1 2155 145 THE EFFECTS OF THE BALI YOGA PROGRAM (BYP-BC) ON REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED, PARTIALLY BLINDED, CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND SEVERAL COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO REDUCE PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN BREAST CANCER (BC) PATIENTS. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION IN REDUCING DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN BC PATIENTS. METHODS THIS STUDY WAS A RANDOMIZED, PARTIALLY BLINDED, CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING A STANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION TO STANDARD CARE. IT WAS CONDUCTED AT THREE MEDICAL CENTERS IN MONTREAL, CANADA. ELIGIBLE PATIENTS WERE WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE I-III BC RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IMMEDIATELY (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, N=58) OR AFTER A WAITING PERIOD (N=43 CONTROL GROUP). THE BALI YOGA PROGRAM FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS (BYP-BC) CONSISTED OF 23 GENTLE HATHA ASANAS (POSES), 2 PRAYANAMAS (BREATHING TECHNIQUES), SHAVASANAS (RELAXATION CORPSE POSES) AND PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL THEMES. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED EIGHT WEEKLY SESSIONS LASTING 90 MIN EACH AND RECEIVED A DVD FOR HOME PRACTICE WITH 20- AND 40-MIN SESSIONS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED STANDARD CARE DURING THE 8-WEEK WAITING PERIOD. RESULTS A TOTAL OF 101 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN THE FINAL INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES. THE REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSES DEMONSTRATED THAT DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS INCREASED IN THE CONTROL GROUP (P=0.007), WHILE NO CHANGE WAS REPORTED IN THE BYP-BC GROUP (P=0.29). ALSO, DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS DECREASED IN THE WL CONTROL GROUP AFTER RECEIVING THE BYP-BC INTERVENTION (P=0.03). FINALLY, THERE WAS NO STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN TERMS OF ANXIETY SYMPTOMS (P=0.10). CONCLUSIONS RESULTS SUPPORT THE BYP-BC INTERVENTION AS A BENEFICIAL MEANS OF REDUCING AND PREVENTING THE WORSENING OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS DURING CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT. 2016 2 2502 21 YOGA AS THERAPY IN PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. YOGA AS THERAPY WITH PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDERS HAS BEEN PRACTICED FOR MANY CENTURIES IN INDIA, AND ONLY RECENTLY HAS BECOME UTILIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN OTHER COUNTRIES. THE YOGA SYSTEM EVOLVED AS A 'SYSTEM OF LIBERATION' TO ALLOW MAN TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN HIS EGO-SELF AND PURE CONSCIOUSNESS, AND AS SUCH, ITS MEDICAL BENEFITS ARE REALLY 'SIDE-EFFECTS'. INTEGRAL YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER, WITH WHICH MANY OTHER SELF-REGULATORY SOMATOPSYCHIC APPROACHES HAVE MUCH IN COMMON, CONSISTS OF A HOLISTIC TECHNOLOGY WHICH FUNCTIONS TO RESTORE OPTIMAL HOMEOSTATIS BY A VARIETY OF SPECIAL TECHNIQUES NOT FOUND IN OTHER APPROACHES. CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS OF PSYCHOSOMATIC PATIENTS INDICATE THAT THEIR DISTORTED SOMATOPSYCHIC FUNCTIONING NECESSITATES THEIR PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE THERAPY. A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE INDICATES THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS PROVEN MOST EFFECTIVE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PSYCHOSOMATIC AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA CAN BE PARTIALLY UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY. 1979 3 2924 24 [YOGA AND MEDITATION: HELPFUL TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF CANCER PATIENTS]. CANCER IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST UPSETTING THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A LIFE TIME, IT MANAGES TO TOTALLY DESTROY THE BALANCE OF THOSE AFFECTED. THE PERSON CAN SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND FEAR TO SUCH A POINT THAT THEY SEE THEIR FUTURE WITH TERROR. THESE DIFFICULTIES HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE LATTER OFTEN BEING GIVEN LITTLE CONSIDERATION BY CARERS. SOMETIME TAILORED PSYCHOTHERAPY OR MEDICAL CARE CAN PARTIALLY CONTRIBUTE ONLY TO HELP THE PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILIES-CAREGIVER. TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND SOME STRUCTURED MEDITATION, E.G. MINDFULNESS WHICH WORK ON THE "FEELING" OF MIND AND BODY CAN BE OF HELP. THESE TECHNIQUES LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN DISTRESS AND SO ADD TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE, FUNDAMENTAL IN EACH STAGE OF THE ILLNESS. 2012 4 2371 21 WHAT HAS NEUROIMAGING TAUGHT US ON THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF YOGA? A REVIEW. YOGA IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR WORLDWIDE, WITH SEVERAL IMPLICATED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS. HERE WE PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE AND CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH GENERATED FROM THE EXISTING NEUROIMAGING LITERATURE IN STUDIES OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. WE REVIEWED 34 INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED NEUROIMAGING STUDIES OF YOGA USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI), POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET), OR SINGLE-PHOTON EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (SPECT): 11 MORPHOLOGICAL AND 26 FUNCTIONAL STUDIES, INCLUDING THREE STUDIES THAT WERE CLASSIFIED AS BOTH MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL. CONSISTENT FINDINGS INCLUDE INCREASED GRAY MATTER VOLUME IN THE INSULA AND HIPPOCAMPUS, INCREASED ACTIVATION OF PREFRONTAL CORTICAL REGIONS, AND FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES MAINLY WITHIN THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK. THERE IS QUITE SOME VARIABILITY IN THE NEUROIMAGING FINDINGS THAT PARTIALLY REFLECTS DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES AND APPROACHES, AS WELL AS SAMPLE SIZE LIMITATIONS. DIRECT COMPARATOR GROUPS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE SCARCELY USED SO FAR. FINALLY, HYPOTHESES ON THE UNDERLYING NEUROBIOLOGY DERIVED FROM THE IMAGING FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN THE LIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA. 2020 5 1582 30 MEDIATORS OF YOGA AND STRETCHING FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. ALTHOUGH YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS BENEFITS. IN A TRIAL COMPARING YOGA TO INTENSIVE STRETCHING AND SELF-CARE, WE EXPLORED WHETHER PHYSICAL (HOURS OF BACK EXERCISE/WEEK), COGNITIVE (FEAR AVOIDANCE, BODY AWARENESS, AND SELF-EFFICACY), AFFECTIVE (PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, PERCEIVED STRESS, POSITIVE STATES OF MIND, AND SLEEP), AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS (CORTISOL, DHEA) MEDIATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA OR STRETCHING ON BACK-RELATED DYSFUNCTION (ROLAND-MORRIS DISABILITY SCALE (RDQ)). FOR YOGA, 36% OF THE EFFECT ON 12-WEEK RDQ WAS MEDIATED BY INCREASED SELF-EFFICACY, 18% BY SLEEP DISTURBANCE, 9% BY HOURS OF BACK EXERCISE, AND 61% BY THE BEST COMBINATION OF ALL POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (6 MEDIATORS). FOR STRETCHING, 23% OF THE EFFECT WAS MEDIATED BY INCREASED SELF-EFFICACY, 14% BY DAYS OF BACK EXERCISE, AND 50% BY THE BEST COMBINATION OF ALL POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (7 MEDIATORS). IN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS, >/=20% OF PARTICIPANTS NOTED THE FOLLOWING TREATMENT BENEFITS: LEARNING NEW EXERCISES (BOTH GROUPS), RELAXATION, INCREASED AWARENESS, AND THE BENEFITS OF BREATHING (YOGA), BENEFITS OF REGULAR PRACTICE (STRETCHING). ALTHOUGH BOTH SELF-EFFICACY AND HOURS OF BACK EXERCISE WERE THE STRONGEST MEDIATORS FOR EACH INTERVENTION, COMPARED TO SELF-CARE, QUALITATIVE DATA SUGGEST THAT THEY MAY EXERT THEIR BENEFITS THROUGH PARTIALLY DISTINCT MECHANISMS. 2013 6 1851 42 RAJA YOGA MEDITATION AND MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR RELAPSE PREVENTION: A PILOT STUDY. THE CONTINUED NEED FOR ADVANCEMENT IN EVIDENCE-BASED SUD TREATMENT, AS WELL AS INCREASES IN TREATMENT EXPENSE AND DECLINE IN SUPPORT FROM INSURANCE PROVIDERS, SUGGEST THAT BRIEF, INNOVATIVE, AND AFFORDABLE TREATMENTS ARE NEEDED. MEDITATION, SPIRITUALITY, AND ADHERENCE TO MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENTS HAVE ALL BEEN SHOWN TO SUPPORT ABSTINENCE. THE CURRENT TRIAL ASSESSED EFFECTS OF SPIRITUALLY-BASED MEDITATION, VERSUS RELAXATION OR STANDARD TREATMENT, ON SUBSTANCE ABSTINENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION IN A PARTIALLY BUPRENORPHINE-SUPPORTED (41.5%) TREATMENT SAMPLE. PARTICIPANTS (N=40) WERE RECRUITED FROM AN INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM, IN WHICH THREE TREATMENT LOCATIONS ACTED AS SEPARATE EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. ABSTINENCE WAS MEASURED THROUGH URINALYSES AT BASELINE AND WEEKLY THEREAFTER FOR THE DURATION OF THE INTERVENTION. PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION WERE ASSESSED WITH A LIKERT-SCALED QUESTIONNAIRE MEASURING SYMPTOMS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH SUD. CO-VARYING FOR BUPRENORPHINE USE, PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEDITATION CONDITION HAD BETTER ODDS OF REMAINING ABSTINENT THAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE TREATMENT-AS-USUAL (TAU) AND RELAXATION CONDITIONS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN SUBSTANCE ABSTINENCE BETWEEN THE RELAXATION AND TAU CONDITIONS. FURTHER, CO-VARYING OUT BASELINE THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AT POST-COURSE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND DYSFUNCTION BETWEEN THE THREE CONDITIONS. RESULTS FROM THIS PILOT TRIAL SUGGEST THAT THIS SPIRITUALLY-INFORMED APPROACH MAY OFFER ADDITIVE SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS IN SUD TREATMENT, AS AN AID TO THE MEDITATIVE ASPECT OF THE 12 STEPS, OR A NON-12-STEP ALTERNATIVE SPIRITUAL SUPPLEMENT TO STANDARD SUD TREATMENT. 2019 7 2156 50 THE EFFECTS OF THE BALI YOGA PROGRAM FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS ON CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING: RESULTS OF A PARTIALLY RANDOMIZED AND BLINDED CONTROLLED TRIAL. COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCING CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING. HOWEVER, CONCLUSIVE RESULTS ARE LACKING IN ORDER TO CONFIRM ITS USEFULNESS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER A STANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION COULD REDUCE THESE ADVERSE SYMPTOMS. THIS WAS A PARTIALLY RANDOMIZED AND BLINDED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING A STANDARDIZED YOGA INTERVENTION WITH STANDARD CARE. ELIGIBLE PATIENTS WERE ADULTS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGES I TO III BREAST CANCER RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY. PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS ON CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED NAUSEA AND VOMITING AFTER 8 WEEKS. RESULTS SUGGEST THE YOGA PROGRAM IS NOT BENEFICIAL IN MANAGING THESE ADVERSE SYMPTOMS. HOWEVER, CONSIDERING PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL IMPACT IN CANCER SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT, METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS SHOULD BE EXPLORED AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. 2017 8 1073 35 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PATIENTS IN AN ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THOSE EFFECTS AND THE PATIENTS' SENSORY-PROCESSING PATTERNS. PROBLEM: THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AS A SENSORY REGULATION TOOL IN REDUCING ADOLESCENT DISTRESS IN AN ACUTE CARE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. METHODS: THIS WAS A DESCRIPTIVE, CORRELATIONAL PRE-INTERVENTION/POST-INTERVENTION DESIGN CONDUCTED IN A MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL OVER 5 MONTHS FROM MID-JANUARY TO MID-JUNE 2012. THE POPULATION CONSISTED OF A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 75 ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH UNIT INPATIENTS AND PARTIAL-HOSPITALIZATION PATIENTS 12-18 YEARS OF AGE WHO PARTICIPATED IN TWO OR MORE YOGA SESSIONS. PATIENT CHARTS PROVIDED DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS-IV AXES I-V DIAGNOSIS, GENDER, AND AGE. DEPENDENT VARIABLES WERE PULSE AND SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTURBANCE SCALE SCORES, WHICH WERE RECORDED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA CLASS. THE ADULT/ADOLESCENT SENSORY PROFILE PROVIDED A MEASURE OF PATIENT SENSORY-PROCESSING PREFERENCE LEVELS THAT WERE RELATED TO THE PULSE AND SUBJECTIVE UNITS OF DISTURBANCE SCALE RESULTS. FINDINGS: YOGA SESSIONS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED PATIENT PULSE AND SELF-REPORTED DISTRESS RATINGS REGARDLESS OF GENDER OR SENSORY PROFILE LEVELS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS ARTICLE CONTRIBUTES TO RESEARCH ON THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA AS A SENSORY REGULATION INTERVENTION IN THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRICALLY HOSPITALIZED ADOLESCENTS. YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HELP ADOLESCENTS IN AN ACUTE CARE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL LEARN TO SOOTHE THEMSELVES, TO REGULATE THEIR EMOTIONS, AND TO FIND RELIEF FROM EMOTIONAL DISTRESS WHILE HOSPITALIZED. 2014 9 2554 20 YOGA FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: RESEARCH REVIEW AND REFLECTIONS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH POTENTIALS OF YOGA. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH STRESS AND REGULATE THEMSELVES. YOGA PROVIDES TRAINING OF MIND AND BODY TO BRING EMOTIONAL BALANCE. WE ARGUE THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SUCH TOOLS TO LISTEN INWARD TO THEIR BODIES, FEELINGS, AND IDEAS. YOGA MAY ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING IN SOUND WAYS, TO STRENGTHEN THEMSELVES, AND BE CONTRIBUTING SOCIAL BEINGS. FIRST, WE ADDRESS HOW CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN TODAY'S WORLD FACE NUMEROUS EXPECTATIONS AND CONSTANT STIMULATION THROUGH THE INTERNET AND OTHER MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. ONE REASON WHY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE STRESS AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IS THAT GLOBALIZATION EXPOSES THE YOUTH ALL OVER THE WORLD TO VARIOUS NEW DEMANDS, STANDARDS, AND OPTIONS. THERE IS ALSO INCREASED PRESSURE TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, PARTLY DUE TO INCREASED COMPETITION BUT ALSO A DIVERSE RANGE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES THAN IN THE PAST. OUR ARGUMENT ALSO PARTIALLY RESTS ON THE FACT THAT MODERN SOCIETY OFFERS PLENTY OF DISTRACTIONS AND UNWELCOME ATTRACTIONS, ESPECIALLY LINKED TO NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES. THE DOMINANT PRESENCE OF MULTIMEDIA DEVICES AND THE TIME SPENT ON THEM BY CHILDREN ARE CLEAR INDICATORS OF THE SHIFT IN LIFESTYLES AND PRIORITIES OF OUR NEW GENERATION. WHILE THESE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES ARE VALUABLE RESOURCES IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES FOR COMMUNICATION, LEARNING, AND ENTERTAINMENT, THEY ALSO RESULT IN CONSTANT COMPETITION FOR YOUNGSTER'S ATTENTION. A MAIN CONCEPT IN OUR ARTICLE IS THAT YOGA MAY HELP CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH STRESS AND THUS, CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO BALANCE IN LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND MENTAL HEALTH. WE PRESENT RESEARCH LITERATURE SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IMPROVES CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. SIMILARLY, YOGA IN SCHOOLS HELPS STUDENTS IMPROVE RESILIENCE, MOOD, AND SELF-REGULATION SKILLS PERTAINING TO EMOTIONS AND STRESS. 2014 10 1258 31 FIFTEEN MINUTES OF CHAIR-BASED YOGA POSTURES OR GUIDED MEDITATION PERFORMED IN THE OFFICE CAN ELICIT A RELAXATION RESPONSE. THIS STUDY COMPARED ACUTE (15 MIN) YOGA POSTURE AND GUIDED MEDITATION PRACTICE, PERFORMED SEATED IN A TYPICAL OFFICE WORKSPACE, ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS. TWENTY PARTICIPANTS (39.6 +/- 9.5 YR) COMPLETED THREE CONDITIONS: YOGA, MEDITATION, AND CONTROL (I.E., USUAL WORK) SEPARATED BY >/=24 HRS. YOGA AND MEDITATION SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PERCEIVED STRESS VERSUS CONTROL, AND THIS EFFECT WAS MAINTAINED POSTINTERVENTION. YOGA INCREASED HEART RATE WHILE MEDITATION REDUCED HEART RATE VERSUS CONTROL (P < 0.05). RESPIRATION RATE WAS REDUCED DURING YOGA AND MEDITATION VERSUS CONTROL (P < 0.05). DOMAINS OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY (E.G., SDNN AND TOTAL POWER) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DURING CONTROL VERSUS YOGA AND MEDITATION. SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE WERE REDUCED SECONDARY TO MEDITATION VERSUS CONTROL ONLY (P < 0.05). PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS GENERALLY REGRESSED TOWARD BASELINE POSTINTERVENTION. IN CONCLUSION, YOGA POSTURES OR MEDITATION PERFORMED IN THE OFFICE CAN ACUTELY IMPROVE SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS. THESE EFFECTS MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY MEDIATED BY REDUCED RESPIRATION RATE. 2012 11 422 20 BRIDGING THE SCHISM OF SCHIZOPHRENIA THROUGH YOGA-REVIEW OF PUTATIVE MECHANISMS. SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS EXPERIENCE A 'DISCONNECT' AT MULTIPLE LEVELS-NEURONAL NETWORKS, MENTAL PROCESSES, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THE RESULTANT POOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY ARE RELATED TO THE PERSISTENT COGNITIVE DEFICITS AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS, WHICH ARE RATHER RESISTANT TO CONVENTIONAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS. YOGA HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT EFFECTS OF YOGA ON COGNITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS MAY DRIVE THIS BENEFIT. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE FROM NEUROSCIENCE-BASED RESEARCH, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE NEUROPLASTICITY-HARNESSING EFFECTS OF YOGA TO BRIDGE THE SCHIZOPHRENIA CONNECTOPATHY. IN AN OVERARCHING MODEL TO STUDY PUTATIVE NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT DRIVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF YOGA, IT IS PROPOSED THAT (A) VARIOUS STYLES OF MEDITATION MAY HELP IN STRENGTHENING THE LATERAL AND MEDIAL PREFRONTAL BRAIN NETWORKS, THUS IMPROVING NEUROCOGNITION AND MENTALIZING ABILITIES, AND (B) LEARNING AND PERFORMING CO-ORDINATED PHYSICAL POSTURES WITH A TEACHER FACILITATES IMITATION AND THE PROCESS OF BEING IMITATED, WHICH CAN IMPROVE SOCIAL COGNITION AND EMPATHY THROUGH REINFORCEMENT OF THE PREMOTOR AND PARIETAL MIRROR NEURON SYSTEM. OXYTOCIN MAY PLAY A ROLE IN MEDIATING THESE PROCESSES, LEADING TO BETTER SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES. CLINICAL AND HEURISTIC IMPLICATIONS OF THIS MODEL ARE FURTHER DISCUSSED. 2016 12 2808 32 YOGA THERAPY TO REDUCE FATIGUE IN CANCER: EFFECTS OF REMINDER E-MAILS AND LONG-TERM EFFICACY. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFICACY OF REMINDER E-MAILS TO CONTINUE YOGA THERAPY ON PRACTICE FREQUENCY AND FATIGUE IN CANCER PATIENTS AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA ON FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. METHODOLOGY: ONE HUNDRED TWO CANCER PATIENTS WHO COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA THERAPY WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO TWO GROUPS: REMINDER (N = 51) VS. NO-REMINDER GROUP (N = 51). AFTER COMPLETING YOGA THERAPY, THE REMINDER GROUP RECEIVED WEEKLY E-MAILS FOR 24 WEEKS, WHICH REMINDED THEM OF PRACTICING YOGA, WHEREAS THE NO-REMINDER GROUP DID NOT. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE FATIGUE AND PRACTICE FREQUENCY, AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES WERE FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE. DATA WERE ASSESSED USING QUESTIONNAIRES AFTER YOGA THERAPY (T1) AND 6 MONTHS AFTER COMPLETING YOGA THERAPY (T2). RESULT: A SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER REDUCTION OF GENERAL (P = 0.038, D = 0.42) AND EMOTIONAL FATIGUE (P = 0.004, D = 0.59) AND A HIGHER INCREASE OF PRACTICE FREQUENCY (P = 0.015, D = 0.52) BETWEEN T1 AND T2 WERE FOUND FOR THE REMINDER GROUP COMPARED TO THE NO-REMINDER GROUP. IN THE MEDIATION MODEL, PRACTICE FREQUENCY AS A MEDIATOR PARTIALLY EXPLAINED THE CHANGES IN EMOTIONAL FATIGUE (INDIRECT EFFECT B = - 0.10). LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY REGARDING FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE WERE FOUND (F > 7.46, P < 0.001, D > 0.54). CONCLUSION: WEEKLY REMINDER E-MAILS AFTER YOGA THERAPY CAN POSITIVELY AFFECT GENERAL AND EMOTIONAL FATIGUE AND HELP CANCER PATIENTS WITH FATIGUE ESTABLISH A REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE AT HOME. HOWEVER, HIGHER PRACTICE FREQUENCY DID NOT LEAD TO HIGHER PHYSICAL OR COGNITIVE FATIGUE IMPROVEMENT, SUGGESTING OTHER FACTORS THAT MEDIATE EFFICACY ON PHYSICAL OR COGNITIVE FATIGUE, SUCH AS MINDFULNESS OR SIDE EFFECTS OF THERAPY. 2021 13 493 24 COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA, MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER WITH SLEEP DISTURBANCE: A LITERATURE REVIEW. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSED WITH SLEEP DISTURBANCE HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. MEANWHILE, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF SLEEP DISTURBANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER. MORE SPECIFICALLY, COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA (CBT-I), MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA HAVE SHOWN TO BE 3 PROMISING TREATMENTS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF BENEFIT, SUPPORTING DATA, AND INHERENT LIMITATIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE WILL OUTLINE THE TREATMENT APPROACH FOR SLEEP DISTURBANCE IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER AND CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CBT-I, MINDFULNESS, AND YOGA AS THEY PERTAIN TO THIS PATIENT POPULATION. 2017 14 2849 19 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 15 1873 23 RAPID GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES UPON PRACTICE OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) MODALITIES IS YOGA AND RELATED PRACTICES. PREVIOUS WORK HAS SHOWN THAT YOGA MAY IMPROVE WELLNESS IN HEALTHY PEOPLE AND HAVE BENEFITS FOR PATIENTS. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF HOW YOGA MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. HERE WE HAVE ASSESSED POSSIBLE RAPID CHANGES IN GLOBAL GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES IN THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS (PBMCS) IN HEALTHY PEOPLE THAT PRACTICED EITHER A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM OR A CONTROL REGIMEN. THE EXPERIMENTAL SESSIONS INCLUDED GENTLE YOGA POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, AND MEDITATION (SUDARSHAN KRIYA AND RELATED PRACTICES--SK&P) COMPARED WITH A CONTROL REGIMEN OF A NATURE WALK AND LISTENING TO RELAXING MUSIC. WE SHOW THAT THE SK&P PROGRAM HAS A RAPID AND SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER EFFECT ON GENE EXPRESSION IN PBMCS COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL REGIMEN. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND RELATED PRACTICES RESULT IN RAPID GENE EXPRESSION ALTERATIONS WHICH MAY BE THE BASIS FOR THEIR LONGER TERM CELL BIOLOGICAL AND HIGHER LEVEL HEALTH EFFECTS. 2013 16 321 30 ANALOGY BETWEEN CLASSICAL YOGA/ZEN BREATHING AND MODERN CLINICAL RESPIRATORY THERAPY. ANESTHESIOLOGISTS AND INTENSIVISTS ARE MODERN-DAY PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE RESPIRATORY CARE, VITAL FOR PATIENT SURVIVAL. RECENTLY, ANESTHESIOLOGISTS HAVE INCREASINGLY FOCUSED THEIR ATTENTION ON THE TYPE OF SPONTANEOUS BREATHING MADE BY NON-INTUBATED PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY DISEASE CARED FOR IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT, AND ALSO PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN RECEIVING COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY. PRIOR TO OUR MODERN UNDERSTANDING OF RESPIRATORY PHYSIOLOGY, ZEN MEDITATORS RECOGNIZED THAT BREATHING HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON A PERSON'S MENTAL STATE AND GENERAL PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. EXAMPLES OF THIS KNOWLEDGE REGARDING RESPIRATION INCLUDE THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF DEEP INHALATION AND SLOW EXHALATION ON ANXIETY AND GENERAL WELLNESS. THE CLASSICAL LITERATURE HAS NOTED MANY SUGGESTIONS FOR BREATHING AND ITS PSYCHO-PHYSICAL EFFECTS. IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, WE EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF CLASSICAL BREATHING METHODS AND FIND AN ANALOGY BETWEEN TYPICAL YOGA/ZEN BREATHING AND MODERN CLINICAL RESPIRATORY THERAPY. EVIDENCE IS INCREASING ABOUT HISTORICAL BREATHING AND RELATED MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN MODERN CLINICAL PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELD OF ANESTHESIOLOGY, SUCH AS IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND REDUCING CHRONIC PAIN. CLARIFICATION OF THE DETAILED MECHANISMS INVOLVED IS ANTICIPATED. 2020 17 1639 21 MODULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN STRESS BY YOGA. STRESS IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN TODAY'S FASTPACED LIFE THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE OUR HEALTH IF LEFT UNCHECKED. IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY THAT THE ROLE OF STRESS IN EVERY AILMENT FROM THE COMMON COLD TO AIDS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS HAVE BEEN STUDIED. STRESS INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE PRESUMABLY THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS, HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS, AND THE SYMPATHETIC-ADRENAL-MEDULLARY SYSTEM. VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROPEPTIDES, HORMONES, AND CYTOKINES MEDIATE THESE COMPLEX BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSES RESULT IN ALTERATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF IMMUNE CELLS AND CYTOKINE DYSREGULATION. VARIOUS STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS MEDITATION, YOGA, HYPNOSIS, AND MUSCLE RELAXATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS IN CANCERS AND HIV INFECTION. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND EXAMINE HOW RELAXATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD REGULATE THE CYTOKINE LEVELS AND HENCE, THE IMMUNE RESPONSES DURING STRESS. 2008 18 1168 21 EVALUATION OF A RESIDENTIAL KUNDALINI YOGA LIFESTYLE PILOT PROGRAM FOR ADDICTION IN INDIA. PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SUBSTANCE ABUSE INTERVENTIONS INCORPORATING MEDITATION AND SPIRITUAL APPROACHES ARE BELIEVED TO PROVIDE THEIR BENEFIT THROUGH MODULATION OF BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PYSCHOSOCIAL FACTORS. A 90-DAY RESIDENTIAL GROUP PILOT TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE THAT INCORPORATED A COMPREHENSIVE ARRAY OF YOGA, MEDITATION, SPIRITUAL AND MIND-BODY TECHNIQUES WAS CONDUCTED IN AMRITSAR, INDIA. SUBJECTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS ON A NUMBER OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDING THE BEHAVIOR AND SYMPTOM IDENTIFICATION SCALE AND THE QUALITY OF RECOVERY INDEX. APPLICATION OF COMPREHENSIVE SPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS MAY PROVE EFFECTIVE IN TREATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE, PARTICULARLY IN POPULATIONS RECEPTIVE TO SUCH APPROACHES. 2008 19 2690 40 YOGA IN WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY - DO LIFESTYLE FACTORS MEDIATE THE EFFECT? SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A RCT. INTRODUCTION: THE REDUCTION OF OBESITY IS AN IMPORTANT CHALLENGE FOR HEALTH POLICY. ALTHOUGH DIETARY INTERVENTIONS ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE, PATIENT ADHERENCE IS USUALLY LOW. A PROMISING ALTERNATIVE IS YOGA. WE HYPOTHESIZED THAT WEIGHT REDUCTION THROUGH YOGA IS MEDIATED BY ASPECTS RELATED TO EATING HABITS AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ASPECTS. METHODS: THIS IS AN EXPLORATORY SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TO WAITING LIST IN WOMEN WITH ABDOMINAL OBESITY. BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE WERE ASSESSED AS OUTCOMES; PHYSICAL EXERCISE HABITS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HABITS AT LEISURE TIME, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HABITS AT WORK TIME, DAILY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE, NUTRITION SELF-EFFICACY, AND PHYSICAL SELF-EFFICACY WERE CAPTURED AS MEDIATORS. MEASURES WERE ASSESSED AT WEEKS 0 AND 12. THE ORIGINAL TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED BETWEEN APRIL AND AUGUST 2015. THE SECONDARY ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED DECEMBER 2019. RESULTS: FORTY PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO THE 12 WEEKLY YOGA SESSIONS (48.5 +/- 7.9 YEARS) AND 20 PATIENTS TO THE WAITLIST GROUP (46.4 +/- 8.9 YEARS). PHYSICAL EXERCISE HABITS FULLY MEDIATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BMI (B=-0.26;CI[-.56;-.07]). DAILY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE PARTIALLY MEDIATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON BMI (B=-0.13;CI[-.38;-.01]). NO FURTHER MEDIATION EFFECTS WERE FOUND. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA SUPPORTS PEOPLE WITH OVERWEIGHT IN EATING HEALTHIER AND INCREASING THEIR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHICH IN TURN LEADS TO A REDUCED BMI. YOGA'S EFFECTS ON WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE SEEM TO BE DUE TO OTHER MECHANISMS. 2021 20 2351 23 USING YOGA NIDRA TO IMPROVE STRESS IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSES IN A PILOT STUDY. GIVEN TODAY'S HURRIED AND STRESSFUL HEATHCARE SYSTEM, NURSES NEED MECHANISMS TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, PROMOTE THEIR OWN WELLNESS, AND BUILD RESILIENCE IN MANAGING SICK PATIENTS. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MECHANISM; IT CAN DECREASE ANXIETY AND IMPROVE SLEEP AND QUALITY OF LIFE. IN THIS PILOT STUDY, NINE NURSES PARTICIPATED IN 6 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF YOGA NIDRA. MEASURES OF SLEEP, STRESS, AND MUSCLE FATIGUE WERE OBTAINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT UPON QUALITY OF LIFE AND STRESS. ALTHOUGH BASED ON A SMALL SAMPLE OF NURSES, RESULTS INDICATED POSITIVE FINDINGS FOR BOTH PERCEIVED STRESS LEVEL AND MUSCLE FATIGUE. THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF YOGA IN STRESS REDUCTION, MUSCLE TENSION, AND SELF-CARE IN NURSES. 2017