1 1419 143 IMPRISONING YOGA: YOGA PRACTICE MAY INCREASE THE CHARACTER MATURITY OF MALE PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: A SPECIFIC PERSONALITY PROFILE, CHARACTERIZED BY LOW CHARACTER MATURITY (LOW SCORES ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS AND COOPERATIVENESS CHARACTER DIMENSIONS) AND HIGH SCORES ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING TEMPERAMENT DIMENSION OF THE TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER INVENTORY (TCI), HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE PRISON INMATES. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIMINAL RECIDIVISM (E.G., ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR). IN THIS STUDY, WE AIMED TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON INMATES' BEHAVIORS COULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE EVENTUAL CHANGES IN THEIR PERSONALITY PROFILE. METHODS: MALE PRISON INMATES (N = 111) IN SWEDEN PARTICIPATED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED 10-WEEK LONG YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 57) OR A CONTROL GROUP (FREE OF CHOICE WEEKLY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; N = 54). ALL THE INMATES COMPLETED THE TCI QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD AS PART OF AN ASSESSMENT BATTERY. RESULTS: AFTER THE 10-WEEK-LONG INTERVENTION PERIOD MALE INMATES SCORED SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON THE NOVELTY SEEKING AND THE HARM AVOIDANCE AND SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSIONS OF THE TCI. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MEDIUM STRONG INTERACTION EFFECT BETWEEN TIME AND GROUP BELONGING FOR THE SELF-DIRECTEDNESS DIMENSION OF CHARACTER FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: A 10-WEEK-LONG YOGA PRACTICE INTERVENTION AMONG MALE INMATES IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES INCREASED THE INMATES' CHARACTER MATURITY, IMPROVING SUCH ABILITIES AS THEIR CAPABILITY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, FEEL MORE PURPOSEFUL, AND BEING MORE SELF-ACCEPTANT-FEATURES THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE FOUND TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED AGGRESSIVE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. 2019 2 431 37 CAN YOGA OVERCOME CRIMINALITY? THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON RECIDIVISM IN ISRAELI PRISONS. IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PRACTICES HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED INTO INFORMAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS OF THE ISRAEL PRISON SERVICE (IPS), GIVEN RISE TO INNOVATIVE CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES SUCH AS POSITIVE CRIMINOLOGY THAT EMPHASIZE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFENDERS' STRENGTHS BY FACILITATING REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION PROCESSES. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND RECIDIVISM AMONG RELEASED PRISONERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA PROGRAMS DURING THEIR INCARCERATION IN COMPARISON WITH A MATCHED CONTROL GROUP OF THOSE WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN YOGA PROGRAMS OVER A FOLLOW-UP PERIOD OF 5 YEARS. TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM, PROPENSITY-SCORE MATCHING WAS USED TO COMPILE THE COMPARISON GROUP FROM AMONG ALL CONVICTED PRISONERS WHO WERE RELEASED FROM THE ISRAELI PRISONS. STUDY RESULTS INDICATE THAT YOGA MAY IMPACT RECIDIVISM, SUPPORTED BY A FINDING OF LOWER RECIDIVISM RATES AMONG RELEASED PRISONERS WHO HAD PRACTICED YOGA DURING THEIR INCARCERATION, COMPARED WITH THE MATCHED CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, FURTHER STUDY IS NEEDED INCLUDING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS). IN LIGHT OF THESE POSITIVE RESULTS, WE RECOMMEND POLICY MAKERS CONSIDER INTRODUCING ALTERNATIVE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA IN PRISONS, IN RECOGNITION OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE REHABILITATION PROCESS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL STRENGTHS. 2021 3 224 22 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LITERATURE: ALTERNATIVE OFFENDER REHABILITATION-PRISON YOGA, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION. FOR YEARS, JAILS AND PRISONS HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO LOWER THEIR HEALTH CARE COSTS. IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REDUCE VIOLENCE BEHIND WALLS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM RATES POSTRELEASE. RECENTLY, CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH HAS SHINED LIGHT ON THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE REHABILITATION TO HELP INMATES COPE WITH PRISON LIFE, IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL HEALTH, AND REHABILITATE. SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES INCLUDE YOGA, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION. THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE IMPACT OF THESE TECHNIQUES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, HIGHLIGHTS THE MAJOR FINDINGS, AND IDENTIFIES THE GAPS NEEDED TO BE FILLED BY FUTURE RESEARCHERS. 2020 4 2755 52 YOGA PRACTICE REDUCES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS OF PRISON INMATES. BACKGROUND: PSYCHIATRIC ILL-HEALTH IS PREVALENT AMONG PRISON INMATES AND OFTEN HAMPERS THEIR REHABILITATION. REHABILITATION IS CRUCIAL FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISTIC OFFENDING. A FEW STUDIES HAVE PRESENTED EVIDENCE OF THE POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE WELL-BEING OF PRISON INMATES. THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE PREVIOUS STUDIES THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS OF INMATES, AND DESERVES AND REQUIRES FURTHER ATTENTION. AIMS: THE CURRENT STUDY AIMED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF 10 WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFILE, OPERATIONALIZED IN THE FORM OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, OF INMATES. METHODS: ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS (133 MEN; 19 WOMEN) WERE RANDOMLY PLACED IN EITHER OF TWO GROUPS: TO PARTICIPATE IN WEEKLY 90-MIN YOGA CLASS (YOGA GROUP) OR A WEEKLY 90-MIN FREE-CHOICE PHYSICAL EXERCISE (CONTROL GROUP). THE STUDY PERIOD LASTED FOR 10 WEEKS. PRIOR TO AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD THE PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORTED INVENTORIES, INCLUDING THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY (BSI). RESULTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE INMATES' LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVED ALL PRIMARY SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, PARANOID IDEATION, AND SOMATIZATION SYMPTOM DIMENSIONS OF THE BSI STAYED SIGNIFICANT EVEN WHEN COMPARING WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA AS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS LEVELS IN PRISON INMATES, WITH SPECIFIC EFFECT ON SYMPTOMS SUCH AS SUSPICIOUS AND FEARFUL THOUGHTS ABOUT LOSING AUTONOMY, MEMORY PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTY IN MAKING DECISIONS, TROUBLE CONCENTRATING, OBSESSIVE THOUGHT, AND PERCEPTION OF BODILY DYSFUNCTION. 2018 5 2492 39 YOGA AS COMPLEMENTARY CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE PLACED IN JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS-A STUDY PLAN. RECENT STUDIES HAVE ESTABLISHED YOGA PRACTICE AS A MAINSTREAM COMPLEMENTARY CLINICAL TOOL WITHIN CORRECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTS. IT IS SHOWN THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE IS COUPLED WITH IMPROVED IMPULSE CONTROL, SUSTAINED ATTENTION, ATTENUATED ANTISOCIAL AND SELF-HARM BEHAVIORS, REDUCED STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. NO ACADEMIC RESEARCH UNTIL NOW HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR INSTITUTIONALIZED YOUNG PEOPLE. IN SWEDEN, EACH YEAR MORE THAN THOUSAND ADOLESCENTS RECEIVE COMPULSORY CARE AT JUVENILE INSTITUTIONS RUN BY THE SWEDISH NATIONAL BOARD OF INSTITUTIONAL CARE. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AGGRESSIVE AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS, HIGH FREQUENCY OF SELF-HARM, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF ABUSE. MOST OF THEM MANIFEST ATTENTION PROBLEMS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND IMPULSIVITY. THEY HAVE A DRAMATICALLY INCREASED RISK FOR RECIDIVISTIC CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, CONTINUOUS MEDICAL, AND SOCIAL CARE AND UNTIMELY DEATH. THE PRESENT STUDY PLAN AIMS AT EVALUATING, WITH PREVIOUSLY VALIDATED PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES, IN A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE FOR INSTITUTIONALIZED ADOLESCENTS. ADOLESCENTS' EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATING IN YOGA PRACTICE WILL ALSO BE ASSESSED BY SEMI-STRUCTURED INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS. ETHICAL APPROVAL WAS GIVEN BY THE SWEDISH ETHICAL REVIEW AUTHORITY. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA PRACTICE (IN COMBINATION WITH THE STANDARD TREATMENT WITHIN INSTITUTIONAL CARE) WILL REDUCE INSTITUTIONALIZED ADOLESCENTS' AGGRESSION, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND INCREASE THEIR COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY (IN THE FORM OF INCREASED IMPULSE CONTROL). 2021 6 2665 70 YOGA IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: THE EFFECT OF YOGA IN THE REDUCTION OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, ANXIETY, STRESS, ANGER AS WELL AS IN THE INCREASED ABILITY OF BEHAVIORAL CONTROL HAS BEEN SHOWN. THESE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT FOR PRISON INMATES WHO OFTEN HAVE POOR MENTAL HEALTH AND LOW IMPULSE CONTROL. WHILE IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDIES HAVE PROVED THIS, USING RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED SETTINGS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 152 PARTICIPANTS FROM NINE SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 10-WEEK YOGA GROUP (ONE CLASS A WEEK; N = 77) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 75). BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS ANSWERED QUESTIONNAIRES MEASURING STRESS, AGGRESSION, AFFECTIVE STATES, SLEEP QUALITY, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AND COMPLETED A COMPUTERIZED TEST MEASURING ATTENTION AND IMPULSIVITY. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND ON 13 OF THE 16 VARIABLES WITHIN THE YOGA GROUP (E.G., LESS PERCEIVED STRESS, BETTER SLEEP QUALITY, AN INCREASED PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, LESS AGGRESSIVE, AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR) AND ON TWO WITHIN THE CONTROL GROUP. COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP, YOGA CLASS PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND LESS ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AFTER 10 WEEKS OF YOGA. THEY ALSO SHOWED IMPROVED PERFORMANCE ON THE COMPUTERIZED TEST THAT MEASURES ATTENTION AND IMPULSE CONTROL. CONCLUSION: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT THE YOGA PRACTICED IN SWEDISH CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON INMATES' WELL-BEING AND ON CONSIDERABLE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH RECIDIVISM, SUCH AS IMPULSIVITY AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. ACCORDINGLY, THE RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE REHABILITATION OF PRISON INMATES. 2017 7 1624 21 MINDFULNESS AND REHABILITATION: TEACHING YOGA AND MEDITATION TO YOUNG MEN IN AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION PROGRAM. THIS STUDY USED PARTICIPANT/OBSERVATION AND OPEN-ENDED INTERVIEWS TO UNDERSTAND HOW MALE PARTICIPANTS (AGE 18-24 YEARS) BENEFITED FROM YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING WITHIN AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION (ATI) PROGRAM. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE MALE PARTICIPANTS (AGE 18-24 YEARS) BENEFITED FROM THE INTERVENTION THROUGH REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTION REGULATION. SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EMBODIED PRACTICE FOR ASSISTING THEM IN MANAGING ANGER AND IMPULSE CONTROL. THE YOUNG MEN'S NARRATIVES SUGGEST THAT MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO REHABILITATIVE OUTCOMES WITHIN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATIONS SETTINGS, PROVIDING COMPLEMENTARY BENEFIT TO EXISTING ATI PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY FOR CLIENTS AMENABLE TO MINDFULNESS TRAINING. WITH MANY JURISDICTIONS EXPANDING REHABILITATION-FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOULD CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS CAN HAVE FOR FOSTERING DESISTANCE AND REDUCING RECIDIVISM AMONG JUSTICE SYSTEM-INVOLVED POPULATIONS. 2017 8 1827 40 PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR FEMALE INMATES. FEMALE INMATES INVOLVED IN THE YOGA PRISON PROJECT AT TWO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SERVED AS SUBJECTS. INMATES WERE SELECTED FROM THOSE WHO APPLIED TO PARTICIPATE IN A TEN-WEEK TRAUMA-FOCUSED YOGA PROGRAM. TO CREATE CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS, INMATES WHO REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO BE IN THE CLASS (TREATMENT GROUP, N = 33) OR A WAITLIST (CONTROL GROUP, N = 17). INMATES ON THE WAITLIST SUBSEQUENTLY JOINED THE NEXT CLASS, SO ALL WHO APPLIED AND WERE ELIGIBLE PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA CLASS. MEASURES OF STRESS, DEPRESSION, SELF CONTROL, ANXIETY, SELF AWARENESS AND RUMINATION WERE USED AND DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM BOTH GROUPS BEFORE THE INITIAL YOGA CLASS BEGAN AND AGAIN AT THE END, TEN WEEKS LATER. TO ASSESS THE CHANGES FROM PRE-INTERVENTION TO POST-INTERVENTION, MIXED DESIGN ANOVA TESTS WERE CONDUCTED. INMATES IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION AND STRESS AND IMPROVED SELF-AWARENESS. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE FOUND ON MEASURES OF ANXIETY, RUMINATION AND SELF-CONTROL IN THE YOGA GROUPS. ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, ANXIETY SCORES DID DECREASE AND SELF-CONTROL SCORES IMPROVED FOR THE YOGA GROUP, WHILE INMATES IN THE CONTROL GROUP REPORTED A WORSENING OR NO CHANGE ON THESE TWO MEASURES. NO CHANGES WERE FOUND IN RUMINATION LEVELS. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS A RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE INTERVENTION THAT COULD BENEFIT BOTH INMATES AND PRISON STAFF BY REDUCING SOME NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS AND POSSIBLY MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. 2017 9 7 29 "I WOULD JUST FEEL REALLY RELAXED AND AT PEACE": FINDINGS FROM A PILOT PRISON YOGA PROGRAM IN AUSTRALIA. INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR YOGA AS A WELL-BEING INTERVENTION IN PRISON. NO SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN AUSTRALIA TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRISON YOGA PROGRAMS. IN 2017, THE AUTHORS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (ACT) CORRECTIVE SERVICES AND THE YOGA FOUNDATION, INTRODUCED A WEEKLY PILOT YOGA PROGRAM AT THE ACT PRISON. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE FINDINGS FROM THE PROGRAM. ALTHOUGH THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE (N = 8) IS ACKNOWLEDGED, OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PARTICIPANTS ATTAINED STATISTICALLY AND CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM, DEMONSTRATED BY IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR LEVELS OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SELF-ESTEEM, GOAL-DIRECTION, NEGATIVE AFFECT, AND NON-ACCEPTANCE. THEY ALSO REPORTED IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY, SLEEP AND RELAXATION, PAIN REDUCTION, AND IDENTIFIED IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR MENTAL WELL-BEING, COMMENTING THAT THE PROGRAM MADE THEM FEEL "CALM" AND "AT PEACE." THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES BY ADVOCATING FOR THE EXPANSION OF SUCH PROGRAMS IN AUSTRALIAN PRISONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH ON SUCH PROGRAMS. 2019 10 2002 23 STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, AND YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY REENTRY FOLLOWING INCARCERATION. THIS FIELD REPORT PROVIDES A RATIONALE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO SUPPORT REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PEOPLE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY FROM JAIL OR PRISON AND DESCRIBES AN AGENCY-BASED EXAMPLE OF YOGA CLASSES OFFERED IN THIS CONTEXT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED INCARCERATION FACE A MULTITUDE OF STRESSORS, WHICH CAN HEIGHTEN THE RISK OF SUBSTANCE USE AND SUPPORT THE NEED TO ADDRESS STRESS REDUCTION AS A PATHWAY TO REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE. ONE PROMISING INTERVENTION IS YOGA, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT STRESS-REDUCTION EFFECTS AMONG SEVERAL POPULATIONS. FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS IN THIS FIELD REPORT'S PRACTICE EXAMPLE REINFORCES THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO DECREASE STRESS AND COMPLEMENT SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT IN SUPPORTING HEALTH DURING THE TRANSITION FROM INCARCERATION TO COMMUNITY RETURN. FURTHER SCHOLARSHIP IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF YOGA IN THIS CONTEXT. 2018 11 1343 35 HOW YOGA IMPACTS THE SUBSTANCE USE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WHO ARE IN REENTRY FROM PRISON OR JAIL: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. OBJECTIVES: NASCENT RESEARCH REFLECTS THE PROMISE OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE. WHILE PUTATIVE MECHANISMS BEHIND YOGA'S IMPACT ON SUBSTANCE USE HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, THE RESEARCH IS LIMITED. THIS MANUSCRIPT AIMS TO DETERMINE HOW A HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION IMPACTS THE SUBSTANCE USE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN REENTRY FROM PRISON OR JAIL (RETURNING CITIZENS), AND LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS. DESIGN: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 28 RETURNING CITIZENS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION. GUIDED BY A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE METHODOLOGY, THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THEMES THAT ANSWERED HOW YOGA IMPACTED PARTICIPANT SUBSTANCE USE. SETTING: A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE TO HEALTH SERVICES, PROVIDES EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT. INTERVENTION: A 90-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASS OFFERED ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT YOGA EITHER REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE OR MAINTAINED NON-USE, VIA THE MECHANISMS OF PURPOSEFUL DISTRACTION, STRESS COPING (BY CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS AND REDUCING PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT), SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE. ELEVEN PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT YOGA DID NOT IMPACT THEIR SUBSTANCE USE. THREE PARTICIPANTS DID NOT DISCUSS IT. CONCLUSIONS: BY PROVIDING PURPOSEFUL DISTRACTION, INCREASED STRESS COPING, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE; YOGA MAY REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AND MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT IN RECOVERY. THESE MECHANISTIC ACTIONS PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THEMES TO HIGHLIGHT IN YOGA CLASSES THAT AIM TO IMPACT SUBSTANCE USE AMONG RETURNING CITIZENS LIVING WITH HIV. 2019 12 1338 30 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? EMBODIED COGNITION AND EMOTION HIGHLIGHT THE INFLUENCE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR ACTIVITY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION - AN ASSOCIATION THAT IS GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIATING VARIABLES IS, HOWEVER, LIMITED. GIVEN THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT ENCOURAGES SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, STRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY. THIS EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE PARALLELS POPULAR INTEREST IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND EMPHASIZES THE INFLUENCE OF BODY POSITION ON THINKING AS WELL AS EMOTION. THOSE INFLUENCES TAKE ON ADDED MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY AND THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF CHALLENGE AND THREAT. INVESTIGATIONS OF EMBODIED COGNITION SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE STRESS BY AFFECTING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPRAISE STRESSORS. THE COMBINATION OF BODY POSITION AND COMMON COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFECT, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SELF AND FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE. FINDINGS REGARDING EMBODIED EMOTION MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS AND COMMON YOGA PRACTICES. CONSIDERING YOGA AND STRESS FROM AN EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN THE STRESS PROCESS, LEADING TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES STRESS BY DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, INDIRECTLY BY INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF THAT SYSTEM, OR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THOSE QUESTIONS, IN TURN, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING INVESTIGATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, BODY POSITION, MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY DURING YOGA, AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THOSE VARIABLES. 2019 13 2082 38 THE EFFECT OF HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON STUDENTS' CREATIVE ABILITY. THERE IS INCREASING DEMAND FOR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY AS ORGANIZATIONS SEEK INNOVATIVE WAYS TO REMAIN RELEVANT. HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY BUSINESS SCHOOLS, ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS DEMAND AND ARE CONSTANTLY IN SEARCH FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE CREATIVE ABILITY OF THEIR STUDENTS. PRIOR STUDIES HAVE SHOWN ENCOURAGING RESULTS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY-ORIENTED INTERVENTIONS. BUILDING ON THIS RESEARCH, THIS STUDY USES RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) TO UNDERSTAND IF AN ACUTE COMBINATORY INTERVENTION, INVOLVING BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXERCISES EMBODIED IN HATHA YOGA CAN IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY. THIS STUDY USES 92 MBA STUDENT PARTICIPANTS TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF A 20-MINUTE HATHA YOGA SESSION INTERVENTION AGAINST A SHORT 20-MINUTE CASE STUDY SESSION FOR THE CONTROL GROUP. CREATIVE ABILITY OF THE PARTICIPANTS IS OPERATIONALIZED THROUGH DIVERGENT AND CONVERGENT THINKING, WHICH ARE THEN ASSESSED THROUGH COUNTER-BALANCED FORMS OF GUILFORD ALTERNATE USES TASKS AND REMOTE ASSOCIATE TEST, RESPECTIVELY. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT WHILE HATHA YOGA SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES DIVERGENT THINKING, THE CONTROL GROUP SHOWS DETERIORATION IN DIVERGENT THINKING. THERE IS NO EFFECT ON CONVERGENT THINKING. THESE FINDINGS LEND SOME SUPPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION HYPOTHESIS. THE STUDY ALSO FINDS THAT PRODDING A PERSON TO BE MORE CREATIVE ON A ROUTINE ACADEMIC TASK MAY NOT ENHANCE THEIR CREATIVE ABILITY. 2020 14 1669 24 NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED PRACTICES: TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. DURING RECENT DECADES NUMEROUS YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (YBP) HAVE EMERGED IN THE WEST, WITH THEIR AIMS RANGING FROM FITNESS GAINS TO THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. YOGA IS ALSO BEGINNING TO SPARK GROWING INTEREST WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, AND YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEASUREABLE CHANGES IN PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS, PERCEIVED EMOTIONAL STATES, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. YBP TYPICALLY INVOLVE A COMBINATION OF POSTURES OR MOVEMENT SEQUENCES, CONSCIOUS REGULATION OF THE BREATH, AND VARIOUS TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE ATTENTIONAL FOCUS. HOWEVER, SO FAR LITTLE IF ANY RESEARCH HAS ATTEMPTED TO DECONSTRUCT THE ROLE OF THESE DIFFERENT COMPONENT PARTS IN ORDER TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE EFFECTS OF YBP. A CLEAR OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-BASED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES, AS WELL AS A COMPREHENSIVE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TESTABLE HYPOTHESES CAN BE FORMULATED, IS THEREFORE NEEDED. HERE WE PROPOSE SUCH A FRAMEWORK, AND OUTLINE THE BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS HYPOTHESIZED TO BE AT PLAY IN YBP. 2015 15 2086 27 THE EFFECT OF MOVEMENT-FOCUSED AND BREATH-FOCUSED YOGA PRACTICE ON STRESS PARAMETERS AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. YOGA-BASED PRACTICES (YBP) TYPICALLY INVOLVE A COMBINATION OF MOVEMENT SEQUENCES, CONSCIOUS REGULATION OF THE BREATH, AND TECHNIQUES TO ENGAGE ATTENTION. HOWEVER, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT WHETHER EFFECTS OF YBP RESULT FROM THE SYNERGISTIC COMBINATION OF THESE COMPONENTS, OR WHETHER A SUBSET MAY YIELD SIMILAR EFFECTS. IN THIS STUDY WE COMPARED THE EFFECT OF A MOVEMENT-FOCUSED PRACTICE AND A BREATH-FOCUSED PRACTICE ON STRESS PARAMETERS (PERCEIVED STRESS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL) AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION (RESPONSE INHIBITION) IN YOGA NAIVE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. WHILE PARTICIPANTS OF BOTH PROGRAMS SHOWED A REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED STRESS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL, ONLY THE BREATH-FOCUSED GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION. IN ADDITION, IMPROVEMENT IN SUSTAINED ATTENTION WAS CORRELATED WITH REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED STRESS BUT NOT WITH REDUCTION IN SALIVARY CORTISOL. WE DISCUSS THESE FINDINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OUTLINING BOTTOM-UP NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND TOP-DOWN NEUROCOGNITIVE MECHANISMS HYPOTHESIZED TO BE ENGAGED BY YBP. 2018 16 1700 54 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 17 5 31 "I JUST FIND IT EASIER TO LET GO OF ANGER": REFLECTIONS ON THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA INFLUENCES HOW YOUNG PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR EMOTIONS. IN THIS ARTICLE WE DISCUSS HOW YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCED A SCHOOL-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION. WE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO HOW YOGA PROVIDES A SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH THEIR EMOTIONS. WE BASE OUR DISCUSSION ON QUALITATIVE DATA FROM YOUNG PEOPLE IN NORWAY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROJECT "HIPPOCAMPUS: PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH YOGA." THE QUALITATIVE RESULTS ARE BASED ON EXPERIENCES DESCRIBED BY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE IN INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND IN DIARIES OR LOGS. OUR DATA INCLUDE NINE INTERVIEWS PERFORMED IN THE SPRING OF 2019 WITH YOUNG PEOPLE OF NORWEGIAN AND REFUGEE BACKGROUND IN THEIR LATE TEENS AND EARLY TWENTIES. THERE WERE ALSO 133 LOGS NOTED BY THE STUDENTS EXPOSED TO THE YOGA INTERVENTION. IN THE QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, YOUNG PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOGA AND EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT, IMPROVED SLEEP HABITS, AND REGULATION. THEY ALSO REPORT IMPROVED ABILITY TO REGULATE AND COPE WITH STRESS. YOGA SEEMED ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL FOR REFUGEE TRAUMA. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON THE UTTERANCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT EMOTIONS, AS THOSE WERE QUITE DOMINANT IN OUR DATA, ESPECIALLY IN THE INTERVIEW MATERIAL. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED INSTANCES OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION, BUT ALSO OF EMOTIONAL PROCESSES AND CHANGES OF EMOTIONS, ALL OF WHICH WERE RELATED TO THESE YOUNG STUDENTS PRACTICING YOGA. THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON EMOTIONS ILLUSTRATES THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE. 2021 18 65 27 A CONCEPTUAL MODEL DESCRIBING MECHANISMS FOR HOW YOGA PRACTICE MAY SUPPORT POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. YOGA PRACTICE HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH VARIOUS INDICES OF POSITIVE EMBODIMENT IN CORRELATIONAL AND INTERVENTION STUDIES. YET, SYSTEMATIC, THEORETICALLY-GROUNDED MODELS DETAILING SPECIFIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA SUPPORTS POSITIVE EMBODIMENT ARE LACKING. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE PRESENT A CONCEPTUAL MODEL THAT DESCRIBES MECHANISMS (I.E., MEDIATORS AND MODERATORS) THAT CAN BE USED TO GUIDE RESEARCH TO HELP ANSWER HOW, FOR WHOM, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS YOGA PRACTICE MAY PROMOTE POSITIVE EMBODIMENT. BASED ON EXISTING THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS, THIS MODEL SUGGESTS THAT (A) YOGA PRACTICE MAY CULTIVATE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES DURING YOGA (E.G., STATE MINDFULNESS), (B) THESE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY BUILD STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES THAT GENERALIZE BEYOND THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., TRAIT MINDFULNESS), AND (C) THESE STABLE EMBODYING EXPERIENCES MAY THEN PROMOTE EMBODYING PRACTICES (E.G., MINDFUL SELF-CARE). THIS MEDIATIONAL CHAIN IS LIKELY MODERATED BY THE YOGA CONTEXT (E.G., INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS, PRESENCE OF MIRRORS, DIVERSITY OF BODIES REPRESENTED) AND YOGA PRACTITIONERS' SOCIAL IDENTITIES (E.G., BODY SIZE, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS), SOCIAL AND PERSONAL HISTORIES (E.G., EXPERIENCES WITH WEIGHT STIGMA AND TRAUMA), AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MOTIVES (E.G., BODY COMPARISON, APPEARANCE-FOCUSED MOTIVES TO PRACTICE YOGA). USING THE STRUCTURE OF THIS CONCEPTUAL MODEL, WE OFFER RESEARCHERS IDEAS FOR TESTABLE MODELS AND STUDY DESIGNS THAT CAN SUPPORT THEM. 2020 19 1575 27 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 1837 27 PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE VULNERABLE TO A CRITICAL PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENTAL MATURATION, FACING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC WORK, AND LEARNING HOW TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY. PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS RUNNING AND BICYCLING HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE MOOD AND RELIEVE STRESS. HOWEVER, COLLEGE STUDENTS OFTEN HAVE LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ACTIVITY THAT AFFECTS MOOD AND STRESS. HOWEVER, STUDIES EXAMINING THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE RARE IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO ESTABLISH PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS IN YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON A PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL LEVEL THAT LEADS TO DECREASED LEVELS OF STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENT. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGIC PRACTICES ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT COLLEGE SUBPOPULATIONS (E.G., OVERWEIGHT, SEDENTARY, AND SMOKERS). 2018