1 593 131 DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE. PRELIMINARY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA COULD BE A VALUABLE TOOL FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD). HOWEVER, LITTLE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ABOUT THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS WERE DESIGNED AND EVALUATED. THIS STUDY ELABORATES ON THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AND TESTING A BI-WEEKLY, 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM TO DETERMINE ITS SAFETY AND FEASIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WITH PD. THE LEAD YOGA TEACHER USED INPUT FROM A FOCUSED LITERATURE REVIEW TO DESIGN AN INITIAL DRAFT OF THE INTERVENTION PROGRAM. THIS DRAFT WAS REVIEWED BY A GROUP OF YOGA EXPERTS ( N = 6) TO DEVELOP THE FINAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM. THIS 12-WEEK INTERVENTION WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 19 PARTICIPANTS WITH PD (MEAN AGE 63 +/- 8, RANGE 49-75) VIA TWICE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES. THROUGH THIS COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, A SERIES OF 24 INDIVIDUAL 1-HOUR YOGA SEQUENCES WAS CREATED. THESE SEQUENCES INCLUDED YOGA POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING TECHNIQUES (PRANAYAMA), AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRINCIPLES SPECIFICALLY CHOSEN TO ADDRESS CONCERNS UNIQUE TO THE PD POPULATION. THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM WAS SUPPORTED WITH EXCELLENT ATTENDANCE: 90% OF PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED > 75% OF THE CLASSES, WITH FOUR PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING 100%. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. THIS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS PRODUCED A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE YOGA PROGRAM SPECIFIC FOR THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH PD. HOWEVER, THIS METHODOLOGY COULD SERVE AS A TEMPLATE FOR FUTURE STUDIES ON HOW TO DEVELOP SAFE AND EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR OTHER POPULATIONS. 2018 2 2538 27 YOGA FOR ADULT WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PTSD: A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP STUDY. INTRODUCTION: YOGA-THE INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL POSTURES AND MOVEMENT, BREATH EXERCISES, AND MINDFULNESS-MAY SERVE AS A USEFUL ADJUNCTIVE COMPONENT OF TRAUMA-FOCUSED TREATMENT TO BUILD SKILLS IN TOLERATING AND MODULATING PHYSIOLOGIC AND AFFECTIVE STATES THAT HAVE BECOME DYSREGULATED BY TRAUMA EXPOSURE. A PREVIOUS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AMONG 60 WOMEN WITH CHRONIC, TREATMENT-RESISTANT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) AND ASSOCIATED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM PROLONGED OR MULTIPLE TRAUMA EXPOSURES. AFTER 10 SESSIONS OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN ENGAGEMENT IN NEGATIVE TENSION REDUCTION ACTIVITIES (E.G., SELF-INJURY), AND GREATER REDUCTIONS IN DISSOCIATIVE AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL (A SEMINAR IN WOMEN'S HEALTH). THE CURRENT STUDY IS A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT OF PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS FROM THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 YEARS AFTER STUDY COMPLETION TO ASSESS WHETHER THE INITIAL INTERVENTION AND/OR YOGA PRACTICE AFTER TREATMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL CHANGES. FORTY-NINE WOMEN COMPLETED THE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS. HIERARCHICAL REGRESSION ANALYSIS WAS USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER TREATMENT GROUP STATUS IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE AFTER THE STUDY PREDICTED GREATER CHANGES IN SYMPTOMS AND PTSD DIAGNOSIS. RESULTS: GROUP ASSIGNMENT IN THE ORIGINAL RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR OF LONGER-TERM OUTCOMES. HOWEVER, FREQUENCY OF CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY PREDICTED GREATER DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOM SEVERITY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY, AS WELL AS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF A LOSS OF PTSD DIAGNOSIS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA APPEARS TO BE A USEFUL TREATMENT MODALITY; THE GREATEST LONG-TERM BENEFITS ARE DERIVED FROM MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE. 2016 3 2831 25 YOGA VS. PHYSICAL THERAPY VS. EDUCATION FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY POPULATIONS: STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN CAUSES SUBSTANTIAL MORBIDITY AND COST TO SOCIETY WHILE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING LOW-INCOME AND MINORITY ADULTS. SEVERAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS SHOW YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. HOWEVER, THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL THERAPY, A COMMON MAINSTREAM TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, IS UNKNOWN. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL FOR 320 PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, COMPARING YOGA, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND EDUCATION. INCLUSION CRITERIA ARE ADULTS 18-64 YEARS OLD WITH NON-SPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN LASTING >/= 12 WEEKS AND A SELF-REPORTED AVERAGE PAIN INTENSITY OF >/= 4 ON A 0-10 SCALE. RECRUITMENT TAKES PLACE AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, AN URBAN ACADEMIC SAFETY-NET HOSPITAL AND SEVEN FEDERALLY QUALIFIED COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS LOCATED IN DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS. THE 52-WEEK STUDY HAS AN INITIAL 12-WEEK TREATMENT PHASE WHERE PARTICIPANTS ARE RANDOMIZED IN A 2:2:1 RATIO INTO I) A STANDARDIZED WEEKLY HATHA YOGA CLASS SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE; II) A STANDARDIZED EVIDENCE-BASED EXERCISE THERAPY PROTOCOL ADAPTED FROM THE TREATMENT BASED CLASSIFICATION METHOD, INDIVIDUALLY DELIVERED BY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND SUPPLEMENTED BY HOME PRACTICE; AND III) EDUCATION DELIVERED THROUGH A SELF-CARE BOOK. CO-PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES ARE 12-WEEK PAIN INTENSITY MEASURED ON AN 11-POINT NUMERICAL RATING SCALE AND BACK-SPECIFIC FUNCTION MEASURED USING THE MODIFIED ROLAND MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 40-WEEK MAINTENANCE PHASE, YOGA PARTICIPANTS ARE RE-RANDOMIZED IN A 1:1 RATIO TO EITHER STRUCTURED MAINTENANCE YOGA CLASSES OR HOME PRACTICE ONLY. PHYSICAL THERAPY PARTICIPANTS ARE SIMILARLY RE-RANDOMIZED TO EITHER FIVE BOOSTER SESSIONS OR HOME PRACTICE ONLY. EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE TO FOLLOW RECOMMENDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS. WE WILL ALSO ASSESS COST EFFECTIVENESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE INDIVIDUAL, INSURERS, AND SOCIETY USING CLAIMS DATABASES, ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS, SELF-REPORT COST DATA, AND STUDY RECORDS. QUALITATIVE DATA FROM INTERVIEWS WILL ADD SUBJECTIVE DETAIL TO COMPLEMENT QUANTITATIVE DATA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, WITH THE ID NUMBER: NCT01343927. 2014 4 1215 32 EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES AFTER CANCER TREATMENT: A STUDY PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT, ADULTS COMMONLY REPORT WORSENED PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES (PROS) SUCH AS ANXIETY, STRESS, DEPRESSION, PERSISTENT AND UPSETTING COGNITIVE COMPLAINTS, UNRELENTING FATIGUE, AND REDUCED QUALITY OF LIFE. POORER PROS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISRUPTED AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FUNCTIONING AS MEASURED BY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV), BOTH OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH GREATER MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS AMONG ADULTS FOLLOWING CANCER TREATMENT ARE NEEDED. YOGA THERAPY HOLDS PROMISE AS AN INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE HRV AND PROS. THEREFORE, WE CONDUCTED A SINGLE-SUBJECT EXPLORATORY EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON HRV AND SPECIFIC PROS (IE, CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE, ANXIETY, COGNITIVE FUNCTION, DEPRESSION, STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE) IN ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TO REDUCE PUBLICATION BIAS, IMPROVE REPRODUCIBILITY, AND SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR FORTHCOMING REPORTING OF STUDY RESULTS, WE PRESENT THE STUDY PROTOCOL FOR THIS STUDY HEREIN. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE ADULTS WHO COMPLETED CANCER TREATMENT THAT WERE RECRUITED FROM THE OTTAWA INTEGRATIVE CANCER CENTRE. CONSENTING AND ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED ONE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION (IE, 1 PARTICIPANT, 1 YOGA THERAPIST) AND 6 WEEKLY GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSIONS (IE, 2-3 PARTICIPANTS, 1 YOGA THERAPIST). PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS 7 TIMES: 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM (IE, -6 WEEKS, -3 WEEKS, IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION), IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION, PRIOR TO THE FIRST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AFTER THE LAST GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY SESSION, AND AT A 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODELING WILL BE USED TO TEST THE AVERAGE EFFECTS OF THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM ACROSS PARTICIPANTS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE SEVERAL NOVEL HYPOTHESES, INCLUDING WHETHER YOGA THERAPY CAN IMPROVE HRV AND/OR SPECIFIC PROS AMONG ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER ACUTELY (IE, DURING A 1:1 YOGA THERAPY SESSION) AND/OR THROUGH REPEATED EXPOSURE (IE, AFTER COMPLETING 6 WEEKS OF GROUP-BASED YOGA THERAPY). ALTHOUGH THE FINDINGS WILL REQUIRE CONFIRMATION OR REFUTATION IN FUTURE TRIALS, THEY MAY PROVIDE INITIAL EVIDENCE THAT YT MAY BENEFIT ADULTS TREATED FOR CANCER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN REGISTRY, ISRCTN64763228. REGISTERED ON DECEMBER 12, 2021. THIS TRIAL WAS REGISTERED RETROSPECTIVELY. URL OF TRIAL REGISTRY RECORD: HTTPS://WWW.ISRCTN.COM/ISRCTN64763228. 2022 5 1617 37 MINDFUL YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: DESIGN OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) HAVE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCIES OF ABOUT 2 YEARS, AND REPORT HIGH LEVELS OF DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS INCLUDING PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP DISTURBANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT. THERE IS GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE LIMITATIONS OF MEDICAL APPROACHES TO MANAGING SUCH SYMPTOMS. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED A POSITIVE IMPACT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL HEALTH IN EARLY STAGE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS, BUT HAS NOT BEEN RIGOROUSLY STUDIED IN ADVANCED CANCER SAMPLES. METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL EXAMINES THE FEASIBILITY AND INITIAL EFFICACY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM, COMPARED WITH A SOCIAL SUPPORT CONDITION THAT CONTROLS FOR ATTENTION, ON MEASURES OF DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS SUCH AS PAIN AND FATIGUE. THE STUDY WILL BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 2017. SIXTY-FIVE WOMEN WITH MBC AGE >/= 18 ARE BEING IDENTIFIED AND RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO MINDFUL YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP CONTROL INTERVENTION. THE 120-MIN INTERVENTION SESSIONS TAKE PLACE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. THE STUDY IS CONDUCTED AT AN URBAN TERTIARY CARE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER LOCATED IN DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PRIMARY FEASIBILITY OUTCOME IS ATTENDANCE AT INTERVENTION SESSIONS. EFFICACY OUTCOMES INCLUDE PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AT POST-INTERVENTION, 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, AND 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. DISCUSSION: IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PRESENT THE CHALLENGES OF DESIGNING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL WITH LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AMONG WOMEN WITH MBC. THESE CHALLENGES INCLUDE ENSURING ADEQUATE RECRUITMENT INCLUDING OF MINORITIES, LIMITING AND CONTROLLING FOR SELECTION BIAS, TAILORING OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS SPECIAL NEEDS, AND MAXIMIZING ADHERENCE AND RETENTION. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN WITH ADVANCED CANCER, INCLUDING PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR MBC PATIENTS. THIS INVESTIGATION WILL ALSO ESTABLISH RIGOROUS METHODS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INTO YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR THIS POPULATION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFER: NCT01927081 , REGISTERED AUGUST 16, 2013. 2017 6 294 25 AFFECT AND MINDFULNESS AS PREDICTORS OF CHANGE IN MOOD DISTURBANCE, STRESS SYMPTOMS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA PROGRAM FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS BY WHICH BENEFITS ARE ACCRUED VIA YOGA PRACTICE IN CANCER-RELATED CLINICAL SETTINGS. USING A LONGITUDINAL MULTILEVEL MODELING APPROACH, ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, AND PATIENT-REPORTED MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, INCLUDING MOOD DISTURBANCE, STRESS SYMPTOMS, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQL), WERE EXAMINED IN AN EXISTING SEVEN-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. PARTICIPANTS (N = 66) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA PROGRAM AND AT THREE- AND SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. DECREASES IN MOOD DISTURBANCE AND STRESS SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN HRQL WERE OBSERVED UPON PROGRAM COMPLETION. IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD DISTURBANCE AND STRESS SYMPTOMS WERE MAINTAINED AT THE THREE- AND SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UPS. HRQL EXHIBITED FURTHER IMPROVEMENT AT THE THREE-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, WHICH WAS MAINTAINED AT THE SIX-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURES OF WELL-BEING WERE PREDICTED BY INITIAL POSITIVE YOGA BELIEFS AND CONCURRENTLY ASSESSED AFFECTIVE AND MINDFULNESS PREDICTOR VARIABLES. PREVIOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, AND HRQL WERE RELATED TO YOGA PRACTICE MAINTENANCE OVER THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. 2013 7 1903 36 RESULTS FROM A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM FOR VETERANS: YOGA VIA TELEHEALTH PROVIDES COMPARABLE SATISFACTION AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS TO IN-PERSON YOGA. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS INCREASINGLY POPULAR, THOUGH LITTLE DATA REGARDING ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS IS AVAILABLE. SIMILARLY, TELEHEALTH IS BEING UTILIZED MORE FREQUENTLY TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE; HOWEVER WE KNOW OF NO RESEARCH ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OR EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA DELIVERED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. THEREFORE, WE EVALUATED THE FEASIBILITY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND PATIENT-REPORTED EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM AT A VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER AND ASSESSED WHETHER THESE OUTCOMES DIFFERED BETWEEN THOSE PARTICIPATING IN-PERSON AND THOSE PARTICIPATING VIA TELEHEALTH. METHODS: VETERANS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS AT THE VA PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM WERE INVITED TO COMPLETE AN ANONYMOUS PROGRAM EVALUATION SURVEY. RESULTS: 64 VETERANS COMPLETED THE SURVEY. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE CLASSES AND THE INSTRUCTORS. MORE THAN 80% OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ENDORSED A PROBLEM WITH PAIN, ENERGY LEVEL, DEPRESSION, OR ANXIETY REPORTED IMPROVEMENT IN THESE SYMPTOMS. THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED VIA TELEHEALTH DID NOT DIFFER FROM THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN-PERSON IN ANY MEASURE OF SATISFACTION, OVERALL IMPROVEMENT (P = .40), OR IMPROVEMENT IN ANY OF 16 SPECIFIC HEALTH PROBLEMS. CONCLUSIONS: DELIVERING YOGA TO A WIDE RANGE OF PATIENTS WITHIN A HEALTHCARE SETTING APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, BOTH WHEN DELIVERED IN-PERSON AND VIA TELEHEALTH. PATIENTS IN THIS CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM REPORTED HIGH LEVELS OF SATISFACTION AND IMPROVEMENT IN MULTIPLE PROBLEM AREAS. THIS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM COMPLEMENTS PRIOR EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND SUPPORTS THE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS. 2017 8 2824 29 YOGA VERSUS EDUCATION FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IS THE MOST FREQUENT PAIN CONDITION IN VETERANS AND CAUSES SUBSTANTIAL SUFFERING, DECREASED FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, AND LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE. SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, DEPRESSION, AND MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ARE HIGHLY PREVALENT IN VETERANS WITH BACK PAIN. YOGA FOR LOW BACK PAIN HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE EFFECTIVE FOR CIVILIANS IN RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. HOWEVER, IT IS UNKNOWN IF RESULTS FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TRIALS GENERALIZE TO MILITARY POPULATIONS. METHODS/DESIGN: THIS STUDY IS A PARALLEL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING YOGA TO EDUCATION FOR 120 VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. PARTICIPANTS ARE VETERANS >/=18 YEARS OLD WITH LOW BACK PAIN PRESENT ON AT LEAST HALF THE DAYS IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS AND A SELF-REPORTED AVERAGE PAIN INTENSITY IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK OF >/=4 ON A 0-10 SCALE. THE 24-WEEK STUDY HAS AN INITIAL 12-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD, WHERE PARTICIPANTS ARE RANDOMIZED EQUALLY INTO (1) A STANDARDIZED WEEKLY GROUP YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE OR (2) EDUCATION DELIVERED WITH A SELF-CARE BOOK. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES ARE CHANGE AT 12 WEEKS IN LOW BACK PAIN INTENSITY MEASURED BY THE DEFENSE AND VETERANS PAIN RATING SCALE (0-10) AND BACK-RELATED FUNCTION USING THE 23-POINT ROLAND MORRIS DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE. IN THE SUBSEQUENT 12-WEEK FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, YOGA PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE HOME YOGA PRACTICE AND EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE BOOK. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS IN THE YOGA GROUP AND THEIR PARTNERS EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN AND YOGA ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE ALSO ASSESS COST-EFFECTIVENESS FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES: THE VETERAN, THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, AND SOCIETY USING ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS, SELF-REPORTED COST DATA, AND STUDY RECORDS. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY WILL HELP DETERMINE IF YOGA CAN BECOME AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COMORBIDITIES. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02224183. 2016 9 1240 33 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 10 122 33 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 11 580 28 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER. SOME YOGA-BASED PRACTICES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE USEFUL FOR PATIENTS WITH OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). THE AUTHORS COULD NOT FIND A VALIDATED YOGA THERAPY MODULE AVAILABLE FOR OCD. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO FORMULATE A GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR OCD. A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE. THE MODULE WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR CONTENT VALIDATION. THE EXPERTS RATED THE USEFULNESS OF THE PRACTICES ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 = EXTREMELY USEFUL). THE FINAL VERSION OF THE MODULE WAS PILOT-TESTED ON PATIENTS WITH OCD (N = 17) FOR BOTH FEASIBILITY AND EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS. EIGHTY-EIGHT PER CENT (22 OUT OF 25) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATIONS IN THE MODULE AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS ALONG WITH PATIENTS' INPUTS AND AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE. THE MODULE WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SHOWED AN IMPROVEMENT IN SYMPTOMS OF OCD ON TOTAL YALE-BROWN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SCALE (YBOCS) SCORE (P = 0.001). A GENERIC YOGA THERAPY MODULE FOR OCD WAS VALIDATED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND FOUND FEASIBLE TO PRACTICE IN PATIENTS. A DECREASE IN THE SYMPTOM SCORES WAS ALSO FOUND FOLLOWING YOGA PRACTICE OF 2 WEEKS. FURTHER CLINICAL VALIDATION IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY. 2016 12 2822 31 YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT TO MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER. OBJECTIVES: RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR PERSISTENT DEPRESSION, THE BENEFITS OF WHICH MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING IN A SAMPLE OF PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: WHETHER YOGA INCREASES MINDFULNESS AND WHETHER YOGA ATTENUATES RUMINATION. RUMINATION AND MINDFULNESS BOTH REPRESENT ATTENTIONAL PROCESSES RELEVANT FOR ONSET AND MAINTENANCE OF DEPRESSIVE EPISODES. METHODS: ONE-HUNDRED-TEN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED DESPITE ONGOING USE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT WERE RECRUITED INTO AN RCT COMPARING YOGA WITH A HEALTH EDUCATION CLASS. MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND ACROSS 3 TIME POINTS DURING THE TEN-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THAT, COMPARED TO HEALTH EDUCATION, YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER MEAN LEVELS OF THE OBSERVE FACET OF MINDFULNESS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUP DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P =.004, D =0.38), AND THAT YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A FASTER RATE OF INCREASE IN LEVELS OF ACTING WITH AWARENESS OVER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD (P= .03, F(2) =0.027). THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERVENTION GROUPS WITH RESPECT TO RUMINATION. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS SUGGEST A SMALL EFFECT OF YOGA ON COMPONENTS OF MINDFULNESS DURING A 10-WEEK INTERVENTION PERIOD. PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CONTINUED ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INITIAL 10 WEEKS MAY REVEAL CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT. FUTURE RESEARCH MAY ALSO EXAMINE MODERATORS OF THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON MINDFULNESS AND RUMINATION, INCLUDING CLINICAL FACTORS SUCH AS DEPRESSION SEVERITY OR DEPRESSION CHRONICITY, OR DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS SUCH AS AGE. 2021 13 1224 30 FEASIBILITY AND ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOME MEASURES FOR YOGA AS SELF-CARE FOR MINORITIES WITH ARTHRITIS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: WHILE THERE IS A GROWING INTEREST IN THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF YOGA, MINORITY POPULATIONS WITH ARTHRITIS TEND TO BE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF GUIDANCE IN THE LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF MULTICULTURAL TEAMS AND SOCIOCULTURAL HEALTH BELIEFS, WHEN DESIGNING YOGA STUDIES FOR A RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS PILOT STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA AS A SELF-CARE MODALITY TO AN URBAN, BILINGUAL, MINORITY POPULATION WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. METHODS: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING AN 8-WEEK, BILINGUAL YOGA INTERVENTION ADAPTED FOR ARTHRITIS TO A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. A RACIALLY DIVERSE INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED TO DESIGN A STUDY TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. THE SECOND OBJECTIVE IDENTIFIED OUTCOME MEASURES TO OPERATIONALIZE POTENTIAL FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO SELF-CARE AND SELF-EFFICACY. THE THIRD OBJECTIVE DETERMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMPUTER-ASSISTED SELF-INTERVIEW (CASI) FOR DATA COLLECTION. RESULTS: ENROLLED PARTICIPANTS (N = 30) WERE MOSTLY FEMALE (93%), SPANISH SPEAKING (69%), AND DIAGNOSED WITH RA (88.5%). FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING PRACTICALITY, ACCEPTABILITY, ADAPTATION, AND EXPANSION OF AN ARTHRITIS-ADAPTED YOGA INTERVENTION, MODIFIED FOR THIS POPULATION. RECRUITMENT (51%) AND PARTICIPATION (60%) RATES WERE SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE STUDY POPULATION. OF THOSE ENROLLED, 18 STARTED THE INTERVENTION. FOR ADHERENCE, 12 OUT OF 18 (67%) PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ALL (100%), WHO COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION, CONTINUED TO PRACTICE YOGA 3 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING THE STUDY. USING NONPARAMETRIC TESTS, SELECTED OUTCOME MEASURES SHOWED A MEASURABLE CHANGE POST-INTERVENTION SUGGESTING APPROPRIATE USE IN FUTURE STUDIES. AN IN-PERSON COMPUTERIZED QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FEASIBLE METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS FROM THIS PILOT STUDY CONFIRM THE FEASIBILITY OF OFFERING YOGA TO THIS RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATION WITH ARTHRITIS. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES RECRUITMENT/RETENTION RATES, OUTCOME MEASURES WITH ERROR RATES, AND DATA COLLECTION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A PREVIOUSLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATION. SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR TRANSLATION AND USING A MULTICULTURAL DESIGN TO FACILITATE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV, NCT01617421. 2018 14 1684 23 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 15 1663 27 NATURALISTIC EVALUATION OF AN ADJUNCTIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS IN INPATIENT TREATMENT: WITHIN-TREATMENT EFFECTS ON CRAVINGS, SELF-EFFICACY, PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, IMPULSIVITY, AND MINDFULNESS. ADDICTION CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, AND RATES OF RELAPSE FOLLOWING CURRENTLY-AVAILABLE TREATMENTS REMAIN HIGH. THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST IN THE ADJUNCTIVE USE OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, TO IMPROVE TREATMENT OUTCOMES. THE CURRENT STUDY WAS A PRELIMINARY NATURALISTIC INVESTIGATION OF A NOVEL TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN AN INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD). CHANGES AND DIFFERENCES IN SOMATIC SYMPTOMS, PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS WERE EVALUATED IN WOMEN RECEIVING TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (N = 36) AND TREATMENT-AS-USUAL PLUS THE YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 42). FOR BOTH GROUPS, STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT WITHIN-SUBJECTS CHANGES WERE PRESENT FOR SOMATIC AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS, CRAVINGS, SELF-EFFICACY, AND MULTIPLE FACETS OF IMPULSIVITY AND MINDFULNESS. COMPARED TO STANDARD TREATMENT ALONE, PARTICIPANTS IN THE TREATMENT PLUS YOGA CONDITION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN RANGE OF MOTION AND THE LACK OF PREMEDITATION FACET OF IMPULSIVITY. ALTHOUGH MOST DOMAINS WERE NOT SELECTIVELY AFFECTED, THESE INITIAL WITHIN-TREATMENT FINDINGS IN THIS NATURALISTIC EVALUATION SUGGEST SOME PROMISE FOR ADJUNCTIVE YOGA AND A NEED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION, ESPECIALLY USING LARGER SAMPLES AND LONGER TERM FOLLOW-UP. 2021 16 1832 23 PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN A RESIDENTIAL, KRIPALU YOGA-BASED WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. UNLABELLED: THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN HUMANS IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES. CONCOMITANTS INCLUDE POOR HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND REDUCED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA AND TREATMENT PARADIGMS INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION (SC), ACCEPTANCE, NON-DIETING, AND INTUITIVE EATING MAY IMPROVE THESE ANCILLARY CORRELATES, WHICH MAY PROMOTE LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS. METHODS: WE EXPLORED THE IMPACT OF A 5-DAY RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS MULTIFACETED AND BASED ON KRIPALU YOGA, ON HEALTH BEHAVIORS, WEIGHT LOSS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. THIRTY-SEVEN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS (AGE 32-65, BMI<25) COMPLETED VALIDATED MIND-FULNESS, SC, LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR, AND MOOD QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, POST-PROGRAM, AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP AND REPORTED THEIR WEIGHT 1 YEAR AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, SC, MINDFULNESS, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH WERE OBSERVED IMMEDIATELY POST-PROGRAM (N = 31, 84% RETENTION), WITH MEDIUM TO LARGE EFFECT SIZES. AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (N = 18, 49% RETENTION), MOST CHANGES PERSISTED. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOOD DISTURBANCE HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY POST-PROGRAM BUT FAILED TO REACH SIGNIFICANCE AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. SELF-REPORT WEIGHT LOSS AT 1 YEAR (N = 19, 51% RETENTION) WAS SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST A KRIPALU YOGA-BASED, RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM MAY FOSTER PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, IMPROVED NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS. GIVEN THE EXPLORATORY NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, MORE RIGOROUS WORK IN THIS AREA IS WARRANTED. 2012 17 259 38 ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE ONLINE DELIVERY OF HATHA YOGA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. OBJECTIVES: HATHA YOGA HAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN POPULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE POINTS TO YOGA'S ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. CONCURRENTLY, THE DELIVERY OF TELEHEALTH INTERVENTIONS ALSO CONTINUES TO RISE. THE ONLINE-DELIVERY OF YOGA LIES AT THIS INTERSECTION, AND TO DATE, NO STUDY HAS SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED THE EXISTING LITERATURE OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES INVOLVING THE ONLINE DELIVERY OF YOGA. DESIGN: THIS STUDY SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWS THE LITERATURE FOR EVIDENCE ON THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS AND PROVIDES A QUALITATIVE SYNTHESIS. A TOTAL OF 10 ARTICLES WHICH REPRESENT EIGHT UNIQUE EMPIRICAL STUDIES WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REVIEW. RESULTS: ACROSS THE EIGHT STUDIES, PARTICIPANTS EXPRESSED OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH AN ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTION. ONLINE YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE, BASED ON ATTENDANCE AND PRACTICE RATES, AND ACCEPTABLE. ALTHOUGH GROUPS VARY IN DEGREE OF INITIAL ENGAGEMENT. RESULTS ALSO FOUND PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT ONLINE YOGA CAN HELP MANAGE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH A RANGE OF DISORDERS. CONCLUSIONS: UNDERSTANDING THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DELIVERING YOGA INTERVENTIONS WILL ALLOW FUTURE RESEARCH TO INCLUDE ONLINE YOGA AS A LOWER-COST, NON-INVASIVE INTERVENTION FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE INTEGRATION OF ONLINE YOGA INTERVENTIONS INTO ROUTINE CLINICAL CARE. 2021 18 582 33 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR OBESITY WITH METABOLIC COMORBIDITIES. OBJECTIVES: OBESITY IS A CONDITION OF INCREASED ADIPOSE TISSUE IN THE BODY, WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS COMORBIDITIES LIKE DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, ARTHRITIS, BACK PAIN, AND MANY OTHERS. YOGA MODULES HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND VALIDATED FOR OBESITY; HOWEVER, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY SPECIFIC MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME, A CONDITION WHICH INCLUDES OBESITY, DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 AND/OR HYPERTENSION TOGETHER. KEEPING THIS IN VIEW, OUR STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. WE DERIVED THE YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE MODULE, FROM THESE YOGA TEXTS AND RESEARCH EVIDENCE WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE. THE YOGA MODULE WAS SENT TO 40 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO EXPERTS GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS. OF THESE EXPERTS, 73% WERE MALES, AND 27% WERE FEMALES. YOGA THERAPY PRACTICES WITH CONTENT VALIDITY RATIO (CVR) >0.08 WERE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL MODULE. IN TOTAL, 86% (31 OF 36 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR METABOLIC SYNDROME WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THE EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE.ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2020 19 112 33 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 20 581 34 DESIGNING AND VALIDATION OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. CONTEXT: SCHIZOPHRENIA IS A CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. MODULES OF YOGA USED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES WERE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER'S EXPERIENCE. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A SPECIFIC GENERIC YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED AT NIMHANS INTEGRATED CENTRE FOR YOGA (NICY). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A YOGA MODULE WAS DESIGNED BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY YOGA LITERATURE AS WELL AS PUBLISHED STUDIES. THE YOGA MODULE ALONG WITH THREE CASE VIGNETTES OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS SENT TO 10 YOGA EXPERTS FOR THEIR VALIDATION. RESULTS: EXPERTS (N = 10) GAVE THEIR OPINION ON THE USEFULNESS OF A YOGA MODULE FOR PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS. IN TOTAL, 87% (13 OF 15 ITEMS) OF THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL MODULE WERE RETAINED, WITH MODIFICATION IN THE REMAINDER AS SUGGESTED BY THE EXPERTS. CONCLUSION: A SPECIFIC YOGA-BASED MODULE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA WAS DESIGNED AND VALIDATED BY EXPERTS. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM EFFICACY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF THE MODULE. ADDITIONAL CLINICAL VALIDATION IS SUGGESTED. 2016