1 2042 108 THE 'WORLD OF YOGA': THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. YOGA IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FASHIONABLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS ACTIVITY, PARTLY CONSIDERED AS THERAPEUTIC, REVEALS CONTEMPORARY WAYS OF PRODUCING GLOBAL PRACTICES. VIA A QUESTIONNAIRE COMPLETED BY INDIVIDUALS AT YOGA CENTRES IN INDIA AND FRANCE, THE PAPER ANALYSES THIS PHENOMENON USING THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. FURTHERMORE, IT EXAMINES HOW THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE INFLUENCED BY GLOBALISATION. BRINGING TOGETHER THE CONCEPTS OF THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES, GLOBALISATION AND THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, THE PAPER ANALYSES THE PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF YOGIC THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD'S SPACE. CONSTITUTED OF NATURAL PHYSICAL ELEMENTS AND BUILT STRUCTURES, THESE THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES ARE ALSO STRONGLY LINKED TO EMOTIONAL QUALITIES AND INTIMATE FEELINGS EVOKED BY THE PLACE AND RELATED TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE PAPER ALSO UNDERLINES THAT THE EMERGENCE OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES DEMANDS A CULTURAL AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHICAL APPROACH THAT COULD HELP TO EXAMINE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF LOCAL AND GLOBAL PHENOMENA ON THERAPEUTIC LANDSCAPES. INDEED, VERY OFTEN, YOGIS, ALL AROUND THE WORLD, REFER TO IDEAL PLACES WHERE THEY RARELY GO. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY CREATE AN IMAGINED THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PAPER DESCRIBES. 2007 2 381 28 BEING ALONE TOGETHER: YOGA, BODYWORK, AND INTIMATE SOCIALITY IN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. USING ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA FROM PROVIDENCE COUNTY, RHODE ISLAND, THIS PAPER EXPLORES YOGA AS A BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT IS PART OF EVERYDAY HEALTH AND WELLBEING ROUTINES IN MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDS. IN THIS CONTEXT, PARTICIPANTS DEFINE THEIR BODYWORK PRACTICES AS INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES THAT ANSWER HEALTH AND WELLBEING NEEDS, BUT NOTABLY DISCUSS BODYWORK IN TERMS OF THEIR EVERYDAY SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. ALONG WITH OTHER BODYWORK ACTIVITIES, YOGA EMERGES AS A SHARED SOCIAL PRACTICE THAT LINKS PARTICIPANTS TO THEIR PARTNERS, CHILDREN, AND OTHER INTIMATES, FACILITATING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS BY ALLOWING TIME AND SPACE FOR AUTONOMY. BY GIVING ATMOSPHERIC AND SENSORY ATTENTION TO THE ETHNOGRAPHIC DATA, THE PAPER FURTHER REVEALS HOW DOMESTIC INTIMACY IS CULTIVATED VIA THE GENERATION OF BODILY HEAT AND POSITIVE ENERGIES AND THAT YOGA MAY TACITLY FACILITATE SUCH ATMOSPHERES. IN THIS WAY, YOGA CAN HELP HOUSEHOLDS MEET AN AMERICAN NEED FOR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AUTONOMY WHILE STILL FACILITATING A FAR MORE ENDURING HUMAN NEED FOR INTIMATE CONNECTION. ULTIMATELY YOGA IS CHARACTERIZED AS A PRAGMATIC BODYWORK PRACTICE THAT BLENDS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL INTIMACY THROUGH SHARED ENERGETIC ENCOUNTERS. 2021 3 1649 18 MULTI-OMICS INTEGRATION AND INTERACTOMICS REVEALS MOLECULAR NETWORKS AND REGULATORS OF THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA AND EXERCISE. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL THAT HELPS IN MAINTAINING HEALTH, PEACE OF MIND, AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANA, YOGA IS SIMILAR TO PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS STUDY AIMS TO CONSTRUCT A MOLECULAR NETWORK TO FIND HUB GENES THAT PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND YOGA. METHODOLOGY: WE COMBINED DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED GENES (DEGS) IN YOGA AND EXERCISE USING COMPUTATIONAL BIOINFORMATICS FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS (GEO) DATASETS AND IDENTIFIED THE CODIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED MRNAS WITH GEO2R. THE CO-DEGS WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS AND EACH GROUP WAS SUBJECTED TO PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTION (PPI) NETWORK, PATHWAYS ANALYSIS, AND GENE ONTOLOGY. RESULTS: OUR STUDY IDENTIFIED IMMUNOLOGICAL MODULATION AS A DOMINANT TARGET OF DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION IN YOGA AND EXERCISE. YOGA PREDOMINANTLY MODULATED GENES AFFECTING THE TH1 AND NK CELLS, WHEREAS CYTOKINES, MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION, AND OXIDATIVE STRESS WERE AFFECTED BY EXERCISE. WE ALSO OBSERVED THAT WHILE YOGA REGULATED GENES FOR TWO MAIN PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY, NAMELY CIRCADIAN RHYTHM (BHLHE40) AND IMMUNITY (LBP, T-BOX TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR 21, CEACAM1), EXERCISE-REGULATED GENES INVOLVED IN APOPTOSIS (BAG3, PROTEIN KINASE C ALPHA), ANGIOGENESIS, AND CELLULAR ADHESION (EPH RECEPTOR A1). CONCLUSION: THE DISSIMILARITY IN THE GENETIC EXPRESSION PATTERNS IN YOGA AND EXERCISE HIGHLIGHTS THE DISCRETE EFFECT OF EACH IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. THE INTEGRATION AND CONVERGENCES OF MULTI-OMICS SIGNALS CAN PROVIDE DEEPER AND COMPREHENSIVE INSIGHTS INTO THE VARIOUS BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA AND EXERCISE EXERT THEIR BENEFICIAL EFFECTS AND OPENS UP POTENTIAL NEWER RESEARCH AREAS. 2022 4 1989 24 SPERM METHYLOME ALTERATIONS FOLLOWING YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS OF PRIMARY MALE INFERTILITY: A PILOT STUDY. A MAJORITY OF THE CASES OF PRIMARY MALE INFERTILITY ARE IDIOPATHIC WITH THE UNDERLYING MOLECULAR MECHANISMS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AS YET UNKNOWN. EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT CAN ALTER THE SPERM EPIGENOME THEREBY IMPACTING MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTANDING HEALTH AND DISEASE, AND METHYLOME ALTERATIONS ARE NOW KNOWN TO HAVE FAR-REACHING CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS. HERE, WE REPORT THE RESULTS FROM OUR PILOT STUDY, A FIRST OF ITS KIND ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF YOGA ON HUMAN SPERM QUALITY. WE FIND MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN SPERM CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS OF IDIOPATHIC MALE INFERTILITY FOLLOWING A SUPERVISED 21-DAY YOGA REGIMEN. FURTHERMORE, NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING-BASED METHYLOME ANALYSIS REVEALS ALTERATIONS IN THE SPERM EPIGENOME OF THESE PATIENTS. WE FIND THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS ASSOCIATED WITH DNA METHYLATION CHANGES AT NEARLY 400 GENES, 147 OF WHICH WERE HYPERMETHYLATED WHILE 229 WERE HYPOMETHYLATED. THESE INCLUDED PROMOTERS OF SEVERAL GENES LINKED TO MAINTENANCE OF FERTILITY AND GENOMIC INTEGRITY. THIS NOVEL PIECE OF WORK DRAWS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN POSITIVE LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AND MALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH. 2020 5 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 6 2211 35 THE HEALTH IMAGINARY OF POSTURAL YOGA. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CAPACITY OF YOGA NARRATIVES AND PRACTICES TO CONTRIBUTE TO AND RELATE IDEAS ABOUT HEALTH. IT ADDS THEORETICALLY TO EXISTING LITERATURE ON YOGA BY INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT OF THE 'HEALTH IMAGINARY' AS AN ANALYTIC LENS FOR CONSIDERING YOGA DISCOURSES IN LATE MODERN TIMES, WHERE PERSONAL HEALTH CARE AND SPIRITUAL AMBITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN BECOMING BLURRED. WITH THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE PAPER PROVIDES A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF HOW YOGA POSTURES (ASANAS) ARE CONCEIVED TO WORK THERAPEUTICALLY, IN YOGA'S RECENT HISTORY AND IN PRESENT-DAY YOGA THERAPY. TAKING CASE STUDIES FROM INDIA AND GERMANY, IT IS SHOWN EMPIRICALLY HOW THE APPLICATION OF ASANAS IS RATIONALIZED DIFFERENTLY IN SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENTS - PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE PRESUMED THEORY OF THE BODY. THUS, THE CONCEPT OF THE HEALTH IMAGINARY NOT ONLY PROVIDES ANALYTIC SPACE TO EXPLORE THE IMPLICIT LOGICS AND GOALS OF HEALING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS, BUT ALSO OFFERS CLUES ABOUT THE DISTINCT SOCIAL, CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS, AND LOCAL INFLUENCES THAT DRAW PEOPLE INTO YOGA AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS SELECTIVE APPROPRIATION ACROSS THE GLOBE. 2021 7 2272 26 THE ROLE OF YOGA IN INFLAMMATORY MARKERS. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING THE MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. IN THE HATHA YOGA ASHTANGA TRADITION (THE EIGHT LIMB PATANJALI YOGA), THREE OF THE LIMBS ARE MEDITATION, BREATHWORK (PRANAYAMA) AND PHYSICAL POSTURES (ASANA), WHICH ARE WIDELY PRACTISED IN YOGA CLASSES. THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ARE ROOTED IN THE PRACTICE'S ORIGINS: IN YOGA, STRESS IS SAID TO BE THE ROOT OF ALL DISEASES. THE ESTABLISHED FIELDS OF PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPSYCHIATRY STUDY THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND MOOD OR MENTAL STATES. THIS MINI-REVIEW HAS SHIFTED THE EMPHASIS FROM RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON YOGA'S BENEFITS FOR STRESS, THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED OUTCOME OF YOGA RESEARCH, TO A SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE CURRENT LITERATURE BEARS STRONG EVIDENCE FOR THE BENEFITS OF YOGA ON THE LEVELS OF CIRCULATING CORTISOL AND CLASSICAL INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, SUCH AS C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) AND CYTOKINES SUCH AS INTERLEUKIN-1 BETA (IL-1BETA), INTERLEUKIN 6 (IL-6), TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA) AND INTERFERON-GAMMA (INF-GAMMA). THE EVIDENCE FOR OTHER LESS STUDIED MARKERS, TELOMERASE ACTIVITY, BETA-ENDORPHINS, IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (IGA) AND BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) IS ALSO GROWING. THIS MINI-REVIEW CENTRES AROUND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN YOGA AND THESE MARKERS IN STRESS MANAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION, VASCULAR AND IMMUNE FUNCTION IN THE OLDER POPULATION, CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC DISEASES, AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASES, BREAST CANCER AND PREGNANCY. OVERALL, THE LITERATURE EXAMINED REVEALS THE NOVELTY OF THIS FIELD OF RESEARCH AND SHEDS LIGHT ON METHODOLOGICAL CHALLENGES; HOWEVER, IT UNCOVERS THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO BE USED AS ADJUVANT THERAPY IN CONDITIONS WITH AN INFLAMMATORY COMPONENT. 2022 8 1671 23 NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES: A CASE STUDY OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. BEGINNING WITH A ROUTINE DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRACTITIONER OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AND EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF NURTURING, MAINTAINING AND PREVENTING THE DISSIPATION OF DIVERSE 'ENERGIES', THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES FOR GEOGRAPHICAL HEALTH STUDIES WHICH TAKE SERIOUSLY 'NEW ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'. IT IS EXPLAINED HOW THIS ACCOUNT IS DERIVED FROM IN-DEPTH FIELDWORK TRACING HOW PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FIND TIMES AND SPACES FOR THESE PRACTICES, OFTEN IN THE FACE OF BUSY URBAN LIFESTYLES. ATTENTION IS PAID TO THE 'ENERGY TALK' FEATURING HEAVILY IN HOW PRACTITIONERS DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS THAT THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES TO DERIVE FROM THESE PRACTICES, AND TO CLAIMS MADE ABOUT 'ENERGIES' GENERATED DURING THE TIME-SPACES OF THESE PRACTICES WHICH SEEMINGLY FLOW, USUALLY WITH POSITIVE EFFECTS, INTO OTHER DOMAINS OF THEIR LIVES. THE PAPER THEN DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ENERGY TALK IN THE CONTEXT OF: (A) CRITICALLY REVIEWING CONVENTIONAL APPROACHES TO STUDYING 'ENERGY GEOGRAPHIES'; (B) IDENTIFYING AN ALERTNESS TO THE LIKES OF 'AFFECTIVE ENERGIES' SURFACING IN RECENT THEORETICALLY-ATTUNED WORKS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY (AND COGNATE DISCIPLINES); AND (C) EXPLORING DIFFERING UNDERSTANDINGS OF ENERGY/ENERGIES EXTANT IN GEOGRAPHICAL STUDIES OF HEALTH AND IN STEP WITH THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH MATERIALS PRESENTED ABOUT YOGA, MEDITATION AND HEALTHFULNESS. WHILE ORIENTATED TOWARDS EXPLICITLY GEOGRAPHICAL INQUIRIES, THE PAPER IS INTENDED AS A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO THE WIDER MEDICAL HUMANITIES. 2015 9 2580 19 YOGA FOR HEALTHY AGING: SCIENCE OR HYPE? YOGA, ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST HEALTH SYSTEMS IS RECEIVING NEW ATTENTION FOR CLAIMS THAT IT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTHY AGING. UNTIL RECENTLY, SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE FOR ITS EFFICACY HAS RELIED HEAVILY ON SMALL AND POORLY-DESIGNED RESEARCH, BUT THIS IS CHANGING. MULTIPLE, WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES PROVIDE DATA SHOWING THAT YOGA PRACTICE HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON CELLULAR AGING, MOBILITY, BALANCE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND PREVENTION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE-ALL AREAS OF CONCERN FOR OLDER ADULTS. SINCE THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA-BASED COMMUNITY AND HOME-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS LOW-POLICYMAKERS ARE ALSO EYEING YOGA PRACTICE AS A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE MEDICAL COSTS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES AMONG A GROWING AGING POPULATION. THIS COMMENTARY REVIEWS THE EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FROM YOGA, AS WELL AS CONCERNS ABOUT INJURIES THAT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF YOGA PRACTICE. IT REVEALS A SURPRISING RANGE OF YOGA PROGRAMS AND DIFFICULTY LEVELS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALMOST ANYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND GAIN HEALTH BENEFITS WITH PRACTICE. 2021 10 1911 19 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 11 2420 19 YOGA AND MENTAL HEALTH: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ANCIENT WISDOM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. BACKGROUND: MANY YOGA TEXTS MAKE REFERENCE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND THE USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS UTILIZED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY MAY NOT COME WITH CONTEMPORARY IDEAS, INSTEAD, THEY SEEM TO SHARE A COMMON ROOT WITH ANCIENT WISDOM. AIMS: THE GOAL OF THIS PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE IS TO CORRELATE MODERN TECHNIQUES USED IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY WITH YOGIC PRACTICES, IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE CURRENT ARTICLE PRESENTED A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE YOGIC APPROACH FOR THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER AND CONCEPTS USED IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, SUCH AS META-COGNITION, DISIDENTIFICATION, DECONDITIONING AND INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE. CONCLUSIONS: CONTEMPLATIVE RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT MODERN INTERVENTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY MIGHT NOT COME FROM MODERN CONCEPTS AFTER ALL, BUT SHARE GREAT SIMILARITY WITH ANCIENT YOGIC KNOWLEDGE, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTEGRATE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WISDOM OF BOTH EAST AND WEST. 2016 12 1640 29 MOLECULAR SIGNATURE OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO YOGA THERAPY IN STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE CONDITIONS: AN INSIGHT. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DEFINES HEALTH AS COMPLETE WELL-BEING IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL, AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE. TO ATTAIN THIS, INDIVIDUAL SHOULD ADAPT AND SELF-MANGE THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF LIFE. EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO URBANIZATION, WORK STRESS, NUCLEAR FAMILY, POLLUTION, UNHEALTHY FOOD HABITS, LIFESTYLE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN THE FAMILY, AND NATURAL CALAMITIES ARE THE TRIGGERING FACTORS, LEADING TO HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND INFLAMMATION IN THE TISSUE. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND ILLNESS IS COMPLEX; ALL CHRONIC ILLNESSES SUCH AS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND ASTHMA HAVE THEIR ROOT IN CHRONIC STRESS ATTRIBUTED BY INFLAMMATION. IN RECENT TIMES, YOGA THERAPY HAS EMERGED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPLEMENTARY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR MANY HUMAN DISEASES. YOGA THERAPY HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON MIND AND BODY; IT ACTS BY INCORPORATING APPROPRIATE BREATHING TECHNIQUES AND MINDFULNESS TO ATTAIN CONSCIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENT MOMENT BY MEDITATION, WHICH HELPS ACHIEVE HARMONY BETWEEN THE BODY AND MIND. STUDIES HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANT REGULATORY EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, THE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA THERAPY RENDERS ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ARE INADEQUATELY KNOWN. A GROWING BODY OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS IMMUNOMODULATORY EFFECTS. HOWEVER, THE PRECISE MECHANISTIC BASIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED EMPIRICALLY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTIONING WITH AN AIM TO IDENTIFY IMPORTANT IMMUNOLOGICAL SIGNATURES THAT INDEX THE EFFECT OF YOGA THERAPY. TOWARD THIS, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE AVAILABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWING POSITIVE IMPACTS OF YOGA THERAPY. FINALLY, WE HAVE EMPHASIZED THE EFFICACY OF YOGA IN IMPROVING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING. YOGA HAS BEEN A PART OF INDIAN CULTURE AND TRADITION FOR LONG; NOW, THE TIME HAS COME TO SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATE THIS AND IMPLEMENT THIS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT METHOD FOR STRESS-RELATED CHRONIC DISEASE. 2020 13 2807 16 YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH: A WHOLE-SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE ON COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS AND PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES. FOR THE YOGA RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO CAPITALIZE ON ITS CURRENT MOMENTUM, IT IS CRITICAL TO CONSIDER CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH THEORY AND INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGIES. THE CONCEPT OF MODEL VALIDITY MUST BE INCORPORATED IN YOGA THERAPY RESEARCH SO THAT EXPLANATORY CONSTRUCTS EMPLOYED AND OUTCOME MEASURES CHOSEN REFLECT THE PRINCIPLES OF TRADITIONAL YOGIC SCIENCE. FOCUSING ON EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH WILL ENSURE MAXIMUM GENERALIZABILITY OF STUDY RESULTS AND REFLECT REAL-WORLD THERAPY DELIVERY SETTINGS, THEREBY INCREASING THE RELEVANCE OF OUTCOMES. WHOLE SYSTEMS OF HEALING REQUIRE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES THAT ADDRESS COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MULTI-TARGET THERAPIES WITH MULTIPLE POTENTIAL TREATMENT RESULTS. COMPLEX, DYNAMIC SYSTEMS THEORY PROVIDES THE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS NECESSARY TO DESIGN STUDIES, CHOOSE OUTCOMES, AND ANALYZE DATA IN A WAY THAT CAN ACCOUNT FOR CHARTING COMPLEX, CYCLICAL, THERAPEUTIC TRAJECTORIES ACROSS TIME. EMPHASIZING PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES IS ALIGNED WITH THE PATENT-ORIENTED AND TAILORED NATURED OF YOGA THERAPY DELIVERY. INCREASING THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH TO ANALYZE THE HARMS AND BENEFITS OF CONTRASTING THERAPIES CAN PROVIDE AN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DESIGNING STUDIES THAT CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT PRACTICAL IMPACT. THE CREATION OF PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH NETWORKS WITHIN THE YOGA RESEARCH COMMUNITY WILL INCENTIVIZE LINKS BETWEEN MAINSTREAM CLINICAL RESEARCHERS AND YOGA THERAPY DELIVERY SETTINGS, ULTIMATELY DEVELOPING COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS. YOGA THERAPY CENTERS CAN FACILITATE PATIENT RECRUITMENT FOR STUDIES AND INFORM STANDARDS FOR YOGA RESEARCHERS. COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS BETWEEN THE YOGA AND AYURVEDIC RESEARCH COMMUNITIES WILL STREAMLINE EFFORTS, SOLIDIFY EXPERTISE, CROSS-POLLINATE THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL INNOVATION, AND CONSOLIDATE EFFORTS TO SECURE RESEARCH FUNDING AND INCREASE PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF STUDY FINDINGS. 2015 14 1590 15 MEDITATION AND YOGA CAN MODULATE BRAIN MECHANISMS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR AND ANXIETY-A MODERN SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE. MEDITATION AND YOGA TECHNIQUES ARE RECEIVING INCREASED ATTENTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, DUE TO THE ACCUMULATION OF EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH THAT PROVES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS OF SUCH PRACTICES. BASED ON STUDIES CONDUCTED SO FAR, IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION TRIGGERS NEUROTRANSMITTERS THAT MODULATE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY. THIS PAPER WILL REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION, THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND STUDIES USING EEG AND FMRI. 2015 15 82 30 A MECHANISTIC MODEL FOR YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC MODALITY. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN TECHNIQUE OF HEALTHY LIVING. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE CORROBORATED YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS, INCLUDING A FAVORABLE INFLUENCE ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTION AND NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS REVEALED THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT YOGA CAN PLAY IN ERADICATING STRESS. THIS HAS LAID TO THE FOUNDATION FOR A SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ATTRIBUTED TO STRESS, PARTICULARLY AT THE MOLECULAR AND GENETIC LEVELS. THIS PRIMARILY HAS HELPED UNDERSTAND THE EPIGENETIC AND GENETIC MECHANISM AT PLAY TO INDUCE AND ALLEVIATE STRESS, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO EMOTIONAL ABERRATIONS. AS RESEARCH HAS INDICATED, NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE TRANSLATED INTO VASCULAR INFLAMMATION APPROPRIATELY ACCENTUATED BY A SYMPATHETIC PREDOMINANT AUTONOMIC FUNCTION. THIS CASCADE IS BOLSTERED BY MULTIPLE FACTORS, INCLUDING ACTIVATION OF "STRESSOR" GENES AND ELABORATING HORMONES, INCLUDING STEROIDS WITH SOMETIMES NOCUOUS CONSEQUENCES, PARTICULARLY WHEN CHRONIC. YOGA HAS BEEN CATEGORICALLY FOUND TO HAVE INHIBITED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE BANEFUL EFFECTS OF STRESS. IN FACT, IT ALSO CHANGES THE NEURONAL CIRCUITS THAT POTENTIATE SUCH A PLETHORA OF PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES. THIS, IN TURN, HAS ACCENTUATED YOGA'S RELEVANCE AS A POWERFUL PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION IN NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCD). NCDS, INCLUDING HEART DISEASE, STROKE, AND RHEUMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS, ARE ESSENTIALLY INFLAMMATORY DISEASES THAT PERPETUATE INFLAMMATION IN DIFFERENT BEDS LIKE VASCULAR OR JOINT SPACES. THE PRECISE MECHANISM BY WHICH YOGA INDUCES SUCH BENEFICIAL CHANGES IS YET TO BE DELINEATED. HOWEVER, A CORNUCOPIA OF POINTERS INDICATES THAT NEURAL, ENDOCRINE, IMMUNOLOGICAL, CELLULAR, GENETIC, AND EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS ARE AT PLAY. THIS ARTICLE ATTEMPTS TO COBBLE TOGETHER NEWFANGLED RESEARCH TO DELINEATE A MEDICAL MODEL FOR THIS 5000-YEAR-OLD PRACTICE FROM INDIA. THIS IS IMPERATIVE, AS A MECHANISTIC MODEL OF THIS ANCIENT-BUT-COMPLEX SYSTEM WOULD ENABLE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF ITS MECHANISM AND REVEAL ITS YET-UNDISCOVERED POSITIVE HEALTH EFFECTS. 2021 16 2882 16 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 17 2057 22 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 18 2304 21 TOWARD AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY INFORMED BY PHILOSOPHICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES. CONTEXT * YOGA THERAPY IS AN EMERGING COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH PRACTICE FOR WHICH THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST FROM BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES. CURRENTLY MISSING, HOWEVER, IS AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION THAT PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS, CLIENTS, AND THE PUBLIC WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VARIOUS YOGIC TRADITIONS AND PRINCIPLES CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN MODERN HEALTH CARE CONTEXTS. OBJECTIVE * THIS STUDY PROPOSES AN EXPLANATORY FRAMEWORK FOR YOGA THERAPY, INFORMED BY PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY. CONCLUSIONS * THESE 4 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES-PHENOMENOLOGY, EUDAIMONIA, VIRTUE ETHICS, AND FIRST-PERSON ETHICAL INQUIRY-PROVIDE A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGIC PRACTICES SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL'S TRANSFORMATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS, PAIN, OR DISABILITY. WE PROPOSE THAT THIS TRANSFORMATION OCCURS THROUGH FACILITATING A REHARMONIZATION OF BODY, MIND, AND ENVIRONMENT TOWARD THE EXPERIENCE OF EUDAIMONIC WELL-BEING. 2018 19 1890 21 REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION BY YOGA, MEDITATION AND RELATED PRACTICES: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES. INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (IM) APPROACHES HAVE GAINED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR THE HEALTH CARE CHALLENGES WE FACE TODAY. YOGIC COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL PRACTICES ARE AMONG THE MOST WIDELY USED IM APPROACHES AND INCLUDE DIVERSE PRACTICES SUCH AS YOGA ASANAS, MEDITATION, BREATHING EXERCISES, QI GONG, TAI CHI CHIH, AND VARIOUS OTHERS. STUDIES TO DATE SUGGEST THAT THESE YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE MIND-BODY SYSTEM AND THEREBY CAN INCREASE WELLNESS AND SUPPORT THE HEALING PROCESS FROM DISEASE. PREVIOUS WORK HAS PROVIDED EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THESE PRACTICES; HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS OF THESE EFFECTS, ESPECIALLY AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL, HAVE LARGELY BEEN MISSING. THREE RECENT STUDIES STARTED TO PROVIDE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION THROUGH GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING IN CIRCULATING IMMUNE CELLS, WHICH SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGIC/MEDITATIVE PRACTICES HAVE A MEASURABLE EFFECT AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL. THESE STUDIES ARE REVIEWED HEREIN AND SOME FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ARE CONSIDERED. 2013 20 571 18 DEFINING YOGA-NIDRA: TRADITIONAL ACCOUNTS, PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS. THE TERM YOGA-NIDRA HAS BEEN USED IN MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO REFER TO RELAXATION AND GUIDED IMAGERY. THESE TECHNIQUES DO NOT REPRESENT THE INTENTION OR PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGANIDRA DISCUSSED IN THE TRADITIONAL YOGA LITERATURE. WE PROPOSE AN OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF YOGA-NIDRA THAT IS SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL PHYSIOLOGICALLY TESTABLE HYPOTHESES REGARDING ITS OUTCOMES AND EFFECTS. TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS OF YOGA-NIDRA AND CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS OF ITS PRACTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND STUDIES EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA-NIDRA ARE EXAMINED. PROPOSED HYPOTHESES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH USING THIS OPERATIONAL DEFINITION ARE PROVIDED. 2013