1 1837 87 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE VULNERABLE TO A CRITICAL PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENTAL MATURATION, FACING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC WORK, AND LEARNING HOW TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY. PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS RUNNING AND BICYCLING HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE MOOD AND RELIEVE STRESS. HOWEVER, COLLEGE STUDENTS OFTEN HAVE LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACTIVITY THAT AFFECTS MOOD AND STRESS. HOWEVER, STUDIES EXAMINING THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE RARE IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO ESTABLISH PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS IN YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON A PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL LEVEL THAT LEADS TO DECREASED LEVELS OF STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENT. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGIC PRACTICES ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT COLLEGE SUBPOPULATIONS (E.G., OVERWEIGHT, SEDENTARY, AND SMOKERS). 2018
2 262 76 ACUTE AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF VINYASA YOGA ON AFFECT AND STRESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE VULNERABLE TO A CRITICAL PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENTAL MATURATION, FACING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC WORK AND LEARNING HOW TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY. WESTERN AEROBIC EXERCISE (WAE), SUCH AS RUNNING AND BICYCLING, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE MOOD AND RELIEVE STRESS. HOWEVER, COLLEGE STUDENTS OFTEN HAVE LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PRACTICE THAT MAY AFFECT MOOD AND STRESS. HOWEVER, RIGOROUS STUDIES EXAMINING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE RARE IN PEERREVIEWED WESTERN JOURNALS. THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO ESTABLISH PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF VINYASA YOGA ON AFFECT AND STRESS IN YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS. METHODS: TWENTY HEALTHY COLLEGE STUDENTS AGE 18 YEARS AND OLDER WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PILOT STUDY. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A VINYASA YOGA CLASS AT A LOCAL STUDIO TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. AFFECT AND STRESS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA SESSION. MEASURES INCLUDED THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE SCHEDULE (PANAS) AND THE COHEN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. RESULTS: POSITIVE AFFECT SCORES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) FOR 14 OF THE 16 YOGA SESSIONS (MEAN INCREASE = 23.2%). NEGATIVE AFFECT DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM PRE- TO POSTYOGA (P < 0.05) FOR 15 OF THE 16 SESSIONS (MEAN DECREASE = 22%). REPEATED MEASURES ANOVAS EXAMINING PRE-POST COMPOSITE SCORES ACROSS ALL 8 WEEKS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PANAS, BUT NOT STRESS SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE IMPROVEMENTS IN AFFECT IN A YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE POPULATION. FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT COLLEGE SUB-POPULATIONS (E.G., EATING DISORDERED, OVERWEIGHT/OBESE, SEDENTARY, AND SMOKERS). 2014
3 1595 22 MEDITATION AND YOGA-ASSISTED ALTERATION OF DIETARY BEHAVIOR AS A USEFUL STRATEGY FOR LIMITING ZOONOTIC PANDEMICS: A NOVEL INSIGHT. VEGETARIAN DIETS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PERSONAL AND PLANETARY HEALTH AND ARE LIKELY TO CURB ZOONOTIC INFECTION TRANSMISSION. WE PROPOSE THAT MINIMIZING MEAT CONSUMPTION SHOULD BECOME AN ESSENTIAL DIETARY SHIFT IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA. TO DATE, HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING SUITABLE METHODS THAT COULD CATALYZE THIS CHANGE ON A GLOBAL SCALE. MEDITATION AND YOGA ARE PRACTICAL AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT PSYCHOMODULATORY STRATEGIES THAT CAN NATURALLY TRIGGER VEGETARIANISM AND RELATED EATING BEHAVIORS, LOWERING OUR RELIANCE ON ANIMAL MEAT. DECREASING DEPENDENCE ON ANIMAL MEAT REDUCES THE NEED FOR ANIMAL MARKETS AND MAY SUBSTANTIALLY MINIMIZE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SPILLOVER (PASSAGE OF VIRUSES FROM ANIMAL RESERVOIRS INTO HUMAN POPULATIONS). GLOBAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE STRATEGIES, IN OUR OPINION, CAN ADD TO SPIRITUAL WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND COOPERATIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR, THUS REDUCING THE ENCROACHMENT OF WILD-LIFE RESERVES AND ANIMAL EXPLOITATION. THE APPLICATION OF THESE ANCIENT INDIAN APPROACHES REPRESENTS A NOVEL AND FOCUSED STRATEGY TOWARD CURBING ZOONOTIC PANDEMICS. KEYWORDS: CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-19, MEAT-EATING, MEDITATION, PANDEMICS, VIRAL SPILLOVER, YOGA. 2020
4 571 19 DEFINING YOGA-NIDRA: TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. THE TERM YOGA-NIDRA HAS BEEN USED IN MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO REFER TO RELAXATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT REPRESENT THE INTENTION OR PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGANIDRA DISCUSSED IN THE TRADITIONAL YOGA LITERATURE. WE PROPOSE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-NIDRA THAT IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICALLY TESTABLE HYPOTHESES REGARDING ITS OUTCOMES AND EFFECTS. TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA-NIDRA AND CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF ITS PRACTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND STUDIES EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA-NIDRA ARE EXAMINED. PROPOSED HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH USING THIS OPERATIONAL DEFINITION ARE PROVIDED. 2013
5 635 26 DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. PURPOSE: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS, AS SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOW ELEVATED LEVELS OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. THE GOAL OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS, THUS, TO ANALYSE THE OCCURRENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHOD: PRISMA GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WERE USED. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL DATABASES AND SPECIFIC JOURNALS. RESULTS: TWELVE ARTICLES, ALL CROSS-SECTIONAL, WERE IDENTIFIED, FOLLOWING PRISMA GUIDELINES. RESULTS ACROSS STUDIES WERE INCONSISTENT. YOGA PRACTICE WAS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHIER EATING BEHAVIOURS, LOWER DISORDERED EATING SYMPTOMS, AND HIGHER POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND BODY SATISFACTION, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE AT A LOWER RISK OF DEVELOPING EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, OTHER STUDIES SUGGESTED THAT A HIGH DOSAGE OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS, UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA DOSAGE AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS IS CRITICAL TO GUIDE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESTABLISH YOGA AS A VALUABLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: LEVEL I, SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. 2019
6 1479 26 INTEGRATING BRAIN SCIENCE INTO HEALTH STUDIES: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE IN CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND YOGA. AS NEUROSCIENCE KNOWLEDGE GROWS IN ITS SCOPE OF SOCIETAL APPLICATIONS SO DOES THE NEED TO EDUCATE A WIDER AUDIENCE ON HOW TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE ITS RESEARCH FINDINGS. EFFORTS AT FINDING TEACHING APPROACHES THAT ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND HIGHLY APPLICABLE TO STUDENT EXPERIENCE ARE THUS ONGOING. THE ARTICLE DESCRIBES AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH COURSE THAT COMBINES THE ACADEMIC STUDY OF CONTEMPLATIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE, SPECIFICALLY YOGA. THE CLASS AIMS TO REACH A DIVERSE MIX OF STUDENTS BY TEACHING APPLICABLE, HEALTH-RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL WHILE DIRECTLY CONNECTING IT TO FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE. OUTCOMES INDICATE SUCCESS ON THESE GOALS: THE COURSE ATTRACTED A WIDE RANGE OF STUDENTS, INCLUDING NEARLY 50% NON-SCIENCE MAJORS. ON A PRE/POST TEST, STUDENTS SHOWED LARGE INCREASES IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF NEUROSCIENCE. STUDENTS' RATINGS OF THE COURSE OVERALL, OF INCREASES IN POSITIVE FEELINGS ABOUT ITS FIELD, AND OF THEIR PROGRESS ON SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES WERE HIGHLY POSITIVE. FINALLY, STUDENTS IN THEIR WRITTEN WORK APPLIED NEUROSCIENCE COURSE CONTENT TO THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES. SUCH RESULTS INDICATE THAT THIS APPROACH COULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE INTERDISCIPLINARY, ACCESSIBLE AND APPLIED INTEGRATION OF RELEVANT NEUROSCIENCE MATERIAL INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE HEALTH CURRICULUM. 2017
7 2420 19 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. BACKGROUND: MANY YOGA TEXTS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS UTILIZED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY MAY NOT COME WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, INSTEAD, THEY SEEM TO SHARE A COMMON ROOT WITH ANCIENT WISDOM. AIMS: THE GOAL OF THIS PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE IS TO CORRELATE MODERN TECHNIQUES USED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY WITH YOGIC PRACTICES, IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE CURRENT ARTICLE PRESENTED A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE YOGIC APPROACH FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER AND CONCEPTS USED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, SUCH AS META-COGNITION, DISIDENTIFICATION, DECONDITIONING AND INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE. CONCLUSIONS: CONTEMPLATIVE RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT MODERN INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY MIGHT NOT COME FROM MODERN CONCEPTS AFTER ALL, BUT SHARE GREAT SIMILARITY WITH ANCIENT YOGIC KNOWLEDGE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM OF BOTH EAST AND WEST. 2016
8 1195 18 EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INSTRUCTION ON POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND AFFECTIVE RESPONSES. EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOGA AS PART OF EATING DISORDER PREVENTION EFFORTS THROUGH ITS POSITIVE IMPACT ON POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND EXPERIENCE OF POSITIVE CORE AFFECT. HOWEVER, THERE IS A NEED TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES THAT WILL MORE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORT POSITIVE EMBODIMENT AND POSITIVE AFFECT. WE EXAMINED THE EFFECT OF TEACHING A SINGLE YOGA CLASS USING MINDFULNESS-BASED INSTRUCTION COMPARED TO APPEARANCE-BASED AND NEUTRAL INSTRUCTION ALTERNATIVES ON EMBODIMENT (I.E., STATE BODY SURVEILLANCE, STATE BODY APPRECIATION, PLEASURE DURING YOGA) AND CHANGES IN AFFECT FROM BEFORE TO AFTER CLASS. FEMALE PARTICIPANTS (N = 62; M AGE = 23.89, SD = 6.86) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA CLASS THAT EMPHASIZED: BEING MINDFULLY PRESENT IN ONE'S BODY, CHANGING ONE'S APPEARANCE, OR JUST GETTING INTO YOGA POSES. ANOVAS REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BODY SURVEILLANCE (ETAP (2) =.10) AND LOWER FORECASTED PLEASURE (ETAP (2) =.21) IN THE APPEARANCE CLASS COMPARED TO THE OTHER TWO CLASSES. PARTICIPANTS IN THE MINDFULNESS CLASS EXPERIENCED GREATER IMPROVEMENT IN AFFECT (ETAP (2) =.08) FROM BEFORE TO AFTER CLASS AND HIGHER REMEMBERED PLEASURE DURING THE YOGA CLASS (ETAP (2) =.19) COMPARED TO THOSE IN THE APPEARANCE CLASS. EMPHASIZING CHANGES TO APPEARANCE IN YOGA INSTRUCTION MAY PLACE PARTICIPANTS AT RISK FOR LESS POSITIVE AFFECT AND LESS POSITIVE EXPERIENCES OF EMBODIMENT COMPARED TO MINDFULNESS-BASED OR EVEN NEUTRAL YOGA INSTRUCTION. 2020
9 653 16 EATING DISORDERS, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW. YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO EMBODIMENT AND DISORDERED EATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY RECEIVED RESEARCH ATTENTION. NEVERTHELESS, EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOGA AMELIORATES EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND FACILITATES A SHIFT FROM NEGATIVE TOWARDS POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND WELL-BEING BY CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT (I.E., THE ABILITY TO FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY). IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTS OF DISORDERED EATING, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THESE CONSTRUCTS. THE THREE MAJOR EATING DISORDERS AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS ARE DESCRIBED. FURTHER, THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS AND THEORETICAL MODELS OF EMBODIMENT ARE DELINEATED AND THEIR COMMUNAL CORE FEATURES ARE OUTLINED. LASTLY, THE ORIGIN, BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2020
10 2443 24 YOGA AND SEXUAL FUNCTIONING: A REVIEW. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT PRACTICE WITH EASTERN ROOTS THAT INVOLVES BOTH PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANAS) AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES (PRANAYAMAS). THERE IS ALSO A COGNITIVE COMPONENT FOCUSING ON MEDITATION AND CONCENTRATION, WHICH AIDS IN ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF UNION BETWEEN THE SELF AND THE SPIRITUAL. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS EMPIRICAL STUDIES HAVE FOUND A BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING, CLAIMS OF YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON SEXUALITY DERIVE FROM A RICH BUT NONEMPIRICAL LITERATURE. THE GOAL OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE PHILOSOPHY AND FORMS OF YOGA, TO REVIEW THE NONEMPIRICAL AND (LIMITED) EMPIRICAL LITERATURES LINKING YOGA WITH ENHANCED SEXUALITY, AND TO PROPOSE SOME FUTURE RESEARCH AVENUES FOCUSINGING ON YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR SEXUAL COMPLAINTS. 2009
11 677 31 EFFECT OF A YOGA BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: EMOTION REGULATION IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE FOR THE COLLEGE STUDENTS. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE MINDFULNESS THAT IS RELATED TO EMOTION REGULATION. MASTERING EMOTIONS TECHNIQUE (MEMT) IS ONE OF THE YOGA-BASED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CONTROL EMOTIONS AMONG PRACTITIONERS. HOWEVER, TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE IS NO KNOWN STUDY REPORTING ITS SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS ON EMOTION AND ITS RELATED VARIABLES. THUS, THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF MEMT ON EMOTION REGULATION, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO SUBJECTS WITH THE AGE VARIED FROM 18 TO 25 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE. ALL THE SUBJECTS UNDERWENT MEMT FOR THE DURATION OF 45 MIN A DAY FOR A PERIOD OF 2 WEEKS. ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS EMOTIONAL REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE (ERQ), THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE (PANAS), SELF-COMPASSION SCALE (SCS), AND MINDFUL ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE (MAAS) WERE TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION. RESULTS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE SCORES OF COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL, POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MAAS ALONG WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE SCORES OF NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AFTER THE PRACTICE OF MEMT COMPARED TO ITS RESPECTIVE BASELINE. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT PRACTICE OF MEMT IS EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING EMOTION REGULATION, POSITIVE AFFECTS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS WHILE IN REDUCING NEGATIVE AFFECTS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. 2018
12 1686 24 ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: RELATIONSHIP WITH PERSONALITY, ATTITUDES ABOUT APPEARANCE, AND YOGA ENGAGEMENT. PURPOSE: DISORDERED EATING SYMPTOMS AND A HIGH PREVALENCE OF ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA CAN BE FOUND IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. GIVEN THAT YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR EATING DISORDERS (ED), UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISORDERED EATING IS CRUCIAL TO GUIDE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS. THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS, THEREFORE, TO STUDY THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA (ON) AND POTENTIAL RISK FACTORS FOR ON, IN AN INTERNATIONAL SAMPLE OF EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHOD: AN ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT INCLUDED SEVERAL PSYCHOMETRIC INSTRUMENTS WAS RESPONDED BY 469 YOGA PRACTITIONERS. INSTRUMENTS USED WERE THE TERUEL ORTHOREXIA SCALE, YOGA IMMERSION SCALE, PASSION SCALE, FROST MULTIDIMENSIONAL PERFECTIONISM SCALE, SELF-DISCIPLINE SCALE OF NEO-PI-R, DRIVE FOR THINNESS SCALE OF EDI, AND BELIEFS ABOUT APPEARANCE SCALE. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, CORRELATIONAL ANALYSIS AND MULTIPLE REGRESSION WERE USED TO EVALUATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ON AND THE OTHER VARIABLES. RESULTS: THE MAIN PREDICTORS OF ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA WERE THE DRIVE FOR THINNESS AND A HEALTHY ORTHOREXIA, SUGGESTING THAT, LIKE IN ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA, ORTHOREXIC INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO CONCERNED WITH FOOD QUANTITY AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, RATHER THAN JUST FOOD QUALITY. CONCLUSIONS: THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EATING BEHAVIOURS AND ATTITUDES OF LONG-TERM PRACTITIONERS, PARTICULARLY THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA AND THE CONCERN FOR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN USING YOGA AS PREVENTION OR TREATMENT FOR EATING DISORDERS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: LEVEL V, DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY. 2021
13 999 22 EFFECTS OF INTUITIVE EATING ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THIS STUDY IS A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF INTUITIVE EATING AND CORRELATIONS WITH QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THE STUDY INVOLVED 204 PARTICIPANTS, COMPRISING 66 YOGA PRACTITIONERS, 74 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS AND 64 SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 59, WHO WERE RESIDENT IN BRAZIL AT THE TIME OF THE STUDY. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH FACEBOOK AND THE APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRES VIA GOOGLE FORMS TO MEASURE INTUITIVE EATING, FOOD CONSUMPTION, QUALITY OF LIFE, STRESS LEVEL, SATISFACTION WITH BODY IMAGE AND LEVEL OF MINDFULNESS. THE STUDY FOUND THAT WHILE INTUITIVE EATING DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTITIONERS, BOTH SHOWED GREATER ADOPTION OF INTUITIVE EATING AS COMPARED TO INACTIVE INDIVIDUALS. STILL, YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAD BETTER CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNS OF HUNGER AND SATIETY, AS WELL AS BETTER EATING BEHAVIOR, QUALITY OF LIFE, SATISFACTION WITH BODY IMAGE, HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT, AND STRESS-RELATED EMOTIONAL REGULATION, AS COMPARED TO THE OTHER GROUPS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN INTUITIVE EATING AND QUALITY OF LIFE, BODY ESTEEM, MINDFULNESS AND EATING BEHAVIORS THAT DISCOURAGED EATING IN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES, AND A NEGATIVE CORRELATION TO STRESS AND WEIGHT GAIN. THIS STUDY FINDS THAT PHYSICAL EXERCISE, IN PARTICULAR THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, IS LINKED TO THE PROMOTION OF BETTER INTUITIVE EATING BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND WELLBEING. 2021
14 2126 25 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW. IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION IS QUITE HIGH-9% IN THE GENERAL POPULATION-WITH WOMEN, YOUNG ADULTS, AND SENIORS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE. IN RECENT YEARS, INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) FOR RELIEF FROM DEPRESSION AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. ONE FORM OF CAM, YOGA, HAS BEEN GROWING IN POPULARITY; THIS RISE IN POPULARITY HAS, IN PART, BEEN DRIVEN BY INTEREST IN HOW THIS PRACTICE, WITH ITS MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION ASPECTS, MAY DECREASE DEPRESSION. THIS CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW EXAMINES SIX RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION; SPECIFICALLY, THIS REVIEW FOCUSES ON YOGA STYLES IN WHICH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA POSES, CALLED ASANAS, IS THE CORE COMPONENT. ALTHOUGH THE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE PROMISING, THE STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS; IDENTIFICATION OF THESE LIMITATIONS CAN INFORM FUTURE STUDIES. 2014
15 2531 27 YOGA EFFECTS ON BRAIN HEALTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE. YOGA IS THE MOST POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH PRACTICED BY ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS AN ANCIENT MIND AND BODY PRACTICE WITH ORIGINS IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL POSTURES, RHYTHMIC BREATHING AND MEDITATIVE EXERCISE TO OFFER THE PRACTITIONERS A UNIQUE HOLISTIC MIND-BODY EXPERIENCE. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, IN RECENT YEARS, THE ACTIVE ATTENTIONAL COMPONENT OF BREATHING AND MEDITATION PRACTICE HAS GARNERED INTEREST AMONG EXERCISE NEUROSCIENTISTS. AS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ITS DOCUMENTED POSITIVE EFFECTS FOR BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AS ASSESSED WITH MRI, FMRI, AND SPECT. WE REVIEWED 11 STUDIES EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BRAIN STRUCTURES, FUNCTION AND CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW. COLLECTIVELY, THE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE STRUCTURE AND/OR FUNCTION OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS, AMYGDALA, PREFRONTAL CORTEX, CINGULATE CORTEX AND BRAIN NETWORKS INCLUDING THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK (DMN). THE STUDIES OFFER PROMISING EARLY EVIDENCE THAT BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS LIKE YOGA MAY HOLD PROMISE TO MITIGATE AGE-RELATED AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DECLINES AS MANY OF THE REGIONS IDENTIFIED ARE KNOWN TO DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT AGE-RELATED ATROPHY. 2019
16 2555 28 YOGA FOR CHILDREN IN THE NEW NORMAL - EXPERIENCE SHARING. OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE'S MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES SUCH AS WEARING A MASK, USING SANITIZER, MEASURES ALSO NEED TO BE TAKEN TO PREVENT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS DUE TO THIS UNEXPECTED CRISIS SITUATION. PRACTICING YOGA IS ONE OF THE SIMPLE, SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO COMBAT STRESS AND PREVENT ANXIETY AMONG CHILDREN. METHODS: THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCES ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IS DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA IN NURTURING THE MENTAL WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN. RESULTS: SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED STUDIES AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OBJECTIVELY CONCLUDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION. IN ADDITION TO MENTAL HEALTH, YOGA WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND BOOST IMMUNITY AMONG CHILDREN WHICH WILL ALSO HELP IN REDUCING THE INFECTION RATE IN CHILDREN. CONCLUSIONS: AS A WAY FORWARD, AUTHORS STRONGLY RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING YOGA AS A CURRICULUM AT SCALE TO COVER THE VAST VULNERABLE POPULATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE THE FUTURE OF THE NATION. 2021
17 1772 27 POTENTIAL SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. RESEARCH SUGGESTING THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MYRIAD ASPECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH HAS PROLIFERATED IN RECENT YEARS, YET THERE IS CURRENTLY NO OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK BY WHICH TO UNDERSTAND YOGA'S POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. HERE WE PROVIDE A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND SYSTEMS-BASED NETWORK MODEL OF YOGA THAT FOCUSES ON INTEGRATION OF TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP FORMS OF SELF-REGULATION. WE BEGIN BY CONTEXTUALIZING YOGA IN HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY SETTINGS, AND THEN DETAIL HOW SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY AFFECT COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND AUTONOMIC OUTPUT UNDER STRESS THROUGH AN EMPHASIS ON INTEROCEPTION AND BOTTOM-UP INPUT, RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. THE MODEL DESCRIBES YOGA PRACTICE AS A COMPREHENSIVE SKILLSET OF SYNERGISTIC PROCESS TOOLS THAT FACILITATE BIDIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK AND INTEGRATION BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-LEVEL BRAIN NETWORKS, AND AFFERENT AND RE-AFFERENT INPUT FROM INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSES (SOMATOSENSORY, VISCEROSENSORY, CHEMOSENSORY). FROM A PREDICTIVE CODING PERSPECTIVE WE PROPOSE A SHIFT TO PERCEPTUAL INFERENCE FOR STRESS MODULATION AND OPTIMAL SELF-REGULATION. WE DESCRIBE HOW THE PROCESSES THAT SUB-SERVE SELF-REGULATION BECOME MORE AUTOMATIZED AND EFFICIENT OVER TIME AND PRACTICE, REQUIRING LESS EFFORT TO INITIATE WHEN NECESSARY AND TERMINATE MORE RAPIDLY WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. TO SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED MODEL, WE PRESENT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AFFECTING SELF-REGULATORY PATHWAYS, INTEGRATING EXISTING CONSTRUCTS FROM BEHAVIOR THEORY AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH EMERGING YOGA AND MEDITATION RESEARCH. THIS PAPER IS INTENDED TO GUIDE FUTURE BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF STRESS-MEDIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. 2014
18 1337 28 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE AND GUIDE TO FUTURE INQUIRY. YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED IN CLINICAL SETTINGS FOR A VARIETY OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES, PARTICULARLY STRESS-RELATED ILLNESSES AND CONCERNS, AND HAS DEMONSTRATED PROMISING EFFICACY. YET THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. TO EXAMINE THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS, WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, INCLUDING ANY YOGA INTERVENTION THAT MEASURED STRESS AS A PRIMARY DEPENDENT VARIABLE AND TESTED A MECHANISM OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDIATION. OUR ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH YIELDED 926 ABSTRACTS, OF WHICH 71 WERE CHOSEN FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND 5 WERE SELECTED FOR THE FINAL SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THESE FIVE STUDIES EXAMINED THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSITIVE AFFECT, MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION) AND FOUR BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS, INTERLEUKIN-6, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND CORTISOL). POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, INHIBITION OF THE POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE ALL SHOWN TO MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND STRESS. IT IS STRIKING THAT THE LITERATURE DESCRIBING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IS GROWING RAPIDLY, YET ONLY SEVEN MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN EMPIRICALLY EXAMINED; MORE RESEARCH IS NECESSARY. ALSO, FUTURE RESEARCH OUGHT TO INCLUDE MORE RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING SUFFICIENT POWER, STUDY RANDOMISATION AND APPROPRIATE CONTROL GROUPS. 2015
19 1504 25 INVESTIGATION OF YOGA PRANAYAMA AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION AND EMOTION REGULATION. BACKGROUND: COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN MATHEMATICS, HAVE MADE EMOTIONAL STRESS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR PREUNIVERSITY STUDENTS, EMOTIONS LIKE AGGRESSION TOWARD FELLOW STUDENTS AND TEACHERS INCREASE. MINDFULNESS IS A QUALITY THAT REDUCES BOTH EMOTIONAL STRESS AND AGGRESSION, SO INCREASING MINDFULNESS SHOULD BE HELPFUL. AIMS: TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRANAYAMA (YP) AND VEDIC MATHEMATICS (VM) ON MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND EMOTION REGULATION. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 12(TH) GRADERS ATTENDING A PREUNIVERSITY COLLEGE IN CHIKKAMAGALURU, INDIA, OF BOTH GENDERS. EXCLUSION CRITERIA INCLUDED MAJOR PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. THREE CLASSES WERE ARBITRARILY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE INTERVENTIONS, WHICH CONSISTED OF 15 DAYS EACH OF 30 MIN DAILY INSTRUCTION IN YP, GROUP 1, VM, GROUP 2, OR 30 MIN ORDINARY CLASS WORK, GROUP 3, THE CONTROL GROUP. ASSESSMENTS WERE MADE USING THE MINDFULNESS ATTENTION AWARENESS SCALE, THE NONPHYSICAL AGGRESSION SCALE FROM PITTSBURGH YOUTH STUDY, AND THE EMOTION REGULATION QUESTIONNAIRE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: SPSS 19.0. RESULTS: MINDFULNESS, AGGRESSION, AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL REGULATION CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE YP GROUP, WHILE MINDFULNESS ALONE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE VM GROUP. NO GROUP CHANGED ON POSITIVE EMOTION REGULATION. CONTROLS APPARENTLY IMPROVED ON AGGRESSION. AN INTERESTING POST HOC CORRELATION ANALYSIS IS ALSO REPORTED, AMONG OTHER THINGS DIRECTLY LINKING INCREASED MINDFULNESS TO DECREASED AGGRESSION. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SHOWED POSITIVE EFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL METHODS OF DECREASING EMOTIONAL PRESSURE ON STUDENTS FACING PREUNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS EXAMINATIONS. INCREASING MINDFULNESS IS CONSIDERED A WAY OF INCREASING EMOTION REGULATION, SO THE FAILURE OF THIS STUDY TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR THAT IS OF INTEREST. 2017
20 1278 16 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES THE CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE SPECIAL ISSUE, YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OR WORK, WE OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCHERS FOR POPULATION-BASED, QUALITATIVE, AND PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH. 2020