1 2057 86 THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE AND CALL FOR A COLLABORATIVE, INTEGRATED RESEARCH INITIATIVE. TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2DM) IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HOLDS PROMISE FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT. THIS ARTICLE SUMMARIZES EVIDENCE REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT AND ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AGENDA AND A COLLABORATIVE WORK GROUP TO TEST IT. WE PRESENT A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL RISE IN T2DM AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AND COSTS, REVIEW THE EVIDENCE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT, OUTLINE LIMITATIONS IN THE LITERATURE, DISCUSS POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON T2DM, AND SUGGEST HOW A COLLABORATIVE, MULTINATIONAL EFFORT BY YOGA THERAPIST AND RESEARCH COMMUNITIES MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH AND INFORM CLINICAL PRACTICE. YOGA PROTOCOLS THAT SERVE T2DM PATIENTS AND A RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR CREATING AN EVIDENCE BASE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF YOGA FOR T2DM MANAGEMENT ARE CLEARLY NEEDED. 2013 2 1911 22 ROLE OF AYURVEDA AND YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - A NARRATIVE REVIEW. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS POSED AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AROUND THE GLOBE IN TERMS OF LIMITED HEALTH CARE FACILITIES AND PROVEN MEDICAL THERAPEUTICS TO ADDRESS THE SYMPTOMS OF THE INFECTION. THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES ARE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON EITHER THE PATHOGEN OR THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. HOWEVER, EFFORTS TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE HOST IMMUNITY ARE IMPORTANT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION AND DOWNREGULATE THE POTENCY OF THE INFECTIOUS AGENT. WHILE A VACCINE CAN INDUCE SPECIFIC IMMUNITY IN THE HOST, NON-SPECIFIC WAYS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HOST IMMUNITY ARE NEEDED AS WELL. THIS SCENARIO HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR THE USE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN THERAPIES SUCH AS AYURVEDA AND YOGA. THIS REVIEW AIMS AT COLLATING AVAILABLE EVIDENCE ON AYURVEDA, YOGA, AND COVID-19. FURTHER, IT DRAWS INFERENCES FROM RECENT STUDIES ON YOGA AND AYURVEDA ON IMMUNITY, RESPIRATORY HEALTH, AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPECTIVELY TO APPROXIMATE ITS PROBABLE ROLE IN PROPHYLAXIS AND AS AN ADD-ON MANAGEMENT OPTION FOR THE CURRENT PANDEMIC. 2022 3 2853 27 YOGA, VERTEBRAL FRACTURES, AND OSTEOPOROSIS: RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS. BACKGROUND: OSTEOPOROSIS IS CHARACTERIZED BY DECREASED BONE DENSITY THAT LEAVES BONES FRAGILE AND HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FRACTURE. GLOBALLY, 1 IN 3 WOMEN AND 1 IN 5 MEN OLDER THAN 50 WILL SUFFER FROM AN OSTEOPOROTIC FRACTURE, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL EXPERIENCE A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER RISK OF POSTFRACTURE MORTALITY THAN WILL THE GENERAL POPULATION. GENTLE, WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISES SUCH AS YOGA CAN HELP PREVENT OR CEASE THE PROGRESSION OF OSTEOPOROSIS; HOWEVER, THERE IS INSUFFICIENT DATA REGARDING WHICH YOGA POSES PRESENT THE LEAST RISK AND ARE MOST BENEFICIAL TO INDIVIDUALS WITH REDUCED BONE DENSITY. OBJECTIVES: REVIEW THE EXTANT LITERATURE ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS TO THE SPINE OF PARTICULAR FORMS OF MOVEMENT AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. METHODS: A REVIEW OF THE PUBMED, MEDLINE, AND COCHRANE DATABASES WAS CONDUCTED THAT IDENTIFIED MANUSCRIPTS PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1966 AND 2011 ABOUT TOPICS RELATED TO OSTEOPOROSIS AND SPINAL MOVEMENT. CONCLUSIONS: MOVEMENTS INVOLVING SPINAL FLEXION CAN INCREASE RISK FOR VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURES; HOWEVER, A COMBINATION OF MILD SPINAL FLEXION AND EXTENSION MAY PROVE BENEFICIAL. MODERATE, WEIGHT-BEARING ACTIVITIES THAT STRENGTHEN THE MUSCLES SUPPORTING THE SPINAL COLUMN, PROMOTE BALANCE, IMPROVE POSTURE, AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE APPEAR TO BE OF GREATEST BENEFIT. AMPLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIED SPINAL MOVEMENT FOR PRESERVING THE HEALTH AND STRENGTH OF THE VERTEBRAL BODIES. EXERCISE MODIFICATIONS SUITABLE FOR HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS MAY BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE FOR THOSE AT LOW RISK FOR VERTEBRAL FRACTURES. YOGA THERAPISTS ARE CAUTIONED TO NOT APPLY A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH WHEN WORKING WITH THIS POPULATION. WELL-DESIGNED EMPIRICAL STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO FURTHER OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH YOGA POSES PRESENT THE LEAST RISK AND ARE OF GREATEST BENEFIT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH OSTEOPOROSIS. 2013 4 2764 25 YOGA PROGRAMME FOR TYPE-2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA: A MULTICENTRE FEASIBILITY RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL PROTOCOL. INTRODUCTION: A HUGE POPULATION IN INDIA IS AT HIGH RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES (T2DM). PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY DIET (HEALTHY LIFESTYLE) IMPROVE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS IN PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF T2DM. HOWEVER, AN UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE IS COMMON AMONG INDIANS. YOGA COVERS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND A HEALTHY DIET AND CAN HELP TO PREVENT T2DM. THE RESEARCH QUESTION TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MAIN RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) IS WHETHER A YOGA PROGRAMME FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) IS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING T2DM AMONG HIGH RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA AS COMPARED WITH ENHANCED STANDARD CARE. IN THIS CURRENT STUDY, WE ARE DETERMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF UNDERTAKING THE MAIN RCT. INTERVENTION: YOGA-DP IS A STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE EDUCATION AND EXERCISE PROGRAMME. THE EXERCISE PART IS BASED ON YOGA AND INCLUDES SHITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYA NAMASKAR (SUN SALUTATION EXERCISES), ASANA (YOGIC POSES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES) AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: THIS IS A MULTICENTRE, TWO-ARM, PARALLEL-GROUP, FEASIBILITY RCT WITH BLINDED OUTCOME ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATED MIXED-METHODS PROCESS EVALUATION. ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE AGED 18-74 YEARS, AT HIGH RISK OF T2DM (FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE LEVEL 5.6-6.9 MMOL/L) AND SAFE TO PARTICIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. AT LEAST 64 PARTICIPANTS WILL BE RANDOMISED TO INTERVENTION OR CONTROL GROUP WITH FINAL FOLLOW-UP AT 6 MONTHS. IMPORTANT PARAMETERS, NEEDED TO DESIGN THE MAIN RCT, WILL BE ESTIMATED, SUCH AS SD OF THE OUTCOME MEASURE (FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE LEVEL AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP), RECRUITMENT, INTERVENTION ADHERENCE, FOLLOW-UP, POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION AND TIME NEEDED TO CONDUCT THE STUDY. SEMISTRUCTURED QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH UP TO 20-30 PARTICIPANTS, A SAMPLE OF THOSE DECLINING TO PARTICIPATE, FOUR YOGA-DP INSTRUCTORS AND AROUND EIGHT STUDY STAFF TO EXPLORE THEIR PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF TAKING PART IN THE STUDY AND OF THE INTERVENTION, REASONS BEHIND NON-PARTICIPATION, EXPERIENCES OF DELIVERING THE INTERVENTION AND RUNNING THE STUDY, RESPECTIVELY. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: ETHICS APPROVAL HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES: FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (UK); CENTRE FOR CHRONIC DISEASE CONTROL (CCDC, INDIA); BAPU NATURE CURE HOSPITAL AND YOGASHRAM (BNCHY, INDIA) AND SWAMI VIVEKANANDA YOGA ANUSANDHANA SAMSTHANA (S-VYASA, INDIA). THE RESULTS WILL BE WIDELY DISSEMINATED AMONG KEY STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH VARIOUS AVENUES. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2019/05/018893. 2020 5 2555 22 YOGA FOR CHILDREN IN THE NEW NORMAL - EXPERIENCE SHARING. OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED EVERYONE'S MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION TO SEVERAL PREVENTIVE MEASURES SUCH AS WEARING A MASK, USING SANITIZER, MEASURES ALSO NEED TO BE TAKEN TO PREVENT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS DUE TO THIS UNEXPECTED CRISIS SITUATION. PRACTICING YOGA IS ONE OF THE SIMPLE, SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO COMBAT STRESS AND PREVENT ANXIETY AMONG CHILDREN. METHODS: THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND ANECDOTAL EXPERIENCES ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IS DESCRIBED IN THIS PAPER, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF YOGA IN NURTURING THE MENTAL WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN. RESULTS: SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED AND CONDUCTED STUDIES AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS BY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OBJECTIVELY CONCLUDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION. IN ADDITION TO MENTAL HEALTH, YOGA WILL ALSO IMPROVE THE PHYSICAL HEALTH AND BOOST IMMUNITY AMONG CHILDREN WHICH WILL ALSO HELP IN REDUCING THE INFECTION RATE IN CHILDREN. CONCLUSIONS: AS A WAY FORWARD, AUTHORS STRONGLY RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING YOGA AS A CURRICULUM AT SCALE TO COVER THE VAST VULNERABLE POPULATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE THE FUTURE OF THE NATION. 2021 6 613 24 DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA PROGRAM FOR TYPE-2 DIABETES PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA. INTRODUCTION: MANY INDIANS ARE AT HIGH-RISK OF TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM). YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE, THAT HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED GLUCOSE LEVELS AND CAN HELP TO PREVENT T2DM. THE STUDY AIMED TO SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOP A YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA USING A COMPLEX INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT APPROACH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AS PART OF THE INTERVENTION, WE DEVELOPED A BOOKLET AND A HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO FOR PARTICIPANTS AND A MANUAL FOR YOGA-DP INSTRUCTORS. A SYSTEMATIC ITERATIVE PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED TO DEVELOP THE INTERVENTION AND INCLUDED FIVE STEPS: (I) A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE TO GENERATE A LIST OF YOGIC PRACTICES THAT IMPROVES BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AMONG ADULTS AT HIGH-RISK OF OR WITH T2DM, (II) VALIDATION OF IDENTIFIED YOGIC PRACTICES BY YOGA EXPERTS, (III) DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERVENTION, (IV) CONSULTATION WITH YOGA, EXERCISE, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, DIET, BEHAVIOR CHANGE, AND/OR DIABETES EXPERTS ABOUT THE INTERVENTION, AND (V) PRETEST THE INTERVENTION AMONG YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND LAY PEOPLE (THOSE AT RISK OF T2DM AND HAD NOT PRACTICED YOGA BEFORE) IN INDIA. RESULTS: YOGA-DP IS A STRUCTURED LIFESTYLE EDUCATION AND EXERCISE PROGRAM, PROVIDED OVER A PERIOD OF 24 WEEKS. THE EXERCISE PART IS BASED ON YOGA AND INCLUDES SHITHILIKARANA VYAYAMA (LOOSENING EXERCISES), SURYA NAMASKAR (SUN SALUTATION EXERCISES), ASANA (YOGIC POSES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING PRACTICES), AND DHYANA (MEDITATION) AND RELAXATION PRACTICES. ONCE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, THEY ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN THE LONG-TERM. CONCLUSIONS: WE SYSTEMATICALLY DEVELOPED A NOVEL YOGA PROGRAM FOR T2DM PREVENTION (YOGA-DP) AMONG HIGH-RISK PEOPLE IN INDIA. A MULTI-CENTER FEASIBILITY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS IN PROGRESS IN INDIA. 2020 7 94 28 A NARRATIVE REVIEW ON ROLE OF YOGA AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTOR, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS. TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD AS WELL AS IN INDIA THAT GREATLY AFFECTS THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR AND ECONOMY. USE OF DRUGS HAS ITS OWN DRAWBACKS AND IN RECENT DAYS THE USE OF NON-MEDICAL MEASURES WERE REPORTED NOT ONLY TO MANAGE T2DM, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT ITS COMPLICATIONS. THROUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS REVIEW ARTICLES THAT ARE DEALING WITH THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON RISK PROFILES, MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN T2DM SEPARATELY, THERE IS A LACK OF COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMBINATION WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF T2DM COMPLICATIONS. HENCE, WE PERFORMED A NARRATIVE REVIEW IN MEDLINE/PUBMED USING KEYWORD "YOGA AND DIABETES". ALL THE RELEVANT ARTICLES PUBLISHED TILL 08TH NOVEMBER 2016 WERE INCLUDED. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA PLAYS A VITAL ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RISK FACTORS, DISEASE PROGRESSION AND THE COMPLICATIONS OF THE T2DM. FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED USING STANDARD RESEARCH DESIGNS AND VARIABLES TO FIND OUT THE VARIOUS MECHANISMS OF EFFECTS OF YOGA IN DETAIL. 2017 8 2130 29 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TO PREVENT DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2: A PROTOCOL FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS (T2DM) IS BECOMING A LEADING PROBLEM WORLDWIDE. EMERGING REPORTS REVEAL ALARMING EVIDENCE OF INCREASING PREVALENCE OF T2DM THAT HAS REACHED PANDEMIC LEVELS. DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT INCIDENCE, THERE ARE LIMITED RELIABLE DATA RESOURCES AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE A PREDIABETIC OR HIGH RISK FOR DEVELOPING T2DM. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROTOCOL IS TO CONDUCT A FULL-SCALE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSES ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PEOPLE WHO ARE PREDIABETES OR HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING T2DM. METHODS: THE ARTICLES ENROLLED IN THE STUDY WILL BE RETRIEVED FROM THE ONLINE DATABASES BETWEEN 2002 AND THE DATE THE SEARCHES ARE EXECUTED. THE SEARCHES WILL BE REPEATED JUST BEFORE THE FINAL ANALYSES AND FURTHER RELEVANT STUDIES FOR INCLUSION. WE WILL CONDUCT A BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCH IN DATABASES: MEDLINE/PUBMED, SCOPUS, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EBSCO, AND INDMED USING KEYWORDS INCLUDING PREDIABETES STATE, HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, AND YOGA. A DEFINED SEARCH STRATEGY WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ALONG WITH SELECTION CRITERIA TO OBTAIN FULL-TEXT ARTICLES OF RELEVANT STUDIES. THIS STUDY PROTOCOL WAS PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSIS FOR PROTOCOLS 2015 GUIDELINES. THERE WILL BE NO LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: THE PROPOSED STUDY WILL BE BASED ON PUBLISHED STUDIES AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ANONYMIZED DATA WITHOUT DIRECTLY INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS AND THEREFORE REQUIRES NEITHER FORMAL HUMAN ETHICAL REVIEW NOR APPROVAL BY A HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEE. WE PUBLISHED AN OUTLINE OF THE PROTOCOL IN THE INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTER OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (PROSPERO) IN 2018. WE PLAN TO DISSEMINATE THE FINDINGS OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS THROUGH PUBLICATION IN A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL AND PRESENTATION AT RELEVANT CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. IN ADDITION, WE BELIEVE THE RESULTS OF THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WE WILL PREPARE POLICYMAKER SUMMARY USING A VALIDATED FORMAT, DISSEMINATE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL DISCUSSION GROUPS. REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD 42018106657. 2019 9 102 18 A PHYSICIAN'S GUIDE TO RECOMMENDING YOGA. THE POPULARITY OF YOGA IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACROSS THE GLOBE HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES. THE INTEREST IN YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE TOOL HAS ALSO GROWN WITHIN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THE WIDE RANGE OF STYLES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS ALIKE TO CHOOSE THE ONE THAT WILL OFFER THE MOST BENEFIT. THIS GUIDE WAS CREATED TO ASSIST PHYSICIANS IN MAKING INFORMED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS PRACTICING YOGA IN THE COMMUNITY. WHEN THE MOST SUITABLE STYLE IS SELECTED, YOGA CAN BE AN EXTREMELY USEFUL LIFESTYLE TOOL FOR PATIENTS SEEKING TO IMPROVE FITNESS AND DEVELOP A MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICE. 2018 10 1799 17 PRESCRIBING YOGA. MORE THAN 15.8 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES NOW PRACTICE SOME FORM OF YOGA, AND NEARLY HALF OF CURRENT PRACTITIONERS STATED THEY BEGAN YOGA PRACTICE AS A MEANS OF IMPROVING OVERALL HEALTH. MORE BROADLY UNDERSTOOD IN A MODERN CONTEXT, YOGA IS A SET OF PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF BODY, BREATH, AND MIND. THIS ARTICLE OUTLINES THE HISTORY OF YOGA AND DESCRIBES SEVERAL FORMS, INCLUDING ASANA-BASED YOGA, WHICH IS BECOMING POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES. RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATED TO USE OF YOGA AS A THERAPY FOR VARIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE REVIEWED. GUIDELINES FOR FINDING A YOGA TEACHER ARE OFFERED, AS ARE A NUMBER OF BOOK AND INTERNET SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION. 2010 11 204 20 A REVIEW OF YOGA PROGRAMS FOR FOUR LEADING RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES. YOGA, A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, IS RAPIDLY GAINING IN POPULARITY AND HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. YET HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO RECOGNIZE YOGA FOR ITS ABILITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CONDITIONS, AND FEW INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW PUBLISHED STUDIES USING YOGA PROGRAMS AND TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON COMMON RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC DISEASES (OVERWEIGHT, HYPERTENSION, HIGH GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL). A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH YIELDED 32 ARTICLES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND APRIL 2007. THE STUDIES FOUND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING BODY WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE, GLUCOSE LEVEL AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL, BUT ONLY A FEW STUDIES EXAMINED LONG-TERM ADHERENCE. ADDITIONALLY, NOT ENOUGH STUDIES INCLUDED DIVERSE POPULATIONS AT HIGH RISK FOR DIABETES AND ITS RELATED COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2007 12 100 30 A PERSPECTIVE ON YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE STRATEGY FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019. THE PANDEMIC OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) INFECTION CAUSED BY SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME-CORONAVIRUS 2 HAS LED TO PROFOUND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. IN PARTICULAR, INDIVIDUALS WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OF HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES AND THE ELDERLY ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO SUCCUMB TO THIS INFECTION. THE CURRENT COVID-19 EMERGENCY CALLS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AGAINST THIS VIRUS-MEDIATED DISEASE. THERE IS A PLETHORA OF EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE ADD-ON BENEFITS OF YOGA IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES. THERE ARE SOME STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AS WELL BUT VERY FEW FOR ACUTE CONDITIONS AND ALMOST NONE FOR THE RAPIDLY SPREADING INFECTIONS RESULTING IN PANDEMICS. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES ON YOGA IN IMPROVING RESPIRATORY AND IMMUNE FUNCTIONS, WE HAVE FORMULATED VERY SIMPLE DOABLE INTEGRATED YOGA MODULES IN THE FORM OF VIDEOS TO BE PRACTICED FOR PREVENTION OF THE DISEASE BY CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND THE ELDERLY. 2020 13 1481 28 INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ETHICS OF MOVING FROM THE MIND TO THE MAT. GIVEN THE RISE IN ATTENTION TO CLIENT PREFERENCES IN MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THE SHIFT IN FOCUS TOWARD HEALTH PROMOTION, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE USE OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES HAVE INCREASED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. YOGA IS AMONG THE MOST PROMINENT COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES. RECENTLY, BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE WORK HAS EMERGED SUPPORTING ITS USE FOR A VARIETY OF MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A CRITICAL GAP IN KNOWLEDGE REGARDING HOW TO MOST OPTIMALLY AND ETHICALLY INTEGRATE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES (I.E., YOGA) INTO CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICES. MOREOVER, IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHICH CLIENTS ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR RECEIVING SUCH COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS AND WHICH THERAPISTS SHOULD PROVIDE THEM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF YOGA, THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF ITS USE FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND AN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE PSYCHOLOGISTS INTERESTED IN INTEGRATING YOGA INTO PSYCHOTHERAPY. 2017 14 2882 15 YOGA: A THERAPEUTIC APPROACH. YOGA, PRACTICED WIDELY IN THE EAST, IS NOW POPULAR IN THE WEST AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. THIS ARTICLE BRINGS A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THE PRACTICE OF YOGA. SELECTED YOGA POSTURES THAT ARE BELIEVED TO BENEFIT CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED. IN ADDITION, THE PHILOSOPHY, GENERAL GUIDELINES, AND MEDICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE ARE DESCRIBED. 2004 15 2033 25 TEACHING YOGA TO SENIORS: ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND REDUCE RISK IN A UNIQUELY VULNERABLE AGE GROUP. BACKGROUND: SENIORS AGE 65 AND OLDER REPRESENT THE FASTEST-GROWING SECTOR OF THE POPULATION AND, LIKE MANY AMERICANS, ARE INCREASINGLY DRAWN TO YOGA. THIS PRESENTS BOTH AN EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY AND A SERIOUS CHALLENGE FOR YOGA INSTRUCTORS WHO MUST BE BOTH A RESOURCE AND GUARDIANS OF SAFETY FOR THIS UNIQUELY VULNERABLE GROUP. A TYPICAL CLASS OF SENIORS IS LIKELY TO REPRESENT THE MOST DIVERSE MIX OF ABILITIES OF ANY AGE GROUP. WHILE SOME MAY BE EXCEEDINGLY HEALTHY, MOST FIT THE PROFILE OF THE AVERAGE OLDER ADULT IN AMERICA, 80% OF WHOM HAVE AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION AND 50% OF WHOM HAVE AT LEAST TWO. OBJECTIVES: THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR SENIORS PROGRAM, OFFERED SINCE 2007 AT DUKE INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE TO FILL A CRITICAL NEED TO HELP YOGA INSTRUCTORS WORK SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS COMING TO YOGA CLASSES, AND EXPLORES THREE AREAS THAT POSE THE GREATEST RISK OF COMPROMISE TO OLDER ADULT STUDENTS: SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, AND OSTEOPOROSIS. TO PROVIDE A SKILLFUL FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING YOGA TO SENIORS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICE THAT INTEGRATE THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM WESTERN MEDICINE WITH YOGIC TEACHINGS. 2010 16 1500 24 INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT: A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS ON HOW WE GOT HERE. STUDYING THE PRACTICE OF YOGA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO BODY IMAGE, EMBODIMENT, AND EATING DISORDERS BRINGS TOGETHER THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, RESEARCHERS, AND WOMEN LIVING IN BODIES WITHIN A SOCIETY THAT CAN BE TOUGH ON BODY APPRECIATION. DEVELOPING THIS EDITION ON "YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT" HAS BEEN A WORK OF LOVE FOR ALL OF US. AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, WE HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN OUR OWN BODIES AND FELT THAT THERE MAY BE BENEFITS FOR OTHERS. AS RESEARCHERS, WE ARE DEDICATED TO THE EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO ENHANCE WELL-BEING, PROMOTE A POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND SENSE OF EMBODIMENT, AND BOTH PREVENT AND TREAT EATING DISORDERS. OUR EXPERIENCES AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CURIOSITY AS RESEARCHERS, LED US TO EXPLORE THE EXTANT EVIDENCE FOR YOGA AS A TOOL FOR LEADING TO IMPROVEMENTS IN BODY IMAGE, DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIORS, AND EATING DISORDERS, AND TO EMBARK ON OUR OWN RESEARCH IN THIS AREA TO FILL NECESSARY GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE. OUR LONG-TERM DEDICATION TO THE FIELDS OF BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR EMERGING INTEREST IN YOGA AS A POTENTIAL TOOL, LED US TO THE COMPILATION OF THIS EDITION ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. 2020 17 1278 15 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON YOGA AND POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES THE CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE SPECIAL ISSUE, YOGA FOR POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN EATING DISORDER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND THE DIFFERENT INDICATORS OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS. BASED ON THE CURRENT BODY OR WORK, WE OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCHERS FOR POPULATION-BASED, QUALITATIVE, AND PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION RESEARCH. 2020 18 2393 13 YOGA AND BONE HEALTH. OSTEOPOROSIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AFFECTING INDIVIDUALS GLOBALLY. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO PREVENT AND REVERSE BONE LOSS. YOGA MAY RESULT IN BETTER BALANCE, IMPROVED POSTURE, AND GREATER RANGE OF MOTION, STRENGTH, AND COORDINATION, ALL FACTORS THAT ALSO MITIGATE THE RISK OF FALLS AND FRACTURES. A 12-MINUTE, 12-POSE YOGA REGIMEN IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. ONCE LEARNED, THE ONGOING USE OF YOGA IS SAFE, WITHOUT COST, AND MAY BE DONE LIFELONG. 2021 19 1280 27 GENERIC YOGA MODULES FOR CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS-NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE IN HEALTHCARE. HOWEVER, META-ANALYSES OF VARIOUS YOGA TRIALS SUGGEST THAT COMPARISONS OF TRIALS ARE EITHER NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTIONS. ALSO, IN VIEW OF EMERGING EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFICITY AND VALIDITY OF VARIOUS YOGA COMPONENTS BEING USED IN DIFFERENT TRIALS. EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION WILL BE FRUITFUL ONLY IF A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO DEVELOP YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS AILMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A "GENERIC YOGA" CONCEPT FOR DESIGNING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES, WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC GROWTH OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AND WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMS WITHIN A BIOMEDICAL FRAMEWORK. THIS GENERIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA WILL ESSENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT-VALIDATION PROCESS OF UNCOPYRIGHTED YOGA PROGRAMS; THEIR COMPONENTS, BENEFITS, AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS; AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEED-BASED MODIFICATIONS. 2021 20 2438 19 YOGA AND QIGONG IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PREVENTION OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS: A CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS. THE STUDY PROPOSES TO EXPLORE TWO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THERAPIES-QIGONG AND YOGA FOR BALANCING THE ESSENTIAL DUO OF HOLISTIC MIND-BODY AND CONSEQUENTLY OFFER A SOLUTION FOR STRESS, UNCERTAINTY, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS HAVE BEEN USED TO CREATE A CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS OF YOGA AND QIGONG. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN INCREASED SENSE OF CONTROL IS THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THESE TWO MODALITIES. THIS CONCEPTUAL CONGRUENCE OF QIGONG AND YOGA IS THOUGHT TO BE A SELECTIVE, CURATIVE METHOD, A PRESCRIPTION FOR IDEAL LIVING AND A GROUND OF HUMAN ESSENCE EXISTENCE. FURTHERMORE, THIS ESSENCE IS THOUGHT TO ENHANCE THE MIND'S SELF-REGULATORY PROCESSES AND PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THE TWO ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES CAN PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND, MINIMIZE MENTAL HEALTH DISRUPTIONS SUCH AS STRESS AND POOR QUALITY OF LIFE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PATIENTS AND/OR CLIENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS FUSION. 2010