1 285 156 ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN, AND YOGA PRACTICE. TO ADDRESS THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HATHA YOGA'S POTENTIAL STRESS-REDUCTION BENEFITS, WE COMPARED ADIPONECTIN AND LEPTIN DATA FROM WELL-MATCHED NOVICE AND EXPERT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THESE ADIPOCYTOKINES HAVE COUNTER-REGULATORY FUNCTIONS IN INFLAMMATION; LEPTIN PLAYS A PROINFLAMMATORY ROLE, WHILE ADIPONECTIN HAS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES. FIFTY HEALTHY WOMEN (MEAN AGE=41.32, RANGE=30-65), 25 NOVICES AND 25 EXPERTS, PROVIDED FASTING BLOOD SAMPLES DURING THREE SEPARATE VISITS. LEPTIN WAS 36% HIGHER AMONG NOVICES COMPARED TO EXPERTS, P=.008. ANALYSIS OF ADIPONECTIN REVEALED A BORDERLINE EFFECT OF YOGA EXPERTISE, P=.08; EXPERTS' AVERAGE ADIPONECTIN LEVELS WERE 28% HIGHER THAN NOVICES ACROSS THE THREE VISITS. IN CONTRAST, EXPERTS' AVERAGE ADIPONECTIN TO LEPTIN RATIO WAS NEARLY TWICE THAT OF NOVICES, P=.009. FREQUENCY OF SELF-REPORTED YOGA PRACTICE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LEPTIN; MORE WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER THE LAST YEAR, MORE LIFETIME YOGA SESSIONS, AND MORE YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ALL SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER LEPTIN, WITH SIMILAR FINDINGS FOR THE ADIPONECTIN TO LEPTIN RATIO. NOVICES AND EXPERTS DID NOT SHOW EVEN MARGINAL DIFFERENCES ON BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS THAT MIGHT REPRESENT POTENTIAL CONFOUNDS, INCLUDING BMI, CENTRAL ADIPOSITY, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, AND DIET. PROSPECTIVE STUDIES ADDRESSING INCREASED RISK FOR TYPE II DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE ADIPOCYTOKINES IN MODULATING INFLAMMATION. ALTHOUGH THESE HEALTH RISKS ARE CLEARLY RELATED TO MORE EXTREME VALUES THEN WE FOUND IN OUR HEALTHY SAMPLE, OUR DATA RAISE THE POSSIBILITY THAT LONGER-TERM AND/OR MORE INTENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES BY ALTERING LEPTIN AND ADIPONECTIN PRODUCTION. 2012
2 2001 61 STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: TO ADDRESS THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HATHA YOGA'S POTENTIAL STRESS-REDUCTION BENEFITS, WE COMPARED INFLAMMATORY AND ENDOCRINE RESPONSES OF NOVICE AND EXPERT YOGA PRACTITIONERS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A RESTORATIVE HATHA YOGA SESSION, AS WELL AS IN TWO CONTROL CONDITIONS. STRESSORS BEFORE EACH OF THE THREE CONDITIONS PROVIDED DATA ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOGA SPEEDED AN INDIVIDUAL'S PHYSIOLOGICAL RECOVERY. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 50 HEALTHY WOMEN (MEAN AGE, 41.32 YEARS; RANGE, 30-65 YEARS), 25 NOVICES AND 25 EXPERTS, WERE EXPOSED TO EACH OF THE CONDITIONS (YOGA, MOVEMENT CONTROL, AND PASSIVE-VIDEO CONTROL) DURING THREE SEPARATE VISITS. RESULTS: THE YOGA SESSION BOOSTED PARTICIPANTS' POSITIVE AFFECT COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL CONDITIONS, BUT NO OVERALL DIFFERENCES IN INFLAMMATORY OR ENDOCRINE RESPONSES WERE UNIQUE TO THE YOGA SESSION. IMPORTANTLY, EVEN THOUGH NOVICES AND EXPERTS DID NOT DIFFER ON KEY DIMENSIONS, INCLUDING AGE, ABDOMINAL ADIPOSITY, AND CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, NOVICES' SERUM INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6 LEVELS WERE 41% HIGHER THAN THOSE OF EXPERTS ACROSS SESSIONS, AND THE ODDS OF A NOVICE HAVING DETECTABLE C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) WERE 4.75 TIMES AS HIGH AS THAT OF AN EXPERT. DIFFERENCES IN STRESS RESPONSES BETWEEN EXPERTS AND NOVICES PROVIDED ONE PLAUSIBLE MECHANISM FOR THEIR DIVERGENT SERUM IL-6 DATA; EXPERTS PRODUCED LESS LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-STIMULATED IL-6 IN RESPONSE TO THE STRESSOR THAN NOVICES, AND IL-6 PROMOTES CRP PRODUCTION. CONCLUSION: THE ABILITY TO MINIMIZE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES TO STRESSFUL ENCOUNTERS INFLUENCES THE BURDEN THAT STRESSORS PLACE ON AN INDIVIDUAL. IF YOGA DAMPENS OR LIMITS STRESS-RELATED CHANGES, THEN REGULAR PRACTICE COULD HAVE SUBSTANTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS. 2010
3 432 41 CAN YOGA PRACTICES BENEFIT HEALTH BY IMPROVING ORGANISM REGULATION? EVIDENCE FROM ELECTRODERMAL MEASURES OF ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIANS. OBJECTIVES: TO DOCUMENT AND EXPLAIN YOGA'S EFFECTS ON ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIAN ENERGIES. TO UNDERSTAND MECHANISMS BEHIND YOGA'S EFFICACY BY TESTING LINKS BETWEEN YOGA AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE STUDY COMPARED TWO GROUPS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS: NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED. NOVICES CONSISTED OF 33 VOLUNTEERS FROM A SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOGA ANUSANDHANA SAMSTHANA (S-VYASA) YOGA INSTRUCTOR TRAINING MODULE AND THE EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS WERE 20 RESIDENT SVYASA STUDENTS. THE INTERVENTION WAS 3 WEEKS OF A YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM, NEW FOR THE NOVICES, BUT THE LIFESTYLE OF THE EXPERIENCED GROUP, WHO WERE THEREFORE ASSESSED ONLY ONCE. NOVICES WERE ASSESSED ON DAY 2 AND 23 OF THEIR PROGRAM AT SVYASA'S YOGA MEDICINE HOSPITAL, MAKING THEIR DATA A PRE-POST, SELF-AS-CONTROL, PROSPECTIVE STUDY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES WERE MEAN ACUMERIDIAN ENERGY LEVELS ASSESSED BY ACUGRAPH3 MEASURES OF ELECTRODERMAL RESISTANCE AT ACUPOINTS; ADDITIONALLY, GENDER DIFFERENCES, STANDARD DEVIATIONS (SDS) OF ALL MEASURES, AND COMPARISON OF POST AND EXPERIENCED GROUP DATA. RESULTS: AVERAGED ENERGY LEVELS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN ALL 24 MERIDIANS (MAXIMUM P = 0.032, 4-P < 0.01, AND 19-P < 0.001). FEMALES IMPROVED MORE THAN MALES (P < 0.05), BOTH ENDING AT SIMILAR LEVELS TO EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS, WHOSE SDS WERE LOWER THAN NOVICES ON 19/24 MERIDIANS (MEAN F = 3.715, P = 0.0022), AND 4/5 AVERAGE VARIABLES. CONCLUSIONS: ACUGRAPH3 ELECTRODERMAL MEASURES CONTAIN SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION, P << 0.00001. YOGA-LIFESTYLE PRACTICE CAN INCREASE AND BALANCE ACUMERIDIAN ENERGIES; LONG-TERM PRACTICE DECREASES GROUP SD'S. THESE THREE SUGGEST REASONS WHY YOGA PRACTICE IMPACTS HEALTH: ONE, INCREASED PRANA LEVELS ARE IMPORTANT; TWO AND THREE, IMPROVED PHYSIOLOGICAL REGULATION IS THE KEY. FURTHER STUDIES RELATING TRADITIONAL INDIAN AND CHINESE MEDICAL SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED. 2014
4 1646 25 MOTIVATIONS FOR ADOPTING AND MAINTAINING A YOGA PRACTICE: A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY. BACKGROUND: YOGA PRACTICE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD, YET LITTLE IS KNOWN REGARDING WHY PEOPLE ADOPT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OR HOW THEIR REASONS FOR PRACTICE CHANGE WITH CONTINUED PRACTICE. FURTHERMORE, WHETHER THOSE WHO PRACTICE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA HAVE DIFFERENT MOTIVES REMAINS UNKNOWN. METHODS: TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, THE AUTHORS CONDUCTED A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF 1,702 YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN GERMANY, ASKING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND MOTIVES FOR INITIATING AND CONTINUING YOGA PRACTICE. RESULTS: THE MOST COMMON PRIMARY REASONS FOR STARTING YOGA WERE RELAXATION (26.6%) AND PREVENTION (25.5%), WHICH WERE ALSO THE MOST COMMON SECONDARY REASONS. NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE (55.3%) REPORTED A DIFFERENT PRIMARY REASON FOR MAINTAINING THAN FOR ADOPTING YOGA PRACTICE. PREVENTION (38.4%) AND SPIRITUALITY (26.4%) WERE THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED PRIMARY REASONS FOR MAINTAINING YOGA PRACTICE. MORE HIGHLY EDUCATED PARTICIPANTS AND THOSE PRACTICING LONGER THAN 5 YEARS AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE REPORTED A DIFFERENT CURRENT PRIMARY REASON FOR YOGA PRACTICE THAN THAT FOR WHICH THEY STARTED PRACTICING. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON YOGA'S APPEAL TO NOVICES AND REGULAR PRACTITIONERS, WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR MAKING YOGA APPEALING TO BEGINNERS AS WELL AS PROMOTING THE PRACTICE AS A LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR. 2019
5 1672 32 NONLINEAR MEASURES IN POSTUROGRAPHY COMPARED TO LINEAR MEASURES BASED ON YOGA POSES PERFORMANCE. PURPOSE: YOGA IS KNOWN AS A TYPE OF EXERCISE THAT COMBINES PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS. THERE HAS NOT BEEN MUCH RESEARCH ON THE POSTURAL CONTROL IN VARIOUS YOGA POSES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE COP REGULARITY IN BOTH YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND NOVICES DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF FOUR YOGA POSES, AND TO VERIFY THE SENSITIVITY OF LINEAR AND NONLINEAR METHODS FOR ASSESSING POSTURAL STABILITY. METHODS: THE DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF COP FLUCTUATIONS WERE EXAMINED USING LINEAR AND NONLINEAR METHODS ON A GROUP OF 22 YOGA INSTRUCTORS (Y) AND 18 AGE-MATCHED NON-PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA (NY). THE STUDY INVOLVED MAINTAINING A BALANCE FOR 20 SECONDS WHILE PERFORMING FOUR YOGA POSES. RESULTS: CONVENTIONAL ANALYSIS OF COP TRAJECTORIES SHOWED THAT NY AND Y EXHIBITED SIMILAR CONTROL OF POSTURAL SWAY, AS INDICATED BY SIMILAR COP PATH-LENGTH AND AREA VALUES OBSERVED IN BOTH GROUPS. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE SPECIAL BALANCE YOGA TRAINING RECEIVED BY Y MAY NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON LESS CHALLENGING BALANCE CONDITIONS, SUCH AS THE POSES USED IN THIS EXPERIMENT. INTERESTINGLY, NONLINEAR DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF COP SHOWED THAT Y EXHIBITED LESS COP REGULARITY AND MORE COMPLEX SIGNAL THAN NY, AS EVIDENCED BY HIGHER VALUES OF SAMPLE ENTROPY AND FRACTAL DIMENSION. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SHED LIGHT ON THE SURPLUS VALUES OF COP TRAJECTORIES IN THE NONLINEAR DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS TO GAIN FURTHER INSIGHT INTO THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN POSTURE CONTROL. 2020
6 2363 32 VOLUNTARILY INDUCED VOMITING - A YOGA TECHNIQUE TO ENHANCE PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN HEALTHY HUMANS. VOMITING IS A COMPLEX AUTONOMIC REFLEX ORCHESTRATED BY SEVERAL NEUROLOGICAL CENTRES IN THE BRAIN. VAGUS, THE CRANIAL NERVE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN REGULATION OF VOMITING. KUNJAL KRIYA (VOLUNTARILY INDUCED VOMITING), IS A YOGIC CLEANSING TECHNIQUE WHICH INVOLVES VOLUNTARILY INDUCING VOMITING AFTER DRINKING SALINE WATER (5%) ON EMPTY STOMACH. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH AN OBJECTIVE TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF VOLUNTARY INDUCED VOMITING (VIV) ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS AND NOVICES AND DERIVE ITS POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS. EIGHTEEN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY OF WHICH NINE HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF VIV WHILE NINE DID NOT. PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER 10 MIN OF REST FOLLOWING VIV. ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE WAS PERFORMED ADJUSTED FOR GENDER AND BASELINE VALUES. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED ACROSS GENDERS. THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY [F(1,13) = 5.699; P = 0.03] AND FORCED INSPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1ST SECOND [P = 0.02] AND REDUCTION IN EXPIRATORY RESERVE VOLUME [F(1,13) = 5.029; P = 0.04] AND RESPIRATORY RATE [F(1,13) = 3.244, P = 0.09]. THESE CHANGES SUGGEST THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF VIV IN ENHANCING THE ENDURANCE OF THE RESPIRATORY MUSCLES, DECREASED AIRWAY RESISTANCE, BETTER EMPTYING OF LUNGS AND VAGAL PREDOMINANCE RESPECTIVELY. WE CONCLUDE THAT VIV WHEN PRACTICED REGULARLY ENHANCES THE ENDURANCE OF THE RESPIRATORY MUSCLES AND DECREASES AIRWAY RESISTANCE. THESE FINDINGS ALSO INDICATE NEED FOR SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF VIV IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MOTION SICKNESS AND RESTRICTIVE PULMONARY DISORDERS LIKE BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 2018
7 154 19 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITH YOGA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE HOW YOGA IMPACTS BODY-RELATED THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES, WELL-BEING, AND SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS IN A SAMPLE OF MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WHO REGULARLY ENGAGE IN YOGA IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 22 WOMEN; 10 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS BEGINNERS OR NOVICES AND 12 SELF-IDENTIFIED AS EXPERIENCED IN YOGA. INTERPRETIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS GUIDED THE DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION. FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED AROUND THE TOPICS OF: SUPPORTIVE YOGA ENVIRONMENT, MINDFULNESS, SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS, AND BODY-RELATED PERCEPTIONS. RESULTS HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT CAN SUPPORT POSITIVE BODY-RELATED EXPERIENCES IN MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN. 2021
8 1289 39 GREATER WIDESPREAD FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY OF THE CAUDATE IN OLDER ADULTS WHO PRACTICE KRIPALU YOGA AND VIPASSANA MEDITATION THAN IN CONTROLS. THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES AFFECT BRAIN FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE RESTRICTED THEIR EXPLORATION TO PREDEFINED NETWORKS. FURTHERMORE, SCIENTIFIC COMPARISONS OF DIFFERENT CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITIONS ARE LARGELY LACKING. HERE WE EXPLORED DIFFERENCES IN WHOLE BRAIN RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN EXPERIENCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS, EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS, AND MATCHED CONTROLS. ANALYSES WERE REPEATED IN AN INDEPENDENT SAMPLE OF EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS AND MATCHED CONTROLS. ANALYSES UTILIZING NETWORK-BASED STATISTICS (ZALESKY ET AL., 2010) REVEALED DIFFERENCE COMPONENTS FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS > CONTROLS AND MEDITATORS > CONTROLS IN WHICH THE RIGHT CAUDATE WAS A CENTRAL NODE. FOLLOW UP ANALYSES REVEALED THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND MEDITATORS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DEGREE CENTRALITY IN THE CAUDATE THAN CONTROLS. THIS GREATER DEGREE CENTRALITY WAS NOT DRIVEN BY SINGLE CONNECTIONS BUT BY GREATER CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE CAUDATE AND NUMEROUS BRAIN REGIONS. FINDINGS OF GREATER CAUDATE CONNECTIVITY IN MEDITATORS THAN IN CONTROLS WAS REPLICATED IN AN INDEPENDENT DATASET. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS HAVE STRONGER FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY WITHIN BASAL GANGLIA CORTICO-THALAMIC FEEDBACK LOOPS THAN NON-PRACTITIONERS. ALTHOUGH WE COULD NOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE FOR ITS MECHANISTIC ROLE, THIS GREATER CONNECTIVITY MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE OFTEN REPORTED EFFECTS OF MEDITATION AND YOGA ON BEHAVIORAL FLEXIBILITY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING. 2015
9 642 31 DOES PRACTICING HATHA YOGA SATISFY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHICH IMPROVES AND MAINTAINS HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS? BACKGROUND: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE METABOLIC AND HEART RATE RESPONSES TO A TYPICAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE 1) TO DETERMINE WHETHER A TYPICAL YOGA PRACTICE USING VARIOUS POSTURES MEETS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIRED TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS; 2) TO DETERMINE THE RELIABILITY OF METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA ACROSS SESSIONS; 3) TO COMPARE THE METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO THOSE OF TREADMILL WALKING. METHODS: IN THIS OBSERVATIONAL STUDY, 20 INTERMEDIATE-TO-ADVANCED LEVEL YOGA PRACTITIONERS, AGE 31.4 +/- 8.3 YEARS, PERFORMED AN EXERCISE ROUTINE INSIDE A HUMAN RESPIRATORY CHAMBER (INDIRECT CALORIMETER) WHILE WEARING HEART RATE MONITORS. THE EXERCISE ROUTINE CONSISTED OF 30 MINUTES OF SITTING, 56 MINUTES OF BEGINNER-LEVEL HATHA YOGA ADMINISTERED BY VIDEO, AND 10 MINUTES OF TREADMILL WALKING AT 3.2 AND 4.8 KPH EACH. MEASURES WERE MEAN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2), HEART RATE (HR), PERCENTAGE PREDICTED MAXIMAL HEART RATE (%MHR), METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (METS), AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE (KCAL). SEVEN SUBJECTS REPEATED THE PROTOCOL SO THAT MEASUREMENT RELIABILITY COULD BE ESTABLISHED. RESULTS: MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR VO2, HR, %MHR, METS, AND ENERGY/MIN WERE 0.6 L/KG/MIN; 93.2 BEATS/MIN; 49.4%; 2.5; AND 3.2 KCAL/MIN; RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS OF THE ICCS (2,1) FOR MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR KCAL, METS, AND %MHR WERE 0.979 AND 0.973, AND 0.865, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA AVERAGED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SESSION REPRESENT LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ARE SIMILAR TO WALKING ON A TREADMILL AT 3.2 KPH, AND DO NOT MEET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR IMPROVING OR MAINTAINING HEALTH OR CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. YOGA PRACTICE INCORPORATING SUN SALUTATION POSTURES EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM BOUT OF 10 MINUTES MAY CONTRIBUTE SOME PORTION OF SUFFICIENTLY INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE CARDIO-RESPIRATORY FITNESS IN UNFIT OR SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THE MEASUREMENT OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE ACROSS YOGA SESSIONS IS HIGHLY RELIABLE. 2007
10 1964 19 SEPARATING THE "LIMBS" OF YOGA: LIMITED EFFECTS ON STRESS AND MOOD. THOUGH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THEIR MOOD, IT IS UNCLEAR WHICH ASPECT OF YOGA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE EFFECTS. TO INVESTIGATE RELEVANT ASPECTS, OR "LIMBS" OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOVICES IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ENGAGED IN A SINGLE YOGA MANIPULATION (I.E., POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, OR LISTENING TO A LECTURE ABOUT YOGA) FOR 20 MIN BEFORE EXPERIENCING A MILD STRESSOR. PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, MOOD, AND ANXIETY LEVEL WERE ASSESSED, BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE YOGA MANIPULATION AND AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. THE 20-MIN YOGA MANIPULATION DID NOT DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECT ANY OF THE MEASURES, INCLUDING PARTICIPANTS' STRESS RESPONSE AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF A YOGA PRACTICE. 2019
11 1836 20 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF THE PRACTICE OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION. AUTONOMIC AND ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC (EEG) CORRELATES OF TANTRIC YOGA MEDITATION WERE STUDIED IN THREE GROUPS OF SUBJECTS AS THEY PROGRESSED FROM NORMAL CONSCIOUSNESS INTO MEDITATION. GROUPS DIFFERED IN THEIR LEVEL OF MEDITATION PROFICIENCY. MEASURES OF SKIN RESISTANCE, HEART RATE, RESPIRATION, AUTONOMIC ORIENTING RESPONSES, RESTING EEG, EEG ALPHA AND THETA FREQUENCIES, SLEEP-SCORED EEG, AVERAGED EVOKED RESPONSES, AND SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE WERE EMPLOYED. UNLIKE MOST PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MEDITATION STUDIES, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION DURING MEDITATION WHILE UNEXPERIENCED MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED AUTONOMIC RELAXATION. DURING MEDITATION, PROFICIENT MEDITATORS DEMONSTRATED INCREASED ALPHA AND THETA POWER, MINIMAL EVIDENCE OF EEG-DEFINED SLEEP, AND DECREASED AUTONOMIC ORIENTING TO EXTERNAL STIMULATION. AN EPISODE OF SUDDEN AUTONOMIC ACTIVATION WAS OBSERVED THAT WAS CHARACTERIZED BY THE MEDITATOR AS AN APPROACH TO THE YOGIC ECSTATIC STATE OF INTENSE CONCENTRATION. THESE FINDINGS CHALLENGE THE CURRENT "RELAXATION" MODEL OF MEDITATIVE STATES. 1978
12 1293 35 GROUP-BASED YOGIC WEIGHT LOSS WITH AYURVEDA-INSPIRED COMPONENTS: A PILOT INVESTIGATION OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NOVICES. INTRODUCTION: OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IS A PRESSING INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONCERN AND CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS DEMONSTRATE POOR LONG-TERM EFFICACY. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA AND AYURVEDA MAY BE PROMISING APPROACHES, ALTHOUGH RECENT NHIS ESTIMATES INDICATE RARE UTILIZATION OF AYURVEDA IN THE US. GROUP-BASED CURRICULA THAT INTEGRATE YOGA AND AYURVEDA-INSPIRED PRINCIPLES TO ATTENUATE OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY ACROSS INDIVIDUALS MAY PROVE A FEASIBLE, DISSEMINABLE CLINICAL ADJUNCT TO FACILITATE PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS AND/OR MAINTENANCE. AIMS: DETERMINE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTIVENESS OF A TEN-WEEK YOGA - BASED, AYURVEDA-INSPIRED WEIGHT MANAGEMENT CURRICULUM (YWL) PILOTED IN FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS (STUDY 1) THEN REFINED AND TAILORED FOR YOGA NAIVES (STUDY 2), ON SELF-REPORTED PSYCHOSOCIAL PROCESS VARIABLES AND % OF SELF-REPORTED TOTAL BODY WEIGHT LOSS (%TBWL). METHODOLOGY: STUDY 1 ENROLLED 22 YOGA-EXPERIENCED WOMEN (48.2 +/- 14.3 YEARS, BMI 30.8 +/- 4.2 KG/M2) IN A 10-WEEK YOGA-BASED PROGRAM (YWL-YE). STUDY 2 ENROLLED 21 YOGA- NAIVE WOMEN (49.4 +/- 10.7 YEARS, BMI 35.5 +/- 6.8 KG/M2) IN A REVISED 10-WEEK PROGRAM (YWL-YN). SELF-REPORTED WEIGHT AND SELF-RATINGS OF MINDFUL EATING BEHAVIOR, BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE, WEIGHT LOSS SELF-EFFICACY, BODY AWARENESS, AND SELF-COMPASSION WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE, POST-TREATMENT (T2), AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW- UP (T3). RESULTS: YWL CURRICULA WAS FEASIBLE IN BOTH STUDIES. WHILE ATTRITION RATES FOR BOTH STUDIES FAVORABLY COMPARED TO OTHER WEIGHT MANAGEMENT STUDIES, ATTRITION WAS HIGHER FOR YWL-YN (28.6%) THAN YWL-YE (18.2%). IN BOTH STUDIES, SELF-REPORTED PROCESS VARIABLES AND SELF-REPORTED % TBWL CHANGED IN HYPOTHESIZED DIRECTIONS AT T2 AND EVIDENCED GREATER IMPROVEMENT AT T3; EFFECT SIZES ACROSS ALL PROCESS VARIABLES WERE MEDIUM (-0.4) TO LARGE (-1.8). % TBWL REACHED CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE (>5%) ONLY AT T3 FOR THE YWL-YE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE YWL CURRICULA EMPLOYED HERE APPEAR TO IMPROVE PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH AMONG BOTH OVERWEIGHT/OBESE YOGA-EXPERIENCED AND YOGA- NAIVE WOMEN. RESULTS MUST BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION DUE TO STUDY DESIGN, SELF-REPORT ASSESSMENTS, AND OTHER LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, HYPOTHESES ARE GENERATED FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATION. 2016
13 1266 26 FLUID INTELLIGENCE AND BRAIN FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION IN AGING YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE DOCUMENTED THE NORMAL AGE-RELATED DECLINE OF NEURAL STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT MEDITATION MAY REDUCE DECLINE IN SPECIFIC COGNITIVE DOMAINS AND IN BRAIN STRUCTURE. HERE WE EXTENDED THIS RESEARCH BY INVESTIGATING THE RELATION BETWEEN AGE AND FLUID INTELLIGENCE AND RESTING STATE BRAIN FUNCTIONAL NETWORK ARCHITECTURE USING GRAPH THEORY, IN MIDDLE-AGED YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTITIONERS, AND MATCHED CONTROLS. FLUID INTELLIGENCE DECLINED SLOWER IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND MEDITATORS COMBINED THAN IN CONTROLS. RESTING STATE FUNCTIONAL NETWORKS OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND MEDITATORS COMBINED WERE MORE INTEGRATED AND MORE RESILIENT TO DAMAGE THAN THOSE OF CONTROLS. FURTHERMORE, MINDFULNESS WAS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH FLUID INTELLIGENCE, RESILIENCE, AND GLOBAL NETWORK EFFICIENCY. THESE FINDINGS REVEAL THE POSSIBILITY TO INCREASE RESILIENCE AND TO SLOW THE DECLINE OF FLUID INTELLIGENCE AND BRAIN FUNCTIONAL ARCHITECTURE AND SUGGEST THAT MINDFULNESS PLAYS A MECHANISTIC ROLE IN THIS PRESERVATION. 2014
14 1596 23 MEDITATION HAS STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH MINDFULNESS, KUNDALINI, AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES THAN YOGA OR PRAYER. CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES CAN HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS ON MINDFULNESS AND ON PHYSICAL AND SENSORY AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES. INDIVIDUALS WHO SELF-REPORTED MEDITATION, YOGA, CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER, OR A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES AND THEIR PATTERNS OF PRACTICE WERE COMPARED FOR MINDFULNESS, KUNDALINI EFFECTS, AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT THE AMOUNT OF PRACTICE BUT NOT THE PATTERN AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF PRACTICE INFLUENCES MINDFULNESS AND POSSIBLY MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES. MEDITATION, YOGA, CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER, OR A COMBINATION OF PRACTICES ALL WERE FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ENHANCEMENTS OF MINDFULNESS, KUNDALINI EFFECTS, AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES, BUT MEDITATION HAD PARTICULARLY STRONG ASSOCIATIONS AND MAY BE THE BASIS OF THE ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA AND PRAYER WITH THESE OUTCOMES. THE RESULTS FURTHER SUGGEST THAT THE PRIMARY ASSOCIATION OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IS WITH THE REAL TIME AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF SENSORY AND PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCES WHICH MAY BE THE INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN DISPARATE PRACTICES AND MINDFULNESS, KUNDALINI EFFECTS, AND MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES. 2015
15 1094 29 EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON ACUMERIDIAN ENERGIES: VARIANCE REDUCTION IMPLIES BENEFITS FOR REGULATION. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: THIS PAPER CONCERNS MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFICACY OF YOGA MEDICINE, TRADITIONALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE ENLIVENMENT OF PRANA. OUR STRATEGY WAS TO INVESTIGATE LEVELS OF QI IN ACUPUNCTURE MERIDIANS, SINCE QI IS USUALLY CONSIDERED EQUIVALENT TO PRANA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ELECTRODERMAL MEASUREMENTS AT ACUMERIDIAN ENDPOINTS (TSING POINTS) WERE MADE ON 32 HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, PRE AND POST 3 WEEKS YOGA LIFESTYLE PROGRAM USING ACUGRAPH 3 (AN INSTRUMENT IN WIDE USE). A PREVIOUS STUDY FOUND THAT INHERENT ERRORS PREVENT ACUGRAPH FROM PRECISELY EVALUATING QI ENERGIES IN SINGLE MERIDIANS, SO GROUP RESULTS ARE REPORTED: (A) ENERGY LEVELS, (B) ENERGY STABILITY, AND (C) ENERGY BALANCE BETWEEN (I) YIN/YANG MERIDIANS, (II) UPPER AND LOWER, AND (III) LEFT AND RIGHT REGIONS OF THE BODY. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN ALL BUT ENERGY STABILITY, SUPPORTING THE IDEAS THAT YOGA ENLIVENS PRANA, AND THAT BALANCE IN MERIDIANS CONSTITUTES HEALTH. FOR BALANCE VARIABLES, THE STUDY OBSERVED SHIFTS TOWARD NORMAL AT BOTH ENDS OF VARIABLE DISTRIBUTIONS, REDUCING STANDARD DEVIATIONS: POST-INTERVENTION PERCENTAGES OF SUBJECTS WITH VALUES IN THE 'HEALTHY' RANGE INCREASED. CONCLUSION: YOGA IMPROVED REGULATION OF QI LEVELS IN ACUMERIDIAN MERIDIANS AS WELL AS INCREASING THEM. 2013
16 2258 31 THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO BIKRAM YOGA IN NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS. CONTEXT: BIKRAM YOGA HAS GAINED A LARGE FOLLOWING, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF WIDESPREAD CLAIMS BOASTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE OF UP TO 1000 CALORIES PER SESSION. HOWEVER, THESE CLAIMS ARE UNFOUNDED BECAUSE NO SCIENTIFIC STUDY HAS INVESTIGATED THE METABOLIC RESPONSE TO A COMPLETE, STANDARDIZED BIKRAM YOGA CLASS. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY INTENDS TO DETERMINE ENERGY EXPENDITURE, HEART RATE, AND SWEAT RATE IN NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS FROM A STANDARDIZED BIKRAM YOGA CLASS. SETTING: DATA WERE COLLECTED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMBER OF THE EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY AT SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY IN CALIFORNIA, USA. PARTICIPANTS: MALE (N = 5) AND FEMALE (N = 19) PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 57 Y WERE RECRUITED THROUGH FLYERS IN YOGA STUDIOS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO. PARTICIPANTS WERE CLASSIFIED AS EXPERIENCED OR NOVICE PRACTITIONERS, HAVING COMPLETED >/=20 OR <20 SESSIONS, RESPECTIVELY. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE GUIDED THROUGH A STANDARDIZED 90-MIN YOGA CLASS PERFORMED IN A HOT ENVIRONMENT USING BIKRAM'S STANDARD BEGINNING DIALOGUE, WHILE EXPIRED GAS WAS COLLECTED AND HEART RATE WAS RECORDED. OUTCOME MEASURES: ENERGY EXPENDITURE, CALCULATED VIA OXYGEN UPTAKE, AND HEART RATE WERE DETERMINED FOR EACH POSTURE AND TRANSITION PERIOD. IN ADDITION, SWEAT RATE AND CORE TEMPERATURE WERE RECORDED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. RESULTS: MEAN (+/-SD) RELATIVE VO2 FOR THE ENTIRE 90-MIN SESSION WAS 9.5 +/- 1.9 ML X KG-1 X MIN-1, RANGING FROM 6.0 TO 12.9 ML X KG-1 X MIN-1. MEAN ABSOLUTE ENERGY EXPENDITURE WAS 286 +/- 72 KCALS, RANGING FROM 179 TO 478 KCALS. INDEPENDENT SAMPLE T TESTS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES (P < .05) IN RELATIVE ENERGY EXPENDITURE, HEART RATE, ENDING CORE TEMPERATURE, AND SWEAT RATE BETWEEN EXPERIENCE LEVELS. MEAN RELATIVE ENERGY EXPENDITURE WAS 3.7 +/- 0.5 KCAL/KG IN NOVICE PRACTITIONERS AND 4.7 +/- 0.8 KCAL/KG IN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS. PERCENTAGE OF PREDICTED MAXIMUM HEART RATE AND SWEAT RATE WERE 72.3% +/- 10.6% AND 0.6 +/- 0.2 KG/H IN NOVICE PRACTITIONERS AND 86.4% +/- 5.2% AND 1.1 +/- 0.5 KG/H IN EXPERIENCED PARTICIPANTS. ALL POSTURES WERE CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT-TO-MODERATE INTENSITY ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE (ACSM) STANDARDS. CONCLUSIONS: BIKRAM YOGA MEETS REQUIREMENTS FOR EXERCISE OF LIGHT-TO-MODERATE INTENSITY AND, THEORETICALLY, COULD BE USED FOR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE OR WEIGHT LOSS IF PRACTICED SEVERAL TIMES PER WEEK. 2014
17 1472 27 INSULAR CORTEX MEDIATES INCREASED PAIN TOLERANCE IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. YOGA, AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR DISCIPLINE AMONG WESTERNERS, IS FREQUENTLY USED TO IMPROVE PAINFUL CONDITIONS. WE INVESTIGATED POSSIBLE NEUROANATOMICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA USING SENSORY TESTING AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TECHNIQUES. NORTH AMERICAN YOGIS TOLERATED PAIN MORE THAN TWICE AS LONG AS INDIVIDUALLY MATCHED CONTROLS AND HAD MORE GRAY MATTER (GM) IN MULTIPLE BRAIN REGIONS. ACROSS SUBJECTS, INSULAR GM UNIQUELY CORRELATED WITH PAIN TOLERANCE. INSULAR GM VOLUME IN YOGIS POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE, SUGGESTING A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND INSULAR SIZE. YOGIS ALSO HAD INCREASED LEFT INTRAINSULAR WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY, CONSISTENT WITH A STRENGTHENED INSULAR INTEGRATION OF NOCICEPTIVE INPUT AND PARASYMPATHETIC AUTONOMIC REGULATION. YOGIS, AS OPPOSED TO CONTROLS, USED COGNITIVE STRATEGIES INVOLVING PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS TO TOLERATE PAIN, WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO USE-DEPENDENT HYPERTROPHY OF INSULAR CORTEX. TOGETHER, THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT REGULAR AND LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES PAIN TOLERANCE IN TYPICAL NORTH AMERICANS BY TEACHING DIFFERENT WAYS TO DEAL WITH SENSORY INPUTS AND THE POTENTIAL EMOTIONAL REACTIONS ATTACHED TO THOSE INPUTS LEADING TO A CHANGE IN INSULAR BRAIN ANATOMY AND CONNECTIVITY. 2014
18 1641 21 MONITORING THE NEURAL ACTIVITY OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE WHILE PRACTICING SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. OBJECTIVE: TO IDENTIFY THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE AS EXPERIENCED THROUGH SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION. DESIGN: NINETEEN EXPERIENCED MEDITATORS UNDERWENT FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING DURING THREE SHORT CONSECUTIVE MEDITATION PERIODS, CONTRASTED WITH A CONTROL RELAXATION CONDITION. RESULTS: RELATIVE TO BASELINE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEDITATION SESSIONS THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF ACTIVATION IN BILATERAL INFERIOR FRONTAL AND TEMPORAL REGIONS. ACTIVATION BECAME PROGRESSIVELY MORE REDUCED WITH DEEPER MEDITATION STAGES AND IN THE LAST MEDITATION SESSION IT BECAME LOCALIZED TO THE RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX/ RIGHT INSULA AND RIGHT MIDDLE/SUPERIOR TEMPORAL CORTEX. FURTHERMORE, RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL ACTIVATION WAS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBJECTIVE DEPTH OF THE MENTAL SILENCE EXPERIENCE. CONCLUSIONS: MEDITATORS APPEAR TO PASS THROUGH AN INITIAL INTENSE NEURAL SELF-CONTROL PROCESS NECESSARY TO SILENCE THEIR MIND. AFTER THIS THEY EXPERIENCE RELATIVELY REDUCED BRAIN ACTIVATION CONCOMITANT WITH THE DEEPENING OF THE STATE OF MENTAL SILENCE OVER RIGHT INFERIOR FRONTAL CORTEX, PROBABLY REFLECTING AN EFFORTLESS PROCESS OF ATTENTIONAL CONTEMPLATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STATE. 2015
19 2379 15 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
20 341 35 ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONTEXT: YOGA IS QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER MODE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THAT IT CONSISTS OF A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ISOMETRIC MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS, STRETCHING EXERCISES, RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, AND BREATHING EXERCISES. IN PARTICULAR, YOGA POSTURES CONSIST OF SYSTEMIC ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS THAT ARE KNOWN TO ELICIT MARKED INCREASES IN MEAN BLOOD PRESSURE THAT ARE NOT OBSERVED DURING DYNAMIC EXERCISE. STRETCHING CAN ALSO INDUCE INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND SYMPATHETIC NERVE ACTIVITY IN THE MUSCLES. CURRENTLY, NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO DETERMINE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF ONE SESSION OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES. TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE, BOTH NOVICE (N = 19) AND ADVANCED (N = 18) YOGA PRACTITIONERS WERE STUDIED. DESIGN: THE TWO GROUPS WERE MATCHED FOR AGE, GENDER, BMI, AND BLOOD PRESSURE. SETTING: THE SETTING WAS A RESEARCH LABORATORY AT A UNIVERSITY. PARTICIPANTS: THIRTY-SIX APPARENTLY HEALTHY, NONOBESE, SEDENTARY, OR RECREATIONALLY ACTIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. INTERVENTION THE INTERVENTION COMPRISED ONE SESSION OF YOGA PRACTICE, IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS FOLLOWED A CUSTOM MADE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO PROVIDING A YOGA ROUTINE THAT CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF 23 HATHA-BASED YOGA POSTURES. OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT THE LABORATORY, EACH PARTICIPANT COMPLETED A RESEARCH HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE, A TRAINING-STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE, AND A YOGA-EXPERIENCE QUESTIONNAIRE. PRIOR TO THE YOGA PRACTICE, EACH PARTICIPANT'S HEIGHT, BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, TRUNK OR LUMBAR FLEXIBILITY, AND ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AS ASSESSED BY CAROTID FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (CFPWV) WERE MEASURED. FOR EACH POSTURE DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE, THE STUDY CONTINUOUSLY MEASURED SYSTOLIC, MEAN, AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES, HEART RATE, STROKE VOLUME, AND CARDIAC OUTPUT. RESULTS: SYSTOLIC, MEAN, AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE YOGA PRACTICE. THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE WAS GREATEST WITH STANDING POSTURES. HEART RATE AND CARDIAC OUTPUT INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING YOGA PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY WITH STANDING POSTURES. OVERALL, NO DIFFERENCES EXISTED IN CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES BETWEEN THE NOVICE AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS THROUGHOUT THE YOGA TESTING SESSION; CFPWV VELOCITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY AND INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH LUMBAR FLEXION BUT NOT WITH SIT-AND-REACH TEST SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESEARCH TEAM CONCLUDED THAT A VARIETY OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES, ESPECIALLY STANDING POSTURES, EVOKED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE ELEVATION IN BLOOD PRESSURE DUE TO YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASES IN CARDIAC OUTPUT AND HEART RATE, WHICH ARE RESPONSES SIMILAR TO THOSE OBSERVED IN ISOMETRIC EXERCISE. THE LACK OF OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES BETWEEN NOVICE AND ADVANCED YOGA PRACTITIONERS SUGGESTS THAT LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE DOES NOT ATTENUATE ACUTE YOGA RESPONSES. 2013