1 1671 130 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 2 2380 29 WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP INCORPORATING YOGA AND FACILITATED GROUP DISCUSSION: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. BACKGROUND: THIS PAPER REPORTS ON A SMALL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WHICH EXPLORED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP THAT INCORPORATED YOGA AND FACILITATED DISCUSSION. THE GROUP IS OFFERED THROUGH A COMMUNITY BASED FEMINIST NON-GOVERNMENT WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE IN NORTHERN NSW AUSTRALIA. QUESTION: THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THIS PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THE GROUP. FIFTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL, IN-DEPTH FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS WERE RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN TO ANALYSE THE QUALITATIVE DATA. FINDINGS: SIX THEMES WERE DEVELOPED, ONE WITH 3 SUBTHEMES. ONE THEME WAS LABELLED AS: 'THE PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD JOURNEY' AND INCLUDED 3 SUB-THEMES WHICH WERE LABELLED: 'PREPARATION FOR BIRTH', 'CONNECTING WITH THE BABY' AND 'SHARING BIRTH STORIES.' THE OTHER FIVE THEMES WERE: 'FEMININE NURTURING SAFE SPACE', 'WATCHING AND LEARNING THE MOTHERING', 'BUILDING MENTAL HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND CONNECTIONS', THE "GROUP LIKE A ROCK AND A SEED' AND 'DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTREAM'. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH ADDS TO THE OVERALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA IN PRE AND POSTNATAL CARE. IT DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF SHARING BIRTH STORIES AND THE STRONG CAPACITY WOMEN HAVE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, BRINGING BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT DERIVED FROM GROUP BASED MODELS OF CARE. 2013 3 1674 21 NURTURING THE FEMALE BODY: NOTIONS OF WELLBEING IN WOMB YOGA. ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES WHICH AIM TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S WELLBEING HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTHIST AND POSTFEMINIST AGENDAS WHICH REST UPON A NEOLIBERAL LOGIC. I CRITICALLY ENGAGE WITH THIS ISSUE HERE THROUGH AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF WOMB YOGA, A WOMEN'S ALTERNATIVE THERAPY DEVELOPED IN THE UK. I ARGUE THAT WHILE BEING COMMERCIAL AND EMPHASIZING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WOMB YOGA LARGELY WORKS AGAINST THE CURRENT NEOLIBERAL OPTIMIZATION IDEAL. WOMB YOGA PRACTITIONERS DISMISS GOAL-ORIENTED SELF-MANAGEMENT AND DISCIPLINE, AND AVOID A SIMPLE REPRODUCTION OF GENDER STEREOTYPES BY DEFLECTING CARE AWAY FROM OTHER-DIRECTEDNESS AND OPENING THE INTERPRETATION OF FEMININITY TO THE IMAGINATIVE AND EXPERIENTIAL REALMS. 2021 4 2555 26 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 5 2042 23 THE 'WORLD OF YOGA': THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS ACTIVITY, PARTLY CONSIDERED AS THERAPEUTIC, REVEALS CONTEMPORARY WAYS OF PRODUCING GLOBAL PRACTICES. VIA A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUALS AT YOGA CENTRES IN INDIA AND FRANCE, THE PAPER ANALYSES THIS PHENOMENON USING THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. FURTHERMORE, IT EXAMINES HOW THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE INFLUENCED BY GLOBALISATION. BRINGING TOGETHER THE CONCEPTS OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES, GLOBALISATION AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, THE PAPER ANALYSES THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF YOGIC THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD'S SPACE. CONSTITUTED OF NATURAL PHYSICAL ELEMENTS AND BUILT STRUCTURES, THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE ALSO STRONGLY LINKED TO EMOTIONAL QUALITIES AND INTIMATE FEELINGS EVOKED BY THE PLACE AND RELATED TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERLINES THAT THE EMERGENCE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES DEMANDS A CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH THAT COULD HELP TO EXAMINE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL PHENOMENA ON THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. INDEED, VERY OFTEN, YOGIS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, REFER TO IDEAL PLACES WHERE THEY RARELY GO. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY CREATE AN IMAGINED THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PAPER DESCRIBES. 2007 6 381 29 BEING ALONE TOGETHER: YOGA, BODYWORK, AND INTIMATE SOCIALITY IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. USING ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA FROM PROVIDENCE COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND, THIS PAPER EXPLORES YOGA AS A BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT IS PART OF EVERYDAY HEALTH AND WELLBEING ROUTINES IN MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. IN THIS CONTEXT, PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THEIR BODYWORK PRACTICES AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES THAT ANSWER HEALTH AND WELLBEING NEEDS, BUT NOTABLY DISCUSS BODYWORK IN TERMS OF THEIR EVERYDAY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. ALONG WITH OTHER BODYWORK ACTIVITIES, YOGA EMERGES AS A SHARED SOCIAL PRACTICE THAT LINKS PARTICIPANTS TO THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN, AND OTHER INTIMATES, FACILITATING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS BY ALLOWING TIME AND SPACE FOR AUTONOMY. BY GIVING ATMOSPHERIC AND SENSORY ATTENTION TO THE ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PAPER FURTHER REVEALS HOW DOMESTIC INTIMACY IS CULTIVATED VIA THE GENERATION OF BODILY HEAT AND POSITIVE ENERGIES AND THAT YOGA MAY TACITLY FACILITATE SUCH ATMOSPHERES. IN THIS WAY, YOGA CAN HELP HOUSEHOLDS MEET AN AMERICAN NEED FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AUTONOMY WHILE STILL FACILITATING A FAR MORE ENDURING HUMAN NEED FOR INTIMATE CONNECTION. ULTIMATELY YOGA IS CHARACTERIZED AS A PRAGMATIC BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT BLENDS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INTIMACY THROUGH SHARED ENERGETIC ENCOUNTERS. 2021 7 2211 31 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 8 2919 18 [THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTING GO IN THE HEALTH FIELD THROUGH YOGA]. A DISCIPLINE FOR BODY AND MIND ORIENTED TOWARDS CALMING AND INNER TRANQUILLITY, YOGA IS COUNTING MORE AND MORE ADEPTS IN OUR HECTIC SOCIETIES. MANY HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS NOW OFFER YOGA CLASSES FOR TEAMS TO HELP PROFESSIONALS MANAGE STRESS, RELIEVE PAIN AND BRING ABOUT A SENSE OF WELL-BEING. A NURSE TESTIFIES TO THE BENEFITS OF THIS PRACTICE. 2021 9 1310 30 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 10 401 14 BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA. CONTEXT: THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA, WHILE SYSTEMATIC, IS OFTEN INEFFECTIVE. METHODS: A UNIQUE APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING SEMINAR IS PRESENTED, FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THOMAS MYERS' ANATOMY TRAINS. LAB ACTIVITIES ARE DETAILED AND BLOOM'S TAXONOMY IS APPLIED TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN HIGHER LEVEL THINKING AND APPLICATION. CONCLUSION: GOING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA CAN BE EXTREMELY REWARDING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE. 2015 11 561 20 CREATING SPACE THROUGH AFRICA YOGA PROJECT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS EXAMINED TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES OF THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT (AYP), A MENTORING-ORIENTED YOGA PROGRAM FOR FOSTERING RESILIENCE AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IMPACTED BY POVERTY AND TRAUMA. INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED WITH AYP TEACHERS WERE CODED USING QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS. THEMES DEMONSTRATED THAT AYP BENEFITED PARTICIPANTS BY CREATING S.P.A.C.E. (SAFETY AND STABILITY, PERSONAL GROWTH, ACTION, CULTURAL DIVERSITY, AND EMPOWERMENT). THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATED WAYS IN WHICH THIS PROGRAM FOSTERED INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT. IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR PROVIDING YOGA AS A LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE HEALTH, ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DIVERSE SETTINGS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. 2016 12 2373 26 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 13 400 30 BEYOND THE EAST/WEST DICHOTOMY-THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE CONVEYS THE BENEFITS OF AN AYURVEDIC LENS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH. THE COURSE YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC OFFERINGS OF "YOGA COURSES" WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY, WHILE STUDENTS WERE NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF WHAT YOGA HAS TO OFFER AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE PRACTICE, NOR HOW IT GREW UP ALONGSIDE AYURVEDA. STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED. YET, THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA EMERGED. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE COURSE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, "INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS" THAT PROVIDES NONWESTERN WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH. THE FOCUS OF YTP IS TO OFFER COLLEGE STUDENTS AN IN-DEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA, INCORPORATING BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST), AND AN AYURVEDA HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. THIS COURSE IS AN EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION, TRANSLATING THE BENEFITS OF AYURVEDIC AND YOGIC LIFESTYLE TO A WESTERN AUDIENCE. 2019 14 560 30 CREATING INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES: THE CASE OF BODY-POSITIVE YOGA. PURPOSE: WITHIN THE MODERN CULTURAL CLIMATE, THOSE IN LARGER BODIES FACE HIGH LEVELS OF WEIGHT STIGMA, PARTICULARLY IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES, WHICH SERVES AS A STRONG BARRIER TO THEIR PARTICIPATION. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE STRONG LINK BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GENERAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR PARTICIPANTS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE STRATEGIES THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. THUS, THE CURRENT RESEARCH EXAMINED STRATEGIES THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INSTRUCTORS USE TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE EXERCISE SPACES FOR ALL BODY SIZES. METHOD: THIS STUDY EMPLOYED A SERIES OF SEMISTRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS (N = 9) WITH INSTRUCTORS OF BODY-INCLUSIVE YOGA CLASSES TO EXPLORE THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION FOR THOSE IN LARGER BODIES. RESULTS: EMERGENT THEMES FROM THE CURRENT STUDY SUGGESTED SUPPORT FOR 6 FACTORS FOR CREATING BODY-INCLUSIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACES: AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP, A CULTURE OF INCLUSION, A FOCUS ON HEALTH, INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE, LEADER SOCIAL ACTIVISM, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. CONCLUSION: THIS STUDY REVEALED THAT LEADERS MUST INTENTIONALLY CULTIVATE INCLUSION IN THEIR SPACES TO ENCOURAGE THOSE IN NONCONFORMING BODIES TO PARTICIPATE. THESE FINDINGS HAVE IMPORTANT HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CONTEXT AND PROVIDE A BASIC OUTLINE OF PRACTICAL STRATEGIES THAT PRACTITIONERS CAN USE TO FOSTER INCLUSION IN THEIR SPACES. 2017 15 1733 25 PERSPECTIVES ON BENEFITS OF CLASSROOM YOGA AND THE NEED FOR INNOVATION AND ADAPTATION. SCHOLARSHIP ON THE USE OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE: THEORETICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PIECES TOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION, WHILE RESEARCH REVEALS MANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES. BASED ON THEIR PRACTICE OF CLASSROOM YOGA, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT YOGA, AS A CONTEMPLATIVE MIND-BODY PRACTICE, HELPED STUDENTS TRANSITION FROM BUSY LIVES TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING PROCESS AND DEVELOP AN ACADEMIC MINDSET. ADDITIONALLY, THEY OBSERVED THAT SUCCESSFULLY OFFERING YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE AND ITERATIVE APPROACH THAT FLEXIBLY ADAPTS TO CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY IN FLUX. 2021 16 238 21 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 17 414 25 BODIES IN YOGA: TANGLED DISCOURSES IN CANADIAN STUDIOS. THIS PAPER PRESENTS THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A ONE AND A HALF-YEAR ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY CONDUCTED IN VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES OF THEIR BODIES IN THE CONTEXT OF YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE-SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY CONCEPTUALISED THEIR MUSCULOSKELETAL BODIES IN THIS PRACTICE THROUGH IDEAS OF SYSTEMS, FRAGMENTS, AND MATERIALITY. IT ARGUES THAT PARTICIPANTS' LARGER NARRATIVES ABOUT HEALTH AND HEALTHY BODIES INFORM HOW YOGA AS A HEALTH PRACTICE IS EMBEDDED IN DISCOURSES OF BODY WORK WHERE YOGA, HEALTH, AND PARTICULAR NOTIONS OF BODILY-NESS BECOME A PROJECT FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SELF INTO A PARTICULAR IDEA OF WHAT A BODY IS OR SHOULD BE. 2021 18 1704 22 PARTNER YOGA FOR ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES IN RELATIONSHIP: A TRANSPERSONAL SOMATIC APPROACH. THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN FOR YOGA THERAPISTS AND PSYCHOTHERAPISTS WHO WORK WITH COUPLES WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY SETTING BOUNDARIES AND MAINTAINING INDIVIDUALITY IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS. PARTNER YOGA, TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY, AND SOMATIC-BASED PSYCHOLOGY ARE APPROACHES THAT CAN PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH A HOLISTIC SYSTEM OF THERAPY TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AND EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. THE PROCESS OF PARTNER YOGA IS DESCRIBED FROM A TRANSPERSONAL, SOMATICALLY ORIENTED APPROACH. EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC ASANAS, OR YOGA POSES, ARE DISCUSSED ALONGSIDE THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT A THERAPIST MUST CONSIDER WHEN EXPLORING BOUNDARIES AND COMMUNICATION THROUGH PARTNER YOGA. INSIGHTS FROM INDIVIDUAL CASE SESSIONS WITH COUPLES ARE INCLUDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROCESS OF DIFFERENTIATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPERIENCING A TRANSPERSONAL UNION THROUGH PARTNER YOGA. 2011 19 1502 19 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 20 1878 25 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