1 561 81 CREATING SPACE THROUGH AFRICA YOGA PROJECT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THIS QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS EXAMINED TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES OF THE AFRICA YOGA PROJECT (AYP), A MENTORING-ORIENTED YOGA PROGRAM FOR FOSTERING RESILIENCE AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IMPACTED BY POVERTY AND TRAUMA. INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED WITH AYP TEACHERS WERE CODED USING QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS. THEMES DEMONSTRATED THAT AYP BENEFITED PARTICIPANTS BY CREATING S.P.A.C.E. (SAFETY AND STABILITY, PERSONAL GROWTH, ACTION, CULTURAL DIVERSITY, AND EMPOWERMENT). THE FINDINGS ILLUSTRATED WAYS IN WHICH THIS PROGRAM FOSTERED INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT. IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR PROVIDING YOGA AS A LOW-COST, SUSTAINABLE, AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE HEALTH, ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN DIVERSE SETTINGS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. 2016 2 2574 26 YOGA FOR EVERYONE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF A COMMUNITY YOGA CLASS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS FACE INCREASED BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. THE STUDY AIMED TO UNDERSTAND THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITY WHO ARE REGULAR PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS TO INFORM FUTURE RESEARCH, INTERVENTION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS.METHODS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL QUALITATIVE APPROACH UTILIZED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS AND CLASS OBSERVATIONS. DATA WAS ANALYZED THROUGH ITERATIVE INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS.RESULTS: SIX PEOPLE OF VARIED MOBILITY LIMITATIONS PARTICIPATED. THEMATIC ANALYSIS REVEALED THEMES ON INFLUENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL FACTORS, A HOLISTIC-FOCUSED CLASS ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS, MENTAL/EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING TO COMMUNITY.CONCLUSION: THE YOGA FOR EVERYONE CLASS FOSTERED MULTI-FACETED OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE MOVEMENT IMPAIRMENTS. FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY-CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS, UTILIZING A CLASS STRUCTURE WITH VOLUNTEERS, AND FOSTERING AN ONGOING INCLUSIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ARE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS IN OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITY. 2022 3 2380 31 WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP INCORPORATING YOGA AND FACILITATED GROUP DISCUSSION: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. BACKGROUND: THIS PAPER REPORTS ON A SMALL QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY WHICH EXPLORED WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN A PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP THAT INCORPORATED YOGA AND FACILITATED DISCUSSION. THE GROUP IS OFFERED THROUGH A COMMUNITY BASED FEMINIST NON-GOVERNMENT WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE IN NORTHERN NSW AUSTRALIA. QUESTION: THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THIS PREGNANCY AND POSTNATAL GROUP. METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE APPROACH WAS USED TO EXPLORE WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ATTENDING THE GROUP. FIFTEEN WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN INDIVIDUAL, IN-DEPTH FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS. INTERVIEWS WERE RECORDED AND TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS UNDERTAKEN TO ANALYSE THE QUALITATIVE DATA. FINDINGS: SIX THEMES WERE DEVELOPED, ONE WITH 3 SUBTHEMES. ONE THEME WAS LABELLED AS: 'THE PREGNANCY AND MOTHERHOOD JOURNEY' AND INCLUDED 3 SUB-THEMES WHICH WERE LABELLED: 'PREPARATION FOR BIRTH', 'CONNECTING WITH THE BABY' AND 'SHARING BIRTH STORIES.' THE OTHER FIVE THEMES WERE: 'FEMININE NURTURING SAFE SPACE', 'WATCHING AND LEARNING THE MOTHERING', 'BUILDING MENTAL HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND CONNECTIONS', THE "GROUP LIKE A ROCK AND A SEED' AND 'DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTREAM'. CONCLUSION: THIS RESEARCH ADDS TO THE OVERALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA IN PRE AND POSTNATAL CARE. IT DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF SHARING BIRTH STORIES AND THE STRONG CAPACITY WOMEN HAVE TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, BRINGING BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING, INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT DERIVED FROM GROUP BASED MODELS OF CARE. 2013 4 491 23 CO-DESIGNING A NEW YOGA-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE: A FORMATIVE EVALUATION. MOVEMENT-BASED MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS (MBI) ARE COMPLEX, MULTI-COMPONENT INTERVENTIONS FOR WHICH THE DESIGN PROCESS IS RARELY REPORTED. FOR PEOPLE WITH STROKE, EMERGING EVIDENCE SUGGESTS BENEFITS, BUT MAINSTREAM PROGRAMS ARE GENERALLY UNSUITABLE. WE AIMED TO DESCRIBE THE PROCESSES INVOLVED AND TO CONDUCT A FORMATIVE EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI DESIGNED FOR SURVIVORS OF STROKE. WE USED THE MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS FRAMEWORK AND PRINCIPLES OF CO-DESIGN. WE PURPOSEFULLY APPROACHED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CONSUMERS TO ESTABLISH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING THE INTERVENTION. MEMBERS COLLABORATED AND ITERATIVELY REVIEWED THE DESIGN AND CONTENT OF THE PROGRAM, FORMATTED INTO A TRAINING MANUAL. FOUR EXTERNAL YOGA TEACHERS INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWED THE PROGRAM. FORMATIVE EVALUATION INCLUDED REVIEW OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES AND DOCUMENTATION (E.G., FORMAL MEETING MINUTES, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, RESEARCHER OBSERVATIONS). THE DATA WERE SYNTHESIZED USING INDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. THREE BROAD THEMES EMERGED: (A) MBI CONTENT AND TERMINOLOGY; (B) MANUAL DESIGN AND READABILITY; AND (C) BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO DELIVER THE INTERVENTION. VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES AND FEEDBACK ON ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS GUIDED FINALIZING THE PROGRAM. THE DESIGN PHASE OF A NOVEL YOGA-BASED MBI WAS STRENGTHENED BY INTERDISCIPLINARY, CONSUMER CONTRIBUTIONS AND PEER REVIEW. THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION IS READY FOR TESTING AMONG SURVIVORS OF STROKE. 2021 5 21 26 "YOGA RESETS MY INNER PEACE BAROMETER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY ILLUMINATING THE PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA IMPACTS ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY WAS TWOFOLD: (1) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA PRACTITIONERS PERCEIVE INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES OF THEIR YOGA PRACTICE, AND (2) TO DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF YOGA EFFECTS ON INTRA- AND INTERPERSONAL OUTCOMES THAT MAY UNDERLIE THE "RELATIONAL" INFLUENCES OF YOGA. DESIGN: AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY, 107 COMMUNITY-DWELLING YOGA PRACTITIONERS (AGE M=41.2+/-15.9YEARS) COMPLETED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS WHICH ASKED QUESTIONS FOCUSING ON WHETHER YOGA INFLUENCES ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS. A SUBSAMPLE (N=12) COMPLETED IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. THE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS, AND VERBATIM INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED FOR EMERGENT THEMES USING A CONSTANT COMPARISON APPROACH. RESULTS: FOUR EMERGING THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED SUCH THAT PRACTITIONERS TALKED ABOUT THE ABILITY OF YOGA TO GENERATE CALM STATES, MINDFULNESS, (SELF-)COMPASSION, AND A SENSE OF CONNECTEDNESS. THROUGHOUT THE THEMES, A COMMON PATTERN EMERGED SUCH THAT YOGA PRACTICE FIRST LED TO POSITIVE INTRAPERSONAL CHANGES, WHICH THEN INFLUENCED ONE'S INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. BASED ON THESE RESULTS, A CONCEPTUAL MODEL WAS DEVELOPED DEPICTING POTENTIAL PATHWAYS OF HOW YOGA WORKS TO ENHANCE RELATIONAL OUTCOMES. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE THE PROMISE YOGA HOLDS TO IMPROVE ONE'S RELATIONSHIP TO ONESELF (INTRAPERSONAL) THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND TO OTHERS (INTERPERSONAL), THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMPASSION AND SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, WHICH MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO ENHANCED HEALTH AND WELLBEING OUTCOMES. FURTHER EMPIRICAL TESTING OF THE MODEL IS WARRANTED. 2018 6 148 24 A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM: LESSONS LEARNED FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IDENTIFYING FACTORS RELEVANT FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHOOL-BASED INTERVENTIONS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING MANNER. THE PERSPECTIVES OF TWO KEY STAKEHOLDERS CRITICAL FOR IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS - STUDENTS AND THEIR CLASSROOM TEACHERS - MERIT ATTENTION IN THIS CONTEXT AND HAVE RARELY BEEN EXPLORED USING QUALITATIVE METHODS. THIS STUDY REPORTS QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TEACHERS OF A 16-WEEK SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM IN THREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVING LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES. FOUR THEMES RELATED TO PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS EMERGED: PROGRAM DELIVERY FACTORS, PROGRAM BUY-IN, IMPLEMENTER COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, AND INSTRUCTOR QUALITIES. FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IS DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMING IMPLEMENTATION, ADAPTATION, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-BASED MINDFULNESS AND YOGA PROGRAMMING IN URBAN SETTINGS. 2017 7 151 30 A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION TO INFORM YOGA INTERVENTION RECRUITMENT PRACTICES FOR RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. OBJECTIVE: YOGA IS RECOGNIZED AS AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVING OVERALL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH; HOWEVER, THERE MAY BE PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO YOGA PARTICIPATION, PARTICULARLY AMONG POPULATIONS MOST AT RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. WE CONDUCTED QUALITATIVE FORMATIVE RESEARCH TO HELP INFORM RECRUITMENT PRACTICES FOR A FUTURE STUDY AND TO SPECIFICALLY UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO ENGAGEMENT IN YOGA PRACTICE AMONG RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS, AS WELL AS ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. METHODS: QUALITATIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED AT A COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC THAT SERVES LOW INCOME FAMILIES IN SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA. USING SEMI STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY ADOLESCENTS BETWEEN 12 AND 17 YEARS OLD, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT BELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS ON RECRUITING PEERS. A THEMATIC ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS USED TO IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE COMMON THEMES. RESULTS: TWENTY INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED AND EIGHT MAJOR THEMES EMERGED FROM THE DATA. THEMES WERE GROUPED AS (1) FACILITATORS TO RECRUITMENT AND (2) BARRIERS TO RECRUITMENT. INTERPRETATION: ADVERTISING FREE YOGA THAT EMPHASIZES THE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, AND MENTAL BENEFITS CAN HELP ASSUAGE NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA AND PROMOTE THE ADVANTAGES OF YOGA AMONG TEENAGERS. HAVING RECRUITMENT MATERIALS AND MODALITIES THAT HIGHLIGHT INCLUSIVITY OF ALL GENDERS AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES IN THE YOGA CLASSES ARE ALSO IMPORTANT IN FACILITATING PARTICIPATION. UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS OF YOGA, AS WELL AS PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS, AMONG RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE ADOLESCENTS IN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT, CAN ASSIST RECRUITMENT EFFORTS, INCREASE YOGA INTERVENTION PARTICIPATION, AND ULTIMATELY, IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. 2020 8 250 28 A YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: A QUALITATIVE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY. OBJECTIVE: TO UNDERSTAND HOW INDIVIDUALS WITH SYMPTOMS OF POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) PERCEIVE A TRAUMA-SENSITIVE KUNDALINI YOGA (KY) PROGRAM. METHODS: DIGITALLY RECORDED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS 30-60 MINUTES IN DURATION WERE CONDUCTED WITH 40 INDIVIDUALS WITH PTSD PARTICIPATING IN AN 8-WEEK KY TREATMENT PROGRAM. INTERVIEWS WERE TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND ANALYZED USING QUALITATIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIES THREE MAJOR THEMES: SELF-OBSERVED CHANGES, NEW AWARENESS, AND THE YOGA PROGRAM ITSELF. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT PARTICIPANTS NOTED CHANGES IN AREAS OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, LIFESTYLE, PSYCHOSOCIAL INTEGRATION, AND PERCEPTIONS OF SELF IN RELATION TO THE WORLD. PRESENTED ARE PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR TRAUMA-RELATED PROGRAMMING. CONCLUSION: THERE IS A NEED TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE AND POTENTIALLY EMPOWERING APPROACHES TO TRAUMA TREATMENT. YOGA-RELATED SELF-CARE OR SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE WIDELY ACCESSIBLE, ARE EMPOWERING, AND MAY ADDRESS THE MIND-BODY ELEMENTS OF PTSD. 2015 9 10 29 "MAKING IT OKAY": PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH-STRESS ENVIRONMENTS CONSTRUCT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF A YOGA-BASED RETREAT DESIGNED TO BUILD RESILIENCE. PURPOSE: WHILE THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR RESILIENCE BUILDING PROGRAMMES, TO DATE RESEARCH HAS NOT EXPLORED HOW PROFESSIONALS CONSTRUCT UNDERSTANDING OF PROGRAMME IMPACT. RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT), A 5-DAY YOGA-BASED RETREAT PROGRAMME, HAS BEEN LINKED WITH POSITIVE WELLNESS OUTCOMES. THIS QUALITATIVE INQUIRY EXPLORES PARTICIPANTS' REFLECTION AND EXPERIENCE 3 MONTHS AFTER PROGRAMME COMPLETION. METHODS: THROUGH A GROUNDED CONSTRUCTIVIST LENS, IN-DEPTH SEMI-STRUCTURED PHONE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH 17 ADULT PROFESSIONALS IN HIGH-STRESS WORK ENVIRONMENTS WHO ATTENDED RISE. INITIAL HAND-CODING INFORMED CODEBOOK DEVELOPMENT FOR SYSTEMATIC CODING USING DIRECTED CONTENT ANALYSIS USING SENSITIZING STRUCTURING. RESULTS: TWO INTEGRATED PERCEPTIONS WOVEN THROUGH FIVE THEMES. PERSISTENT THREADS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND SENSE OF PERMISSION PROVIDED STRUCTURE FOR THEMES FOUND. FIVE INTERRELATED THEMES RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND WORKPLACE DYNAMICS WERE (1) USE OF ACQUIRED BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS AND PRACTICES; (2) LIVED MINDFULNESS; (3) RESILIENCE TO STRESS AND EMOTION REGULATION (4) SELF-CARE AND SELF-COMPASSION, AND (5) SHARING WITH OTHERS. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INTERPRETATION OF PREVIOUSLY REPORTED PROGRAMME EFFICACY BY CONTEXTUALIZING PERCEIVED BENEFITS WITHIN PARTICIPANTS' CONSTRUCTED UNDERSTANDING OF CHANGE. SPECIFICALLY, ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND EXPERIENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS HAVE SUGGESTED IMPLICATIONS FOR RESILIENCE BUILDING PROGRAMMES.ABBREVIATIONS: RISE (RESILIENCE, INTEGRATION, SELF-AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT). 2022 10 1342 25 HOW YOGA HELPS HEAL INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA: PERSPECTIVES AND THEMES FROM 11 INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA SURVIVORS. TRAUMA IS UBIQUITOUS IN OUR SOCIETY; THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLORE HOW INDIVIDUALS CULTIVATE HEALING AFTER TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES. YOGA MAY BE ONE AVENUE TO CULTIVATE HEALING. QUALITATIVE METHODS WERE EMPLOYED TO STUDY THE ROLE YOGA PRACTICE PLAYED IN THE HEALING PROCESS OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA. ELEVEN INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA SURVIVORS WHO PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH A CRITERION SAMPLING METHOD. DATA ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE EMPHASIS OF YOGA ON MIND AND PHYSICAL BODY FOSTERED NUMEROUS POSITIVE OUTCOMES, SUCH AS SPIRITUAL GROWTH, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, ALLEVIATION OF TRAUMA-RELATED SYMPTOMS, AND INCREASED FEELINGS OF SELF-COMPASSION, EMPOWERMENT, AND SERENITY. OUR FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA MAY BE HELPFUL TO REGAIN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, FOSTER WELLBEING, AND CULTIVATE PERSONAL GROWTH AFTER INTERPERSONAL TRAUMA. 2016 11 1155 28 ENHANCING YOGA PARTICIPATION: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA AMONG PREDOMINANTLY RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY, LOW-INCOME ADULTS. YOGA IS UNDERUTILIZED AMONG RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES AND LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS. TO ENHANCE PARTICIPATION AMONG THESE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS AND TO INFORM A FUTURE CLINICAL TRIAL, WE CONDUCTED A QUALITATIVE FORMATIVE INVESTIGATION, INFORMED BY THE SOCIAL CONTEXTUAL MODEL OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE, TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO YOGA THAT COULD IMPACT STUDY PARTICIPATION. WE RECRUITED TWENTY-FOUR RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE ADULTS, WITH AND WITHOUT PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE, FROM A LOW-INCOME, URBAN HOUSING COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW OR FOCUS GROUP. A THEMATIC DATA ANALYSIS APPROACH WAS EMPLOYED. BARRIERS TO YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED THE PERCEPTION THAT YOGA LACKS PHYSICALITY AND WEIGHT LOSS BENEFITS, FEAR OF INJURY, LACK OF ABILITY/SELF-EFFICACY TO PERFORM THE PRACTICES, PREFERENCE FOR OTHER PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, AND SCHEDULING DIFFICULTIES. FACILITATORS OF YOGA ENGAGEMENT INCLUDED A QUALITY YOGA INSTRUCTOR WHO PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION, BEGINNER LEVEL CLASSES, AND PROMOTIONAL MESSAGING THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA, SUCH AS STRESS REDUCTION. 2017 12 144 27 A QUALITATIVE APPROACH EXPLORING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA FOR MINORITIES LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS: 'WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME?' OBJECTIVES: TO EXAMINE THE ACCEPTABILITY OF YOGA RESEARCH TAILORED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN A MINORITY POPULATION (BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING) WITH ARTHRITIS. YOGA RESEARCH FOR ARTHRITIS OFTEN UNDERREPRESENTS MINORITIES AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR THIS POPULATION HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVESTIGATED. DESIGN: ACCEPTABILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RETENTION, ADHERENCE, JOURNALS, AND SEMI-STRUCTURED EXIT INTERVIEWS FROM TWELVE PARTICIPANTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNDERGOING AN 8-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION. JOURNAL QUOTES WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES. NVIVO SOFTWARE WAS USED TO ORGANIZE TRANSCRIPTS AND ASSEMBLE THEMES. TWO METHODS OF TRIANGULATION (DATA AND INVESTIGATOR) WERE USED TO OVERCOME POTENTIAL BIAS FROM A SINGLE-PERSPECTIVE INTERPRETATION. EXIT INTERVIEW COMMENTS WERE CONTENT ANALYZED USING A CARD SORT METHOD. THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH A CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING A MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH TEAM, TRANSLATORS, AND BILINGUAL MATERIALS AND CLASSES, TO FACILITATE TRUST AND ACCEPTABILITY FOR PRIMARILY HISPANIC AND BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS. SETTING: WASHINGTON, D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA, USA. RESULTS: ON AVERAGE PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED 10 OF 16 CLASSES, WITH HOME PRACTICE 2-3DAYS A WEEK. ALL WHO COMPLETED WERE STILL PRACTICING YOGA THREE-MONTHS LATER. QUALITATIVE NARRATIVE ANALYSIS IDENTIFIED MAJOR THEMES RELATED TO FACILITATING FACTORS AND BARRIERS FOR YOGA PRACTICE, SELF-EFFICACY, AND SUPPORT. PARTICIPANT COMMENTS INDICATED THAT OFFERING AN ARTHRITIS-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION AND USING A CULTURALLY CONGRUENT RESEARCH DESIGN WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE. CONCLUSIONS: AS YOGA RESEARCH GROWS, THERE IS A NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND PROMOTE ACCEPTABILITY FOR TYPICALLY UNDER-REPRESENTED POPULATIONS. THIS STUDY ATTEMPTS TO INFORM THE EXPANSION OF MULTICULTURAL RESEARCH DESIGNED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN THOSE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. 2017 13 156 30 A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA: A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS. PURPOSE: TO EXPLORE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES IN A GROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THEIR CAREGIVERS.MATERIALS AND METHODS: WE CONDUCTED SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH 13 PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND THREE CAREGIVERS WHO HAD COMPLETED LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA, A 6-SESSION, MANUALIZED, GROUP-BASED YOGA INTERVENTION THAT INCORPORATES BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA, MEDITATION, AND PSYCHOEDUCATION. INTERVIEWS WERE ANALYZED USING CONTENT ANALYSIS.RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED SEVEN THEMES: EASE OF PARTICIPATION, BELONGING, SUSTAINING COMMUNITY CONNECTION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SELF-REGULATION, SELF-EFFICACY, AND RESILIENCE. ALL PARTICIPANTS VALUED THE COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA STUDIO ENVIRONMENT AND MULTIFACETED STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN STRENGTH, BALANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND ATTENTION CONTROL, AND A GREATER SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY CONNECTION, AND ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ONGOING USE OF TOOLS (E.G., BREATHING EXERCISES) TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND STRESS. ABOUT HALF OF PARTICIPANTS SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIPS BUILT DURING LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA AND FELT MORE CAPABLE OF ACCESSING OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY.CONCLUSIONS: LOVEYOURBRAIN YOGA SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTED COMMUNITY INTEGRATION FOR PEOPLE WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. IT ALSO FACILITATED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITS, WHICH SUGGEST THAT IT MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATIONYOGA IS A HOLISTIC THERAPY WITH MANY BENEFITS, YET IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY POPULATION AT THE COMMUNITY LEVELPARTICIPANTS IN A COMMUNITY-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION INTERVENTION IN SIX STATES EXPERIENCED DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL HEALTH BENEFITSGROUP-BASED YOGA WITH PSYCHOEDUCATION MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE MODE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS. 2020 14 1715 28 PERCEIVED MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC YOGA TARGETING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS. INTRODUCTION: THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO INVESTIGATE YOGA TEACHERS' AND YOGA THERAPISTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE WAYS YOGA IS APPLIED TO TREAT SYMPTOMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, AND IDENTIFY THE DEFINING FEATURES, MAIN COMPONENTS, AND MECHANISMS OF CHANGE IN THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE. METHODS: A QUALITATIVE DESIGN WAS EMPLOYED. SIX YOGA TEACHERS WHO HAD SPECIFIC TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING THERAPEUTIC YOGA OR PRACTICING 'YOGA THERAPY' TOOK PART IN ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEWS DURING WHICH THEY GAVE ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES OF HELPING PEOPLE COPE WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS THROUGH YOGA. PARTICIPANTS' INTERVIEWS WERE TRANSCRIBED VERBATIM AND WERE ANALYSED USING AN INTEGRATIVE INDUCTIVE-DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS: FOUR KEY THEMES WERE IDENTIFIED IN RELATION TO THE BENEFITS OF THERAPEUTIC YOGA: AWARENESS, CHOICE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND TAILORING. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUPPORT PREVIOUS RESEARCH WHICH SUGGESTS THAT INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY IS A PROMISING INTERVENTION, AND MAY HELP TO FORM A THEORETICAL RATIONALE FOR THE FUTURE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WITH YOGA. 2020 15 153 25 A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING HOW THE AIMS, LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS OF YOGA FOR PREGNANCY TEACHERS MAY IMPACT UPON WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH. BACKGROUND: AS WOMEN'S ANXIETY AND THE RATE OF MEDICAL INTERVENTION IN LABOUR AND BIRTH CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY HOW ANTENATAL EDUCATION CAN INCREASE WOMEN'S CONFIDENCE AND THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE THE INTENSE SENSATIONS OF LABOUR. AIM: TO REPORT A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY OF HOW THE AIMS, LANGUAGE AND ACTIONS OF YOGA FOR PREGNANCY TEACHERS MAY IMPACT UPON WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH. METHODS: YOGA FOR PREGNANCY CLASSES IN THREE LOCATIONS WERE FILMED. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE UNDERTAKEN WITH THE TEACHERS TO EXPLORE WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IN THEIR CLASSES, AND HOW. INTERVIEWS AND CLASSES WERE TRANSCRIBED AND ANALYSED USING GROUNDED THEORY. FINDINGS: THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONSISTENCY IN THE TEACHERS' AIMS, THE LANGUAGE THEY USED IN CLASSES AND IN THEIR THINKING ABOUT CLASS STRUCTURE. FOUR MAIN THEMES EMERGED: CREATING A SISTERHOOD, MODELLING LABOUR, BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND ENHANCING LEARNING. TEACHERS SEE YOGA FOR PREGNANCY AS A MULTI-FACETED, NON-PRESCRIPTIVE INTERVENTION THAT ENHANCES WOMEN'S PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL READINESS FOR LABOUR AND BIRTH, AND SUPPORTS WOMEN TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ACROSS THE TRANSITION TO PARENTHOOD. CONCLUSION: WOMEN'S SELF-EFFICACY FOR LABOUR IS COMPLEX AND MULTI-FACTORIAL. THIS STUDY OFFERS INSIGHTS INTO THE FACTORS WHICH MAY BE INVOLVED IN INCREASING IT. THESE INCLUDE NOT ONLY TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS OF YOGA SUCH AS POSTURES, BREATHING AND MEDITATION, BUT ALSO THE CREATION OF SAFE, WOMEN-ONLY GROUPS WHERE ANXIETIES, EXPERIENCES AND STORIES CAN BE SHARED, AND PAIN-COPING TECHNIQUES FOR LABOUR LEARNED AND PRACTISED. 2016 16 1145 29 ELEMENTARY STUDENT AND TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM IN SCHOOL: A QUALITATIVE EVALUATION. RESEARCH QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE QUALITATIVE INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED PROGRAM FROM ELEMENTARY YOUTH AND TEACHERS? CONTEXT: A MINDFULNESS AND YOGA-BASED CURRICULUM WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 15 SCHOOLS. THE CURRICULUM WAS TAUGHT TO STUDENTS DURING A PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR DANCE CLASS BY INSTRUCTORS WHO WERE WITHIN EACH SCHOOL AND RECEIVED TRAINING ON THE CURRICULUM. SAMPLE SELECTION: VOLUNTEER FOCUS GROUP ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED FOR ONE YEAR AND TEACHERS WHO DID NOT IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM WERE QUALITATIVELY INTERVIEWED, BY THREE TRAINED UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. DATA COLLECTION: NINE FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THREE DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SIX FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED WITH 3RD AND 5TH GRADE STUDENTS. THREE FOCUS GROUPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH TEACHERS WITHIN EACH SCHOOL WHICH RECEIVED THE PROGRAM, EXCLUDING INSTRUCTORS. ANALYSIS: FOCUS GROUP DATA WERE CODED AND A THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED AMONG THE 40 STUDENTS AND 23 TEACHERS. INTERPRETATION AND MAIN RESULTS: TEACHERS HAD VARYING DEGREES OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROGRAM AND COMMUNICATION EMERGED AS A CRITICAL THEME FOR BUY-IN AS COMMUNICATION REPRESENTS THE UNDERPINNINGS OF CREATING AND RETAINING STAKEHOLDERS. MOST STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN FOCUS, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, FLEXIBILITY, BREATHING, AND SCHOOL WORK. A COMMON THEME TO DESCRIBE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM EMERGED WITH THE IDEA OF "INCREASED FOCUS". CONCEPTUALLY, IT MAY BE THAT INCREASING MINDFULNESS INCREASES "FOCUS" THUS INCREASING POSITIVE OUTCOMES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND IF "FOCUS" MAY SERVE AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, COGNITIVE IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER HEALTH OUTCOMES. 2020 17 20 28 "WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER": A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PREDOMINANTLY LOW INCOME MINORITY PARTICIPANTS IN A YOGA TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. OBJECTIVE: TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES OF LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS TAKING PART IN A YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: INDIVIDUAL SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED WITH NINETEEN PARTICIPANTS RECRUITED FROM A RANDOMIZED YOGA DOSING TRIAL FOR PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY ADULTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. INTERVIEWS DISCUSSED THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON LOW BACK PAIN AND EMOTIONS; OTHER PERCEIVED ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES OF THE INTERVENTION; AND FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS TO PRACTICING YOGA. INTERVIEWS WERE AUDIO TAPED AND TRANSCRIBED, CODED USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE, AND ANALYZED WITH INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE THEMATIC ANALYSIS METHODS. SETTING: BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER, BOSTON, MA, USA. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS VIEWED YOGA AS A MEANS OF PAIN RELIEF AND ATTRIBUTED IMPROVED MOOD, GREATER ABILITY TO MANAGE STRESS, AND ENHANCED RELAXATION TO YOGA. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS FELT EMPOWERED TO SELF-MANAGE THEIR PAIN. SOME FOUND YOGA TO BE HELPFUL IN BEING MINDFUL OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND ACCEPTING OF THEIR PAIN. TRUST IN THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS WAS A COMMONLY CITED FACILITATOR FOR YOGA CLASS ATTENDANCE. LACK OF TIME, MOTIVATION, AND FEAR OF INJURY WERE REPORTED BARRIERS TO YOGA PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FAVORABLY IMPACT HEALTH IN A PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME MINORITY POPULATION. 2016 18 129 31 A POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA IMPACTS ON HUMAN GLOBAL FUNCTIONING: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. INTRODUCTION:RESEARCH IS INCREASINGLY DEMONSTRATING A RANGE OF BENEFITS OF PRACTICING YOGA, SUCH AS IMPROVED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL CONNECTEDNESS, AND SELF-CARE. MECHANISMS OF ACTION ARE LESS WELL UNDERSTOOD, BUT MAY INCLUDE BOTH PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT BENEFITS AND MECHANISMS OF YOGA PRACTICE, USING QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTED FROM A LARGE-SCALE SURVEY OF YOGA USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. METHODS: THE MIXED METHODS, CROSS-SECTIONAL ONLINE SURVEY COLLECTED DATA ON YOGA USE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM 2434 U.K. YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THE QUALITATIVE SURVEY ELEMENT USED OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS TO GAIN "REAL LIFE" DATA REGARDING PRACTICE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS. DATA WERE ANALYZED THEMATICALLY AND DEDUCTIVELY. A PRACTICE-BASED MODEL DESCRIBING YOGA PRACTICE, MECHANISMS, AND BENEFITS, BASED ON THE KHALSA LOGIC MODEL OF YOGA, WAS DEVELOPED TO EXPLAIN THE DATA. FINDINGS: FINDINGS HIGHLIGHTED THAT A DIVERSE RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICES AND NONSPECIFIC CONTEXTUAL FACTORS RELATED TO PRACTICING YOGA, NEEDED TO BE CONSIDERED TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOGA WAS BENEFITTING PEOPLE. THESE PRACTICES ENCOMPASSED BOTH MODERN AND TRADITIONAL CONCEPTIONS OF YOGA AS A DEEPER LIFESTYLE PRACTICE. KEY MECHANISMS FOR CHANGE INCLUDED IMPROVEMENTS IN PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY, STRESS REGULATION, RESILIENCE, EQUANIMITY, MIND-BODY AWARENESS, AND SPIRITUAL/PERSONAL GROWTH. THESE MECHANISMS RESULTED IN DIVERSE IMPROVEMENTS IN GLOBAL HEALTH FUNCTIONING, PARTICULARLY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. CONCLUSIONS: THE KHALSA MODEL PROVIDED A USEFUL BASE UPON WHICH TO GUIDE THE NEW POPULATION-PRACTICE-BASED MODEL, TO UNDERSTAND PARTICIPANTS' "REAL LIFE" EXPERIENCES OF YOGA, HOW YOGA IS HELPING PEOPLE AND WHY. IT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRACTITIONERS, TEACHERS, AND THOSE DELIVERING YOGA INTERVENTIONS AS TO THE RANGE OF SKILLS AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE. IN ADDITION, FINDINGS INDICATE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, BY HIGHLIGHTING KEY YOGA MECHANISMS THAT RESEARCHERS MAY CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON IN FUTURE STUDIES. 2021 19 2259 29 THE PRACTICABILITY AND RELEVANCE OF DEVELOPING A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS, STAFF, AND YOGA TEACHERS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION TO BE DEVELOPED FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. TWO FOCUS GROUPS WERE HELD WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS (N = 8), TWO FOCUS GROUPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH STAFF (N = 13) FROM A METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SETTING, AND FIVE ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH YOGA TEACHERS. PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF A RANGE OF YOGA PRACTICE FEATURES TO BE TESTED AS A NEWLY DEVELOPED YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION. THEMATIC ANALYSIS WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THEMES. FINDINGS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING CONSUMER THEMES: MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS AND PARTICIPANTS IS IMPORTANT, CREATING A SAFE SPACE AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. STAFF THEMES INCLUDED MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF TEACHERS IS IMPORTANT, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. YOGA TEACHER THEMES INCLUDED ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS. MENTAL HEALTH UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE OF THE YOGA TEACHER, AND TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE WERE CONSISTENTLY EMPHASIZED BY CONSUMERS AND STAFF. TEACHERS FOCUSED LESS ON SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS, WHICH MAY BE REFLECTIVE OF A BROADER KNOWLEDGE GAP. RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING YOGA PRACTICE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING PRE-INFORMATION, REGULAR AND CONSISTENT PRACTICE, MODIFICATIONS, BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS AND GUIDED PRACTICE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN FEATURES, WERE CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA RESEARCH. FINDINGS WILL BE USED TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A YOGA-BASED INTERVENTION FOR CONSUMERS WITH A LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, IN ADDITION TO ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION. 2020 20 2800 29 YOGA THERAPY FOR THE MIND EIGHT-WEEK COURSE: PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCES. MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON IN THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. WHILE THE POPULARITY OF YOGA CONTINUES TO RISE IN WESTERN CULTURE, LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO EXPLORE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF YOGA FROM A QUALITATIVE, CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE. THIS STUDY EXPLORES PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES OF THE "YOGA THERAPY FOR THE MIND EIGHT-WEEK COURSE" (YTFTM), AN INTERNATIONAL, MANUALIZED YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTION FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. EIGHT FEMALE PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS, AND TRANSCRIPTS WERE ANALYZED USING AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, WITH FOUR MASTER THEMES EMERGING: "PERSONAL JOURNEY OF CHANGE," "AMBIVALENCE," "MIND/BODY CONNECTION," AND "GROUP EXPERIENCE." THE FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING ADEQUATE SUPPORT IN OVERCOMING THESE. FINDINGS ALSO REVEAL THAT PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS FROM THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ASANA IN ADDITION TO MINDFULNESS, SUCH AS A MORE HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, ADAPTIVE COPING STRATEGIES, AND ENHANCED WELL-BEING. 2017