1 2304 87 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 2 2211 27 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 3 2373 32 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 4 1733 17 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 5 1502 17 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 6 400 27 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 7 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 8 2042 21 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 9 2420 22 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. BACKGROUND: MANY YOGA TEXTS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS UTILIZED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY MAY NOT COME WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, INSTEAD, THEY SEEM TO SHARE A COMMON ROOT WITH ANCIENT WISDOM. AIMS: THE GOAL OF THIS PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE IS TO CORRELATE MODERN TECHNIQUES USED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY WITH YOGIC PRACTICES, IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE CURRENT ARTICLE PRESENTED A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE YOGIC APPROACH FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER AND CONCEPTS USED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, SUCH AS META-COGNITION, DISIDENTIFICATION, DECONDITIONING AND INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE. CONCLUSIONS: CONTEMPLATIVE RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT MODERN INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY MIGHT NOT COME FROM MODERN CONCEPTS AFTER ALL, BUT SHARE GREAT SIMILARITY WITH ANCIENT YOGIC KNOWLEDGE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM OF BOTH EAST AND WEST. 2016 10 561 18 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 11 414 22 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 12 1310 31 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 13 653 23 EATING DISORDERS, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA: A CONCEPTUAL OVERVIEW. YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO EMBODIMENT AND DISORDERED EATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY RECEIVED RESEARCH ATTENTION. NEVERTHELESS, EARLY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. IT IS ASSUMED THAT YOGA AMELIORATES EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AND FACILITATES A SHIFT FROM NEGATIVE TOWARDS POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND WELL-BEING BY CULTIVATING POSITIVE EMBODIMENT (I.E., THE ABILITY TO FEEL A SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY). IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTS OF DISORDERED EATING, EMBODIMENT, AND YOGA, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THESE CONSTRUCTS. THE THREE MAJOR EATING DISORDERS AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS ARE DESCRIBED. FURTHER, THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS AND THEORETICAL MODELS OF EMBODIMENT ARE DELINEATED AND THEIR COMMUNAL CORE FEATURES ARE OUTLINED. LASTLY, THE ORIGIN, BASIC PRINCIPLES, AND MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2020 14 1704 20 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 15 1772 35 POTENTIAL SELF-REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF YOGA FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. RESEARCH SUGGESTING THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MYRIAD ASPECTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH HAS PROLIFERATED IN RECENT YEARS, YET THERE IS CURRENTLY NO OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK BY WHICH TO UNDERSTAND YOGA'S POTENTIAL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS. HERE WE PROVIDE A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND SYSTEMS-BASED NETWORK MODEL OF YOGA THAT FOCUSES ON INTEGRATION OF TOP-DOWN AND BOTTOM-UP FORMS OF SELF-REGULATION. WE BEGIN BY CONTEXTUALIZING YOGA IN HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY SETTINGS, AND THEN DETAIL HOW SPECIFIC COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY AFFECT COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND AUTONOMIC OUTPUT UNDER STRESS THROUGH AN EMPHASIS ON INTEROCEPTION AND BOTTOM-UP INPUT, RESULTING IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH. THE MODEL DESCRIBES YOGA PRACTICE AS A COMPREHENSIVE SKILLSET OF SYNERGISTIC PROCESS TOOLS THAT FACILITATE BIDIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK AND INTEGRATION BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-LEVEL BRAIN NETWORKS, AND AFFERENT AND RE-AFFERENT INPUT FROM INTEROCEPTIVE PROCESSES (SOMATOSENSORY, VISCEROSENSORY, CHEMOSENSORY). FROM A PREDICTIVE CODING PERSPECTIVE WE PROPOSE A SHIFT TO PERCEPTUAL INFERENCE FOR STRESS MODULATION AND OPTIMAL SELF-REGULATION. WE DESCRIBE HOW THE PROCESSES THAT SUB-SERVE SELF-REGULATION BECOME MORE AUTOMATIZED AND EFFICIENT OVER TIME AND PRACTICE, REQUIRING LESS EFFORT TO INITIATE WHEN NECESSARY AND TERMINATE MORE RAPIDLY WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. TO SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED MODEL, WE PRESENT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AFFECTING SELF-REGULATORY PATHWAYS, INTEGRATING EXISTING CONSTRUCTS FROM BEHAVIOR THEORY AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE WITH EMERGING YOGA AND MEDITATION RESEARCH. THIS PAPER IS INTENDED TO GUIDE FUTURE BASIC AND CLINICAL RESEARCH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE TREATMENT OF STRESS-MEDIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. 2014 16 148 21 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IDENTIFYING FACTORS RELEVANT FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING MANNER. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO KEY STAKEHOLDERS CRITICAL FOR IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS - STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM TEACHERS - MERIT ATTENTION IN THIS CONTEXT AND HAVE RARELY BEEN EXPLORED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. THIS STUDY REPORTS QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS OF A 16-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM IN THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVING LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES. FOUR THEMES RELATED TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS EMERGED: PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS, PROGRAM BUY-IN, IMPLEMENTER COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, AND INSTRUCTOR QUALITIES. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMING IMPLEMENTATION, ADAPTATION, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMMING IN URBAN SETTINGS. 2017 17 1671 26 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 18 398 29 BEYOND SCIENTIFIC MECHANISMS: SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS WITH VINIYOGA MEDITATION. HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF MIND-BODY PRACTICES GROUNDED IN ANCIENT WISDOM, BUT OFTEN HAVE LIMITED DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH SUCH PRACTICES. MEDITATION PARTICIPANT SELF-REPORTS PROVIDE A WINDOW INTO SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES OF THREE VINIYOGA MEDITATIONS AND HOW AND WHY THOSE MEDITATIONS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OUTCOMES. EACH OF THE MEDITATIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS HAD A UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND USED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE OCEAN AS A MEDITATION OBJECT. YOGA PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA ANATOMY MODELS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM ARE USED TO HELP EXPLAIN PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES AND ASSOCIATED PERSONAL BENEFITS AND INSIGHTS. FOUR ASPECTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THEM IN MEDITATION ARE ILLUSTRATED WITH TANGIBLE EXAMPLES: (1) WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GENERALLY IN SOMEONE'S LIFE; (2) THE STATE OF THEIR SYSTEM (MIND, BODY, BREATH) AROUND THE TIME OF THE MEDITATION; (3) REACTIONS TO THE MEDITATION STEPS AND INSTRUCTIONS; AND (4) THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCES WITH THE OBJECT OF MEDITATION. SUMMARIES OF THE PRACTICES, AND WHY AND FOR WHOM EACH MEDITATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS' PERSPECTIVES ARE GROUNDED IN VINIYOGA AND YOGA THERAPY. 2019 19 2781 54 YOGA THERAPY AND POLYVAGAL THEORY: THE CONVERGENCE OF TRADITIONAL WISDOM AND CONTEMPORARY NEUROSCIENCE FOR SELF-REGULATION AND RESILIENCE. YOGA THERAPY IS A NEWLY EMERGING, SELF-REGULATING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE (CIH) PRACTICE. IT IS GROWING IN ITS PROFESSIONALIZATION, RECOGNITION AND UTILIZATION WITH A DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO SETTING PRACTICE STANDARDS, EDUCATIONAL AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS, AND PROMOTING RESEARCH TO SUPPORT ITS EFFICACY FOR VARIOUS POPULATIONS AND CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, HETEROGENEITY OF PRACTICE, POOR REPORTING STANDARDS, AND LACK OF A BROADLY ACCEPTED UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN YOGA THERAPY LIMITS THE STRUCTURING OF TESTABLE HYPOTHESES AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. CURRENT PROPOSED FRAMEWORKS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES FOCUS ON THE INTEGRATION OF BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS. IN ADDITION, IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT PHENOMENOLOGY AND FIRST PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY CAN PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH YOGA THERAPY IS VIEWED AS A PROCESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING IN THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN, ILLNESS OR DISABILITY. IN THIS ARTICLE WE BUILD ON THESE FRAMEWORKS, AND PROPOSE A MODEL OF YOGA THERAPY THAT CONVERGES WITH POLYVAGAL THEORY (PVT). PVT LINKS THE EVOLUTION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM TO THE EMERGENCE OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND POSITS THAT THE NEURAL PLATFORMS SUPPORTING SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ARE INVOLVED IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, GROWTH AND RESTORATION. THIS EXPLANATORY MODEL WHICH CONNECTS NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL PATTERNS OF AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, IS INCREASINGLY UTILIZED AS A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING HUMAN BEHAVIOR, STRESS AND ILLNESS. SPECIFICALLY, WE DESCRIBE HOW PVT CAN BE CONCEPTUALIZED AS A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL COUNTERPART TO THE YOGIC CONCEPT OF THE GUNAS, OR QUALITIES OF NATURE. SIMILAR TO THE NEURAL PLATFORMS DESCRIBED IN PVT, THE GUNAS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FROM WHICH BEHAVIORAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES EMERGE. WE DESCRIBE HOW THESE TWO DIFFERENT YET ANALOGOUS FRAMEWORKS-ONE BASED IN NEUROPHYSIOLOGY AND THE OTHER IN AN ANCIENT WISDOM TRADITION-HIGHLIGHT YOGA THERAPY'S PROMOTION OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND RESILIENCE. THIS PARALLEL BETWEEN THE NEURAL PLATFORMS OF PVT AND THE GUNAS OF YOGA IS INSTRUMENTAL IN CREATING A TRANSLATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY TO ALIGN WITH ITS PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA THERAPY CAN OPERATE AS A DISTINCT PRACTICE RATHER THAN FITTING INTO AN OUTSIDE MODEL FOR ITS UTILIZATION IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL CONTEXTS. 2018 20 2891 29 YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE-A COURSE THAT ILLUSTRATES WHY YOGA BELONGS IN THE ACADEMY. THE COURSE "YOGA: THEORY AND PRACTICE" (YTP) EVOLVED FROM THE REALIZATION THAT ALTHOUGH GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC YOGA COURSE OFFERINGS WERE FILLED BEYOND CAPACITY WITH WAITLISTS, STUDENTS WERE OFTEN NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF YOGA AS A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE. IN THE AUTHORS' EXPERIENCE, STUDENTS EXPERIENTIALLY UNDERSTOOD THE CONTRIBUTION THAT YOGA PRACTICE MADE IN THEIR LIVES AND SENSED THE HEALTH BENEFITS IT AFFORDED, YET THEY WERE HUNGRY FOR THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR USING YOGA TO ADDRESS VARIOUS CLINICAL CONDITIONS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOGA FELT LIKE A GROUNDING PRACTICE. STUDENTS WANTED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR WHAT THEY EXPERIENTIALLY KNEW TO BE TRUE: YOGA HELPED THEM FEEL MORE GROUNDED IN THEIR BODIES. IN 2004, WHEN YTP WAS DESIGNED, COLLEGE YOGA COURSES WERE TYPICALLY IN DEPARTMENTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, AND LITTLE TO NO ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE THEORETICAL/PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS BEHIND WHY YOGA IS PRACTICED. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE. YTP IS AN ELECTIVE WITHIN AN ACADEMIC MINOR OF STUDY, INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND THE COURSE OFFERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AN INDEPTH, ACADEMIC STUDY OF YOGA THAT INCORPORATES BOTH SCIENTIFIC (REDUCTIONIST) AND HOLISTIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES. THE CLINICAL/EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS COURSE IS TO EXPOSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (INCLUDING THOSE STUDYING TO BECOME HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS) TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE HEALTH BENEFITS THAT YOGA AND YOGA THERAPY HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO PROVIDE. USING THE UNIVERSITY'S EDUCATIONAL SETTING PROVIDES A VENUE TO AUGMENT THE FUTURE USE OF YOGA IN HEALTHCARE. 2019