALONE TOGETHER: YOGA, BODYWORK, AND INTIMATE SOCIALITY IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. USING ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA FROM PROVIDENCE COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND, THIS PAPER EXPLORES YOGA AS A BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT IS PART OF EVERYDAY HEALTH AND WELLBEING ROUTINES IN MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. IN THIS CONTEXT, PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THEIR BODYWORK PRACTICES AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES THAT ANSWER HEALTH AND WELLBEING NEEDS, BUT NOTABLY DISCUSS BODYWORK IN TERMS OF THEIR EVERYDAY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. ALONG WITH OTHER BODYWORK ACTIVITIES, YOGA EMERGES AS A SHARED SOCIAL PRACTICE THAT LINKS PARTICIPANTS TO THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN, AND OTHER INTIMATES, FACILITATING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS BY ALLOWING TIME AND SPACE FOR AUTONOMY. BY GIVING ATMOSPHERIC AND SENSORY ATTENTION TO THE ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PAPER FURTHER REVEALS HOW DOMESTIC INTIMACY IS CULTIVATED VIA THE GENERATION OF BODILY HEAT AND POSITIVE ENERGIES AND THAT YOGA MAY TACITLY FACILITATE SUCH ATMOSPHERES. IN THIS WAY, YOGA CAN HELP HOUSEHOLDS MEET AN AMERICAN NEED FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AUTONOMY WHILE STILL FACILITATING A FAR MORE ENDURING HUMAN NEED FOR INTIMATE CONNECTION. ULTIMATELY YOGA IS CHARACTERIZED AS A PRAGMATIC BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT BLENDS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INTIMACY THROUGH SHARED ENERGETIC ENCOUNTERS. 2021 10 1502 18 INVEST IN YOURSELF. YOGA AS A SELF-CARE STRATEGY. A WIDENING RECOGNITION OF THE MIND-BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTION IN WESTERN MEDICINE HAS RESULTED IN A GROWING INTEREST IN ANCIENT HEALTH PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA. AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES ENTER MAINSTREAM MEDICAL SETTINGS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE MODALITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVISE PATIENTS EFFECTIVELY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND DETAILS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2000 11 2909 20 [PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA. PARAMOUNT EMPIRICAL EFFICACY]. THIS ARTICLE IS DEVOTED TO THE ANALYSIS OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA BASED ON THE OVERVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE METHODOLOGY OF THESE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCIPLINES AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC AND HEALTH-GIVING EFFICACY. BASED ON THE COMBINATION OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL CATEGORIES AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CONCEPT OF THE FIVE PRIMARY ELEMENTS, THE AUTHORS ILLUSTRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEMIC APPROACH BY WHICH ANCIENT PHYSICIANS RELATED MAN TO NATURE IN ORDER TO DERIVE THE ADAPTATION PRINCIPLE REALIZED THROUGH HUMAN ACTIVITIES. TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ASPECTS OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE CONSIDERED. IN THE TRADITIONAL CONTEXT, THE PERFORMANCE OF EXERCISES AS ASSIGNED BY TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA IS CONSIDERED AS THE PURPOSEFUL REALIZATION OF THE ENERGY OF CONSCIENCE FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE MODERN CONTEXT AS THE REALIZATION OF A NOVEL FORM OF PSYCHIC CREATIVE CAPACITY TO THE SAME EFFECT BASED ON FRUITFUL BRAINWORK. 2011 12 1733 18 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 13 1954 22 SECULARITY: GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR INCLUSIVE YOGA IN SCHOOLS. THIS COMMENTARY EXPLORES THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF YOGA PROGRAMS AND TEACHERS TO UPHOLD BOTH THE PRINCIPLES AND THE SPIRIT OF SECULARISM WHEN TEACHING YOGA IN SCHOOLS. ARGUING THAT SECULARITY IS ESSENTIAL BOTH TO COMPLY WITH LEGAL MANDATES AND TO MAXIMIZE INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESS, EACH FACET OF A SECULAR APPROACH TO YOGA IN SCHOOLS IS EXPLORED THROUGH AN INQUIRY-BASED MODEL MEANT TO HELP THE READER GAIN CLARITY AND MAKE INFORMED CHOICES WHEN DEVELOPING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMMING. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT ADDRESS THE USE OF NONSECULAR YOGA FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL SETTING. IT INSTEAD SPEAKS TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF TOPICS SUCH AS SPIRITUALITY, PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, SECULAR ETHICS, AND THE USE OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS WITHIN SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WHILE INVITING CONTINUED REFLECTION ON THE NUANCES OF THE TOPIC, THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT GIVEN BOTH THE LEGAL IMPERATIVES AND POTENTIAL RISK OF EXCLUSION, FAILURE TO OFFER SCHOOL-BASED YOGA USING A SECULAR APPROACH THREATENS TO UNDERMINE THE SUCCESS OF THE FIELD AND HINDER ACCESS TO PRACTICES THAT HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON YOUNG PEOPLE. 2019 14 2239 21 THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH LITERACY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS. EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE (EIP) UTILIZES THE THREE COMPONENTS OF EXPERT OPINION, RESEARCH EVIDENCE, AND CLIENT VALUES. IT IS A RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPETENCY FOR INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN DIVERSE FIELDS, SUCH AS ACUPUNCTURE AND MASSAGE THERAPY. RESEARCH LITERACY (RL) IS A NECESSARY PRE-REQUISITE TO EIP. MANY YOGA THERAPISTS HAVE LIMITED TRAINING IN THESE SKILLS, WHICH NEGATIVELY IMPACTS INTER-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PROPOSE INCLUSION OF RL AND EIP IN THE TRAINING OF YOGA THERAPISTS. BENEFITS FOR CLIENT CARE, COLLABORATIVE CARE, AND THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 15 1979 34 SLEEP DISORDER, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS SEEN IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER CHILDREN AND YOGA AS THERAPY: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A COMPLEX NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WITH DEFICIENCIES IN MANY DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES DURING THE INFANTILE CHILDHOOD. RECENT RESEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THAT APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, THE ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS DISTURBED SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THEIR DAYTIME BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS. LOTS OF PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT, LACK OF SLEEP AMONG THE CHILDREN HAVE RESULTED IN HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE FAMILY MEMBERS PARTICULARLY AMONG THE IMMEDIATE CARETAKERS WHICH ARE IN MOST CASES THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD. EARLY BEHAVIOUR INTERVENTION IS A NORM FOR ASD CHILDREN WHICH MAINLY AFFECT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL. THROUGH THIS PAPER, AN EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO STUDY THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY YOGA IN ORDER TO MITIGATE SUCH PROBLEMS. YOGA IS A NON-INVASIVE AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPY THAT BRINGS CHANGE IN BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL OF AN INDIVIDUAL. HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE CARETAKERS OF THESE CHILDREN COULD MAKE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS ETC. PARENTAL BASED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY. 2016 16 653 22 EATING DISORDERS, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW. YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO EMBODIMENT AND DISORDERED EATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY RECEIVED RESEARCH ATTENTION. NEVERTHELESS, EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOGA AMELIORATES EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND FACILITATES A SHIFT FROM NEGATIVE TOWARDS POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND WELL-BEING BY CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT (I.E., THE ABILITY TO FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY). IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTS OF DISORDERED EATING, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THESE CONSTRUCTS. THE THREE MAJOR EATING DISORDERS AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS ARE DESCRIBED. FURTHER, THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS AND THEORETICAL MODELS OF EMBODIMENT ARE DELINEATED AND THEIR COMMUNAL CORE FEATURES ARE OUTLINED. LASTLY, THE ORIGIN, BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2020 17 2907 20 [ON THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE ELUCIDATION OF MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF CIGUN, INDIAN AND TIBETAN YOGA THERAPY]. THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IS PROPOSED ALLOWING TO OBJECTIVELY CHARACTERIZE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF CIGUN, INDIAN AND TIBETAN YOGA THERAPY. EXECUTION OF EXERCISES STIPULATED IN THESE PROGRAMS IS INTERPRETED AS A CONSCIOUSNESS-INSPIRED SPECIFIC FORM OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR (ACTIVITY). STEP-BY-STEP ANALYSIS OF MENTALLY-ORGANIZED BODY'S FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS AS A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF REALIZABLE BEHAVIOUR IS PRESENTED. OPERATIONAL INTERPRETATION OF INTERNAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE SYSTEM'S FUNCTIONING PERMITS TO EVALUATE THE STEREOTYPE BRAIN CONDITION ACTUALIZED BY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND MOTIVATIONS THAT INITIATES SENSORY DEPRIVATION TO ENSURE PRIORITY REALIZATION OF INTERNAL GENETICALLY DETERMINED ACTIVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY. MOBILIZATION OF THIS INTERNAL ACTIVITY IS DESCRIBED AS A PROCESS OF SELECTIVE FORMATION OF MANY COMPLICATED INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS STRUCTURES OF THE RETICULAR FORMATION, LIMBIC SYSTEM, SUBCORTICAL CENTRES, AND NEOCORTEX MAINTAINING PRIORITY FUNCTIONING OF HOMEOSTATIC MECHANISMS OF SELF-REGULATION AND INBORN HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. THESE MECHANISMS ARE BELIEVED TO UNDERLIE THE AUTORECONSTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN ORGANISM BY ENSURING SYSTEMIC CORRECTION AND RESTORATION OF ITS FUNCTIONAL RESOURCES. 2010 18 2373 27 WHAT IS OUR "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY"? REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL WORK'S ORIENTATION IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLORE HOW THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE COULD PROVIDE A COMPLEMENTARY LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY CAN BE ANALYZED AND EVALUATED BY ENGAGING IN KNOWLEDGE-CREATION PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT PRIORITIZE THE "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY" DESCRIBED BY PHILOSOPHER LORRAINE CODE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, BY SEEKING TO STRATEGICALLY INCLUDE OFTEN-SUBJUGATED TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE AND BY FOCUSING ON REDISTRIBUTING EPISTEMIC POWER TO AGENTS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM EPISTEMIC PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH, THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE, WITH ITS STRONG COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO FILLING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. WE BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE IN RELATION TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. WE NEXT OFFER A RESERVED CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DOMINANT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT CURRENTLY INFORMS YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE. THIS ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS THE SOCIAL PARAMETERS THAT MAY BE RENDERED INVISIBLE OR LEFT ASIDE WHEN ADOPTING A POSITIVIST EPISTEMOLOGICAL LENS AND JUSTIFIES HOW THE CONCEPTUAL APPARATUS OF EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY SERVES AS A POTENTIAL PLATFORM FOR RETHINKING SOCIAL WORK'S POSITION AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE MOBILIZE THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION TO ILLUSTRATE HOW STRIVING FOR EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDES AN ENTRY POINT FOR ADDRESSING THE MULTILEVEL, COMPLEX SOCIAL PROCESSES EMBEDDED IN YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE AND RESEARCH WHILE AIMING TO CAPTURE THE MANY VOICES-AND HENCE THE VARIOUS TRUTHS-IMPLICATED IN A DEMOCRATIC, REFLEXIVE, AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH PROCESS. 2020 19 2554 27 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: RESEARCH REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH POTENTIALS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH STRESS AND REGULATE THEMSELVES. YOGA PROVIDES TRAINING OF MIND AND BODY TO BRING EMOTIONAL BALANCE. WE ARGUE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SUCH TOOLS TO LISTEN INWARD TO THEIR BODIES, FEELINGS, AND IDEAS. YOGA MAY ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING IN SOUND WAYS, TO STRENGTHEN THEMSELVES, AND BE CONTRIBUTING SOCIAL BEINGS. FIRST, WE ADDRESS HOW CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN TODAY'S WORLD FACE NUMEROUS EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTANT STIMULATION THROUGH THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. ONE REASON WHY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IS THAT GLOBALIZATION EXPOSES THE YOUTH ALL OVER THE WORLD TO VARIOUS NEW DEMANDS, STANDARDS, AND OPTIONS. THERE IS ALSO INCREASED PRESSURE TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, PARTLY DUE TO INCREASED COMPETITION BUT ALSO A DIVERSE RANGE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES THAN IN THE PAST. OUR ARGUMENT ALSO PARTIALLY RESTS ON THE FACT THAT MODERN SOCIETY OFFERS PLENTY OF DISTRACTIONS AND UNWELCOME ATTRACTIONS, ESPECIALLY LINKED TO NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES. THE DOMINANT PRESENCE OF MULTIMEDIA DEVICES AND THE TIME SPENT ON THEM BY CHILDREN ARE CLEAR INDICATORS OF THE SHIFT IN LIFESTYLES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR NEW GENERATION. WHILE THESE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, AND ENTERTAINMENT, THEY ALSO RESULT IN CONSTANT COMPETITION FOR YOUNGSTER'S ATTENTION. A MAIN CONCEPT IN OUR ARTICLE IS THAT YOGA MAY HELP CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS AND THUS, CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO BALANCE IN LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND MENTAL HEALTH. WE PRESENT RESEARCH LITERATURE SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IMPROVES CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. SIMILARLY, YOGA IN SCHOOLS HELPS STUDENTS IMPROVE RESILIENCE, MOOD, AND SELF-REGULATION SKILLS PERTAINING TO EMOTIONS AND STRESS. 2014 20 1666 23 NEURAL NETWORK-ORIENTED BIG DATA MODEL FOR YOGA MOVEMENT RECOGNITION. THE USE OF COMPUTER VISION FOR TARGET DETECTION AND RECOGNITION HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING AREA OF RESEARCH FOR THE PAST THREE DECADES. PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS IN GENERAL CAN BE TRAINED WITH APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS FOR CORRECTIVE TRAINING AND ASSISTIVE TRAINING. SUCH A NEED HAS MOTIVATED RESEARCHERS TO COMBINE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH THE FIELD OF SPORTS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH. IN THIS PAPER, WE PROPOSE A MASK REGION-CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK (MR-CNN)- BASED METHOD FOR YOGA MOVEMENT RECOGNITION BASED ON THE IMAGE TASK OF YOGA MOVEMENT RECOGNITION. THE IMPROVED MR-CNN MODEL IS BASED ON THE FRAMEWORK AND STRUCTURE OF THE REGION-CONVOLUTIONAL NETWORK, WHICH PROPOSES A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CANDIDATE REGIONS FOR THE IMAGE BY FEATURE EXTRACTION AND CLASSIFIES THEM, THEN OUTPUTS THESE REGIONS AS DETECTED BOUNDING BOXES, AND DOES MASK PREDICTION FOR THE CANDIDATE REGIONS USING SEGMENTATION BRANCHES. THE IMPROVED MR-CNN MODEL USES AN IMPROVED DEEP RESIDUAL NETWORK AS THE BACKBONE NETWORK FOR FEATURE EXTRACTION, BILINEAR INTERPOLATION OF THE EXTRACTED CANDIDATE REGIONS USING REGION OF INTEREST (ROI) ALIGN, FOLLOWED BY TARGET CLASSIFICATION AND DETECTION, AND SEGMENTATION OF THE IMAGE USING THE SEGMENTATION BRANCH. THE MODEL IMPROVES THE CONVOLUTION PART IN THE SEGMENTATION BRANCH BY REPLACING THE ORIGINAL STANDARD CONVOLUTION WITH A DEPTH-SEPARABLE CONVOLUTION TO IMPROVE THE NETWORK EFFICIENCY. EXPERIMENTALLY CONSTRUCTED POLYGON-LABELED DATASETS ARE SIMULATED USING THE ALGORITHM. THE DEEPENING OF THE NETWORK AND THE USE OF DEPTH-SEPARABLE NETWORK IMPROVE THE ACCURACY OF DETECTION WHILE MAINTAINING THE RELIABILITY OF THE NETWORK AND VALIDATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE IMPROVED MR-CNN. 2021