1 1836 88 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF THE PRACTICE OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION. AUTONOMIC AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC (EEG) CORRELATES OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION WERE STUDIED IN THREE GROUPS OF SUBJECTS AS THEY PROGRESSED FROM NORMAL CONSCIOUSNESS INTO MEDITATION. GROUPS DIFFERED IN THEIR LEVEL OF MEDITATION PROFICIENCY. MEASURES OF SKIN RESISTANCE, HEART RATE, RESPIRATION, AUTONOMIC ORIENTING RESPONSES, RESTING EEG, EEG ALPHA AND THETA FREQUENCIES, SLEEP-SCORED EEG, AVERAGED EVOKED RESPONSES, AND SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE WERE EMPLOYED. UNLIKE MOST PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MEDITATION STUDIES, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION DURING MEDITATION WHILE UNEXPERIENCED MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED AUTONOMIC RELAXATION. DURING MEDITATION, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED ALPHA AND THETA POWER, MINIMAL EVIDENCE OF EEG-DEFINED SLEEP, AND DECREASED AUTONOMIC ORIENTING TO EXTERNAL STIMULATION. AN EPISODE OF SUDDEN AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION WAS OBSERVED THAT WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE MEDITATOR AS AN APPROACH TO THE YOGIC ECSTATIC STATE OF INTENSE CONCENTRATION. THESE FINDINGS CHALLENGE THE CURRENT "RELAXATION" MODEL OF MEDITATIVE STATES. 1978 2 197 11 A RARE CASE OF QUADRATUS FEMORIS MUSCLE RUPTURE AFTER YOGA EXERCISES. WE PRESENT A CASE OF A FEMALE PATIENT WITH LEFT GROIN PAIN AFTER INTENSE YOGA EXERCISES. THE PATIENT PRESENTED ABNORMAL PATTERN OF GAIT WITH NO SWELLING OVER THE GROIN, THIGH, OR BUTTOCK. MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DEMONSTRATED A TEAR OF THE QUADRATUS FEMORIS MUSCLE WITH AN ASSOCIATED EXTENSIVE HEMATOMA FORMATION. PATIENT WAS TREATED WITH A REHABILITATION PROGRAM CONSISTING OF NONSTEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND PHYSIOTHERAPY. AT THE FOLLOW-UP CONTROL, THE PATIENT HAD IMPROVED HER PAIN AND FLEXIBILITY OF THE HIP, AND GRADUALLY SHE RETURNED TO DAILY ACTIVITIES AND YOGA EXERCISES. SUCH AN ENTITY IS A RARE CAUSE OF HIP PAIN AFTER EXERCISE AND SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND BY THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, IN CASES OF GLUTEAL PAIN AFTER INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. MOREOVER, SUCH A CONDITION SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DIAGNOSTIC ALGORITHM OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN HIP PAIN. 2016 3 1641 25 MONITORING THE NEURAL ACTIVITY OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE WHILE PRACTICING SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE: TO IDENTIFY THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE AS EXPERIENCED THROUGH SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. DESIGN: NINETEEN EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS UNDERWENT FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DURING THREE SHORT CONSECUTIVE MEDITATION PERIODS, CONTRASTED WITH A CONTROL RELAXATION CONDITION. RESULTS: RELATIVE TO BASELINE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEDITATION SESSIONS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF ACTIVATION IN BILATERAL INFERIOR FRONTAL AND TEMPORAL REGIONS. ACTIVATION BECAME PROGRESSIVELY MORE REDUCED WITH DEEPER MEDITATION STAGES AND IN THE LAST MEDITATION SESSION IT BECAME LOCALIZED TO THE RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX/ RIGHT INSULA AND RIGHT MIDDLE/SUPERIOR TEMPORAL CORTEX. FURTHERMORE, RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL ACTIVATION WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBJECTIVE DEPTH OF THE MENTAL SILENCE EXPERIENCE. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATORS APPEAR TO PASS THROUGH AN INITIAL INTENSE NEURAL SELF-CONTROL PROCESS NECESSARY TO SILENCE THEIR MIND. AFTER THIS THEY EXPERIENCE RELATIVELY REDUCED BRAIN ACTIVATION CONCOMITANT WITH THE DEEPENING OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE OVER RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX, PROBABLY REFLECTING AN EFFORTLESS PROCESS OF ATTENTIONAL CONTEMPLATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STATE. 2015 4 1879 25 REASONS, YEARS AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE: EFFECT ON EMOTION RESPONSE REACTIVITY. YOGA PRACTICE, EVEN IN THE SHORT TERM, IS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE WELLBEING AND COUNTERACT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THROUGH MODIFICATION OF EMOTION REACTIVITY. YOGA TEACHES THAT EMOTIONAL RESPONSES MAY BE LESS PRONOUNCED WITH LONGER AND MORE FREQUENT PRACTICE, AND POTENTIALLY WHEN PEOPLE PERFORM YOGA FOR MENTAL RATHER THAN PHYSICAL REASONS. WE TESTED 36 YOGA PRACTITIONERS OF VARYING EXPERIENCE (BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND 11 YEARS OF PRACTICE). WE ASSESSED PARTICIPANTS' SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PERIPHERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS (HEART RATE, SKIN CONDUCTANCE, RESPIRATION) WHEN SEEING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PICTURES. RESULTS WERE ANALYZED AS A FUNCTION OF THE YEARS OF, FREQUENCY OF, AND REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND A HEART RATE INCREASE WITH THE DEGREE PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED YOGA FOR MENTAL REASONS. IN ADDITION, YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY RATE WHEN FACING NEGATIVE PICTURES, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF REDUCED AROUSAL WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE. FINALLY, REGARDING FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, A HIGHER FREQUENCY IN THE LAST MONTH WAS LINKED TO LESS NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS A REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY AMPLITUDE WHEN VIEWING POSITIVE PICTURES. ALTOGETHER, THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT INTENSE SHORT-TERM YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT RELATE TO A (I) DECREASE IN THE INTENSITY OF SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES AND (II) DEEPENED RESPIRATION. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS MIGHT BE SHAPED BY WHAT PARTICIPANTS EXPECT AS PRACTICE BENEFITS. HOWEVER, SEVERAL YEARS OF PRACTICE MIGHT BE NEEDED TO DECREASE RESPIRATORY AROUSAL IN THE FACE OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS, WHICH LIKELY IS A MANIFESTATION OF AN EVOLUTION IN THE EMOTION REGULATION PROCESS. 2018 5 2407 17 YOGA AND HEALTH. YOGA HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF RESEARCH IN THE PAST FEW DECADES FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES FOR MODERN EPIDEMIC DISEASES LIKE MENTAL STRESS, OBESITY, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, CORONARY HEART DISEASE, AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE. INDIVIDUAL STUDIES REPORT BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS, INDICATING THAT IT CAN BE USED AS NONPHARMACEUTICAL MEASURE OR COMPLEMENT TO DRUG THERAPY FOR TREATMENT OF THESE CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THESE STUDIES HAVE USED ONLY YOGA ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND/ OR SHORT PERIODS OF MEDITATION FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES. GENERAL PERCEPTION ABOUT YOGA IS ALSO THE SAME, WHICH IS NOT CORRECT. YOGA IN FACT MEANS UNION OF INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS WITH THE SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS. IT INVOLVES EIGHT RUNGS OR LIMBS OF YOGA, WHICH INCLUDE YAMA, NIYAMA, ASANA, PRANAYAMA, PRATYAHARA, DHARANA, DHYANA, AND SAMADHI. INTENSE PRACTICE OF THESE LEADS TO SELF-REALIZATION, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY GOAL OF YOGA. AN ANALYTICAL LOOK AT THE RUNGS AND THE GOAL OF YOGA SHOWS THAT IT IS A HOLISTIC WAY OF LIFE LEADING TO A STATE OF COMPLETE PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING AND HARMONY WITH NATURE. THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO PURELY ECONOMIC AND MATERIAL DEVELOPMENTAL GOAL OF MODERN CIVILIZATION, WHICH HAS BROUGHT SOCIAL UNREST AND ECOLOGICAL DEVASTATION. 2014 6 642 23 DOES PRACTICING HATHA YOGA SATISFY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHICH IMPROVES AND MAINTAINS HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS? BACKGROUND: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE METABOLIC AND HEART RATE RESPONSES TO A TYPICAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE 1) TO DETERMINE WHETHER A TYPICAL YOGA PRACTICE USING VARIOUS POSTURES MEETS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIRED TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS; 2) TO DETERMINE THE RELIABILITY OF METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA ACROSS SESSIONS; 3) TO COMPARE THE METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO THOSE OF TREADMILL WALKING. METHODS: IN THIS OBSERVATIONAL STUDY, 20 INTERMEDIATE-TO-ADVANCED LEVEL YOGA PRACTITIONERS, AGE 31.4 +/- 8.3 YEARS, PERFORMED AN EXERCISE ROUTINE INSIDE A HUMAN RESPIRATORY CHAMBER (INDIRECT CALORIMETER) WHILE WEARING HEART RATE MONITORS. THE EXERCISE ROUTINE CONSISTED OF 30 MINUTES OF SITTING, 56 MINUTES OF BEGINNER-LEVEL HATHA YOGA ADMINISTERED BY VIDEO, AND 10 MINUTES OF TREADMILL WALKING AT 3.2 AND 4.8 KPH EACH. MEASURES WERE MEAN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2), HEART RATE (HR), PERCENTAGE PREDICTED MAXIMAL HEART RATE (%MHR), METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (METS), AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE (KCAL). SEVEN SUBJECTS REPEATED THE PROTOCOL SO THAT MEASUREMENT RELIABILITY COULD BE ESTABLISHED. RESULTS: MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR VO2, HR, %MHR, METS, AND ENERGY/MIN WERE 0.6 L/KG/MIN; 93.2 BEATS/MIN; 49.4%; 2.5; AND 3.2 KCAL/MIN; RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS OF THE ICCS (2,1) FOR MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR KCAL, METS, AND %MHR WERE 0.979 AND 0.973, AND 0.865, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA AVERAGED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SESSION REPRESENT LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ARE SIMILAR TO WALKING ON A TREADMILL AT 3.2 KPH, AND DO NOT MEET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR IMPROVING OR MAINTAINING HEALTH OR CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. YOGA PRACTICE INCORPORATING SUN SALUTATION POSTURES EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM BOUT OF 10 MINUTES MAY CONTRIBUTE SOME PORTION OF SUFFICIENTLY INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE CARDIO-RESPIRATORY FITNESS IN UNFIT OR SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THE MEASUREMENT OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE ACROSS YOGA SESSIONS IS HIGHLY RELIABLE. 2007 7 1286 23 GRAY MATTER AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY IN ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE DURING SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. SOME MEDITATION TECHNIQUES TEACH THE PRACTITIONER TO ACHIEVE THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE BRAIN REGIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR VOLUME AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY (FC) WITH THE DEPTH OF MENTAL SILENCE IN LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. TWENTY-THREE LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF THIS MEDITATION WERE SCANNED USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING. IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF THE DEPTH OF MENTAL SILENCE, WE TESTED WHICH GRAY MATTER VOLUMES (GMV) WERE CORRELATED WITH THE DEPTH OF MENTAL SILENCE AND WHICH REGIONS THESE AREAS WERE FUNCTIONALLY CONNECTED TO UNDER A MEDITATION CONDITION. GMV IN MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX INCLUDING ROSTRAL ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX WERE POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH THE SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTION OF THE DEPTH OF MENTAL SILENCE INSIDE THE SCANNER. FURTHERMORE, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FC BETWEEN THIS AREA AND BILATERAL ANTERIOR INSULA/PUTAMEN DURING A MEDITATION-STATE SPECIFICALLY, WHILE DECREASED CONNECTIVITY WITH THE RIGHT THALAMUS/PARAHIPPOCAMPAL GYRUS WAS PRESENT DURING THE MEDITATION-STATE AND THE RESTING-STATE. THE CAPACITY OF LONG-TERM MEDITATORS TO ESTABLISH A DURABLE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE INSIDE AN MRI SCANNER WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LARGER GRAY MATTER VOLUME IN A MEDIAL FRONTAL REGION THAT IS CRUCIAL FOR TOP-DOWN COGNITIVE, EMOTION AND ATTENTION CONTROL. THIS IS FURTHERMORE CORROBORATED BY INCREASED FC OF THIS REGION DURING THE MEDITATION-STATE WITH BILATERAL ANTERIOR INSULA/PUTAMEN, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR INTEROCEPTION, EMOTION, AND ATTENTION REGULATION. THE FINDINGS HENCE SUGGEST THAT THE DEPTH OF MENTAL SILENCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIAL FRONTO-INSULAR-STRIATAL NETWORKS THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR TOP-DOWN ATTENTION AND EMOTIONAL CONTROL. 2018 8 1437 15 INCORPORATING YOGA INTO AN INTENSE PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM IN SOMEONE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A CASE REPORT. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS CASE REPORT WAS TO DOCUMENT OUTCOMES FOLLOWING AN INTENSE EXERCISE PROGRAM INTEGRATING YOGA WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY EXERCISE IN A MALE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE. METHOD: THE PARTICIPANT PERFORMED AN INTENSE 1(1/2)-HOUR PROGRAM (PHASE A) INCORPORATING STRENGTHENING, BALANCE, AGILITY AND YOGA EXERCISES TWICE WEEKLY FOR 12 WEEKS. HE THEN COMPLETED A NEW HOME EXERCISE PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCHERS (PHASE B) FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: HIS SCORE ON THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE IMPROVED 16 POINTS WHILE HIS SCORE ON THE HIGH LEVEL MOBILITY ASSESSMENT TOOL IMPROVED 11 POINTS. THERE WERE ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSCLE LENGTH OF SEVERAL LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLES, IN UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLE STRENGTH, IN DYNAMIC BALANCE AND HE CONTINUES TO WORK FULL TIME 29 MONTHS LATER. THERE WERE NO IMPROVEMENTS IN THORACIC POSTURE OR AEROBIC POWER. DISCUSSION: THIS INTENSE PROGRAM WAS AN EFFECTIVE DOSE OF EXERCISE FOR SOMEONE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND ALLOWED HIM TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE IN WORK, LEISURE, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. 2013 9 1496 28 INTRACEREBRAL PAIN PROCESSING IN A YOGA MASTER WHO CLAIMS NOT TO FEEL PAIN DURING MEDITATION. WE RECORDED MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY (MEG) AND FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) FOLLOWING NOXIOUS LASER STIMULATION IN A YOGA MASTER WHO CLAIMS NOT TO FEEL PAIN WHEN MEDITATING. AS FOR BACKGROUND MEG ACTIVITY, THE POWER OF ALPHA FREQUENCY BANDS PEAKING AT AROUND 10 HZ WAS MUCH INCREASED DURING MEDITATION OVER OCCIPITAL, PARIETAL AND TEMPORAL REGIONS, WHEN COMPARED WITH THE NON-MEDITATIVE STATE, WHICH MIGHT MEAN THE SUBJECT WAS VERY RELAXED, THOUGH HE DID NOT FALL ASLEEP, DURING MEDITATION. PRIMARY PAIN-RELATED CORTICAL ACTIVITIES RECORDED FROM PRIMARY (SI) AND SECONDARY SOMATOSENSORY CORTICES (SII) BY MEG WERE VERY WEAK OR ABSENT DURING MEDITATION. AS FOR FMRI RECORDING, THERE WERE REMARKABLE CHANGES IN LEVELS OF ACTIVITY IN THE THALAMUS, SII-INSULA (MAINLY THE INSULA) AND CINGULATE CORTEX BETWEEN MEDITATION AND NON-MEDITATION. ACTIVITIES IN ALL THREE REGIONS WERE INCREASED DURING NON-MEDITATION, SIMILAR TO RESULTS IN NORMAL SUBJECTS. IN CONTRAST, ACTIVITIES IN ALL THREE REGIONS WERE WEAKER DURING MEDITATION, AND THE LEVEL WAS LOWER THAN THE BASELINE IN THE THALAMUS. RECENT NEUROIMAGING AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES HAVE CLARIFIED THAT THE EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF PAIN PERCEPTION MAINLY INVOLVES THE INSULA AND CINGULATE CORTEX. THOUGH WE CANNOT CLEARLY EXPLAIN THIS UNUSUAL CONDITION IN THE YOGA MASTER, A CHANGE OF MULTIPLE REGIONS RELATING TO PAIN PERCEPTION COULD BE RESPONSIBLE, SINCE PAIN IS A COMPLEX SENSORY AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE. 2005 10 2906 10 [OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN HEALTH PERSONNEL AND ITS PREVENTION. POSSIBLE USE OF YOGA]. THE PAPER SUMMARIZES SOME NON-SPECIFIC STRESS FACTORS OF WORK IN THE HEALTH SERVICES (E.G. SHIFT WORK) AND SOME RELATIVELY SPECIFIC STRESSING FACTORS (E.G. CONTACT WITH GRIEF, INTENSE NEGATIVE EMOTION AND DEATH). IT DEALS ALSO WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXCESSIVE STRESS, INCL. THE "BURNOUT SYNDROME". IT GIVES A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE MEASURES AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AND AT THE LEVEL OF THE ORGANIZATION. IN THE CONCLUSION THE AUTHOR MENTIONS THE POSSIBILITY TO USE YOGA IN THE PREVENTION OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IN THE HEALTH SERVICES. WORK IN THE HEALTH SERVICES ALTHOUGH, ASSOCIATED WITH CONSIDERABLE STRESS, IS AT THE SAME TIME AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-REALIZATION. 1990 11 1472 21 INSULAR CORTEX MEDIATES INCREASED PAIN TOLERANCE IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. YOGA, AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR DISCIPLINE AMONG WESTERNERS, IS FREQUENTLY USED TO IMPROVE PAINFUL CONDITIONS. WE INVESTIGATED POSSIBLE NEUROANATOMICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA USING SENSORY TESTING AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNIQUES. NORTH AMERICAN YOGIS TOLERATED PAIN MORE THAN TWICE AS LONG AS INDIVIDUALLY MATCHED CONTROLS AND HAD MORE GRAY MATTER (GM) IN MULTIPLE BRAIN REGIONS. ACROSS SUBJECTS, INSULAR GM UNIQUELY CORRELATED WITH PAIN TOLERANCE. INSULAR GM VOLUME IN YOGIS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE, SUGGESTING A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND INSULAR SIZE. YOGIS ALSO HAD INCREASED LEFT INTRAINSULAR WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY, CONSISTENT WITH A STRENGTHENED INSULAR INTEGRATION OF NOCICEPTIVE INPUT AND PARASYMPATHETIC AUTONOMIC REGULATION. YOGIS, AS OPPOSED TO CONTROLS, USED COGNITIVE STRATEGIES INVOLVING PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS TO TOLERATE PAIN, WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO USE-DEPENDENT HYPERTROPHY OF INSULAR CORTEX. TOGETHER, THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR AND LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES PAIN TOLERANCE IN TYPICAL NORTH AMERICANS BY TEACHING DIFFERENT WAYS TO DEAL WITH SENSORY INPUTS AND THE POTENTIAL EMOTIONAL REACTIONS ATTACHED TO THOSE INPUTS LEADING TO A CHANGE IN INSULAR BRAIN ANATOMY AND CONNECTIVITY. 2014 12 1535 16 KARMA YOGA: A PATH TOWARDS WORK IN POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY. KARMA YOGA IS THE PATH THAT LEADS TO SALVATION THROUGH ACTION. SALVATION IS THE ULTIMATE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS. WORK IS THE CENTRAL AND DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF LIFE. IT MAY HAVE INTRINSIC VALUE, INSTRUMENTAL VALUE, OR BOTH. INSTRUMENTAL VALUE INCLUDES INCENTIVE, DIGNITY AND POWER, ETC., WHICH IS THE RESULT EXPECTED FROM THE WORK. THE GITA TEACHES US TO DO WORK WITHOUT THINKING OF RESULT (WORK WITH INTRINSIC VALUE). ATTACHMENT WITH THE RESULT LEADS TO STRESS, COMPETITION AND AGGRESSION. STRESS FURTHER GIVES RISE TO HEART AILMENTS, DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES THE FACTORS AND CONDITIONS LEADING TO PLEASURABLE AND SATISFYING LIFE. UNDERSTANDING KARMA YOGA AND ITS PRACTICE HAS A SIMILAR ROLE THAT LEAD AN INDIVIDUAL TOWARDS WORK AND LEADING TO A SATISFIED LIFE. THIS MAY PLAY A UNIQUE ROLE TOWARDS PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY TO IMPROVE ONE'S LIFESTYLE AND AID IN THE TREATMENT OF STRESS DISORDERS. 2013 13 1734 19 PERSPECTIVES ON YOGA INPUTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC PAIN. CHRONIC PAIN IS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. AT THE PHYSICAL LEVEL ITSELF, BEYOND THE NOCICEPTIVE PATHWAY, THERE IS HYPER AROUSAL STATE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, WHICH NEGATIVELY INFLUENCES TENSION COMPONENT OF THE MUSCLES, PATTERNS OF BREATHING, ENERGY LEVELS AND MINDSET, ALL OF WHICH EXACERBATE THE DISTRESS AND AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY. BEGINNING WITH THE PHYSICAL BODY, YOGA EVENTUALLY INFLUENCES ALL ASPECTS OF THE PERSON: VITAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL. IT OFFERS VARIOUS LEVELS AND APPROACHES TO RELAX, ENERGIZE, REMODEL AND STRENGTHEN BODY AND PSYCHE. THE ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA HARMONIZE THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND INITIATE A "RELAXATION RESPONSE" IN THE NEURO ENDOCRINAL SYSTEM. THIS CONSISTS OF DECREASED METABOLISM, QUIETER BREATHING, STABLE BLOOD PRESSURE, REDUCED MUSCLE TENSION, LOWER HEART RATE AND SLOW BRAIN WAVE PATTERN. AS THE NEURAL DISCHARGE PATTERN GETS MODULATED, HYPER AROUSAL OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE STATIC LOAD ON POSTURAL MUSCLE COME DOWN. THE FUNCTION OF VISCERA IMPROVES WITH THE SENSE OF RELAXATION AND SLEEP GETS DEEPER AND SUSTAINED; FATIGUE DIMINISHES. SEVERAL SUBTLE LEVEL NOTIONAL CORRECTIONS CAN HAPPEN IN CASE THE SUBJECT MEDITATES AND THAT CHANGES THE CONTEXT OF THE DISEASE, PAIN AND THE MEANING OF LIFE. MEDITATION AND PRANAYAMA, ALONG WITH RELAXING ASANAS, CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC PAIN, REDUCE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION EFFECTIVELY AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE PERCEIVED. 2010 14 1817 12 PROPOSED IDENTIFICATION OF PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AND THEORETICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGASANAS. YOGA IN THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FORM IS NOW ACCEPTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, BY THE RESEARCHERS AS WELL AS BY THE GENERAL POPULATION. YOGASANA OR YOGIC POSTURES ARE ONE OF THE MAIN FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICAL YOGA. MECHANISMS OF MEDIATION AND PRANAYAMA HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED. IN THIS ARTICLE, THE AUTHOR IS FOR THE FIRST TIME PROPOSING PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF YOGASANA I.E. (A) STRETCH (B) CONTRACTION (C). NEUROMUSCULAR COORDINATION (D) SENSE REDUCTION (E) SPINE BRAIN ACTIVATION. IN SUPPORT OF THIS PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION AUTHOR HAS PROPOSED FIVE HYPOTHETICAL THEORIES I.E. (I) STRETCH RELAXATION AWARENESS (II) CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (III) BALLASTIC CONTRACTION RELAXATION AWARENESS (IV) SENSORY MOTOR FUNCTION AWARENESS AND (V) VITAL ENERGY FLOW AWARENESS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS OF YOGASANA PRACTICE AND TO EXPLAIN ITS BENEFITS. 2021 15 1934 13 ROLE OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE STATE OF THE MIND AND THAT OF THE BODY ARE INTIMATELY RELATED. IF THE MIND IS RELAXED, THE MUSCLES IN THE BODY WILL ALSO BE RELAXED. STRESS PRODUCES A STATE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TENSION. YOGA, DEVELOPED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, IS RECOGNIZED AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE. IN YOGA, PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BLOOD CIRCULATION AND OXYGEN UPTAKE AS WELL AS HORMONE FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE RELAXATION INDUCED BY MEDITATION HELPS TO STABILIZE THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH A TENDENCY TOWARDS PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE. PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS WHICH FOLLOW, HELP YOGA PRACTITIONERS BECOME MORE RESILIENT TO STRESSFUL CONDITIONS AND REDUCE A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS FOR VARIOUS DISEASES, ESPECIALLY CARDIO-RESPIRATORY DISEASES. 2004 16 264 18 ACUTE CHEST PAIN AND ESOPHAGEAL MUCOSAL INJURY FOLLOWING AN EXTREME YOGA POSITION CASE REPORT. A YOUNG LADY COMPLAINED OF THE SUDDEN ONSET OF INTENSE CHEST PAIN, IN CONSEQUENCE OF AN EXTREME HYPEREXTENSION OF THE BACK IN A YOGA POSITION. AT ENDOSCOPY A LARGE LESION OF THE ESOPHAGEAL EPITHELIUM WAS DETECTED, INVOLVING THE MIDDLE THIRD OF THE ANTERIOR WALL OF THE ESOPHAGUS. OTHER SYMPTOMS REPORTED BY THE PATIENT WERE DYSPHAGIA AND ODYNOPHAGIA, DEPICTING THE TYPICAL FEATURES OF INTRAMURAL HEMATOMA, ALSO KNOWN AS INTRAMURAL DISSECTION OR INTRAMURAL PERFORATION OF THE OESOPHAGUS. THE PATIENT WAS MANAGED CONSERVATIVELY AND SYMPTOMS DISAPPEARED WITHIN A WEEK. A BARIUM SWALLOW AT SIX MONTHS REPORTED NORMAL FINDINGS. DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACCIDENTS OCCURRING DURING YOGA PRACTICE ARE REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE, MAINLY INVOLVING MUSCULOSKELETAL OR NERVOUS SYSTEMS. VISCERAL LESIONS ARE EXCEPTIONAL AND NO SIMILAR CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE LITERATURE. KEYWORDS: ACUTE CHEST PAIN, ESOPHAGEAL LESION, INTRAMURAL HEMATOMA, MANAGEMENT OF ESOPHAGEAL LESION. 2019 17 1565 27 LOW AND THEN HIGH FREQUENCY OSCILLATIONS OF DISTINCT RIGHT CORTICAL NETWORKS ARE PROGRESSIVELY ENHANCED BY MEDIUM AND LONG TERM SATYANANDA YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE. MEDITATION PROFICIENCY IS RELATED TO TRAIT-LIKE (LEARNED) EFFECTS ON BRAIN FUNCTION, DEVELOPED OVER TIME. PREVIOUS STUDIES SHOW INCREASES IN EEG POWER IN LOWER FREQUENCY BANDS (THETA, ALPHA) IN EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS IN BOTH MEDITATION STATES AND BASELINE CONDITIONS. HIGHER GAMMA BAND POWER HAS BEEN FOUND IN ADVANCED BUDDHIST MEDITATORS, YET IT IS NOT KNOWN IF THIS OCCURS IN YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICES. THIS STUDY USED ELORETA TO COMPARE DIFFERENCES IN CORTICAL SOURCE ACTIVITY UNDERLYING SCALP EEG FROM INTERMEDIATE (MEAN EXPERIENCE 4 YEARS) AND ADVANCED (MEAN EXPERIENCE 30 YEARS) AUSTRALIAN MEDITATORS FROM THE SATYANANDA YOGA TRADITION DURING A BODY-STEADINESS MEDITATION, MANTRA MEDITATION, AND NON-MEDITATION MENTAL CALCULATION CONDITION. INTERMEDIATE YOGA MEDITATORS SHOWED GREATER SOURCE ACTIVITY IN LOW FREQUENCIES (PARTICULARLY THETA AND ALPHA1) DURING MENTAL CALCULATION, BODY-STEADINESS AND MANTRA MEDITATION. A SIMILAR SPATIAL PATTERN OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WAS FOUND IN ALL CONDITIONS BUT THE NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT VOXELS WAS DOUBLE DURING BODY-STEADINESS AND MANTRA MEDITATION THAN IN THE NON-MEDITATION (CALCULATION) CONDITION. THESE DIFFERENCES WERE GREATEST IN RIGHT (R) SUPERIOR FRONTAL AND R PRECENTRAL GYRI AND EXTENDED BACK TO INCLUDE THE R PARIETAL AND OCCIPITAL LOBES. ADVANCED YOGA MEDITATORS SHOWED GREATER ACTIVITY IN HIGH FREQUENCIES (BETA AND ESPECIALLY GAMMA) IN ALL CONDITIONS BUT GREATLY EXPANDED DURING MEDITATION PRACTICE. ACROSS ALL CONDITIONS (MEDITATION AND NON-MEDITATION) DIFFERENCES WERE GREATEST IN THE SAME REGIONS: R INSULA, R INFERIOR FRONTAL GYRUS AND R ANTERIOR TEMPORAL LOBE. DISTINCT R CORE NETWORKS WERE IDENTIFIED IN ALPHA1 (8-10 HZ) AND GAMMA (25-42 HZ) BANDS, RESPECTIVELY. THE VOXELS RECRUITED TO THESE NETWORKS GREATLY EXPANDED DURING MEDITATION PRACTICE TO INCLUDE HOMOLOGOUS REGIONS OF THE LEFT HEMISPHERE. FUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION PARALLELS TRADITIONALLY DESCRIBED STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT IN YOGA PROFICIENCY. 2014 18 1191 24 EVOLUTION FROM FOUR MENTAL STATES TO THE HIGHEST STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS: A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF MEDITATION AS DEFINED IN YOGA TEXTS. THIS CHAPTER PROVIDES A THEORETICAL INTRODUCTION TO STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND REVIEWS NEUROSCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS OF MEDITATION. THE DIFFERENT STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS CONSIST OF FOUR MENTAL STATES, I.E., CANCALATA (RANDOM THINKING), EKAGRATA (NON-MEDITATIVE FOCUSING), DHARNA (FOCUSED MEDITATION), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AS DEFINED IN YOGA TEXTS. MEDITATION IS A SELF-REGULATED MENTAL PROCESS ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP RELAXATION AND INCREASED INTERNALIZED ATTENTION. SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS ON MEDITATION REPORTED CHANGES IN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS AND NEUROIMAGING MEASURES. BUT MOST OUTCOMES OF MEDITATION STUDIES SHOWED INCONSISTENT RESULTS, THIS MAY BE DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN MEDITATION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES EVOLVED IN THE LAST 200 YEARS. TRADITIONALLY, THE FEATURES OF MEDITATION INCLUDE THE CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF THOUGHTS, BEHAVIORS, EMOTIONS, AND PERCEPTIONS. GENERALLY, MEDITATION INVOLVES NON-REACTIVE EFFORTLESS MONITORING OF THE CONTENT OF EXPERIENCE FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT. FOCUSED MEDITATION PRACTICE INVOLVES AWARENESS ON A SINGLE OBJECT AND OPEN MONITORING MEDITATION IS A NON-DIRECTIVE MEDITATION INVOLVED ATTENTION IN BREATHING, MANTRA, OR SOUND. THEREFORE, RESULTS OF FEW EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF ADVANCED MEDITATORS OR BEGINNERS REMAIN TENTATIVE. THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COMPILE THE MEDITATION-RELATED CHANGES IN ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROIMAGING PROCESSES AMONG EXPERIENCED AND NOVICE PRACTITIONERS. 2019 19 924 13 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN EATING DISORDERS - A CASE REPORT. EATING DISORDERS ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES AND ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES. THE USE OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT METHOD IN EATING DISORDERS IS CONTROVERSIAL DISCUSSED. THE INTERVIEWEE WAS A 38 YEAR OLD FEMALE PATIENT SUFFERING ON ANOREXIA NERVOSA AND VARIOUS PSYCHOSOMATIC-PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES IN HER MEDICAL HISTORY. THE PATIENT REPORTED THAT YOGA RECOVERED THE SOUL CONTACT WHICH SHE LOST AND SHE HAD LEARNED TO PERCEIVE AND FEEL HERSELF AGAIN. SHE STATED THAT YOGA HELPED HER TO FIND ACCESS TO HER BODY AND ITS NEEDS AND TO COPE WITH HER TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES. SHE ALSO REPORTED THAT ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED IN RELATION TO HER STOMACH IN THE TREATMENT OF HER ANOREXIA. THE CASE REPORT CONFIRMED THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON EATING DISORDERS. RESEARCH SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL'S CO-MORBIDITIES, AS EATING DISORDERS USUALLY OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH CO-MORBIDITIES. 2019 20 153 22 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING HOW THE AIMS, LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS OF YOGA FOR PREGNANCY TEACHERS MAY IMPACT UPON WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH. BACKGROUND: AS WOMEN'S ANXIETY AND THE RATE OF MEDICAL INTERVENTION IN LABOUR AND BIRTH CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY HOW ANTENATAL EDUCATION CAN INCREASE WOMEN'S CONFIDENCE AND THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE THE INTENSE SENSATIONS OF LABOUR. AIM: TO REPORT A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF HOW THE AIMS, LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS OF YOGA FOR PREGNANCY TEACHERS MAY IMPACT UPON WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH. METHODS: YOGA FOR PREGNANCY CLASSES IN THREE LOCATIONS WERE FILMED. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE TEACHERS TO EXPLORE WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IN THEIR CLASSES, AND HOW. INTERVIEWS AND CLASSES WERE TRANSCRIBED AND ANALYSED USING GROUNDED THEORY. FINDINGS: THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONSISTENCY IN THE TEACHERS' AIMS, THE LANGUAGE THEY USED IN CLASSES AND IN THEIR THINKING ABOUT CLASS STRUCTURE. FOUR MAIN THEMES EMERGED: CREATING A SISTERHOOD, MODELLING LABOUR, BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND ENHANCING LEARNING. TEACHERS SEE YOGA FOR PREGNANCY AS A MULTI-FACETED, NON-PRESCRIPTIVE INTERVENTION THAT ENHANCES WOMEN'S PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL READINESS FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH, AND SUPPORTS WOMEN TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ACROSS THE TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD. CONCLUSION: WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR IS COMPLEX AND MULTI-FACTORIAL. THIS STUDY OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO THE FACTORS WHICH MAY BE INVOLVED IN INCREASING IT. THESE INCLUDE NOT ONLY TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA SUCH AS POSTURES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION, BUT ALSO THE CREATION OF SAFE, WOMEN-ONLY GROUPS WHERE ANXIETIES, EXPERIENCES AND STORIES CAN BE SHARED, AND PAIN-COPING TECHNIQUES FOR LABOUR LEARNED AND PRACTISED. 2016