1 2760 199 YOGA PRACTITIONERS UNIQUELY ACTIVATE THE SUPERIOR PARIETAL LOBULE AND SUPRAMARGINAL GYRUS DURING EMOTION REGULATION. CHRONIC STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ILLNESS. A HIGH PREVALENCE AND COST OF STRESS-RELATED ILLNESSES NORTH AMERICA WARRANTS INVESTIGATION INTO ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES WHICH MAY HELP REDUCE ADVERSE REACTIONS TO STRESSFUL STIMULI. EMOTION REGULATION IS THE PROCESS OF MONITORING AND ADJUSTING EMOTIONAL RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI AND STRESSORS. INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE ADVERSE RESPONSES TO POTENTIALLY STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, POTENTIALLY DUE TO ADAPTIONS IN EMOTION REGULATION. YOGA IS A FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INVOLVING STRETCHING EXERCISES AND MEDITATION, THAT MAY LESSEN INDIVIDUALS' LEVELS OF STRESS AND ANXIETY AND IMPROVE EMOTION REGULATION. HIGH-FREQUENCY HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HF-HRV) IS CONSIDERED A MEASURE OF PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) ACTIVITY DURING THE EMOTION REGULATION. MEASURING HRV AND BRAIN ACTIVITY USING FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (FMRI) OFFERS A USEFUL, NONINVASIVE APPROACH TO EVALUATING "NEUROVISCERAL" COMPONENTS OF EMOTION REGULATION. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YP) EXHIBIT DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF BRAIN ACTIVATION COMPARED TO RECREATIONAL ATHLETES (RA) WITHOUT CURRENT YOGA EXPERIENCE, WHILE VIEWING EMOTIONALLY AROUSING VISUAL STIMULI. OUR SECONDARY AIM WAS TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL DIFFERENCES ACROSS GROUPS IN HRV THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION OF THESE STIMULI. ANALYSIS OF FMRI DATA DURING EXPOSURE TO EMOTION-EVOKING (EE) STIMULI REVEALED THAT THE YP GROUP ACTIVATED TWO UNIQUE BRAIN AREAS, NAMELY THE SUPERIOR PARIETAL LOBULE AND THE SUPRAMARGINAL GYRUS. THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENTIONAL AWARENESS AND REDUCED EGOCENTRIC BIAS, PROCESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLICATED IN EMOTION REGULATION BY OTHERS. THE RA GROUP ACTIVATED THE INFERIOR MIDDLE FRONTAL CORTEX, AN AREA ASSOCIATED WITH COGNITIVE REAPPRAISAL DURING EMOTION REGULATION. THE YP GROUP ALSO DEMONSTRATED A TREND TOWARDS A HIGHER RATIO OF LOW- TO HIGH-FREQUENCY HRV COMPARED TO THE RA GROUP. THE PRESENT FINDINGS SUPPORT THE PRESENCE OF EXPERIENCE-DEPENDENT NEUROVISCERAL MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH EMOTION REGULATION. INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REGULATE THEIR NEUROVISCERAL RESPONSES TO POTENTIALLY STRESSFUL EXTERNAL STIMULI IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN RECREATIONAL ATHLETES WHO DO NOT ENGAGE IN YOGA PRACTICE. THE PRESENT STUDY HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE (RA: N = 12; YP: N = 19), WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN INTERPRETING THE RESULTS. 2018 2 1338 40 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? EMBODIED COGNITION AND EMOTION HIGHLIGHT THE INFLUENCE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR ACTIVITY, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION - AN ASSOCIATION THAT IS GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDIATING VARIABLES IS, HOWEVER, LIMITED. GIVEN THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO PRESENT A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE THAT ENCOURAGES SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH REGARDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA, STRESS, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY. THIS EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE PARALLELS POPULAR INTEREST IN THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND EMPHASIZES THE INFLUENCE OF BODY POSITION ON THINKING AS WELL AS EMOTION. THOSE INFLUENCES TAKE ON ADDED MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COGNITIVE APPRAISAL THEORY AND THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF CHALLENGE AND THREAT. INVESTIGATIONS OF EMBODIED COGNITION SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE STRESS BY AFFECTING THE WAY INDIVIDUALS APPRAISE STRESSORS. THE COMBINATION OF BODY POSITION AND COMMON COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT EFFECT, PARTICULARLY WHEN CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SELF AND FEELINGS OF CONFIDENCE. FINDINGS REGARDING EMBODIED EMOTION MAKE A SIMILAR CONTRIBUTION TO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS AND COMMON YOGA PRACTICES. CONSIDERING YOGA AND STRESS FROM AN EMBODIED PERSPECTIVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM IN THE STRESS PROCESS, LEADING TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES STRESS BY DIRECTLY INFLUENCING THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, INDIRECTLY BY INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF THAT SYSTEM, OR THROUGH A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THOSE QUESTIONS, IN TURN, HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING INVESTIGATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES, BODY POSITION, MUSCULOSKELETAL ACTIVITY DURING YOGA, AND THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THOSE VARIABLES. 2019 3 2002 25 STRESS, SUBSTANCE USE, AND YOGA IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY REENTRY FOLLOWING INCARCERATION. THIS FIELD REPORT PROVIDES A RATIONALE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF YOGA TO SUPPORT REDUCTIONS IN STRESS AND SUBSTANCE USE AMONG PEOPLE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY FROM JAIL OR PRISON AND DESCRIBES AN AGENCY-BASED EXAMPLE OF YOGA CLASSES OFFERED IN THIS CONTEXT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED INCARCERATION FACE A MULTITUDE OF STRESSORS, WHICH CAN HEIGHTEN THE RISK OF SUBSTANCE USE AND SUPPORT THE NEED TO ADDRESS STRESS REDUCTION AS A PATHWAY TO REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE. ONE PROMISING INTERVENTION IS YOGA, WHICH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT STRESS-REDUCTION EFFECTS AMONG SEVERAL POPULATIONS. FEEDBACK FROM PARTICIPANTS IN THIS FIELD REPORT'S PRACTICE EXAMPLE REINFORCES THE POTENTIAL FOR YOGA TO DECREASE STRESS AND COMPLEMENT SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT IN SUPPORTING HEALTH DURING THE TRANSITION FROM INCARCERATION TO COMMUNITY RETURN. FURTHER SCHOLARSHIP IS NEEDED TO EXPLORE THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF YOGA IN THIS CONTEXT. 2018 4 1211 34 EXPLORING HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA CHANGE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING ACROSS A SINGLE SESSION. OBJECTIVES: YOGA DEMONSTRATES BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN MANY POPULATIONS, YET OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOGA BRINGS ABOUT THESE EFFECTS IS QUITE LIMITED. AMONG THE PROPOSED MECHANISMS OF YOGA ARE INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS) THAT MAY BRING ABOUT SALUTARY EFFECTS ON EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. FURTHER, YOGA IS A COMPLEX PRACTICE COMPRISING MEDITATION, ACTIVE AND RESTORATIVE POSTURES, AND BREATHWORK; HOWEVER LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT COMPONENTS MAY AFFECT MECHANISMS. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE HOW AN ACUTE SESSION OF YOGA (AND ITS SPECIFIC COMPONENTS) RELATED TO PRE- TO POST- SESSION CHANGES IN PROPOSED MECHANISMS (PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES) AND WHETHER THOSE CHANGES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE CHANGES IN EMOTIONS. DESIGN: 144 REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS COMPLETED MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS, BODY CONSCIOUSNESS, SELF-TRANSCENDENCE, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, SPIRITUAL PEACE, AND EXERCISE-INDUCED EMOTIONS (POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT, REVITALIZATION, TRANQUILITY, EXHAUSTION) IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER A YOGA SESSION (N=11 SESSIONS, EACH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF YOGA). PERCEIVED PROPERTIES OF EACH YOGA SESSION, EXERCISE EXERTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE YOGA TEACHER WERE ASSESSED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SESSION. RESULTS: PRE-TO POST- YOGA, LEVELS OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS (ENGAGEMENT, TRANQUILITY AND REVITALIZATION) INCREASED WHILE EXHAUSTION DECREASED. FURTHER, ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES INCREASED AND CLOSELY TRACKED IMPROVED EMOTIONS. ADDITIONALLY, ASPECTS OF THE YOGA SESSION CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESOURCES (MECHANISMS) AND EMOTIONS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY INFLUENCE MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT INFLUENCE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. FURTHER, DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT MECHANISMS. RESULTS CAN INFORM YOGA INTERVENTIONS AIMING TO OPTIMIZE EFFECTS THROUGH SPECIFIC MECHANISMS SUCH AS MINDFULNESS OR SPIRITUALITY. 2020 5 1633 34 MODEL OF YOGA INTERVENTION IN INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR. COUNTERPRODUCTIVE WORK BEHAVIOR (CWB) HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A BROAD SPECTRUM OF JOB BEHAVIORS AND ITS LINK WITH NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY AND HOSTILE BEHAVIORS. IT IS A MAJOR CONCERN PRACTICALLY FOR ALL ORGANIZATIONS. REPEATED EXPOSURE TO WORKPLACE STRESSOR CAN RESULT IN A STRAIN, AN OUTCOME OF THE JOB STRESS PROCESS THAT CAN BE PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL, OR BEHAVIORAL IN NATURE, LEADING TO CWBS. YOGA IS A TECHNIQUE THAT BRINGS AN IMPROVEMENT ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL LEVEL BY MEANS OF POSTURE, BREATHING CONTROL METHODS, AND SILENCING THE MIND THROUGH MEDITATION. THOUGH YOGA HAS RECEIVED LESS SCIENTIFIC CONSIDERATION, THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN THE STUDY OF YOGA IN THE HEALTHY POPULATION. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-CONTROL PRACTICES LIKE YOGA ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO BE AWARE AND ACCEPT THEIR AGGRESSION LINKED THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS SIMPLY AS A SHORT-LIVED STATE RATHER THAN TO CONTROL THEM. THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ARE ALREADY PROVEN. THIS PAPER INTRODUCES A SIMPLE MODEL OF COST-EFFECTIVE, TRIALS OF YOGA INTERVENTION AT THE WORKPLACE WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE TWIN BENEFITS OF SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS FROM LOSSES FOR THE EMPLOYERS BY REDUCING THE CWB AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE EMPLOYEES BY REDUCING THE NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY AND AGGRESSION. INTERNET DATABASES SUCH AS PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND APA PSYCNET WERE ACCESSED. THE AVAILABLE DATA WERE SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED IN A STRUCTURED MANNER AND ANALYZED. 2015 6 2619 21 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 7 18 29 "THE PROGRAM AFFECTS ME 'CAUSE IT GIVES AWAY STRESS": URBAN STUDENTS' QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS AND A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. CONTEXT: SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA STUDIES GENERALLY MEASURE STRESS-RELATED OUTCOMES USING QUANTITATIVE MEASURES. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH QUESTIONS: HOW DO YOUTH DEFINE STRESS AND IN WHAT WAYS, IF ANY, WAS A MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION HELPFUL TO YOUTH DURING STRESS EXPERIENCES? DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: TO EXPLORE YOUTHS' OWN PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS, STRESSORS IN YOUTHS' LIVES, AND PERCEIVED CHANGES IN RESPONSES TO STRESS POST-INTERVENTION, WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH 22 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING A 16-WEEK MINDFUL YOGA INTERVENTION. RESULTS: USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS, THE FOLLOWING THREE THEMES EMERGED: (1) YOUTH CONFLATED STRESS WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS; (2) PEER AND FAMILY CONFLICTS WERE COMMON STRESSORS; AND (3) YOUTH REPORTED IMPROVED IMPULSE CONTROL AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION FOLLOWING THE INTERVENTION. STUDY FINDINGS HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR REFINING INTERVENTION CONTENT (E.G., DISCUSSIONS OF STRESS), AS WELL AS INFORMING THE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF QUANTITATIVE MEASURES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON STRESS AND STRESS RESPONSES IN URBAN YOUTH. 2016 8 1767 31 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 9 1639 27 MODULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN STRESS BY YOGA. STRESS IS A CONSTANT FACTOR IN TODAY'S FASTPACED LIFE THAT CAN JEOPARDIZE OUR HEALTH IF LEFT UNCHECKED. IT IS ONLY IN THE LAST HALF CENTURY THAT THE ROLE OF STRESS IN EVERY AILMENT FROM THE COMMON COLD TO AIDS HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED, AND THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS HAVE BEEN STUDIED. STRESS INFLUENCES THE IMMUNE RESPONSE PRESUMABLY THROUGH THE ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS, HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS, AND THE SYMPATHETIC-ADRENAL-MEDULLARY SYSTEM. VARIOUS NEUROTRANSMITTERS, NEUROPEPTIDES, HORMONES, AND CYTOKINES MEDIATE THESE COMPLEX BIDIRECTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSES RESULT IN ALTERATIONS IN THE NUMBER OF IMMUNE CELLS AND CYTOKINE DYSREGULATION. VARIOUS STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS MEDITATION, YOGA, HYPNOSIS, AND MUSCLE RELAXATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF STRESS IN CANCERS AND HIV INFECTION. THIS REVIEW AIMS TO DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF STRESS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND EXAMINE HOW RELAXATION TECHNIQUES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION COULD REGULATE THE CYTOKINE LEVELS AND HENCE, THE IMMUNE RESPONSES DURING STRESS. 2008 10 11 32 "MAYBE BLACK GIRLS DO YOGA": A FOCUS GROUP STUDY WITH PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE AFRICAN AMERICAN (AA) WOMEN'S USE OF MIND-BODY THERAPIES, SUCH AS YOGA AND MINDFULNESS, AND FACTORS THAT IMPACT THEIR EXPERIENCES, OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS. DESIGN: FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW AA WOMEN PERCEIVE MIND-BODY THERAPIES AND HOW TO BEST BRING THESE INTERVENTIONS INTO THEIR COMMUNITY. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIOTAPED AND TRANSCRIBED. SETTING: THE URBAN MIDWEST. OUTCOME MEASURES: IN ADDITION TO QUALITATIVE OUTCOMES, DESCRIPTIVE MEASURES INCLUDED THE PERCEIVED STRESSOR SCALE, BELIEFS ABOUT YOGA SCALE, AND DETERMINANTS OF MEDITATION PRACTICE INVENTORY (DOMPI). RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO, PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME (75% REPORTED INCOME <$50,000) AND SINGLE (82%) WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN THREE AGE STRATIFIED FOCUS GROUPS (18-34 YEARS, 35-65 YEARS, 66 YEARS AND OLDER). PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGED LIFE STRESS AND SHARED COMMON COPING MECHANISMS. THEY RECOGNIZED THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS COULD BE BENEFICIAL AND DISCUSSED BARRIERS TO PRACTICE (INCLUDING PERSONAL AND STRUCTURAL). YOUNGER WOMEN REPORTED MORE TIME CONSTRAINTS AS BARRIERS, MIDDLE AGED WOMEN HAD MORE EXPERIENCE WITH YOGA, AND OLDER WOMEN IDENTIFIED THE SPIRITUAL COMPONENT TO YOGA/MINDFULNESS AS POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING WITH CURRENT COPING STRATEGIES. PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED WAYS TO SHARE MIND-BODY THERAPIES WITHIN THE AA COMMUNITY ALONG WITH SOLUTIONS FOR ENGAGEMENT. CONCLUSIONS: AA WOMEN ACKNOWLEDGED STRESS IN THEIR LIVES AND RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL COPING MEASURES. ALTHOUGH WOMEN REPORTED INTEREST IN YOGA/MINDFULNESS THEY IDENTIFIED BARRIERS, INCLUDING LIMITED ACCESS TO CONVENIENT CLASSES, AND OFFERED SUGGESTIONS FOR BRINGING YOGA AND MINDFULNESS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. 2018 11 1343 36 HOW YOGA IMPACTS THE SUBSTANCE USE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WHO ARE IN REENTRY FROM PRISON OR JAIL: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. OBJECTIVES: NASCENT RESEARCH REFLECTS THE PROMISE OF YOGA AS A COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE USE. WHILE PUTATIVE MECHANISMS BEHIND YOGA'S IMPACT ON SUBSTANCE USE HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, THE RESEARCH IS LIMITED. THIS MANUSCRIPT AIMS TO DETERMINE HOW A HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION IMPACTS THE SUBSTANCE USE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN REENTRY FROM PRISON OR JAIL (RETURNING CITIZENS), AND LIVING WITH HIV AND SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS. DESIGN: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 28 RETURNING CITIZENS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A YOGA INTERVENTION. GUIDED BY A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE METHODOLOGY, THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THEMES THAT ANSWERED HOW YOGA IMPACTED PARTICIPANT SUBSTANCE USE. SETTING: A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA THAT CONNECTS PEOPLE TO HEALTH SERVICES, PROVIDES EDUCATION AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND ADVOCATES FOR PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT. INTERVENTION: A 90-MINUTE HATHA YOGA CLASS OFFERED ONCE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: FOURTEEN PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT YOGA EITHER REDUCED SUBSTANCE USE OR MAINTAINED NON-USE, VIA THE MECHANISMS OF PURPOSEFUL DISTRACTION, STRESS COPING (BY CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS AND REDUCING PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT), SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE. ELEVEN PARTICIPANTS REPORTED THAT YOGA DID NOT IMPACT THEIR SUBSTANCE USE. THREE PARTICIPANTS DID NOT DISCUSS IT. CONCLUSIONS: BY PROVIDING PURPOSEFUL DISTRACTION, INCREASED STRESS COPING, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND CONFIDENCE; YOGA MAY REDUCE SUBSTANCE USE AND MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT IN RECOVERY. THESE MECHANISTIC ACTIONS PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THEMES TO HIGHLIGHT IN YOGA CLASSES THAT AIM TO IMPACT SUBSTANCE USE AMONG RETURNING CITIZENS LIVING WITH HIV. 2019 12 2001 40 STRESS, INFLAMMATION, AND YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVE: TO ADDRESS THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HATHA YOGA'S POTENTIAL STRESS-REDUCTION BENEFITS, WE COMPARED INFLAMMATORY AND ENDOCRINE RESPONSES OF NOVICE AND EXPERT YOGA PRACTITIONERS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A RESTORATIVE HATHA YOGA SESSION, AS WELL AS IN TWO CONTROL CONDITIONS. STRESSORS BEFORE EACH OF THE THREE CONDITIONS PROVIDED DATA ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOGA SPEEDED AN INDIVIDUAL'S PHYSIOLOGICAL RECOVERY. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 50 HEALTHY WOMEN (MEAN AGE, 41.32 YEARS; RANGE, 30-65 YEARS), 25 NOVICES AND 25 EXPERTS, WERE EXPOSED TO EACH OF THE CONDITIONS (YOGA, MOVEMENT CONTROL, AND PASSIVE-VIDEO CONTROL) DURING THREE SEPARATE VISITS. RESULTS: THE YOGA SESSION BOOSTED PARTICIPANTS' POSITIVE AFFECT COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL CONDITIONS, BUT NO OVERALL DIFFERENCES IN INFLAMMATORY OR ENDOCRINE RESPONSES WERE UNIQUE TO THE YOGA SESSION. IMPORTANTLY, EVEN THOUGH NOVICES AND EXPERTS DID NOT DIFFER ON KEY DIMENSIONS, INCLUDING AGE, ABDOMINAL ADIPOSITY, AND CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, NOVICES' SERUM INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6 LEVELS WERE 41% HIGHER THAN THOSE OF EXPERTS ACROSS SESSIONS, AND THE ODDS OF A NOVICE HAVING DETECTABLE C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) WERE 4.75 TIMES AS HIGH AS THAT OF AN EXPERT. DIFFERENCES IN STRESS RESPONSES BETWEEN EXPERTS AND NOVICES PROVIDED ONE PLAUSIBLE MECHANISM FOR THEIR DIVERGENT SERUM IL-6 DATA; EXPERTS PRODUCED LESS LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-STIMULATED IL-6 IN RESPONSE TO THE STRESSOR THAN NOVICES, AND IL-6 PROMOTES CRP PRODUCTION. CONCLUSION: THE ABILITY TO MINIMIZE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES TO STRESSFUL ENCOUNTERS INFLUENCES THE BURDEN THAT STRESSORS PLACE ON AN INDIVIDUAL. IF YOGA DAMPENS OR LIMITS STRESS-RELATED CHANGES, THEN REGULAR PRACTICE COULD HAVE SUBSTANTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS. 2010 13 1590 18 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 14 93 29 A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. THIS PAPER REVIEWS THE PHILOSOPHICAL ORIGINS, CURRENT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, AND CLINICAL PROMISE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR ADDICTION. HISTORICALLY, THERE ARE EIGHT ELEMENTS OF YOGA THAT, TOGETHER, COMPRISE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR LIVING A MEANINGFUL, PURPOSEFUL, MORAL AND SELF-DISCIPLINED LIFE. TRADITIONAL YOGA PRACTICES, INCLUDING POSTURES AND MEDITATION, DIRECT ATTENTION TOWARD ONE'S HEALTH, WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF ONE'S NATURE. MINDFULNESS DERIVES FROM ANCIENT BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY, AND MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICES, SUCH AS GENTLE HATHA YOGA AND MINDFUL BREATHING, ARE INCREASINGLY INTEGRATED INTO SECULAR HEALTH CARE SETTINGS. CURRENT THEORETICAL MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE SKILLS, INSIGHTS, AND SELF-AWARENESS LEARNED THROUGH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICE CAN TARGET MULTIPLE PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL PROCESSES IMPLICATED IN ADDICTION AND RELAPSE. A SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBER OF WELL-DESIGNED CLINICAL TRIALS AND EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY STUDIES ON SMOKING, ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE, AND ILLICIT SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORT THE CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND HYPOTHESIZED MECHANISMS OF ACTION UNDERLYING MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR TREATING ADDICTION. BECAUSE VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE SPECIFIC ROLE OF YOGA IN TREATING OR PREVENTING ADDICTION, WE PROPOSE A CONCEPTUAL MODEL TO INFORM FUTURE STUDIES ON OUTCOMES AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IS ALSO NEEDED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPES OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS WORK BEST FOR WHAT TYPES OF ADDICTION, WHAT TYPES OF PATIENTS, AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS. OVERALL, CURRENT FINDINGS INCREASINGLY SUPPORT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS PROMISING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. 2013 15 1640 47 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 16 1824 39 PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE-IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES. YOGA HAS BEEN FOUND TO BENEFIT ALL THE COMPONENTS OF HEALTH VIZ. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING BY INCORPORATING A WIDE VARIETY OF PRACTICES. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE II DM AND CO-MORBIDITIES IN TYPE II DM HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH STRESS MECHANISMS. STRESS SUPPRESSES BODY'S IMMUNE SYSTEM AND NEURO-HUMORAL ACTIONS THEREBY AFF ECTING NORMAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE. IT WOULD NOT BE WRONG TO STATE THAT CORRELATION OF DIABETES WITH STRESS, ANXIETY AND OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ARE BIDIRECTIONAL AND LEAD TO DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING THE INTERRELATED MECHANISMS. TYPE II DM CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD IN ISOLATION WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS SUCH AS STRESS, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL FACTORS. THERE IS NO REVIEW WHICH TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THESE MECHANISMS EXCLUSIVELY. THE PRESENT LITERATURE REVIEW AIMS TO UNDERSTAND INTERRELATED PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS. PUBLISHED LITERATURE CONCERNING MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA IN TYPE II DM EMPHASIZING PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE OR IMMUNOLOGICAL RELATIONS WAS RETRIEVED FROM PUBMED USING KEY WORDS YOGA, TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS, PSYCHOLOGICAL, NEURAL, ENDOCRINE, IMMUNE AND MECHANISM OF ACTION. THOSE STUDIES WHICH EXPLAINED THE PSYCHO-NEUROENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF YOGA WERE INCLUDED AND REST WERE EXCLUDED. ALTHOUGH PRIMARY AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLAIN THESE MECHANISMS IN TYPE II DM, SOME STUDIES IN NON-DIABETIC POPULATION WHICH HAD A SIMILAR PATHWAY OF STRESS MECHANISM WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE MANY INSIGHTFUL STUDIES WERE AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED USING TERMS YOGA OR YOGIC AND DIABETES OR DIABETIC IN TITLE OR ABSTRACT FOR ENGLISH ARTICLES. OF THE 89 ARTICLES, WE EXCLUDED NON-ENGLISH ARTICLES (22), EDITORIALS (20) AND LETTERS TO EDITOR (10). 37 STUDIES WERE CONSIDERED FOR THIS REVIEW. THE POSTULATED MECHANISM OF ACTION OF YOGA IS THROUGH PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION AND THE ASSOCIATED ANTI STRESS MECHANISM. IT REDUCES PERCEIVED STRESS AND HPA AXIS ACTIVATION THEREBY IMPROVING OVERALL METABOLIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES, INCREASING INSULIN SENSITIVITY, AND IMPROVING GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND LIPID METABOLISM. YOGA HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON IMMUNE SYSTEM OF DIABETICS.- OVERALL, TYPE II DM IS INFLUENCED BY PSYCHO-NEURO-ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE MECHANISMS WHERE YOGA HAS IMPORTANT POSITIVE ROLE IN COMBATING STRESSORS AND IMPROVING THESE SYSTEMS TO REGAIN HEALTH. 2015 17 1964 33 SEPARATING THE "LIMBS" OF YOGA: LIMITED EFFECTS ON STRESS AND MOOD. THOUGH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA TO REDUCE STRESS AND IMPROVE THEIR MOOD, IT IS UNCLEAR WHICH ASPECT OF YOGA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE EFFECTS. TO INVESTIGATE RELEVANT ASPECTS, OR "LIMBS" OF YOGA, PARTICIPANTS WHO WERE NOVICES IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ENGAGED IN A SINGLE YOGA MANIPULATION (I.E., POSES, BREATH WORK, MEDITATION, OR LISTENING TO A LECTURE ABOUT YOGA) FOR 20 MIN BEFORE EXPERIENCING A MILD STRESSOR. PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, MOOD, AND ANXIETY LEVEL WERE ASSESSED, BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE YOGA MANIPULATION AND AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. THE 20-MIN YOGA MANIPULATION DID NOT DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECT ANY OF THE MEASURES, INCLUDING PARTICIPANTS' STRESS RESPONSE AFTER THE MILD STRESSOR. RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF A YOGA PRACTICE. 2019 18 2493 25 YOGA AS COPING: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION IN YOGA. YOGA FACILITATES RELAXATION AND CONNECTION OF MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT THROUGH THE USE OF BREATHING, MEDITATION, AND PHYSICAL POSTURES. PARTICIPATION IN YOGA HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY LINKED TO DECREASED STRESS, AND AS A RESULT, IS CONSIDERED A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION BY MANY. HOWEVER, FEW THEORIES EXIST THAT EXPLAIN THE LINK BETWEEN YOGA PARTICIPATION AND IMPROVED PSYCHOSOCIAL WELLBEING. THE LEISURE-STRESS COPING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK SUGGESTS THAT THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN LEISURE, AN INDIVIDUAL CAN DECREASE STRESS WHILE CONCURRENTLY RESTORING AND BUILDING UP SUSTAINABLE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CAPACITIES. THREE TYPES OF LEISURE COPING STRATEGIES EXIST: PALLIATIVE COPING, MOOD ENHANCEMENT, AND COMPANIONSHIP. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO PROPOSE THE LEISURE-STRESS COPING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AS A MODEL FOR EXPLAINING BENEFITS RECEIVED FROM YOGA PARTICIPATION VIA LEISURE COPING STRATEGIES, WHICH MAY EXPLAIN OR SUPPORT IMPROVED ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS. 2016 19 1575 32 MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA THROUGH YOGA: A REVIEW. THERE ARE MANY AND VARIED TYPES OF TRAUMA. THE EXTENT TO WHICH TRAUMA INFLUENCES THE MENTAL HEALTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF TRAUMA, AS WELL AS ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S COPING CAPABILITIES. OFTEN TRAUMA IS FOLLOWED BY DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND PTSD. AS THE PHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES FOR THESE CONDITIONS OFTEN HAVE UNDESIRABLE SIDE-EFFECTS, NONPHARMACOLOGICAL REMEDIES ARE THOUGHT OF AS A POSSIBLE ADD-ON TREATMENT. YOGA IS ONE SUCH MIND-BODY INTERVENTION. THIS PAPER COVERS ELEVEN STUDIES INDEXED IN PUBMED, IN WHICH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS RESULTING FROM TRAUMA WERE MANAGED THROUGH YOGA INCLUDING MEDITATION. THE AIM WAS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF YOGA IN MANAGING TRAUMA-RELATED DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PTSD AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO NATURAL CALAMITIES, WAR, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, AND INCARCERATION IN A CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. AN ATTEMPT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING BENEFITS SEEN. AS MOST OF THESE STUDIES WERE NOT DONE ON PERSONS EXPOSED TO TRAUMA THAT HAD PRACTICED YOGA, THIS IS A DEFINITE AREA FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2012 20 1882 29 REDUCING ALLOSTATIC LOAD IN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE AS ADD-ON THERAPIES. THE ALLOSTATIC LOAD (AL) INDEX CONSTITUTES A USEFUL TOOL TO OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. AL INDEX HAS BEEN POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH CUMULATIVE CHRONIC STRESS (PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESSORS) AND WITH A HIGH RISK TO DEVELOP PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS (E.G., METABOLIC SYNDROME, CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY, INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS) AND THE SO-CALLED STRESS-RELATED PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, INCLUDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. CHRONIC STRESS HAS NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON BRAIN NEUROPLASTICITY, ESPECIALLY ON HIPPOCAMPAL NEUROGENESIS AND THESE EFFECTS MAY BE REVERSED BY ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENTS. SEVERAL EVIDENCES INDICATE THAT NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS BASED ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE MAY ADD SYNERGIZING BENEFITS TO CLASSICAL TREATMENTS (ANTIDEPRESSANT AND BENZODIAZEPINES) FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, REDUCING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS. THE AIM OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON AL AND CHRONIC STRESS IN RELATION TO DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND YOGA PRACTICE. 2020