1 1920 159 ROLE OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: YOGA HAS ITS ORIGIN FROM THE ANCIENT TIMES. IT IS AN INTEGRATION OF MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. BESIDES, MINDFULNESS EMPHASIZES FOCUSED AWARENESS AND ACCEPTING THE INTERNAL EXPERIENCES WITHOUT BEING JUDGEMENTAL. THESE TECHNIQUES OFFER A TRENDING NEW DIMENSION OF TREATMENT IN VARIOUS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. AIMS: WE AIMED TO REVIEW THE STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS AS A TREATMENT MODALITY IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESSES (SMIS). SMI INCLUDES SCHIZOPHRENIA, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD), AND BIPOLAR DISORDER (BD). METHODS: WE CONDUCTED A LITERATURE SEARCH USING PUBMED, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND COCHRANE LIBRARY WITH THE SEARCH TERMS "YOGA," "MEDITATION," "BREATHING EXERCISES," "MINDFULNESS," "SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS," "DEPRESSIVE DISORDER," AND "BIPOLAR DISORDER" FOR THE LAST 10-YEAR PERIOD. WE ALSO INCLUDED RELEVANT ARTICLES FROM THE CROSS-REFERENCES. RESULTS: WE FOUND THAT ASANAS AND PRANAYAMA ARE THE MOST COMMONLY STUDIED FORMS OF YOGA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. THESE STUDIES FOUND A REDUCTION IN GENERAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY RATINGS AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN COGNITION AND FUNCTIONING. SOME STUDIES ALSO FOUND MODEST BENEFITS IN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. MINDFULNESS HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY TRIED, BUT THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE HAS SHOWN BENEFITS IN IMPROVING PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS, IMPROVING LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING, AND AFFECT REGULATION. IN MDD, BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS HAVE DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT IN REDUCING THE SEVERITY OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. THERE IS VERY SPARSE DATA WITH RESPECT TO BD. CONCLUSION: BOTH YOGA AND MINDFULNESS INTERVENTIONS APPEAR TO BE USEFUL AS AN ADJUNCT IN THE TREATMENT OF SMI. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, ANXIETY, COGNITION, AND FUNCTIONING OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA. SIMILARLY, BOTH THE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUVANT IN MDD. HOWEVER, MORE RIGOROUSLY DESIGNED AND LARGER TRIALS MAY BE NECESSARY, SPECIFICALLY FOR BD. 2019 2 2284 31 THE USE OF YOGA AS A GROUP INTERVENTION FOR PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN REHABILITATION: EXPLORING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES. PURPOSE: WITH THE INCREASE IN OPIOID USE OVER THE LAST DECADE, MIND-BODY APPROACHES TO PEDIATRIC PAIN MANAGEMENT HAVE BEEN TRENDING. TO DATE, THERE IS LIMITED RESEARCH REGARDING THE USE OF YOGA WITH PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN. THIS STUDY AIMS TO GAUGE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUP YOGA AS PART OF CHRONIC PAIN REHABILITATION AND ONE'S ABILITY TO CONTINUE PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY BY EXPLORING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION. METHODS: A SINGLE THERAPIST USED YOGA AS A GROUP PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION ONCE A WEEK FOR 60 MINUTES. YOGA EDUCATION, IYENGAR YOGA COMPONENTS, RELAXATION, AND STRETCHING WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE THERAPEUTIC YOGA SESSION. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED. RESULTS: QUALITATIVE OUTCOMES PROVIDED VALUABLE DATA ABOUT DISTRACTIONS AND BENEFITS. QUANTITATIVE OUTCOMES SHOWED THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN AREAS SUCH AS MENTAL TENSION, EMOTIONAL TENSION, MUSCLE TENSION, AND PAIN (ALL P < 0.001 SIGNIFICANT). CONCLUSION: PEDIATRIC CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS CAN IDENTIFY MANY BENEFITS AFTER A SINGLE GROUP YOGA SESSION. IT COMBINES THE PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY PAIN REHABILITATION FOR CONTINUED USE AFTER DISCHARGE. THE USE OF YOGA IS AN ECONOMICAL MEANS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AFTER DISCHARGE TO PROMOTE LONG-TERM BENEFITS. 2020 3 1962 50 SELF-REPORTED BENEFITS AND RISKS OF YOGA IN INDIVIDUALS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER. BACKGROUND: ALTHOUGH HATHA YOGA HAS FREQUENTLY BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR PATIENTS WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER (BD) AND THERE IS PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE THAT IT ALLEVIATES DEPRESSION, THERE ARE NO PUBLISHED DATA ON THE BENEFITS-AND POTENTIAL RISKS-OF YOGA FOR PATIENTS WITH BD. THUS, THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF YOGA IN INDIVIDUALS WITH BD. METHODS: WE RECRUITED SELF-IDENTIFIED YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH BD (N=109) TO COMPLETE AN INTERNET SURVEY THAT INCLUDED MEASURES OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL INFORMATION AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS ABOUT YOGA PRACTICE AND THE IMPACT OF YOGA. RESULTS: 86 RESPONDENTS PROVIDED SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FOR ANALYSIS, 70 OF WHOM MET POSITIVE SCREENING CRITERIA FOR A LIFETIME HISTORY OF MANIA OR HYPOMANIA. THE MOST COMMON STYLES OF YOGA PREFERRED WERE HATHA AND VINYASA. WHEN ASKED WHAT IMPACT YOGA HAD ON THEIR LIFE, PARTICIPANTS RESPONDED MOST COMMONLY WITH POSITIVE EMOTIONAL EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY REDUCED ANXIETY, POSITIVE COGNITIVE EFFECTS (E.G., ACCEPTANCE, FOCUS, OR "A BREAK FROM MY THOUGHTS"), OR POSITIVE PHYSICAL EFFECTS (E.G., WEIGHT LOSS, INCREASED ENERGY). SOME RESPONDENTS CONSIDERED YOGA TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LIFE CHANGING. THE MOST COMMON NEGATIVE EFFECT OF YOGA WAS PHYSICAL INJURY OR PAIN. FIVE RESPONDENTS GAVE EXAMPLES OF SPECIFIC INSTANCES OR A YOGA PRACTICE THAT THEY BELIEVED INCREASED AGITATION OR MANIC SYMPTOMS; FIVE RESPONDENTS GAVE EXAMPLES OF TIMES THAT YOGA INCREASED DEPRESSION OR LETHARGY. CONCLUSIONS: MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS HAVING BD BELIEVE THAT YOGA HAS BENEFITS FOR MENTAL HEALTH. HOWEVER, YOGA IS NOT WITHOUT POTENTIAL RISKS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOGA COULD SERVE AS A USEFUL ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR BD. 2014 4 2436 39 YOGA AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW OF BIOMARKER EVIDENCE. TRADITIONALLY, YOGA HAS BEEN USED AS A MEANS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH BUT OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES OR SO ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY EXPLORED. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE USEFUL AS A MONO-THERAPY IN MILD TO MODERATE DEPRESSION AND AS AN ADJUVANT IN SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY DISORDERS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AND MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. FURTHERMORE, SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF YOGA IN THESE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. GIVEN THAT NO PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER HAS STRONG AND ESTABLISHED BIOMARKERS, IT IS INTERESTING THAT PRELIMINARY RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CERTAIN IMPORTANT BIOMARKERS FOLLOWING REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE. IN THIS BRIEF REVIEW, WE PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON BIOCHEMICAL, NEURO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURO-IMAGING RELATED BIO-MARKERS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. ALTHOUGH FINDINGS AND TRENDS ARE PROMISING, MUCH MORE RESEARCH IS WARRANTED TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE BIOLOGICAL BASIS FOR YOGA IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021 5 576 41 DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: BENEFITS OF EXERCISE, YOGA, AND MEDITATION. MANY PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY TURN TO NONPHARMACOLOGIC AND NONCONVENTIONAL INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING EXERCISE, YOGA, MEDITATION, TAI CHI, OR QI GONG. META-ANALYSES AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS HAVE SHOWN THAT THESE INTERVENTIONS CAN IMPROVE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT, EXERCISE SEEMS MOST HELPFUL FOR TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION, UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION, AND POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA AS MONOTHERAPY OR ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY SHOWS POSITIVE EFFECTS, PARTICULARLY FOR DEPRESSION. AS AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, IT FACILITATES TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, PARTICULARLY PANIC DISORDER. TAI CHI AND QI GONG MAY BE HELPFUL AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPIES FOR DEPRESSION, BUT EFFECTS ARE INCONSISTENT. AS MONOTHERAPY OR AN ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY, MINDFULNESS-BASED MEDITATION HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION, AND ITS EFFECTS CAN LAST FOR SIX MONTHS OR MORE. ALTHOUGH POSITIVE FINDINGS ARE LESS COMMON IN PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS ADJUNCTIVE USE. THERE ARE NO APPARENT NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS, AND THEIR GENERAL HEALTH BENEFITS JUSTIFY THEIR USE AS ADJUNCTIVE THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. 2019 6 2798 49 YOGA THERAPY FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA IS ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN PHARMACOTHERAPY, TREATMENT REMAINS SUB-OPTIMAL, WITH MANY PATIENTS HAVING PERSISTING DEFICITS, ESPECIALLY IN COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. YOGA AS A THERAPY HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A SOLE OR ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. RECENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN THE APPLICATION OF YOGA THERAPY IN PSYCHOSIS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. TO REVIEW A) THE EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF YOGA THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA B) STUDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN DONE IN THIS AREA, C) THE BARRIERS FOR REACHING YOGA TO PATIENTS, AND D) FUTURE DIRECTIONS, AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE SEARCH OF PUBMED/MEDLINE, GOOGLE SCHOLAR, AND EBSCO AS WELL AS GREY LITERATURE WAS DONE. RESEARCH REPORTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFICACY OF YOGA AS AN ADD-ON THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA, PARTICULARLY IN IMPROVING NEGATIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SOCIAL COGNITION. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THIS EFFECT REMAIN UNCLEAR, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT HORMONES LIKE OXYTOCIN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHANGES IN SOCIAL COGNITION. 2012 7 2668 34 YOGA IN MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS AND CLINICAL UTILITY. MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (MDD) IS A MIND-BODY DISORDER. CELLULAR AGING HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MDD WITH THE ALTERED MIND-BODY COMMUNICATION MARKERS LIKE STRESS RESPONSE, IMMUNE RESPONSE, NUTRITION SENSING, AND A RANGE OF OTHER REGULATORY FEEDBACK SYSTEMS. IN THIS AGE OF SUPER SPECIALIZATIONS, ONE SPECIFIC TARGET AND INTERVENTIONS (PREFERABLY A DRUG) ON IT ARE BEING RIGOROUSLY SOUGHT BY THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY, BUT HAVE FAILED IN IT IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS IN SPITE OF ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY. SINCE, DEPRESSION IS A COMPLEX DISORDER ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED INCIDENCE OF OTHER COMPLEX DISORDERS, IT MUST BE TREATED BY AN INTEGRATED HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT CAN ADDRESS THE COMPLEXITY OF MDD. INTERVENTIONS TARGETING ACCELERATED BIOLOGICAL AGING TO INCREASE CELLULAR HEALTH IN WHOLE BODY HAVE POTENTIAL TO MANAGE COMPLEX CONDITIONS LIKE MDD AND ITS OVERLAPPING SYMPTOMS AND COMORBIDITIES. YOGA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE NEXUS BETWEEN, CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF MDD AND OTHER LIFESTYLE DISEASES. 2021 8 2688 44 YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS: A REVIEW. BACKGROUND: PATIENT USE OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS, INCLUDING YOGA, TO MANAGE MOOD AND ANXIETY DISORDERS, HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. DESPITE RESEARCH INTEREST, THERE ARE FEW RECENT REVIEWS OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS. METHOD: THE PUBMED, MEDLINE AND PSYCINFO DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR LITERATURE PUBLISHED UP TO JULY 2008, RELATING TO YOGA AND DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY DISORDERS. RESULTS: THE PAUCITY OF REPORTED STUDIES AND SEVERAL METHODOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS LIMIT DATA INTERPRETATION. IN DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE COMPARABLE TO MEDICATION AND THE COMBINATION SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION ALONE. THERE IS REASONABLE EVIDENCE FOR ITS USE AS SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY OR AUGMENTATION TO MEDICATION IN MILD TO MODERATE MAJOR DEPRESSION AND DYSTHYMIA, WITH EARLY EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT IN MORE SEVERE DEPRESSION. IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, YOGA MAY BE SUPERIOR TO MEDICATION FOR A SUBGROUP OF PATIENTS, BUT ITS BENEFITS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL LARGELY UNKNOWN. SECOND-LINE MONOTHERAPY IS INDICATED IN PERFORMANCE OR TEST ANXIETY, BUT ONLY PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. YOGA APPEARS TO BE SUPERIOR TO NO TREATMENT AND PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION FOR BOTH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, AND MAY BENEFIT MOOD AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL ILLNESS. IT SHOWS GOOD SAFETY AND TOLERABILITY IN SHORT-TERM TREATMENT. CONCLUSION: REASONABLE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE BENEFIT OF YOGA IN SPECIFIC DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE IS STILL PRELIMINARY IN ANXIETY DISORDERS. GIVEN ITS PATIENT APPEAL AND THE PROMISING FINDINGS THUS FAR, FURTHER RESEARCH ON YOGA IN THESE CONDITIONS IS ENCOURAGED. 2009 9 2445 26 YOGA AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. YOGA HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND ALLEVIATING DISTRESS. IT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN THE FIELD OF MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THIS NARRATIVE REVIEW DISCUSSES THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO USE OF YOGA IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. THE EVIDENCE BASE ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO RANDOMIZED TRIALS IS PRESENTED. THE POSSIBLE MECHANISMS HOW YOGA MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE EXPLORED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IMPLICATIONS OF YOGA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE ARE ELABORATED, FOLLOWED BY EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES IN INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE OF PUBLISHED YOGA RELATED STUDIES. 2017 10 93 36 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 11 2433 43 YOGA AND PILATES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN. MANY INTERVENTIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN EXIST, HOWEVER MOST HAVE MODEST EFFICACY AT BEST, AND THERE ARE FEW WITH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED BENEFITS ONCE PAIN BECOMES CHRONIC. THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOES APPEAR TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR MANAGING PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN (CLBP) IN TERMS OF DECREASING PAIN AND IMPROVING FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, BECAUSE CHRONIC PAIN IS COMPLEX AND DOES NOT FIT A SIMPLE MODEL, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS TRIALS INVESTIGATING AND DEMONSTRATING THE EFFICACY OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN PROGRAMS FOR CLBP. IT FOLLOWS THAT INTERVENTIONS THAT TREAT MORE THAN ONE ASPECT OF LBP WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FOR THIS PATIENT POPULATION. YOGA AND PILATES WHICH HAVE, BOTH BEEN GAINING IN POPULARITY OVER THE LAST DECADE ARE TWO MIND-BODY EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ASPECTS OF PAIN WITH CORE STRENGTHENING, FLEXIBILITY, AND RELAXATION. THERE HAS BEEN A SLOW EVOLUTION OF THESE NONTRADITIONAL EXERCISE REGIMENS INTO TREATMENT PARADIGMS FOR LBP, ALTHOUGH FEW STUDIES EXAMINING THEIR EFFECTS HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE WILL FOCUS ON THE SCIENTIFIC AND THEORETICAL BASIS OF USING YOGA AND PILATES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CLBP. 2008 12 2485 42 YOGA AS AN ANCILLARY TREATMENT FOR NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A REVIEW. YOGA IS GAINING ACCEPTANCE AS AN ANCILLARY MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN FEW STUDIES EVALUATING ITS THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS IN NEUROLOGICAL AND MAJOR PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS. THE AUTHORS REVIEWED THE LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ON THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR THESE DISORDERS. ONLY RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS WERE INCLUDED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONLY STUDY OF YOGA FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER, WHICH WAS OBSERVATIONAL. TRIALS WERE EXCLUDED IF YOGA WAS NOT THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE INTERVENTION. OF SEVEN RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS, SIX FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. OF 13 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, 10 FOUND SIGNIFICANT, POSITIVE EFFECTS. THESE RESULTS, ALTHOUGH ENCOURAGING, INDICATE THAT ADDITIONAL RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CRITICALLY DEFINE THE BENEFITS OF YOGA FOR BOTH NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. 2012 13 588 39 DETERMINING PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC MARKERS OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. THERE IS A GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH ON YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) ACCOMPANIED BY SPECULATIONS ON UNDERLYING PHYSIOLOGIC MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYSTEMATIC REVIEW IS TO IDENTIFY, QUALITATIVELY EVALUATE, AND SYNTHESIZE STUDIES OF YOGA AS AN INTERVENTION FOR PTSD THAT MEASURED PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOMES IN ORDER TO GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL MECHANISMS. THE FOCUS IS ON STUDIES EVALUATING YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION FOR PTSD RATHER THAN FOR TRAUMA EXPOSURE, PTSD PREVENTION, OR SUBCLINICAL PTSD. MULTIPLE DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PUBLICATIONS FROM THE PAST TWO DECADES USING TERMS DERIVED FROM THE QUESTION, "IN PEOPLE WITH PTSD, WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON OBJECTIVE OUTCOMES?" ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA INCLUDED YOGA-ONLY MODALITIES TESTED AS AN INTERVENTION FOR FORMALLY DIAGNOSED PTSD WITH AT LEAST ONE PHYSIOLOGIC OUTCOME. RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW CONFIRMED THAT, THOUGH MUCH OF THE PUBLISHED LITERATURE PROPOSES PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING YOGA'S EFFECTS ON PTSD, VERY FEW STUDIES ( N = 3) HAVE ACTUALLY EVALUATED PHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE. ADDITIONALLY, SEVERAL STUDIES HAD METHODOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED DATA SUPPORTING YOGA'S BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSREGULATION, WE PRESENT A THEORETICAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGIC PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH PTSD AND THE EFFECTS YOGA MAY HAVE ON THESE PROCESSES TO GUIDE FUTURE RESEARCH. GAPS IN THE LITERATURE REMAIN FOR MECHANISMS RELATED TO ACTIVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS AND INFLAMMATION. ADDITIONAL RIGOROUS MECHANISTIC STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE YOGA INTERVENTIONS FOR PTSD TO AUGMENT EXISTING EVIDENCE-BASED PTSD TREATMENTS. 2018 14 320 38 AN INTRODUCTION TO KUNDALINI YOGA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ANCIENT SYSTEM OF KUNDALINI YOGA INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF MEDITATION TECHNIQUES AND MANY WERE DISCOVERED TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING THE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AS WE KNOW THEM TODAY. ONE SUCH TECHNIQUE WAS FOUND TO BE SPECIFIC FOR TREATING OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD), THE FOURTH MOST COMMON PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER, AND THE TENTH MOST DISABLING DISORDER WORLDWIDE. TWO PUBLISHED CLINICAL TRIALS ARE DESCRIBED HERE FOR TREATING OCD USING A SPECIFIC KUNDALINI YOGA PROTOCOL. THIS OCD PROTOCOL ALSO INCLUDES TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USEFUL FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS, AS WELL AS A TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC FOR LEARNING TO MANAGE FEAR, ONE FOR TRANQUILIZING AN ANGRY MIND, ONE FOR MEETING MENTAL CHALLENGES, AND ONE FOR TURNING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS INTO POSITIVE THOUGHTS. PART OF THAT PROTOCOL IS INCLUDED HERE AND PUBLISHED IN DETAIL ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF OTHER DISORDER-SPECIFIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES ARE INCLUDED HERE TO HELP BRING THESE TOOLS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. THESE TECHNIQUES ARE SPECIFIC FOR PHOBIAS, ADDICTIVE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, DYSLEXIA, GRIEF, INSOMNIA AND OTHER SLEEP DISORDERS. 2004 15 1930 43 ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGEMENT OF SUBSTANCE-USE DISORDERS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS ARE COMPARABLE TO CHRONIC MEDICAL ILLNESSES AND HAVE A CHRONIC RELAPSING COURSE. DESPITE BEING SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS TO MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS EXIST. THE CURRENT NARRATIVE REVIEW WAS AIMED AT PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW OF YOGA THERAPY IN SUBSTANCE-USE DISORDERS AND DISCUSS THE RELEVANT METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES. ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TILL MAY 2017 INDEXED WITH PUBMED, PUBMED CENTRAL, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR WERE SEARCHED USING SEARCH TERMS "YOGA," "SUBSTANCE USE," "DRUG DEPENDENCE," "NICOTINE," "TOBACCO," "ALCOHOL," "OPIOIDS," "CANNABIS," "COCAINE," "STIMULANTS," "SEDATIVE HYPNOTICS," "INHALANTS," AND "HALLUCINOGENS" FOR INCLUSION IN THE REVIEW. A TOTAL OF 314 STUDIES WERE FOUND FULFILLING THE STATED CRITERIA. OUT OF WHICH, 16 STUDIES WERE FOUND TO FULFILL THE INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA AND 12 WERE RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS. THE MAJORITY OF STUDIES WERE AVAILABLE ON THE ROLE OF YOGA IN MANAGEMENT OF NICOTINE DEPENDENCE. SAMPLE SIZE OF THESE STUDIES RANGED FROM 18 TO 624. THE MAJORITY OF STUDIES SUGGESTED THE ROLE OF YOGA IN REDUCING SUBSTANCE USE AS WELL AS SUBSTANCE-RELATED CRAVING (ESPECIALLY IN NICOTINE-USE DISORDERS) IN SHORT TERM. HOWEVER, MORE STUDIES ARE REQUIRED FOR DEMONSTRATING THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF YOGA THERAPY IN SUBSTANCE-USE DISORDER. 2018 16 1918 31 ROLE OF YOGA AND MEDITATION AS COMPLIMENTARY THERAPEUTIC REGIME FOR STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: UTILIZATION OF BRAIN WAVES ACTIVITY AS NOVEL TOOL. DURING RECENT DECADES, STRESS-RELATED NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, CHRONIC TENSION HEADACHE, AND MIGRAINE HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR STRONGHOLD IN THE LIVES OF A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS GLOBAL PHENOMENON, INTENSIVE STUDIES HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT LEADING TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF DRUGS LIKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANXIOLYTICS, AND ANALGESICS WHICH ALTHOUGH HELP IN COMBATING THE SYMPTOMS OF SUCH DISORDERS BUT ALSO CREATE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS. THUS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUCH CLINICAL PRACTICES, VARIOUS COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DIFFERENT NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. THE ROLE OF ALTERED BRAIN WAVES IN THIS CONTEXT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND NEEDS TO BE PURSUED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THUS, THE CURRENT STUDY PROVIDES A REVIEW FOCUSED ON DESCRIBING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AS WELL AS EXPLORING BRAIN WAVES AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THESE COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR SUCH DISORDERS. 2020 17 2796 38 YOGA THERAPY FOR OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD): A CASE SERIES FROM INDIA. YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE WHICH HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE HELPFUL IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SEVERAL PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS INCLUDING OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD). YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN OCD MAY HELP ADDRESS ISSUES LIKE PARTIAL RESPONSE AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IN THIS AREA IS SPARSE, WHICH LED US TO EXPLORE IT THROUGH THIS CASE SERIES. IN THIS CASE SERIES WE HAVE DESCRIBED THE BENEFITS OF 1 MONTH OF YOGA AS ADD-ON TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH OCD. ALL PATIENTS WERE ON STABLE DOSES OF MEDICATIONS PRIOR TO AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE. PRE-POST ASSESSMENTS FOR THE CORE SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION/COMPULSIONS AS WELL AS DEPRESSIVE AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS WERE DONE. THE ASSESSMENTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN Y-BOCS AND HAM-D SCORES AFTER 1 MONTH OF YOGA. YOGA THERAPY COULD BE AN EFFECTIVE ADD-ON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF OCD. 2021 18 2438 27 YOGA AND QIGONG IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PREVENTION OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS: A CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS. THE STUDY PROPOSES TO EXPLORE TWO ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THERAPIES-QIGONG AND YOGA FOR BALANCING THE ESSENTIAL DUO OF HOLISTIC MIND-BODY AND CONSEQUENTLY OFFER A SOLUTION FOR STRESS, UNCERTAINTY, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS HAVE BEEN USED TO CREATE A CONCEPTUAL SYNTHESIS OF YOGA AND QIGONG. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT AN INCREASED SENSE OF CONTROL IS THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THESE TWO MODALITIES. THIS CONCEPTUAL CONGRUENCE OF QIGONG AND YOGA IS THOUGHT TO BE A SELECTIVE, CURATIVE METHOD, A PRESCRIPTION FOR IDEAL LIVING AND A GROUND OF HUMAN ESSENCE EXISTENCE. FURTHERMORE, THIS ESSENCE IS THOUGHT TO ENHANCE THE MIND'S SELF-REGULATORY PROCESSES AND PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THE TWO ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES CAN PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS SUCH AS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND, MINIMIZE MENTAL HEALTH DISRUPTIONS SUCH AS STRESS AND POOR QUALITY OF LIFE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT PATIENTS AND/OR CLIENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS FUSION. 2010 19 1300 42 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 20 644 32 DOES YOGA HAVE A ROLE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA MANAGEMENT? PURPOSE OF REVIEW: TO REVIEW THE EFFICACY OF ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN IMPROVING SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF YOGA IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. RECENT FINDINGS: QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE WITH ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA (POOLED MEAN EFFECT SIZE 0.8, 0.6, AND 0.4, RESPECTIVELY). YOGA ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE A SMALL EFFECT ON IMPROVING POSITIVE SYMPTOMS. LESS EXPLORED AREAS INCLUDE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF YOGA ITSELF AS WELL AS ITS EFFECTS ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC-INDUCED COMPLICATIONS. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE EFFECTS OF YOGA MAY BE MEDIATED BY NEUROHORMONAL MECHANISMS AND FUNCTIONAL CHANGES IN BRAIN ACTIVITY. ADD-ON YOGA THERAPY IS A POTENTIAL TREATMENT OPTION FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS, AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EXPLORE EFFICACY IN MULTICENTRIC TRIALS AS WELL AS POSSIBLE NEUROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES UNDERLYING THE EFFECTS. 2020