1 1510 114 IS THE "YOGA BOD" THE NEW SKINNY?: A COMPARATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MAINSTREAM YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE COVERS. AS YOGA HAS GAINED POPULARITY IN WESTERN CULTURE, CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT ITS INCREASED COMMERCIALIZATION AND ASSIMILATION INTO THE PREDOMINANTLY APPEARANCE-FOCUSED EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE PRESENT STUDY EXAMINED THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS (E.G., RACE/ETHNICITY, BODY SIZE, SHAPE, OBJECTIFYING APPAREL) OF 142 FEMALE MODELS AND THE MEDIA FRAMES OF 567 CAPTIONS (E.G., COMMERCIALISM, BODY COMPETENCE, HEALTH, WEIGHT/PHYSICAL APPEARANCE) FEATURED ON THE COVERS OF THREE WESTERNIZED YOGA LIFESTYLE MAGAZINES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 2010-2015. RESULTS INDICATED THAT MOST MODELS WERE WHITE, EMBODYING THE CONTEMPORARY "THIN-AND-LEAN" MEDIA FITNESS AESTHETIC. MODELS WERE ACTIVELY POSED WITH HIGH BODY VISIBILITY; AN APPRECIABLE MINORITY WAS PARTIALLY-CLAD IN SKIN-REVEALING OR FORM-FITTING UPPER-BODY ATTIRE. MEDIA FRAMES CONVEYING COMMERCIALISM AND BODY COMPETENCE WERE EQUALLY PRESENT. THE PATTERN OF EFFECTS TENDED TO REFLECT THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGAZINE TITLE'S ENDORSEMENT OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURAL VALUES. CLINICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ALONG WITH FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 2 1502 14 INVEST IN YOURSELF. YOGA AS A SELF-CARE STRATEGY. A WIDENING RECOGNITION OF THE MIND-BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTION IN WESTERN MEDICINE HAS RESULTED IN A GROWING INTEREST IN ANCIENT HEALTH PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA. AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES ENTER MAINSTREAM MEDICAL SETTINGS, NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NEED A FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE MODALITIES TO BE ABLE TO ADVISE PATIENTS EFFECTIVELY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF YOGA AND DETAILS THE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2000 3 1568 19 MAINSTREAMING OF AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY WITH THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN INDIA. INDIA HAS A POPULATION OF 1.21 BILLION PEOPLE AND THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF SOCIO-CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC, AND DEMOGRAPHIC HETEROGENEITY. THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY DOCTORS, PER HEAD OF POPULATION. THE NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MISSION HAS DECIDED TO MAINSTREAM THE AYURVEDA, YOGA, NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA, AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH) SYSTEM OF INDIGENOUS MEDICINE TO HELP MEET THE CHALLENGE OF THIS SHORTAGE OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND TO STRENGTHEN THE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF THE HEALTH CARE SERVICE. MULTIPLE INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO ENSURE A SYSTEMATIC MERGER; HOWEVER, THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS. TO ENSURE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO ALL, POLICY-MAKERS NEED TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE AYUSH SYSTEM AND TO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM WITH STRINGENT MONITORING MECHANISMS. 2015 4 2494 19 YOGA AS MEDICINE: UNDERSTANDING BHUTANESE REFUGEE PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE. BHUTANESE REFUGEES IN THE U.S. OFTEN STRUGGLE TO ACCESS CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTH TREATMENT. ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING HOW REFUGEES PERCEIVE THEIR HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE NEEDS. SINCE 2015, A COMMUNITY AGENCY HAS IMPLEMENTED COMMUNITY-BASED, PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUPS FOR BHUTANESE REFUGEES, WITH 17 GROUPS IN 2018-2019. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE AGENCY'S QUALITY ASSURANCE EVALUATION THROUGH GROUP LEADER FEEDBACK, OBSERVATION REPORTS, AND FOCUS GROUPS. THE RESULTS OF 46 QUALITY ASSURANCE DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT THIS GROUP OF BHUTANESE REFUGEES PERCEIVE THEIR HEALTH THROUGH THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION, VIEWING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AS LINKED AND SUPPORTED BY YOGA, MINDFULNESS, EXERCISE, NUTRITION, AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION. 2021 5 1878 32 REALIZING YOGA'S ALL-ACCESS PASS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE CRITIQUE OF WESTERNIZED YOGA AND INCLUSIVE EMBODIMENT. IN THE 21(ST) CENTURY, THE ANCIENT MIND-BODY PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS SURGED IN POPULARITY AMONG WESTERN ENTHUSIASTS FOR ITS NUMEROUS HEALTH BENEFITS. PARTICULARLY, A GROWING EVIDENCE BASE SUPPORTS YOGA FOR CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND REDUCING RISK FOR DISORDERED EATING. NEVERTHELESS, AMIDST ITS RISE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT YOGA'S DEPARTURE FROM ITS SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS AND INCREASING ASSIMILATION INTO THE APPEARANCE- AND COMMERCIAL-DRIVEN EXERCISE AND FITNESS CULTURE. CONSEQUENTLY, AN EXCLUSIONARY IDENTITY HAS BEEN PERPETUATED IN SHAPING NORMS SURROUNDING WHO CAN AND DOES PRACTICE YOGA, WHICH CONTRADICTS EARLIER EGALITARIAN VISIONS OF A YOGA FOR ALL. THEREFORE, WE ADOPT A SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS IN OFFERING A FOCUSED ANALYSIS OF THE INTERSECTION OF YOGA, EMBODIMENT, AND INCLUSION FOR SELECT MARGINALIZED SOCIAL IDENTITIES TYPICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND IN YOGA SCHOLARSHIP. DATA ARE SYNTHESIZED FROM BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE SOURCES AND INTEGRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CONFINED MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF "THE YOGA BODY" AND OTHER PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS MAY UNDERMINE THE PERCEIVED ACCESS TO THE PRACTICE FOR MEMBERS OF DIVERSE GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE WITH INVITING FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS FOSTERING MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AMONG THE VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS INVESTED IN ADVANCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION OF YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT FOR ALL BODIES. 2020 6 2016 21 SUPPLE BODIES, HEALTHY MINDS: YOGA, PSYCHEDELICS AND AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH. MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH HAS REVOLVED AROUND TREATMENT MODELS. AS INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARSHIP HAS SHOWN, MENTAL HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, FAR FROM BEING A NEUTRAL PRODUCT DETACHED FROM THE SOCIETY THAT GENERATED IT, WAS SHAPED BY POLITICS, ECONOMICS AND CULTURE. BY DRAWING ON CASE STUDIES OF YOGA, RELIGION AND FITNESS, THIS ARTICLE WILL EXAMINE THE WAYS IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES-SOMETIMES SCIENTIFIC, SOMETIMES SPIRITUAL-HAVE BEEN CONCEIVED, DEBATED AND APPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AND THE PUBLIC. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT WILL INTERROGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, PSYCHEDELICS, SOUTH ASIAN AND EASTERN RELIGION (AS UNDERSTOOD AND PRACTICED IN THE USA) AND MENTAL HEALTH. 2018 7 402 23 BEYOND TURMERIC AND YOGA: ADVANCE CARE PLANNING AND END-OF-LIFE CONSIDERATIONS AMONG ASIAN INDIAN AMERICAN HINDUS. HINDUISM IS THE FOURTH LARGEST RELIGION IN THE UNITED STATES; AN UNDERSTANDING OF HINDU BELIEFS AND PRACTICES WILL HELP HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS DELIVER CULTURALLY SENSITIVE CARE WHILE DISCUSSING ADVANCE CARE PLANNING AND END-OF-LIFE CARE FOR ADULT PATIENTS. FOR MANY WESTERNERS, THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, AYURVEDA, AND VEGETARIANISM IS USED BY PEOPLE STRIVING TO LIVE HEALTHFULLY. HOWEVER, WHAT MIGHT BE UNFAMILIAR TO WESTERNERS IS HOW FOR HINDUS, THESE PRACTICES REFLECT THEIR MILLENNIA-OLD SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOSITY. KNOWING THE HINDU BELIEFS OF ATMAN, BRAHMAN, KARMA, AND MOKSHA WILL HELP NURSES CONNECT TO HINDUS' VARIOUS END-OF-LIFE WISHES. IN ADDITION, GETTING FAMILIAR WITH INTERRELATING FACTORS SUCH AS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON PALLIATIVE CARE AND ADVANCE CARE PLANNING, FAMILY DYNAMICS, ACCULTURATION, AND PERSONAL PREFERENCES WILL ALLOW NURSES TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE. BY FACILITATING END-OF-LIFE CONVERSATIONS AT AN EARLY STAGE, NURSES CAN PROMOTE CONFIDENCE AND SELF-EFFICACY FOR PATIENTS WHO MAY FEAR THAT THEIR RELIGIOSITY AND PERSONAL PRIORITIES ARE TRIVIALIZED BY ACCULTURATED FAMILY MEMBERS OR DISREGARDED BY THEIR ADOPTED HOMELAND. THIS CLINICAL ARTICLE PROVIDES NURSES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ASIAN INDIAN AMERICAN HINDUS' BELIEFS AND PRACTICES, CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT, AND SUGGESTIONS TO SUPPORT PATIENTS' AND FAMILIES' END-OF-LIFE WISHES. 2022 8 1954 17 SECULARITY: GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR INCLUSIVE YOGA IN SCHOOLS. THIS COMMENTARY EXPLORES THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF YOGA PROGRAMS AND TEACHERS TO UPHOLD BOTH THE PRINCIPLES AND THE SPIRIT OF SECULARISM WHEN TEACHING YOGA IN SCHOOLS. ARGUING THAT SECULARITY IS ESSENTIAL BOTH TO COMPLY WITH LEGAL MANDATES AND TO MAXIMIZE INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESS, EACH FACET OF A SECULAR APPROACH TO YOGA IN SCHOOLS IS EXPLORED THROUGH AN INQUIRY-BASED MODEL MEANT TO HELP THE READER GAIN CLARITY AND MAKE INFORMED CHOICES WHEN DEVELOPING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMMING. THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT ADDRESS THE USE OF NONSECULAR YOGA FOR CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL SETTING. IT INSTEAD SPEAKS TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF TOPICS SUCH AS SPIRITUALITY, PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, SECULAR ETHICS, AND THE USE OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS WITHIN SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WHILE INVITING CONTINUED REFLECTION ON THE NUANCES OF THE TOPIC, THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT GIVEN BOTH THE LEGAL IMPERATIVES AND POTENTIAL RISK OF EXCLUSION, FAILURE TO OFFER SCHOOL-BASED YOGA USING A SECULAR APPROACH THREATENS TO UNDERMINE THE SUCCESS OF THE FIELD AND HINDER ACCESS TO PRACTICES THAT HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON YOUNG PEOPLE. 2019 9 424 14 BUILDING BRIDGES FOR YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH: THE AETNA, INC. MIND-BODY PILOT STUDY ON CHRONIC AND HIGH STRESS. IN 2009, AETNA, INC., INVITED GARY KRAFTSOW AND THE AMERICAN VINIYOGA INSTITUTE (AVI) TO CONTRIBUTE TO A RESEARCH STUDY ON MODULATING STRESS. THIS PARTNERSHIP REPRESENTED THE FIRST FORMAL RECOGNITION OF THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA THERAPY IN MODERN HEALTHCARE BY AN INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS PROJECT EXEMPLIFIED THE POWER AND VALUE OF A COLLABORATION IN WHICH YOGA THERAPISTS MADE THE ANCIENT YOGA TEACHINGS RELEVANT TO HEALTHCARE RESEARCH. WE MUST UNDER-STAND OUR OWN ANCIENT TRADITIONS, LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF WESTERN MEDICINE, AND RECOGNIZE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD BRIDGES TO MEDICAL DISCIPLINES, ACADEMIC PARTNERS, INSURERS, FUNDERS, AND POLICY MAKERS. 2012 10 2304 22 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 11 2239 18 THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH LITERACY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS. EVIDENCE-INFORMED PRACTICE (EIP) UTILIZES THE THREE COMPONENTS OF EXPERT OPINION, RESEARCH EVIDENCE, AND CLIENT VALUES. IT IS A RECOMMENDED TRAINING COMPETENCY FOR INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN DIVERSE FIELDS, SUCH AS ACUPUNCTURE AND MASSAGE THERAPY. RESEARCH LITERACY (RL) IS A NECESSARY PRE-REQUISITE TO EIP. MANY YOGA THERAPISTS HAVE LIMITED TRAINING IN THESE SKILLS, WHICH NEGATIVELY IMPACTS INTER-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION, AS WELL AS FURTHER ADVANCEMENT OF YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PROPOSE INCLUSION OF RL AND EIP IN THE TRAINING OF YOGA THERAPISTS. BENEFITS FOR CLIENT CARE, COLLABORATIVE CARE, AND THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY ARE DISCUSSED. 2017 12 238 19 A THERAPY TO LIVE BY: PUBLIC HEALTH, THE SELF AND NATIONALISM IN THE PRACTICE OF A NORTH INDIAN YOGA SOCIETY. IN THIS ARTICLE I FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCEPTS OF SELF AND HEALTH IN MODERN NORTH INDIA. DRAWING ON FIELD RESEARCH IN A POPULAR YOGA SOCIETY, I ARGUE THAT YOGA THERAPY, AS PRACTICED BY THE BHARATIYA YOG SANSTHAN OF DELHI, PROVIDES A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF WHAT CAN BE MEANT BY PUBLIC HEALTH. USING STUDIES THAT CHALLENGE BOTH THE ESSENTIALIST AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL FACTICITY OF THE SELF, I SHOW HOW THE DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IS IMPLICATED IN, AND DERIVED FROM, A COMPLEX SEARCH FOR SELF DEFINITION IN TERMS OF HEALTH; HEALTH WHICH IS CONCEIVED OF AS A PUBLIC REGIMEN THAT SEEKS TO RECONNECT THAT WHICH MODERNITY HAS BROKEN APART: MIND AND BODY. 1997 13 1310 26 HEALING MYTHS, YOGA STYLES AND SOCIAL BODIES: SOCIO-LOGICS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IN THE SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE. DRAWING ON PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEWS IN TWO YOGA STUDIOS IN THE HIGHLY SOCIALLY STRATIFIED CITY OF MARSEILLE, FRANCE, THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE UNDERSTANDINGS OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE THAT EMERGE AT THE INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN YOGA STYLES AND THEIR SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF CONSUMPTION. ITS INSIGHTS EMERGE FROM THE COMPARISON OF THREE MODERN YOGA STYLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED FOR WESTERN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CULTURAL CONTEXTS - IYENGAR, BIKRAM AND FORREST - AND WHICH DIFFER IN FORM BUT ALSO IN THE CHRONOLOGY OF THEIR EMERGENCE ON THE GLOBAL YOGA MARKET AND THAT OF THEIR RECEPTION IN FRANCE. THESE THREE YOGA STYLES ARE ALSO BRANDED THROUGH CONTRASTING MYTHOLOGIES OF TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING, AND THE AIM OF THIS PAPER IS TO EXPLORE HOW A BRAND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE RELATES TO OR RESONATES WITH THE EMBODIED EXPERIENCES OF PRACTITIONERS, AND TO THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN WHICH PRACTITIONERS AND THEIR PRACTICES ARE EMBEDDED. THE PAPER CONTRIBUTES A NEW CASE STUDY TO THE GLOBAL YOGA SCHOLARSHIP AND TO A POORLY STUDIED FRENCH YOGA SCENE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT CROSS-EXAMINES THE DISCOURSES THROUGH WHICH A YOGA STYLE IS BRANDED, THE WAY IT IS TRANSMITTED, AND THE SOCIAL CONTEXT AND SOCIAL POSITIONING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE IT. COMBINING PERSPECTIVES ON THE BODY, NARRATIVE AND RITUALS, IT IDENTIFIES HOW YOGA HEALING IS CONSTRUED IN RELATION TO GENDER, ETHNICITY AND CLASS AND THE POINTS OF CONSENSUS AND DISSENT THAT EMERGE FROM THE ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN FRENCH SOCIAL BODIES AND EXOGENOUS YOGA STYLES. 2021 14 2709 34 YOGA IS FOR EVERY (ABLE) BODY: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF DISABILITY THEMES WITHIN MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA. YOGA IS INCREASINGLY BEING RECOMMENDED AS A HEALTH SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR PEOPLE WITH A RANGE OF DISABILITIES. MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR LIMITED REPRESENTATION OF RACIAL/ETHNIC, GENDER, AGE, AND BODY SIZE DIVERSITY WITHIN THEIR PUBLICATIONS; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT KNOWN HOW THESE MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDE VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF OR TEXTUAL INFORMATION RELEVANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (PWDS). THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO UNDERSTAND IF AND HOW MAINSTREAM YOGA MEDIA VISUALLY REPRESENT AND INCLUDE INFORMATION FOR PWDS. WE CONDUCTED A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE "YOGAPEDIA" SECTION OF EACH YOGA JOURNAL MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN 2015 AND 2016 (N = 17). TWO INDEPENDENT CODERS RATED ALL OF THE IMAGES AND TEXT IN THESE SECTIONS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A THEMATIC APPROACH INFORMED BY A PROMINENT THEORETICAL MODEL OF DISABLEMENT. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMAGES CONTAINED NO REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY. IN CONTRAST, MAGAZINE TEXT INCLUDED AN ABUNDANCE OF REFERENCES TO DISABILITY; HOWEVER, THESE MENTIONS PREDOMINATELY ALIGNED WITH CONSTRUCTS FOUND EARLY IN THE DISABLEMENT PROCESS AND STRONGLY FOCUSED ON PHYSICAL AND MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. THESE FINDINGS EXPAND UPON PREVIOUS RESEARCH EXAMINING THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF MARGINALIZED GROUPS WITHIN YOGA MEDIA AND ILLUMINATE A PAUCITY OF RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN AND MAY BENEFIT FROM YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 15 2373 24 WHAT IS OUR "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY"? REFLECTIONS ON SOCIAL WORK'S ORIENTATION IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO EXPLORE HOW THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE COULD PROVIDE A COMPLEMENTARY LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY CAN BE ANALYZED AND EVALUATED BY ENGAGING IN KNOWLEDGE-CREATION PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES THAT PRIORITIZE THE "EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY" DESCRIBED BY PHILOSOPHER LORRAINE CODE. MORE SPECIFICALLY, BY SEEKING TO STRATEGICALLY INCLUDE OFTEN-SUBJUGATED TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE AND BY FOCUSING ON REDISTRIBUTING EPISTEMIC POWER TO AGENTS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM EPISTEMIC PARTICIPATION IN CONTEMPORARY YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH, THE SOCIAL WORK DISCIPLINE, WITH ITS STRONG COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO FILLING AN IMPORTANT GAP IN SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. WE BEGIN BY PRESENTING THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE IN RELATION TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. WE NEXT OFFER A RESERVED CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DOMINANT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE THAT CURRENTLY INFORMS YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE. THIS ANALYSIS HIGHLIGHTS THE SOCIAL PARAMETERS THAT MAY BE RENDERED INVISIBLE OR LEFT ASIDE WHEN ADOPTING A POSITIVIST EPISTEMOLOGICAL LENS AND JUSTIFIES HOW THE CONCEPTUAL APPARATUS OF EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY SERVES AS A POTENTIAL PLATFORM FOR RETHINKING SOCIAL WORK'S POSITION AND FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE MOBILIZE THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL APPROPRIATION TO ILLUSTRATE HOW STRIVING FOR EPISTEMIC RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDES AN ENTRY POINT FOR ADDRESSING THE MULTILEVEL, COMPLEX SOCIAL PROCESSES EMBEDDED IN YOGA THERAPY PRACTICE AND RESEARCH WHILE AIMING TO CAPTURE THE MANY VOICES-AND HENCE THE VARIOUS TRUTHS-IMPLICATED IN A DEMOCRATIC, REFLEXIVE, AND INCLUSIVE RESEARCH PROCESS. 2020 16 1671 25 NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES: A CASE STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. BEGINNING WITH A ROUTINE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRACTITIONER OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AND EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING, MAINTAINING AND PREVENTING THE DISSIPATION OF DIVERSE 'ENERGIES', THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GEOGRAPHICAL HEALTH STUDIES WHICH TAKE SERIOUSLY 'NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'. IT IS EXPLAINED HOW THIS ACCOUNT IS DERIVED FROM IN-DEPTH FIELDWORK TRACING HOW PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FIND TIMES AND SPACES FOR THESE PRACTICES, OFTEN IN THE FACE OF BUSY URBAN LIFESTYLES. ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE 'ENERGY TALK' FEATURING HEAVILY IN HOW PRACTITIONERS DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES TO DERIVE FROM THESE PRACTICES, AND TO CLAIMS MADE ABOUT 'ENERGIES' GENERATED DURING THE TIME-SPACES OF THESE PRACTICES WHICH SEEMINGLY FLOW, USUALLY WITH POSITIVE EFFECTS, INTO OTHER DOMAINS OF THEIR LIVES. THE PAPER THEN DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ENERGY TALK IN THE CONTEXT OF: (A) CRITICALLY REVIEWING CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING 'ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'; (B) IDENTIFYING AN ALERTNESS TO THE LIKES OF 'AFFECTIVE ENERGIES' SURFACING IN RECENT THEORETICALLY-ATTUNED WORKS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (AND COGNATE DISCIPLINES); AND (C) EXPLORING DIFFERING UNDERSTANDINGS OF ENERGY/ENERGIES EXTANT IN GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF HEALTH AND IN STEP WITH THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH MATERIALS PRESENTED ABOUT YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. WHILE ORIENTATED TOWARDS EXPLICITLY GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES, THE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO THE WIDER MEDICAL HUMANITIES. 2015 17 1614 20 MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS IN YOGA - VEDANTA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH WESTERN PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPTS. STUDY OF MIND AND CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH ESTABLISHED SCIENTIFIC METHODS IS OFTEN DIFFICULT DUE TO THE OBSERVED-OBSERVER DICHOTOMY. CARTESIAN APPROACH OF DUALISM CONSIDERING THE MIND AND MATTER AS TWO DIVERSE AND UNCONNECTED ENTITIES HAS BEEN QUESTIONED BY ORIENTAL SCHOOLS OF YOGA AND VEDANTA AS WELL AS THE RECENT QUANTUM THEORIES OF MODERN PHYSICS. FREUDIAN AND NEO-FREUDIAN SCHOOLS BASED ON THE CARTESIAN MODEL HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED BY THE HUMANISTIC SCHOOLS WHICH COME MUCH CLOSER TO THE VEDANTIC APPROACH OF UNITARINESS. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TWO APPROACHES IS DISCUSSED. 2013 18 2909 17 [PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA. PARAMOUNT EMPIRICAL EFFICACY]. THIS ARTICLE IS DEVOTED TO THE ANALYSIS OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL FUNDAMENTALS AND GENESIS OF TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA BASED ON THE OVERVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE METHODOLOGY OF THESE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISCIPLINES AND THEIR THERAPEUTIC AND HEALTH-GIVING EFFICACY. BASED ON THE COMBINATION OF PHYSIOPHILOSOPHICAL CATEGORIES AND MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE CONCEPT OF THE FIVE PRIMARY ELEMENTS, THE AUTHORS ILLUSTRATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEMIC APPROACH BY WHICH ANCIENT PHYSICIANS RELATED MAN TO NATURE IN ORDER TO DERIVE THE ADAPTATION PRINCIPLE REALIZED THROUGH HUMAN ACTIVITIES. TRADITIONAL AND MODERN ASPECTS OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE CONSIDERED. IN THE TRADITIONAL CONTEXT, THE PERFORMANCE OF EXERCISES AS ASSIGNED BY TSIGUN, INDIAN, AND TIBETAN YOGA IS CONSIDERED AS THE PURPOSEFUL REALIZATION OF THE ENERGY OF CONSCIENCE FOR HEALTH IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE MODERN CONTEXT AS THE REALIZATION OF A NOVEL FORM OF PSYCHIC CREATIVE CAPACITY TO THE SAME EFFECT BASED ON FRUITFUL BRAINWORK. 2011 19 2804 27 YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT SITUATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN JAPAN TODAY. TRADITIONAL YOGA IN JAPAN SUFFERED A SERIOUS SETBACK IN 1995 WITH A NERVE GAS TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE TOKYO SUBWAY, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT BY A CULT THAT RECRUITED MEMBERS THROUGH YOGA CLASSES. BUT WITH THE INCREASE IN POPULARITY WITH MODERN FORMS OF YOGA SUCH AS IYENGAR YOGA, ASHTANGA YOGA AND HOT YOGA IN THE WEST, THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN JAPAN TODAY IS FORGETTING ITS AVERSION TO YOGA AND CONSIDERS IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GOOD HEALTH. IN 2012, THE JAPAN YOGA THERAPY SOCIETY (JYTS) CONDUCTED A STUDY ON ADVERSE EVENTS IN YOGA CLASSES THROUGHOUT JAPAN WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KYUSHU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LABOUR AND WELFARE. THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE ATTENDING YOGA CLASSES HAVE SOME FORM OF CHRONIC ILLNESS, WITH 42.3% RECEIVING OUTPATIENT CARE. THIS SURVEY WAS THE BEGINNING OF GROWING INTEREST FROM BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND UNIVERSITIES IN YOGA THERAPY. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. JYTS IS BEGINNING TO MAKE INROADS INTO BRINGING YOGA THERAPY INTO CANCER AND PALLIATIVE CARE, SENIOR CITIZEN HOMES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION, CARDIOVASCULAR REHABILITATION, AND RESEARCH ON TRAUMA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WHILE THERE ARE STILL LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOGA THERAPISTS TO WORK IN MAINSTREAM HEALTHCARE SERVICES, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST AMONG MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS IN BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS PERSPECTIVE PIECE INTRODUCES SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN JAPAN. 2017 20 2809 13 YOGA THERAPY: BUILDING A HOLDING ENVIRONMENT FOR SOMATIC AND PSYCHE CHANGE. DRAWING ON IDEAS FROM D.W. WINNICOTT AND THE WORK OF QUAKER THEOLOGIAN PARKER PALMER, THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE CONCEPT OF A HOLDING ENVIRONMENT, ITS REFINED UNDERSTANDING IN THE LITERATURE OVER THE YEARS, AND HOW IT CAN BE OPTIMALLY USED IN YOGA THERAPY. THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT EFFECTIVELY ESTABLISHING A HOLDING ENVIRONMENT CAN FACILITATE BOTH SOMATIC AND DEEP STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN A CLIENT, FACILITATING HEALING FROM PRIMAL WOUNDING AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL RECONNECTION TO THE TRUE SELF. 2015