1 1002 109 EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES DURING MEDITATION. CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: MANY STUDIES SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ASANAS. THERE IS NO STUDY ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS YET. THIS RESEARCH REPLICATED AND EXPANDED OBSERVED IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS) AS A RESULT OF 2-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE. THIRTEEN COLLEGE STUDENTS TAKING PART IN A 4-WEEK COURSE ON MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS WERE MATCHED WITH 13 STUDENTS TAKING OTHER COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS ON MOOD STATES, DEGREE OF HAPPINESS, AND EXPERIENCES IN TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) PRACTICE. METHODS: ALL STUDENTS WERE GIVEN TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AND ADDITIONAL QUESTION BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR 4-WEEK COURSE: POMS, MEDITATION DEPTH QUESTIONNAIRE, AND QUESTION ABOUT THE DEGREE OF HAPPINESS. RESULTS: REPEATED MEASURE MANOVA SHOWED THE 4-WEEK MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS COURSE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HAPPINESS DURING THE DAY AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN (1) SENSE OF PERSONAL SELF, (2) TRANSPERSONAL QUALITIES, AND (3) TRANSPERSONAL SELF DURING THEIR TM PRACTICE. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MAHARISHI YOGA ASANAS AFFECT MORE THAN BODY AND MIND. RATHER THEY INFLUENCE MUCH DEEPER LEVELS OF ONE'S SUBJECTIVITY INCLUDING ONE'S TRANSPERSONAL SELF. 2018 2 2878 26 YOGA-TEACHING PROTOCOL ADAPTED FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. CONTEXT: CHILDHOOD VISUAL DEFICIENCY IMPAIRS CHILDREN'S NEURO-PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT, CONSIDERABLY AFFECTING PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH. YOGA'S MULTIFACETED APPROACH MAY HELP CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT (VI) TO COPE WITH THEIR CHALLENGES. AIM: THIS STUDY AIMED TO DEVELOP A SPECIAL PROTOCOL FOR TEACHING YOGA TO CHILDREN WITH VI, AND TO EVALUATE THEIR PREFERRED METHOD OF LEARNING. METHODS: THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT AT RAMANA MAHARISHI ACADEMY FOR THE BLIND, BENGALURU, SOUTH INDIA. FORTY-ONE STUDENTS VOLUNTEERED TO LEARN YOGA PRACTICES, AND CLASSES WERE HELD WEEKLY 5 DAYS, 1 HR PER SESSION FOR 16 WEEKS. THE STUDY INTRODUCED A NEW METHOD USING A SEQUENCE OF FIVE TEACHING STEPS: VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS, TACTILE MODELING, STEP-BY-STEP TEACHING, LEARNING IN A GROUP, AND PHYSICAL GUIDANCE. A QUESTIONNAIRE CONCERNING THE PREFERRED STEPS OF LEARNING WAS THEN GIVEN TO EACH STUDENT, AND VERBAL ANSWERS WERE OBTAINED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 33 (OUT OF 41), AGED 11.97 +/- 1.94, 15 GIRLS AND 18 BOYS RESPONDED. TWENTY-SIX (78.79%) CHOSE PHYSICAL GUIDANCE AS THEIR MOST FAVORED LEARNING MODE. CONCLUSIONS: SPECIALLY DESIGNED PROTOCOL MAY PAVE THE WAY TO IMPART YOGA IN AN EXCITING AND COMFORTABLE WAY TO CHILDREN WITH VI. MORE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS NEW YOGA PROTOCOL IN SIMILAR SETTINGS. 2016 3 134 27 A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF LUMBAR TACTILE ACUITY IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: TACTILE ACUITY IN THE BACK RELATES TO VOLUNTARY LUMBO-PELVIC CONTROL AND IS LOWER IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) PATIENTS. TWO-POINT DISCRIMINATION (TPD) THRESHOLDS ARE HIGHER, INDICATING DECREASED TACTILE ACUITY IN PATIENTS WITH CLBP. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HELP RELIEVE CLBP. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT REGULAR PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA HAVE INCREASED TACTILE ACUITY (I.E., LOWER TPD THRESHOLDS) WHEN COMPARED TO MATCHED CONTROLS WHO REGULARLY PERFORM GYM-BASED (RESISTANCE TRAINING OR AEROBIC-TYPE) EXERCISE. METHOD: TACTILE ACUITY IN THE LOW BACK WAS ASSESSED USING TPD IN 16 LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA (5 ASHTANGA, 5 BIKRAM, AND 6 IYENGAR PRACTITIONERS) AND 16 AGE- AND GENDER-MATCHED HEALTHY CONTROLS WHO EXERCISE (WITH WEIGHTS AND AEROBIC EXERCISE). RESULTS: THE YOGA PRACTITIONERS' TPD WAS LOWER THAN THAT OF THE EXERCISERS, INDICATING GREATER TACTILE ACUITY IN THE LOW BACK. WHILE THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TPD OF THE PRACTITIONERS OF DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES, THE TPD OF THE ASHTANGA YOGA PARTICIPANTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THOSE OF THE EXERCISERS. THE YOGIS WHOSE MAIN REASONS TO PRACTICE YOGA WERE FOR "MEDITATION OR INCREASED MINDFULNESS" AND FOR "WELL-BEING" SHOWED A NONSIGNIFICANT TREND OF HIGHER TACTILE ACUITY THAN THOSE WHO DID YOGA FOR "PHYSICAL EXERCISE." THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TPD THRESHOLD AND CUMULATIVE AMOUNT OF YOGA PRACTICE IN TERMS OF HOURS PER WEEK AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, INCREASED HOURS OF EXERCISE PER WEEK CORRELATED WITH HIGHER TPD. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY BE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND ENHANCED TACTILE ACUITY IN THE LOW BACK. 2014 4 1704 16 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 5 2380 25 WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP INCORPORATING YOGA AND FACILITATED GROUP DISCUSSION: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. BACKGROUND: THIS PAPER REPORTS ON A SMALL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WHICH EXPLORED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP THAT INCORPORATED YOGA AND FACILITATED DISCUSSION. THE GROUP IS OFFERED THROUGH A COMMUNITY BASED FEMINIST NON-GOVERNMENT WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE IN NORTHERN NSW AUSTRALIA. QUESTION: THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THIS PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THE GROUP. FIFTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL, IN-DEPTH FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS WERE RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN TO ANALYSE THE QUALITATIVE DATA. FINDINGS: SIX THEMES WERE DEVELOPED, ONE WITH 3 SUBTHEMES. ONE THEME WAS LABELLED AS: 'THE PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD JOURNEY' AND INCLUDED 3 SUB-THEMES WHICH WERE LABELLED: 'PREPARATION FOR BIRTH', 'CONNECTING WITH THE BABY' AND 'SHARING BIRTH STORIES.' THE OTHER FIVE THEMES WERE: 'FEMININE NURTURING SAFE SPACE', 'WATCHING AND LEARNING THE MOTHERING', 'BUILDING MENTAL HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND CONNECTIONS', THE "GROUP LIKE A ROCK AND A SEED' AND 'DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTREAM'. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH ADDS TO THE OVERALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA IN PRE AND POSTNATAL CARE. IT DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF SHARING BIRTH STORIES AND THE STRONG CAPACITY WOMEN HAVE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, BRINGING BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT DERIVED FROM GROUP BASED MODELS OF CARE. 2013 6 1579 21 MEASURES OF SPIRITUAL AND TRANSPERSONAL CONSTRUCTS FOR USE IN YOGA RESEARCH. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS INFORMATION ON STANDARDIZED PAPER-AND-PENCIL MEASURES OF SPIRITUAL AND TRANSPERSONAL CONSTRUCTS THAT HOLD PROMISE FOR USE IN YOGA RESEARCH. NINE INSTRUMENTS ARE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH INCLUDING THE ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE FOR ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, EGO GRASPING ORIENTATION, EXPRESSIONS OF SPIRITUALITY INVENTORY, HINDU RELIGIOUS COPING SCALE, MEASURES OF HINDU PATHWAYS, SELF-EXPANSIVENESS LEVEL FORM, SPIRITUAL ORIENTATION INVENTORY, SPIRITUAL TRANSCENDENCE SCALE, AND THE VEDIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY. AS WELL, A LISTING OF AN ADDITIONAL 14 MEASURES, ALONG WITH PRIMARY CITATIONS, IS PROVIDED. IN CONCLUSION, THE AUTHORS PROFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USE OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS AND PROVIDE A GENERAL PROPOSAL FOR PROGRAMMATIC RESEARCH. 2009 7 2047 28 THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT AND WELL-BEING: A CONCEPT MAP OF STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS. BACKGROUND: CONCEPT MAPPING METHODOLOGY WAS USED TO EXPLORE THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF PRACTICING YOGA WITH THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT (AYP)-AN ORGANISATION CREATED TO INCREASE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA CLASSES THROUGHOUT KENYA. AYP'S MISSION FIT WITH THEORETICAL MODELS OF WELL-BEING IS DISCUSSED. ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND INITIAL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH SUGGESTED THE AYP MEANINGFULLY IMPACTED ADULT STUDENTS. METHODS: OF THE HUNDREDS OF AYP'S ADULT STUDENTS, 56 AND 82 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN PHASES I AND II, RESPECTIVELY. PHASE I BRAINSTORMING RESULTED IN 94 STUDENT-GENERATED STATEMENTS ABOUT THEIR PERCEIVED CHANGE. PHASE II PARTICIPANTS SORTED AND RATED STATEMENTS IN TERMS OF IMPORTANCE. MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING AND HIERARCHICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF SORT DATA WAS UTILISED TO MAP AND GROUP STATEMENTS INTO CLUSTERS. RESULTS: BASED ON STATISTICAL AND INTERPRETIVE CRITERIA, A FIVE-CLUSTER SOLUTION WITH THE FOLLOWING CONCEPTS WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE BEST MODEL OF STUDENTS' CHANGE: PERSONAL GROWTH; INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS (LOWEST IMPORTANCE); PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS; EMOTIONAL RESILIENCY; AND IMPROVED SELF-CONCEPT (HIGHEST IMPORTANCE). CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, STUDENTS REPORTED POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF THE AYP. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO QUANTIFY STUDENTS' CHANGE, AND TO COMPARE THE AYP OUTCOMES TO THOSE OF OTHER PROGRAMS AIMED AT POVERTY-RELATED STRESS REDUCTION AND WELL-BEING. 2018 8 2919 16 [THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTING GO IN THE HEALTH FIELD THROUGH YOGA]. A DISCIPLINE FOR BODY AND MIND ORIENTED TOWARDS CALMING AND INNER TRANQUILLITY, YOGA IS COUNTING MORE AND MORE ADEPTS IN OUR HECTIC SOCIETIES. MANY HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS NOW OFFER YOGA CLASSES FOR TEAMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS MANAGE STRESS, RELIEVE PAIN AND BRING ABOUT A SENSE OF WELL-BEING. A NURSE TESTIFIES TO THE BENEFITS OF THIS PRACTICE. 2021 9 2205 19 THE EXPERIENCE OF PERSONS WITH ALLERGIC RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS: PRACTICING YOGA AS A SELF-HEALING MODALITY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE OF PERSONS WITH ALLERGIC RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS WHO PRACTICE YOGA AS A SELF-HEALING MODALITY. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE INTERVIEWED. USING THE CONTENT ANALYSIS METHOD, 5 THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA: PERCEIVED POSITIVE EFFECTS, POWERFUL AND HARMONIOUS INNER ENERGY, MINDFULNESS AND SELF-AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS, AND PROMOTING AND ACHIEVING A STATE OF BALANCE AND HARMONY. THESE FINDINGS FOSTER THE VALUE OF KNOWING THE EXPERIENCE OF PERSONS WHO PRACTICE YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION IN HOLISTIC NURSING. 2011 10 894 38 EFFECT OF YOGA-NIDRA ON ADOLESCENTS WELL-BEING: A MIXED METHOD STUDY. CONTEXT: ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING IS A PRIORITY AREA FOR HEALTH-CARE INTERVENTIONS IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY. YOGA-NIDRA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN METHOD OF ENABLING INDIVIDUALS TO ATTAIN A POSITIVE STATE OF DEEP PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL RELAXATION. THE PRACTICE PRODUCES A STATE OF SIMULTANEOUS RELAXATION AND DETACHMENT RESULTING IN INNER AWARENESS AND RELEASE OF STRESS ON ALL PLANES OF ONE'S BEING. AIM: THIS MIXED METHOD STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT IN ADOLESCENT STUDENTS AGED 13-15 YEARS WITH AN AIM TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF YOGA-NIDRA ON VARIOUS DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIRTY-SIX STUDENTS RECEIVED YOGA-NIDRA SESSIONS 30 MIN DAILY FOR 3 DAYS IN A WEEK FOR 1 MONTH. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE HAPPINESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GENERAL WELL-BEING. THESE AND OTHER EXPERIENTIAL DIMENSIONS OF WELL-BEING COMPRISING OF ENTHUSIASM, ALERTNESS, QUIETUDE, CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND SELF-AWARENESS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONS WERE RECORDED FROM PARTICIPANTS, THEIR TEACHERS, AND PARENTS. RESULTS OF QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE ANALYZED AND COMPARED. RESULTS: YOGA-NIDRA INTERVENTION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ALL PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE FEELINGS OF HAPPINESS, ENTHUSIASM, QUIETUDE, BEING MORE INSPIRED AND ALERT, ACTIVE, HAVING CLARITY OF THOUGHT, CONTROL OVER ANGER, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. MIXED METHOD DESIGN OF THE STUDY PROVIDED CROSS-VALIDATION AND CONVERGENCE OF RESULTS OBTAINED FROM QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT TOOLS. CONCLUSION: YOGA-NIDRA IS BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF ADOLESCENT WELL-BEING. 2018 11 1583 35 MEDICAL STUDENTS' STRESS LEVELS AND SENSE OF WELL BEING AFTER SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF SIX WEEKS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS' LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING PRIOR TO TAKING THEIR EXAMS. METHODS. WE CONDUCTED A PROSPECTIVE CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF FIRST-THROUGH-THIRD-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS AT OUR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, MEASURING LEVELS OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND SENSE OF WELLBEING BEFORE AND AFTER A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES USED FOR EVALUATION INCLUDED THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS) AND SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEYS (SAS). THE POSTINTERVENTION SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED ON THE DAY OF THE STUDENTS' WRITTEN EXAMS. RESULTS. A TOTAL OF THIRTEEN WOMEN AND FOURTEEN MEN PARTICIPATED. MEDIAN AGE WAS 28 (24 YRS-32 YRS). 48.1% WERE CAUCASIAN, 7.4% BLACK, 11.1% HISPANIC, 11.1% ASIAN, AND 22.2% OTHER. PAIRED T-TESTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED STRESS (18.44 VERSUS 14.52; P = 0.004) AFTER THE SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM. AFTER THE YOGA INTERVENTION, SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FEELINGS OF PEACE, FOCUS, AND ENDURANCE. IMPROVEMENTS IN HAPPINESS, POSITIVITY, PERSONAL SATISFACTION, AND SELF-CONFIDENCE WERE ALSO SEEN. AN IMPROVEMENT IN UNSUBSTANTIATED PARAMETERS SUCH AS PATIENCE AND FATIGUE WAS OBSERVED. CONCLUSION. YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STRESS LEVELS AND IMPROVING ASPECTS OF PERSONAL WELLBEING IN MEDICAL STUDENTS. 2016 12 645 33 DOES YOGA SHAPE BODY, MIND AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAPPINESS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND/AIMS: TO ASSESS THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA STUDENTS COMPARED WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT SURVEY INSTRUMENTS ADMINISTERED TO THE TWO GROUPS. RESULTS: FIVE INDICATORS TO MEASURE MENTAL WELLNESS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. ON THREE OF THESE FIVE MEASURES, COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MORE MENTAL WELLNESS THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS - IN OTHER WORDS, THE RELATIONSHIP WAS THE INVERSE OF WHAT WAS EXPECTED. COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THEIR LIFE MORE OFTEN THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AS WELL AS MORE OFTEN EXPERIENCING SATISFYING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE ALSO MORE LIKELY THAN YOGA PRACTITIONERS TO REPORT BEING TOLERANT OF OTHERS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY APPROVED OF THEIR BEHAVIOR OR BELIEFS. YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT HAVING STRONG MORALS AND HEALTHY VALUES AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND CONSIDER THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. WE FOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ON MORE THAN HALF OF OUR SPIRIT ITEMS (FIVE OF NINE). YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO REPORT EXPRESSING THEIR SPIRITUALITY APPROPRIATELY AND IN HEALTHY WAYS, RECOGNIZING THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION FAITH COULD MAKE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE (SIGNIFICANT AT THE 0.07 LEVEL), ROUTINELY UNDERTAKING NEW EXPERIENCES TO ENHANCE SPIRITUAL HEALTH AND HAVING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE. FURTHER, WE FOUND SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSITION THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO REPORT EXPERIENCING HAPPINESS WITHIN. CONCLUSIONS: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE FOUND ON THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT. FURTHER WORK NEEDS TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITIES OF THESE RELATIONSHIPS. 2010 13 803 32 EFFECT OF YOGA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN RELATION TO STRESS. BACKGROUND: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS CONCERNED WITH THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF LEARNING ATTAINED IN A SUBJECT OR GROUP OF SUBJECTS AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF INSTRUCTION. EXCESSIVE STRESS HAMPERS STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE. IMPROVEMENT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND ALERTNESS HAS BEEN REPORTED IN SEVERAL YOGIC STUDIES. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN RELATION TO STRESS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY STARTED WITH 800 ADOLESCENT STUDENTS; 159 HIGH-STRESS STUDENTS AND 142 LOW-STRESS STUDENTS WERE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF SCORES OBTAINED THROUGH STRESS BATTERY. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP WERE GIVEN PRE TEST IN THREE SUBJECTS, I.E., MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES. A YOGA MODULE CONSISTING OF YOGA ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION, AND A VALUE ORIENTATION PROGRAM WAS ADMINISTERED ON EXPERIMENTAL GROUP FOR 7 WEEKS. THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE POST-TESTED FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE ON THE THREE SUBJECTS MENTIONED ABOVE. RESULTS: THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE STUDENTS, WHO PRACTICED YOGA PERFORMED BETTER IN ACADEMICS. THE STUDY FURTHER SHOWS THAT LOW-STRESS STUDENTS PERFORMED BETTER THAN HIGH-STRESS STUDENTS, MEANING THEREBY THAT STRESS AFFECTS THE STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE. 2009 14 2797 33 YOGA THERAPY FOR PROMOTING EMOTIONAL SENSITIVITY IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: STUDENTS NEED EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EI) FOR THEIR BETTER ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. THERE ARE THREE IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF EI: EMOTIONAL SENSITIVITY (ES), EMOTIONAL MATURITY (EM) AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCY (EC), WHICH MOTIVATE STUDENTS TO RECOGNIZE TRUTHFULLY, INTERPRET HONESTLY AND HANDLE TACTFULLY THE DYNAMICS OF THEIR BEHAVIORAL PATTERN. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS ES IN THE STUDENTS UNDERGOING YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM IN THE FORM OF YOGA INSTRUCTOR'S COURSE (YIC) MODULE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR YIC STUDENTS WITH 25.77 +/- 4.85 YEARS OF MEAN AGE PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY OF 21 DAYS DURATION (A SINGLE GROUP PRE-POST DESIGN). THE ES DATA WAS COLLECTED BEFORE (PRE) AND AFTER (POST) YIC MODULE USING EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT TEST DEVELOPED BY DR DALIP SINGH AND DR N K CHADHA. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, KOLMOGOROV-SMIRNOV TEST, AND WILCOXON SIGNED RANK TEST WERE USED FOR ANALYZING THE DATA WITH THE HELP OF SPSS 16. RESULTS: THE DATA ANALYSIS SHOWED 3.63% SIGNIFICANT INCREASE (P < 0.01) IN ES. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YIC MODULE CAN RESULT IN IMPROVEMENT OF ES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, THUS PAVING THE WAY FOR THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS. ADDITIONAL WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES ARE NEEDED BEFORE A STRONG RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE. 2014 15 2696 22 YOGA INSTRUCTORS' REPORTED BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH FUNCTIONING ONLINE: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLING SURVEY. BACKGROUND: AMONG NUMEROUS CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MOST YOGA CLASSES HAVE REPOSITIONED ONLINE. HOWEVER BENEFITS, DIFFICULTIES AND SATISFACTION OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE REMAIN TO BE STUDIED. WITH THIS BACKGROUND THE PRESENT SURVEY AIMED TO DETERMINE: (I) BENEFITS, DISADVANTAGES AND SATISFACTION OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE AND (II) THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO (A) SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC, (B) ONLINE YOGA TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND (C) YOGA PRACTICE. METHODS: THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN THE ONLINE SURVEY. OF THESE, 181 (M:F = 98:83) RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY SATISFACTORILY AND WERE INCLUDED. RESULTS: THE THREE MOST COMMON BENEFITS OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE WERE: (I) A SENSE OF SAFETY FROM RISK OF COVID-19 (93.92%), (II) COST SAVING (82.87%) AND (III) WIDER ACCESS TO TRAINEES WITHIN INDIA (77.90%). THE THREE MOST COMMON DISADVANTAGES WERE: (I) TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES (74.03%), (II) MISSING IN-PERSON CONTACT (63.90%) AND (III) CONCERN THAT ONLINE INSTRUCTIONS CAN LEAD TO INJURY (59.16%). AROUND 66.30% RESPONDENTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE MONITORING OF TRAINEES DURING ONLINE YOGA CLASSES WHILE 70.16% RESPONDENTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE LEVEL OF ATTENTION THEY COULD PAY TO THE TOPIC THEY WERE TEACHING DURING ONLINE YOGA CLASS. THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE VARIED WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA INSTRUCTORS (P < 0.05, CHI2 TEST). CONCLUSIONS: THE BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE ARE OF RELEVANCE DURING AND BEYOND THE PANDEMIC. CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO (I) SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS, (II) ONLINE YOGA TEACHING AND (III) YOGA PRACTICE INFLUENCE REPORTED BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEACHING YOGA ONLINE. 2022 16 21 30 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED. 2018 17 2721 27 YOGA MEETS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: EXAMINING THE INTEGRATION OF HEDONIC (GRATITUDE) AND EUDAIMONIC (MEANING) WELLBEING IN RELATION TO THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EXISTENCE OF A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND TWO DIMENSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING: MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. BOTH OF THE VARIABLES ARE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CONSTRUCTS; THERE IS THEORETICAL AFFINITY AND EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE RELATED TO OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR PARTICIPANTS AGED 18 YEARS AND ABOVE, WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE RANGING FROM NONE TO OVER SIX YEARS, RESPONDED TO A NUMBER OF SCALES. THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF YEARS DURING WHICH INDIVIDUALS PRACTICED YOGA AT LEAST TWO TIMES A WEEK. PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED TO THE FOLLOWING SCALES: MLQ (MEANING IN LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE) AND GQ-6 (GRATITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE). THIS STUDY HYPOTHESISED THAT THE NUMBER OF YEARS PRACTICING YOGA WOULD BE POSITIVELY CORRELATED TO THE SCORE OBTAINED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED SCALES. POSITIVE CORRELATIONS WERE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN THE EXTENT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND MEANING IN LIFE AND GRATITUDE. IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS REGARDING THE CONTRIBUTION OF YOGA TO BOTH HEDONIC AND EUDAIMONIC HAPPINESS ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 18 2505 25 YOGA ASANAS AS AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WHEN TEACHING MUSCULOSKELETAL ANATOMY OF THE LOWER LIMB. PHYSICAL MOVEMENT AS A CONDUIT FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING WITHIN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT OF ANATOMY IS A STRATEGY CURRENTLY USED IN UNIVERSITY DANCE EDUCATION. THIS SAME APPROACH CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER MOVEMENT-BASED PRACTICES, FOR EXAMPLE, YOGA. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO PILOT A NOVEL TEACHING CURRICULUM TO YOGA PRACTITIONERS, BASED ON BRUNER'S THEORY OF INSTRUCTION, WHICH INCORPORATED THE FOUR ADAPTIVE MODES OF KOLB'S THEORY OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. THE SECONDARY PURPOSE WAS TO ASSESS THE APPLICABILITY OF ANATOMICAL KNOWLEDGE WITHIN THE PARTICIPANTS' YOGA PRACTICE. FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CURRICULUM APPROPRIATE FOR A SPECTRUM OF ACADEMIC BACKGROUNDS, PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED TO ATTEND A 2-HOUR LEARNING SESSION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY AT QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO, CANADA. THE LEARNING SESSION GUIDED PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE BONES AND MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LIMB PERTAINING TO FIVE SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. BASED ON PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK, THE SESSIONS WERE POSITIVELY RECEIVED AND CONSISTENT. IN ADDITION, LEARNING SESSION PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO APPLY THE ANATOMICAL INFORMATION THEY WERE TAUGHT TO THEIR YOGA PRACTICE 1-MONTH LATER. BRUNER AND KOLB'S INDEPENDENT THEORIES ON CURRICULUM DESIGN AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING PRACTICE WERE SUCCESSFULLY INCORPORATED TO CREATE A 2-HOUR LEARNING SESSION. THE POTENTIAL USE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING TO COMPLIMENT AND/OR ENHANCE TRADITIONAL DIDACTIC TEACHING IN THE ACADEMIC CONTEXT OF ANATOMY SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED. 2012 19 191 27 A RANDOMIZED STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF MINDS IN MOTION AND YOGA ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY AND ACADEMIC SKILLS AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS CRITICAL FOR THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN. SPECIFICALLY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN COORDINATION, BALANCE, ATTENTION, AND BEHAVIOR AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. HOWEVER, FOR MANY CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THOSE BELONGING TO MINORITY GROUPS, OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN QUALITY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS OUTSIDE SCHOOL SETTINGS ARE LIMITED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE WHETHER A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM CALLED MINDS IN MOTION (MIM) THE MAZE BEFORE SCHOOL, AS COMPARED WITH YOGA, MEETS THE CRITERIA OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FRAMEWORK AS A BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO IMPROVE OVERALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 48 CHILDREN ATTENDING AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH LARGE MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN THE MIDWEST WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO MIM-THE MAZE OR YOGA. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSESSED ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY, BEHAVIOR, BALANCE, AND ACADEMIC SKILLS BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. TRAINING CONSISTED OF EITHER YOGA OR MIM-THE MAZE 30 MINUTES PER DAY BEFORE SCHOOL, 5 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: MIM-THE MAZE AND YOGA GROUP STUDENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC SKILLS. CONCLUSIONS: MIM-THE MAZE IS FEASIBLE AND AFFORDABLE BEFORE-SCHOOL PROGRAM TO PROMOTE STUDENTS' CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. 2020 20 2891 31 YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE-A COURSE THAT ILLUSTRATES WHY YOGA BELONGS IN THE ACADEMY. THE COURSE "YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE" (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT ALTHOUGH GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC YOGA COURSE OFFERINGS WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY WITH WAITLISTS, STUDENTS WERE OFTEN NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF YOGA AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE. IN THE AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE, STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED, YET THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR USING YOGA TO ADDRESS VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA FELT LIKE A GROUNDING PRACTICE. STUDENTS WANTED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR WHAT THEY EXPERIENTIALLY KNEW TO BE TRUE: YOGA HELPED THEM FEEL MORE GROUNDED IN THEIR BODIES. IN 2004, WHEN YTP WAS DESIGNED, COLLEGE YOGA COURSES WERE TYPICALLY IN DEPARTMENTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND LITTLE TO NO ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE THEORETICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS BEHIND WHY YOGA IS PRACTICED. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND THE COURSE OFFERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AN INDEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA THAT INCORPORATES BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST) AND HOLISTIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. THE CLINICAL/EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS COURSE IS TO EXPOSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (INCLUDING THOSE STUDYING TO BECOME HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS) TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROVIDE. USING THE UNIVERSITY'S EDUCATIONAL SETTING PROVIDES A VENUE TO AUGMENT THE FUTURE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE. 2019