1 312 163 AN EXPLORATORY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A 12-WEEK YOGA VERSUS EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAM FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME: FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. OBJECTIVES: THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES OF THIS PILOT TRIAL WERE TO ASSESS THE STUDY FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE 12-WEEK YOGA AND EDUCATIONAL FILM PROGRAMS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) IN PREPARATION FOR A FUTURE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: THIS PILOT, PARALLEL-ARM, RANDOMIZED FEASIBILITY TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED AT TWO SITES, MORGANTOWN, WV AND COLUMBUS, OH. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 75-MIN IYENGAR YOGA CLASSES, TWICE WEEKLY FOR 4 WEEKS, THEN ONCE A WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS (16 TOTAL CLASSES), AND COMPLETED A 30-MIN HOMEWORK ROUTINE ON NONCLASS DAYS. EDUCATIONAL FILM GROUP PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED ONCE WEEKLY, 75-MIN CLASSES (12 TOTAL CLASSES), WHICH INCLUDED INFORMATION ON RLS AND OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS, RLS MANAGEMENT INCLUDING SLEEP HYGIENE PRACTICES, AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES. FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OUTCOMES INCLUDED PROGRAM SATISFACTION AND RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND ADHERENCE RATES. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED THEIR PREFERENCES REGARDING THREE YOGA CLASS SCHEDULE SCENARIOS FOR A FUTURE STUDY. ATTENDANCE, YOGA, AND TREATMENT LOGS WERE COLLECTED WEEKLY. PROGRAM EVALUATION AND YOGA SCHEDULING QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COLLECTED AT WEEK 12. RESULTS: FORTY-ONE ADULTS WITH MODERATE TO SEVERE RLS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK YOGA (N = 19) OR EDUCATIONAL FILM (N = 22) PROGRAM. THIRTY PARTICIPANTS (73%) COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. YOGA AND EDUCATION GROUP PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED AN AVERAGE OF 13.0 +/- 0.84 (81%) AND 10.3 +/- 0.3 CLASSES (85%), RESPECTIVELY. PARTICIPANTS FROM BOTH GROUPS INDICATED SATISFACTION WITH THE STUDY. ALL YOGA GROUP RESPONDENTS TO THE PROGRAM EVALUATION REPORTED THEY WOULD LIKELY (N = 6) OR VERY LIKELY (N = 7) CONTINUE YOGA PRACTICE; 86.7% OF EDUCATION GROUP RESPONDENTS (13 OF 15) INDICATED THAT THEY WERE LIKELY (N = 7) OR VERY LIKELY (N = 6) TO MAKE LASTING CHANGES BASED ON WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED. THE PREFERRED SCHEDULE FOR A FUTURE STUDY WAS A 16-WEEK STUDY WITH ONCE-WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY SUGGEST THAT A LARGER RCT COMPARING YOGA WITH AN EDUCATIONAL FILM GROUP FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RLS IS FEASIBLE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT03570515; 02/01/2017. 2022 2 2830 46 YOGA VS STRETCHING IN VETERANS WITH CHRONIC LOWER BACK PAIN AND THE ROLE OF MINDFULNESS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, RANDOMIZING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON VETERAN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) WHO UNDERGO AN 8-WEEK, ACTIVE EXERCISE CLASS WITH MINDFULNESS (YOGA CLASS) AND WITHOUT (STRETCHING CLASS). METHODS: UNITED STATES VETERANS WITH CLBP BASED ON INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE RANDOMIZED TO 1 OF 2 GROUPS. THE STUDY DESIGN WAS A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. TWENTY CLBP PATIENTS ATTENDED A YOGA CLASS OR STRETCHING CLASS ONCE PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS AT THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ROCHESTER OUTPATIENT CENTER, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS WERE OBTAINED: RECRUITMENT OR ENROLLMENT DATA, COMPLIANCE DATA TO INCLUDE CLASS ATTENDANCE AND HOME EXERCISE, AND COMPLIANCE DATA REGARDING ABILITY TO COLLECT OUTCOME MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AT COMPLETION. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED PAIN (PEG), QUALITY OF LIFE (PROMIS GLOBAL HEALTH SURVEY), SELF-EFFICACY (2-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE), FEAR AVOIDANCE BELIEF, CATASTROPHIZING, AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT IN ADDITION TO QUALITATIVE CLINICIAN OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: FORTY-FIVE VETERANS WERE QUERIED REGARDING INTEREST IN PARTICIPATION. OF THESE, 34 (76%) MET THE STUDY'S CRITERIA. TWENTY (44%) AGREED TO PARTICIPATE AND WERE CONSENTED, RANDOMIZED, AND ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. INITIAL AND FINAL OUTCOME MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (100%). FORTY PERCENT ATTENDED MORE THAN 80% OF THE SESSIONS FOR BOTH YOGA AND STRETCHING GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THIS PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED FEASIBILITY OF RECRUITING, ENROLLING, AND COLLECTING OUTCOME DATA ON CLBP VETERAN PATIENTS PARTICIPATING IN YOGA AND STRETCHING CLASS. THE DATA FROM THIS PILOT WILL INFORM THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RANDOMIZED, COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS STUDY OF YOGA WITH AND WITHOUT MINDFULNESS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLBP. 2020 3 1242 57 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 4 345 47 ASSESSING FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AND GROUP CBT FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. PURPOSE: GIVEN INCREASING RATES OF DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENTS, THERE IS A CLEAR NEED FOR INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS. IN THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL, WE ASSESSED ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF TWO GROUP-BASED INTERVENTIONS: YOGA AND COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT). THE GOAL OF THIS WORK IS TO PREPARE FOR A FUTURE FULLY POWERED RANDOMIZED TRIAL TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA IS NOT INFERIOR TO AN ESTABLISHED ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT, NAMELY, GROUP CBT. METHODS: WE ENROLLED 42 ADOLESCENTS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A 12-WEEK GROUP-BASED INTERVENTION, YOGA OR CBT. WE HAD A PRIORI FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY TARGETS, INCLUDING FOR RECRUITMENT RATE, RETENTION RATE, EXPECTANCY, CREDIBILITY, PROGRAM SATISFACTION, CLASS ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE, AND INSTRUCTOR/LEADER MANUAL ADHERENCE. WE ASSESSED ADVERSE EVENTS, AND WITHIN-SUBJECT CHANGES IN OUTCOMES (DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, IMPAIRMENT, SLEEP DISTURBANCE) AND POSSIBLE MEDIATORS (MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION). RESULTS: BOTH INTERVENTIONS MET MOST ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY TARGETS. THE ONLY TARGET NOT MET RELATED TO LOW ENGAGEMENT IN HOME PRACTICE. PARTICIPANTS WITHIN EACH STUDY ARM SHOWED DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER TIME AND INCREASED SELF-COMPASSION. CONCLUSIONS: A YOGA INTERVENTION APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE TO ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE CHALLENGING FOR THIS GROUP TO ENGAGE IN UNSTRUCTURED HOME PRACTICE. 2022 5 2811 51 YOGA TO PREVENT MOBILITY LIMITATIONS IN OLDER ADULTS: FEASIBILITY OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE LOSS OF MOBILITY DURING AGING IMPACTS INDEPENDENCE AND LEADS TO FURTHER DISABILITY, MORBIDITY, AND REDUCED LIFE EXPECTANCY. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND SAFETY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY LIMITATIONS. METHODS: SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS (N = 46; AGE 60-89) WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA OR A HEALTH EDUCATION COMPARISON GROUP. YOGA SESSIONS (60-MIN) OCCURRED 2X WEEKLY, AND 90-MIN HEALTH EDUCATION SESSIONS OCCURRED WEEKLY, FOR 10 WEEKS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE RECRUITMENT RATE, INTERVENTION ATTENDANCE, AND RETENTION AT ASSESSMENTS. ADVERSE EVENT RATES AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE ALSO MEASURED. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF GAIT, BALANCE, AND STRENGTH AND SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ADMINISTERED AT BASELINE AND 10-WEEKS. RESULTS: RECRUITMENT LASTED 6 MONTHS. RETENTION OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE 10-WEEK FOLLOW-UP WAS HIGH (89% - PERFORMANCE MEASURES; 98% - SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES). ATTENDANCE WAS GOOD WITH 82% OF YOGA AND 74% OF HEALTH EDUCATION PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING AT LEAST 50% OF THE SESSIONS. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE INTERVENTIONS WAS HIGH. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES WAS 0.35 WITH SOME OVER 0.50. THE MEAN EFFECT SIZE FOR SELF-REPORT OUTCOME MEASURES WAS 0.36. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO CONDUCT A LARGER RCT OF YOGA FOR SEDENTARY OLDER ADULTS AT RISK FOR MOBILITY PROBLEMS. THE YOGA AND COMPARISON INTERVENTIONS WERE SAFE, WELL ACCEPTED, AND WELL ATTENDED. EFFECT SIZES SUGGEST YOGA MAY HAVE IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR THIS POPULATION AND SHOULD BE STUDIED FURTHER. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS # NCT03544879 ; RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED 4 JUNE, 2018. 2018 6 1247 50 FEASIBILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES: THE HEALTHY ACTIVE AND IN CONTROL (HA1C) STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THIS STUDY:HEALTHY ACTIVE AND IN CONTROL (HA1C), EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ADULTS WITH TYPE-2 DIABETES (T2DM). DESIGN: A 2-ARM RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL COMPARING IYENGAR YOGA WITH A SUPERVISED WALKING PROGRAM. SETTING: HOSPITAL BASED GYM-TYPE FACILITY AND CONFERENCE ROOMS. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO A 12-WEEK PROGRAM OF EITHER; (1) A TWICE WEEKLY IYENGAR YOGA, OR (2) A TWICE-WEEKLY PROGRAM OF STANDARD EXERCISE (SE). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOMES ASSESSED FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, STUDY COMPLETION, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED HBA1C, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND MEASURES OF DIABETES-RELATED EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, SELF-CARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL). ASSESSMENTS WERE CONDUCTED AT BASELINE, END OF TREATMENT, 6-MONTHS AND 9-MONTHS POST-ENROLLMENT. RESULTS: OF 175 ADULTS SCREENED FOR ELIGIBILITY, 48 (30 WOMEN, 18 MEN) WERE ELIGIBLE AND ENROLLED. THE MOST COMMON REASONS FOR INELIGIBILITY WERE ORTHOPEDIC RESTRICTIONS, HBA1C LEVELS <6.5 AND BMI > 42. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH (82% OF SESSIONS ATTENDED), AS WAS FOLLOW-UP COMPLETION RATES (92%). PROGRAM SATISFACTION RATED ON A 5-POINT SCALE, WAS HIGH AMONG BOTH YOGA (M = 4.63, SD = 0.57) AND SE (M = 4.77, SD = 0.52) PARTICIPANTS. OVERALL 44 ADVERSE EVENTS (26 YOGA, 18 SE) WERE REPORTED. OF THESE, SIX WERE DEEMED "POSSIBLY RELATED" (E.G., NECK STRAIN, BACK PAIN), AND 1 "PROBABLY RELATED" (ANKLE PAIN AFTER TREADMILL) TO THE STUDY. YOGA PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN HBA1C. MEDIAN HBA1C AT 6 MONTHS WAS 1.25 UNITS LOWER FOR YOGA COMPARED TO SE (95% CI: -2.54 -0.04). GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN DIABETES SELF-CARE, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS WERE SEEN AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS THAN AMONG SE PARTICIPANTS. INCREASES IN MINDFULNESS WERE SEEN IN YOGA BUT NOT IN SE. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE, AND PRODUCED IMPROVEMENTS IN BLOOD GLUCOSE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MEASURES OF DIABETES MANAGEMENT. 2019 7 1428 43 IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING FOLLOWING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS WHO ATTENDED A 3-DAY YOGA-BASED RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT) PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE. RISE WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND 2 MONTHS AFTER RISE (FOLLOW-UP). FORTY-FOUR PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND POST AND WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS. OF THOSE, 33 PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED THE FOLLOW-UP. PAIRED SAMPLES T TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: COMPARED TO BASELINE, AT POST, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN PERCEIVED STRESS, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, POSITIVE AFFECT, NEGATIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, TOTAL WORK ENGAGEMENT, VIGOR, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AS WELL AS EXHAUSTION AND PROFESSIONAL EFFICACY WHICH ARE DIMENSIONS OF BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < .01). AT THE FOLLOW-UP, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE MAINTAINED FOR MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SLEEP QUALITY (ALL P VALUES < .001), RESILIENCE, VIGOR, AND EXHAUSTION (ALL P VALUES < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT (ALL P VALUES < .05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED RISE PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELL-BEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT ATTENDING RISE WAS FEASIBLE, THEY COULD CONTINUE USING RISE PRACTICES LONG-TERM, SHARED THEM WITH WORK COLLEAGUES, AND REPORTED THAT RISE POSITIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THEIR DAILY LIVES AND WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. WITH THESE PROMISING RESULTS, ADDITIONAL CONTROLLED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED. 2019 8 2628 54 YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PAIN AND SLEEP IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, DESIGNED AND REPORTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH DELPHI RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A HOSPITAL DATABASE, AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER EIGHT WEEKLY 75-MIN YOGA CLASSES OR A USUAL CARE CONTROL. FEASIBILITY WAS DETERMINED BY RECRUITMENT RATES, RETENTION, PROTOCOL ADHERENCE, PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION AND ADVERSE EVENTS. SECONDARY PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES WERE ASSESSED USING SELF-REPORTED QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE (WEEK 0), WEEK 9 (PRIMARY TIME POINT) AND WEEK 12 (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: OVER A 3-MONTH PERIOD, 26 PARTICIPANTS WITH MILD PAIN, MILD TO MODERATE FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND MODERATE DISEASE ACTIVITY WERE RECRUITED INTO THE STUDY (25% RECRUITMENT RATE). RETENTION RATES WERE 100% FOR YOGA PARTICIPANTS AND 92% FOR USUAL CARE PARTICIPANTS AT BOTH WEEKS 9 AND 12. PROTOCOL ADHERENCE AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION WERE HIGH. YOGA PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED A MEDIAN OF SEVEN CLASSES; ADDITIONALLY, SEVEN OF THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS (54%) REPORTED CONTINUING YOGA AT HOME DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS WERE RELATED TO THE STUDY. SECONDARY OUTCOMES SHOWED NO GROUP EFFECTS OF YOGA COMPARED WITH USUAL CARE. CONCLUSIONS: A RELAXATION-BASED YOGA PROGRAMME WAS FOUND TO BE FEASIBLE AND SAFE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-RELATED PAIN AND FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY. ADVERSE EVENTS WERE MINOR, AND NOT UNEXPECTED FROM AN INTERVENTION INCLUDING PHYSICAL COMPONENTS. THIS PILOT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR LARGER INTERVENTION STUDIES, AND SUPPORTS FURTHER EXPLORATION OF YOGA AS A COMPLEX INTERVENTION TO ASSIST WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. 2018 9 282 44 ADHERENCE TO YOGA AND EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS IN A 6-MONTH CLINICAL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT PREDICT ADHERENCE TO A MIND-BODY INTERVENTION IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. DESIGN: WE ANALYZED ADHERENCE DATA FROM A 3-ARM TRIAL INVOLVING 135 GENERALLY HEALTHY SENIORS 65-85 YEARS OF AGE RANDOMIZED TO A 6-MONTH INTERVENTION CONSISTING OF: AN IYENGAR YOGA CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, AN EXERCISE CLASS WITH HOME PRACTICE, OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED COGNITIVE FUNCTION, MOOD, FATIGUE, ANXIETY, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PHYSICAL MEASURES. ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION WAS OBTAINED BY CLASS ATTENDANCE AND BIWEEKLY HOME PRACTICE LOGS. RESULTS: THE DROP-OUT RATE WAS 13%. AMONG THE COMPLETERS OF THE TWO ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS, AVERAGE YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 77% AND HOME PRACTICE OCCURRED 64% OF ALL DAYS. AVERAGE EXERCISE CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 69% AND HOME EXERCISE OCCURRED 54% OF ALL DAYS. THERE WERE NO CLEAR EFFECTS OF ADHERENCE ON THE SIGNIFICANT STUDY OUTCOMES (QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL MEASURES). CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH BASELINE MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, FATIGUE, AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE MEASURES WERE ALSO FOUND BETWEEN STUDY COMPLETERS AND DROP-OUTS IN THE ACTIVE INTERVENTIONS. ADHERENCE WAS NOT RELATED TO AGE, GENDER, OR EDUCATION LEVEL. CONCLUSION: HEALTHY SENIORS HAVE GOOD ATTENDANCE AT CLASSES WITH A PHYSICALLY ACTIVE INTERVENTION. HOME PRACTICE TAKES PLACE OVER HALF OF THE TIME. DECREASED ADHERENCE TO A POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL INTERVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DECREASE THE EFFECT OF THE INTERVENTION IN A CLINICAL TRIAL BECAUSE SUBJECTS WHO MIGHT SUSTAIN THE GREATEST BENEFIT WILL RECEIVE A LOWER DOSE OF THE INTERVENTION AND SUBJECTS WITH HIGHER ADHERENCE RATES MAY BE FUNCTIONING CLOSER TO MAXIMUM ABILITY BEFORE THE INTERVENTION. STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE ADHERENCE AMONG SUBJECTS AT GREATER RISK FOR LOW ADHERENCE WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE TRIALS, ESPECIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS REQUIRING GREATER EFFORT THAN SIMPLE PILL-TAKING. 2007 10 478 42 CLINICAL CASE REPORT: YOGA FOR FATIGUE IN FIVE YOUNG ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. PURPOSE: CANCER-RELATED FATIGUE (CRF) IS A DISTRESSING CONSEQUENCE OF CANCER AND ITS TREATMENT. CRF IMPACTS MANY YOUNG ADULT (YA) SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, COMPROMISING WORK, SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES. NO SATISFACTORY TREATMENT EXISTS. THIS PILOT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND PRELIMINARY EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK TWICE/WEEK IYENGAR YOGA (IY) INTERVENTION FOR TREATING PERSISTENT FATIGUE IN YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER. METHODS: USING A SINGLE-ARM MIXED-METHODS DESIGN, ADULT CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORS AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 39 YEARS WERE RECRUITED FROM A SURVIVORSHIP CLINIC AT A SINGLE INSTITUTION. QUANTITATIVE: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS FATIGUE AS MEASURED BY THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY-FATIGUE. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, MULTIDIMENSIONAL FATIGUE, MOOD, AND SLEEP. WEEKLY SELF-REPORT MONITORING DATA WERE COLLECTED. QUALITATIVE: PARTICIPANTS ALSO COMPLETED A POST-INTERVENTION INTERVIEW, MAJOR THEMES EVALUATED. RESULTS: FIVE PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED INTO THE STUDY AND FOUR COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION. ATTENDANCE WAS 92% AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE EVENTS. BASELINE MOBILITY WAS HIGHLY VARIED, WITH ONE YA HAVING HAD A HEMIPELVECTOMY. QUANTITATIVE DATA REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FATIGUE, SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, SOMATIZATION, AND GENERAL AND EMOTIONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF FATIGUE FOLLOWING YOGA. QUALITATIVE DATA CROSS VALIDATED, CLARIFIED, AND EXPANDED UPON THE QUANTITATIVE FINDINGS. CONCLUSIONS: THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF IY INTERVENTION IS SAFE FOR YA SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, EVEN FOR THOSE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. PRELIMINARY EFFICACY WAS DEMONSTRATED FOR THE PRIMARY OUTCOME OF FATIGUE. QUALITATIVE DATA ELUCIDATED ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS WORK-RELATED SOCIAL FUNCTIONING, AND A SENSE OF CALM AND RELAXATION. 2017 11 130 33 A PRAGMATIC CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A BRIEF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAM FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELLBEING IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS THAT ATTENDED A BRIEF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAM. DESIGN: PRAGMATIC CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS THAT ATTENDED A YOGA MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAM (N = 9) TO A WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 22). SETTING: THE 3-DAY PROGRAM WAS DELIVERED AT THE KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH IN MASSACHUSETTS. INTERVENTION: THE 3-DAY YOGA MINDFULNESS PROGRAM INCLUDED 5 HOURS PER DAY OF YOGA, MINDFULNESS EXERCISES, FORMAL MEDITATION, DIDACTIC, AND EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELLBEING WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), IMMEDIATELY AFTER (POST-PROGRAM), AND TWO MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM (FOLLOW-UP). RESULTS: RELATIVE TO CONTROLS (N = 21), THE RISE GROUP (N = 9) SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN POSITIVE AFFECT (P = .033), NEGATIVE AFFECT (P = .044), MINDFULNESS (P = .001), EMPOWERMENT (P = .022), SELF-COMPASSION (P = .001), AND WORK ENGAGEMENT FROM BASELINE TO POST-PROGRAM. FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP, THE RISE GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS (P = .008), NEGATIVE AFFECT (P = .013), MINDFULNESS (P = .001), EMPOWERMENT (P = .007), AND SELF-COMPASSION (P = .001) COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE YOGA MINDFULNESS PROGRAM WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN EDUCATORS' PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL WELLBEING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AND 2-MONTHS FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM. FUTURE RESEARCH WITH A LARGER SAMPLE SIZE IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE RESULTS. 2020 12 1237 43 FEASIBILITY OF A BRIEF YOGA INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING ACUTE PAIN AND DISTRESS POST GYNECOLOGIC SURGERY. BACKGROUND: WOMEN UNDERGOING SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR SUSPECTED GYNECOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCE PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS RELATED TO SURGERY. YOGA MAY REDUCE THESE NEGATIVE SURGICAL OUTCOMES. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF EVALUATING A PERIOPERATIVE BRIEF YOGA SKILLS TRAINING (YST) IN THIS POPULATION. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES WERE TO (1) ASSESS THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE YST ON PAIN AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS; AND (2) PROVIDE PRELIMINARY DATA FOR FUTURE STUDIES. METHOD: ADULT WOMEN SCHEDULED TO UNDERGO AN EXPLORATORY LAPAROTOMY FOR A SUSPECTED GYNECOLOGIC MALIGNANCY WERE RECRUITED TO THIS ONE-ARM FEASIBILITY STUDY. EACH WOMAN RECEIVED THE YST, WHICH CONSISTED OF THREE 15-MINUTE SESSIONS, ONE BEFORE AND TWO AFTER SURGERY. THE FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTS WERE ASSESSED: FEASIBILITY (RATES OF ACCRUAL, INTERVENTION ADHERENCE, MEASURE COMPLETION, RETENTION, AND LEVEL OF SATISFACTION), IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE YST (VISUAL ANALOGUE SCALE RATINGS OF PAIN AND DISTRESS IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION), AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS FOR MEASURES TO BE USED IN FUTURE STUDIES. RESULTS: OF THE 33 ELIGIBLE WOMEN, 18 WERE APPROACHED AND 10 AGREED TO PARTICIPATE (MEAN AGE = 54.7 YEARS; 90% WHITE). TWO WOMEN DISCONTINUED THE STUDY PRIOR TO STARTING THE YST SESSIONS. OF THE EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WHO RECEIVED THE YST, FIVE COMPLETED THE PRE-SURGERY SESSION (63%) AND SEVEN COMPLETED (88%) BOTH POST-SURGICAL SESSIONS; ONE WOMAN WITHDREW AFTER ONE YST SESSION. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED HIGH SATISFACTION WITH THE YST. ACUTE PAIN AND DISTRESS DECREASED FROM BEFORE TO IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE YST SESSION WITH MODERATE TO LARGE EFFECTS: PAIN, D'S = -0.67 TO -0.95; DISTRESS, D'S = -0.66 TO -1.08. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATED REASONABLE INDICATORS OF FEASIBILITY. IN ADDITION, PATIENTS SHOWED SHORT-TERM REDUCTIONS IN PAIN AND DISTRESS. NEXT STEPS INCLUDE ATTENTION TO IMPROVING STAFF AVAILABILITY AND INTERVENTION IMPLEMENTATION IN ORDER TO FEASIBLY EVALUATE THE PERIOPERATIVE YST, WHICH SHOWS PROMISE FOR REDUCING POSTOPERATIVE PAIN AND DISTRESS. 2016 13 1228 40 FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON COGNITION, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND AFFECTIVE OUTCOMES AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND IMPACT OF A TRIWEEKLY 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV (PLWH). ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES INCLUDED EVALUATING COGNITION, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, MEDICATION ADHERENCE, HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL), AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG YOGA PARTICIPANTS VERSUS CONTROLS USING BLINDED ASSESSORS. WE RECRUITED 22 MEDICALLY STABLE PLWH AGED >/=35 YEARS. A PRIORI FEASIBILITY CRITERIA WERE >/=70% YOGA SESSION ATTENDANCE AND >/=70% OF PARTICIPANTS SATISFIED WITH THE INTERVENTION USING A POSTPARTICIPATION QUESTIONNAIRE. TWO PARTICIPANTS WITHDREW FROM THE YOGA GROUP. MEAN YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE WAS 82%, WITH 100% SATISFACTION. INTENTION-TO-TREAT ANALYSES (YOGA N = 11, CONTROL N = 11) SHOWED NO WITHIN- OR BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION. THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED OVER TIME IN HRQOL COGNITION (P = .047) WITH TRENDS TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN HRQOL HEALTH TRANSITION (P =.063) AND DEPRESSION (P = .055). THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR PLWH. 2020 14 1240 47 FEASIBILITY OF A MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM FOR WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER: RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF SYMPTOMS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SYMPTOMS BUT HAVE RARELY BEEN TESTED IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED DISEASE. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A COMPREHENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM FOR MBC AND THE FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING A RANDOMIZED TRIAL TESTING THE INTERVENTION. METHODS: SIXTY-THREE WOMEN WITH MBC WERE RANDOMIZED WITH A 2:1 ALLOCATION TO YOGA OR A SUPPORT GROUP COMPARISON CONDITION. BOTH INTERVENTIONS INVOLVED EIGHT WEEKLY GROUP SESSIONS. FEASIBILITY WAS QUANTIFIED USING RATES OF ACCRUAL, ATTRITION, AND SESSION ATTENDANCE. ACCEPTABILITY WAS ASSESSED WITH A STANDARDIZED SELF-REPORT MEASURE. PAIN, FATIGUE, SLEEP QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, MINDFULNESS, AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE, POST-INTERVENTION, AND 3 AND 6 MONTHS POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: WE MET GOALS FOR ACCRUAL AND RETENTION, WITH 50% OF ELIGIBLE PATIENTS ENROLLED AND 87% OF RANDOMIZED PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING POST-INTERVENTION SURVEYS. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 90% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP ATTENDED >/= 4 SESSIONS. EIGHTY PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA CONDITION AND 65% IN THE SUPPORT GROUP INDICATED THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY SATISFIED WITH THE INTERVENTION. FOLLOWING TREATMENT, WOMEN IN THE YOGA INTERVENTION HAD MODEST IMPROVEMENTS IN SOME OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, OVERALL SYMPTOM LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS. CONCLUSIONS: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONTENT WAS HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE TO PATIENTS WITH MBC, BUT THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING AN INTERVENTION INVOLVING EIGHT GROUP-BASED IN-PERSON SESSIONS. ALTERNATIVE MODES OF DELIVERY MAY BE NECESSARY TO REACH PATIENTS MOST IN NEED OF INTERVENTION. 2019 15 112 37 A PILOT STUDY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PSYCHOSIS. AIM: TO DETERMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY AND SAFETY OF A MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA INTERVENTION AS ADJUNCT TO USUAL CARE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: PEOPLE AGED 16-25 YEARS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY-BASED SPECIALIST EARLY PSYCHOSIS CLINIC WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. THE INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF 1-H WEEKLY CLASSES OF MINDFULNESS INFORMED YOGA. ACCEPTABILITY WAS MEASURED BY UPTAKE, ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPANTS' SATISFACTION. SAFETY WAS MEASURED BY INCIDENCE OF PHYSICAL INJURY, PARTICIPANTS' LEVEL OF COMFORT, DISTRESS AND ANXIETY DURING THE SESSIONS, AND THE FOLLOWING MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOTIC, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS SYMPTOMS, SLEEP QUALITY AND FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: OF THOSE WHO CONSENTED TO THE STUDY, 80% (12) PARTICIPATED AND ON AVERAGE ATTENDED 4.4 YOGA CLASSES. THERE WERE NO PHYSICAL INJURIES AND PARTICIPANTS REPORTED MINIMAL DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTION. CONCLUSIONS: MINDFULNESS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE BOTH ACCEPTABLE AND SAFE AS AN INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. THOUGH NUMBERS WERE SMALL, THE STUDY SHOWS PROMISE FOR YOGA AS A POTENTIALLY USEFUL INTERVENTION. IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS NO DETERIORATION IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. A LARGER TRIAL EVALUATING CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS IS NOW TIMELY. 2022 16 1946 23 SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE VERSUS IN-PERSON YOGA DURING COVID-19. INTRODUCTION: DURING COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, YOGA CLASSES TRANSITIONED TO ONLINE DELIVERY. THIS REPORT COMPARES THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO ONLINE AND IN-PERSON YOGA AND DETERMINE THE PREFERRED FORMAT. A SECONDARY AIM WAS TO COMPARE HOW WELL EACH FORMAT WAS PERCEIVED TO PRODUCE COMMON BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS. RESULTS: IN-PERSON YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, PHYSICAL SATISFACTION, AND FEELING ENERGIZED. ONLINE YOGA SCORED HIGHEST FOR CONVENIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD BENEFITS, AND AFFORDABILITY (INITIAL N = 156; FOLLOW-UP N = 55). CONCLUSION: ONLINE YOGA WAS ACCEPTABLE AND PERCEIVED TO PROVIDE IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH AND MOOD. 2021 17 38 33 A 3-DAY RESIDENTIAL YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IMPROVES EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS' PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN A SINGLE ARM TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXAMINED CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN URBAN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS AFTER ATTENDING A BRIEF YOGA-BASED PROGRAM. METHODS: EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (NYC DOE) WHO WERE ATTENDING A RESIDENTIAL 3-DAY YOGA-BASED PROGRAM AT KRIPALU CENTER FOR YOGA & HEALTH WERE RECRUITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STUDY. MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE (BASELINE), AFTER (POST), AND TWO MONTHS AFTER THE PROGRAM (FOLLOW-UP). PAIRED SAMPLES T-TESTS WERE USED TO COMPARE SCORES BETWEEN TIME POINTS. RESULTS: AT POST, PARTICIPANTS (N=74) SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRESS, RESILIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, WORK ENGAGEMENT, BURNOUT, EXERCISE, AND VEGETABLE INTAKE (ALL P VALUES < 0.05) COMPARED TO BASELINE. AT THE FOLLOW-UP (N=33), SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN RESILIENCE, AFFECT, MINDFULNESS, EMPOWERMENT, SELF-COMPASSION, WORK ENGAGEMENT, AND BURNOUT (ALL P VALUES < 0.05) COMPARED TO BASELINE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE DEGREE OF HOME PRACTICE OF THE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM AND IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIPLE MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AT FOLLOW-UP (ALL P VALUES < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IMPROVES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND HEALTHY BEHAVIORS IN EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM AND UP TO TWO-MONTHS FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, MORE DATA WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM SUSTAINED BENEFITS OVER THE LONGER TERM. 2021 18 201 49 A RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS: A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: DATA SHOW THAT YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR IMPROVING HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS. WHILE BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCER AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN (AAW), AAW ARE LESS LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN YOGA COMPARED TO OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS. THE GOALS OF THE CURRENT STUDY WERE TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF AN 8-WEEK RESTORATIVE YOGA PROGRAM AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS (AA BCS). SPECIFICALLY, STUDY AIMS WERE TO (1) MEASURE CHANGES IN STUDY OUTCOMES IN A RESTORATIVE YOGA (RY) GROUP COMPARED TO A WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP, (2) ASSESS ADHERENCE TO THE RY PROGRAM, AND (3) ASSESS PROGRAM SATISFACTION AMONG STUDY PARTICIPANTS. METHODS: THIRTY-THREE AA BCS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE RY INTERVENTION (N = 18) OR WAIT LIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 15). RY CLASSES MET ONCE PER WEEK FOR 8 WEEKS. PRE- AND POST-TESTING ASSESSMENTS WERE MEASURED AT 0 AND 8 WEEKS (IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION). RESULTS: DEPRESSION SCORES AT FOLLOW-UP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP (M = 4.78, SD = 3.56) COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP (M = 6.91, SD = 5.86). NO SIGNIFICANT GROUP DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED FOR SLEEP QUALITY, FATIGUE, OR PERCEIVED STRESS. YOGA PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS COMPLETING BASELINE ASSESSMENTS DEMONSTRATED 61% ADHERENCE TO THE YOGA CLASSES. AVERAGE RATING OF THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS "VERY USEFUL." RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA PROGRAMS WERE PROVIDED. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA HAS A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON DEPRESSION IN AA BCS. THERE IS, HOWEVER, A NEED TO FURTHER EXPLORE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AMONG MINORITY BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS USING A STUDY WITH LARGER SAMPLE SIZES. 2018 19 1379 47 IMPACT OF IYENGAR YOGA ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN YOUNG WOMEN WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS. OBJECTIVE: RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) IS A CHRONIC, DISABLING DISEASE THAT CAN GREATLY COMPROMISE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL). THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF A 6-WEEK TWICE/WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM ON HRQOL OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH RA COMPARED WITH A USUAL-CARE WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE PRIMARY OUTCOME OF HRQOL INCLUDING PAIN AND DISABILITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING IN PATIENTS. ASSESSMENTS WERE COLLECTED PRETREATMENT, POSTTREATMENT, AND AT 2 MONTHS AFTER TREATMENT. WEEKLY RATINGS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, PAIN, AND SLEEP WERE ALSO RECORDED. A TOTAL OF 26 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE INTERVENTION (YOGA=11; USUAL-CARE WAITLIST=15). ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE (MEAN AGE=28 Y). RESULTS: OVERALL ATTRITION WAS LOW AT 15%. ON AVERAGE, WOMEN IN THE YOGA GROUP ATTENDED 96% OF THE YOGA CLASSES. NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. RELATIVE TO THE USUAL-CARE WAITLIST, WOMEN ASSIGNED TO THE YOGA PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT ON STANDARDIZED MEASURES OF HRQOL, PAIN DISABILITY, GENERAL HEALTH, MOOD, FATIGUE, ACCEPTANCE OF CHRONIC PAIN, AND SELF-EFFICACY REGARDING PAIN AT POSTTREATMENT. ALMOST HALF OF THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL SYMPTOM IMPROVEMENT. ANALYSIS OF THE UNCONTROLLED EFFECTS AND MAINTENANCE OF TREATMENT EFFECTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN HRQOL GENERAL HEALTH, PAIN DISABILITY, AND WEEKLY RATINGS OF PAIN, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION WERE MAINTAINED AT FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A BRIEF IYENGAR YOGA INTERVENTION IS A FEASIBLE AND SAFE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RA, LEADING TO HRQOL, PAIN DISABILITY, FATIGUE, AND MOOD BENEFITS. MOREOVER, IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE, PAIN DISABILITY, AND MOOD PERSISTED AT THE 2-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. 2013 20 1372 40 IMPACT OF A YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON STUDENTS' STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS. OBJECTIVE. TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION INTERVENTION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS' STRESS PERCEPTION, ANXIETY LEVELS, AND MINDFULNESS SKILLS. METHODS. COLLEGE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-WEEK PILOT PROGRAM THAT CONSISTED OF A 60-MINUTE VINYASA FLOW YOGA CLASS ONCE WEEKLY, FOLLOWED BY GUIDED MEDITATION DELIVERED BY TRAINED FACULTY MEMBERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. STUDENTS COMPLETED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRES TO EVALUATE CHANGES IN THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: STRESS LEVELS, ANXIETY LEVELS, AND MINDFULNESS SKILLS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE CONSISTED OF THREE SELF-REPORTING TOOLS: THE BECK ANXIETY INVENTORY (BAI), THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE (PSS), AND THE FIVE FACET MINDFULNESS QUESTIONNAIRE (FFMQ). STUDENTS' SCORES ON EACH WERE ASSESSED TO DETECT ANY CHANGES FROM BASELINE USING THE NUMERICAL AND CATEGORICAL SCALES (LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH) FOR EACH INSTRUMENT. RESULTS. SEVENTEEN PARTICIPANTS, AGED 19 TO 23 YEARS, COMPLETED THE STUDY. THIRTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE FEMALE AND FOUR WERE MALE. NINE OF THE STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED IN THE DOCTOR OF PHARMACY PROGRAM AND EIGHT WERE ENROLLED IN OTHER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. STUDENTS' ANXIETY AND STRESS SCORES DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE THEIR TOTAL MINDFULNESS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. CHANGES IN CATEGORICAL DATA FROM PRE- TO POST-INTERVENTION ON THE BAI AND PSS WERE SIGNIFICANT, WITH NO STUDENTS SCORING IN THE "HIGH" CATEGORY FOR STRESS OR ANXIETY ON THE POST-INTERVENTION QUESTIONNAIRE. CONCLUSION. STUDENTS EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVELS AFTER COMPLETING A SIX-WEEK YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM PRECEDING FINAL EXAMINATIONS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT ADOPTING A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE FOR AS LITTLE AS ONCE PER WEEK MAY REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD CONSIDER INCLUDING INSTRUCTION IN NONPHARMACOLOGIC STRESS AND ANXIETY REDUCTION METHODS, WITHIN CURRICULA IN ORDER TO SUPPORT STUDENT SELF-CARE. 2019