1 1837 87 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 2 2294 20 THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR COMMON PRIMARY CARE CONDITIONS. INTRODUCTION: YOGA IS A POPULAR FORM OF EXERCISE THAT USES BODY POSTURES, MEDITATION, AND BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: OUR GOAL FOR THIS REVIEW IS TO ORIENT HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO THE EVIDENCE-BASED USES OF YOGA MOST RELEVANT TO PRIMARY CARE. WE CONDUCTED A PUBMED SEARCH THAT INCLUDED META-ANALYSES, REVIEWS, SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS, AND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS. RESULTS: RESULTS WERE LIMITED TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND PUBLICATION BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020. YOGA WAS FOUND TO HELP DECREASE HYPERTENSION, RELIEVE BACK PAIN, PROMOTE OVERALL WELL-BEING, AND IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A RELATIVELY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR PATIENTS INTERESTED IN THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE CHANGE TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING AND TO HELP MANAGE HYPERTENSION, BACK PAIN, AND OVERALL MENTAL HEALTH. 2021 3 1721 19 PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF MEDIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION-AN INTERVIEW STUDY. OBJECTIVES: WE INVESTIGATED THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF A THERAPEUTIC YOGA FORM, MEDIYOGA, WHICH IS EVOLVED FROM KUNDALINIYOGA AMONG PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC PAROXYSMAL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (PAF). DESIGN AND SETTING: AN INDUCTIVE EXPLORATORY DESIGN WAS CHOSEN WITH INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH 12 PARTICIPANTS (7 MEN AND 5 WOMEN, AVERAGE AGE 63.5) AT A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, SWEDEN. INFORMED CONSENT WAS OBTAINED FROM ALL PARTICIPANTS. THE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING A QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS WITH AN INDUCTIVE METHOD AND A MANIFEST APPROACH. RESULTS: THREE CATEGORIES WERE FOUND IN THE ANALYSIS. IN THE CATEGORY "A TIME FOR A SENSE OF EXISTENCE AND PRESENCE", THE PATIENTS DESCRIBED AN INCREASED THOUGHTFULNESS AND EXPERIENCES OF GAINING ACCESS TO AN INNER SELF. THE CATEGORY "A WAY OF GAINING WELL-BEING AND INCREASED CONSCIOUSNESS" DESCRIBES PATIENTS` FEELINGS OF RELAXATION AND FEELING OF COMFORT, WITH COMPONENTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. FURTHERMORE, "ACCESS TO A TOOL TO GAIN WILLPOWER AND RELIEVE SYMPTOMS" DESCRIBES THE PERCEPTIONS FROM PATIENTS TO OBTAINED ACCESS TO A TOOL FOR HANDLING THE EMOTIONS, SUCH AS FEAR AND ANXIETY, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS THAT THEY COULD STRUGGLING WITH BETWEEN, AND DURING, THEIR EPISODES OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED BY THE YOGA GROUP, DURING THE STUDY. CONCLUSIONS: PATIENTS WITH PAF DESCRIBED MEDIYOGA AS AN ACCESSIBLE TOOL TO MANAGE EMOTIONS AND SYMPTOMS RELATED TO EPISODES OF AF. MEDIYOGA MAY ALSO ASSIST IN ENHANCING BODY AWARENESS, WHEREBY PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL COMPONENTS ARE INTEGRATED. MEDIYOGA MAY STRENGTHEN SELF-MANAGEMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH PAF. 2018 4 2512 24 YOGA BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND LONGEVITY. YOGA BREATHING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HEALTH AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES IN INDO-TIBETAN TRADITIONS. CONSIDERED FUNDAMENTAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, MEDITATION, AWARENESS, AND ENLIGHTENMENT, IT IS BOTH A FORM OF MEDITATION IN ITSELF AND A PREPARATION FOR DEEP MEDITATION. YOGA BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) CAN RAPIDLY BRING THE MIND TO THE PRESENT MOMENT AND REDUCE STRESS. IN THIS PAPER, WE REVIEW DATA INDICATING HOW BREATH WORK CAN AFFECT LONGEVITY MECHANISMS IN SOME WAYS THAT OVERLAP WITH MEDITATION AND IN OTHER WAYS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM, BUT THAT SYNERGISTICALLY ENHANCE, THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION. WE ALSO PROVIDE CLINICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF YOGA BREATHING IN THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, AND FOR VICTIMS OF MASS DISASTERS. BY INDUCING STRESS RESILIENCE, BREATH WORK ENABLES US TO RAPIDLY AND COMPASSIONATELY RELIEVE MANY FORMS OF SUFFERING. 2009 5 2619 22 YOGA FOR STRESS REDUCTION AND INJURY PREVENTION AT WORK. AT WORK EMPLOYEES FACE NUMEROUS PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSORS THAT CAN UNDERMINE THEIR WORK PERFORMANCE. THESE STRESSORS, STEMMING FROM A VARIETY OF POSSIBLE CAUSES, HAVE ENORMOUS HEALTH AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS ON EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS EMPLOYERS. STRESS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE ONE OF THE FACTORS LEADING TO MUSCULO-SKELETAL DISORDERS (MSDS) SUCH AS: INCLUDE BACK PAIN, CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, SHOULDER OR NECK TENSION, EYE STRAIN, OR HEADACHES. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT FORM OF EXERCISE THAT CAN REDUCE STRESS AND RELIEVE MUSCULAR TENSION OR PAIN. PRACTICING YOGA AT THE WORKPLACE TEACHES EMPLOYEES TO USE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE STRESS AND RISKS OF INJURY ON THE JOB. YOGA AT THE WORKPLACE IS A CONVENIENT AND PRACTICAL OUTLET THAT IMPROVES WORK PERFORMANCE BY RELIEVING TENSION AND JOB STRESS. 2002 6 2299 28 THERAPEUTIC YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND MECHANISMS. CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN (CNNP), WHICH IS NECK PAIN IN THE ABSENCE OF ATTRIBUTABLE STRUCTURAL AND NEUROLOGICAL FINDINGS, IS OFTEN CHALLENGING FOR MEDICAL AND REHABILITATION PROFESSIONALS TO TREAT. CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS SUCH AS MEDICATIONS AND PHYSICAL THERAPY OFTEN FAIL TO PROVIDE LASTING RELIEF, WHICH LEADS PATIENTS TO PURSUE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA. THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES THE EVIDENCE FROM NINE STUDIES, INCLUDING FOUR RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A SUPERVISED YOGA PROGRAM MAY DECREASE PAIN INTENSITY, DISABILITY, AND MOOD SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS WITH CNNP. CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE (BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL) MAY ALSO IMPROVE WITH YOGA INTERVENTION, ALTHOUGH THIS IS LESS CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES. EVIDENCE OF YOGA'S SUPERIORITY TO OTHER EXERCISE-BASED PRACTICES SUCH AS PILATES WAS CONFLICTING. ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA, SUCH AS EXACERBATION OF NECK PAIN, WERE RELATIVELY UNCOMMON, MINOR, AND OFTEN TRANSIENT. THIS ARTICLE ALSO COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CNNP, THERAPEUTIC MECHANISMS OF YOGA, AND LIMITATIONS IN THE EVIDENCE (INCLUDING RISK-OF-BIAS ASSESSMENT). FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD ATTEMPT TO: (1) COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT LINEAGES OF YOGA FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CNNP, (2) DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL LENGTH AND DURATION OF THESE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, (3) BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA, (4) COMPARE YOGA TO OTHER EXERCISE- AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PRACTICES, (5) EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON SLEEP IN THE CNNP POPULATION, AND (6) EXPLORE THE APPLICABILITY/EFFICACY OF VIRTUAL YOGA INSTRUCTION. 2022 7 2842 17 YOGA, BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA AND WELL-BEING: A DESCRIPTIVE REPORT OF WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN A CLINICAL TRIAL. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN TAKING PART IN A YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL FOR BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA. BACKGROUND: AROUND 20% OF WOMEN WILL EXPERIENCE LYMPHOEDEMA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER. SPECIALIST LYMPHOEDEMA CLEARING, ALONG WITH SELF-MANAGEMENT, REMAINS THE MAINSTAY OF THERAPY. YOGA, AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE, MAY PROVIDE ANOTHER TOOL TO AUGMENT SELF-MANAGEMENT. DESIGN: A QUALITATIVE, DESCRIPTIVE DESIGN. METHODS: INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 15 WOMEN WITH STAGE ONE BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA WHO HAD COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION TRIAL. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF A WEEKLY TEACHER-LED 1.5-HR YOGA CLASS AND A DAILY HOME PRACTICE USING A 45-MIN DVD. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO-TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED. THESE DATA WERE THEN ANALYSED USING AN ITERATIVE-THEMATIC APPROACH. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVED WELL-BEING, INCREASED AWARENESS OF THEIR PHYSICAL BODY AS WELL AS IMPROVED PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. THEY GAINED FROM BEING PART OF THE YOGA GROUP THAT ALSO PROVIDED A FORUM FOR THEM TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES. NINE WOMEN FELT EMPOWERED TO DESCRIBE THEIR YOGA PARTICIPATION AS A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY THROUGH ILLNESS. CONCLUSION: WHEN SAFE TO DO SO, THE HOLISTIC PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY AUGMENT AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT TO CURRENT SELF-MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT PRACTICES FOR WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA MAY SEEK ADVICE AND GUIDANCE FROM NURSES AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS ON A RANGE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES TO HELP RELIEVE SYMPTOMS AND PROMOTE RECOVERY. PATIENTS WHO CHOOSE TO AUGMENT THEIR TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHOEDEMA BY PRACTICING YOGA SHOULD BE CAREFULLY ASSESSED, BE TAUGHT AN APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUE BY A QUALIFIED YOGA TEACHER/THERAPIST AND ITS IMPACT MONITORED BY THEIR YOGA TEACHER/THERAPIST, BREAST CARE NURSE, LYMPHOEDEMA THERAPIST OR TREATING CLINICIAN. 2017 8 1074 29 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN: A PRISMA SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. BACKGROUND: CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC NECK PAIN (CNNP) HAS A HIGH PREVALENCE AND IS MORE COMMON AMONG YOUNGER PEOPLE. CLINICAL PRACTICE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN RELIEVING CHRONIC PAIN. OBJECTIVES: THIS META-ANALYSIS AIMED TO QUANTITATIVELY SUMMARIZE THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR TREATING CNNP. DATA SOURCES: WE SEARCHED FOR TRIALS IN THE ELECTRONIC DATABASES FROM THEIR INCEPTION TO JANUARY 2019. ENGLISH DATABASES INCLUDING PUBMED, MEDLINE, COCHRANE LIBRARY, EMBASE, SCOPUS, THE COCHRANE CENTRAL REGISTER OF CONTROLLED TRIALS, AND IND MED; CHINESE DATABASES INCLUDING CHINA NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE INFRASTRUCTURE (CNKI), WANFANG DATABASE, AND VIP INFORMATION. WE ALSO CONDUCTED A MANUAL SEARCH OF KEY JOURNALS AND THE REFERENCE LISTS OF ELIGIBLE PAPERS TO IDENTIFY ANY POTENTIALLY RELEVANT STUDIES WE MAY HAVE MISSED. WE PLACED NO LIMITATIONS ON LANGUAGE OR DATE OF PUBLICATION. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: WE INCLUDED ONLY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS) AND Q-RCTS EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON PATIENTS WITH CNNP. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES FOR THIS REVIEW WERE PAIN AND DISABILITY, AND THE SECONDARY OUTCOMES WERE CERVICAL RANGE OF MOTION (CROM), QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), AND MOOD. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: TRAILS THAT EXAMINED THE CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF YOGA INTERVENTION IN ADULTS WITH CNNP COMPARED WITH THOSE OF OTHER THERAPIES EXCEPT YOGA (E.G., EXERCISE, PILATES, USUAL CARE, ET AL) WERE INCLUDED. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: COCHRANE RISK-OF-BIAS CRITERIA WERE USED TO ASSESS THE METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY, AND REVMAN 5.3 SOFTWARE WAS USED TO CONDUCT THE META-ANALYSIS. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 10 TRIALS (N = 686) COMPARING YOGA AND INTERVENTIONS OTHER THAN YOGA WERE INCLUDED IN THE META-ANALYSIS. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT YOGA HAD A POSITIVE EFFECTS ON NECK PAIN INTENSITY (TOTAL EFFECT: SMD = -1.13, 95% CI [-1.60, -0.66], Z = 4.75, P < .00001), NECK PAIN-RELATED FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY (TOTAL EFFECT: SMD = -0.92, 95% CI [-1.38, -0.47], Z = 3.95, P < .0001), CROM (TOTAL EFFECT: SMD = 1.22, 95% CI [0.87, 1.57], Z = 6.83, P < .00001), QOL (TOTAL EFFECT: MD = 3.46, 95% CI [0.75, 6.16], Z = 2.51, P = .01), AND MOOD (TOTAL EFFECT: SMD = -0.61, 95% CI [-0.95, -0.27], Z = 3.53, P = .0004). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAKE A COMPREHENSIVE SUMMARY OF ALL THE EVIDENCE DUE TO THE DIFFERENT SESSION AND DURATION OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND THE DIFFERENT OUTCOME MEASUREMENT TOOLS IN THE STUDY, WE DRAW A VERY CAUTIOUS CONCLUSION THAT YOGA CAN RELIEVE NECK PAIN INTENSITY, IMPROVE PAIN-RELATED FUNCTION DISABILITY, INCREASE CROM, IMPROVE QOL, AND BOOST MOOD. THIS SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MIGHT BE AN IMPORTANT ALTERNATIVE IN THE TREATMENT OF CNNP. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: DETAILS OF THE PROTOCOL FOR THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS WERE REGISTERED ON PROSPERO AND CAN BE ACCESSED AT WWW.CRD.YORK.AC.UK/PROSPERO/DISPLAY_RECORD.ASP?ID=CRD42018108992. 2019 9 1737 24 PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA-BASED APPROACHES FOR PREGNANCY-RELATED LOW BACK AND PELVIC PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO CONDUCT AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW TO EVALUATE CURRENT LITERATURE ABOUT NONPHARMACOLOGIC, EASILY ACCESSIBLE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR PREGNANCY-RELATED LOW BACK AND PELVIC PAIN (PR-LBPP). DATA SOURCES: PUBMED, CINAHL, COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. STUDY SELECTION: ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLES WERE CONSIDERED FOR REVIEW IF THEY WERE FULL-LENGTH PUBLICATIONS WRITTEN IN ENGLISH AND PUBLISHED IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS FROM 2005 THROUGH 2015, INCLUDED MEASURES OF PAIN AND SYMPTOMS RELATED TO PR-LBPP, AND EVALUATED TREATMENT MODALITIES THAT USED A PHYSICAL EXERCISE OR YOGA-BASED APPROACH FOR THE DESCRIBED CONDITIONS. DATA EXTRACTION: ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCHES YIELDED 1,435 ARTICLES. A TOTAL OF 15 ARTICLES MET ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR FURTHER REVIEW. DATA SYNTHESIS: THESE MODALITIES SHOW PRELIMINARY PROMISE FOR PAIN RELIEF AND OTHER RELATED SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING STRESS AND DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, OUR FINDINGS ALSO INDICATE SEVERAL GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THESE THERAPIES FOR PR-LBPP AND METHODOLOGIC ISSUES WITH THE CURRENT LITERATURE. CONCLUSION: ALTHOUGH ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS REQUIRED, THE RESULTS OF THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW SUGGEST THAT CLINICIANS MAY CONSIDER RECOMMENDING NONPHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT OPTIONS, SUCH AS GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS, FOR PR-LBPP AND RELATED SYMPTOMS. 2017 10 2427 16 YOGA AND OTHER MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT THERAPIES TO REDUCE CHRONIC PAIN. CLINICAL QUESTION: IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN, DO YOGA AND OTHER MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT THERAPIES TO IMPROVEMENT IN CHRONIC PAIN SYMPTOMS? ANSWER: YES. HOWEVER, IN EACH OF THE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA CLASSES WERE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE PAIN MANAGEMENT REGIME, SOMETIMES ALONE AND SOMETIMES IN TANDEM WITH DVDS OR AUDIOTAPES. WE FEEL THAT NO EXERCISE THERAPY PROGRAM SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL COACHING FROM CERTIFIED, REGISTERED AND QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS. DATE ANSWER WAS DETERMINED: AUGUST 2014, JUNE, 2015, AUGUST 2015. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE FOR THE ANSWER: A. SEARCH TERMS: CHRONIC PAIN, YOGA, EXERCISE THERAPY, MEDITATIVE MOVEMENT THERAPY. INCLUSION CRITERIA: ADULTS; META-ANALYSES; SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS; COHORT STUDIES; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS; PRACTICE GUIDELINES; ARTICLES FROM 2010 TO PRESENT. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE, PILATES. 2017 11 2170 26 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS. STRESS AND ANXIETY HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED AS CONTRIBUTORS TO MANY CHRONIC DISEASES AND TO DECREASED QUALITY OF LIFE, EVEN WITH PHARMACOLOGIC TREATMENT. EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO FIND NON-PHARMACOLOGIC THERAPIES TO RELIEVE STRESS AND ANXIETY, AND YOGA IS ONE OPTION FOR WHICH RESULTS ARE PROMISING. THE FOCUS OF THIS REVIEW IS ON THE RESULTS OF HUMAN TRIALS ASSESSING THE ROLE OF YOGA IN IMPROVING THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. OF 35 TRIALS ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ANXIETY AND STRESS, 25 NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WHEN A YOGA REGIMEN WAS IMPLEMENTED; HOWEVER, MANY OF THE STUDIES WERE ALSO HINDERED BY LIMITATIONS, SUCH AS SMALL STUDY POPULATIONS, LACK OF RANDOMIZATION, AND LACK OF A CONTROL GROUP. FOURTEEN OF THE 35 STUDIES REPORTED BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT YIELDED INCONSISTENT SUPPORT OF YOGA FOR RELIEF OF STRESS AND ANXIETY. EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT PRIMARY LITERATURE IS SUGGESTIVE OF BENEFITS OF YOGA IN RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY, BUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP USING LARGE, WELL-DEFINED POPULATIONS, ADEQUATE CONTROLS, RANDOMIZATION AND LONG DURATION SHOULD BE EXPLORED BEFORE RECOMMENDING YOGA AS A TREATMENT OPTION. 2012 12 1069 29 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH: A SHORT SUMMARY OF REVIEWS. THIS REPORT SUMMARIZES THE CURRENT EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, BY FOCUSSING ON THE EVIDENCE DESCRIBED IN REVIEW ARTICLES. COLLECTIVELY, THESE REVIEWS SUGGEST A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE YOGA MAY WELL BE BENEFICIAL, BUT MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF THEM TO FIRMLY ESTABLISH SUCH BENEFITS. THE HETEROGENEITY AMONG INTERVENTIONS AND CONDITIONS STUDIED HAS HAMPERED THE USE OF META-ANALYSIS AS AN APPROPRIATE TOOL FOR SUMMARIZING THE CURRENT LITERATURE. NEVERTHELESS, THERE ARE SOME META-ANALYSES WHICH INDICATE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS (RCT'S) OF RELATIVELY HIGH QUALITY INDICATING BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA FOR PAIN-ASSOCIATED DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA MAY WELL BE EFFECTIVE AS A SUPPORTIVE ADJUNCT TO MITIGATE SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS, BUT NOT YET A PROVEN STAND-ALONE, CURATIVE TREATMENT. LARGER-SCALE AND MORE RIGOROUS RESEARCH WITH HIGHER METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY AND ADEQUATE CONTROL INTERVENTIONS IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED BECAUSE YOGA MAY HAVE POTENTIAL TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS A BENEFICIAL SUPPORTIVE/ADJUNCT TREATMENT THAT IS RELATIVELY COST-EFFECTIVE, MAY BE PRACTICED AT LEAST IN PART AS A SELF-CARE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT, PROVIDES A LIFE-LONG BEHAVIOURAL SKILL, ENHANCES SELF-EFFICACY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AND IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL POSITIVE SIDE EFFECTS. 2012 13 495 20 COMBATING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC THROUGH YOGA: RECOMMENDATION FROM AN OVERVIEW. GLOBALLY, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IS BEING AFFECTED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. GIVEN THE FACT THAT NUMEROUS SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS ALREADY EXIST ON YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH, IT BECOMES VITAL TO UNDERTAKE AN OVERVIEW ON THE SAME. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE OVERVIEW WAS TO SUMMARISE THE EVIDENCE FROM DIFFERENT SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS OF DISTINCT YOGA INTERVENTIONS USED TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOMMEND YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE SAME. THE PROTOCOL WAS REGISTERED ON PROSPERO (CRD42020185221). MEDLINE VIA PUBMED, COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR WERE SEARCHED FOR RELEVANT LITERATURE. SEARCH TERMS USED WERE "YOGA PRACTICE, MENTAL HEALTH AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW". REVIEWS FROM EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE TILL MAY 2020, INCLUDING THOSE EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF ANY SINGLE OR COMBINATION OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH REPORTED ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND ADULTS WERE SELECTED. THE ASSESSMENT OF MULTIPLE SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (AMSTAR) TOOL WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE OF THE INCLUDED REVIEWS. OUT OF THE 90 REVIEWS FOUND, EIGHT UNIQUE REVIEWS WERE SELECTED FOR THE OVERVIEW. OVERALL, 243 STUDIES WERE ANALYZED, WITH AN OVERLAP OF ONLY 6 STUDIES ACROSS THE REVIEWS. OUT OF 8 REVIEWS, ONLY 2 WERE OF HIGH QUALITY AND THE REST WERE OF MODERATE QUALITY. OWING TO HETEROGENEITY OF THE INCLUDED STUDIES, ONLY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS WAS POSSIBLE. THE RESULTS OF THE REVIEW INDICATE MODERATE TO POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH PARAMETERS. PRACTICING YOGA (PHYSICAL POSTURES, BHRAMARY PRANAYAM, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, SAHAJ YOGA AND LAUGHTER THERAPY) CAN BE BENEFICIAL TO IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2021 14 2567 20 YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY: A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED RESEARCH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST IN THE USE OF YOGA AS WAY TO MANAGE OR TREAT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. YOGA IS AFFORD- ABLE, APPEALING, AND ACCESSIBLE FOR MANY PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE COGNITIVE/AFFECTIVE AND BIOLOGIC MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA COULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THERE IS INDEED PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL FOR THESE PROBLEMS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL ONGOING LARGER-SCALE RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS. THE CURRENT EVIDENCE BASE IS STRONGEST FOR YOGA AS EFFICACIOUS IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS OF UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE RISKS TO ENGAGING IN YOGA AS WELL. HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN HELP PATIENTS EVALUATE WHETHER A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA CLASS IS HELPFUL AND SAFE FOR THEM. 2016 15 1142 23 EFFICACY, FEASIBILITY, AND ACCEPTABILITY OF PERINATAL YOGA ON WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: PERINATAL MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AFFECTS 20% OF WOMEN, WHILE PERINATAL ANXIETY AFFECTS 10% OF WOMEN. ALTHOUGH PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT HAS SHOWN EFFECTIVENESS, MANY PREGNANT WOMEN ARE CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE FETUS, MATERNAL-INFANT BONDING, AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT. APPROXIMATELY 38% OF AMERICAN ADULTS USE COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, INCLUDING YOGA AND OTHER MIND-BODY STRATEGIES. ALTHOUGH COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HAS BEEN LESS STUDIED IN THE PERINATAL POPULATION, IT POTENTIALLY OFFERS WOMEN AND THEIR PROVIDERS ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL MEDICATION FOR TREATMENT OF PERINATAL DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THUS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW WAS TO EXAMINE EXISTING EMPIRICAL LITERATURE ON YOGA AND ITS EFFECTS ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD. METHOD: FOLLOWING PRISMA (PREFERRED REPORTING ITEMS FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSES) GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMIC LITERATURE REVIEWS, LITERATURE SEARCHES USING RELEVANT SEARCH TERMS WERE PERFORMED IN FOUR MAJOR ELECTRONIC DATABASES: CINAHL, PUBMED, PSYCINFO, AND EMBASE. THIRTEEN PUBLICATIONS MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATED THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE GENERALLY EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN. DISCUSSION: THE USE OF YOGA IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD SHOWS PROMISE IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING FOR WOMEN AND INFANTS. THIS REVIEW CAN INFORM FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES AND CLINICAL PRACTICE WITH THE PERINATAL POPULATION. 2016 16 536 27 COMPARISON OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: PROTOCOL FOR THE YOGA EXERCISE SELF-CARE (YES) TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT CONDITIONS AFFLICTING AMERICAN ADULTS, IS THE LEADING REASON FOR USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) THERAPIES. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR "MIND-BODY" CAM THERAPY OFTEN USED FOR RELIEVING BACK PAIN AND SEVERAL SMALL STUDIES HAVE FOUND YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR THIS CONDITION. THIS STUDY WILL ASSESS WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN COMPARED WITH SELF CARE AND EXERCISE AND WILL EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OBSERVED BENEFITS. METHODS/DESIGN: A TOTAL OF 210 PARTICIPANTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN LASTING AT LEAST 3 MONTHS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM PRIMARY CARE CLINICS OF A LARGE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BASED IN SEATTLE. THEY WILL BE RANDOMIZED IN A 2:2:1 RATIO TO RECEIVE 12 WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES, 12 WEEKLY CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE CLASSES OF COMPARABLE PHYSICAL EXERTION, OR A SELF-CARE BOOK. INTERVIEWERS MASKED TO PARTICIPANTS' TREATMENT GROUP WILL ASSESS OUTCOMES AT BASELINE AND 6, 12 AND 26 WEEKS AFTER RANDOMIZATION. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WILL BE BACK-RELATED DYSFUNCTION AND SYMPTOM BOTHERSOMENESS. IN ADDITION, DATA WILL BE COLLECTED ON PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS (E.G., FLEXION) AT BASELINE AND 12 WEEKS AND SALIVA SAMPLES WILL BE OBTAINED AT BASELINE, 6 AND 12 WEEKS. INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED ON SPECIFIC PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS TO ALLOW EXPLORATION OF POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION THROUGH WHICH YOGA COULD RELIEVE BACK PAIN AND DYSFUNCTION. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA WILL BE ASSESSED USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (USING GENERAL ESTIMATING EQUATIONS - GEE) WITHIN AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT CONTEXT. IF YOGA IS FOUND EFFECTIVE, FURTHER ANALYSES WILL EXPLORE WHETHER YOGA'S BENEFITS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND/OR PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE THE CLEAREST EVIDENCE TO DATE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, AND IF THE RESULTS ARE POSITIVE, WILL HELP FOCUS FUTURE, MORE IN-DEPTH, RESEARCH ON THE MOST PROMISING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION IDENTIFIED BY THIS STUDY. 2010 17 912 26 EFFECTIVENESS OF IYENGAR YOGA IN TREATING SPINAL (BACK AND NECK) PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT IN HEALTH CARE IS USED FOR TREATMENTS OF LIFESTYLE RELATED, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, WHICH COME FROM BEHAVIORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF THE POPULATION. BACK AND NECK PAIN ARE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS IN MODERN SOCIETY THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT COST IN HEALTH CARE. YOGA, AS A BRANCH OF COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, HAS EMERGED AND IS SHOWING TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AGAINST NONSPECIFIC SPINAL PAIN. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN POSITIVE OUTCOME OF YOGA IN GENERAL ON REDUCING PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY OF THE SPINE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO CONDUCT A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EXISTING RESEARCH WITHIN IYENGAR YOGA METHOD AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS ON RELIEVING BACK AND NECK PAIN (DEFINED AS SPINAL PAIN). DATABASE RESEARCH FORM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES (COCHRANE LIBRARY, NCBI PUBMED, THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY OF THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, EMBASE, CINAHL, AND PSYCHINFO) DEMONSTRATED INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA THAT SELECTED ONLY IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTIONS, WHICH IN TURN, IDENTIFIED SIX RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS DEDICATED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR BACK AND NECK PAIN VERSUS OTHER CARE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GROUPS ON THE POSTINTERVENTION PAIN OR FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY INTENSITY ASSESSMENT WAS, IN ALL SIX STUDIES, FAVORING THE YOGA GROUP, WHICH PROJECTED A DECREASE IN BACK AND NECK PAIN. OVERALL SIX STUDIES WITH 570 PATIENTS SHOWED, THAT IYENGAR YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS FOR BOTH BACK AND NECK PAIN IN COMPARISON TO CONTROL GROUPS. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOUND STRONG EVIDENCE FOR SHORT-TERM EFFECTIVENESS, BUT LITTLE EVIDENCE FOR LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR CHRONIC SPINE PAIN IN THE PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES. 2015 18 262 76 ACUTE AND CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF VINYASA YOGA ON AFFECT AND STRESS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN AN EIGHT-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE VULNERABLE TO A CRITICAL PERIOD IN DEVELOPMENTAL MATURATION, FACING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC WORK AND LEARNING HOW TO FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY. WESTERN AEROBIC EXERCISE (WAE), SUCH AS RUNNING AND BICYCLING, HAS 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 PRACTICE THAT MAY AFFECT MOOD AND STRESS. HOWEVER, RIGOROUS STUDIES EXAMINING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE RARE IN PEERREVIEWED WESTERN JOURNALS. THE AIM OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO ESTABLISH PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE FOR THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF VINYASA YOGA ON AFFECT AND STRESS IN YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE STUDENTS. METHODS: TWENTY HEALTHY COLLEGE STUDENTS AGE 18 YEARS AND OLDER WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PILOT STUDY. PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A VINYASA YOGA CLASS AT A LOCAL STUDIO TWICE WEEKLY FOR 8 WEEKS. AFFECT AND STRESS WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA SESSION. MEASURES INCLUDED THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECTIVE SCHEDULE (PANAS) AND THE COHEN PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE. RESULTS: POSITIVE AFFECT SCORES INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.05) FOR 14 OF THE 16 YOGA SESSIONS (MEAN INCREASE = 23.2%). NEGATIVE AFFECT DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM PRE- TO POSTYOGA (P < 0.05) FOR 15 OF THE 16 SESSIONS (MEAN DECREASE = 22%). REPEATED MEASURES ANOVAS EXAMINING PRE-POST COMPOSITE SCORES ACROSS ALL 8 WEEKS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PANAS, BUT NOT STRESS SCORES. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE IMPROVEMENTS IN AFFECT IN A YOUNG-ADULT COLLEGE POPULATION. FUTURE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT COLLEGE SUB-POPULATIONS (E.G., EATING DISORDERED, OVERWEIGHT/OBESE, SEDENTARY, AND SMOKERS). 2014 19 1300 25 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 20 1767 23 POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA IN PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND IMPLICATIONS FOR WORKING WOMEN. BACKGROUND: PREGNANCY IS A VULNERABLE PERIOD OF GROWTH AND ENRICHMENT ALONG WITH MANY PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGES. THESE CHANGES CAN LEAD TO COMPLICATIONS IF COMPOUNDED BY EXTERNAL STRESS AND ANXIETY. COVID-19 HAS EMERGED AS A CHIEF STRESSOR AMONG THE GENERAL POPULATION AND IS A SERIOUS THREAT AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS, SUCH AS YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES, BOTH AT HOME AND AT WORK. THESE CAN BE ADOPTED DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE AND COMPILE LITERATURE THAT HAS REPORTED THE HEALTH OUTCOMES OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON PREGNANCY AT THE WORKPLACE AND ANALYZES BOTH THE RESTRICTIONS AS WELL AS ADVANTAGES OF ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN COMPARISON TO PHYSICAL EXERCISES. METHODOLOGY: A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED UTILIZING PUBMED AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR. THE KEYWORDS USED FOR THE SEARCH INCLUDE "YOGA", "WORK", "COMPLICATIONS", "PHYSICAL EXERCISE", "DRUGS" AND "COVID" INDIFFERENT PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS WITH "PREGNANCY". WE COMPILED THE LITERATURE WITH RESPECT TO PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS AND THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA FOR PREVENTING THESE COMPLICATIONS. RESULTS: WE NOTED THAT PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT BECAUSE OF A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE, RESTRICTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND GROWING STRESS. IN SUCH SITUATIONS, A HOME OR WORKPLACE YOGA PROTOCOL CAN COMBINE BOTH EXERCISE AND MINDFULNESS-BASED ALLEVIATION OF ANXIETY FOR BOTH WORKING AND NON-WORKING WOMEN. CONCLUSION: YOGA CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR COMBATING STRESS AND ANXIETY BESIDES BOOSTING IMMUNITY IN PREGNANT WORKING WOMEN CONFRONTED WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. 2020