1 445 61 CHAIR YOGA: FEASIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDY WITH OLDER COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. THIS STUDY MEASURED THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPLETING A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL ON AN 8-WEEK SEATED YOGA PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. PART OF THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS PROGRAM WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER PARTICIPANTS WOULD CONTINUE THE YOGA PRACTICE AT HOME USING A GUIDE BOOK AFTER THE 8-WEEK PROGRAM. FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ONCE PARTICIPANTS WERE NOT IN A GROUP SETTING FOR THE YOGA, THEY DID NOT CONTINUE WITH YOGA PRACTICE. THIS OUTCOME DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR GROUP PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO PROMOTE ADHERENCE TO MOVEMENT-BASED PROGRAMS. (TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02113410). 2017 2 1367 20 IMPACT OF A MINDFULNESS-BASED, WORKPLACE GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION ON BURNOUT, SELF-CARE, AND COMPASSION IN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER A WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION COULD HELP MANAGE BURNOUT AND IMPROVE WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 43 HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS PARTICIPATED IN 8-WEEK SUPERVISED WORKPLACE, GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA ACTIVITIES. THE AUTHORS USED A SINGLE-SAMPLE, PRE-POST DESIGN. AT TWO POINTS IN TIME (BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION), PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A SET OF ONLINE MEASURES ASSESSING BURNOUT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. THE AUTHORS USED LINEAR MIXED MODEL ANALYSIS TO ASSESS CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS HAD IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. AT POSTINTERVENTION, THEY HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SCORES ON PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, STRESS, PERCEIVED RESILIENCE, AND COMPASSION. PARTICIPANTS HAD A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSION: GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA PROGRAM MAY BE CONVENIENT AND LOW-COST APPROACH TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. 2020 3 112 20 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 4 2830 27 YOGA VS STRETCHING IN VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOWER BACK PAIN AND THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, RANDOMIZING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON VETERAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WHO UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK, ACTIVE EXERCISE CLASS WITH MINDFULNESS (YOGA CLASS) AND WITHOUT (STRETCHING CLASS). METHODS: UNITED STATES VETERANS WITH CLBP BASED ON INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMIZED TO 1 OF 2 GROUPS. THE STUDY DESIGN WAS A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. TWENTY CLBP PATIENTS ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS OR STRETCHING CLASS ONCE PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ROCHESTER OUTPATIENT CENTER, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS WERE OBTAINED: RECRUITMENT OR ENROLLMENT DATA, COMPLIANCE DATA TO INCLUDE CLASS ATTENDANCE AND HOME EXERCISE, AND COMPLIANCE DATA REGARDING ABILITY TO COLLECT OUTCOME MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AT COMPLETION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED PAIN (PEG), QUALITY OF LIFE (PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SURVEY), SELF-EFFICACY (2-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE), FEAR AVOIDANCE BELIEF, CATASTROPHIZING, AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN ADDITION TO QUALITATIVE CLINICIAN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: FORTY-FIVE VETERANS WERE QUERIED REGARDING INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION. OF THESE, 34 (76%) MET THE STUDY'S CRITERIA. TWENTY (44%) AGREED TO PARTICIPATE AND WERE CONSENTED, RANDOMIZED, AND ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. INITIAL AND FINAL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (100%). FORTY PERCENT ATTENDED MORE THAN 80% OF THE SESSIONS FOR BOTH YOGA AND STRETCHING GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON CLBP VETERAN PATIENTS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA AND STRETCHING CLASS. THE DATA FROM THIS PILOT WILL INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RANDOMIZED, COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY OF YOGA WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLBP. 2020 5 1242 31 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 6 1372 22 IMPACT OF A YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON STUDENTS' STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS. OBJECTIVE. TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS' STRESS PERCEPTION, ANXIETY LEVELS, AND MINDFULNESS SKILLS. METHODS. COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-WEEK PILOT PROGRAM THAT CONSISTED OF A 60-MINUTE VINYASA FLOW YOGA CLASS ONCE WEEKLY, FOLLOWED BY GUIDED MEDITATION DELIVERED BY TRAINED FACULTY MEMBERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. STUDENTS COMPLETED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRES TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: STRESS LEVELS, ANXIETY LEVELS, AND MINDFULNESS SKILLS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTED OF THREE SELF-REPORTING TOOLS: THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY (BAI), THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS), AND THE FIVE FACET MINDFULNESS QUESTIONNAIRE (FFMQ). STUDENTS' SCORES ON EACH WERE ASSESSED TO DETECT ANY CHANGES FROM BASELINE USING THE NUMERICAL AND CATEGORICAL SCALES (LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH) FOR EACH INSTRUMENT. RESULTS. SEVENTEEN PARTICIPANTS, AGED 19 TO 23 YEARS, COMPLETED THE STUDY. THIRTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE AND FOUR WERE MALE. NINE OF THE STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED IN THE DOCTOR OF PHARMACY PROGRAM AND EIGHT WERE ENROLLED IN OTHER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. STUDENTS' ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE THEIR TOTAL MINDFULNESS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. CHANGES IN CATEGORICAL DATA FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION ON THE BAI AND PSS WERE SIGNIFICANT, WITH NO STUDENTS SCORING IN THE "HIGH" CATEGORY FOR STRESS OR ANXIETY ON THE POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRE. CONCLUSION. STUDENTS EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS AFTER COMPLETING A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM PRECEDING FINAL EXAMINATIONS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT ADOPTING A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE FOR AS LITTLE AS ONCE PER WEEK MAY REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD CONSIDER INCLUDING INSTRUCTION IN NONPHARMACOLOGIC STRESS AND ANXIETY REDUCTION METHODS, WITHIN CURRICULA IN ORDER TO SUPPORT STUDENT SELF-CARE. 2019 7 1428 25 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A 3-DAY YOGA-BASED RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. RISE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). FORTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND POST AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. OF THOSE, 33 PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. PAIRED SAMPLES T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: COMPARED TO BASELINE, AT POST, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, POSITIVE AFFECT, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, TOTAL WORK ENGAGEMENT, VIGOR, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AS WELL AS EXHAUSTION AND PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY WHICH ARE DIMENSIONS OF BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < .01). AT THE FOLLOW-UP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MAINTAINED FOR MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, VIGOR, AND EXHAUSTION (ALL P VALUES < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT (ALL P VALUES < .05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED RISE PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT ATTENDING RISE WAS FEASIBLE, THEY COULD CONTINUE USING RISE PRACTICES LONG-TERM, SHARED THEM WITH WORK COLLEAGUES, AND REPORTED THAT RISE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THEIR DAILY LIVES AND WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. WITH THESE PROMISING RESULTS, ADDITIONAL CONTROLLED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED. 2019 8 345 26 ASSESSING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AND GROUP CBT FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. PURPOSE: GIVEN INCREASING RATES OF DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS, THERE IS A CLEAR NEED FOR INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL, WE ASSESSED ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF TWO GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS: YOGA AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT). THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PREPARE FOR A FUTURE FULLY POWERED RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA IS NOT INFERIOR TO AN ESTABLISHED ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT, NAMELY, GROUP CBT. METHODS: WE ENROLLED 42 ADOLESCENTS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 12-WEEK GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION, YOGA OR CBT. WE HAD A PRIORI FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY TARGETS, INCLUDING FOR RECRUITMENT RATE, RETENTION RATE, EXPECTANCY, CREDIBILITY, PROGRAM SATISFACTION, CLASS ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE, AND INSTRUCTOR/LEADER MANUAL ADHERENCE. WE ASSESSED ADVERSE EVENTS, AND WITHIN-SUBJECT CHANGES IN OUTCOMES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, IMPAIRMENT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE) AND POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION). RESULTS: BOTH INTERVENTIONS MET MOST ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY TARGETS. THE ONLY TARGET NOT MET RELATED TO LOW ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS WITHIN EACH STUDY ARM SHOWED DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER TIME AND INCREASED SELF-COMPASSION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE TO ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR THIS GROUP TO ENGAGE IN UNSTRUCTURED HOME PRACTICE. 2022 9 1281 17 GENTLE HATHA YOGA AND REDUCTION OF FIBROMYALGIA-RELATED SYMPTOMS: A PRELIMINARY REPORT. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: THIS STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER GENTLE HATHA YOGA REDUCED FIBROMYALGIA-RELATED SYMPTOMS FOR A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF 10 PARTICIPANTS RANGING IN AGE FROM 39 TO 64 YEARS WHO RECEIVED YOGA INSTRUCTION 2 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. METHODS: RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE FIBROMYALGIA IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE 1 TIME PER WEEK AND PROVIDED WEEKLY JOURNAL REPORTS REGARDING THEIR HEALTH STATUS. PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION MANUAL TENDER POINT EVALUATIONS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED. RESULTS: FINDINGS PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PARTICIPATING IN GENTLE HATHA YOGA CLASSES AND REDUCED FIBROMYALGIA - RELATED SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSIONS: ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES AND GREATER EMPIRICAL RIGOR ARE NEEDED TO MORE FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS RELATIONSHIP. 2012 10 2811 25 YOGA TO PREVENT MOBILITY LIMITATIONS IN OLDER ADULTS: FEASIBILITY OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE LOSS OF MOBILITY DURING AGING IMPACTS INDEPENDENCE AND LEADS TO FURTHER DISABILITY, MORBIDITY, AND REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCY. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. METHODS: SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS (N = 46; AGE 60-89) WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA OR A HEALTH EDUCATION COMPARISON GROUP. YOGA SESSIONS (60-MIN) OCCURRED 2X WEEKLY, AND 90-MIN HEALTH EDUCATION SESSIONS OCCURRED WEEKLY, FOR 10 WEEKS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE RECRUITMENT RATE, INTERVENTION ATTENDANCE, AND RETENTION AT ASSESSMENTS. ADVERSE EVENT RATES AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE ALSO MEASURED. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF GAIT, BALANCE, AND STRENGTH AND SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND 10-WEEKS. RESULTS: RECRUITMENT LASTED 6 MONTHS. RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP WAS HIGH (89% - PERFORMANCE MEASURES; 98% - SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES). ATTENDANCE WAS GOOD WITH 82% OF YOGA AND 74% OF HEALTH EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING AT LEAST 50% OF THE SESSIONS. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE INTERVENTIONS WAS HIGH. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES WAS 0.35 WITH SOME OVER 0.50. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WAS 0.36. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO CONDUCT A LARGER RCT OF YOGA FOR SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY PROBLEMS. THE YOGA AND COMPARISON INTERVENTIONS WERE SAFE, WELL ACCEPTED, AND WELL ATTENDED. EFFECT SIZES SUGGEST YOGA MAY HAVE IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR THIS POPULATION AND SHOULD BE STUDIED FURTHER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS # NCT03544879 ; RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED 4 JUNE, 2018. 2018 11 1240 27 FEASIBILITY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SYMPTOMS BUT HAVE RARELY BEEN TESTED IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED DISEASE. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR MBC AND THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TESTING THE INTERVENTION. METHODS: SIXTY-THREE WOMEN WITH MBC WERE RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP COMPARISON CONDITION. BOTH INTERVENTIONS INVOLVED EIGHT WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS QUANTIFIED USING RATES OF ACCRUAL, ATTRITION, AND SESSION ATTENDANCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT MEASURE. PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS, AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, POST-INTERVENTION, AND 3 AND 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: WE MET GOALS FOR ACCRUAL AND RETENTION, WITH 50% OF ELIGIBLE PATIENTS ENROLLED AND 87% OF RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING POST-INTERVENTION SURVEYS. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 90% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP ATTENDED >/= 4 SESSIONS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 65% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP INDICATED THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE INTERVENTION. FOLLOWING TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION HAD MODEST IMPROVEMENTS IN SOME OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, OVERALL SYMPTOM LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONTENT WAS HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE TO PATIENTS WITH MBC, BUT THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING AN INTERVENTION INVOLVING EIGHT GROUP-BASED IN-PERSON SESSIONS. ALTERNATIVE MODES OF DELIVERY MAY BE NECESSARY TO REACH PATIENTS MOST IN NEED OF INTERVENTION. 2019 12 2628 27 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND SLEEP IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DESIGNED AND REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH DELPHI RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A HOSPITAL DATABASE, AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER EIGHT WEEKLY 75-MIN YOGA CLASSES OR A USUAL CARE CONTROL. FEASIBILITY WAS DETERMINED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, RETENTION, PROTOCOL ADHERENCE, PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION AND ADVERSE EVENTS. SECONDARY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE (WEEK 0), WEEK 9 (PRIMARY TIME POINT) AND WEEK 12 (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD, 26 PARTICIPANTS WITH MILD PAIN, MILD TO MODERATE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND MODERATE DISEASE ACTIVITY WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY (25% RECRUITMENT RATE). RETENTION RATES WERE 100% FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND 92% FOR USUAL CARE PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH WEEKS 9 AND 12. PROTOCOL ADHERENCE AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE HIGH. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEDIAN OF SEVEN CLASSES; ADDITIONALLY, SEVEN OF THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS (54%) REPORTED CONTINUING YOGA AT HOME DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES SHOWED NO GROUP EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RELATED PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE MINOR, AND NOT UNEXPECTED FROM AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING PHYSICAL COMPONENTS. THIS PILOT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR LARGER INTERVENTION STUDIES, AND SUPPORTS FURTHER EXPLORATION OF YOGA AS A COMPLEX INTERVENTION TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. 2018 13 2060 28 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR WOMEN VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC LOW BACK (CLBP) PAIN IS PREVALENT AMONG MILITARY VETERANS AND OFTEN LEADS TO FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS, PSYCHOLOGIC SYMPTOMS, LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE, AND HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS. AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF U.S. VETERANS ARE WOMEN, AND WOMEN VETERANS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE NEEDS THAN MEN VETERANS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON WOMEN AND MEN WITH CLBP. SUBJECTS/SETTING/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CLBP WERE REFERRED BY PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A CLINICAL YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BRIEF BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES BEFORE THEIR FIRST YOGA CLASS AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER IN A SINGLE-GROUP, PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN (PAIN SEVERITY SCALE), DEPRESSION (CESD-10), ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (SF-12). YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA WERE ALSO MEASURED. REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO ANALYZE GROUP DIFFERENCES OVER TIME WHILE CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE DIFFERENCES. RESULTS: THE 53 PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED BOTH ASSESSMENTS HAD A MEAN AGE OF 53 YEARS, AND WERE WELL EDUCATED, 41% NONWHITE, 49% MARRIED, AND HAD VARYING EMPLOYMENT STATUS. WOMEN PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER DECREASES IN DEPRESSION (P=0.046) AND PAIN "ON AVERAGE" (P=0.050), AND LARGER INCREASES IN ENERGY (P=0.034) AND SF-12 MENTAL HEALTH (P=0.044) THAN MEN WHO PARTICIPATED. THE GROUPS DID NOT DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY ON YOGA ATTENDANCE OR HOME PRACTICE OF YOGA. CONCLUSIONS: THESE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT WOMEN VETERANS MAY BENEFIT MORE THAN MEN VETERANS FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN. CONCLUSIONS ARE TENTATIVE BECAUSE OF THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY DESIGN. A MORE RIGOROUS STUDY IS BEING DESIGNED TO ANSWER THESE RESEARCH QUESTIONS MORE DEFINITIVELY. 2012 14 390 23 BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING IN A US HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO TEST FEASIBILITY OF YOGA WITHIN A HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND EVALUATE PREVENTIVE EFFICACY FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING. METHODS: GRADE 11 OR 12 STUDENTS (N = 51) WHO REGISTERED FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) WERE CLUSTER-RANDOMIZED BY CLASS 2:1 YOGA:PE-AS-USUAL. A KRIPALU-BASED YOGA PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL POSTURES, BREATHING EXERCISES, RELAXATION, AND MEDITATION WAS TAUGHT 2 TO 3 TIMES A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS. SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO STUDENTS 1 WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING WERE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM AND POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCHEDULE FOR CHILDREN. ADDITIONAL MEASURES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING INCLUDED PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AND INVENTORY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDES. SECONDARY MEASURES OF SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS INCLUDED RESILIENCE SCALE, STATE TRAIT ANGER EXPRESSION INVENTORY-2, AND CHILD ACCEPTANCE MINDFULNESS MEASURE. TO ASSESS FEASIBILITY, YOGA STUDENTS COMPLETED A PROGRAM EVALUATION. ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE WERE CONDUCTED BETWEEN GROUPS WITH BASELINE AS THE COVARIATE. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH PE-AS-USUAL STUDENTS SHOWED DECREASES IN PRIMARY OUTCOMES, YOGA STUDENTS MAINTAINED OR IMPROVED. TOTAL MOOD DISTURBANCE IMPROVED IN YOGA STUDENTS AND WORSENED IN CONTROLS (P = .015), AS DID PROFILE OF MOOD STATES-SHORT FORM (POMS-SF) TENSION-ANXIETY SUBSCALE (P = .002). ALTHOUGH POSITIVE AFFECT REMAINED UNCHANGED IN BOTH, NEGATIVE AFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY WORSENED IN CONTROLS WHILE IMPROVING IN YOGA STUDENTS (P = .006). SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. STUDENTS RATED YOGA FAIRLY HIGH, DESPITE MODERATE ATTENDANCE. CONCLUSIONS: IMPLEMENTATION WAS FEASIBLE AND STUDENTS GENERALLY FOUND IT BENEFICIAL. ALTHOUGH NOT CAUSAL DUE TO SMALL, UNEVEN SAMPLE SIZE, THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGESTS PREVENTIVE BENEFITS IN PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING FROM KRIPALU YOGA DURING HIGH SCHOOL PE. THESE RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STUDIES OF YOGA IN SCHOOL SETTINGS. 2012 15 282 29 ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN A 6-MONTH CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT PREDICT ADHERENCE TO A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. DESIGN: WE ANALYZED ADHERENCE DATA FROM A 3-ARM TRIAL INVOLVING 135 GENERALLY HEALTHY SENIORS 65-85 YEARS OF AGE RANDOMIZED TO A 6-MONTH INTERVENTION CONSISTING OF: AN IYENGAR YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, AN EXERCISE CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED COGNITIVE FUNCTION, MOOD, FATIGUE, ANXIETY, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PHYSICAL MEASURES. ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION WAS OBTAINED BY CLASS ATTENDANCE AND BIWEEKLY HOME PRACTICE LOGS. RESULTS: THE DROP-OUT RATE WAS 13%. AMONG THE COMPLETERS OF THE TWO ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS, AVERAGE YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 77% AND HOME PRACTICE OCCURRED 64% OF ALL DAYS. AVERAGE EXERCISE CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 69% AND HOME EXERCISE OCCURRED 54% OF ALL DAYS. THERE WERE NO CLEAR EFFECTS OF ADHERENCE ON THE SIGNIFICANT STUDY OUTCOMES (QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL MEASURES). CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH BASELINE MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE MEASURES WERE ALSO FOUND BETWEEN STUDY COMPLETERS AND DROP-OUTS IN THE ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS. ADHERENCE WAS NOT RELATED TO AGE, GENDER, OR EDUCATION LEVEL. CONCLUSION: HEALTHY SENIORS HAVE GOOD ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES WITH A PHYSICALLY ACTIVE INTERVENTION. HOME PRACTICE TAKES PLACE OVER HALF OF THE TIME. DECREASED ADHERENCE TO A POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL INTERVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE THE EFFECT OF THE INTERVENTION IN A CLINICAL TRIAL BECAUSE SUBJECTS WHO MIGHT SUSTAIN THE GREATEST BENEFIT WILL RECEIVE A LOWER DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER ADHERENCE RATES MAY BE FUNCTIONING CLOSER TO MAXIMUM ABILITY BEFORE THE INTERVENTION. STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE ADHERENCE AMONG SUBJECTS AT GREATER RISK FOR LOW ADHERENCE WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE TRIALS, ESPECIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS REQUIRING GREATER EFFORT THAN SIMPLE PILL-TAKING. 2007 16 420 25 BRIDGING BODY AND MIND: CASE SERIES OF A 10-WEEK TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROTOCOL FOR VETERANS. THIS CASE SERIES EXPLORED THE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY FORM OF TREATMENT FOR COMBAT-RELATED TRAUMA. THE SERIES RECRUITED FOR AND IMPLEMENTED A 10-WEEK TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROTOCOL FOR VETERANS IN AN INTERPROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH TREATMENT SETTING. PARTICIPANTS WERE ENROLLED IN A SERIES OF 90-MINUTE THERAPEUTIC YOGA CLASSES ADAPTED TO BE TRAUMA-INFORMED. FEASIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE STUDY. PRELIMINARY EFFICACY WAS EXPLORED VIA THE POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER CHECKLIST, SCALE OF BODY CONNECTION, PROMIS-29, PROMIS ALCOHOL USE, PROMIS SUBSTANCE USE, DIFFICULTIES IN EMOTIONAL REGULATION SCALE, AND SELF-COMPASSION SCALE-SHORT FORM. ALL MEASURES WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE, WEEK 5, WEEK 10, AND AT A 5-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. A QUALITATIVE FEASIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED WEEKLY AND AT THE 5-WEEK FOLLOW-UP TO ASSESS BARRIERS AND MOTIVATORS FOR HOME PRACTICE AND TO COLLECT FEEDBACK ABOUT SESSION CONTENT. RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES RESULTED IN ONLY SEVEN INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS. FOUR PARTICIPANTS (THREE MALES, ONE FEMALE) WERE SUCCESSFULLY ENROLLED IN THE STUDY AFTER SEVEN PHONE SCREENINGS AND FIVE IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS. THE FOUR ENROLLED CLIENTS HAD A 100% FOLLOW-UP RETENTION RATE, REPORTED NO ADVERSE EVENTS, AND ON AVERAGE PARTICIPATED IN 85% OF CLASSES. CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS WERE OBSERVED ON TRAUMA- AND BODY CONNECTION-RELATED SCALES FOR THREE PARTICIPANTS FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP. QUALITATIVE DATA REVEALED THAT MOTIVATORS TO PRACTICE INCLUDE IN-SESSION PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS BASED ON PSYCHOLOGICAL THEMES; BREATHWORK; MINDFULNESS; AND PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, WORK/ACADEMIC, AND MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT. BARRIERS INCLUDED MOTIVATION, TIME, AND LOCATION. IMPORTANT THEMES EMERGED RELATED TO CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR VETERANS. ALTHOUGH THIS 10-WEEK TRAUMA-INFORMED PROTOCOL FACED CHALLENGES TO RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND PARTICIPATION WERE HIGH. EFFICACY MEASURES YIELDED PROMISING RESULTS FOR REDUCING TRAUMA-RELATED SYMPTOMS. 2019 17 1182 24 EVALUATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO 11 WEEKS OF YOGA SESSIONS BASED UPON THE YOGA ED PROGRAM OVER A SINGLE SEMESTER. STUDENTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOME MEASURES REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME RELATIVE TO CONTROLS ON MEASURES OF ANGER CONTROL AND FATIGUE/INERTIA. MOST OUTCOME MEASURES EXHIBITED A PATTERN OF WORSENING IN THE CONTROL GROUP OVER TIME, WHEREAS CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME WERE EITHER MINIMAL OR SHOWED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA IS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL SETTING AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYING A PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 18 96 17 A NATURALISTIC STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION, SELF-PERCEIVED STRESS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION ON SELF-COMPASSION, MINDFULNESS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS; AND EXPLORED MIND-BODY MECHANISMS AND PREDICTORS OF STRESS REDUCTION. PARTICIPANTS: STUDENT PARTICIPANTS (N = 92) WERE ENROLLED IN EITHER YOGA OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CLASSES AT A COLLEGE IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES FROM AUGUST THROUGH MAY OF 2015-2016. METHODS: STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 50-MINUTE CLASSES TWICE A WEEK FOR 10 WEEKS, COMPLETING SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES DURING THE 1ST AND 10TH WEEK. RESULTS: MULTIPLE-LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS FOUND CHANGE IN SELF-COMPASSION WAS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF STRESS REDUCTION. CONCLUSIONS: INCREASING SELF-COMPASSION MAY INCREASE THE EFFICACY OF MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS. RESEARCH INTO MIND-BODY MECHANISMS IS NEEDED TO IDENTIFY INTERVENTION COMPONENTS THAT MOST IMPROVE STUDENT WELL-BEING. 2019 19 1684 25 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 20 2639 30 YOGA FOR VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOW-BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVES: CHRONIC BACK PAIN AFFECTS A LARGE PROPORTION OF BOTH THE GENERAL POPULATION AND OF MILITARY VETERANS. ALTHOUGH NUMEROUS THERAPIES EXIST FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, THEY CAN BE COSTLY AND TEND TO HAVE LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS. THUS, DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ADDITIONAL TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES IS IMPORTANT. THE PURPOSE OF OUR STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE BENEFITS OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) PATIENTS. SUBJECTS/INTERVENTION: VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN WERE REFERRED BY THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS TO A YOGA PROGRAM AS PART OF CLINICAL CARE. BEFORE STARTING YOGA, A VA PHYSICIAN TRAINED IN YOGA EVALUATED EACH PATIENT TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE SAFELY. DESIGN: THE RESEARCH STUDY CONSISTED OF COMPLETING A SHORT BATTERY OF QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE AND AGAIN 10 WEEKS LATER. OUTCOME MEASURES: QUESTIONNAIRES INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION. PAIRED T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE BASELINE SCORES TO THOSE AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP FOR THE SINGLE GROUP, PRE-POST DESIGN. CORRELATIONS WERE USED TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA ATTENDANCE AND HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER OUTCOMES. RESULTS: BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 33 PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS WERE VA PATIENTS WITH A MEAN AGE OF 55 YEARS. THEY WERE 21% FEMALE, 70% WHITE, 52% MARRIED, 68% COLLEGE GRADUATES, AND 44% WERE RETIRED. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND FOR PAIN, DEPRESSION, ENERGY/FATIGUE, AND THE SHORT FORM-12 MENTAL HEALTH SCALE. THE NUMBER OF YOGA SESSIONS ATTENDED AND THE FREQUENCY OF HOME PRACTICE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS APPEARED HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND MODERATELY SATISFIED WITH THE EASE OF PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE YOGA PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR VA PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN MAY IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF VETERANS. HOWEVER, THE LIMITATIONS OF A PRE-POST STUDY DESIGN MAKE CONCLUSIONS TENTATIVE. A LARGER RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE YOGA PROGRAM IS PLANNED. 2008