1 2675 104 YOGA IN PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPROVES ADOLESCENT MOOD AND AFFECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DIRECTLY COMPARE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS VERSUS A SINGLE STANDARD PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASS ON STUDENT MOOD. FORTY-SEVEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING MOOD AND AFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS AND A SINGLE PE CLASS ONE WEEK LATER. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED-SAMPLES T TESTS AND WILCOXON-SIGNED RANKS TESTS AND BY COMPARING EFFECT SIZES BETWEEN THE TWO CONDITIONS. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DECREASES IN ANGER, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE FROM BEFORE TO AFTER PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN NEGATIVE AFFECT OCCURRED AFTER YOGA BUT NOT AFTER PE; HOWEVER, THE CHANGES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, AFTER PARTICIPATING IN BOTH YOGA AND PE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND TENSION, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY PROVIDE UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS ABOVE AND BEYOND PARTICIPATION IN PE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD CONTINUE TO ELUCIDATE THE DISTINCT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE ACTIVITIES. 2015 2 2535 29 YOGA ENHANCES POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES IN YOUNG ADULT MUSICIANS. ALTHOUGH YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A VIABLE TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MIND AND BODY, LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN DIRECTED TO STUDYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES OF FLOW AND MINDFULNESS. MUSICIANS ENROLLED IN A 2-MONTH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN 2005, 2006 AND 2007 WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM. FELLOWS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED SEPARATELY AS CONTROLS. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRES EVALUATING DISPOSITIONAL FLOW, MINDFULNESS, CONFUSION, AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, YOGA PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND INCREASES IN DISPOSITIONAL FLOW. YOGA PARTICIPANTS IN THE 2006 SAMPLE ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALE OF AWARENESS. CORRELATIONAL ANALYSES REVEALED THAT INCREASES IN PARTICIPANTS' DISPOSITIONAL FLOW AND MINDFULNESS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND YOGA, BOTH OF WHICH ARE FOCUSED ON ENHANCING HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND PROMOTING BENEFICIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY ENHANCE THE STATES OF FLOW AND MINDFUL AWARENESS, AND REDUCE CONFUSION. 2016 3 110 25 A PILOT STUDY MEASURING THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON THE TRAIT OF MINDFULNESS. BACKGROUND: THE CURRENT STUDY EXAMINED WHETHER YOGA WOULD INCREASE LEVELS OF MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION. METHOD: FORTY-SIX PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP OR A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. MINDFULNESS WAS ASSESSED PRE AND POST YOGA, USING THE FREIBURG MINDFULNESS INVENTORY (FMI). RESULTS: RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE YOGA GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS, AND IN THREE MINDFULNESS SUBSCALES; ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT, ACCEPTING AND OPEN ATTITUDES TOWARD EXPERIENCE, AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). THE CONTROL GROUP EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OVERALL MINDFULNESS (P < .02) AND INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING (P < .01). FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT A YOGA INTERVENTION MAY BE A VIABLE METHOD FOR INCREASING LEVELS OF TRAIT MINDFULNESS IN A HEALTHY POPULATION, POTENTIALLY IMPLICATING YOGA AS A PREVENTIVE METHOD FOR THE LATER DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL MOOD STATES (I.E. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION). THE CONTROL GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED MODERATE ELEVATIONS OF MINDFULNESS AT THE SECOND ASSESSMENT. 2009 4 2449 26 YOGA AND THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN ATTENTIONAL LOAD AND EMOTION INTERFERENCE. THIS STUDY COMPARED 45 YOGA PRACTITIONERS (M AGE = 29.7 YR., SD = 6.4) AND 45 MATCHED CONTROLS (M AGE = 29.3 YR., SD = 6.2) ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A BEHAVIORAL TASK THAT ASSESSED NEGATIVE EMOTION INTERFERENCE DURING A HIGH- AND A LOW-ATTENTIONAL DEMAND CONDITION, AS WELL AS ON STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES. OUTCOMES WERE ALSO COMPARED BETWEEN BEGINNER AND ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS. FOR THE BEHAVIORAL TASK, THE FINAL SAMPLE COMPRISED 36 YOGA AND 38 CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THE YOGA GROUP PRESENTED LOWER EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE HIGH ATTENTIONAL CONDITION, COMPARED TO THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION; RATED EMOTIONAL IMAGES AS LESS UNPLEASANT, COMPARED TO CONTROLS; AND REPORTED LOWER STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES RELATIVE TO CONTROLS. ALSO, EMOTION INTERFERENCE IN THE LOW ATTENTIONAL CONDITION WAS LOWER AMONG ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS AND STATE ANXIETY WAS LOWER AMONG PRACTITIONERS ATTENDING MORE THAN TWO WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES. THE RESULTS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA MAY HELP IMPROVE SELF-REGULATORY SKILLS AND LOWER ANXIETY. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED IN LONGITUDINAL STUDIES. 2015 5 2403 35 YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. MIDDLE ADOLESCENTS (15-17 YEARS OLD) ARE PRONE TO INCREASED RISK TAKING AND EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY. EMOTION DYSREGULATION CONTRIBUTES TO A VARIETY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DIFFICULTIES IN THIS POPULATION. A DISCIPLINE SUCH AS YOGA OFFERED DURING SCHOOL MAY INCREASE EMOTION REGULATION, BUT RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS LACKING. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE EMOTION REGULATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS COMPARED TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE). IN ADDITION, THE POTENTIAL MEDIATING EFFECTS OF MINDFUL ATTENTION, SELF-COMPASSION, AND BODY AWARENESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND EMOTION REGULATION WERE EXAMINED. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 16-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 19) OR REGULAR PE (N = 18). PRE-POST DATA ANALYSES REVEALED THAT EMOTION REGULATION INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP AS COMPARED TO THE PE GROUP (F (1,32) = 7.50, P = .01, AND ETA(2) = .19). NO SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP WAS DISCOVERED BETWEEN THE CHANGES IN EMOTION REGULATION AND THE PROPOSED MEDIATING VARIABLES. PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA INCREASES EMOTION REGULATION CAPACITIES OF MIDDLE ADOLESCENTS AND PROVIDES BENEFITS BEYOND THAT OF PE ALONE. 2015 6 2387 38 YOGA AMELIORATES PERFORMANCE ANXIETY AND MOOD DISTURBANCE IN YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. YOGA AND MEDITATION CAN ALLEVIATE STRESS, ANXIETY, MOOD DISTURBANCE, AND MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS, AND CAN ENHANCE COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE. PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, AND DEBILITATING PERFORMANCE-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (PRMDS). THE GOAL OF THIS CONTROLLED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR MUSICIANS. YOUNG ADULT PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 2-MONTH PROGRAM OF YOGA AND MEDITATION WERE RANDOMIZED TO A YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 15) OR TO A GROUP PRACTICING YOGA AND MEDITATION ONLY (N = 15). ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS WERE RECRUITED TO A NO-PRACTICE CONTROL GROUP (N = 15). BOTH YOGA GROUPS ATTENDED THREE KRIPALU YOGA OR MEDITATION CLASSES EACH WEEK. THE YOGA LIFESTYLE GROUP ALSO EXPERIENCED WEEKLY GROUP PRACTICE AND DISCUSSION SESSIONS AS PART OF THEIR MORE IMMERSIVE TREATMENT. ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES THAT EVALUATED MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, MOOD, PRMDS, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND SLEEP QUALITY; MANY PARTICIPANTS LATER COMPLETED A 1-YEAR FOLLOWUP ASSESSMENT USING THE SAME QUESTIONNAIRES. BOTH YOGA GROUPS SHOWED A TREND TOWARDS LESS MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS GENERAL ANXIETY/TENSION, DEPRESSION, AND ANGER AT END-PROGRAM RELATIVE TO CONTROLS, BUT SHOWED NO CHANGES IN PRMDS, STRESS, OR SLEEP. SIMILAR RESULTS IN THE TWO YOGA GROUPS, DESPITE PSYCHOSOCIAL DIFFERENCES IN THEIR INTERVENTIONS, SUGGEST THAT THE YOGA AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THEMSELVES MAY HAVE MEDIATED THE IMPROVEMENTS. OUR RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES CAN REDUCE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY AND MOOD DISTURBANCE IN YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. 2009 7 2177 28 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD IN PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS. THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON MOOD WERE EXAMINED IN 13 PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITAL. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE PROFILE OF MOOD STATES (POMS) PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING PARTICIPATION IN A YOGA CLASS. ANALYSES INDICATED THAT PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON ALL FIVE OF THE NEGATIVE EMOTION FACTORS ON THE POMS, INCLUDING TENSION-ANXIETY, DEPRESSION-DEJECTION, ANGER-HOSTILITY, FATIGUE-INERTIA, AND CONFUSION-BEWILDERMENT. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE ON THE SIXTH POMS FACTOR, VIGOR-ACTIVITY. IMPROVEMENTS IN MOOD WERE NOT RELATED TO GENDER OR DIAGNOSIS. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED MOOD, AND MAY BE A USEFUL WAY OF REDUCING STRESS DURING INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. 2005 8 960 28 EFFECTS OF A YOGA LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON PERFORMANCE-RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF MUSICIANS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY. BACKGROUND: PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES ARE EFFECTIVE IN STRESS MANAGEMENT, ALLEVIATING ANXIETY AND MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS AND IMPROVING MOOD AND COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE. MUSICIANS EXPERIENCE A NUMBER OF CHALLENGES IN THEIR PROFESSION INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY AND PERFORMANCE-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS. YOGA AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE THEREFORE POTENTIALLY USEFUL PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. MATERIAL/METHODS: MUSICIANS ENROLLED IN A PRESTIGIOUS 2-MONTH SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A REGULAR YOGA AND MEDITATION PROGRAM AT A YOGA CENTER DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM. THE 10 PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA PROGRAM COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM QUESTIONNAIRES EVALUATING PERFORMANCE-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS, PERFORMANCE ANXIETY, MOOD AND FLOW EXPERIENCE. FELLOWS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE RECRUITED TO SERVE AS CONTROLS AND COMPLETED THE SAME ASSESSMENTS (N=8). RESULTS: THE YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SOME IMPROVEMENTS RELATIVE TO CONTROL SUBJECTS ON MOST MEASURES, WITH THE RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE ANXIETY BEING THE GREATEST. CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS FROM THIS PRELIMINARY STUDY SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MEDITATION MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A ROUTINE PRACTICE TO REDUCE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY IN MUSICIANS. 2006 9 1193 27 EXAMINING MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR WOMEN: THE INFLUENCE OF MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, AND EMOTION REGULATION ON PTSD SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXPLORED POSSIBLE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) WERE REDUCED IN A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECT OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WITH AN ASSESSMENT CONTROL. METHOD: WE EXAMINED WHETHER CHANGES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY, MINDFULNESS, AND EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGIES (EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND REAPPRAISAL) WERE ASSOCIATED WITH POSTTREATMENT PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR 38 WOMEN WITH DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS FOURTH EDITION FULL OR SUBTHRESHOLD PTSD. RESULTS: HIERARCHICAL LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS REVEALED THAT EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED FOR THE YOGA GROUP RELATIVE TO THE ASSESSMENT CONTROL. PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE CONTROL BUT NOT YOGA GROUP. HOWEVER, INCREASES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY WERE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASES IN PTSD SYMPTOMS FOR THE YOGA BUT NOT CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSION: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY REDUCE EXPRESSIVE SUPPRESSION AND MAY IMPROVE PTSD SYMPTOMS BY INCREASING PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO REPLICATE AND EXTEND THESE FINDINGS. 2014 10 160 42 A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE IMPACT OF YOGA AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING OF MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN. BACKGROUND: YOGA PROGRAMS GEARED FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD, BUT RESEARCH REGARDING ITS IMPACT ON CHILDREN IS LACKING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE REPORTED POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THOUGH THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING WHEN COMPARED WITH PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASSES. METHODS: THIRTY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE RANDOMISED TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER A SCHOOL-BASED ASHTANGA-INFORMED YOGA OR PE CLASS THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. EMOTIONAL (I.E. AFFECT, SELF-PERCEPTIONS) AND BEHAVIOURAL (I.E. INTERNALISING AND EXTERNALISING PROBLEMS, AGGRESSION) FUNCTIONING WERE MEASURED PRE AND POST-INTERVENTION. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BETWEEN GROUPS IN SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, GLOBAL SELF-WORTH, AGGRESSION INDICES OR PARENT REPORTS OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EXTERNALISING AND INTERNALISING PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, NEGATIVE AFFECT INCREASED FOR THOSE CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN YOGA WHEN COMPARED TO THE PE PROGRAM. CONCLUSIONS: IN GENERAL, FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND PE CLASSES DO NOT DIFFERENTIALLY IMPACT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING. HOWEVER, CHILDREN REPORTED EXPERIENCING INCREASED NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AFTER RECEIVING YOGA WHILE CHILDREN IN THE PE GROUP REPORTED A DECREASE IN THESE FEELINGS. IMPLICATIONS OF THESE RESULTS AND POTENTIAL DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ON CHILDREN'S YOGA ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 11 1182 31 EVALUATION OF THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL: A PRELIMINARY RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE POTENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL. STUDENTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER REGULAR PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES OR TO 11 WEEKS OF YOGA SESSIONS BASED UPON THE YOGA ED PROGRAM OVER A SINGLE SEMESTER. STUDENTS COMPLETED BASELINE AND END-PROGRAM SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, ANXIETY, PERCEIVED STRESS, RESILIENCE, AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL OUTCOME MEASURES REVEALED THAT YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OVER TIME RELATIVE TO CONTROLS ON MEASURES OF ANGER CONTROL AND FATIGUE/INERTIA. MOST OUTCOME MEASURES EXHIBITED A PATTERN OF WORSENING IN THE CONTROL GROUP OVER TIME, WHEREAS CHANGES IN THE YOGA GROUP OVER TIME WERE EITHER MINIMAL OR SHOWED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRELIMINARY RESULTS SUGGEST THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA IS ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL SETTING AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYING A PROTECTIVE OR PREVENTIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING MENTAL HEALTH. 2012 12 1304 29 HATHA YOGA PRACTICE IMPROVES ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED IN OLDER ADULTS: RESULTS FROM AN 8-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE DECLINE IS WELL DOCUMENTED ACROSS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION, INCLUDING ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED, AND LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PREVENTING COGNITIVE DECLINE AND MAINTAINING OR EVEN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON ATTENTION AND PROCESSING SPEED AMONG OLDER ADULTS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS (N = 118; MEAN AGE, 62 +/- 5.59) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA GROUP OR A STRETCHING CONTROL GROUP AND COMPLETED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS-ATTENTION NETWORK TASK, TRAIL MAKING TEST PARTS A AND B, AND PATTERN COMPARISON TEST-AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: ANALYSES OF COVARIANCE REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER REACTION TIMES FOR THE YOGA GROUP ON THE ATTENTION NETWORK TASK'S NEUTRAL, CONGRUENT, AND INCONGRUENT CONDITIONS (P