1 1343 139 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 2 139 28 A PROCESS EVALUATION OF THE ART OF YOGA PROJECT MENTOR PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED TEENAGE GIRLS. RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY UPON RELEASE FROM CUSTODY IS A DIFFICULT PROCESS TO NAVIGATE, AND THERE ARE SCANT RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO JUVENILE FEMALE OFFENDERS, IN PARTICULAR. COMPREHENSIVE WRAPAROUND AFTERCARE AND MENTOR SERVICES ARE A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY REENTRY, AND THE WELL-ESTABLISHED UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF JUVENILE GIRLS MAKE IT NECESSARY TO CREATE PROGRAMS CATERED SPECIFICALLY TO THEM. THE PRESENT STUDY EMPLOYED A CASE STUDY DESIGN TO DESCRIBE AND EVALUATE THE ART OF YOGA PROJECT'S MENTOR PROGRAM. EIGHT GIRLS AND THEIR MENTORS WERE FOLLOWED FOR A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS AFTER THE GIRLS' RELEASE FROM CUSTODY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS SUGGEST THAT THE PROGRAM WAS VALUABLE FOR THE GIRLS WHO PARTICIPATED. 2014 3 2002 36 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 4 196 54 A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN REENTRY. BACKGROUND: PEOPLE IN REENTRY FROM PRISON OR JAIL (RETURNING CITIZENS) LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS OFTEN EXPERIENCE NUMEROUS STRESSORS AND ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR RESUMED SUBSTANCE USE. INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED TO MANAGE STRESS AS A PATHWAY TO REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED THE EFFECT OF A HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION AS COMPARED TO TREATMENT AS USUAL ON STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG RETURNING CITIZENS LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A 12-SESSION, 90-MINUTE WEEKLY YOGA INTERVENTION OR TREATMENT AS USUAL. ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE CLIENTS OF A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR RETURNING CITIZENS THAT OFFERED CASE MANAGEMENT, HEALTH CARE, AND EDUCATIONAL CLASSES. OUTCOMES INCLUDED STRESS AS MEASURED BY THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE AT THE COMPLETION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION (THREE-MONTHS) AND SUBSTANCE USE AS MEASURED BY THE TIMELINE FOLLOWBACK AT ONE-MONTH, TWO-MONTHS, AND THREE-MONTHS. RESULTS: SEVENTY-FIVE PEOPLE WERE ENROLLED, TWO OF WHOM WERE WITHDRAWN FROM THE STUDY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE HIV. OF THE 73 REMAINING PARTICIPANTS, 85% PARTICIPATED IN THE THREE-MONTH ASSESSMENT. AT THREE-MONTHS, YOGA PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS STRESS THAN PARTICIPANTS IN TREATMENT AS USUAL [F (1,59)=9.24, P<.05]. YOGA PARTICIPANTS REPORTED LESS SUBSTANCE USE THAN PARTICIPANTS IN TREATMENT AS USUAL AT ONE-MONTH, TWO-MONTHS, AND THREE-MONTHS [X(2) (1)=11.13, P<.001]. CONCLUSION: YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR RETURNING CITIZENS LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS MAY REDUCE STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE. THIS FINDING IS TENTATIVE BECAUSE THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE AN INTERVENTION OF EQUAL TIME AND INTENSITY. 2018 5 1214 21 EXPLORING THE BENEFIT OF YOGA PROGRAMS IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A PERSPECTIVE ON THE VALUE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL SETTINGS. THE AUTHORS EXPLORE THIS TOPIC THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH TWO FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOGA PROGRAMMING WHILE INCARCERATED AND WHO WENT ON TO BECOME YOGA INSTRUCTORS THEMSELVES. ALSO EXAMINED ARE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, FOR THOSE WORKING WITHIN CARCERAL SETTINGS, AND ON CARCERAL ENVIRONMENTS GENERALLY. WE SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING YOGA PROGRAMMING IN CARCERAL INSTITUTIONS AND DISCUSS POLICY IMPLICATIONS. THE STORIES OF BOTH INTERVIEWEES REFLECT THE VALUE AND POTENTIAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAMMING WITHIN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SETTINGS AND SUGGEST THE NEED FOR SUSTAINED PROGRAMMING AND ONGOING EMPIRICAL EVALUATION. 2020 6 2494 26 YOGA AS MEDICINE: UNDERSTANDING BHUTANESE REFUGEE PERSPECTIVES ON HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE. BHUTANESE REFUGEES IN THE U.S. OFTEN STRUGGLE TO ACCESS CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTH TREATMENT. ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING HOW REFUGEES PERCEIVE THEIR HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE NEEDS. SINCE 2015, A COMMUNITY AGENCY HAS IMPLEMENTED COMMUNITY-BASED, PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUPS FOR BHUTANESE REFUGEES, WITH 17 GROUPS IN 2018-2019. THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE AGENCY'S QUALITY ASSURANCE EVALUATION THROUGH GROUP LEADER FEEDBACK, OBSERVATION REPORTS, AND FOCUS GROUPS. THE RESULTS OF 46 QUALITY ASSURANCE DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT THIS GROUP OF BHUTANESE REFUGEES PERCEIVE THEIR HEALTH THROUGH THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION, VIEWING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AS LINKED AND SUPPORTED BY YOGA, MINDFULNESS, EXERCISE, NUTRITION, AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION. 2021 7 1624 26 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 8 224 28 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 9 1812 41 PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. BACKGROUND: TRAUMA IS HIGHLY PREVALENT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INCARCERATED, IN TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE, OR SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER YOGA PRACTICE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A TRAUMA HISTORY AND MAY IMPROVE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. THUS, WE CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION OF A TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA PROGRAM TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES. METHODS: TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA CLASSES WERE LED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS AND HELD IN THREE SECTORS THAT WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS: CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. DATA WERE COLLECTED VIA ANONYMOUS SURVEY USING A RETROSPECTIVE PRE-POST DESIGN. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT CAPTURED REASONS FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF YOGA ON EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING. RESULTS: STUDENTS WERE MOTIVATED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES BY EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. STUDENTS REPORTED PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING AND GREATER USE OF SELF-REGULATION SKILLS AFTER STARTING YOGA. CONCLUSION: OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IS PERCEIVED AS BENEFICIAL BY VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OR RECOVERING FROM SUBSTANCE USE. OUR RESULTS SUPPORT THE VALUE OF OFFERING TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA IN INSTITUTIONALIZED AND COMMUNITY SETTINGS. IMPROVEMENTS IN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELLBEING WARRANT FORMAL STUDY. 2021 10 2892 16 YOGAHOME: TEACHING AND RESEARCH CHALLENGES IN A YOGA PROGRAM WITH HOMELESS ADULTS. YOGAHOME IS A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS WOMEN. DEVELOPING AND REFINING YOGAHOME PROVIDED A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE PROCESS OF TEACHING YOGA TO WOMEN FACED WITH THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STRESS OF LIVING IN A HOMELESS SHELTER. UNIQUE TEACHING AND RESEARCH CHALLENGES ARE PRESENTED AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED. 2012 11 158 22 A RADICAL RN- BS NURSING CLASS: OUTCOMES FROM AN INTEGRATIVE YOGA ELECTIVE. WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND THE KNOWN HIGH STRESS LEVELS OF NURSING STUDENTS, AS CARING NURSE EDUCATORS, WE HAVE BECOME ETHICALLY OBLIGATED TO REVISE AND RE-VISION OUR CURRENT NURSING EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES. NURSE EDUCATORS SHOULD BE MOTIVATED TO CREATE INNOVATIVE AND RADICAL CARING SCIENCE CURRICULAR APPROACHES, SO THAT OUR NURSES OF THE FUTURE ARE IN TURN SUPPORTED IN CREATING CARING- HEALING SUSTAINABLE BEDSIDE PRACTICES. THIS PAPER DETAILS THE OUTCOMES FROM AN UPPER LEVEL YOGA ELECTIVE IN AN RN- BSN PROGRAM. THE COURSE IS JUST ONE WITHIN AN INNOVATIVE HOLISTIC-INTEGRAL NURSING CURRICULUM THAT SUPPORTS NURSES IN PRACTICING SELF-CARE AS A WAY TO SUPPORT THEIR ABILITY TO CREATE CARING-HEALING MOMENTS AND SPACES FOR PATIENTS, IMPLEMENT CHANGE IN THE WORKPLACE, AND AVOID THE PERILS OF BURN-OUT RELATED TO LOW STRESS RESILIENCE, WHICH IS SO COMMON WITHIN THE NURSING PROFESSION. 2018 12 2296 17 THERAPEUTIC PROCESSES IN A YOGA ASHRAM. ALTHOUGH COMMUNAL AND NEW RELIGIOUS GROUPS ARE SAID TO PROVIDE QUASI-THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCES FOR RELATIVELY HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS IN OUR SOCIETY, THERE IS LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS OCCURS. THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE LIFESTYLE AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF A YOGA ASHRAM AND DESCRIBES HOW THEY FACILITATE PROCESSES WHERE RESIDENTS LEARN TO RELEASE AND PREVENT STRESS IN THEIR LIVES. 1985 13 623 17 DHARMA, YOGA, TANTRA. IN THE MID-20TH CENTURY, SELVARARAJAN YESUDIAN (1916-1998), WHO WAS BORN IN INDIA TO A CHRISTIAN FATHER, A PHYSICIAN, AND SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE IN SWITZERLAND, COAUTHORED (WITH ELISABETH HAICH) A BOOK ENTITLED YOGA AND HEALTH; SINCE THEN, THE COUPLING OF THESE TWO WORDS HAS LARGELY DEFINED THE MEANING OF YOGA IN THE WEST, ESPECIALLY IN PROMOTIONAL LITERATURE FOR URBAN YOGA SCHOOLS AND HEALTH-CLUB PROGRAMS. AUTHENTIC INDIAN TRADITIONS HAVE INDEED AFFIRMED THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFIT OF YOGA, BUT THEY HAVE CONSISTENTLY SEEN YOGA AS A "THERAPY OF THE SOUL," A WAY OF "QUIETING THE AGITATIONS OF THE HEART," TO THE END OF PERCEIVING THE ULTIMATE WITHIN THE SOUL AND, IN RELIGIOUS TERMS, OF REALIZING UNION WITH GOD. THIS PAPER WILL EXAMINE SOME CLASSICAL YOGA TEXTS IN RELATION TO SPIRITUAL REMEDIES FOR SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND OTHER FORMS OF ADDICTION AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY. 2013 14 1648 26 MOVING OUT OF YOUR MIND AND INTO YOUR BODY: YOGA BUFFERS THE EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT ON PTSD SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY LINKED TO POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) SYMPTOMS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOGA MAY BUFFER THE EFFECTS. THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED THE FREQUENCY OF COLLEGE STUDENT'S YOGA PRACTICE OVER THE PAST YEAR AS A MODERATOR OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT AND PTSD SYMPTOMS IN THE PAST 30 DAYS. PARTICIPANTS: A SAMPLE OF 177 COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM A SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS COMPETED AN ONLINE SURVEY IN EXCHANGE FOR EXTRA CREDIT OR ENTRY INTO A GIFT CARD RAFFLE. RESULTS: MODERATION ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT A MORE FREQUENT YOGA PRACTICE BUFFERED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MALTREATMENT AND PTSD SYMPTOMS. CONCLUSION: CLINICIANS WORKING WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH A HISTORY OF MALTREATMENT ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE REFERRALS TO YOGA CLASSES. UNIVERSITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADOPT TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YOGA PROGRAMS. 2022 15 1502 14 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 16 1733 19 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 17 64 20 A COMPUTER VISION-BASED YOGA POSE GRADING APPROACH USING CONTRASTIVE SKELETON FEATURE REPRESENTATIONS. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF YOGA POSE GRADING IS TO ASSESS THE INPUT YOGA POSE AND COMPARE IT TO A STANDARD POSE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION AS A GRADE. IN THIS PAPER, A COMPUTER VISION-BASED YOGA POSE GRADING APPROACH IS PROPOSED USING CONTRASTIVE SKELETON FEATURE REPRESENTATIONS. FIRST, THE PROPOSED APPROACH EXTRACTS HUMAN BODY SKELETON KEYPOINTS FROM THE INPUT YOGA POSE IMAGE AND THEN FEEDS THEIR COORDINATES INTO A POSE FEATURE ENCODER, WHICH IS TRAINED USING CONTRASTIVE TRIPLET EXAMPLES; FINALLY, A COMPARISON OF SIMILAR ENCODED POSE FEATURES IS MADE. FURTHERMORE, TO TACKLE THE INHERENT CHALLENGE OF COMPOSING CONTRASTIVE EXAMPLES IN POSE FEATURE ENCODING, THIS PAPER PROPOSES A NEW STRATEGY TO USE BOTH A COARSE TRIPLET EXAMPLE-COMPRISED OF AN ANCHOR, A POSITIVE EXAMPLE FROM THE SAME CATEGORY, AND A NEGATIVE EXAMPLE FROM A DIFFERENT CATEGORY, AND A FINE TRIPLET EXAMPLE-COMPRISED OF AN ANCHOR, A POSITIVE EXAMPLE, AND A NEGATIVE EXAMPLE FROM THE SAME CATEGORY WITH DIFFERENT POSE QUALITIES. EXTENSIVE EXPERIMENTS ARE CONDUCTED USING TWO BENCHMARK DATASETS TO DEMONSTRATE THE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF THE PROPOSED APPROACH. 2021 18 401 13 BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA. CONTEXT: THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA, WHILE SYSTEMATIC, IS OFTEN INEFFECTIVE. METHODS: A UNIQUE APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR A YOGA TEACHER TRAINING SEMINAR IS PRESENTED, FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THOMAS MYERS' ANATOMY TRAINS. LAB ACTIVITIES ARE DETAILED AND BLOOM'S TAXONOMY IS APPLIED TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN HIGHER LEVEL THINKING AND APPLICATION. CONCLUSION: GOING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO TEACHING ANATOMY FOR YOGA CAN BE EXTREMELY REWARDING FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE. 2015 19 561 30 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 20 238 19 A THERAPY TO LIVE BY: PUBLIC HEALTH, THE SELF AND NATIONALISM IN THE PRACTICE OF A NORTH INDIAN YOGA SOCIETY. IN THIS ARTICLE I FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCEPTS OF SELF AND HEALTH IN MODERN NORTH INDIA. DRAWING ON FIELD RESEARCH IN A POPULAR YOGA SOCIETY, I ARGUE THAT YOGA THERAPY, AS PRACTICED BY THE BHARATIYA YOG SANSTHAN OF DELHI, PROVIDES A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF WHAT CAN BE MEANT BY PUBLIC HEALTH. USING STUDIES THAT CHALLENGE BOTH THE ESSENTIALIST AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL FACTICITY OF THE SELF, I SHOW HOW THE DISCOURSE AND PRACTICE OF YOGA IS IMPLICATED IN, AND DERIVED FROM, A COMPLEX SEARCH FOR SELF DEFINITION IN TERMS OF HEALTH; HEALTH WHICH IS CONCEIVED OF AS A PUBLIC REGIMEN THAT SEEKS TO RECONNECT THAT WHICH MODERNITY HAS BROKEN APART: MIND AND BODY. 1997