1 1662 178 NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVES: TO DESCRIBE YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA, AND TO EXPLORE THEIR BELIEFS REGARDING THE EFFECTS OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE ON THEIR HEALTH. DESIGN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGN WITH ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEYS. SETTING: 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED INDIVIDUALS FROM 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS (N=18,160), REPRESENTING 41 STATES; 1087 INDIVIDUALS RESPONDED, WITH 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. OUTCOME MEASURES: FREIBERG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY, MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUUM (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING), MULTI-FACTOR SCREENER (DIET), PROMIS SLEEP DISTURBANCE, FATIGUE, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT, INTERNATIONAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE. RESULTS: AGE: 19-87 YEARS (M=51.7 +/- 11.7), 84.2% FEMALE, 89.2% WHITE, 87.4% WELL EDUCATED (>/= BACHELOR'S DEGREE). MEAN YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE=11.4 (+/- 7.5). BMI=12.1-49.4 (M=23.1 +/- 3.9). LEVELS OF OBESITY (4.9%), SMOKING (2%), AND FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION (M=6.1 +/- 1.1) WERE FAVORABLE COMPARED TO NATIONAL NORMS. 60% REPORTED AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC/SERIOUS HEALTH CONDITION, YET MOST REPORTED VERY GOOD (46.3%) OR EXCELLENT (38.8%) GENERAL HEALTH. DESPITE HIGH LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (24.8%), NEARLY ALL WERE MODERATELY MENTALLY HEALTHY (55.2%) OR FLOURISHING (43.8%). PARTICIPANTS AGREED YOGA IMPROVED: ENERGY (84.5%), HAPPINESS (86.5%), SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (67%), SLEEP (68.5%), AND WEIGHT (57.3%), AND BELIEFS DID NOT DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY ACCORDING TO RACE OR GENDER. THE MORE THEY PRACTICED YOGA, WHETHER IN YEARS OR IN AMOUNT OF CLASS OR HOME PRACTICE, THE HIGHER THEIR ODDS OF BELIEVING YOGA IMPROVED THEIR HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA ARE NOT FREE OF HEALTH CONCERNS, BUT MOST BELIEVE THEIR HEALTH IMPROVED BECAUSE OF YOGA. YOGA MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL FOR A NUMBER OF POPULATIONS INCLUDING ELDERLY WOMEN AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS. 2013 2 1271 60 FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS HEALTH: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND. YOGA SHOWS PROMISE AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION, BUT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH ARE UNDEREXPLORED. PURPOSE. TO EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND HEALTH (SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, DIET, BMI, SMOKING, ALCOHOL/CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION, SLEEP, FATIGUE, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MINDFULNESS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY). METHODS. CROSS-SECTIONAL, ANONYMOUS INTERNET SURVEYS DISTRIBUTED TO 4307 RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM 18,160 INDIVIDUALS AT 15 US IYENGAR YOGA STUDIOS; 1045 (24.3%) SURVEYS COMPLETED. RESULTS. MEAN AGE 51.7 (+/- 11.7) YEARS; 84.2% FEMALE. FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE FAVORABLY PREDICTED (P < .001): MINDFULNESS, SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, BMI, FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION, VEGETARIAN STATUS, SLEEP, AND FATIGUE. EACH COMPONENT OF YOGA PRACTICE (DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF PHYSICAL POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, PHILOSOPHY STUDY) PREDICTED AT LEAST 1 HEALTH OUTCOME (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS. HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA PREDICTED HEALTH BETTER THAN YEARS OF PRACTICE OR CLASS FREQUENCY. DIFFERENT PHYSICAL POSES AND YOGA TECHNIQUES MAY HAVE UNIQUE HEALTH BENEFITS. 2012 3 2907 15 [ON THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE ELUCIDATION OF MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF CIGUN, INDIAN AND TIBETAN YOGA THERAPY]. THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IS PROPOSED ALLOWING TO OBJECTIVELY CHARACTERIZE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THERAPEUTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF CIGUN, INDIAN AND TIBETAN YOGA THERAPY. EXECUTION OF EXERCISES STIPULATED IN THESE PROGRAMS IS INTERPRETED AS A CONSCIOUSNESS-INSPIRED SPECIFIC FORM OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR (ACTIVITY). STEP-BY-STEP ANALYSIS OF MENTALLY-ORGANIZED BODY'S FUNCTIONAL SYSTEMS AS A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL BASIS OF REALIZABLE BEHAVIOUR IS PRESENTED. OPERATIONAL INTERPRETATION OF INTERNAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE SYSTEM'S FUNCTIONING PERMITS TO EVALUATE THE STEREOTYPE BRAIN CONDITION ACTUALIZED BY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND MOTIVATIONS THAT INITIATES SENSORY DEPRIVATION TO ENSURE PRIORITY REALIZATION OF INTERNAL GENETICALLY DETERMINED ACTIVITY OF THE HUMAN BODY. MOBILIZATION OF THIS INTERNAL ACTIVITY IS DESCRIBED AS A PROCESS OF SELECTIVE FORMATION OF MANY COMPLICATED INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS STRUCTURES OF THE RETICULAR FORMATION, LIMBIC SYSTEM, SUBCORTICAL CENTRES, AND NEOCORTEX MAINTAINING PRIORITY FUNCTIONING OF HOMEOSTATIC MECHANISMS OF SELF-REGULATION AND INBORN HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. THESE MECHANISMS ARE BELIEVED TO UNDERLIE THE AUTORECONSTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF HUMAN ORGANISM BY ENSURING SYSTEMIC CORRECTION AND RESTORATION OF ITS FUNCTIONAL RESOURCES. 2010 4 2246 28 THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN: A ONE-YEAR CONTROLLED STUDY. NINETY CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION OF MILD, MODERATE AND SEVERE DEGREE WERE SELECTED FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN BANGALORE, INDIA. FORTY-FIVE CHILDREN UNDERWENT YOGIC TRAINING FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR (5 H IN EVERY WEEK) WITH AN INTEGRATED SET OF YOGIC PRACTICES, INCLUDING BREATHING EXERCISES AND PRANAYAMA, SITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYANAMASKAR, YOGASANAS AND MEDITATION. THEY WERE COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGIC TRAINING WITH A CONTROL GROUP OF 45 MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN MATCHED FOR CHRONOLOGICAL AGE, SEX, IQ, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND SOCIO ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND WHO WERE NOT EXPOSED TO YOGA TRAINING BUT CONTINUED THEIR USUAL SCHOOL ROUTINE DURING THAT PERIOD. THERE WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE IQ AND SOCIAL ADAPTATION PARAMETERS IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS STUDY SHOWS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC TOOL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN. 1989 5 1234 31 FEASIBILITY AND RESULTS OF A CASE STUDY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING IN PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS MIXED-METHODS CASE STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER AN 8-WEEK 1:1 YOGA PROGRAM WAS FEASIBLE AND BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI). METHOD: THIS WAS A MIXED-METHODS CASE STUDY OF ONE-TO-ONE YOGA FOR PEOPLE WITH TBI INCLUDED THREE PEOPLE. WE COMPLETED ASSESSMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION AND INCLUDED MEASURES OF BALANCE, BALANCE CONFIDENCE, PAIN, RANGE OF MOTION, STRENGTH AND MOBILITY. QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE INCLUDED AT THE POST-ASSESSMENT. WE INCLUDE A PERCENT CHANGE CALCULATION AND SALIENT QUOTES THAT REPRESENT THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS: ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE YOGA INTERVENTION AND ALL DEMONSTRATED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL OUTCOME MEASURES. FOR THE GROUP, BALANCE INCREASED BY 36%, BALANCE CONFIDENCE BY 39%, LOWER EXTREMITY STRENGTH BY 100% AND ENDURANCE BY 105%. QUALITATIVE DATA SUPPORT THE USE OF YOGA TO IMPROVE MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING, ONE PARTICIPANT STATED: "I MEAN IT'S ROCKED MY WORLD. IT'S CHANGED MY LIFE. I MEAN ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS. I MEAN PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, MENTALLY, IT'S GIVEN ME YOU KNOW MY LIFE BACK...". CONCLUSIONS: YOGA, DELIVERED IN A ONE-TO-ONE SETTING, APPEARS TO BE FEASIBLE AND BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC TBI. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: CHRONIC TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) LEADS TO MANY ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING IMPAIRMENT. YOGA DELIVERED IN A ONE-TO-ONE SETTING MAY BE FEASIBLE AND BENEFICIAL FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC TBI. 2016 6 2611 28 YOGA FOR REHABILITATION: AN OVERVIEW. THE USE OF YOGA FOR REHABILITATION HAS DIVERSE APPLICATIONS. YOGA PRACTICE BENEFITED MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SUBJECTS BY IMPROVING THEIR MENTAL ABILITY, ALSO THE MOTOR CO-ORDINATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS. PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED SUBJECTS HAD A RESTORATION OF SOME DEGREE OF FUNCTIONAL ABILITY AFTER PRACTICING YOGA. VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN CHILDREN SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THEIR ABNORMAL ANXIETY LEVELS WHEN THEY PRACTICED YOGA FOR THREE WEEKS, WHILE A PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAD NO SUCH EFFECT. SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED ADULTS (PRISONERS IN A JAIL) AND CHILDREN IN A REMAND HOME SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEP, APPETITE AND GENERAL WELL BEING, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL. THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION WAS REPORTED TO DECREASE THE DEGREE OF SUBSTANCE (MARIJUANA) ABUSE, BY STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL RESOLVE AND DECREASING THE ANXIETY. ANOTHER IMPORTANT AREA IS THE APPLICATION OF YOGA (AND INDEED, LIFESTYLE CHANGE), IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. FINALLY, THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE MENTAL STATE AND GENERAL WELL BEING OF HIV POSITIVE PERSONS AND PATIENTS WITH AIDS, IS BEING EXPLORED. 1997 7 2261 19 THE PRECEDENCE AND VIABILITY OF YOGA IN THE LIVES OF D3-DENTAL STUDENTS, DENTAL PRACTITIONERS, AND DENTAL PATIENTS. DENTISTRY AS A PROFESSION IS QUITE DEMANDING AND CHALLENGING AND IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS LIKE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AND STRESS-RELATED PROBLEMS. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE EFFICACIOUS IN MANAGEMENT OF QUITE A LOT OF STRESS AND LIFESTYLE DISORDERS. IT STRENGTHENS ONE PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY. MOREOVER, YOGA CAN ALSO BE USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DENTAL PATIENTS FOR STRESS-RELATED ORAL CONDITIONS LIKE LICHEN PLANUS, BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME, APHTHOUS ULCERS, ETC., YOGA HAS ALSO BEEN FOUND TO HAVE ANTIINFLAMMATORY, ANTIANXIETY EFFECT, AND ALSO A LOT OF OTHER BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. THIS REVIEW EMPHASIZES ON THE RELEVANCE OF YOGA IN THE DENTAL PROFESSION, FROM THE PRACTITIONERS, STUDENTS, AND PATIENTS VIEWPOINT. DATA PERTAINING TO THE SUBJECT WAS OBTAINED AFTER A THOROUGH SEARCH OF THE PUBMED LITERATURE AND GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE. 2019 8 1447 34 INDIVIDUALIZED, SINGLE SESSION YOGA THERAPY TO REDUCE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS IN HOSPITALIZED HEMATOLOGICAL CANCER PATIENTS. OBJECTIVE: INPATIENT TREATMENT OF HEMATOLOGICAL CANCER IS AMONG THE MOST PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY ARDUOUS CANCER TREATMENTS, AND IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH A NUMBER OF COMMON PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL SYMPTOMS THAT CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) FOR YEARS FOLLOWING TREATMENT. WHILE TREATING SYMPTOMS DURING HOSPITALIZATION HOLDS PROMISE FOR IMPROVING LONG-TERM QOL, SUCCESSFUL APPROACHES LIKELY REQUIRE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERVENTIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE DESCRIBE A 4-YEAR EFFORT IN PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT THAT INCORPORATED AN ADJUNCTIVE SINGLE YOGA THERAPY SESSION DURING TREATMENT FOR HEMATOLOGICAL MALIGNANCIES. METHODS: HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR HEMATOLOGICAL CANCER (N = 486) WERE PROVIDED A 40-MINUTE INDIVIDUALIZED YOGA THERAPY SESSION. WE EVALUATED FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTANCE BY QUANTIFYING THE PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS WHO DISCONTINUED THE YOGA SESSION DUE TO PAIN, DISCOMFORT, OR ANOTHER REASON, AND BY COMPARING THE INTERVENTION POPULATION TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF THE UNIT MORE GENERALLY. PATIENT-REPORTED SYMPTOMS WERE OBTAINED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION, AND WE EVALUATED ACUTE SYMPTOM CHANGE FOR THE ENTIRE SAMPLE AND IN SUBSAMPLES THAT ARE LESS LIKELY TO USE MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS YOGA. RESULTS: THE MAJORITY OF SESSIONS (87%) WERE COMPLETED, AND THE MAJORITY OF UNFINISHED SESSIONS WERE INTERRUPTED BY A MEDICAL PROCEDURE OR BECAUSE THE PATIENT FELL ASLEEP. NO SESSION WAS STOPPED EARLY DUE TO PATIENTS' REPORTED PAIN. SIGNIFICANT DECREASES WERE REPORTED IN ALL SYMPTOMS, WITH THE GREATEST DECREASE IN FATIGUE AND ANXIETY. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA THERAPY WAS A FEASIBLE AND EFFECTIVE NONDRUG ADJUNCT INTERVENTION FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR HEMATOLOGICAL CANCER, INCLUDING BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION. 2019 9 2233 29 THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN CAREGIVERS FOR PATIENTS WITH CANCER. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF A SIX-WEEK VINYASA YOGA (VY) INTERVENTION ON CAREGIVERS' OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL) AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. DESIGN: A SINGLE-GROUP, PRE- AND POST-TEST PILOT STUDY. SETTING: UNIVERSITY PUBLIC RECREATIONAL FACILITY. SAMPLE: 12 INFORMAL CAREGIVERS FOR PATIENTS WITH CANCER. METHODS: CAREGIVERS PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-WEEK VY INTERVENTION AND COMPLETED MEASURES OF QOL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS MEASURED WITH OPEN-ENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: QOL, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. FINDINGS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN THE MENTAL COMPONENT SCORE OF OVERALL QOL AND IN OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. SEVERAL SUBDOMAINS OF QOL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE ALSO IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY. OPEN-ENDED SURVEY QUESTION RESPONSES REVEALED PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFIT FROM THE INTERVENTION, HIGHLIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEXIBILITY, CORE AND UPPER-BODY STRENGTH, BALANCE, BREATHING, AND ENERGY. CONCLUSIONS: INFORMAL CAREGIVERS MAY BENEFIT MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FROM PARTICIPATING IN VY. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH CANCER CHARACTERIZE A GROUP WORTHY OF ATTENTION, RESEARCH, AND INTERVENTIONS FOCUSING ON THEIR HEALTHCARE NEEDS. 2014 10 78 41 A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF ADVERSE EVENTS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA CLASSES. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A REPRESENTATIVE MIND-BODY THERAPY OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. IN JAPAN, YOGA IS PRACTICED WIDELY TO PROMOTE HEALTH, BUT YOGA-ASSOCIATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED. TO DATE, THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOGA-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ELUCIDATED. THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO ELUCIDATE THE FREQUENCIES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF YOGA PERFORMED IN CLASSES AND THE RISK FACTORS OF SUCH EVENTS. METHODS: THE SUBJECTS WERE 2508 PEOPLE TAKING YOGA CLASSES AND 271 YOGA THERAPISTS CONDUCTING THE CLASSES. A SURVEY FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS ON THE SURVEY DAY. A SURVEY FOR YOGA THERAPISTS WAS PERFORMED ON ADVERSE EVENTS THAT THE THERAPISTS HAD OBSERVED IN THEIR STUDENTS TO DATE. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE DEFINED AS "UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS OR RESPONSES THAT OCCURRED DURING A YOGA CLASS". RESULTS: AMONG 2508 YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES, 1343 (53.5%) HAD CHRONIC DISEASES AND 1063 (42.3%) WERE RECEIVING MEDICATION AT HOSPITALS. THERE WERE 687 CLASS ATTENDEES (27.8%) WHO REPORTED SOME TYPE OF UNDESIRABLE SYMPTOMS AFTER TAKING A YOGA CLASS. MUSCULOSKELETAL SYMPTOMS SUCH AS MYALGIA WERE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS, INVOLVING 297 CASES, FOLLOWED BY NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS. MOST ADVERSE EVENTS (63.8%) WERE MILD AND DID NOT INTERFERE WITH CLASS PARTICIPATION. THE RISK FACTORS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE EXAMINED, AND THE ODDS RATIOS FOR ADVERSE EVENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, POOR PHYSICAL CONDITION ON THE SURVEY DAY, OR A FEELING THAT THE CLASS WAS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY STRESSFUL. IN PARTICULAR, THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERE ADVERSE EVENTS THAT INTERFERED WITH SUBSEQUENT YOGA PRACTICE WAS HIGH AMONG ELDERLY PARTICIPANTS (70 YEARS OR OLDER) AND THOSE WITH CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS OF THIS LARGE-SCALE SURVEY DEMONSTRATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 30% OF YOGA CLASS ATTENDEES HAD EXPERIENCED SOME TYPE OF ADVERSE EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY HAD MILD SYMPTOMS, THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATED THAT ATTENDEES WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ADVERSE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR DISEASE. THEREFORE, SPECIAL ATTENTION IS NECESSARY WHEN YOGA IS INTRODUCED TO PATIENTS WITH STRESS-RELATED, CHRONIC DISEASES. 2015 11 2379 18 WHY PRACTICE YOGA? PRACTITIONERS' MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. WE EXAMINED MOTIVES FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE IN A NATIONAL SURVEY OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS (360 YOGA STUDENTS, 156 YOGA TEACHERS). BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ADOPTED YOGA PRACTICE PRIMARILY FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT REPORTED MANY OTHER REASONS, INCLUDING FLEXIBILITY, GETTING INTO SHAPE, AND DEPRESSION/ANXIETY RELIEF. OVER 62 PERCENT OF STUDENTS AND 85 PERCENT OF TEACHERS REPORTED HAVING CHANGED THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR PRACTICING OR DISCOVERING OTHER REASONS; FOR BOTH, THE TOP CHANGED PRIMARY REASON WAS SPIRITUALITY. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MOST INITIATE YOGA PRACTICE FOR EXERCISE AND STRESS RELIEF, BUT FOR MANY, SPIRITUALITY BECOMES THEIR PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING PRACTICE. 2016 12 1874 44 RAPID STRESS REDUCTION AND ANXIOLYSIS AMONG DISTRESSED WOMEN AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A THREE-MONTH INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM. BACKGROUND: EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IS AN INCREASING PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND HATHA YOGA HAS BEEN CLAIMED TO INDUCE STRESS REDUCTION AND EMPOWERMENT IN PRACTICING SUBJECTS. WE AIMED TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF IYENGAR HATHA YOGA ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN MENTALLY DISTRESSED WOMEN. MATERIAL/METHODS: A CONTROLLED PROSPECTIVE NON-RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN 24 SELF-REFERRED FEMALE SUBJECTS (MEAN AGE 37.9+/-7.3 YEARS) WHO PERCEIVED THEMSELVES AS EMOTIONALLY DISTRESSED. SUBJECTS WERE OFFERED PARTICIPATION IN ONE OF TWO SUBSEQUENTIAL 3-MONTHS YOGA PROGRAMS. GROUP 1 (N=16) PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST CLASS, GROUP 2 (N=8) SERVED AS A WAITING LIST CONTROL. DURING THE YOGA COURSE, SUBJECTS ATTENDED TWO-WEEKLY 90-MIN IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES. OUTCOME WAS ASSESSED ON ENTRY AND AFTER 3 MONTHS BY COHEN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY, PROFILE OF MOOD STATES, CESD-DEPRESSION SCALE, BF-S/BF-S' WELL-BEING SCALES, FREIBURG COMPLAINT LIST AND RATINGS OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER AN EVENING YOGA CLASS IN A SECOND SAMPLE. RESULTS: COMPARED TO WAITING-LIST, WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE YOGA-TRAINING DEMONSTRATED PRONOUNCED AND SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS (P<0.02), STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY (P<0.02 AND P<0.01, RESPECTIVELY), WELL-BEING (P<0.01), VIGOR (P<0.02), FATIGUE (P<0.02) AND DEPRESSION (P<0.05). PHYSICAL WELL-BEING ALSO INCREASED (P<0.01), AND THOSE SUBJECTS SUFFERING FROM HEADACHE OR BACK PAIN REPORTED MARKED PAIN RELIEF. SALIVARY CORTISOL DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: WOMEN SUFFERING FROM MENTAL DISTRESS PARTICIPATING IN A 3-MONTH IYENGAR YOGA CLASS SHOW SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON MEASURES OF STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF YOGA WITH RESPECT TO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF STRESS-RELATED DISEASE AND OF UNDERLYING MECHANISM IS WARRANTED. 2005 13 1934 19 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 14 1211 32 EXPLORING HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA CHANGE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ACROSS A SINGLE SESSION. OBJECTIVES: YOGA DEMONSTRATES BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN MANY POPULATIONS, YET OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOGA BRINGS ABOUT THESE EFFECTS IS QUITE LIMITED. AMONG THE PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF YOGA ARE INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS) THAT MAY BRING ABOUT SALUTARY EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. FURTHER, YOGA IS A COMPLEX PRACTICE COMPRISING MEDITATION, ACTIVE AND RESTORATIVE POSTURES, AND BREATHWORK; HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT COMPONENTS MAY AFFECT MECHANISMS. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE HOW AN ACUTE SESSION OF YOGA (AND ITS SPECIFIC COMPONENTS) RELATED TO PRE- TO POST- SESSION CHANGES IN PROPOSED MECHANISMS (PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES) AND WHETHER THOSE CHANGES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN EMOTIONS. DESIGN: 144 REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED EMOTIONS (POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT, REVITALIZATION, TRANQUILITY, EXHAUSTION) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER A YOGA SESSION (N=11 SESSIONS, EACH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF YOGA). PERCEIVED PROPERTIES OF EACH YOGA SESSION, EXERCISE EXERTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE YOGA TEACHER WERE ASSESSED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SESSION. RESULTS: PRE-TO POST- YOGA, LEVELS OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS (ENGAGEMENT, TRANQUILITY AND REVITALIZATION) INCREASED WHILE EXHAUSTION DECREASED. FURTHER, ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES INCREASED AND CLOSELY TRACKED IMPROVED EMOTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, ASPECTS OF THE YOGA SESSION CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MECHANISMS) AND EMOTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY INFLUENCE MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. FURTHER, DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. RESULTS CAN INFORM YOGA INTERVENTIONS AIMING TO OPTIMIZE EFFECTS THROUGH SPECIFIC MECHANISMS SUCH AS MINDFULNESS OR SPIRITUALITY. 2020 15 2849 18 YOGA, MEDITATION, AND IMAGERY: CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. HATHA YOGA AND MEDITATION AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES FOR PROMOTING AND MAINTAINING WELLNESS OFFER AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AT WORK. HATHA YOGA CREATES BALANCE, PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY, BY USING POSTURES, OR ASANAS, COMBINED WITH BREATHING TECHNIQUES, OR PRANAYAMA. MEDITATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WORK BEING DONE BY THE POSTURES AND BREATHING, THEY OPEN THE DOOR TO SELF-ACTUALIZATION TO CREATE THE PERFECT UNION OF THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. THIS REPORT DISCUSSES THE DEFINITIONS OF HATHA YOGA, MEDITATION, AND IMAGERY AND THEIR CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. THREE CASE STUDIES FROM PRIVATE PRACTICE ARE PRESENTED. 1998 16 5 31 "I JUST FIND IT EASIER TO LET GO OF ANGER": REFLECTIONS ON THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA INFLUENCES HOW YOUNG PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE WE DISCUSS HOW YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCED A SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION. WE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO HOW YOGA PROVIDES A SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THEIR EMOTIONS. WE BASE OUR DISCUSSION ON QUALITATIVE DATA FROM YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORWAY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROJECT "HIPPOCAMPUS: PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH YOGA." THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS ARE BASED ON EXPERIENCES DESCRIBED BY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND IN DIARIES OR LOGS. OUR DATA INCLUDE NINE INTERVIEWS PERFORMED IN THE SPRING OF 2019 WITH YOUNG PEOPLE OF NORWEGIAN AND REFUGEE BACKGROUND IN THEIR LATE TEENS AND EARLY TWENTIES. THERE WERE ALSO 133 LOGS NOTED BY THE STUDENTS EXPOSED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION. IN THE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOGA AND EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT, IMPROVED SLEEP HABITS, AND REGULATION. THEY ALSO REPORT IMPROVED ABILITY TO REGULATE AND COPE WITH STRESS. YOGA SEEMED ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR REFUGEE TRAUMA. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON THE UTTERANCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT EMOTIONS, AS THOSE WERE QUITE DOMINANT IN OUR DATA, ESPECIALLY IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED INSTANCES OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION, BUT ALSO OF EMOTIONAL PROCESSES AND CHANGES OF EMOTIONS, ALL OF WHICH WERE RELATED TO THESE YOUNG STUDENTS PRACTICING YOGA. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON EMOTIONS ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE. 2021 17 1341 26 HOW JUNIOR DOCTORS PERCEIVE PERSONALISED YOGA AND GROUP EXERCISE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL AND TRAUMATIC STRESSORS. OBJECTIVES: JUNIOR DOCTORS ARE EXPOSED TO OCCUPATIONAL AND TRAUMATIC STRESSORS, SOME OF WHICH ARE INHERENT TO MEDICINE. THIS CAN RESULT IN BURNOUT, MENTAL ILL-HEALTH AND SUICIDE. WITHIN A CROSSOVER PILOT STUDY COMPARING PERSONALISED, TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TO GROUP-FORMAT EXERCISE, QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCE OF JUNIOR DOCTORS AND WHETHER SUCH INTERVENTIONS WERE PERCEIVED TO HELP MANAGE THESE STRESSORS. METHODS: TWENTY-ONE DOCTORS, 76% FEMALE, WERE ORDER-RANDOMISED TO CONSECUTIVE 8-WEEK YOGA AND EXERCISE PROGRAMMES. FIFTY-TWO INTERVIEWS WERE RECORDED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH PROGRAMME. RESULTS: MANY PARTICIPANTS REPORTED BEING TIME POOR, SLEEP-AFFECTED, FREQUENTLY STRESSED AND OCCASIONALLY IN PHYSICAL PAIN/DISTRESS. MAJOR STRESSOR THEMES WERE WORKPLACE INCIVILITY, DEATH/HUMAN SUFFERING AND SHIFT WORK WITH MINIMAL SUPPORT. BOTH INTERVENTIONS WERE ACCEPTABLE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. PERSONALISED YOGA OFFERED A THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE, TIME TO CHECK-IN AND REDUCED ANXIETY/RUMINATION. GROUP EXERCISE PROVIDED ENERGY AND SOCIAL CONNECTION. ONE PARTICIPANT FOUND YOGA BENEFICIAL FOLLOWING AN ACUTE WORKPLACE TRAUMA: 'IT WAS REALLY EYE OPENING HOW MUCH I FELT MY BODY JUST NEEDED TO DETOX ... I WOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO A GROUP FITNESS THE NEXT DAY ... I JUST WANTED TO RELAX AND BREATHE ...WE STILL HAD A BIG DEBRIEF WHICH WAS GREAT ... (BUT) I ALMOST FELT LIKE ... I DEALT WITH IT PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY BEFORE GOING INTO IT (P20).' CONCLUSION: JUNIOR DOCTORS FOUND BOTH INTERVENTIONS USEFUL FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT ADJUNCTIVE TO OTHER ORGANISATIONAL PROGRAMMES THOUGH FOR DIFFERENT AND COMPLEMENTARY REASONS, POSSIBLY RELATED TO DELIVERY MODE. PERSONALISED, TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROVIDED A CONFIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE WHEREAS GROUP EXERCISE OFFERED SOCIAL CONNECTION. 2021 18 1311 18 HEALTH IMPACTS OF YOGA AND PRANAYAMA: A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW. THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO YOGA ORIGINATED IN INDIA, AND IN PRESENT DAY AND AGE, AN ALARMING AWARENESS WAS OBSERVED IN HEALTH AND NATURAL REMEDIES AMONG PEOPLE BY YOGA AND PRANAYAMA WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN AN EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR IMPROVING HEALTH IN ADDITION TO PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF DISEASES. WITH INCREASING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN YOGA, ITS THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS ARE ALSO BEING EXPLORED. YOGA IS REPORTED TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY, IMPROVES AUTONOMIC FUNCTIONS BY TRIGGERING NEUROHORMONAL MECHANISMS BY THE SUPPRESSION OF SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY, AND EVEN, NOW-A-DAYS, SEVERAL REPORTS SUGGESTED YOGA IS BENEFICIAL FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH OF CANCER PATIENTS. SUCH GLOBAL RECOGNITION OF YOGA ALSO TESTIFIES TO INDIA'S GROWING CULTURAL INFLUENCE. 2012 19 1812 35 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. BACKGROUND: TRAUMA IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE, OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER YOGA PRACTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A TRAUMA HISTORY AND MAY IMPROVE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. THUS, WE CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES. METHODS: TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASSES WERE LED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELD IN THREE SECTORS THAT WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ANONYMOUS SURVEY USING A RETROSPECTIVE PRE-POST DESIGN. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT CAPTURED REASONS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: STUDENTS WERE MOTIVATED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES BY EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. STUDENTS REPORTED PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING AND GREATER USE OF SELF-REGULATION SKILLS AFTER STARTING YOGA. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL BY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OR RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE VALUE OF OFFERING TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING WARRANT FORMAL STUDY. 2021 20 1655 19 MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN YOGA. WHILE YOGA HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED FOR ITS BENEFITS TO MANY HEALTH CONDITIONS, LITTLE RESEARCH HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON THE NATURE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES OCCURRING DURING YOGA PRACTICE. YOGA IS CONSIDERED TO BE GENERALLY SAFE, HOWEVER, INJURY CAN OCCUR IN NEARLY ANY PART OF THE BODY-ESPECIALLY THE NECK, SHOULDERS, LUMBAR SPINE, HAMSTRINGS, AND KNEES. AS BROAD INTEREST IN YOGA GROWS, SO WILL THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. IN THIS LITERATURE REVIEW, THE PREVALENCE, TYPES OF INJURIES, FORMS OF YOGA RELATED WITH INJURY, SPECIFIC POSES (ASANAS) ASSOCIATED WITH INJURY, AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE DISCUSSED IN ORDER TO FAMILIARIZE PRACTITIONERS WITH YOGA-RELATED INJURIES. 2018