1 2516 66 YOGA CLINICAL RESEARCH REVIEW. IN THIS PAPER RECENT RESEARCH IS REVIEWED ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA POSES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, ON PAIN SYNDROMES, CARDIOVASCULAR, AUTOIMMUNE AND IMMUNE CONDITIONS AND ON PREGNANCY. FURTHER, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA INCLUDING DECREASED HEARTRATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS INCLUDING WEIGHT LOSS AND INCREASED MUSCLE STRENGTH ARE REVIEWED. FINALLY, POTENTIAL UNDERLYING MECHANISMS ARE PROPOSED INCLUDING THE STIMULATION OF PRESSURE RECEPTORS LEADING TO ENHANCED VAGAL ACTIVITY AND REDUCED CORTISOL. THE REDUCTION IN CORTISOL, IN TURN, MAY CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE EFFECTS SUCH AS ENHANCED IMMUNE FUNCTION AND A LOWER PREMATURITY RATE. 2011 2 1934 17 ROLE OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT. THE STATE OF THE MIND AND THAT OF THE BODY ARE INTIMATELY RELATED. IF THE MIND IS RELAXED, THE MUSCLES IN THE BODY WILL ALSO BE RELAXED. STRESS PRODUCES A STATE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TENSION. YOGA, DEVELOPED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, IS RECOGNIZED AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY MEDICINE. IN YOGA, PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING EXERCISES IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, BLOOD CIRCULATION AND OXYGEN UPTAKE AS WELL AS HORMONE FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE RELAXATION INDUCED BY MEDITATION HELPS TO STABILIZE THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH A TENDENCY TOWARDS PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE. PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS WHICH FOLLOW, HELP YOGA PRACTITIONERS BECOME MORE RESILIENT TO STRESSFUL CONDITIONS AND REDUCE A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT RISK FACTORS FOR VARIOUS DISEASES, ESPECIALLY CARDIO-RESPIRATORY DISEASES. 2004 3 226 29 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 4 1639 19 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 5 1319 22 HEART RATE VARIABILITY, FLOW, MOOD AND MENTAL STRESS DURING YOGA PRACTICES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS, NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME. HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA ARE DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AUTONOMIC FLEXIBILITY, SELF-REGULATION AND WELL-BEING, AND INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AND PATHOLOGY. YOGA ENHANCES AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY, MITIGATES STRESS AND BENEFITS STRESS-RELATED CLINICAL CONDITIONS, YET THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES DURING YOGA PRACTICES AND STRESSFUL STIMULI HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY EXPLORED. THIS EXPERIMENTAL STUDY EXPLORED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HRV, MOOD STATES AND FLOW EXPERIENCES IN REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YP), NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS (NY) AND PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME (METS), DURING MENTAL ARITHMETIC STRESS TEST (MAST) AND VARIOUS YOGA PRACTICES. THE STUDY FOUND THAT THE MAST PLACED A CARDIO-AUTONOMIC BURDEN IN ALL PARTICIPANTS WITH THE YP GROUP SHOWING THE GREATEST REACTIVITY AND THE MOST RAPID RECOVERY, WHILE THE METS GROUP HAD SIGNIFICANTLY BLUNTED RECOVERY. THE YP GROUP ALSO REPORTED A HEIGHTENED EXPERIENCE OF FLOW AND POSITIVE MOOD STATES COMPARED TO NY AND METS GROUPS AS WELL AS HAVING A HIGHER VAGAL TONE DURING ALL RESTING CONDITIONS. THESE RESULTS SUGGEST YOGA PRACTITIONERS HAVE A GREATER HOMEOSTATIC CAPACITY AND AUTONOMIC, METABOLIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESILIENCE. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NOW NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY IMPROVE AUTONOMIC FLEXIBILITY IN NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND METABOLIC SYNDROME PATIENTS. CLINICAL TRIAL NO 'ACTRN 2614001075673'. 2016 6 1590 18 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 7 2014 24 SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA: BREATHING FOR HEALTH. BREATHING TECHNIQUES ARE REGULARLY RECOMMENDED FOR RELAXATION, STRESS MANAGEMENT, CONTROL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STATES, AND TO IMPROVE ORGAN FUNCTION. YOGIC BREATHING, DEFINED AS A MANIPULATION OF BREATH MOVEMENT, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO POSITIVELY AFFECT IMMUNE FUNCTION, AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM IMBALANCES, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OR STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS AND PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS, THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION, AND THE BENEFITS OF SUDARSHAN KRIYA YOGA (SKY) IN A WIDE RANGE OF CLINICAL CONDITIONS. VARIOUS ONLINE DATABASES SEARCHED WERE MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO, EMBASE, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. ALL THE RESULTS WERE CAREFULLY SCREENED AND ARTICLES ON SKY WERE SELECTED. THE REFERENCES FROM THESE ARTICLES WERE CHECKED TO FIND ANY OTHER POTENTIALLY RELEVANT ARTICLES. SKY, A UNIQUE YOGIC BREATHING PRACTICE, INVOLVES SEVERAL TYPES OF CYCLICAL BREATHING PATTERNS, RANGING FROM SLOW AND CALMING TO RAPID AND STIMULATING. THERE IS MOUNTING EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT SKY CAN BE A BENEFICIAL, LOW-RISK, LOW-COST ADJUNCT TO THE TREATMENT OF STRESS, ANXIETY, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, DEPRESSION, STRESS-RELATED MEDICAL ILLNESSES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND REHABILITATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. 2013 8 1824 23 PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE-IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BENEFIT ALL THE COMPONENTS OF HEALTH VIZ. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING BY INCORPORATING A WIDE VARIETY OF PRACTICES. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE II DM AND CO-MORBIDITIES IN TYPE II DM HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH STRESS MECHANISMS. STRESS SUPPRESSES BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM AND NEURO-HUMORAL ACTIONS THEREBY AFF ECTING NORMAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE. IT WOULD NOT BE WRONG TO STATE THAT CORRELATION OF DIABETES WITH STRESS, ANXIETY AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ARE BIDIRECTIONAL AND LEAD TO DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE INTERRELATED MECHANISMS. TYPE II DM CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD IN ISOLATION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS SUCH AS STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL FACTORS. THERE IS NO REVIEW WHICH TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THESE MECHANISMS EXCLUSIVELY. THE PRESENT LITERATURE REVIEW AIMS TO UNDERSTAND INTERRELATED PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS. PUBLISHED LITERATURE CONCERNING MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DM EMPHASIZING PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE OR IMMUNOLOGICAL RELATIONS WAS RETRIEVED FROM PUBMED USING KEY WORDS YOGA, TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS, PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, ENDOCRINE, IMMUNE AND MECHANISM OF ACTION. THOSE STUDIES WHICH EXPLAINED THE PSYCHO-NEUROENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA WERE INCLUDED AND REST WERE EXCLUDED. ALTHOUGH PRIMARY AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLAIN THESE MECHANISMS IN TYPE II DM, SOME STUDIES IN NON-DIABETIC POPULATION WHICH HAD A SIMILAR PATHWAY OF STRESS MECHANISM WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE MANY INSIGHTFUL STUDIES WERE AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING TERMS YOGA OR YOGIC AND DIABETES OR DIABETIC IN TITLE OR ABSTRACT FOR ENGLISH ARTICLES. OF THE 89 ARTICLES, WE EXCLUDED NON-ENGLISH ARTICLES (22), EDITORIALS (20) AND LETTERS TO EDITOR (10). 37 STUDIES WERE CONSIDERED FOR THIS REVIEW. THE POSTULATED MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IS THROUGH PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND THE ASSOCIATED ANTI STRESS MECHANISM. IT REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND HPA AXIS ACTIVATION THEREBY IMPROVING OVERALL METABOLIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES, INCREASING INSULIN SENSITIVITY, AND IMPROVING GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND LIPID METABOLISM. YOGA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON IMMUNE SYSTEM OF DIABETICS.- OVERALL, TYPE II DM IS INFLUENCED BY PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS WHERE YOGA HAS IMPORTANT POSITIVE ROLE IN COMBATING STRESSORS AND IMPROVING THESE SYSTEMS TO REGAIN HEALTH. 2015 9 588 22 DETERMINING PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC MARKERS OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) ACCOMPANIED BY SPECULATIONS ON UNDERLYING PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO IDENTIFY, QUALITATIVELY EVALUATE, AND SYNTHESIZE STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. THE FOCUS IS ON STUDIES EVALUATING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PTSD RATHER THAN FOR TRAUMA EXPOSURE, PTSD PREVENTION, OR SUBCLINICAL PTSD. MULTIPLE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PAST TWO DECADES USING TERMS DERIVED FROM THE QUESTION, "IN PEOPLE WITH PTSD, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES?" ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDED YOGA-ONLY MODALITIES TESTED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR FORMALLY DIAGNOSED PTSD WITH AT LEAST ONE PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOME. RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW CONFIRMED THAT, THOUGH MUCH OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE PROPOSES PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING YOGA'S EFFECTS ON PTSD, VERY FEW STUDIES ( N = 3) HAVE ACTUALLY EVALUATED PHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, SEVERAL STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED DATA SUPPORTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSREGULATION, WE PRESENT A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD AND THE EFFECTS YOGA MAY HAVE ON THESE PROCESSES TO GUIDE FUTURE RESEARCH. GAPS IN THE LITERATURE REMAIN FOR MECHANISMS RELATED TO ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND INFLAMMATION. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PTSD TO AUGMENT EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED PTSD TREATMENTS. 2018 10 2888 12 YOGA: INTUITION, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, AND TREATMENT. MIND-BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS USE A COMBINATION OF MUSCULAR ACTIVITY AND MINDFUL FOCUS ON AWARENESS OF THE SELF, BREATH, AND ENERGY TO PROMOTE HEALTH. THE ANCIENT DISCIPLINE OF YOGA INCLUDES PHYSICAL POSTURES AND BREATHING AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE EXISTS ABOUT THE PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF YOGA. MIND-BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS MAY OFFER THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OFFERED BY TRADITIONAL BODY FITNESS PROGRAMS. 1998 11 2254 25 THE ORIGIN AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE OF YOGA NIDRA. YOGA NIDRA, ALSO KNOWN AS 'YOGIC SLEEP', IS A SIMPLIFIED FORM OF AN ANCIENT TANTRIC RELAXATION TECHNIQUE. THE MOST GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRACTICE IS THAT IT COMBINES GUIDED MENTAL IMAGERY WITH A SPECIFIC YOGA POSTURE CALLED SHAVASANA (OR "CORPSE POSE"). THE GOAL OF YOGA NIDRA IS TO PROMOTE A PROFOUND STATE OF RELAXATION, WHICH DIFFERS FROM SLEEP INASMUCH AS THERE IS STILL AN AWARENESS OF ONE'S SURROUNDINGS. WHILE SEVERAL COMPONENTS OF THE PRACTICE HAVE BEEN KNOWN SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 1960S THAT AN UPDATED AND SYSTEMATIZED SYSTEM OF PRACTICE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE WRITINGS OF SWAMI SATYANANDA SARASWATI. UNLIKE OTHER SCHOOLS OF YOGA, WHICH EMPHASIZE CONCENTRATION OR CONTEMPLATION, YOGA NIDRA'S GOAL IS COMPLETE RELAXATION. AS SUCH, ITS ADVOCATES CLAIM THAT IT IS SUITABLE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, FROM BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA. THE CALM INNER STILLNESS INDUCED BY YOGA NIDRA IS CLAIMED BY PRACTITIONERS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOL AS WELL AS A MEANS FOR ATTAINING GREATER RECEPTIVITY TO PERSONAL RESOLUTIONS. THESE RESOLUTIONS CAN RANGE FROM THE GOAL OF ACHIEVING SELF-TRANSFORMATION, ENHANCING CREATIVITY, OR IMPROVING ONE'S LEARNING ABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, YOGA NIDRA IS CLAIMED TO PROMOTE BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE REVIEW SUMMARIZES THE BASIC STEPS USED TO ACHIEVE THE FINAL STATE OF YOGA NIDRA RELAXATION AS WELL AS SOME RECENT EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS REGARDING ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS. STANDARD RESEARCH DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR RELEVANT ARTICLES. CLINICAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS IN SEVERAL HEMATOLOGICAL VARIABLES, RED BLOOD CELL COUNTS, BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS, AND HORMONAL STATUS. TWO NEUROIMAGING STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA NIDRA PRODUCES CHANGES IN ENDOGENOUS DOPAMINE RELEASE AND CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW, A FURTHER CONFIRMATION THAT ITS EFFECTS ON THE CNS ARE OBJECTIVELY MEASURABLE. THE PRACTICE HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE PSYCHOMETRICALLY MEASURED INDICES OF MILD DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, ALTHOUGH THESE BENEFITS WERE NOT SHOWN IN AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO EXTEND TO SEVERE DEPRESSION OR SEVERE ANXIETY. 2022 12 1834 23 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN WESTERN CULTURES AS A MEANS OF EXERCISE AND FITNESS TRAINING; HOWEVER, IT IS STILL DEPICTED AS TRENDY AS EVIDENCED BY AN APRIL 2001 TIME MAGAZINE COVER STORY ON "THE POWER OF YOGA." THERE IS A NEED TO HAVE YOGA BETTER RECOGNIZED BY THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AS A COMPLEMENT TO CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL CARE. OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, A GROWING NUMBER OF RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE PRACTICE OF HATHA YOGA CAN IMPROVE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, AND MAY HELP CONTROL SUCH PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES AS BLOOD PRESSURE, RESPIRATION AND HEART RATE, AND METABOLIC RATE TO IMPROVE OVERALL EXERCISE CAPACITY. THIS REVIEW PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF MEDICALLY SUBSTANTIATED INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE AND FOR PEOPLE COMPROMISED BY MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CARDIOPULMONARY DISEASE. 2002 13 1640 25 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020 14 203 15 A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF HATHA YOGA. AN ESTIMATED 7.4 MILLION AMERICANS CURRENTLY PRACTICE HATHA YOGA. MOREOVER, 64% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REPORT DOING SO FOR WELL-BEING. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS REPORTED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING; HOWEVER, FEW STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED. THE FOLLOWING REVIEW PROVIDES AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, WHICH CONCEPTUALIZES YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HATHA YOGA IS PROVIDED THAT DESCRIBES THE PURPORTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND THE RELAXATION RESPONSE. A REVIEW OF THE EMERGING LITERATURE RELATED TO NITRIC OXIDE AND OXIDATIVE STRESS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND WELL-BEING ALSO IS INCLUDED. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES WITH A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE STATE OF THE RESEARCH AND PROVIDES SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES. 2008 15 1951 15 SCIENCE OF THE MIND: ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS AND MODERN STUDIES. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS GAINING IN POPULARITY WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PRACTICES. RECENT RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE ANCIENT TEXTS ARE OFTEN CONCURRENT WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXPECTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND THOSE USED IN THE ORIGINAL TEXTS. VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING PRACTICES FORM A BRIDGE BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHANGES. THE VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING HAS DISTINCT EFFECTS ON METABOLISM, THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS, AND MENTAL STATE. THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MENTAL STATE ARE EVEN CLEARER. 2013 16 1879 21 REASONS, YEARS AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE: EFFECT ON EMOTION RESPONSE REACTIVITY. YOGA PRACTICE, EVEN IN THE SHORT TERM, IS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE WELLBEING AND COUNTERACT PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THROUGH MODIFICATION OF EMOTION REACTIVITY. YOGA TEACHES THAT EMOTIONAL RESPONSES MAY BE LESS PRONOUNCED WITH LONGER AND MORE FREQUENT PRACTICE, AND POTENTIALLY WHEN PEOPLE PERFORM YOGA FOR MENTAL RATHER THAN PHYSICAL REASONS. WE TESTED 36 YOGA PRACTITIONERS OF VARYING EXPERIENCE (BETWEEN 6 MONTHS AND 11 YEARS OF PRACTICE). WE ASSESSED PARTICIPANTS' SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE AND PERIPHERAL PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS (HEART RATE, SKIN CONDUCTANCE, RESPIRATION) WHEN SEEING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PICTURES. RESULTS WERE ANALYZED AS A FUNCTION OF THE YEARS OF, FREQUENCY OF, AND REASONS FOR YOGA PRACTICE. WE FOUND A HEART RATE INCREASE WITH THE DEGREE PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED YOGA FOR MENTAL REASONS. IN ADDITION, YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY RATE WHEN FACING NEGATIVE PICTURES, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF REDUCED AROUSAL WITH YOGA EXPERIENCE. FINALLY, REGARDING FREQUENCY OF PRACTICE, A HIGHER FREQUENCY IN THE LAST MONTH WAS LINKED TO LESS NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS A REDUCED ABDOMINAL RESPIRATORY AMPLITUDE WHEN VIEWING POSITIVE PICTURES. ALTOGETHER, THESE RESULTS DEMONSTRATE THAT INTENSE SHORT-TERM YOGA PRACTICE MIGHT RELATE TO A (I) DECREASE IN THE INTENSITY OF SELF-REPORTED EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES AND (II) DEEPENED RESPIRATION. SHORT-TERM EFFECTS MIGHT BE SHAPED BY WHAT PARTICIPANTS EXPECT AS PRACTICE BENEFITS. HOWEVER, SEVERAL YEARS OF PRACTICE MIGHT BE NEEDED TO DECREASE RESPIRATORY AROUSAL IN THE FACE OF NEGATIVE SITUATIONS, WHICH LIKELY IS A MANIFESTATION OF AN EVOLUTION IN THE EMOTION REGULATION PROCESS. 2018 17 1927 20 ROLE OF YOGA IN CARDIAC DISEASE AND REHABILITATION. PURPOSE: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CONTINUES TO BE THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AROUND THE WORLD. YOGA, A COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), BREATHING EXERCISES (PRANAYAMA), AND MEDITATION (DHYANA), HAS GAINED INCREASING RECOGNITION AS A FORM OF MIND-BODY EXERCISE. IN THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW, WE INTENDED TO REVIEW THE EMERGING EVIDENCE ASSESSING THE PHYSIOLOGIC AND CLINICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM AND THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF YOGA AS A COMPONENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITATION. METHODS: WE SEARCHED PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES FOR LITERATURE RELATED TO CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF YOGA FROM INCEPTION UP UNTIL 2017. RESULTS: YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, STRESS, THE CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND TRADITIONAL AND EMERGING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA HAS SHOWN PROMISE AS A USEFUL LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MANAGEMENT ALGORITHMS. ALTHOUGH MANY INVESTIGATORS HAVE REPORTED THE CLINICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN REDUCING CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS, MORBIDITY, AND MORTALITY, EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THESE CONCLUSIONS IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED, THEREBY EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR LARGE, WELL-DESIGNED RANDOMIZED TRIALS THAT MINIMIZE BIAS AND METHODOLOGICAL DRAWBACKS. 2019 18 1335 24 HOW DOES YOGA PRACTICE AND THERAPY YIELD PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS? A REVIEW AND MODEL OF TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES. INTEREST IN YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING HAS INCREASED IN RECENT YEARS, WITH LITERATURE INVESTIGATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A VARIETY OF PRESENTATIONS AND SETTINGS. THE THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THIS BENEFIT HAS PREVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES INVOLVED IN YOGA PRACTICE, HOWEVER INTEREST HAS TURNED TO THE POTENTIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS ELICITING PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. THE CURRENT PAPER BUILDS ON PREVIOUS THEORY AND ARGUES THAT YOGA PRACTICE TARGETS TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES; MECHANISMS THAT FEATURE COMMONLY ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF PRESENTATIONS, THUS REDUCING DISTRESS AND INCREASING WELLBEING ACROSS CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL POPULATIONS. FEATURES OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO THESE TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES AND THE FEATURES OF MODERN TALKING THERAPIES. A NEW MODEL IS PROPOSED POSITING SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE CORRELATE WITH SPECIFIC TRANSDIAGNOSTIC PROCESSES TO ELICIT PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE AND ARGUES THAT THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH CHANGE OCCURS ARE DIRECTLY COMPARED WITH THE CHANGES OBSERVED IN TALKING THERAPIES. THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO SUPPORT THE COMMISSIONING OF HOLISTIC APPROACHES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE DISCUSSED. 2022 19 1575 24 MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA THROUGH YOGA: A REVIEW. THERE ARE MANY AND VARIED TYPES OF TRAUMA. THE EXTENT TO WHICH TRAUMA INFLUENCES THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF TRAUMA, AS WELL AS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S COPING CAPABILITIES. OFTEN TRAUMA IS FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD. AS THE PHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES FOR THESE CONDITIONS OFTEN HAVE UNDESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECTS, NONPHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES ARE THOUGHT OF AS A POSSIBLE ADD-ON TREATMENT. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MIND-BODY INTERVENTION. THIS PAPER COVERS ELEVEN STUDIES INDEXED IN PUBMED, IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA WERE MANAGED THROUGH YOGA INCLUDING MEDITATION. THE AIM WAS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF YOGA IN MANAGING TRAUMA-RELATED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PTSD AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO NATURAL CALAMITIES, WAR, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, AND INCARCERATION IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. AN ATTEMPT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING BENEFITS SEEN. AS MOST OF THESE STUDIES WERE NOT DONE ON PERSONS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA THAT HAD PRACTICED YOGA, THIS IS A DEFINITE AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 20 2531 22 YOGA EFFECTS ON BRAIN HEALTH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE. YOGA IS THE MOST POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACH PRACTICED BY ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS AN ANCIENT MIND AND BODY PRACTICE WITH ORIGINS IN INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. YOGA COMBINES PHYSICAL POSTURES, RHYTHMIC BREATHING AND MEDITATIVE EXERCISE TO OFFER THE PRACTITIONERS A UNIQUE HOLISTIC MIND-BODY EXPERIENCE. WHILE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE ARE WELL ESTABLISHED, IN RECENT YEARS, THE ACTIVE ATTENTIONAL COMPONENT OF BREATHING AND MEDITATION PRACTICE HAS GARNERED INTEREST AMONG EXERCISE NEUROSCIENTISTS. AS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA CONTINUES TO GROW, THIS ARTICLE AIMS TO SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ITS DOCUMENTED POSITIVE EFFECTS FOR BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, AS ASSESSED WITH MRI, FMRI, AND SPECT. WE REVIEWED 11 STUDIES EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE BRAIN STRUCTURES, FUNCTION AND CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW. COLLECTIVELY, THE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE STRUCTURE AND/OR FUNCTION OF THE HIPPOCAMPUS, AMYGDALA, PREFRONTAL CORTEX, CINGULATE CORTEX AND BRAIN NETWORKS INCLUDING THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK (DMN). THE STUDIES OFFER PROMISING EARLY EVIDENCE THAT BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS LIKE YOGA MAY HOLD PROMISE TO MITIGATE AGE-RELATED AND NEURODEGENERATIVE DECLINES AS MANY OF THE REGIONS IDENTIFIED ARE KNOWN TO DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT AGE-RELATED ATROPHY. 2019