1 1415 125 IMPLICIT MEASURE FOR YOGA RESEARCH: YOGA IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST. CONTEXT: THE IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST (IAT), A NEW TOOL FOR YOGA RESEARCH IS PRESENTED. IMPLICIT MEASURES COULD BE USED IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE (1) THE CONSTRUCT IS DIFFICULT TO SELF-REPORT, (2) THERE IS A THREAT OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY. CLINICALLY, WE CAN ASSESS COGNITIVE DISSONANCE BY EVALUATING INCONGRUENCE BETWEEN IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT MEASURES. EXPLICIT PREFERENCES ARE SELF-REPORTED. IMPLICIT PREFERENCES ARE WHAT WE INHERENTLY BELIEVE, OFTEN WITHOUT OUR CONSCIOUS AWARENESS. AIMS: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO PROVIDE A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE FIELD, IMPLICIT COGNITION, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE IAT AND THE SECONDARY OBJECTIVE IS TO ILLUSTRATE THROUGH AN EXAMPLE OF OUR STUDY TO DEVELOP AN IMPLICIT TOOL TO ASSESS IMPLICIT PREFERENCE TOWARD YOGA. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A TOTAL OF 5 INDEPENDENT SAMPLES OF TOTAL 69 STUDENTS UNDERGOING SHORT AND LONG-TERM YOGA COURSES IN A YOGA UNIVERSITY WERE ASSESSED FOR THEIR IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT PREFERENCES TOWARDS YOGA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE YOGA-IAT (Y-IAT), EXPLICIT SELF-RATING SCALE WAS ADMINISTERED THROUGH COMPUTERS USING THE INQUISIT PROGRAM BY MILLISECOND SOFTWARE. EXPERIMENTAL AND SCORING MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED. RESULTS: A MODERATE PREFERENCE TOWARD YOGA WAS DETECTED, WITH A LOWER IMPLICIT-EXPLICIT CONGRUENCE, REFLECTING POSSIBLE CONFOUND OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY IN THE SELF-REPORT OF PREFERENCE TOWARD YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: IMPLICIT MEASURES MAY BE USED IN THE YOGA FIELD TO ASSESS CONSTRUCTS, WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO SELF-REPORT OR MAY HAVE SOCIAL DESIRABILITY THREAT. Y-IAT MAY BE USED TO EVALUATE IMPLICIT PREFERENCE TOWARD YOGA. 2014 2 1334 32 HOW DOES EXERCISE IMPROVE IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY: PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTION COMBINED WITH AEROBIC JOGGING AND MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA. PURPOSE: THE PRIMARY AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF 8-WEEK MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTION COMBINING AEROBIC JOGGING AND MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA ON IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY. THE SECONDARY AIM IS TO EXPLORE THE SPECIFIC POTENTIAL PATHWAYS BY WHICH THE MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTION FOSTERS IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION. THIS MAY HELP US TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE KEY COMPONENTS OF EXERCISE INTERVENTION CONTRIBUTE TO EMOTIONAL BENEFITS. METHODS: SIXTY PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO ONE OF TWO PARALLEL GROUPS: (1) THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 29) AND (2) THE WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 31). PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO FILL OUT SCALES MEASURING MINDFULNESS AND INSTRUCTED TO COMPLETE AN EMOTION REGULATION TASK TO ASSESS IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY AS WELL AS THE PWC 170 TEST TO EVALUATE AEROBIC FITNESS BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE RESULTS OF THE TWO-WAY REPEATED ANOVA REVEALED THAT 8 WEEKS OF INTERVENTION IMPROVED IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION, MINDFULNESS, AND AEROBIC FITNESS LEVELS. PATH ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT ONLY IMPROVED AEROBIC FITNESS MEDIATED THE INTERVENTION EFFECT ON IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY, CONTROLLING FOR CHANGE IN NEGATIVE AFFECT. NOTABLY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EFFECTS ON IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY AND AEROBIC FITNESS WAS MODERATED BY IMPROVED MINDFULNESS. CONCLUSION: EIGHT WEEKS OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTION IMPROVES IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY. THE AEROBIC FITNESS MAY BE AN ESSENTIAL PATHWAY WHICH MEDIATES THE EFFICACY ON IMPLICIT EMOTION REGULATION ABILITY. FURTHERMORE, DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, SUCH AS AEROBIC FITNESS AND MINDFULNESS, MAY INTERACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO SUCH EMOTIONAL BENEFITS. 2019 3 2211 20 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 4 1540 28 KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IN RURAL AND URBAN INDIA, KAPY 2017: A NATIONWIDE CLUSTER SAMPLE SURVEY. : BACKGROUND: TO EXAMINE THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICE GAP OF YOGA ACROSS INDIA BASED ON IMPLICIT PERCEPTIONS. METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY IS A NATIONWIDE DOOR-TO-DOOR SURVEY CONDUCTED USING A QUESTIONNAIRE/SCREENING FORM. THE DATA WERE COLLECTED FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY CONDUCTED UNDER THE NIYANTRIT MADHUMEH BHARAT (NMB) PROGRAM INITIATED BY THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA, UNANI, SIDDHA, HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, FROM ALL MAJOR ZONES OF THE COUNTRY. A TOTAL OF 162,330 PARTICIPANTS WHO JOINED THE NMB PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED IN OUR STUDY. RESULTS: OUT OF THE TOTAL RESPONDENTS TO THE SURVEY, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT 11.8% [13,336/112,735] PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH WAS HIGHEST IN THE NORTH ZONE [4,567/112,735] AND LOWEST IN THE EAST ZONE [971/112,735]. OUT OF 101,643 RESPONDENTS, 94,135 OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY BELIEVED THAT YOGA IMPROVED THEIR LIFESTYLE, AND 90,102/98,518 BELIEVED THAT YOGA PREVENTED DIABETES, REVEALING A HUGE KNOWLEDGE-PRACTICE GAP. CONCLUSIONS: THE SCALE OF THE KNOWLEDGE-PRACTICE GAP COUPLED WITH THE GENERAL ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA CALLS FOR A CHANGE IN THE CONVENTIONAL HEALTHCARE PROVISIONS BY ITS INTEGRATION WITH MODERN MEDICINE. THE POPULATION-WIDE POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS ABOUT YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE HEALTH TOOL CAN NOT ONLY CATALYZE CONSENSUS DISEASE-SPECIFIC YOGA MODULES BUT ALSO BRIDGE THE KNOWLEDGE-PRACTICE GAP THAT EXISTS BECAUSE OF LIMITED YOGA CENTERS AND PROFESSIONALS. 2020 5 474 22 CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT THROUGH YOGA IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAUMA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCES OF PRACTICING YOGA AND ITS ROLE WITHIN PROCESSES OF HEALING FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH COMPLEX TRAUMA HISTORIES. USING A HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHOD, DATA WERE ANALYZED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH 39 WOMEN. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE CORE MEANING OF PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCE OF HEALING THROUGH YOGA IS CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS OCCURRING ON A CONTINUUM WHEREBY WOMEN EXPERIENCED IMPROVED CONNECTIONS WITH AND SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OVER THEIR BODIES, EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS, AND A GREATER SENSE OF WELL-BEING, CALMNESS, AND WHOLENESS IN THEIR BODIES AND MINDS. A NUMBER OF INTERCONNECTED ESSENTIAL THEMES RELATED TO THIS CORE MEANING WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED, ILLUMINATING PROCESSES THAT SUPPORTED CLAIMING PEACEFUL EMBODIMENT AND CAPABILITIES THAT WERE ENABLED BY BEING MORE PEACEFULLY EMBODIED. ADDITIONAL THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED HIGHLIGHTING FACTORS THAT FACILITATED OR IMPEDED PARTICIPANTS' ENGAGEMENT WITH YOGA AND THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HEALING THROUGH YOGA. 2015 6 1588 32 MEDICAL YOGA: ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD-A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS. THE PREVALENCE OF STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS HAS GROWN IN RECENT YEARS. MANY OF THESE PATIENTS SEEK HELP IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE. YOGA CAN REDUCE STRESS AND THUS COMPLEMENTS PHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPY IN MEDICAL PRACTICE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF YOGA TREATMENT IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING OR, SPECIFICALLY, THE EXPERIENCES OF YOGA WHEN SUFFERING FROM STRESS-RELATED ILLNESS. THUS, THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF PARTICIPATING IN MEDICAL YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR STRESS-RELATED SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTING. THIS STUDY HAS A DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL DESIGN AND TOOK PLACE AT A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN SWEDEN DURING 2011. FIVE WOMEN AND ONE MAN (43-51 YEARS) PARTICIPATED. THEY WERE RECRUITED FROM THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N=18) IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, IN WHICH THEY HAD PARTICIPATED IN A MEDICAL YOGA GROUP IN ADDITION TO STANDARD CARE FOR 12 WEEKS. DATA WERE COLLECTED BY MEANS OF QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, AND A PHENOMENOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED. THE ESSENTIAL MEANING OF THE MEDICAL YOGA EXPERIENCE WAS THAT THE MEDICAL YOGA WAS NOT AN ENDPOINT OF RECOVERY BUT THE START OF A PROCESS TOWARDS AN INCREASED SENSE OF WHOLENESS. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A WAY OF ALLEVIATING SUFFERING, AND IT PROVIDED THE PARTICIPANTS WITH A TOOL FOR DEALING WITH THEIR STRESS AND CURRENT SITUATION ON A PRACTICAL LEVEL. IT LED TO GREATER SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-ESTEEM, WHICH IN TURN HAD AN IMPLICIT IMPACT ON THEIR LIFEWORLD. IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL TERMS, THIS CAN BE SUMMARIZED AS ANOTHER WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD, ENCOMPASSING A PERCEPTION OF DEEPENED IDENTITY. FROM A PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE, DUE TO USING THE BODY IN A NEW WAY (YOGA), THE PARTICIPANTS HAD LEARNT TO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, WHICH ENRICHED AND RECAST THEIR PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES. 2014 7 1568 13 MAINSTREAMING OF AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY WITH THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN INDIA. INDIA HAS A POPULATION OF 1.21 BILLION PEOPLE AND THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC, AND DEMOGRAPHIC HETEROGENEITY. THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY DOCTORS, PER HEAD OF POPULATION. THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION HAS DECIDED TO MAINSTREAM THE AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH) SYSTEM OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINE TO HELP MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THIS SHORTAGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND TO STRENGTHEN THE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF THE HEALTH CARE SERVICE. MULTIPLE INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE A SYSTEMATIC MERGER; HOWEVER, THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS. TO ENSURE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO ALL, POLICY-MAKERS NEED TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE AYUSH SYSTEM AND TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM WITH STRINGENT MONITORING MECHANISMS. 2015 8 1671 24 NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES: A CASE STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. BEGINNING WITH A ROUTINE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRACTITIONER OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AND EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING, MAINTAINING AND PREVENTING THE DISSIPATION OF DIVERSE 'ENERGIES', THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GEOGRAPHICAL HEALTH STUDIES WHICH TAKE SERIOUSLY 'NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'. IT IS EXPLAINED HOW THIS ACCOUNT IS DERIVED FROM IN-DEPTH FIELDWORK TRACING HOW PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FIND TIMES AND SPACES FOR THESE PRACTICES, OFTEN IN THE FACE OF BUSY URBAN LIFESTYLES. ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE 'ENERGY TALK' FEATURING HEAVILY IN HOW PRACTITIONERS DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES TO DERIVE FROM THESE PRACTICES, AND TO CLAIMS MADE ABOUT 'ENERGIES' GENERATED DURING THE TIME-SPACES OF THESE PRACTICES WHICH SEEMINGLY FLOW, USUALLY WITH POSITIVE EFFECTS, INTO OTHER DOMAINS OF THEIR LIVES. THE PAPER THEN DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ENERGY TALK IN THE CONTEXT OF: (A) CRITICALLY REVIEWING CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING 'ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'; (B) IDENTIFYING AN ALERTNESS TO THE LIKES OF 'AFFECTIVE ENERGIES' SURFACING IN RECENT THEORETICALLY-ATTUNED WORKS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (AND COGNATE DISCIPLINES); AND (C) EXPLORING DIFFERING UNDERSTANDINGS OF ENERGY/ENERGIES EXTANT IN GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF HEALTH AND IN STEP WITH THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH MATERIALS PRESENTED ABOUT YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. WHILE ORIENTATED TOWARDS EXPLICITLY GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES, THE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO THE WIDER MEDICAL HUMANITIES. 2015 9 414 22 BODIES IN YOGA: TANGLED DISCOURSES IN CANADIAN STUDIOS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A ONE AND A HALF-YEAR ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY CONDUCTED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES OF THEIR BODIES IN THE CONTEXT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CONCEPTUALISED THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL BODIES IN THIS PRACTICE THROUGH IDEAS OF SYSTEMS, FRAGMENTS, AND MATERIALITY. IT ARGUES THAT PARTICIPANTS' LARGER NARRATIVES ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALTHY BODIES INFORM HOW YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IS EMBEDDED IN DISCOURSES OF BODY WORK WHERE YOGA, HEALTH, AND PARTICULAR NOTIONS OF BODILY-NESS BECOME A PROJECT FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA OF WHAT A BODY IS OR SHOULD BE. 2021 10 2304 28 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 11 2752 27 YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE. YOGA IS AN ACTIVITY THAT AIMS TO INTEGRATE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS AND IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR APPROACH TO ENHANCING PHYSICAL FITNESS. THE INTEGRATION OF IMAGERY WITHIN YOGA PRACTICE IS CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND MAY BE CRITICAL IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE BENEFITS OF YOGA THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. IN THIS STUDY, WE TESTED WHETHER INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA DEMONSTRATE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE ON AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF IMPLICIT MOTOR IMAGERY. THIRTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS (18 YOGA, 18 NON-YOGA) MATCHED FOR AGE, SEX AND HANDEDNESS, UNDERTOOK THE HAND LATERALITY RECOGNITION TASK; AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF IMPLICIT MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE. ACCURACY AND RESPONSE TIMES WERE GATHERED AND ANALYSED TO DETERMINE ANY GROUP DIFFERENCES AS WELL AS ANY DIFFERENCES RELATING TO THE TYPICAL HALLMARKS OF IMAGERY (I.E. DOMINANCE AND AWKWARDNESS EFFECTS) ON THE TASK. RESPONSE TIMES (RTS) IN THE YOGA GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN CONTROLS (P < 0.05) AND THERE WAS ALSO A TREND TOWARDS GREATER ACCURACY FOR THE YOGA GROUP (P = 0.073). DOMINANCE EFFECTS (FASTER RESPONSES TO IMAGES CORRESPONDING WITH THE DOMINANT LIMB) AND AWKWARDNESS EFFECTS (FASTER RESPONSES TO IMAGES CORRESPONDING WITH NATURAL COMPARED WITH AWKWARD POSTURES) WERE EVIDENT ACROSS GROUPS, SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPANTS' USE OF MOTOR IMAGERY IN UNDERTAKING THE TASK. ADDITIONALLY, A GROUP X AWKWARDNESS INTERACTION (P < 0.05) REVEALED THAT THE ENHANCED IMAGERY PERFORMANCE FOR THE YOGA GROUP WAS MOST PRONOUNCED FOR AWKWARD POSTURES. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY TO SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERIOR MOTOR IMAGERY PERFORMANCE; AN ASSOCIATION THAT MAY BE IMPORTANT IN EXPLAINING THE ESTABLISHED REHABILITATIVE VALUE OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC PAIN. 2017 12 1342 18 HOW YOGA HELPS HEAL INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA: PERSPECTIVES AND THEMES FROM 11 INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA SURVIVORS. TRAUMA IS UBIQUITOUS IN OUR SOCIETY; THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE HOW INDIVIDUALS CULTIVATE HEALING AFTER TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES. YOGA MAY BE ONE AVENUE TO CULTIVATE HEALING. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE EMPLOYED TO STUDY THE ROLE YOGA PRACTICE PLAYED IN THE HEALING PROCESS OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA. ELEVEN INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA SURVIVORS WHO PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH A CRITERION SAMPLING METHOD. DATA ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE EMPHASIS OF YOGA ON MIND AND PHYSICAL BODY FOSTERED NUMEROUS POSITIVE OUTCOMES, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL GROWTH, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, ALLEVIATION OF TRAUMA-RELATED SYMPTOMS, AND INCREASED FEELINGS OF SELF-COMPASSION, EMPOWERMENT, AND SERENITY. OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL TO REGAIN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, FOSTER WELLBEING, AND CULTIVATE PERSONAL GROWTH AFTER INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA. 2016 13 2674 25 YOGA IN PRINT MEDIA: MISSING THE HEART OF THE PRACTICE. BACKGROUND: POPULAR MEDIA TYPICALLY PORTRAY YOGA AS AN EXERCISE OR POSTURE PRACTICE DESPITE THE REALITY THAT YOGA COMPRISED EIGHT PRACTICES (CALLED LIMBS) INCLUDING ETHICAL BEHAVIOR, CONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE CHOICES, POSTURES, BREATHING, INTROSPECTION, CONCENTRATION, MEDITATION, AND WHOLENESS. AIM: THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF YOGA PRACTICE AS REPRESENTED IN ARTICLES IN THE POPULAR YOGA MAGAZINE, YOGA JOURNAL. IT EXPLORED THE DEGREE TO WHICH ARTICLES REFERENCED EACH OF THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA AND OTHER CONTENTS (E.G., FITNESS, SPIRITUALITY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: SIX CODERS WERE TRAINED TO RELIABLY AND INDEPENDENTLY REVIEW 702 ARTICLES IN 33 YOGA JOURNAL ISSUES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2014, CODING FOR THE LIMBS OF YOGA AND OTHER CONTENTS. RESULTS: BREATHING AND POSTURES WERE MOST FREQUENTLY REFERENCED, WHICH WERE COVERED IN 48.7% AND 40.1% OF ARTICLES. INTERNAL PRACTICES WERE COVERED IN 36.5% OF ARTICLES WITH INTROSPECTION BEING THE MOST AND CONCENTRATION THE LEAST COMMONLY REFERRED TO INTERNAL PRACTICES. ETHICAL AND LIFESTYLE PRACTICES WERE LEAST FREQUENTLY COVERED (5.2% AND 6.8%). SINCE 2007, COVERAGE OF POSTURES STEADILY INCREASED, WHEREAS CONTENTS RELATED TO THE OTHER LIMBS STEADILY DECREASED. THE MOST FREQUENT OTHER CONTENTS RELATED TO FITNESS (31.7%), SPIRITUALITY (20.8), AND RELATIONSHIPS (18.7%) COVERAGE OF THESE DID NOT CHANGE ACROSS TIME. CONCLUSIONS: REPRESENTATION OF YOGA IN ARTICLES CONTAINED IN THE MOST POPULAR YOGA MAGAZINE IS HEAVILY BIASED IN FAVOR OF PHYSICAL PRACTICES. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED ABOUT HOW TO SHIFT MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF YOGA TO MAKE THE HEART OF THE PRACTICE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD EXPERIENCE HEALTH BENEFITS BUT CURRENTLY FEEL EXCLUDED FROM THE PRACTICE. 2017 14 653 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 15 1338 26 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? EMBODIED COGNITION AND EMOTION HIGHLIGHT THE INFLUENCE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR ACTIVITY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION - AN ASSOCIATION THAT IS GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIATING VARIABLES IS, HOWEVER, LIMITED. GIVEN THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT ENCOURAGES SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, STRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY. THIS EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE PARALLELS POPULAR INTEREST IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND EMPHASIZES THE INFLUENCE OF BODY POSITION ON THINKING AS WELL AS EMOTION. THOSE INFLUENCES TAKE ON ADDED MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY AND THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF CHALLENGE AND THREAT. INVESTIGATIONS OF EMBODIED COGNITION SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE STRESS BY AFFECTING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPRAISE STRESSORS. THE COMBINATION OF BODY POSITION AND COMMON COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFECT, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SELF AND FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE. FINDINGS REGARDING EMBODIED EMOTION MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS AND COMMON YOGA PRACTICES. CONSIDERING YOGA AND STRESS FROM AN EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN THE STRESS PROCESS, LEADING TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES STRESS BY DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, INDIRECTLY BY INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF THAT SYSTEM, OR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THOSE QUESTIONS, IN TURN, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING INVESTIGATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, BODY POSITION, MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY DURING YOGA, AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THOSE VARIABLES. 2019 16 1598 12 MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THE AUTHOR PRESENTS AN INTRODUCTION TO INSIGHT OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, YOGA, AND GUIDED IMAGERY FROM THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVES. SHE PROVIDES CLEAR, EASY-TO-FOLLOW STEPS TO BEGIN USING SITTING MEDITATION, WALKING MEDITATION, AND YOGA FOR THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND FOR THE PATIENT. SHE PRESENTS THE MATERIAL FIRST FOR SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CARE AND SECONDARILY FOR CONNECTING TO OTHERS IN HEALING RELATIONSHIPS. 2001 17 2042 18 THE 'WORLD OF YOGA': THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS ACTIVITY, PARTLY CONSIDERED AS THERAPEUTIC, REVEALS CONTEMPORARY WAYS OF PRODUCING GLOBAL PRACTICES. VIA A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUALS AT YOGA CENTRES IN INDIA AND FRANCE, THE PAPER ANALYSES THIS PHENOMENON USING THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. FURTHERMORE, IT EXAMINES HOW THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE INFLUENCED BY GLOBALISATION. BRINGING TOGETHER THE CONCEPTS OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES, GLOBALISATION AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, THE PAPER ANALYSES THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF YOGIC THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD'S SPACE. CONSTITUTED OF NATURAL PHYSICAL ELEMENTS AND BUILT STRUCTURES, THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE ALSO STRONGLY LINKED TO EMOTIONAL QUALITIES AND INTIMATE FEELINGS EVOKED BY THE PLACE AND RELATED TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERLINES THAT THE EMERGENCE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES DEMANDS A CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH THAT COULD HELP TO EXAMINE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL PHENOMENA ON THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. INDEED, VERY OFTEN, YOGIS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, REFER TO IDEAL PLACES WHERE THEY RARELY GO. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY CREATE AN IMAGINED THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PAPER DESCRIBES. 2007 18 1687 21 OSTEOPATHY AND (HATHA) YOGA. DIFFERENCES AND POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN OSTEOPATHY AND YOGA AS REGARDS THEIR HISTORY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION ARE OUTLINED. BOTH SEEK TO PROMOTE HEALING. YOGA SEEKS THE ATTAINMENT OF CONSCIOUSNESS; OSTEOPATHY AIMS FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT TO HEALTH. ONE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE IS THE PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN YOGA. TEACHER AND STUDENT ALIKE ARE CHALLENGED TO RE-EXAMINE THE ATTITUDES OF MIND THEY HAVE ADOPTED TOWARD THEIR LIVES. OSTEOPATHY GENERALLY INVOLVES A RELATIVELY PASSIVE PATIENT WHILE THE OSTEOPATH IS ACTIVE IN PROVIDING TREATMENT. PRACTICAL EXAMPLES ARE USED TO HIGHLIGHT POINTS OF CONTACT BETWEEN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY. THE TEXT INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICALITY AND A DESCRIPTION OF WAYS OF USING IT IN HEALING PROCESSES. FURTHERMORE, PROCESSES OF ATTAINING CONSCIOUSNESS ARE OUTLINED. POSSIBLE REDUCTIONIST MISCONCEPTIONS IN YOGA AND OSTEOPATHY ARE ALSO POINTED OUT. FUNDAMENTAL ATTITUDES AND FOCUS THAT COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER ARE PRESENTED, TAKING THE CONCEPT OF STILLNESS AS A PARTICULAR EXAMPLE. 2011 19 1704 20 PARTNER YOGA FOR ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES IN RELATIONSHIP: A TRANSPERSONAL SOMATIC APPROACH. THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN FOR YOGA THERAPISTS AND PSYCHOTHERAPISTS WHO WORK WITH COUPLES WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY SETTING BOUNDARIES AND MAINTAINING INDIVIDUALITY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS. PARTNER YOGA, TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY, AND SOMATIC-BASED PSYCHOLOGY ARE APPROACHES THAT CAN PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH A HOLISTIC SYSTEM OF THERAPY TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AND EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. THE PROCESS OF PARTNER YOGA IS DESCRIBED FROM A TRANSPERSONAL, SOMATICALLY ORIENTED APPROACH. EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC ASANAS, OR YOGA POSES, ARE DISCUSSED ALONGSIDE THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT A THERAPIST MUST CONSIDER WHEN EXPLORING BOUNDARIES AND COMMUNICATION THROUGH PARTNER YOGA. INSIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUAL CASE SESSIONS WITH COUPLES ARE INCLUDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROCESS OF DIFFERENTIATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPERIENCING A TRANSPERSONAL UNION THROUGH PARTNER YOGA. 2011 20 398 28 BEYOND SCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS: SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS WITH VINIYOGA MEDITATION. HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES GROUNDED IN ANCIENT WISDOM, BUT OFTEN HAVE LIMITED DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PRACTICES. MEDITATION PARTICIPANT SELF-REPORTS PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF THREE VINIYOGA MEDITATIONS AND HOW AND WHY THOSE MEDITATIONS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES. EACH OF THE MEDITATIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS HAD A UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND USED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE OCEAN AS A MEDITATION OBJECT. YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA ANATOMY MODELS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM ARE USED TO HELP EXPLAIN PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATED PERSONAL BENEFITS AND INSIGHTS. FOUR ASPECTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THEM IN MEDITATION ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH TANGIBLE EXAMPLES: (1) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GENERALLY IN SOMEONE'S LIFE; (2) THE STATE OF THEIR SYSTEM (MIND, BODY, BREATH) AROUND THE TIME OF THE MEDITATION; (3) REACTIONS TO THE MEDITATION STEPS AND INSTRUCTIONS; AND (4) THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECT OF MEDITATION. SUMMARIES OF THE PRACTICES, AND WHY AND FOR WHOM EACH MEDITATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN VINIYOGA AND YOGA THERAPY. 2019