1 1515 93 IS YOGA A SUITABLE TREATMENT FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT OPINION. WE REVIEWED PUBLISHED LITERATURE REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA FOR MANAGING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADEQUATE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO SUGGEST ITS USEFULNESS AS A THERAPY. A SEARCH FOR PREVIOUS STUDIES INVOLVING YOGA AND RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN PUBMED YIELDED EIGHT REPORTS. THESE STUDIES REPORTED THE BENEFITS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SUGGESTING THAT YOGA IS A USEFUL ADD-ON THERAPY FOR RA PATIENTS. HOWEVER, ALL STUDIES SHOWED LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAMPLE SIZE, STUDY DESIGN, DESCRIPTION AND DURATION OF YOGA INTERVENTION, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND STATISTICAL METHODS USED. ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDIES DID NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING OBSERVED BENEFITS. HENCE, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS A DEFINITE ROLE OF YOGA IN RA IMPROVEMENT, REDUCING PAIN, IMPROVING FUNCTION, AND CREATING A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE. HOWEVER, DETAILED ANALYSIS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO VERIFY THESE OBSERVATIONS. 2012 2 203 23 A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE EXAMINING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF HATHA YOGA. AN ESTIMATED 7.4 MILLION AMERICANS CURRENTLY PRACTICE HATHA YOGA. MOREOVER, 64% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REPORT DOING SO FOR WELL-BEING. PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS REPORTED AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING; HOWEVER, FEW STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED. THE FOLLOWING REVIEW PROVIDES AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE FIELD OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, WHICH CONCEPTUALIZES YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HATHA YOGA IS PROVIDED THAT DESCRIBES THE PURPORTED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND THE RELAXATION RESPONSE. A REVIEW OF THE EMERGING LITERATURE RELATED TO NITRIC OXIDE AND OXIDATIVE STRESS AS POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND WELL-BEING ALSO IS INCLUDED. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES WITH A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE STATE OF THE RESEARCH AND PROVIDES SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES. 2008 3 2429 24 YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE - A REVIEW AND COMPARISON. YOGA IS A MULTIFACETED SPIRITUAL TOOL WITH ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS ONE OF ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS. THE COMPONENTS OF YOGA WHICH ARE VERY COMMONLY APPLIED FOR HEALTH BENEFITS ARE ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (REGULATED BREATHING) AND MEDITATION. IN THE CONTEXT OF ASANAS, YOGA RESEMBLES MORE OF A PHYSICAL EXERCISE, WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS ANOTHER KIND OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THIS ARTICLE AIMS AT EXPLORING THE COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN TERMS OF CONCEPTS, POSSIBLE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVENESS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS. A NARRATIVE REVIEW IS UNDERTAKEN BASED ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE FOR YOGA, ALONG WITH SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AVAILABLE ON YOGA AND EXERCISE INCLUDING HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARATIVE TRIALS WITH HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS DISEASE CONDITIONS. PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND THE PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF YOGA PRACTICES HAVE SEVERAL SIMILARITIES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE EQUAL AND/OR SUPERIOR TO EXERCISE IN MOST OUTCOME MEASURES. EMPHASIS ON BREATH REGULATION, MINDFULNESS DURING PRACTICE, AND IMPORTANCE GIVEN TO MAINTENANCE OF POSTURES ARE SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WHICH DIFFERENTIATE YOGA PRACTICES FROM PHYSICAL EXERCISES. 2016 4 2402 25 YOGA AND EATING DISORDERS: IS THERE A PLACE FOR YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS? THIS PAPER ADDRESSES THE QUESTION: WHAT CAN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA OFFER THE FIELD OF EATING DISORDERS IN TERMS OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT? REGARDING PREVENTION, PRELIMINARY RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING RISK FACTORS, AND INCREASING PROTECTIVE FACTORS, FOR EATING DISORDERS. YOGA WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN A SMALL NUMBER OF TREATMENT STUDIES. HOWEVER, FINDINGS ARE NOT CONSISTENT ACROSS STUDIES, WHICH ARE LIMITED IN NUMBER, AND DUE TO THE PRELIMINARY NATURE OF THIS BODY OF RESEARCH, MOST STUDIES HAVE WEAKNESSES IN THEIR DESIGNS (E.G. OBSERVATIONAL DESIGN, NO CONTROL GROUPS, OR SMALL SAMPLE SIZES). THE BASIC TENETS OF YOGA, ANECDOTAL REPORTS OF ITS EFFECTIVENESS, ITS HIGH ACCESSIBILITY AND LOW COST, AND INITIAL RESEARCH FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY OFFER PROMISE FOR THE FIELD OF EATING DISORDERS. TWO OPTIONS ARE SUGGESTED FOR PREVENTION: (1) EATING DISORDER PREVENTION CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO ONGOING YOGA CLASSES AND (2) YOGA CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO EATING DISORDER PREVENTION PROGRAMMES. REGARDING TREATMENT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIFFERENT TEACHING STYLES AND PRACTICES FOR DIFFERENT EATING DISORDERS. POTENTIAL HARMS OF YOGA SHOULD ALSO BE EXPLORED. FURTHER RESEARCH, USING STRONGER STUDY DESIGNS, SUCH AS RANDOMISED, CONTROLLED TRIALS, IS NEEDED. 2014 5 635 26 DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. PURPOSE: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY USED AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, IT IS STILL NOT CLEAR WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS, AS SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS SHOW ELEVATED LEVELS OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. THE GOAL OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS, THUS, TO ANALYSE THE OCCURRENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS AND CORRELATES IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHOD: PRISMA GUIDELINES FOR SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS WERE USED. SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL DATABASES AND SPECIFIC JOURNALS. RESULTS: TWELVE ARTICLES, ALL CROSS-SECTIONAL, WERE IDENTIFIED, FOLLOWING PRISMA GUIDELINES. RESULTS ACROSS STUDIES WERE INCONSISTENT. YOGA PRACTICE WAS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHIER EATING BEHAVIOURS, LOWER DISORDERED EATING SYMPTOMS, AND HIGHER POSITIVE BODY IMAGE AND BODY SATISFACTION, SUGGESTING THAT YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE AT A LOWER RISK OF DEVELOPING EATING DISORDERS. HOWEVER, OTHER STUDIES SUGGESTED THAT A HIGH DOSAGE OF YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED AS THERAPY FOR EATING DISORDERS, UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA DOSAGE AND DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOURS IS CRITICAL TO GUIDE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ESTABLISH YOGA AS A VALUABLE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: LEVEL I, SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. 2019 6 1936 31 ROLE OF YOGA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AND THEIR RISK FACTORS: A COMPREHENSIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS) ARE A GROUP OF DISORDERS OF THE HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS. CVDS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE. THOUGH YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A THERAPY, ESPECIALLY IN CVD PATIENTS, THERE IS A LACK OF A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW REPORTING ITS ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. THUS, WE PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN THE PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE. AN AGGREGATE OF 603 ARTICLES PUBLISHED FROM INCEPTION WERE SCREENED AND 85 ARTICLES THAT ARE APPLICABLE WERE REPORTED. THIS REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY PLAY A ROLE AS AN ADJUVANT IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VARIOUS CVDS AND THEIR RISK FACTORS. HOWEVER, MANY STUDIES HAD A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, DIFFERENT TYPES AND DURATIONS OF THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS, AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE DETAILS OF MECHANISMS BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS. THUS, FURTHER STUDIES ARE WARRANTED TO EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS OF THE IMPACTS OF YOGA. 2020 7 1280 22 GENERIC YOGA MODULES FOR CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS-NEED OF THE HOUR. YOGA-BASED INTERVENTIONS OFFER SIGNIFICANT PROMISE IN HEALTHCARE. HOWEVER, META-ANALYSES OF VARIOUS YOGA TRIALS SUGGEST THAT COMPARISONS OF TRIALS ARE EITHER NOT POSSIBLE OR DIFFICULT DUE TO HETEROGENEITY IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA INTERVENTIONS. ALSO, IN VIEW OF EMERGING EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFICITY AND VALIDITY OF VARIOUS YOGA COMPONENTS BEING USED IN DIFFERENT TRIALS. EFFORTS IN THIS DIRECTION WILL BE FRUITFUL ONLY IF A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IS ADOPTED TO DEVELOP YOGA PROGRAMS FOR VARIOUS AILMENTS. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A "GENERIC YOGA" CONCEPT FOR DESIGNING A THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAM FOR PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES, WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC GROWTH OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS OF YOGA AND WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF STANDARDIZED THERAPEUTIC YOGA PROGRAMS WITHIN A BIOMEDICAL FRAMEWORK. THIS GENERIC THERAPEUTIC YOGA WILL ESSENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT-VALIDATION PROCESS OF UNCOPYRIGHTED YOGA PROGRAMS; THEIR COMPONENTS, BENEFITS, AND POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS; AND REQUIREMENT FOR NEED-BASED MODIFICATIONS. 2021 8 2881 25 YOGA: A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITH THERAPEUTIC VALUE IN PSYCHIATRY. UNLABELLED: YOGA IS ONE OF THE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES DERIVED FROM THE ORTHODOX SCHOOL OF HINDU PHILOSOPHY. THE PRACTICES WERE CODIFIED BY PATANJALI UNDER THE TITLE OF ASHTANGA YOGA. ALTHOUGH YOGA WAS TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS A PRACTICE MEANT FOR ACHIEVING SELF-REALIZATION, IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICES ON PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. CONCLUSIONS: THE LITERATURE SUGGESTS THAT YOGA CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, ALONG WITH NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS WHICH MAY UNDERLIE THESE CHANGES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICES FOR THEIR PATIENTS, EITHER AS COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS TO MODERN TREATMENTS OR AS SOLE TREATMENT IN SOME DISORDERS. 2012 9 62 29 A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED EFFECTS (INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS) OF YOGA FOR NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS. WOMEN UNDERGO DISTINCT PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AND STRESS DURING PREGNANCY THAT ARE ACCOMPANIED BY VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DEMANDS. YOGA IS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY THAT IS COMMONLY USED BY PREGNANT WOMEN AND RECOMMENDED BY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS. THUS, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW ITS EVIDENCE BASED EFFECTS, INCLUDING ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM ALL TYPES OF RESEARCH. A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE SEARCH IN PUBMED/MEDLINE ELECTRONIC DATABASE FROM INCEPTION TO 23 SEPTEMBER 2017 WAS PERFORMED USING THE KEYWORDS "YOGA FOR PREGNANCY". IN TOTAL, 137 ARTICLES PUBLISHED SINCE 1979 WERE AVAILABLE. OF THE 137 ARTICLES, 53 ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED FOR THE REVIEW. THIS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW SUGGESTS THAT YOGA COULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN IMPROVING BOTH PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING IN PREGNANT WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY (NORMAL AND HIGH-RISK), CHILDBIRTH, AND POST-PARTUM. HOWEVER, TYPES, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICES VARIED AMONG THE STUDIES AND THE EXACT MECHANISMS BEHIND THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE LESS UNDERSTOOD AND NEED TO BE EXPLORED. 2019 10 2369 31 WHAT ARE THE KNOWN EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCES, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN? A NARRATIVE REVIEW. OBJECTIVE: THE CURRENT BODY OF LITERATURE WAS REVIEWED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE BRAIN IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN THE WESTERN COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY FOR ITS UNIQUE INTEGRATION OF THE MIND AND BODY. YOGA HAS BEEN STUDIED MORE INTENSELY IN THE LAST DECADE. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, FEW STUDIES HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON IMPROVING MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS OR PAIN AND THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BRAIN MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. METHODS: A SEARCH OF THE CURRENT LITERATURE WAS MADE USING KEYWORDS SUCH AS: "YOGA BRAIN MOTOR", "YOGA BRAIN PAIN", "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN" AND "EFFECTS YOGA BRAIN MOTOR PERFORMANCE". THE FINDINGS WERE THEN DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO MOTOR PERFORMANCE, BODY AWARENESS AND PAIN AND THEIR REPORTED MECHANISMS OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 61 ARTICLES WERE SELECTED, OUT OF WHICH 29 WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET OUR CRITERIA. A TOTAL OF THIRTY-TWO ARTICLES WERE INCLUDED IN THIS REVIEW, WHICH WE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED BY FOCUS: MOTOR PERFORMANCE (N=10), BODY AWARENESS (N=14) AND PAIN (N=8). DISCUSSION: OUR REVIEW SHOWS THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON LEARNING RATE, SPEED AND ACCURACY OF A MOTOR TASK BY INCREASING ATTENTION AND DECREASING STRESS THROUGH A BETTER CONTROL OF SENSORIMOTOR RHYTHMS. YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO IMPROVE SENSORY AWARENESS AND INTEROCEPTION, REGULATE AUTONOMIC INPUT, INCREASE PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY AND PROMOTE SELF-REGULATION. YOGA WAS ALSO SHOWN TO REDUCE THE THREAT SIGNAL, INCREASE PAIN TOLERANCE, DECREASE PAIN UNPLEASANTNESS AND DECREASE THE ANXIETY AND DISTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH PAIN. THOSE CHANGES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF SPECIFIC BRAIN AREAS SUCH AS THE INSULA, THE AMYGDALA AND THE HIPPOCAMPUS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE STUDIES REVIEWED IN THIS REPORT, WE FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF YOGA SEEMS TO FACILITATE MOTOR LEARNING, TO INCREASE BODY AWARENESS AND TO DECREASE PAIN. THESE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF BRAIN ACTIVITY AND STRUCTURE. FURTHER STUDIES ARE NECESSARY TO REVEAL ITS PRECISE MECHANISM OF ACTION ON THE BRAIN AND TO VALIDATE ITS WIDER APPLICATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2019 11 549 17 CONTEXTUALIZING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A REVIEW OF LITERATURE BOTH TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTS OF YOGA-BASED THERAPY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS AND TO EXAMINE THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. FINDINGS FROM THE REVIEW INDICATE THAT YOGA HAS A POSITIVE SHORT-TERM EFFECT ON MULTIPLE DIABETES-RELATED OUTCOMES; HOWEVER, LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY ON DIABETES MANAGEMENT REMAIN UNCLEAR. THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS, AND DISCRIMINATION, INFLUENCES THE ADOPTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH BEHAVIORS SUCH AS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCLUDING YOGA PRACTICE. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THIS INFLUENCE. 2008 12 1337 31 HOW DOES YOGA REDUCE STRESS? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF MECHANISMS OF CHANGE AND GUIDE TO FUTURE INQUIRY. YOGA IS INCREASINGLY USED IN CLINICAL SETTINGS FOR A VARIETY OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES, PARTICULARLY STRESS-RELATED ILLNESSES AND CONCERNS, AND HAS DEMONSTRATED PROMISING EFFICACY. YET THE WAYS IN WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. TO EXAMINE THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH YOGA REDUCES STRESS, WE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, INCLUDING ANY YOGA INTERVENTION THAT MEASURED STRESS AS A PRIMARY DEPENDENT VARIABLE AND TESTED A MECHANISM OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDIATION. OUR ELECTRONIC DATABASE SEARCH YIELDED 926 ABSTRACTS, OF WHICH 71 WERE CHOSEN FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND 5 WERE SELECTED FOR THE FINAL SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THESE FIVE STUDIES EXAMINED THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSITIVE AFFECT, MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION) AND FOUR BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS (POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS, INTERLEUKIN-6, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND CORTISOL). POSITIVE AFFECT, SELF-COMPASSION, INHIBITION OF THE POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL WERE ALL SHOWN TO MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND STRESS. IT IS STRIKING THAT THE LITERATURE DESCRIBING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS IS GROWING RAPIDLY, YET ONLY SEVEN MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN EMPIRICALLY EXAMINED; MORE RESEARCH IS NECESSARY. ALSO, FUTURE RESEARCH OUGHT TO INCLUDE MORE RIGOROUS METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING SUFFICIENT POWER, STUDY RANDOMISATION AND APPROPRIATE CONTROL GROUPS. 2015 13 1698 27 PAIN-RELATED ENCEPHALIC REGIONS INFLUENCED BY YOGA MEDITATION: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW. INTRODUCTION: THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE USE OF YOGA IN PAIN RELIEF ARE STILL UNCLEAR. THIS STUDY REVIEWED LITERATURE REPORTS ON ENCEPHALIC ACTIVITY RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE. METHODS: THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW EXAMINED STUDIES PUBLISHED IN THE PUBMED, LILACS AND MEDLINE DATABASES WITHOUT RESTRICTION OF THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION. THE RESEARCH INVOLVED 16 DESCRIPTORS RELATED TO THE WORDS: YOGA, PAIN AND NEUROIMAGING METHODS. INCLUSION CRITERIA INVOLVED ONLY THE PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE, WITH FREE ACCESS AND WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. RESULTS: 2 CASE STUDIES AND 1 PILOT STUDY MET THE CRITERIA. YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE INDUCES ANALGESIA PRIMARILY THROUGH ATTENUATION OF THE MEDIAL PAIN PERCEPTION SYSTEM INCLUDING THE ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX AND INSULA REGIONS, AS WELL AS THE LATERAL SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SECONDARY SENSORY CORTEX AND THALAMUS. CONCLUSION: YOGA INDUCED ANALGESIA IS A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT ADJUNCT TO CURRENT PAIN MANAGEMENT. THIS INTEGRATIVE REVIEW REVEALED THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH THAT ANALYZES THE ENCEPHALIC REGIONS RELATED TO ANALGESIA INDUCED BY YOGA PRACTICE. 2018 14 226 26 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIALS ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON STRESS MEASURES AND MOOD. STRESS RELATED DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ARE LEADING SOURCES OF DISABILITY WORLDWIDE, AND CURRENT TREATMENT METHODS SUCH AS CONVENTIONAL ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATIONS ARE NOT BENEFICIAL FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT YOGA HAS MOOD-ENHANCING PROPERTIES POSSIBLY RELATED TO ITS INHIBITORY EFFECTS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS AND INFLAMMATION, WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. HOWEVER THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS VIA WHICH YOGA EXERTS ITS THERAPEUTIC MOOD-MODULATING EFFECTS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN. THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC PITUITARY ADRENAL AXIS REGULATION MEASURES. IT FOCUSES ON STUDIES COLLECTING PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS SUCH AS BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, CORTISOL, PERIPHERAL CYTOKINE EXPRESSION AND/OR STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BRAIN MEASURES IN REGIONS INVOLVED IN STRESS AND MOOD REGULATION. OVERALL THE 25 RANDOMISED CONTROL STUDIES DISCUSSED PROVIDE PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE LEADS TO BETTER REGULATION OF THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS A DECREASE IN DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS IN A RANGE OF POPULATIONS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO CONFIRM THESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION IN CLINICAL SETTINGS. 2015 15 1300 29 HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION: CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR EFFICACY, PLAUSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION, AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. BACKGROUND: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFICACY OF HATHA YOGA FOR DEPRESSION AND POSSIBLE MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION, AND TO OUTLINE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. METHODS: LITERATURE REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A LITERATURE SEARCH FOR CLINICAL TRIALS EXAMINING YOGA FOR DEPRESSION UNCOVERED EIGHT TRIALS: 5 INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WITH CLINICAL DEPRESSION, AND 3 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH RESULTS FROM THESE TRIALS ARE ENCOURAGING, THEY SHOULD BE VIEWED AS VERY PRELIMINARY BECAUSE THE TRIALS, AS A GROUP, SUFFERED FROM SUBSTANTIAL METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. WE WOULD ARGUE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS TO CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING CAREFUL RESEARCH ON YOGA FOR DEPRESSION. FIRST, CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR TREATING DEPRESSION ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, AND PATIENTS HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS ABOUT EXISTING TREATMENTS. YOGA MAY BE AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO OR A GOOD WAY TO AUGMENT CURRENT DEPRESSION TREATMENT STRATEGIES. SECOND, ASPECTS OF YOGA-INCLUDING MINDFULNESS PROMOTION AND EXERCISE-ARE THOUGHT TO BE "ACTIVE INGREDIENTS" OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENTS FOR DEPRESSION. THIRD, THERE ARE PLAUSIBLE BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS BY WHICH YOGA MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON DEPRESSION. WE PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STUDY OF YOGA AS A TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. 2010 16 2269 25 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH. OBJECTIVE: BOTH YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BENEFICIAL MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES. WITHIN YOGA RESEARCH, HOWEVER, SPIRITUALITY IS STILL A WIDELY NEGLECTED AREA. THE PRESENT SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AIMS TO EXPLORE EMPIRICAL STUDIES, WHICH DO, IN FACT, INVESTIGATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC. THE REVIEW EXAMINES WHETHER AVAILABLE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND SPIRITUALITY AND, IF SO, WHICH SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA PRACTICE. METHODS: THE SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FOLLOWED THE PRISMA GUIDELINE (PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020155043). EMPIRICAL STUDIES WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, GERMAN, OR HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE WERE SELECTED FROM A DATABASE SEARCH IN GOOGLE SCHOLAR, PSYCINFO, AND SCIENCE DIRECT. A TOTAL OF 30 STUDIES MET THE FINAL INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE STUDIES REVIEWED, YOGA PRACTICE SEEMS TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SPIRITUALITY. THIS ASSOCIATION CONCERNS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL ASPIRATIONS, A SEARCH FOR INSIGHT/WISDOM, AN INTEGRATIVE WORLDVIEW, A SENSE OF MEANING AND PEACE, FAITH, HOPE, COMPASSION, AND HAPPINESS WITHIN. TO HARNESS THE POTENTIAL SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, REGULAR PRACTICE APPEARS TO BE ESSENTIAL. YOGA PRACTITIONERS SEEM TO HAVE BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL MOTIVES FOR PRACTICING. AT LEAST IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, HOWEVER, PHYSICAL INTENTIONS ARE MORE PREVALENT THAN SPIRITUAL ONES. THE MEANING OF SPIRITUALITY FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS IS ALSO DISCUSSED. DUE TO RISK OF BIAS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE REVIEWED STUDIES, HOWEVER, OUTCOMES MUST BE TAKEN WITH CAUTION. CONCLUSION: YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL ASPECTS OF SPIRITUALITY. FOR MORE EVIDENCE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE TOPIC IS SUGGESTED. PARTICULARLY, WE PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF HOLISTIC FORMS OF YOGA PRACTICE AND A COMPARISON OF EASTERN AND WESTERN APPROACHES TO YOGA. 2021 17 1338 20 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 18 2431 23 YOGA AND PHYSIOTHERAPY: A SPECULATIVE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS. THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE POTENTIAL INTEGRATION OF YOGA AND PHYSIOTHERAPY WHEN CONSIDERING THE ESSENCE OF THEIR UNDERLYING CONCEPTS. WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS ARTICLE THE EXISTENCE OF SEVERAL SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THESE TWO 'CONCEPTS' HAS BEEN SUGGESTED. RESEARCHERS, PHYSIOTHERAPISTS AND THEIR PATIENTS AS WELL AS YOGA PRACTITIONERS CAN OBTAIN VALUABLE AND ADDITIONAL ARGUMENTS THROUGH THE CROSS-FERTILIZATION OF IDEAS ACROSS PRESENTED STUDIES UNITED BY SHARED, UNDERLYING CONCEPTS. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS: COMPLEXITY AND MULTIDIMENSIONALITY, VARIOUS POSITIVE INFLUENCES ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S WHOLENESS THROUGH THE MIND, BODY, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM. THESE ASSUMPTIONS MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PRACTICE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AND ITS UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES. THE ESSENCE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY AS A MULTIFACETED PROCESS REQUIRES TEAMWORK AND EFFORTS OF VARIOUS SPECIALISTS LIKE PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIOLOGISTS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND NURSES IF PATIENTS ARE TO BENEFIT. IDEALLY, THE PHYSIOTHERAPIST SHOULD POSSESS KNOWLEDGE FROM THESE AREAS OF SCIENCE IN ORDER TO PROFESSIONALLY CARE ABOUT PATIENTS. THEREFORE, IT CAN BE SUGGESTED THAT BASIC SIMILARITIES EXIST BETWEEN YOGA AND PHYSIOTHERAPY IN TERMS OF MUTIDISCIPLINARITY AND COMPLEXITY OF HOLISTIC CARE. SUCH CONCEPTUAL ENRICHMENT MAY BE A USEFUL SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR PATIENTS' OVERALL HEALTH ON A DAILY BASIS. THE AUTHORS EMPHASIZE THE USEFULNESS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN CLINICAL UNITS AND EXPLAIN HOW THE ESSENCE OF AYURVEDIC KNOWLEDGE MIGHT BE EXTRAPOLATED AND INCORPORATED INTO THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES OF PHYSIOTHERAPY PROCESS. THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDIES INCLUDED IS ALSO PRESENTED. 2009 19 1951 17 SCIENCE OF THE MIND: ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS AND MODERN STUDIES. THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS GAINING IN POPULARITY WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PRACTICES. RECENT RESEARCH AND DESCRIPTIONS FROM THE ANCIENT TEXTS ARE OFTEN CONCURRENT WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXPECTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERN SCIENTIFIC TERMS AND THOSE USED IN THE ORIGINAL TEXTS. VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING PRACTICES FORM A BRIDGE BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHANGES. THE VOLUNTARILY REGULATED YOGA BREATHING HAS DISTINCT EFFECTS ON METABOLISM, THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM, HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS, AND MENTAL STATE. THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND MENTAL STATE ARE EVEN CLEARER. 2013 20 2416 27 YOGA AND MEDITATION IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. YOGA IS A HOLISTIC MIND-BODY INTERVENTION AIMED AT PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEING. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA AND/OR MEDITATION CAN CONTROL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE LIKE HYPERTENSION, TYPE II DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE, OBESITY, LIPID PROFILE, PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS AND SMOKING. SOME RANDOMIZED STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA/MEDITATION COULD RETARD OR EVEN REGRESS EARLY AND ADVANCED CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS. A RECENT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION MAY BE EXTREMELY USEFUL IN SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND MAY REDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS BY 48% OVER A 5-YEAR PERIOD. ANOTHER SMALL STUDY SUGGESTS THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL IN PREVENTION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION. HOWEVER, MOST STUDIES HAVE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS LIKE LACK OF ADEQUATE CONTROLS, SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, INCONSISTENCIES IN BASELINE AND DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, ETC. AND THEREFORE LARGE TRIALS WITH IMPROVED METHODOLOGIES ARE REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND YOGA BEING A COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS, IT APPEARS APPROPRIATE TO INCORPORATE YOGA/MEDITATION FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. 2014